Four Seasons

Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter make up a year.

Spring is a coquettish season.
I love it.
It is the best of pleasant weather.
The leaves of the trees are beginning to spring up.
All flowers bloom together.
People become hopeful.

Summer is a hot season.
I enjoy it.
The sun warms my heart.
The trees are green.
People become enthusiastic.

Fall is an autumnal season.
I don’t like it.
Leaves fall in autumn.
The sky becomes dusky.
People become sentimental.

Winter is a cold season.
I hate it.
The days get shorter.
Snow will be coming.
People become frozen.

By weng,tzu-ying
Dec. 10,2005

My New York Trip

New York is a miniature reflection of the United States. It is the best typical international city. Everybody calls New York “Big Apple”. Everyone wants to bite it a little bit. After you have experience the place, it will tell you the answer that the taste is either sweet or bitter. I went to New York this summer. There are three amazing places that I had visited. The first place is Time Square. It is an entertainment theatric center. There are full size video screens on building walls. In addition, super size signboards and different neon color lights become a wonderful view. It is the best portrayal to represent flourishing and rotten life as well as capitalism in New York. When I was standing, for the first time, at Time Square, I could not believe my eyes. I felt so excited about those building and really love it. The second place is Liberty Island. It is not only a symbol in New York, but also carries on the vigor of the United States This colossal statue was located there on October 28, 1886 and is 151 feet high. It means “Liberty Lighting The World”. We took a boat ride around the port of New York. When I saw “Liberty Island” it lit up my eyes, I understood what New York City is all about. It was so amazing for me. The third place is Museums. There are many famous museums, such as: the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Arts. All of these museums, you don’t need to pay for any tickets, as only a security check is required. Believe me, you will love them. I spent two hours in the American Museum of Natural History. I couldn’t visit all exhibits, as time was not enough for me. In summary, I really enjoyed my New York trip. If you have the opportunity, do not miss this wonderful place, you will like it the same as me.

My Niagara Falls Trip

Niagara Falls is one of the most popular tourism places in Ontario, Canada. It is between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Every year, thousands of tourists coming from different countries have visited this area. I have visited it three times. On July 1, Canada Day, it was my first time I went to Niagara Falls. I went there with my homestay family and the other roommate, Yeong-Mi, who came from Korea. When we arrived there, it was full of tourists. It was a busy time, because everybody wanted to see the fireworks show on Canada Day. We sat on the lawn and felt excited waiting for the fireworks to begin. At 10 p.m., everyone opened their eyes, shouted and jumped with joy. The great rejoicing infected everybody’s heart. This was my first time to see fireworks in Canada. It was so amazing for me that I will never forget this moment in my life. On July 29, it was my second time that I visited the Falls. This was a school’s arranged trip for international students. We took the Maid of the Mist to visit the brink of the Falls. When the boat approached the Falls, we experienced how magnificent the sight was. Everyone enjoyed the water splashing on their faces and bodies. It was a great time that I had visited it twice. On September 3, it was my third time. We went to the Skylon Tower and saw the IMAX Theater. From the top of the Skylon Tower, you could see the whole scene between the Canadian and American Falls. In addition, when I saw the river water flowing towards the Falls that was so magnificent. Moreover, in the IMAX Theater, I saw the movie about Niagara Falls’s history. After that, I almost understood about Niagara Falls. To sum up, in those three experiences, I really enjoyed my Niagara Falls trips. It is really a wonderful place; you cannot miss visiting it.

My Interview

Sam, 23, is an optimistic and charming student who comes from Korea. He has been in Canada for 4 months. After his younger sister had graduated from the Niagara College ESL Program, he decided to following in her footsteps. Now, he studies in the Niagara College ESL level 4B. He really enjoys living in Canada. There are three interesting things that he never had experienced in his life. The first thing is learning Canadian culture. When he lives in homestay, he learns different new life styles. For example, in his country, only the father can discipline his children, but in Canada, children can refute their dad. He feels good about this Canada family relationship. In addition, he became more open about sex issues. The first time, when his homestay father talked about sex issues, he felt very embarrassed, but now, he feels more comfortable. The second thing is being familiar with classmates. He likes to go to school because he can get along with classmates who come form different countries. However, he doesn’t think he has improved his English ability very much with the ESL Program. He enjoys learning about different cultural backgrounds from his classmates. He thinks that is more interesting than only studying English. The third thing is traveling in Toronto. He had visited Toronto in the summer time. Toronto is a very busy and crowded city. There are many famous tourism places, such as the CN Tower, Toronto City Hall and Royal Ontario Museum…etc. He likes Toronto more than Welland, because he feels there is nothing to do here. Considering all of the above, I think, Sam has a great time in Canada. I hope this will be a valuable life experience for him.