In Life, In Music, In Metal - Vanier College

Voices From Around The World 2006 |

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In life, everything starts with a dream. I’m going to tell you the story of a man who believed in his dreams, even against all odds.

Most dreams make their first appearance during childhood. Many dreams are pushed by the family, parents, and friends. In this case, the man saw his dream in music at the early age of five. His parents made him take piano lessons to encourage his hunger for music, but they didn’t know that this would be the start of something huge — the start of their son’s life.

After an ordinary life, the man discovered something beautiful in music — a style he hadn’t heard of yet. Metal was a beautiful but powerful style of music; it combined classical music with the electric sounds of contemporary music. Metal was a style that many people hated, but a lot more loved. However, the most important thing about Metal was the feeling that people had when they listened to it; they felt on the top of the world, which was something beautiful to feel.

With his discovery of Metal, the man knew that he had to work in music. He had to be someone in the world of Metal, but for that to happen, he had to change his instrument. He started to play guitar, and with all the knowledge that he had from the piano, learning the guitar was a lot easier. At that time, he was already seventeen years old, and he started to have some problems with his parents. It was funny, because the same family that encouraged him to study music when he was young was now encouraging him to study something more “safe.” However, even with his parents against him, he continued in music. He knew that music was not an easy way of life; he could regret everything, but something he knew he would not regret was his efforts in music. He wouldn’t live like everybody else; he would live knowing he tried to realize his dreams.

To realize his dreams, the man needed a band; he needed brothers who shared the same passion for music, which in this case was Metal. He started to play with a friend that he had already knew, but they needed more people in the band, at least a bassist and a drummer. Unfortunately, after a year of searching, they didn’t find the two musicians that they needed. Only after he began his music studies in college did they find the two musicians that they needed. The band began playing together, and they where in heaven. The guitarist started to compose the first songs, songs that were a mix of fast and powerful Thrash Metal from the greatest band of all times, Metallica, and dark and sad sounds of Goth Metal.

The guitarist finished his studies, but his band, even with their beautiful songs, was still unknown. He was losing his motivation to continue with his dream. He had his band, but he couldn’t survive in life with it; he and his band mates worked

IInn LLiiffee,, IInn MMuussiicc,, IInn MMeettaall by Agustín Trechi Sartori


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in restaurants in order to make a living. However, he didn’t’ know that during those hardest moments, he would see the light; his band would see the light. Life is like this, we never know what is going to happen. However, we have to understand that the only way to realize our dreams is to try.

Agustín Trechi Sartori is Italian, but was born in Uruguay. He will be studying Pure and Applied Science this fall. He would love to become a good guitarist in a great metal band. Agustín also plays the piano, and he enjoys surfing and playing soccer.

Voices From Around The World 2006 | 4

They all know that Canada is one of the biggest countries in the world. It shares its border with the United States of America, and it is in North America. However, they don’t know its culture, its living style, its language, and its education system. So, immigrants face a lot of difficulties when they move to Canada. The first problem many immigrants have is the language of the region they are living in. I will give you an example using the province of Quebec, because I live here. I was very young when I came to Canada, specifically to Montreal, Quebec. I moved to Montreal with my brother, my sister, and my parents. We came from Pakistan where the officially language is Urdu, and the second language is English. My parents had a lot of difficulties communicating with people around us, because they didn’t know a word of French. My brother, sister, and I were really young when we started school. We didn’t have any difficulties, because we learned both languages. Secondly, foreigners face a lot of difficulties with the Canadian weather. Most of the time, they are from hot countries. They have never seen snow in their whole lives. The duration of winter and the cold weather makes them sick. It takes them two to three years to get used to the weather. Finally, immigrants don’t know what kind of clothes they should wear to work or school. This is one of the biggest problems that they face because their traditional clothes aren’t the same. For example, in some countries girls don’t wear jeans and t-shirts. So when they come to Canada, they have to wear jeans with t-shirts. If they aren’t in jeans, no one will talk to them. Therefore, clothes are one of the biggest issues of immigrant families. In conclusion, immigrants face a lot of difficulties in the beginning, but with time, they all change themselves and become Canadians. Most of the time, they learn the language, the culture, and the way of life in Canada. They make friends and have a happy social life.

Amina Ijaz was born in Pakistan. She came to Canada when she was three years old. She loves to learn different languages and cultures. Amina will be studying in the Health Science program at Vanier College and hopes to become a doctor, specifically a gynaecologist.

TThhee LLiiffee ooff aa NNeeww SSttrraannggeerr iinn CCaannaaddaa by Amina Ijaz


I spent most of my childhood in Greece; most of my best memories are of my life there. However, there’s one day that I’ll never forget ─ my eighth birthday! It was a cold February day; it seemed like a normal day until people started coming over to my house for no reason. All my cousins, my uncles, my aunts, and even some of my close friends were there. It didn’t bother me; I was really enjoying the night. I was playing around the house with everyone, and it seemed as if all

the attention was on me. I loved it!

However, after a while, things were getting a little strange. I mean, yes, I was having a lot of fun, but why did all my friends come to my house without even being invited? Why did they say that my parents invited their parents for coffee? I had a feeling that they were lying to me, so I started walking all over the place. I asked everyone again and again why he or she came to my house in the middle of the week when all the children had school the next day. Everyone was using different excuses and that frustrated me. I felt as if they were acting that way because I was only seven years old, and they thought I wouldn’t understand the real reason why they were there.

So I went into my room, closed the door, and lay on my bed. I started getting sad because no one was coming to check on me. I felt as if no one cared. Suddenly, the door opened and everyone came in. The last person to come in was my mom, and she was holding a cake with eight candles on it. Afterwards, everyone screamed cheerfully, “Surprise!” I had forgotten my own birthday; I mean, who forgets his or hers own birthday? I guess I was too young to remember it! The night ended perfectly; everyone left after eating his or her piece of cake and after dancing for a while. I ended up having more fun than I thought I would! Now I know why everyone was there! They came to wish me happy birthday. I was the happiest girl on Earth! I will never forget that day, and I will never forget how much fun I had when I was a young girl. Most of all, I’ll never forget my birthday again. The experiences that I had in Greece will always stay in my mind.

Anisa Stoli was born in Albania. She moved to Greece when she was only two years old. She lived in Greece for nine years, and then moved once again, but this time to Montreal. She will be studying at Vanier College in Social Science, Major in Child’s Studies.

MMyy EEiigghhtthh BBiirrtthhddaayy by Anisa Stoli


At my high school, a few teachers organized a school trip to Italy for eight days. I was one of the twenty-six students that went. I always dreamt of going there, so I took my chances, and I left. The excitement only began a couple of hours before my plane ride. I had butterflies in my stomach as I went onto the airplane. First, we flew for about nine to ten hours to Frankfurt, Germany. We spent the whole day touring the

city. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I finally saw all the beautiful places in Europe that I never thought I would see in my life. When we arrived back at the airport, it was announced that our flight was delayed, and the next one was in six hours. Finally, we sat on the plane and flew to our next destination — Venice, Italy. In order to get to our hotel, we had to take the bus from Milan. It was four hours of driving. After all the misery, we finally arrived at our location and began visiting exciting places. Venice was the city that I liked the least. However, it was really nice to see how the city was floating on water, which made it special and unique from other places. I even had a romantic Gondola ride, and it was certainly spectacular. Afterwards, we packed our bags and continued visiting the second city — Florenzia. I liked Florenzia a lot. The museums that we visited were humongous. As a girl, my favourite part was shopping. Canada’s fashion was incomparable to the fashion there. Every person that you saw was well-dressed and well-groomed. Rome was the last city that we visited. There was so much history there that it was impossible to learn it all in a couple of days. Italy right now is under construction because the country is so old that, little by little, it’s falling apart. I could talk about Italy for hours or even for days. This country has so much history to offer; one week of vacation is not enough. This trip was an experience of a lifetime, and I will remember it for the rest of my life. School trips are opportunities that are given to students to have fun and explore new things. If you have a chance to go somewhere, then grab on to it. You won’t regret it.

Anna Shevchenko is originally from Kazakhstan. She will be studying in the Commerce program at Vanier College.

TTrriipp ttoo IIttaallyy by Anna Shevchenko


Moving is not an easy task to do. When someone has dreams, and he or she can’t achieve them for some reason, it is not a good excuse for him or her to stop trying to find a way to achieve his or her dreams. Like any other teenager, I had a lot of dreams to achieve, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to achieve my dreams because of the situation in my country, Egypt. Egypt is a third world country; therefore, it is not easy for youth to achieve what they dream of. I moved to Canada when I was 21 years old. I decided to stay in Montréal because my cousins lived here. They helped me know and discover the country that I moved to. I didn’t know how to speak French at all, but I was able to speak some English. I took a French course for three months to learn the language. Everything was new to me: the people, the language, the lifestyle, and the weather. I had to adapt to all these new things to be able to go on and achieve my goals. I worked a full time job at my cousin’s supermarket for eight years. I learned a lot of skills from my job. I’m sure I will use these skills in the future. I decided to go back to school because I wanted to learn more skills. I have chosen “Industrial Electronics” to be my program. Now, I’m in the second year of my program, and I’m still working at my cousin’s supermarket part time. Though I still have a long way to go before achieving my dreams, this won’t stop me from working hard. When someone has dreams or goals to achieve, he or she must work hard to accomplish what he or she has started. “NO PAIN, NO GAIN.”

Ayman Soliman is from Egypt. This autumn, he will be studying in the Industrial Electronics program at Vanier College.

NNoo PPaaiinn,, NNoo GGaaiinn by Ayman Soliman


Ever since I was a child, I always had a dream to go to Walt Disney World. My dream never died and finally came true last December. The day we had to leave, I couldn’t believe that I was actually going to Disney World. I was really excited. During our days in Orlando, we visited the four amazing amusement parks: Animal Kingdom, Epcot, MGM Studio, and Magic Kingdom. During the first day, we decided to visit the Animal Kingdom. We got to see all the animals and many different shows. We spent the whole day in that park. During the second day, we went to Epcot and saw all the different parts of different countries. For example, there was a place where we saw the Eiffel Tower, which represented Paris, and in that area the tour guide would speak French. After a while, we became bored and decided to go to MGM Studio, which was not too far away. MGM Studio was a great place to learn all about Disney movies. They also explained to us the way cartoons were created. The next day was Christmas, and we couldn’t miss the parade that was going to take place in the Magic Kingdom. However, before the parade began, we went to see Cinderella’s castle, which was very beautiful.

After all those visits, we went back to the house that we had rented and took a big nap. Unfortunately, we had to come back to Montreal. I wished we could have stayed there longer because a week wasn’t enough for us. I’m still hoping to go back there one day but that would be another dream.

Chaitali Patel was born in Montreal. She will be studying Explorations. However, she wants to help people by becoming a nurse; therefore, after Explorations, she will be applying to the Nursing program at Vanier College.

MMyy TTrriipp ttoo WWaalltt DDiissnneeyy WWoorrlldd by Chaitali Patel


Six years ago, I flew back to my homeland and stayed there for a month. During my short vacation, I learned a new way to show respect. I found it quite strange because I grew up in Canada and adopted their method of courtesy. During my first day in the Philippines, I organized a family reunion, because we had lost touch after I immigrated to Canada. My relatives were very respectful with their words and actions. The family get-together was unforgettable. When everyone arrived in the backyard, I went to kiss them on their cheeks to warmly welcome them. They all wanted to be near me and hear stories about my life. I could tell they were excited to see me back home. At certain points, I felt like a shining star. After a while, all of my cousins left me with my aunts and uncles. At that moment, I thought I was losing my spark. After a while, more visitors came along, and I gave them a handshake as a gesture of formality. Suddenly, my cousins came back to serve the food to their parents. I told them that in Canada the adults and the children serve themselves. They laughed at me, and I was slightly embarrassed, because in my country to give precedence to elders was considered good manners. Later that same day, I realized that I hadn't seen my grandmother yet. The reason was that we were numerous people in the yard and I couldn't tell who welcomed me. Behind the mango tree, I saw her sitting solemnly in her wheelchair. I ran rapidly, and as soon as I approached her, a young lady came near me and whispered, “Show respect." I gave her a quizzical look, and so she explained to me that I have to kiss the elder's hand to show respect. However, I remembered that Western people kissed on the cheeks. Finally, I began to realize that my ancestors were not used to greeting people by either shaking hands or by embraces. I learned that the highest form of respect in the Philippine culture was the kiss on the hand. So, I passed on the lesson to my siblings here in Montreal.

Challey Anne Tenoso was born in the Philippines, in a small province called Tarlac. She can communicate in Ilocano, Tagalog, English, and French. Her family flew from her country so that she may have a brighter future. She's presently in Social Science and looking forward to becoming a teacher.

MMuuttuuaall RReessppeecctt by Challey Anne Tenoso


When I graduated from high school in 2004, my parents gave me the best graduation gift ever: a trip to Italy organized by my school, with one of my best friends. The flight was about eight hours, which we found to be very long and boring, but once we arrived, the wait was all worth it. We got to visit three of the most beautiful cities in the country: Rome, Florence, and Venice. First, we visited Rome. We went to see the Colosseum, and we got to walk inside of it. Then, we saw the Trevi Fountain, and we took a penny and made a wish to return to Rome one day. After that, we passed by Piazza di Spagnia, which was full of people from all over the world. Finally, we visited the Vatican as well as the Sistine Chapel. We actually went in the Chapel and walked in it for about an hour or two because it was so big. On our way out of the Vatican, we also got to see the Pope's house from a far distance. The weather there was great; it was sunny all the time. Our hotel room was kind of like a condo. Rome was great! Secondly, we visited Florence. It was a much calmer city than Rome, but it was just as beautiful. Once there, we visited many churches and museums. We saw a lot of wonderful art pieces from Michael Angelo, Leonardo DaVinci, and many more Italian artists. The food in Italy was amazing; we had different kinds of pastas, and the pizza we ate was thin like a napkin. It was delicious. The best part though, was the ice cream, which is called gelato and exists in every flavour. Florence was a great city, and I can't wait to go back! Finally, we visited Venice's streets, which were two meters wide and surrounded by stores and restaurants. We got on a boat and went to where they made Murano Glass, which was the place where we got most of the souvenirs for our family and friends. The best part of Venice was the fact that our hotel was directly on the beach, and we even had a pool. The beach wasn't as nice as I pictured it; there were a lot of jellyfish, and one of my classmates even got stung by one. Overall, Venice was one of the most beautiful cities that I've ever seen in my life. In conclusion, my trip to Italy was a great experience. One day I’ll go back with more of friends and have them discover the European culture, which is unforgettable. I hope to go back very soon. I adore travelling, and if I had the money right now, I would travel the world!

Cora Cheung was born in Montreal. She will be study Architectural Technology at Vanier in order to pursue her career as an architect.

TTrriipp ttoo IIttaallyy 22000044 by Cora Cheung


My name is Yuan, and I came from China, the most populous country in the world. There are a lot of holidays in the Chinese calendar and the Chinese New Year is the most interesting one. The different kinds of activities during that time of the year make everyone happy. I still remember one of the best New Years that I ever had in China. It was in 1997, at the beginning of the Chinese New Year, and I was ten years old. I was living in a small village at that time with my paternal grandparents, my mother, and my younger brother. It was during the morning, and my mother told me and my brother that we would start meeting the whole family when our New Year began. We were very happy because we hadn’t seen most of our family members for a long time. Two hours later, my mother prepared everything, and we were wearing new clothes for the visit. First of all, we had to meet our cousins, uncles, and aunts at their house in the city. When we arrived there, everyone was waiting for us already, and by their faces, I could say that they were very happy. After a while, my uncles drove everyone to meet our maternal grandparents in the village. When we arrived there, my brother and I saw them sitting on their chairs. Immediately, we ran as fast as we could to hug them. Also, we had a great dinner at their house. We stayed in their village until noon, and we were planning to go out with the whole family. We were at the zoo two hours later. It was our first time at the zoo, and we saw around two hundred different kinds of animals. Afterwards, we ran to see the fireworks, which were on a mountain. There were a lot of people there already. We waited there until around 6 p.m., and then the fireworks began. Everyone looked at the sky; it was full of flowers of different colours. We heard the laughs of thousands of people. We went back to one of my uncle's house at 10 p.m. On the way to their house, it became dark, and I saw the city filled with billions of lights. It was very beautiful. My uncle's house was very big, and there was a computer on the third floor. My cousins showed my brother and me how to play computer games for the first time. We enjoyed the computer games, and we had so much fun at their house. At the end of the night, we got some surprises from the elders of our family, and we received a lot of lai shi, new clothes, and sweet candies. For me, Chinese New Year is the most important holiday; it reminds me a lot of the happy old times in China. However, every holiday should have its own interesting activities, and the stories behind those days bring happiness to everyone.

Da Yuan He will be studying Social Science at Vanier and wants to become an accountant in the future.

CChhiinneessee NNeeww YYeeaarr by Da Yuan He

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What is the English Exit Exam?

The English Exit Exam (or Ministerial Examination of College English Language of Instruction and Literature), issued by the Quebec Ministry of Education, is a compulsory exam which all students in English Cegeps must pass in order to obtain their DEC. Students taking the exam have four hours in which to read the three texts provided and write a formal essay of 750 words about one of them. The essay should analyze one of the main themes in one of the texts and discuss it in detail, referring to literary techniques and devices used by the author.

Anyone who has completed the three numbered courses (101, 102, 103) or is currently taking the last of the three is eligible to sit for the exit examination.

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A Guide to Preparing for and Passing the English Exit Exam Pay particular attention to your English teacher's advice, especially when he or she offers you an

opportunity to write an Exit Exam simulation. Attend at least one workshop on the English Exit Exam, given by The Learning Centre and the

English Department. Watch Vanier This Week for dates. Ensure that you understand a number of the techniques and devices listed so that you will be able

to describe the author’s use of two or three of them in your essay. Consider the possible organizational plans that have been given in this guide. Of course, you do

not have to follow either plan; on the other hand, your four hours on the exam will go quickly. You do not want to spend an excessive amount of time trying to figure out a structure for your essay.

Practice writing at least one essay. Visit The Learning Centre to receive feedback and

suggestions on your practice essay. To develop your reading skills, read and discuss articles from the newspaper every day. Read as

many novels and magazines as you can. Get yourself a very good and up-to-date dictionary. It is more likely to have the word you want,

and hopefully will use it in a sentence to give you a better sense of how it should be used. Take an essay or story you are already familiar with, or perhaps have written on already, and try

to write an essay using the same criteria of the English Exit Exam (identify main idea, thesis, analysis of techniques and devices).

To improve your expression:

Review any graded essays. What errors in expression have teachers already advised you about?

Check out any handouts of The Learning Centre in this area.

Take note of the varied sentence structure in the sample student essays. You cannot

just use simple sentences! The Learning Centre has various grammar texts that you may refer to. Make an appointment to bring in a sample essay for The Learning Centre to review

with you so that you can learn from any mistakes.

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Marking Criteria

You are being tested on your reading, writing and critical thinking skills. You must show that you have attained college-level proficiency in all three. Here is the marking criteria used to assess your exam. You need an A, B or C in all three categories to pass. On the following page, we will discuss the criteria in a little more depth.

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Marking Criteria Tip Sheet

A. Comprehension and Insight

• Be sure to indicate early in your essay what you consider to be the main idea of the selection. You are advised to state that idea in your very first sentence. Be sure you are reading and writing about what the author says, not what you think on the topic!

• You must also show you understand the techniques and devices used by the author. Mention in your introductory paragraph that you will cover this item in your essay. Dedicate at least one paragraph to this matter and consider it in detail.

• A critical/analytical understanding of the reading means you must NOT summarize. Offer some in-depth interpretation or analysis. Think what it will be about and get it in your thesis (see Organization of Response).

• Also note that a critical analysis does not mean you must criticize or find fault with the author’s work. You just have to analyze it and interpret it for the reader.

• You must write on the reading, and refer to it, explicitly. Quotations should be used properly, as well as direct references to that the author says.

B. Critical Thinking (“Organization of Response”)

• Your thesis must be explicit, and should be in the first paragraph; it should express your

interpretation/critical reading of the author's message. • Write a five or six paragraph essay, using the first paragraph to tell your reader what you

will do, and then developing three points (four if you like) in the following paragraphs. Add a conclusion. Your conclusion could make the difference between a pass and fail.

• Be sure to refer to the reading to support everything you say, but do NOT use long quotations: the word count (750 words) refers to YOUR words. Do not use the essay/story to pad your answer.

• Write topic sentences based on your three points that introduce each paragraph, and stick to the topic. Don't take chances: this is your graduation task, not a creative writing opportunity.

C. Writing (“Expression”)

• Your rough draft is shredded: your final draft must be complete and well written! • Proofread carefully and correct your final copy. • Ensure that all sentences are clearly written and free of spelling and grammar errors.

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Common Errors to Avoid Comprehension and Insight

• No identification of main idea: Identify one of the main ideas in the text and state this main idea clearly. Make sure it is not overly general.

• No techniques/devices: Your essay should discuss some literary techniques used by the author, and you should discuss them in some detail.

• Incorrect identification of techniques/devices: Make sure you understand how a literary

technique works if you use it. For example, don’t talk about irony if you don’t have a full handle on what irony really is.

• Poor choice of evidence/quotes: Choose quotes that are directly related to your argument.

Avoid using very long quotes. Organization of Response

• Weak introductions: Don’t just write your thesis statement and stop there. Include the author’s name and title of the text, a general discussion of the main idea in the text, your thesis statement and an overview of how you will proceed.

• Weak thesis statement/no thesis statement: A thesis statement has to be an argument or give

your point of view about the main idea of the text.

• Weak conclusions: Don’t just write a one-sentence summary of your essay. Reword your thesis statement, remind us of your main points and end with an interesting thought.

• Off-topic paragraphs: Keep each paragraph focused on just one element or idea.

• No topic sentence: Make sure your topic sentence is comprehensive and tells your reader

exactly what the paragraph will be about. Expression

• Awkward phrasing: Say your sentences in the clearest way possible. Choose the most straightforward way to write your sentences.

• Switching verb tenses: Try to stay in the present tense and don’t switch from past to present

tense, especially in the same sentence.

• Subject/verb agreement: This is an important grammar error to avoid! Your verb should always match your subject.

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• Word choice: If you’re not sure of what a word means, don’t use it. A “big” word does not

mean it’s the best word.

• Word usage: Don’t mix up words like there/their/they’re, than/then, we’re/where/were, to/too/two. Always proofread!

• Articles: Use articles properly and make sure you know when to use a/an and the.

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Time Management The following steps have been designed to help you use your time efficiently. Please note that these are only guidelines, and each individual should adjust these suggestions according to his or her strengths and weaknesses in English.

AT HOME

Review your old essays and make a list of common errors. Memorize this list and be ready to write it in the rough draft booklet as soon as you sit down on the day of the exam, so that you consult it as you proofread your essay.

ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM: 1. Select a Reading (15 minutes) • Your exam booklet will include three texts that will be either short stories or essays. The exam

guidelines will tell you which category a reading is. • If you know you would prefer writing on the essay, then don’t bother reading the short story. If you

like writing essays on short stories, then don’t read the essay. By not reading all three texts, you can save a lot of time.

• Once you have made your decision, don't go back! You will not have enough time to pick a new reading and produce a second essay.

2. Read the Piece Thoroughly (45 minutes) • Read your selection carefully. Use a dictionary to look up words you do not understand. • Underline or highlight the main ideas, techniques, and examples. • Make notes in the margins. • If you do a good job here, the next step will be fairly straightforward because you'll know exactly

where to look for your ideas. 3. Plan and Draft Your Essay (60 minutes) • Your plan is the bare bones of the essay; your outline should include a practice introduction, points

for each topic sentence, and perhaps even the beginning of a conclusion. • Only the final copy will be evaluated, so do not waste time about writing a complete rough draft. 4. Write Your Final Copy (90 minutes) • Double space your final copy. This will be beneficial in the next step, proofreading. • Note that only your final copy will be evaluated. You must complete your final copy. • Write clearly and in pen – NOT PENCIL. 5. Proofread (30 minutes) • Everyone, regardless of their level of English, should proofread. • Use your dictionary. • Refer to the list of common errors that you wrote down in the rough book at the beginning of the

test to look for the mistakes that would reduce your mark in expression (e.g. grammar, spelling, subject-verb agreement).

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Techniques and Devices: Means Used by an Author to Get His/Her Point Across

Here is a list of some of the techniques and devices you could discuss in your essay. You may know of more as well. Some of these techniques are more appropriate to use when discussing short stories, and some are specifically for writing about the essays. Accumulation is a list of words that are related or similar to make the point more forcible. (The factory was dirty, disgusting and messy) Allusion is an indirect reference to usually well-known persons, places, events, or literary texts. Analogy is a comparison of two concepts, usually one that is familiar and one that is not in order to argue or explain a point. Anecdote is a short, simple story told by an author or character in a story, usually to illustrate a larger point. Analysis examines the author's argument, showing its separate parts. Cause and effect is when one event causes another event to happen. Characterization refers to the level or degree of detail an author employs to make his/her characters come alive; it may include outward appearance (tall, old, skinny, ugly, etc.), behaviour (dull, angry, happy, etc.), or their inner emotional, intellectual and moral qualities (centered, religious, intelligent, apathetic, etc.) Classification is a way of organizing information according to categories. Comparison is an examination of two or more items to establish similarities and dissimilarities. Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces. It can be between two people, a person and something in nature or society, or even between impulses or parts of the self. Contrast involves the examination of differences of associated things, qualities, events or opposing views, usually done to emphasize their differences or to create tension. Description is the amount of detail used by the author to give a mental image of something experienced. Diction involves the kinds of words used to achieve particular effects. Dialogue is the conversation between any characters in a story. Enumeration is when an author lists the main points of the argument that he will make. This gives the readers signs for what to focus on while reading the text.

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Example refers to a particular single item, fact, incident, or aspect that illustrates a rule or a general statement. Flashback is a passage in the text that breaks the chronological order of events. A flashback tells readers of an earlier event, usually in the form of a dream, memory or dialogue. Foreshadowing is when an author puts clues in the text to hint at events that will occur later on. Hypophora is when the author asks their reader a question (usually at the beginning of the paragraph), and then continues on to answer it, usually at some length. It adds style and keeps the text lively. Imagery refers to the author’s use of words that appeal to the senses. Most imagery is visual, or can be seen (for example, “a black cat”). However, imagery can also relate to any of the five senses (sight, taste, touch, smell, hearing) Irony refers to the unexpected difference or lack of agreement between appearances and truth or between expectation and reality. Irony is apparent when an author uses language to create a deliberate contrast between appearance (what seems to be true) and truth (what the author really thinks). Metaphor is a comparison that does not use “like” or “as”. (My love is a rose.) Narration is the act of telling a story or sequence of events; it is how the author arranges aspects of the story such as place, time, events, and the characters and what they say or do. Not all narration is necessarily in chronological order. Onomatopoeia is when an author uses a word whose pronunciation reads like the sound it is describing. The use of this suggests and reinforces the meaning. (Buss, screech, whir, sizzle, snap, crackle, pop, etc.) Overstatement (Hyperbole) is an exaggerated remark or comment used by an author, usually with a specific effect or intent in mind or to draw the reader’s attention to something important. Personal experience is when the author tells the readers a story about his/her life, usually to make a larger point or as an explanation. Personification involves the giving of human qualities to inanimate objects or animals. Plot refers to what happens in the story - events and thoughts which make up the story's basic structure and the order in which these events/thoughts are presented. Point of view in fiction refers to the perspective used by the narrator to tell the story. It is through the narrator's perspective (through the narrator's eyes and mind) that readers learn what is happening in a story. An author might choose the first person, third person restricted, omniscient, or some other point of view. Repetition involves the author stating the same words, phrases or ideas several times throughout a text, usually to emphasize a main idea or the main theme.

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Rhetorical question is a question that has an obvious answer and is therefore not expected to be answered. It is used to force the reader to think in a particular direction that the author wants, and often for effect, emphasis or provocation. Satire may occur when someone or something is ridiculed or made fun of, usually in order to criticize it. This can be a difficult technique to spot or to explain, so don’t use this unless you are sure you understand what you are supposed to do. Setting refers to the location of a story or novel in terms of place, time, social environment, and physical environment. Simile is a comparison where “like” or “as” is used. (My love is like

a rose.)

Slang is “street” or common (usually spoken) language used by an author instead of “formal” language: “kids” instead of “children” or “crappy” instead of “bad”. Symbolism involves using something to represent something else. A “heart” is a symbol of “love”. Theme is a larger truth that a story reveals; it is the author's main idea. A theme is rarely stated directly by the author. Instead, the readers must discover what they perceive the theme to be by examining and questioning details found in the story. Tone refers to the author's attitude or position toward the action, characters, narrator, subject, and even to the reader. To determine the tone, the reader must examine the language the author uses and decide what effect the author's choice of words has. Tone can be serious, playful, humorous, arrogant, emotional, ironic or critical, to name a few. Understatement is representing something as of much less importance than it really is. This can be used to express irony, or often, tactfulness.

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Possible Essay Formats for the English Exit Exam

Essay Format Based on Techniques Introduction Body ( 3 paragraphs)

Conclusion

• Author’s name • Title of the essay/story • An opening thought • What you perceive to be the author’s main idea • Thesis stating which aspect of the author’s work you are analyzing • Brief preview of your body paragraph, including the techniques and devices you are analyzing

• Topic sentence; the paragraph’s central idea (will include a technique) • One aspect of the text used to support your thesis • Elaboration of this aspect including critical interpretation (explain what the author is doing) • Details/references (an example to illustrate)



• Restate (rephrase) your thesis • Summarize what you wrote in the body paragraphs (plus the techniques) • Make a final comment – finish with a strong concluding statement

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Essay Format Based on Theme/Main Idea Introduction

Body ( 3 paragraphs) Conclusion

• Author’s name • Title of the essay/story • What you perceive to be the author’s main idea • Thesis stating which aspects of the author’s work you are analyzing • Brief preview of your body paragraphs. Include 2-3 techniques.

• Topic sentence; the paragraph’s central idea (will include one element of the text’s theme/main idea)

• One aspect of the text used to support your thesis • Elaboration of this aspect including critical interpretation (explain what the author is doing) • Details/references (an example to illustrate), plus one technique





• Restate (rephrase) your thesis • Summarize what you wrote in the body paragraphs (plus the techniques) • Make a final comment – finish with a strong concluding statement

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Transitional Words and Phrases

It is important to use transitional words and phrases in your essay. Here are some good ones that you can use. There are many others as well, so use the ones that best fit into your essay.

To indicate a conclusion or a result

To introduce an illustration

To add a thought

Therefore Consequently Thus Hence

He is very unhappy. Therefore, Consequently, Thus, Hence, he cries a lot.

As a result of As a result of his unhappiness, he cries a lot. In other words He cries all the time, he can’t sleep, and he doesn’t want to see his

friends. In other words, he is very unhappy.

For example For instance

John often makes mistakes. For example, For instance, yesterday

To illustrate Wars are not simply acts of aggression. To illustrate, Jacob Weil shows…

Namely There are three types of breakfast, namely the quick breakfast, the leisurely breakfast, and the indulgent breakfast.

Likewise Similarly

He needed to find a new job. Likewise, his wife was out of work. Similarly,

In fact Things were not going well. In fact, he needed to find a new job. Moreover Furthermore In addition

He needs to find a new job. Moreover, he is behind on his rent. Furthermore, In addition,

Firstly/secondly/ thirdly Finally

Things are not going well. Firstly, he needs to find a new job. Secondly, he is behind on his rent. Thirdly, his wife is out of work, and finally, his dog is sick.

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To make a qualification or contrast

To introduce quoted proofs

On the other hand The narrator lives in a home with no electricity or running water. However The narrator lives in a home with no electricity or running water.

However, he is still a happy person. But The narrator lives in a home with no electricity or running water, but he

is happy. Nevertheless The narrator lives in a home with no electricity or running water, but he

is happy nevertheless. Still The narrator lives in a home with no electricity or running water. Still, he

is happy. Or The narrator is happy…or maybe he really isn’t. Nor The narrator doesn’t let it show that he is unhappy, nor does he

complain. On the contrary The narrator is not unhappy that he lives in a home with no electricity or

running water. On the contrary, he is happy.

According to the author, “…”

According to the author, “John stayed awake all night and cried.”

The author maintains, “…”

The author maintains, “John stayed awake all night and cried.”

In other words He cries all the time, he can’t sleep, and he doesn’t want to see his friends. In other words, he is very unhappy.

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Sample Student Essay Here is a successful sample student essay a student wrote on one of the stories that appeared in a past English Exit Exam. This student also included their essay outline, written in the Rough Copy booklet.

Sample Essay Outline for “Finding Evidence” Don’t use your rough copy book to write out your entire essay! You may not have enough time to get the essay copied into your good copy book; remember, the rough copy book is shredded. Instead, just write a very detailed essay outline (spend about an hour working on it) and then write your essay! Here is an example of an essay outline for the student essay you are about to read:

Introduction

• Main Idea

: Growing up – importance and process of

• Thesis

: In the story “Finding Evidence” by Robert Hilles, the author talks about the gradual process of growing up and how childhood is valuable in shaping one’s own identity.

• Techniques 2. Setting shows how environment influences characters to grow up

: 1. Plot shows the nature of growing up

3. Symbolism shows the importance of childhood for the narrator as a grown up

1st Paragraph Topic Sentence

: Hilles uses plot to show the readers the nature of growing up.

• Small, traditional cabin the family moves to - child is happy there, doesn’t understand why his mother isn’t.

• Brother then saves a drowning child – narrator starts to realize death • Narrator realizes his parents growing older • Finally, narrator starts to think about his own existence

The plot of the story follows the path the narrator takes in his growing up. 2nd Paragraph Topic Sentence: Setting is used by Hilles to show the influences the physical environment has on the characters as they grow up.

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• The narrator’s mother being affected by the cabin (environment around her): “The cabin was a

lonely, hideous place for my mother…” o Causes mother to reflect on her aging o Causes her to face reality

• Environment affects the narrator as well – he enjoys nature, but it forces him to grow up: “As I

stood watching them I listened to the hiss of the water …I thought about how death was ever present…”

o Nature almost kills a boy o Death can occur any time – environment in the story represent the nature of life and

growing up 3rd Paragraph Topic Sentence

: Symbolism is used to show the value childhood has in the process of growing up.

• Cabin represents the narrator’s childhood memories – when the cabin is gone, the narrator is sad

• Garbage pile symbolizes history – “sometimes the only history people leave is their garbage piled so carefully…”

• Goes back when he’s older – cabin is gone and only garbage is left Conclusion

• The story is about the transition from childhood to adulthood, and how childhood is valuable as a starting point in shaping one’s identity.

• Summarize techniques and devices.

• Concluding sentence

maturity. : The goal of growing up is not only to reach adulthood, it is also to reach

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Sample Student Essay “Finding Evidence” by Robert Hilles

In the story "Finding Evidence" by Robert Hilles, the author talks about the gradual process of growing up and how childhood is valuable in shaping one's own identity. Growing up is a process that every human being must go through. It is usually marked by the realization of one's existence in the world. The "who am I" and "what am I doing" questions are always asked once one reaches puberty and questions his or her identity. Hilles uses plot to show the nature of growing up. He also utilizes setting to show how the environment influences the characters to grow up. Finally, symbolism shows the importance of childhood for the narrator as a grown up. Firstly, Hilles uses plot to show the readers the nature of growing up. The narrator moves to a cabin with his family after their house has burnt down. It is a small traditional cabin, and it has no electricity, running water, refrigerator, or television. The narrator, however, enjoys his life in the cabin, as if their house burning down does not really affect him. As a child, he does not really understand why his mother is depressed living there. His mother tells him, “Daniel, I want you to know I love you even if I cannot stay with you anymore.” If someone says that, people usually will think that maybe this person is going to leave, or thinks as if he or she is going to die soon, yet the narrator cannot come up with any explanation since he is still a child. When his brother saves a drowned child however, he realizes that death can come at any time. He also realizes an idea that he has never thought of before, that his parents are old. He says, "Suddenly my father pulled up in his car and as he got out I saw for the first time that he was old." Finally, he starts to question his own existence, as he states, "I was twelve that year and for the first time I started to wonder what I was doing." Twelve is the age when one enters puberty, and at twelve years old, the narrator starts to realize his existence in the world. Plot gives a clear idea about how the narrator experiences his growing up. Apart from plot, setting is also used by Hilles to show the influences the physical environment has on the characters as they grow up. The narrator's mother is affected by the environment around her. The narrator states, "The cabin was a lonely, hideous place for my mother. It was like a shrunken version of her childhood." Living in a quiet cabin with trees everywhere is like going back to nature, especially since the cabin is very old and traditional. Usually when one goes back to nature and lives in a quiet place, they will think about a lot of things. In this case, especially after the house has burned down, the narrator's mother thinks about how old she is during her stay in the cabin. She realizes her age and that death can come anytime. Going back to

Student thesis statement

Devices used by the author and how they work to support the student thesis

Topic sentence – 1st device used; plot

Reference to the text

Direct quotation, properly integrated

Critical interpretation of evidence to support thesis

Reference to the text to develop point

Critical interpretation

Concluding sentence

Topic sentence – 2nd device used; setting

Direct quotation from the text


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Detail to support the point made in the topic sentence



Concluding sentence

Topic sentence – 3rd device used; symbolism


Critical interpretation Reference to the text to further the point


Concluding sentence

Summary of thesis and of devices used

Concluding sentence

nature for her is also about going back to the nature of life. Sometimes even an adult is forced to grow up by the reality in front of them. The physical environment affects the narrator as well. He enjoys nature. He likes to stop to listen to the world and enjoy the quietness around him. However, nature also forces him to grow up. After his brother saves a drowning boy, he says, "As I stood watching them I listened to the hiss of the water striking the beach and I thought about how death was ever present suddenly…." In this case, nature almost takes a little boy's life and the narrator realizes how cruel nature can be. That is when he also realizes that he lives in the world and how death can occur anytime in people's lives. The physical environment in the story represents the nature of life, which forces the characters to grow up. Finally, symbolism is utilized to show the value of childhood in growing up. In this story, the cabin represents the narrator's childhood memories. The narrator enjoys his life in the cabin. He likes the fact that his family lives close together. He says, "The five of us lived so close together that each of our smells blended into one sweet aroma." The cabin has memories of his childhood so that when the cabin is gone, the narrator is crestfallen. He states, "Just sat there with my daughter and listened to her laugh and breathe not yet knowing what it is her father has lost." His past is what makes him who he is, and losing his childhood memories means he's losing part of himself. The garbage pile, in addition, symbolizes history. The narrator explains, "Sometimes the only history a people leave is their garbage piled so carefully those who discover it much later will think they had a plan." When he comes to see the cabin with his daughter, he finds out that the cabin is gone and all that he can stare at is the garbage pile, which holds the history of his family living in the cabin. Symbolism shows how important childhood is, since it acts as a starting point in shaping one's own identity. Plot, setting, and symbolism have successfully been used in the story "Finding Evidence" to prove Hilles's points about growing up. It is about the transition from childhood to adulthood, and how childhood is valuable as a starting point in shaping one's identity. Hilles's story basically evolves from childhood to adulthood, which shows the readers the gradual process of growing up. However, Hilles adds that growing up can also occur to any person at any age when he talks about the narrator's mother. The goal of growing up is not only to reach adulthood. It is also to reach maturity.

1 Finding Evidence


Moving out for the first time can be exciting for some people, but for me, it was one of the worst days of my life. Everything began on Friday when we started packing; my father had brought more than fifteen boxes to pack the clothes, documents, and kitchen equipment. The rest of our belongings were kept in some big suitcases. We finished packing at midnight. The day after, we woke up early because we knew that a long and hard day was waiting for us. There were only three vans and a tiny truck to carry five people’s things. A little while later, the vans and the truck were filled to capacity, and there were still a lot of things outside in the garden, such as furniture, mattresses, and suitcases. We couldn’t leave them alone; somebody had to stay to take care of those things, so my father chose me, and I stayed. When my parents arrived at the new place, the previous inhabitants hadn’t even unplugged the fridge. They had all their things inside the house, and they were going to be there until the afternoon because their truck wouldn’t arrive until then. Knowing this, my parents became very angry and started a fight with them. In the meantime, I was at my house getting tanned, but not because I wanted to relax and take in the sun; I had to take care of everything until my family came back. I waited for three hours. Finally, the previous tenants started to move out, and we started to move our stuff inside the new house. However, the worst was about to happen. The entire house was pretty dirty; it was full of cigarettes and cat hair. Everything was a real disaster. It was impossible to live in a place like that, and we needed more than four people to clean the entire house. A few minutes later, some friends arrived, and they helped us clean up. At three in the afternoon, I saw the vans coming back, so we placed the rest of the things in the vans, and we left. One week later, we were still cleaning the whole mess in the house. The basement was the dirtiest part of the house and the one place that gave us many problems. My brother and I were going to have our bedrooms down there, but it was too dangerous to sleep there because it was still stunk of cigarettes. Thankfully, the owner was going to change the carpet that week.

MMoovviinngg OOuutt?? NNeevveerr AAggaaiinn by Erika Johanna Duque

Erika Johanna Duque is from Colombia. She will be studying Social Science at Vanier, and in the future, wants to continue her studies in Business. She wants to own her own business one day.


For the last two years, I have been working at Petro Canada’s gas station as a cashier. I am authorized to make decisions to help customers and provide them with better service. Last January, when I was working the evening shift, the manager of a car rental company, Enterprise, left his credit card with me so that his employees could fuel up easily and pay for it quickly. I chose to keep his card because it was a big company, but at the same time, I wanted to have his card available for the other employees who were working with me. I didn’t want to lose his card. I was trying to put his card on the key chain; however, in order to do that, I had to make a hole in it, which I did with the cutter. Guess what? I made a hole in the wrong place, which meant that I destroyed his card, and I couldn’t swipe it in the machine anymore. Now the problem began. I was scared to tell him that I destroyed the card, which was given to me only ten minutes ago. At that time, I was so confused and worried. I was trying to make up my mind about how I should explain it to him. Then, twenty minutes later, he came back with his employees to fill up his cars with gas. When he came in, I really didn’t have any choice, so I told him what happened to his card. He listened to me very carefully, and I was surprised when he didn’t yell at me. He said that those things could happen and told me not worry about it. After he said that, I was speechless but relaxed and happy. The manager had to wait for the next two weeks before he could receive his new card. He called the company to order the new card, but during that time, he had to pay cash for gas. I will remember this mistake, because I will think before doing something like this again. This memory always makes me laugh whenever I think about it.

TThhee SSttuuppiiddeesstt MMiissttaakkee EEvveerr MMaaddee by Fatima Ijaz

Fatima Ijaz is from Pakistan. She will be studying in the Science Access program in order to pursue a career in Health Science. Fatima also enjoys making friends.


It seems really difficult to do things that you have no interest in. I would say it’s a bit difficult but not impossible to do. It’s a sacrifice that you sometimes have to give for your loved ones. This is exactly the same situation that is happening to me right now or is probably going to happen. This story began when I was a kid.

I used to be a bad child who would break his toys to see what was inside. During my childhood, I loved to repair my toys, my bicycle, my motorbike, and even small electronic objects like radios, watches, etc. It didn’t really matter if I was able to repair all of them. My passion was only to look at their mechanisms. One of my father’s friends was a doctor who visited my house regularly. He was a nice person and maybe that was why my mother seemed to be so inspired by him.

When I was in eighth grade, I realized that I was developing an interest in engineering. However, that was my passion and ambition, but my mother had something else in mind for me. I realized this when she told me one day.

"My son if you become a doctor that will be the biggest joy of my life." I was a bit confused at the time because I had no interest in medicine. It troubled me because my mother was the most important person in my life, and I did not want to deny her feelings.

Afterwards, some personal problems arose in my family. Financial problems were the most important out of all of them. This was during the time when my father left to Canada. My mother worked really hard to take care of my siblings and me. I thought that I was selfish because I was only thinking about myself. I then changed my mind.

"Now I will study medicine,” I promised myself.

I took subjects related to medicine instead of engineering in ninth grade. That was a turning point in my life. I was about to perform a very difficult task. When I started studying those subjects, they were boring for me. However, I worked hard and developed an interest in those subjects.

After the eleventh grade, I came here to Canada and was admitted to Vanier College. I am still focusing on medicine, and I have chosen to study Health Science. Now, I feel that I have made a good choice because caring for people is a lot better than repairing or making machines.

MMyy MMootthheerr’’ss DDrreeaamm by Hassan Anwar

Hassan Anwar is from Pakistan. He wants to become a dental surgeon after he finishes his studies in Health Science at Vanier.


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Life was so much simpler when I was in high school hanging out with my friends. Then, I decided to join the army because I wanted to test my limits. I wanted to understand how it felt to be a part of the Canadian Forces. What I experienced was very interesting. It’s like having two identities: civilian and soldier. Living the military life has changed my life exceptionally. Since I’m a Buddhist who believes in love and compassion, joining something that is completely the opposite of all my teachings makes me wonder what I am doing with my life. What do you do when there are two opposing qualities, such as smart and unintelligent, and you can only be one of them? Which identity was really me? Questioning myself about this helps me understand more about how life works in the real world. The discipline in the army is completely different from Buddhism, but a little similar to school. For example, we have to listen to the instructor. The only difference is the crazy yelling and timings. When I do something wrong, I will get yelled at a couple of times. Crazy timings are when the instructor says to you, “You have ten seconds to form three beautiful ranks.” Unfortunately, we really do have only ten seconds to get into formation, and if we were unable to do so, there would be punishment for the entire platoon. Developing leadership is not an option because teamwork is the key to success. If you’re alone in the battlefield, you will certainly die unless you’re Rambo. That’s why individualism leads to death. I guess, in some ways, it’s the same as civilian life, because if anything bad happens, cooperation is the solution. When I do exams in the army, there’s barely any stress, because we can retake them several times before actually failing a course. However, in high school or college, we would have to redo our entire year or session. The reason we can’t really fail a course is because Canada needs soldiers; our numbers are nothing compared to other countries. It’s also the reason why we can’t really get fired. The good thing about the army is that we take pride in our work. Every time we receive an order, we are glad to obey and execute it, because we’re doing it for Canada and the Canadian citizens. Our platoon also feels like a family, because for our entire career, we do military operations together. Sometimes our superiors cut us some slack to keep us in a good mood. It feels really good to have a break. However, we get more breaks as a civilian than as a soldier. It’s hard to have two different identities, especially when you’re a Buddhist soldier. One day I’m peacefully having fun, and then suddenly, I have to become serious, motivated, and strong. I feel like I don’t fit in with my life anymore. Which

BBuuddddhhiisstt MMaann iinn tthhee AArrmmyy by Hau-Quoc Phan


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identity is truly me? I’ve made so many sacrifices just to work in the army, and I regret it, but somehow, I still really like working there. There’s so much pressure that it somehow creates suspense and excitement. It’s amazing! When I’m not working, I get stressed from time to time for no apparent reason, and this is very disturbing because it interrupts my concentration at school. I don’t know whether I should go on and keep making crazy sacrifices or just remain a simple citizen of Canada. Am I strong enough to suddenly switch from one identity to another when the time is right? I don’t know, but I’ll keep on living to find an answer.

Hau-Quoc Phan is Vietnamese and was born in Montreal. He will be studying in the International Baccalaureate: Science program.


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What goes around comes around. This is a lesson that I learned a few years ago on Halloween night. My friends and I wanted to dress up as monsters and scare the little children in our neighbourhood. Unfortunately, a night that was meant to be a very funny turned out to be a real nightmare. A couple of years ago, in October, some of my friends came to my house to watch the horror movie Scream. All of a sudden, we had the idea of scaring all the kids who would be walking around our neighbourhood on Halloween night. So, we planned everything, from our scary costumes to the pranks that we would play. We dressed up as scary monsters, prepared our trick-or-treat bags, and left the house. After an hour of collecting candies, it was time for us to have one of the best Halloween nights ever. We saw a little boy dressed up as a pirate walking around with his father. All of a sudden, we ran towards him, screaming and howling like monsters. The boy was so scared that he hid behind his father and started crying. Our first prank was a success; therefore, we hid behind the bushes for our second one. A couple of minutes later, two little girls passed by with their mother. We started barking to get their attention. As they turned around to see what was going on, we jumped out of the bushes, screaming. The little girls started crying and ran away as we started laughing. We decided that our next victims would be teenagers. A couple of minutes later, we saw three boys about our age skateboarding. As they passed by, we popped out of the bushes and scared them. They lost control, and two of them fell down. They were angry, but we ran off as fast as we could. We finally lost them after five minutes. We played some more pranks on various people until it was almost eleven o’clock. We decided it was enough for one Halloween. We started heading home, but we soon realized that we were lost in the middle of nowhere. Minutes later, after a long and quiet walk, we found a big gate; it was the gate of a cemetery. We weren’t quite comfortable being there, but we thought that we were the kings of pranks that night, so nothing could possibly frighten us. As midnight approached, it started to get colder. We heard howls, but we figured that it was only the local dogs. As we walked around trying to find our location, we saw skeletons on the ground. I was acting very brave, but deep inside, I was afraid. All of a sudden, we heard a weird noise and a zombie was walking towards us. We started running for our lives, but I tripped over a broken tombstone. I thought that it was the end for me and that the zombie was going to eat me alive. I screamed so hard that all my friends heard me from far away. Then, as the zombie passed right beside me, he looked down, laughed, took my bag full of candies, and simply left. I was shocked. I quickly got up and ran away.

AA SSccaarryy HHaalllloowweeeenn by Hovig Vartivarian


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That night, I got home at two o’clock. My friends were waiting for me near the front door. I told them what happened with my candies and the zombie, and we all laughed together. We came to the conclusion that it was one of the other kids, older and of course smarter than us, who played the same pranks that we played on the children. That night, we learned a valuable lesson: what goes around comes around.

Hovig Vartivarian is of Armenian origin. He will be studying in the International Baccalaureate: Science program and wants to become a doctor.


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A decision is sometimes easy to make and sometimes very hard to make. In my case, I don’t know whether my decision to move to Canada was easy or hard. Actually, I didn’t make that decision; I dealt with it because my dad made it for me and my brother. I believe that it was my dad who had the brilliant idea of moving to Canada because he is such a decisive person. However, even if he does make decisions quickly, he always makes the right ones no matter the circumstances are. When I was about twelve years old, my dad tried to introduce to me the subject of moving to Canada, and I didn’t see it coming. He used to ask me if I would want to live in another country. However, I had never thought about it, and I surely didn’t want to leave my best friend and my entire life here. When I was thirteen, my parents announced to us that we were moving to Canada in about a year. It didn’t seem like such a big deal at all. After all, by that time, I hated my teenage life (teenage crisis), and all I wanted was to start a new life elsewhere. My parents wanted to spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve with the rest of the family, so those holidays were going to be our last ones together. It was very hard for us; everyone knew we were moving to Canada except my grandmothers. Fortunately, they didn’t take it so badly, maybe because they didn’t realize it until after we left. After the news, I told a friend about the decision. She couldn’t believe her ears. She stopped in the middle of the road when we were walking back from school together. She kept saying, “Are you kidding me? That’s at the end of the world!” The next day she became closer to me; she didn’t stop kissing or hugging me, and sometimes, she let a tear fall down her cheek. I felt loved and appreciated because someone really cared about me leaving. A few weeks later, the friend that I first told, informed another friend who used to be my best friend in elementary school. The decision was kind of a secret. I was upset at first, because she had betrayed my trust, but I understood afterwards that it for the best. In the end, we wanted to spend the greatest times together. My fourteenth birthday was the greatest one that I ever had until now, because I was surrounded by my two best friends. I was anxious to know the date of my departure not only because I was curious about it but also because I wanted to know if we were leaving before or after my best friend’s birthday. I didn’t want to spoil her birthday even though it wasn’t my decision; it wasn’t in my power to decide the date. However, we left the morning of March 28

th,

2003, which was the day of my aunt’s birthday. I have to mention that in my heart, my aunt is like my second mother and is a very influential person in my life. Therefore, you can understand that the 28

th of March is an unforgettable date in

mind.

TThhee DDeecciissiioonn by Ilinca Tunea

Ilinca Tunea was born in Romania. In the fall, she will be studying in the International Baccalaureate: Science program. She wants to help people; therefore, she may pursue a career in the field of medicine. She enjoys playing volleyball and soccer.


Everyone has good or bad memories from childhood. Here is a good memory from my childhood. I was born in Romania, and I had lived there until the age of fourteen. In the big cities of Romania, tradition and religion were not as strict or as hard to follow as many other places around the globe. Therefore, every child learned most of his or her habits from the family. I am the second child in my family, and I was always the spoiled one. Compared to the others, I had almost everything I wished for. I loved being outside all the time and playing with the other children on my block. Even when school started, my mind was everywhere but in the class. My mother told me several years later that during the first week of school she kept asking me if I had any homework. I always said that I did not have any. However, she did not find out that I was being punished at school for not doing my homework until the first parent’s meeting. She was shocked when she found out. You can laugh, but this was just the beginning. Because of my "interest" in school, I started studying with her. The reason was because it was difficult for me to concentrate in whatever was happening at school. My poor mom, she was working nine hours a day, and she had many responsibilities at home, but she still found time for me. Not only I was doing my homework with her, but she was also my precious resource of knowledge. For example, I usually had to know poems by heart or learn six to eight pages of history for a small test of twenty minutes. Obviously, she didn’t always have the time or patience for me. She punished me as well, because I wanted to finish my homework fast and leave home to have fun outside. Ten days after my thirteenth birthday, I left Romania for Canada. I remembered being happy to go even if I did not know much about the country. This feeling had rapidly changed after a few days in Montreal. I actually cried a lot without telling my parents, because they were busy with papers, and they had to get everything ready in order to stay in Canada. After that, they started a French course, and I began school. This time, I was on my own. I actually forced myself not to disturb my parents and to do things on my own. This was the biggest step that I ever took in my life, and I am proud of it. In the end, you never really know until you try. You may fail, but at least you'll know what to avoid the next time. Oh! By the way, since my arrival in Canada, I have become exactly the opposite of what I was in the past.

TThhee BBiiggggeesstt SStteepp ooff MMyy LLiiffee by Irina Ionescu

Irina Ionescu was born in Romania, and she will be studying International Studies at Vanier. She likes music, having company, and embarking on new adventures. She enjoys playing volleyball and soccer.


The topic of this essay is Voices. Voices gives us a chance to talk about ourselves. However, nothing in my life as of today inspires me to reflect deeply and write a text about myself. After hours of thinking, I finally decided to simply describe the feelings that I had when I first arrived at Vanier. While I was walking to my first class of the day at Vanier College, I was expecting a lot of things. However, I wasn’t prepared for a completely different world at Vanier. I’m a

native of Quebec, and I always lived in the country. Nobody in my family speaks English. So, you can picture my stupefaction when I arrived at Vanier for the first time. Vanier is an English college located in a metropolitan city and is famous for its multiculturalism. I felt like an outsider in an unfamiliar place. You can easily understand how reserved I was when everyone had to tell something about his or her origin. I, contrary to everybody else in the class, was from Quebec. For the first time in my life, I was in the minority group. My classmates were from all over the world: China, Egypt, Mexico, Argentina, etc. They all had their own fascinating anecdote to tell. All of them could speak at least three different languages, and they lived simultaneously with two or more cultures. All these facts combined made me feel like I wasn’t at the right place to obtain my diploma, but naturally, I persevered and decided to face all these different challenges. For me, this experience was a unique opportunity to learn more. Seeing everything from the positive side helped me to fully live this experience, which I will hopefully remember for the rest of my life.

Jessy Moreau was born in Quebec. He will be studying Modern Languages this upcoming semester, and in the future, he hopes to become a teacher.

FFiirrsstt DDaayy aatt VVaanniieerr by Jessy Moreau


Everywhere I go there is always someone who mistakes me for another Asian ethnicity. I am Vietnamese, and I don’t understand why they can’t tell the difference between Asian people. I know that sometimes people can get confused because some Asians have mixed parents, or they spend too much time under the sun, and so, their natural skin colour gets tanned. Last summer, I was working in Maxi & Cie as a clerk. There was a day that was extremely hot. I thought that Maxi would have less customers compared to the regular days. However, the number of customers was increasing. I was surprised. My work was to stock the aisles in the grocery department. I had a lot of products to place, and several customers needed my help. I served them, and they were happy to find what they were looking for. Three hours later, I decided to take a break. Later that day, I returned to my post and kept on working. Numerous hours had passed when a Chinese couple walked towards me and asked me in their native language for the location of a product. I didn’t understand what they were talking about. I interrupted them to tell them that I wasn’t Chinese, but they keep on asking and waiting for an answer. I stood there and didn’t know how to serve the couple because I didn’t understand what they were saying. I felt like I was frozen for ages. One of my colleagues, who was working nearby, saw me in trouble. So, he put down his work and rushed towards me. He came to my rescue or else I would just be standing there like a statue. I felt a bit relieved after he came. What an experience I had! Finally, the day was over, and there were no more struggles with the customers. In my opinion, that day was very long. I still can’t understand how Asian people can’t tell the difference between the Asian ethnicities; it’s easy. Chinese people have rounder eyes, and sometimes they’re small. Korean and Japanese people have whiter skin color. The appearance of Vietnamese people is a mixture of Chinese and other Asian ethnicities.

GGeettttiinngg MMiissttaakkeenn ffoorr OOtthheerr EEtthhnniicciittiieess by Johnny Le

Johnny Le is a Vietnamese boy who was born in Montreal. He speaks Vietnamese, French, and English. He is a black belt master in Tae Kwon Do. He wants to be a graphic designer for web pages.


I was born in Canada, but I never felt that my spirit was fully from this country. I have a lot of unique traits, and I wanted to know where they came from. My only ancestors outside of Canada were from Scotland. So with my parents, I visited Great Britain, which included Scotland, England, and Wales, to find out if I had the heart of a Scot.

It was raining. I had my eyes set on the beautiful mountains, and I was breathing the freshest air in my life. The never-ending rain and the cool temperature suited me. The land was rich in green mountains, and the pastures were full of sheep. There were many lochs in those lands, and they were often so calm that you could see the reflection of the mountains perfectly. In the morning, there was always fog, which really amused me when I was young and still does. I felt that I could stay there all day long just staring at the environment.

I always watched the history channel at home, and I mostly loved the medieval times and the unsolved history. I was so delighted to see that England had more history than my huge home country. There were hundreds of castles made of wood and rocks that overlooked the towns. Also, there were many myths and legends about the country. For example, we went to see La Tour, which many people believe is Avalon, “the resting place of King Arthur.” One part of Scotland’s history that I loved was William Wallace (Braveheart). He was one of the first to fight for the freedom of Scotland, and he pushed back the English from their turfs. I had the pleasure of visiting his monument, which by the way is a very beautiful place. The monument is actually a tower, and in it, you can see his sword, which measures my height.

The more I entered the Scottish highlands, the more I was a Scot. Many smaller things made me realize that I did indeed have Scottish blood. When I began learning how to drive in Canada, I was always on the wrong side of the road, but I did correct myself after a few courses. Also, I thought that traffic lights were one of the ugliest inventions of men. In England, however, we were driving on the other side of the street, and I saw just a few traffic lights because most of the intersections had roundabouts. Furthermore, there were no potholes!

Finally, I think I could stay on the Scottish diet. The food over there was so good. I rarely saw any fast-food, which is not good for the health. There were three specialties that I tasted in England. There was the fish and chips, which was so delicious, the lamb, which they did pretty well, and the haggis, which is generally served with eggs and toast.

On this trip, I drove on the most beautiful roads and ate the best food in the world. I visited some superb places, such as the Loch Ness, Stonehenge, and London. I found my true home when I was there. I now know my true spirit — the spirit of a highlander.

TThhee HHeeaarrtt ooff aa SSccoott by Joshua Parks Pilon

Joshua Parks Pilon was born in Pointe-Calumet, Quebec. He will be studying Ecological Technology in the fall. He wants to become an ecologist and go into politics.


In the Spanish tradition, when a girl turns fifteen years old, it is really important because the girl becomes a woman. We celebrate it because it is a way of showing her that her parents will support her in her second step towards adulthood. This kind of celebration involves five steps. The first, second, and third steps involve reserving the church, the reception hall, and the decorator. The fourth step is to send the invitations, and finally, the most important step is to buy the dress. When the big event arrives, the girl will look as gorgeous as a princess in her pink dress. Once in the church, a big ceremony is held in her honour. Then the reception is held and everybody eats, dances, and has fun together. After the cutting of the cake, the parents will say a few words to their daughter. For example, they will tell her how much they love her and that they promise to support her in her new step to becoming a woman. The relatives and friends will do the same. The one thing that is really important about this event is that the parents want to be sure that their daughter knows that she can count on them, that they are proud of her, and that they hope that she will never betray their trust.

Karen Marquez was born in Quebec. Her father is from Mexico, and her mother was born in Salvador. She will be studying in the Social Science program at Vanier College. In the future, Karen wants to become a psychologist.

FFiifftteeeenn YYeeaarrss OOlldd iinn tthhee SSppaanniisshh TTrraaddiittiioonn by Karen Marquez


This was my third vacation in China. It was five

years ago when my mom invited me to come to

China with my dad and my sister as a gift for

graduating from sixth grade. We wanted to stay

there for at least three months. The 26th of June,

2001 was the day of my “real” flight. I called it real

because during the previous flight, I was still

young, and I didn’t notice that I was on a plane.

Now, at the age of 11, I was able to see the

clouds, the beautiful sky, and the beautiful view of

Montreal.

The first place I visited was the famous Great Wall of China. Nobody could

believe or imagine how big and amazing it was. Those steps were big and long.

No one could reach the end without having to walk a few days.

One night, we went to Shanghai, a very well known city in China, for the famous

Street of Food. It was obviously a street with a lot of little restaurants where you

could taste different foods from Shanghai. I remember that there was a

restaurant where they sold only tofu. They, first of all, cut the tofu into little pieces

and threw them into a pan of oil to fry them. I had never seen that before, and so,

it was something new for me to try. I ate so much, and the next morning, I had

stomach pains. I didn’t know why my stomach was hurting so much. My mom

decided to send me to the hospital. I stayed there for two days doing whatever

the doctor asked me to do. I was so bored. Every time my sister came to visit me,

she would make fun of me, but we still had a lot of fun.

Without the authorization of my parents, my sister went to the Street of Food

once again because she thought that the street was awesome. She entered the

tofu restaurant; I’m sure that she ate more fried tofu than me. The next morning,

my sister felt sick and exhausted. Not only did she have stomach pains like me,

but she was also sent to the hospital. I found it to be very funny because it was

now my turn to make fun of her, since she had to stay there for five days.

Kar Wai Ng was born in Canada, but his parents are from China. This fall, he will be studying Marketing and Management. In the future, he wants to manage a famous company and help it increase its productivity.

WWeeiirrdd FFooooddss aanndd WWeeiirrdd EExxppeerriieenncceess iinn CChhiinnaa by Kar Wai Ng


An experience that I will never be able to forget was when I travelled to Vietnam. Everything over there amazed me because life was completely different from here in Canada. The standard of living was not as high as Canada’s. The roads, the buildings, and houses were shattered in some areas. People on the streets were very hard working. One of the things that made me heartbroken was when I saw old people carrying heavy items. Also, I saw many children on the streets constantly begging me for money. I could not say no, and so, I gave them some of my change. The local people only used motorcycles and scooters to drive around the city. Cars were rarely seen in the area. What surprised me was that people did not like to get tanned. They preferred to be white and pale because it was considered to be attractive. Therefore, they made me wear a jacket to cover my body and a scarf to wrap half of my face. It was horrible because the weather was very humid and hot; therefore, I had to take many showers during the day. The positive thing about Vietnam was the variety and cost of food, which was very cheap and delicious. Items, such as clothing, were also very cheap compared to Canada. The nightlife in Vietnam was very fun and amusing. Teenagers and adults usually came out during the night when the sun was not shining so that they wouldn’t get tanned. Also, I met my family whom I had not seen for a long time. They brought me to many places. When I was in Vietnam, I felt very fortunate because I knew that I had a good life in Canada — a place where everything was perfect for me. I went to a private school, I had food everyday, and most of all, I had a beautiful family at home to share my love with. Sometimes I felt like I didn’t deserve this life because I thought that the poor children in Vietnam deserved it more than I did. Therefore, I need to appreciate and cherish everything around me.

TTrriipp ttoo VViieettnnaamm by Kim Ly Nguyen

Kim Ly Nguyen was born in Quebec. He will be studying Social Science at Vanier and has an interest in travelling.


I have just come off of the plane. We have arrived. My family and I, we have finally arrived here in Canada, our big dream! We always saw Canada in pictures or on TV, and everything seemed to be so nice, but now, we are here, and we could see the reality with our own eyes. It’s raining, and it’s so cold that I have to put on my jacket. There are so many people around me, and they seem to be in a hurry, but I don’t know why. I am very disappointed; they all know where they have to go but we don’t. I look around me, and everything is so nice but at the same time, so different from what I expected.

Afterwards, we cross a big hall, and we arrive at a line where everybody stops and waits to go into an office to speak to a woman. My family and I always had the impression that we knew how to speak French very well. I learned French in school, and my parents took some French courses before coming to Canada. Our turn arrives; somebody calls us into the office. The immigration officer begins to speak, and I don’t understand anything. My mother understands, but she can’t find the words to answer. She looks at me and asks me to help her, but I can’t open my mouth. Finally, my father begins to speak in English. We are saved.

Later on, we step out of the immigration office. I’m very curious to go out and see the streets, but we have to wait for our Romanian friend who is supposed to pick us up. We are looking around, but we don’t see our friend. I see all kinds of people that I have never seen before, and they speak all different kinds of languages. It’s so interesting! I am watching the Chinese people; they are so thin, and their hair is so straight. Wow! A Muslim girl! I have never seen any Muslim people back in Romania. This day is so special for me!

Suddenly my mother says, “Look, our friend!” I turn my head, and I see him. I am excited. I had thought that he had forgotten that we were arriving today. He excuses himself for being late. We put our baggage in the car, and we go to visit the town. I am so surprised. Montreal is a very big city with huge buildings. I have seen this type of building in the American movies.

At the end of the journey, I have come to the conclusion that my first day in Canada is an unforgettable day. Today, I learn what “culture shock” means because of my experiences. Even though at the beginning, I am disappointed to see how the people are rushing, I am still excited to discover the extraordinary city. Canada is bigger than what I expected. The people are so different, and they speak French and English, which are the two languages that people are supposed to know very well when they immigrate to Canada. I am glad to discover a Canada different from the Canada that was presented to me in Romania.

MMyy FFiirrsstt DDaayy iinn CCaannaaddaa by Larissa Deak

Larissa Deak is from Romania. She wants to pursue a career in dentistry after completing her studies in Health Science.


I remember when I was thirteen years old. I was waiting for my admission to high school. It would soon arrive in our mailbox. I was afraid that I would not be admitted to the high school near my house. It may sound stupid, but I was freaking out even though I knew that I did well in elementary school. I felt that something was wrong, but I didn’t know what. At the end of July, I did receive my response; I had been accepted! After a few weeks, I would be entering high school. I did not know why my stomach was hurting so much when I entered my mathematics class. Students were a bit noisy but seemed to be as excited as I was. I didn’t recognize anyone, but everyone seemed to know each other. It took me some time to make friends, but I made a few during the first week of class. Time passed; it was my last year of high school, and I knew that it was going to be the toughest year. Chemistry, physics, and mathematics were the classes that most of us suffered through and were tortured by. My friends and I even had nightmares after the Christmas exams. We knew that we had to get good marks for the college admissions, which we had to send at the end of February. During the first five months of that final year of high school, we were told over and over again to have in mind an idea of what program we would be applying to. I did have good grades, but I did not know what I wanted to study in college. Finally, I chose a program and applied to it. Like before, I was feeling sick and scared to see the response. At the beginning of April, I received my response; I had been accepted! Finally, my high school exams were over, and I was ready to move onto the next stage of my life. I was and still am feeling a bit sad about the fact that all my classmates are going to different colleges. However, I am also happy to make new friends who will hopefully be going to university with me later on. Even right now, I feel a bit afraid to face the changes in college, but I am sure that the Summer Preparation School will help me out.

MMyy WWaayy ttoo CCoolllleeggee by Lojan Suhirtharanjan

Lojan Suhirtharanjan was born in Taffna, Sri Lanka and will be studying Pure and Applied Science. He admires nature and loves learning.


In 2005, I enjoyed my last winter in China. I arrived in Canada on January 19th, which is a day I will remember for the rest of my life. It was a very cold day, with heavy snowfall. The weather in my city in China was completely different from Montreal. We had winter, but it was shorter than here. Since the first night I arrived, my life in Canada began. During that night, I took a look at the street that my apartment was on. It was snowing, but I could feel the difference in the air and see the difference in construction style and lifestyle. Several days later, I went shopping for the first time. I took the bus and the metro. The most important moment was when I was buying pizza, and I spoke my first English sentence. During that time, my life was very nice. After that, I felt lonely and sad; I did not have any friends. Then, I started to think about my future. I knew I came here to study, but I didn’t even understand what people were saying. Afterwards, I took two months of English courses. I still felt uncomfortable, and so, I started working. That was a really difficult time, but people were nice to me. During that time, I still thought that I should go to school instead of working in a factory. After washing dishes, cooking, and making deliveries, I gave up. I went back and started to prepare for college. Vanier is the first school that I attended in Canada. I love this place, and I have classmates who are the same age as me, which makes me feel better. I hope I can do a good job at this school. So, that is my life until now.

Lu Kai Wei will be studying Pure and Applied Science this upcoming semester.

TThhee LLiiffee UUnnttiill NNooww by Lu Kai Wei


We all know that when we were young, we went to the pool, and the lifeguards were always shouting and whistling after us. “No running, no diving, no fighting, no pushing, etc.” These were the most common things that we would hear at the pool. We usually didn’t like the lifeguards, and we found them annoying. Some people thought that lifeguards were being paid to do nothing. They sat on their chairs and watched people swim all day long. Now, I’ve been working as a lifeguard for two summers, and let me tell you, being a lifeguard is not what most people think it is. Along with supervising the people in the pool, lifeguards also have many other tasks to do. Every night, they clean the deck surrounding the pool, scrub the borders around the pool, pick

up any trash, sweep and mop the floors in the changing rooms, and even clean those nasty bathrooms. They have to deal with chemical products, like chlorine and diatom earth, that could put their lives in danger. Now that we have a better idea of what they do, we need to understand that lifeguards have a very important role at the pool. The life of every single person in the pool is in their hands, and their laziness can kill someone. Let me tell you a story. It happened this year. At the pool where I worked, there was a slide. It was very crowded that day, and a young child escaped from his mother at the wading pool and decided to try the slide. However, he didn’t know that the water was deep. He slid down and started to drown. I was talking to the other lifeguard because he wanted me to go check something. Suddenly, I heard a long whistle, and the other lifeguard pointed at the slide. I saw the kid drowning, and right away, I jumped into the water and saved him. Lifeguards are not getting paid to do nothing; they have a lot of chores to do, and there is a lot of responsibility and courage involved in being a lifeguard.

Marcus Tan was born in Canada. He will be studying Commerce in the fall. In the future, he would love to be his own boss and own his own company. He is also a big fan of hockey.

LLiiffee GGuuaarrddiinngg by Marcus Tan


January is the month when summer in Peru begins, and April is when it ends. The weather is very, very hot, and people start to wear sandals and short clothes, wanting to cool down. Although Peru doesn’t have cold winters like Canada, summer time is really warm. February is the time when we celebrate the Carnival. During this time of the year, people need to be ready to get wet and throw balloons filled with water or in some cases, filled with paint. People must be sure that the balloons are filled to the maximum; otherwise, they are going to miss their victims. Nobody can escape from getting wet unless they stay at home. Cajamarca is the name of the city that is famous for the extreme celebrations of Carnival. In February, people are usually on vacation, and if they want to go outside, they must wear old clothes because they can be hit with balloons filled with water or paint. Lots of Peruvians and tourists enjoy it a lot. The Carnival is supposed to finish at the end of February, but kids and teenagers keep playing until March. For example, when I was twelve, I went back home wet and with many colours on my clothes.

TThhee CCaarrnniivvaall iinn CCaajjaammaarrccaa by Maria Angelica Apaza Castro

Maria Angelica Apaza Castro is from Cusco, Peru and has been in Montreal since September 2005. She will be studying Social Science this upcoming semester and hopes to apply into the Nursing program later on.


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Guatemala! Guatemala! My country is not a big or rich country like Canada or the United States, but it’s full of colours and celebrations. One of the most important celebrations for teenage girls is “El Quinzeanero.” It’s the day when they become fifteen years old, and they’re finally allowed to have a boyfriend and to wear make-up. It’s a special day; their family has a big party with many people celebrating. Since my family and I immigrated to Canada, my mom continued the family traditions from Guatemala. I came here at the age of four years old. It took me almost four years to learn and speak French, because my mom didn’t know how to speak that language. As I was growing up, my mom wanted us to keep our Guatemalan culture alive. It was difficult, because I had always loved to have my liberty. Therefore, when she told me that I wasn’t allowed to have a boyfriend, I was confused and also mad, because most of my friends were allowed to have one. Why wasn’t I allowed having a boyfriend? I didn’t agree with my mom, obviously! Anyhow, I respected her rules until I was thirteen years old. I remember the day I met Jonathan, my first boyfriend. It was on the bus with my best friend. It was my first day at secondary school, so she introduced me to many people. My best friend specially introduced me to Jonathan. When I saw him, it was not like love at first sight; it was only a little crush. One week later, he asked me to go out with him, and without thinking of my mother, I said yes. That day I felt happy but also guilty, because I betrayed my mother. However, I could not turn back time; what was done was done! So the next day, I explained to Jonathan what my mom rules were; Jonathan understood, and we kept our relationship a secret from my mother. The time passed, and it was already two weeks since we were together. My mom didn’t know anything about us. Believe it or not, I had my first kiss after two weeks. Jonathan knew he was my first boyfriend, so he waited until I was ready to do it. We were standing there talking and laughing. I had to go to my house, and my best friend encouraged me to finally kiss him. At the end, to tell you the truth, I didn’t really like it, but what can I say, it was my first time! Our relationship was wonderful; we had some problems, but it was getting better everyday. One day, we were at the Georges-Vanier station, and as usual, we were kissing. Suddenly, a friend of my mom passed by and saw us. I didn’t know because I was too busy. So, I went home happy and excited about the dance that was happening the next day. Unfortunately, that day, the special friend of my

MMyy FFiirrsstt KKiissss by Maria José Alvarado Castillo


35

mother told her what she saw that afternoon. When my mom found out, she was full of anger. She had forbidden me to be with Jonathan and to go to the dance. The next day, I was still mad and sad because I had to break up with my lover. I told him what happened, and he understood, but I was really disappointed. I loved him a lot, but that was the consequence of my disobedient acts. I knew I had to wait until I was fifteen, but I was too stubborn to understand that. I wanted to grow up too fast, and my mother knew I wasn’t ready for a relationship yet. That was the reason why she was that severe!

Maria José Alvarado Castillo is from Guatemala, and she will be studying Social Science at Vanier.


When I was ten years old, my family and I wanted to go on vacation somewhere. At the time, we were thinking about where to go. We couldn’t decide until one of our closest friends suggested to us to visit the country of tulips — the Netherlands. We said to ourselves,” Why not?!” So we went there with great pleasure. In September, we bought our tickets, packed our bags, and flew to Holland. As we were approaching Amsterdam, we were two hours late because of the weather. Visibility at the airport was close to zero, so we had to wait for about one hour and a half in the air. Finally, we landed and went to our hotel. Not wasting a minute, we went to visit historical places there. I have to admit, I was amazed. The architecture of 18th century was unbelievable. The people in Amsterdam were so nice, and we even made some friends there. They still send us e-mails and ask us when we will be coming back. We had had a lot of fun. Personally, I can’t wait to go there again. Also, I wanted to tell a funny story about what happened to me when I was alone in town. At around eight o’clock, after finishing my shopping at a mall, I got lost. I don’t know why, but people didn’t speak English there. I tried to ask them how I could find my way to the hotel. Furthermore, by mistake, I went into the famous Red Lights District. I was roaming around for about thirty minutes until I found the police. I asked them to drive me back to the hotel. They kindly did so, but quite frankly, I did enjoy my time in the Red Lights District that night. Afterwards, our week of vacation passed, and it was time to head back home. Visiting Amsterdam was one of the greatest experiences of my life. This city is one of the best in Europe because of its culture, origin, and beauty. If I had a chance to visit Amsterdam again, I definitely would.

Maxim Klimov is from Kazakhstan, but was born in Germany. He will be studying in the Explorations program this fall. In the future, he wants to become an air traffic controller. Maxim loves music and plays many instruments.

MMyy TTrriipp ttoo tthhee NNeetthheerrllaannddss by Maxim Klimov


I’m pretty sure that most of us have an intergenerational problem in our families, whether it is with our parents or grandparents. My adventure isn’t quite unique, in fact, it probably happened to most of us. First of all, to understand intergenerational conflicts, one must understand the roots of the two people in question. As a young boy, I was raised by my parents and by my school. My parents didn’t have the time to educate me entirely, and so I would learn from school. When you mix two different styles of education, the result isn’t what you expect it to be. Sometimes, my grandmother explains to my sisters and me about how the lifestyle was different during her epoch. One of my sisters would always wear pants and shorts; my grandma would tell her that in her days, the girls always wore skirts. When I argue with my mother, my grandmother tells me that when she was young, she couldn’t talk back to her parents. If she did, she would get beaten. One of the most controversial subjects that arise in our “feuds” is the issue of lateness. I’m a person who isn’t always punctual, and that bothers my grandma more than anyone else. She always talks about when she was young and says that being late was very humiliating and was a sign of disrespect towards the teacher. At dinner-time, it’s like a living hell! My sisters and I bark at each other like dogs. My father, mother, and grandma usually get upset and start yelling. When I was a little younger, each time my sister and I did something wrong, they would discipline us on table manners. “Don’t talk while you’re eating, other people don’t wish to see the content in your mouth,” advised my grand-mother. “Keep your elbows off the table, so that the people sitting next to you have enough room to eat comfortably,” said my father. Nowadays, I understand that my grandma and I are from different generations and are educated very differently. Now, I don’t argue with my parents as often because I am older and understand them more. In order to learn something, one must hear it from one’s elders.

Milosh Jovanovich lives in Saint-Laurent, Montreal. He plans to study Pure and Applied Science at Vanier College. In the future, he wishes to become an engineer.

MMiissuunnddeerrssttaannddiinngg EEppoocchhss by Milosh Jovanovich


Two and a half years ago, I started working at one of the biggest fast food companies in the world — McDonald’s. I will never forget my first day of work. It will forever hold a place in my memory. It was so degrading and dehumanizing. I was scheduled to start work at eleven o’clock. Therefore, I arrived ten minutes before my shift started. I was very excited, not knowing what to expect since it was my first job. I patiently waited for my manager to greet me with my new uniform. They had a rush because it was breakfast time. Thirty minutes later, she finally had spare time. She showed up with my uniform, which included a pair of pants, a shirt, a hat, and my name tag. I ran into the bathroom to try everything on. My pants were too big; I needed a belt for it to stay around my waist. My hat was so tight that my curls were sticking out, but worst of all, my name was misspelled. It read “MONIQUE.” The only thing that fit perfectly was my shirt. The worst part of my uniform was the fake smile that I had to have at all times. When I started working there, I was getting paid $7.45 per hour. Employees who arrived months after me were receiving the same salary as me. For the work I was doing, my pay was infamously poor. I would be running around for eight hours or more; it was a very stressful job. I would barely rest; my breaks were short and limited. When I worked eight hours, I only received a thirty minute break. Usually, there would be a rush, so I couldn’t get around to enjoying my break. They would tell me to get back to work before my thirty minutes was over. The employees and I would be forced to work hard for such low wages; we were bossed around like slaves and expected to smile at all times. In the end, I worked so much for so little. My first scar was on my right arm. One of my coworkers was taking the basket of fries out of the hot oil, and when she turned around, she accidentally rubbed it against my skin. Because of the pace of the work, cuts and burns are very common. Most people who have worked there for a few months will have at least one permanent scar. This was only a brief summary of my experience as a McDonald’s employee. After all these encounters, I still remember all the good times that I spent with the other employees, who I soon called my friends.

Monica Yacoub was born in Egypt and moved to Canada at the age of five. She will be studying Social Science and wants to become an accountant.

WWoorrkkiinngg aatt MMccDDoonnaalldd’’ss by Monica Yacoub


As a young child, you do what your parents want you to do. The first time I moved, I was six years old. I felt like the place I used to live in would vanish when I moved. Gaspésie was a beautiful part of the Quebec province, but now, I had to prepare my journey to the big city — Montreal. When I first arrived, I was totally confused. My habits seemed so different from the other children. My house used to be situated on the highest hill of my town, Amqui, with pine trees surrounding it. Now, I live in an apartment surrounded by grass, cars, and other buildings. I came from a fisherman’s region where nature was one of the most important aspects of our lives. Now, I see a bunch of stressed workers talking on their cell phones, wearing these gray costumes suits and strangled by ties. Is there anything more impersonal than the city? In Amqui, everyone knew everyone by their occupation, their family, or from their neighbourhood. There was no way of avoiding someone, and somehow you felt closer with your community. After my family and I arrived, my mother introduced me to the metro, the bus, the people, and the city. Of course it impressed me. The train and the buses were driving me crazy. However, there was something else that caught my attention — black people. It may sound stupid, but I had never seen a black person before, and it fascinated me. I was looking at a lady, and she looked so different from me. I am not a racist because I’m the first to protest when one of my friends is racially judged. However, when I was young, my first encounter with coloured people just surprised me. My background isn’t that impressive. I came from a small village where everyone had his or her own business and gossiped about anything they could. Still, I will always have good memories about how it felt to live in harmony with nature.

Philippe Lajeunesse will be studying Social Science, International Studies Major. He wants to obtain a Bachelor in Journalism and become an international reporter.

AAllmmoosstt AAnnootthheerr CCoouunnttrryy by Philippe Lajeunesse


Basketball is one of the best sports in the world, and it’s my favorite. It was invented in the 21

st century, and it’s defined as “a team game in which goals are scored by

throwing a ball through a netted hoop.” There are two teams with five people playing on each team, and the team that has the highest score wins. Basketball is considered the most popular sport in North America, and there are more and more people playing it everyday.

My passion for basketball started eight years ago when I came here to Montreal. One day when I went out to play in the park, I passed by a basketball court and something caught my attention. I can’t really explain what it was; it might have been all the people watching the game and all the tall players, who were really good and into their game. They had great opportunities to score in the net. The next day, I was playing in the park with my new ball, and I was really happy. I wasn’t really good at the beginning, but after a couple of weeks of practice, I was able to get the ball in the net. Every day after school, I would practice, even if the weather was bad. The more time I spent playing basketball, the more I was into it and wanted to play on a team. I also started to watch the playoffs on television, and I became a big fan.

When school started, I made the decision to be part of the school team. Of course it wasn’t easy, and the coach had to choose who was going to play. We were twenty, and the coach had to choose only twelve students. After two weeks of long and hard training, I was in! Sometimes it was hard to manage school, sports, and work, but I survived. The playoffs were about to start, and we were a team that had a lot of potential. The only thing we had to do was be present at the practices. The main problem in the team was that everyone was selfish and wanted to score the most points. Therefore, some players played alone without making any passes, and this was not the goal of a team game.

After the two hours practices, which happened twice a week, everybody was so tired that sometimes some players chose not to come. The coach didn’t approve of this, but he knew how to make the players suffer when they were absent. The coach really helped me and the team; he showed us new methods and moves that would help us to play better.

It was my first year on the school’s team and that was why I had less experience than the other players, but I was on my way to becoming a good player. I was also the shortest on the team, but this didn’t stop me from playing and trying to do my best. The last game, I wasn’t part of the starting five players, but at one point, the coach said it was my turn to go and play. That day I scored twelve points, and I was proud of myself. We didn’t win the championship, but at least we tried our best and made it to the finals.

Playing basketball made me realize that if you want to succeed, the most important thing is to never give up and to keep trying even when it’s hard.

Radi Tzvetkov is from Bulgaria, but was born in Safia. He will be studying Commerce at Vanier and hopes to one day own his own business.

MMyy BBaasskkeettbbaallll TTeeaamm by Radi Tzvetkov


40

Seven years ago in Colombo, the capital of Sri-Lanka, I lived with my mom, my two younger sisters, Sharmila and Marina, and my brother. After the departure of my dad to Canada, life was not easy for my mom because she had to take care of us by herself. I am from a middle-class family, but I never felt that way. Now, I am realizing how much pain my mom had to go through in order to raise us. She continued my dad’s business so that she could make some money to spoil us like rich kids. One day, she came home after an important meeting and left her handbag on the sofa, which she did not do very often. Marina was playing outside, and Sharmila and my younger brother were busy watching cartoons. Meanwhile, my mom was in the kitchen making us some food. Then she realized that she had to buy some vegetables. So, she came to the hall and searched for her handbag. She had a bad habit of putting her belongings anywhere. She searched for it all over the house, and she finally found it on the sofa. No one paid any attention to her, but suddenly, we saw our mom getting nervous and searching for something that was missing. She had lost her one hundred rupees, but did she really lose it or did someone steal it? She came to the conclusion that someone amongst us must have stolen it. So, she called on us and started the inquiry. My mom is a hard person, who hates it when her children lie to her. Therefore, she was not questioning, she was yelling. She wanted to know the truth, and she also told us that if the truth was not revealed, we might have to stay up all night. My mom was standing in front of us and was waiting for someone to reveal the truth. Unfortunately, no one did. I did not want to get punished because I knew that I didn’t steal the money. The one who I suspected the most was Sharmila because she was the one who liked to get in trouble. My mother was no longer patient; she ran out to pick up some branches to begin the punishments. Again, I did not want to get punished, so I begged Sharmila to tell the truth, but she gave me a wicked look and whispered to me, “Why don’t you tell the truth?” She didn’t steal the rupees either. We looked at our brother with questioning eyes, and we shook our heads because we knew that he was too innocent. If it wasn’t us, then who stole the one hundred rupees? We were all nervous except for Marina who was playing outside with her friends. My mother saw her playing while she was picking up some branches and asked her to come home. As soon as my mom entered, the inquiry restarted with the same process, but this time it was no longer a joke. For the last time, she asked us to reveal the truth. Since there was no response, she started the punishment. As I had suspected, the first to be punished was Sharmila. My mom held up her hand and started to hit. Even though she was hitting hard, Sharmila stayed strong. As soon as she stopped hitting, we heard someone crying; it was not coming from Sharmila, it was Marina.

AA SSttoolleenn OOnnee HHuunnddrreedd RRuuppeeeess by Rebecca Athanasious


41

My mom stopped hitting and turned her face towards Marina and so did we. She approached her and asked where the money was? She would have asked this question before, but in my country, according to some myths, children are compared to Gods. For us, Marina was too old to be compared to the Gods; she was two years old. Yet, she didn’t say a word, she just glided her hands into her pockets and took out a half unwrapped chocolate with her right hand and some bills with her left hand. My mom was surprised but not us; we were angry. Finally, Marina started to talk. She said that she felt like eating chocolate, so she took the one hundred rupees from the handbag and went to the small store near my house to buy a bar of Kandos for ten rupees. Marina also told us that the owner of the shop handed her back ninety rupees, which she was holding tightly in her left hand. She was too smart for her age.

Rebecca Athanasious was born in Sri Lanka. She will be studying Social Science this upcoming semester and hopes to become a successful Vanier student.


Every single person has something that guides him or her life or that he or she believes is the key to happiness. I’m no exception to this rule. For me, it is an aphorism that allows me to feel good within myself and lets me sleep with a smile on my face and dream… It was my father’s blunder that allowed this “wisdom” to come to me, as it usually is. My father has always been a source of wisdom and help in my life. When my father told me to read this particular aphorism, I said to myself, “Hmmmmmm….interesting,” and that was about it, but the funny thing was that it never completely left my mind. As I grew older, not only did I start to understand it, I even started to feel, comprehend, and be aware of the wisdom that it held. This maxim has helped me to act appropriately in the various situations that have been presented to me without caring about what people thought about these actions. Sometimes, whether a person’s actions are good or bad, he or she is judged according to them. However, once people understand this aphorism, a new world is revealed to them. They will find themselves breathing but not because they are afraid of dying. They may even realize that it doesn’t matter anymore what side of the scale their actions are on, because these actions will be beyond good and evil. The boring and unexciting law of judgement will no longer apply to them. In contrast, they will be passionate about their actions. To make it simpler, they will become aware of their actions, and as a result, they will stop surviving and start living. This aphorism has helped me in the past; it is guiding me in the present, and it will walk by my side in the future. Nevertheless, people need to learn how to canalize and balance it in their lives so that it doesn’t control them, although, in a way, it does. In my opinion, people should let themselves be free of cultural pressure and let their desires guide them, but I may be wrong, and all of this may be nothing but words on a piece of paper.

“The best way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it...” -Oscar Wilde

Rodirgo Galvan was born in Mexico. He will be studying Social Science, Major in Psychology.

TThhee AApphhoorriissmm tthhaatt GGuuiiddeess MMyy LLiiffee by Rodirgo Galvan


If there’s a day that I will never forget, it’s certainly the 6th of May, 1996. In the morning, I woke up, ate as usual, and then went to school with my big sister. I had no idea that two hours later my mom would call us with the worst news ever. When she talked to my big sister, she told her that my little sister was in danger. Our country was in the middle of a big war, and there were some people who entered our house and wanted to kill my younger sister and her babysitter. First of all, the war in my country, Burundi, started thirteen years ago. There were two different ethnic groups, and they didn’t really get along with each other. The first ethnic group was called Tutsi and the second one, Hutu. The Hutus always hid in the mountains, but then, without any reason, they came into the city and killed a lot of people. My parents were really afraid of the war, because they had already lost both of their parents, and they didn’t want to lose us too. So, after my mom called us, we went to my uncle’s house. She told us that it was some Hutu people who were attacking not only my house but also my whole neighbourhood. My mom and my big sister started crying, but I was too young; all I knew at the time was that my little sister was in our house with mean people. While my family was worrying about my little sister, she was actually doing fine. She was under the bed with her babysitter. When they had heard the bullets, they ran into my room, which was the smallest one in the house, and hid. My little sister was not afraid at all; she wasn’t even crying. In fact, she thought that she was playing a new game with a lot of noise. The Hutus finally decided to leave our house, but my sister and her babysitter stayed under the bed for the whole day. The next day, my mom and I went to our house. When she arrived there, our house was messed up. There were bullets everywhere. I was so amazed by those bullets, but my mom was very scared. Then, we found my sister and her babysitter, who were now on my bed. While the babysitter was crying so much, my little sister was smiling because she was happy to see us. Not even fifteen minutes later, we were back at my uncle’s house, and the next day we moved to another house. Finally, two years after that big incident that almost took my sister’s life, we decided to come here to Montreal because it was a lot safer.

TThhee WWoorrsstt DDaayy ooff MMyy LLiiffee by Sandra Nzisabira

Sandra Nzisabira is from Burundi, Africa, but she was born in Montreal. She lived in Burundi for six years and then came back to Montreal. She wants to become a psychiatrist after completing her studies in Psychology at Vanier. Sandra loves music; she lives for it.


A few years ago, like so many girls in high school, I did not know what I was going to do in the future. I had many talents, such as drawing pictures and writing poems, but those activities were only hobbies. Everything began when I had the chance to participate in a local Expo-Science in high school. Two years ago my biology teacher, Mrs. Carole Boulianne, suggested to some students to participate in Expo-Science, which is a science activity that allows each student to research a science subject that he or she likes. Therefore, I participated in my local Expo-Science to develop my ability in becoming a good science student. That day, I chose a subject that everybody was asking about. The subject was: Why do some people have blue or green eyes and some people have brown or black eyes? I chose this subject because in my family, the girls have brown eyes, and the boys have blue and green eyes. During that year, I did a lot of research to develop and to understand this subject. When my local Expo-Science was finished, I was surprised that I had won second place for my original topic. Therefore, I was qualified for the regional Expo-Science Bell. That year in high school was good for me because I had learned a lot about myself, and I knew what I wanted to in the future. I had learned to develop some abilities, such as being patient and researching for the information I wanted. In conclusion, I liked this experience because in my country I would not have this chance to participate in a science activity like Expo-Science Bell. Also, the following year, I participated in my local Expo-Science to learn more about science. It was a great experience because now, I have a goal to become a good doctor and help others to heal their pain.

Sarah Al-Rifai is Syrian, and she was born in the United States. She will be studying Health Science and wants to become a doctor, possibly a surgeon. Sarah has travelled to many places around the world and has visited almost every country except for a few in Asia (China, Pakistan, etc.).

Science Activity by Sarah Al-Rifai


I came to Canada when I was nine. I lived in China and back there, it doesn’t snow. One day, when I woke up for school and looked out the window, I noticed something strange. I got dressed and went out to take a look. When I opened the door, the cold wind touched my neck. The ground was covered with a bright, white material. I knew that I was going to have contact with snow that day. I ran outside and left footprints on the ground. Then, I grabbed some snow with my hand. It was the first time that I touched snow. Touching something cold as ice gave me a really special feeling. The snow was actually soft and smooth. I watched it melt in my hand and noticed my hand becoming a little bit red. That day, I walked to school with my head turned towards the sky. My first snow day is one of the days that I will never forget in my life.

Shao Bin Zhou will be studying in the Explorations program at Vanier College in the fall.

LLoovvee SSnnooww by Shao Bin Zhou


During the 1980’s, the biggest war in Cambodia had been launched, and it terrified everyone. Several buildings were destroyed, and many people were killed. However, inhabitants tried to find a way to get out of there. This was the reason why my parents left their homeland. They wanted to find a safe place in which they could live normally. For more than five years, while hiding in Thailand, they lived with the fear of being found and killed. Therefore, they were extremely excited when they learned that they had been chosen to immigrate to Canada. When they arrived here, in Montreal, life wasn’t as easy as they thought. They were sent to a special school for immigrants to learn French. In only six months, they had to be able to talk, write, and comprehend a language that they never heard of before. In addition, they had to learn how to live and how to deal with the traditions here. Let me tell you how their first day at school was. To make sure that they wouldn’t be late, they arrived approximately an hour earlier than the other students. As the door was opened, they entered the classroom, took a seat, and waited for the teacher. When the teacher finally arrived, my parents stood up and introduced themselves to her. Of course, she wasn’t surprised by the way they acted, because she knew that immigrants probably behave as if they were in their own country. Then, she told them that it wasn’t necessary to act like that. At least they didn’t feel embarrassed, because the whole class did the same thing. Days had passed, and they started to gradually appreciate their new home until one day… It had been four months since my parents came to Canada, but the weather had never been so cold before. Even when they were at home, they were still shivering. Then, they saw through the window something small and white falling down. It was the first time that they saw the snow, and nobody had told them about it before. They went outside to see what was going on and noticed that everyone wore a heavy coat. Since that day, they learned that every time the snow fell, it meant that they had to wear warm clothes. Actually, they learned how to deal with the coldest season, but they still hated it. They will probably never understand why children love playing outside in the freezing temperature. Today, even if my parents feel more comfortable here than fifteen years ago, they still miss their homeland and their families who did not have the opportunities to visit a charming country like Canada. I think they have found the right medium between their own culture and Montreal’s culture.

Soktheama Lor is a Cambodian from Thailand. She will be studying in the Commerce program at Vanier.

TThhee BBeeggiinnnniinngg ooff tthhee EEnndd by Soktheama Lor


It was one of summer’s sunniest days, and I was only ten years old. My friends had called to inform me that they were going to the park. I got ready, and I started to walk towards it wearing my favourite sandals.

When I arrived at the park, my friends were already there. They were playing around, so I joined them. My friends and I were talking about normal stuff, and all of a sudden, I noticed a huge dog far ahead of me. I started to scream, and my friends told me, “Don’t worry, the dog is leashed.” However, seconds later, I noticed that the dog was getting closer and that he wasn’t with his owner anymore. Without another thought, I began to run. As I was running through the park, the dog was chasing me around. Tears where were coming down my face. My friends were laughing at me and not doing anything to help me. There was a kiddie pool in my path, and I accidentally fell into in and lost one of my sandals. I wanted to go back and get it, but I couldn’t because I was too terrified of the dog. As I ran out of the park, the dog was getting even closer to me. Without looking both ways, I crossed the street. Then suddenly, I heard a car honking; I turned around and noticed the car right next to me. At that moment, I started to cry even more, and I was determined to go home. Finally, when I arrived next to my house, I felt relieved even though the dog was still chasing me. I felt protected because I saw my dad; I started running even faster to get to him. My dad rushed to chase the dog away. When we arrived home my dad explained to me that we shouldn’t run away from dogs, because they think that we are playing with them. Now, I know that I shouldn’t run away from dogs, but for some reason, I still do it.

Tannaz Bakhshi is Iranian and can speak Farsi, Turkish, French, English, and a bit of Spanish. She will be studying Commerce at Vanier College. She loves to spend time with her family and friends.

TThhee DDoogg CChhaassee by Tannaz Bakhshi


Young teenagers today fall in love at high school, and they start to change while they are in relationships. Take me for example. I met a girl that I liked when I was in high school. On Friday nights, I always went to my Chinese school to play badminton. One night, she was there hanging out with her elder sister. Afterwards, I became her sister’s friend and got her email. We began chatting online and decided to go out with some friends during our summer vacation. Finally, on my birthday, I told her that I loved her very much. I expressed my feelings for her, and I asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend. She didn’t answer my question right away. However, two days later she said, “Why not?” How long did our relationship last? From that day until now, I am still with her; therefore, I have changed a lot and so has she. I’ll start talking about how my physical look changed. Now, I wear contact lenses and jeans, and I have a new hairstyle. Imagine how I looked like when I was single! The main reason why people change their look is because they are encouraged to, and they feel more comfortable with it. Furthermore, I became more sociable compared to before. I used to be a really shy person. The problem was that I spent too much time doing things that I was not supposed to do. For example, when I came back home late, I forget to do my homework. As we all know, more privileges bring more responsibilities. When I was in eighth grade, I never went out; I didn’t even know where downtown was. However, after I went shopping with my girlfriend, I visited almost every place, except the clubs. I’ve been saving money ever since I was a kid, but unfortunately, dates aren’t free! I prefer to pay for her because she has to pay for braces by herself. It didn’t really matter because I started to work. The first time I worked was pretty tough, but I needed that job. I stopped working when school started because I didn’t think that I would have enough time. When you love someone, you have to care for and understand him or her. As a result, you may have less time to care about other things. My parents allowed me go out with her, even though they didn’t really want me to start a relationship at my age. My friendship also isn’t as good as before because I have no time to hang out with my friends. At last, I will organize my time to make everyone, including myself, happy. Otherwise, I will lose contact with my friends. However, the most important thing is that I still have “her” by my side. I am so lucky to be with my girlfriend for the past two years, and I don’t regret anything at all.

TThhee GGiirrll WWhhoo CChhaannggeedd MMyy LLiiffee by William Lee

William Lee was born in Canada and will be studying Social Science at Vanier.


I’m an immigrant from China, and I found that in Quebec I had to learn French, which was a totally strange language to me. After waiting for half a month, I received a letter from my school, St-Luc, and began learning French in a welcome class, which is a class for new immigrants. Even though French was rather hard for me to speak and to understand, I began my secondary five studies the next year. The first few days were terrible, especially the first class of the first day. Although I had been in St-Luc for one year, I still didn’t know much about the school. The first problem that I had was finding my classroom. Luckily, I met a girl who was in my French class and my chemistry class. Thanks to her, I finally found the classroom. After the bell rang, the teacher, Mme. Zarif, began her class. First, she introduced herself to everyone and then gave us the course outline for the entire year. During her presentation, everyone laughed many times. Although I could only understand a little bit, I could tell that she was very funny. At the end of her speech, to make sure that we didn’t forget what we had learned in secondary four, Mme. Zarif gave us a paper with many symbols of elements on it and asked us to write their names in French. I was shocked when I received the paper. Honestly, the only symbol I knew was O. After having stared at the paper for a few minutes, I gave up and raised my hand. The teacher came, and I told her that I didn’t know anything. “You have forgotten everything already?” she said in a surprised tone “No,” I answered, “I have never learned them in French before. I am from the welcome class.” “Oh,” the teacher responded with a look of understanding. “Come here after school. I will teach them to you.” I agreed. Finally, I handed in the paper with only one answer on it. Overall, my first day of secondary five was a little awkward but, at the same time, interesting. Furthermore, I knew that I had to improve my French.

Zhong Di Wu will be studying Law and Society at Vanier College and wants to become a lawyer or a business man. He describes himself as a lazy, passionate person.

MMyy FFiirrsstt CChheemmiissttrryy CCllaassss by Zhong Di Wu

In Life, In Music, In Metal - Vanier College

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