A summer in Canada Essay Example for Free

A summer in Canada Essay All my life I have chosen to experience as much as possible to enrich myself, but the most memorable experience in my childhood was the summer following seventh grade in school. I went to a summer camp in Vancouver, Canada where I spent half the day immersed in cultural studies and the other half involved in outside activities. Then I went to my aunt’s house in Toronto for two weeks. That was the first time I had traveled abroad. I was very excited about this trip and learned a lot from it, including the benefits of teachers directly interacting with students, the rewards of trying new things, and having the time to appreciate nature’s beauty and urban life. I noticed several ways the culture of Canada differed from Chinese culture. First, unlike in China, Western people place heavy emphasis on interacting. For example, when I had a class in Canada, the teachers were more likely to communicate with the students instead of just teaching. We were not just listeners. I really admire this kind of education because it helped me better become involved in my studies. Second, the teachers often pushed students to go outside to do research. For instance, I went to the market to make a statistical comparison of the price for every kind of product. It forced me to communicate with the staff in the market. As a matter of fact, I improved my English. In addition, people in Western countries liked to try new things. In China, I spent most of my time indoors studying; I didn’t know the wisdom to be found in engaging nature and its environment. For instance, I went camping on a big mountain and spent a night there. I came across many new experiences such as making a fire or erecting the tent and conquering them both. After I experienced these activities, I not only captured the Canadian culture, but also learned many skills from it. Furthermore, as I was living in a homestay the first two weeks, I became more independent. I was forced to deal with my living conditions by myself. I learned to wash my own clothes, cook some simple dishes, clean my room, and do some housework. This helped me a lot on my future life. Apart from having some new ideas when I traveled in Canada, I saw many amazing views both in nature and in the city. I went to a place called Butchart Garden, which is near Vancouver with beautiful scenery. I took many pictures of flowers and trees. It was the most beautiful garden I had ever seen. What is more, I was attracted by the atmosphere on a street in the downtown of Toronto. When I was sitting in a chair near the street, I saw many people in the cafà © enjoying the moment. They were just drinking and talking. That suddenly reminded me that I should never stop looking around to what is happening right now. When I was in China, I was always concentrated with taking one exam after another exam, and never stopped to reflect on what was around me. Having time to think about myself and my needs now seemed to be necessary in my life. In conclusion, this experience in Canada taught me how to live a more balanced life and how to communicate more effectively with others. This trip changed me and made my childhood more meaningful as well as improving my abilities in both studying and living.