Our First Impressions

My first experiences in Canada have been awesome! This is my second year in a row in Canada and i think that it is a great country. I spent the first days with my family, I have played lot of basketball on my own and with my brother and sister because in font my house we have a basketbsall net were we can play. I didn't do only that, i've watched a lot of television especially baseball which I learned how to play here in Canada. 1st of July is Canada Day so to celebrate it canadian people have wonderful fireworks all around the country. I saw them near my house because our neighbours throw them. Yeterday we went to see the city of Hamilton and I think that it was awesome because you see many different things, lot's of shops you don't see in Europe. I think that canadian people are aswell awesome because they are really really friendly and they help you giving information and stuff like that. I think that these first days in Canada have been awesome and I hope it will be like that all the month!

Piero P.
 

My stay has been very interesting. The first day I went to Lake Ontario with Janice, my "canadian mum". She is very likeable and kind. I like my school. It is very big and there are a lot of computers and cafeterias. In my free time I go to zumba classes. It is very fun! I am very happy because I am reunited again with Lourdes and Isabel. We have a good time on our trip. I hope to learn a lot of things and meet new friends. Francisca C.

My first impression of Canada was (and still being) that it is an amazing country. One of the first things that everybody notices is that Canadian people are really welcoming, friendly and polite. Here in Hamilton there are so many green areas and recycling is very important for the people. Everyone is conscious that they live in a society.

The biggest difference with Spain are the timetables and the food, but it is awesome even though it is a little bit unhealthier.

I love my family. I feel like at home and finally i can have a dog! It is called Miles and it is fat as hell. Mr Burch (my host dad) thought that it would be funny to give Miles normal food, so now it is on a diet. Also Lloyd Burch (we called him Tiny because of his huge size) has two incredible cars. One is a white jeep from 2009 that looks brand new and the other is a true car from 1937 (an urban rod). Although he has difficulty walking we went to cool places like the Tall Ships or It's your festival. Pablo O.



I love Canada. When I see diferents places, I feel like I'm in a movie. Canadian people are very friendly and I am very happy with my family. They are fantastic with me. They cook everything for me and they go with me to visit new places. I went to Niagara Falls with them and it was a lot of fun. Niagara falls are wonderful!

The college is very big and I love it. There are a lot of things inside the college. They have a radio class, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, and even their own TV channel!

The spanish students like me are friendly too, they are crazy and we are happy when we are together. I think this trip will be an awesome trip!!
Laura L.

I think the first experience was great because the weather seems to be the same as in Spain and the families are very kind. The school is amazing and there are lot of well prepared facilities with computers for all of us. Most of us have got a private bedroom and I think our stay here will be awesome.

Some of us have been to a festival of lots of different nationalities which was quite interesting. At the home the food is awesome and it is quite easy to understand and speak with the host family

My house is amazing it is quite big. I have a swimming pool in the garden which has got salt water instead of chlorinate water. My family has two cars which are quite comfortable and an amazing Harley-Davidson which I have come to the school on! Guillermo L.

In Canada there are a lot of things that are so different; for example near the houses there aren't any supermarkets. you have to drive or catch the bus if you want something, so that it strange and the houses are big and everyone has a garden, it is excellent!!!

Canadian food is so different, there is a sauce that is shredded cucumber and you can put it in hamburguers, also the ketchup bottles are huge, every bottle here is bigger than in Spain, like Coke, Pepsi and limoneade bottles are as big as bottles of bleach, it is so funny.

Finally, the people, they are very friendly and if you need something they always help you, I'm so glad. My family is so friendly, every afternoon I talk with them and all together we have a good time, they told me I can go wherever I want with them so for me that 's fantastic. I think this trip will be great and I hope to have a good time here. Isabel P.

When I was arrived I couldn't believe that I was here. The trip was hard because it was too many hours despite the fact that I slept a long time on the plane. Everything is exactly what I was expecting. I have had two families. The first one was only a woman but the second has 2 daughters, 1 son and another international student like me. The two first days I was in the house with another student of this course. I really enjoyed Canada Day because I went to a barbacue with two friends and we made fireworkwin the garden. That day we saw a football match of Spain too. The college is very big, I felt surprised when I went into it because there were a lot of iMacs and famous restaurants. I also expect that everything will be like in that moment. Marta I.

I've returned here because last year I enjoyed it a lot. My family is awesome and everybody here is nice. This year I have met new people and they are very kind and friendly.

I have been in the mall with my host sister and I did some shopping. I'm quite sad because my host mum is away but she'll return soon so I'm looking forward to it. I love the cars which are here because they are huge. I'm having a good time with my mates and with my family. Inaki D.

My first impressions of the trip are good.

The flight to Canada was so long. We spent around 8 hours on the plane but then we finally arrived.

We went to our houses and we saw our families. Mine is very nice. It is a couple and they have a son who is 20.

On Sunday they gave me a tour around the city and on Monday I went to Niagara Lake. There I saw a fort called Fort George. They used it when they had a war against USA. At night I saw fireworks because it was the national holiday. It was good but not as good as Valencia's fireworks in Fallas. Jorge V.

My first impression has been good. The trip was a little long but it was well worth it. Family and people are very friendly, they always help you if you need it. School is nice, it is huge, there are a lot of shops and places to have lunch, this is like in films. The first of July, I saw the fireworks with my family in a park at night, that was incredible. I love the food, BBQ, hot dogs, everything is cool. In addiction, I have gone on a Harley with my host brother here, that was awesome. There are some differences, here we eat earlier than in Spain, we have breakfast at 8, have lunch at 1 and have supper at 6 and you must notice the taxes when you are going to buy something, because it is not included in the price. Here there are shops such as Tim Hortons or Starbucks, that there is not in Spain. I want to learn more things about Canada, I love it. Juan F.

I have found people here really friendly because you can talk to anyone you don't even know and they will talk to you in a really good way. If you get lost or you need something they will be ready to help you.

I found my family really entertaining because they like having so much fun and they are always joking or doing silly things. They seem to be very active because they are already telling my about things they would like to do with me. I like that because here, I will be able to do things that maybe I cannot do in my country. For example, on Sunday I went down to the harbour because they took me to see the Tall Ships and I really liked them. After that, we had a sandwich as we were watching a concert. I haven't seen much of the city but I think there are many things to see. Itziar U.

I am very happy in Hamilton. My family is very nice and I can practice English with them. On Sunday I went to the beach and on Canada Day I went to see a small falls and also I went to to the swimming pool although I couldn't sunbathe because it was cloudy. I went to see the fireworks as well, although they aren't as wonderful as in Spain. Yesterday we went to the Hamilton city centre. People are very friendly and I like the landscape of Canada because there are a lot of plants and animals. Lucia B.

When I arrived to Hamilton , I was very happy, I've never been in America before and everything looks nice and I don't want to go back home. Hehehe!! My family is excelent , I talk everyday with them, the woman cooks very nice food and we spend a lot of time together, playing or seeing places, movies, and they are always smiling, they never say no! They are too many people in the family but it's funny because you're always talking with someone.On the weekend , we saw Mamma Mia, the movie, and went to church, the day that I arrived. On Sunday we went to a festival, there was music, places to eat and an amusement park too. Then I went to a barbaque, that was fun. Then a family friend invited us another barbacue. On Canada Day I went to a swimming pool, but the weather was bed. In the evening we asked the family to go see the fireworks, the woman said " yes, of course" but that started at 10.00am and she forgot and we went to see the fireworks at 9:58pm! It was very funny because we were running to see them.  I would like to live here, the woman always leaves the house door open, and you sit outside and it's confortable and it's like being in a film. I was very surprise because when I went to church we sang the Canadian anthem and we stood up, and you think in Spain we dont do that, annd it's like a musical, all the mass was singing. I think I will be very fine in this place all month and I wont forget this experience. Isabel O.

The first impression was really great. Hamilton is a beautiful place with amazing nature and the people I'm with are very friendly. The weather is similar to Spain and I like the family and the house where I am staying. Canadian people are charming and always willing to help whether you get lost or you want them to show you something. Canada Day was incredible because everybody was doing fireworks and spending time together, and I like the food I've tasted from here and the places where I've been. I really miss the Spanish people I know but I am having such a great time here.
Isabel L.

The First day I was very nervous. Canada is very different to Spain, Hamilton is very different to my city, and this is strange to me. Everything is green and there are a lot of Tim Horton's and Pizza Pizza's. My family is great and they took me to a lot of places in ony 3 days. Ed (my host dad) took me to Boston pizza to watch Spain play soccer, we ate a big burguer and when we finished we went to lake Ontario to have an ice ceam. 1st of July here is awesome, I saw a lot of Canadian flags on the houses, at night we saw fireworks like in Valencia. My house is near the college, which is enormous, so I don't need to take a bus, it's perfect. Maria P.

Canada is totally different to Spain; the way they eat ( they eat very early compared with Spain). In our city, Hamilton, the streets are very alike and for me it is difficult to follow directions. Canada is very similar to the USA, I mean the things the American films show us.

I live with a Jamaican woman. She is very nice and she cooks very well. She is a very good cook. She loves sports and we've been watching baseball matches, tennis and the UK grand prix of F1.

My mates are very good people, I hope to keep in touch with them when we come back to Spain.
Jose Luis P.
 

My first impression of Canada is excellent, because the country is very different to Spain.

Here there is a lot of grass in every street and there are more houses than flats.

My family is very cheerful because they laugh all the time, the mum and the sisters sing everyday, they like Pink. On Sunday, I went to the shopping centre with my (host) sister, Josellyne, she is very nice, and I play with her when we are both bored. The family likes all the food with hot spices and they like a lot of different sauces.

Mohawk College is very big and the first day I was thinking, Sure I'm going to get lost!!

The other students from our group are fantastic because they are very crazy and very nice too. I'm very happy with all of them because we are like a big family. I hope to have a good month!!
Lourdes A.

My first impression of Canada is awesome, people here are very nice and friendly. I do a lot of things with my family and the food is sometimes strange but it's delicious. Today I have wifi so I'm very happy :) . Furthermore, my mates are very funny and I have a good time with them.

The flight was horrible but i think that it's worth it.

I'm learning some things about Canada for example the money and I'm learning the anthem from Canada too. Fernando M.

My first impression of Canada has been better than I expected. The time we spent at the airport wasn't very fun cause we were tired but the first Canadian person we met, the woman who drove us to Hamilton, was very friendly. Like her, everyone I have met here has showed me interest about where I'm coming from and about every fact about me.

I'm very happy with my family because they (the mum and "my" sister) have been very kind, very generous and they have tried to make me feel like if I was in my own home.

The only problem I have found is the lunch. I really don't like it. But the food at home is very good and although it's a little bit different I like it.

My first Canada Day experience was unbelievable. I really enjoyed being next to the lake watching the fireworks with my host sister's friends. They were very easy-going and they were very kind to me.

I'm worried about the way I must follow to get home, because I have to take two buses and I'm probably going to get lost but I have a month to learn how to get home properly.

Virginia P.

My first days in Canada have been really good. Hamilton is bigger than I expected. And I like my family, because they are good people and friendly. Also, canadian people are very polite and if you ask them for help, they will help you. With my family I have done a lot of awesome things such as ridding a bicycle, going to the supermarket, going to the lake, playing board games, going to the swimming pool... And one shocking thing was that there are a lot of people from different countries. Rafael T.

 

The first days in Canada are very different than my life in Spain. My host family is understanding and friendly. My host mother is Lydia. She has got two daughters Devon and Jessica, but the second one doesn't live in the house. The house is near the school. I go to school walking everyday.

I hope I will enjoy in my stay in Hamilton, I will learn about an other culture and I will learn English. Cristina C.