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.

So Far So...

 

 GOOD! Hi again friends! Since last Wednesday we have done many activities and things here in Hamilton. On Thursday we went to do a hike around Hamilton and we took many photos during this afternoon because there were very good views of the city where we went to do the hike. On Friday we went to the Public Library of Hamilton, there, we did some games like Just Dance, and if you won a game they gave you a prize, like books or tee-shirts. They were very kind and nice with us and I had fun. This night, I went with my family to a street which has many art galleries and vintage shops, there I had fun because there were people with different styles and that remind me of Candem Town in London. On Saturday we went to Toronto to see a match of baseball of the Blue Jays, it was good but the journey was too hot and I was tired. The baseball game was exciting and new for me, and I enjoyed it a lot because I had never been in any baseball match. After that, we went to a big shopping centre and we did shopping and finally we had dinner inside of the shopping centre, in McDonals. On Sunday I went to Limeridge Mall with some of my friends, and there we bought some souvenirs for our families. Yesterday, on Tuesday, we went to the hall of fame of football because here in Hamilton there is a team of American football, it is called Tiger Cats. We also went to the Harbour and to the cinema, I saw Spiderman with some of my friends, I loved this movie because it was in 3D and it was great! Today, as it is Wednesday we have family day, so I will be this afternoon with them. See you soon friends!- Ana J.

 

 Amazing! This week in Canada has been wonderful, and we have done a lot of different things.
On Friday, we went to the Hamilton Public Library and we did there something like a quiz, which was really good. Then it started to rain, and we couldn't do more things.
At the weekend we went to Toronto to see the Blue Jays' match. It was a new and an exciting experience and we really enjoyed the match. Then we went shopping and after that, we came back to Hamilton. Sunday was a very relaxed day, and I only went with my "mama" to the gym, and then to one of her brothers' house. It was great!
On Tuesday we also went to the library, but this time to learn how to search for books in it. Before this, we went to Canadian Football Hall of Fame. And in the afternoon, we went to see the Hamilton Harbour, and we enjoyed the views of the lake very much. I hope this week will be, at least, the same as this one.- Mikel E.

 

INCREDIBLE! Hi people! Here we are again. The experience in Canada is so good. We are visiting places, doing interesting things...

On Thursday went on a hike to a park and we could see Hamilton Downtown.

On Friday we went to the Public Library in Hamilton, it was the first time that the library accepted foreign students to visit the place. We did a game that consisted of searching for books or information in the library and the winners received presents like books, t-shirts, magazines... We played "Just dance" too. It was fun!!! In the evening it started to rain so we went home.

On Saturday, we went to Toronto to see a baseball game. Blue Jays against Cleveland. That day was so hot but it was a different experience because I haven't seen it before. Some people of the group were only there two hours and a half because of the sun. I enjoyed it a lot and I had a good time.

This week we had classes on Monday. Yesterday we went to the library again and we did another game related with hockey. After that, we went to the Harbour and we had lunch. Then we went to the cinema to see "Ice Age 4". Today is the family night and we are going to stay at home with our families.

That's all! See you soon. Bye.- Maria I.

Good... So What! This week, we went to the library of Hamilton, on Saturday we went to the exciting game of the Blue Jays against the Cleveland Indians. The Blue Jays won with a score of 11-9. After that, we went to the Eaton's Centre. On Sunday, I went to Toronto with my family, and although it rained, I had a great day because I was invited to dinner at an Indian restaurant with my family. Yesterday, we went to have lunch by lake Ontario, and after an activity in the library,  we went to see a movie. That's all folks! See you!- Alvaro G.

Interesting! My family is very nice with me. The excursions were fantastic. I like the excursions a lot. Wonderland was the best one. It was the best day. The excursions to Toronto were fantastic, but baseball was horrible, because the day was very hot. The cultural days in Hamilton were fun. The cinema was fantastic. We watched Ice Age 4.  In general I like this camp.- Salvador I.

Great! Last week we didn't do a lot of things, but we went to see the Blue Jays in Toronto, because it's the baseball team from Toronto, it wasn't amazing but it was okay. As we were watching the match it was so hot and so we were sunbathing. It was a new experience and sometimes it was exciting. After that we went to two different shopping centers in Toronto, the Bay and Eaton's Centre. It was very good because we could buy a lot of things and presents for our families (Saturday). On Friday we had a cultural day, we went to the Library in Hamilton and we played an entertaining game and if you won they gave you a present, and that was a motivation to play better. Yesterday we went to the library and we played another different game, after we went to the cinema and some students saw Spiderman and others saw Ice Age. In the morning we went to a museum of American Football, and after we went to the lake, and in the afternoon we played different games.- Maria I. G.

 

Amazing! Last Friday we went to the library to play a research game using the resources that the library has. We had a good time, and at the end of the activity we got books and t-shirts as a gift. On Saturday we went to Toronto to watch a Blue Jays baseball game, who played against the Indians from Cleveland. It was a good experience, but it would have been better if we didn't have to be sitting in the sun for the whole match! After the baseball game, we went shopping to the Eaton Center again. At the end of that day we were very tired.

This Tuesday we visited the Football Hall of Fame, a place where we learnt some things about American football. When we were finished there, we went downtown to the Hamilton Bay, and there we met a man from Spain who had come to Canada like forty years ago. After that, we went to the library again to search for information about hockey. Finally, we went to the cinema, and we had to choose between two films: Ice Age 4 or Spiderman; most of us went to watch Ice Age 4. It was an entertaining, funny film, but someone fell asleep during it...

So far we are having a great time here in Canada, and I hope that everything will be better for this next week, so we can have good memories about this trip.- Clara A.

Good! The experiences that I'm living in Canada are very interesting and exciting.

On Friday we went to the Hamilton Public library. First we did an activity, we had to find information on different books, different parts of the library... When we finished the activity we played Just Dance with the Wii and at 12:30 we went to eat lunch. At 1:30 we could go free in the shopping centre and in the afternoon we went outside but then it started to rain a lot and we had to wait 20 minutes and finally we decided to return again to the shopping centre. At 5 o'clock we went to our houses.

On Saturday we went to watch a baseball match. We arrived to Toronto at 12:30 aproximately and then we went to the Blue Jays stadium to watch the Cleveland vs Blue Jays.

The match lasted 3:30 minutes but finally the Blue Jays won 9-11, it was very nice match.

Sunday was the family day. I didn't do anything.  It was very boring but it's part of the experience.

On Monday we had a normal class and in the afternoon we had to improvise something because we couldn't go bowling. On Tuesday we went to visit the American football museum. It was a bit boring but it's part of the experience.- Sergi M.

 

Different! As we expected since the very first moment of the summer camp, to be in Canada is an amazing experience because we escape our daily routine, of what we were used to, in Spain. On Thursday we were on a hike, with the purpose of exploring Hamilton's downtown. Then on Sturday we traveled to Toronto to watch a Blue Jays' baseball game. We were witnesses of one of the best baseball performances, which ended with a score of 11 runs for the Blue Jays and just 9 runs for the Indians of Cleveland. It was all thanks to Encarnacion (a Blue Jays player) who scored 2 home runs. On Saturday, I went to a picnic in a park and then the family brought me to an African Safari. On Tuesday we went to visit the Fooball Hall of Fame of Canada, where we were provided with a lot of information about the game. After that we saw a movie in the cinema, the choices were Ice Age 4 or The Amaizing Spiderman. - Carlos L.

Nice! Hi readers! In these last days in Canada I've been doing a lot of things and going to many places too. For example, last Friday we visited the public library where we walked around there and we did an activity, after that all of us played Just Dance, a famous wii game which was so fun! Then, because of the rain we couldn't do any more as we were wet and the rain didn't stop so we went back home.
On Saturday, we went to a baseball match between a Canadian team "The Blue Jays" and USA team, the match was very nice as I have never been to any of them before; it was a new and exciting experience that I would like to repeat again!!
Finally, on Sunday it was family day so I had lunch with my family and after that we went to a village near Hamilton to go to a big mall where there a lot of shops, restaurants and shoe shops! It was a fun day!- Alicia B.

Surprised! by the time we have expended in Canada. Last week we went to Toronto as 2 weeks ago, this time the activity was to go to watch a game of baseball ( Blue Jays vs Indians Clevelands), the game started off boring but as time passed it became more exciting after 2 home runs by Encarnacion ( baseball player). After being nearly 3 hours and a half watching the game we decided to go shopping as we did the last time we went to Toronto. At the end of the day we ended up tired because of the heat as it is usually here!

Apart from Toronto's trip we have been also in the Football museum of Hamilton which I felt a little bit bored maybe cause I'm a girl and I'm not really keen on American football but as in all the trips at the end we had a lot of  fun. After the museum we went to the bay, it was really beautiful. After all to finish the day we ate at a park and we went to the cinema, some of us went to watch Spiderman and others as me we went to watch Ice Age.-Rebecca A.

Fun! During this week we did lots of things. On Friday we went to the library to do a research game were we had to look up something like Hockey... On Saturday we went to Toronto to see a baseball match. We saw the Blue Jays (Toronto) against the Indians (Cleveland), it was an amazing match because both teams scored lots of points and they did lot of homeruns. On Tuesday we had another long day because we went another time to the library were we did another research game and then we went to the American Football hall of fame which was very exciting and interesting and finally to relax a small bit we went to the cinema were we watched a movie which was good.- Piero P.

 

Good! On Saturday I went to the Blue Jays' match, it was a new exciting experience, but it was very hot. I learned a lot about baseball and I liked when the Blue Jays did home runs! Now, I like to play baseball! After the match we went to Eaton's Centre, where I bought a lot of things.

Yesterday I went to the Football Hall of Fame, there I learned a lot about American football. Then, I went to the harbour and I walked around it. After that, I went to the library and I did a hockey project. Finally, we went to the cinema, I enjoyed it!-Maria T.

Good! Last Saturday we went to Toronto to see a Blue Jays match, it was very exciting.  After this we went to the Eaton's Center to go shopping. Yesterday we went to the Football Hall of Fame, after that we went to the library to do a hockey project, it was so difficult. After we went to the lake and to finish we went to the cinema to see Ice Age. It was funny.- Agustin P.

 

Awesome! Last Wednesday we played soccer with my "sister's" friends who were 21 but we enjoyed it a lot and we made new friends. On Thursday we had classes and as the other Thursday we taught some people who want to learn a little bit of Spanish. In the evening we were supposed to do sports and we went on a walk. On Friday we went to the library and we played Just Dance which is a Wii game and we had a lot of fun there. On Saturday we went to Toronto to see a baseball match between Toronto Blue Jays against Cleveland Indians. And when the match finished we went to a mall for two hours more or less so I enjoyed it a lot. On Sunday I went to church in the morning and when it finished I went to the mall for some hours. On Monday we had classes in the morning and we couldn't go to the bowling because of the buses. On Tuesday we went to the bay, to the library again and we watched a film, it was Ice Age 4 and it was really good.- Inaki D.