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CESL Today
Vol 981, Issue 2 February
6, 1998
Abdullah Al-Howait
Hae-Joon "Terry" Jeong
Pavel Juricek
Ya-Chu "Cassidy" Kao
Jung Jae Kim
Sung Joon Kim
Chia-I "Rebecca"
Lai
Michalis Michael
Young-Sun "Sunny" Nam
Se-Uk "Chris" Oh
Li Yu "Nell" Pan
Chieko Suzuki
THE
WEATHER IN SAUDI ARABIA
By Abdullah Al Howait
Do you know
what it feels like in Saudi? Warm weather is the most common mode during
the year. Summer is really hot back home. The temperature can reach 110-125û
F. Water sometimes is boiling from the ground because of the high temperature
in the ground.
However, winter
is not that cold compared it to Carbondale. The lowest temperature in the
winter is 28û F sometimes in the north.
My first day in the United States
By Abdullah Al Howait
I have been
in the United States for six months. I am now studying in CESL to be ready
to go to a university. After I finish CESL, I will study computer science
at SIU.
My family
wished me good luck in the first step in my own life. However, I was very
sorry to leave them.
Jeddah is
a big city in my country back home. We cannot compare between Jeddah and
Carbondale.
Being ready
for a university in the U.S. is fun, especially in CESL. I like Carbondale
because it's the best town for students to live in for studying.
Saudi Arabia in the Middle East
By Abdullah Al Howait
Saudi Arabia
is a large country with many interesting geographical areas.
On the west
coast of Saudi, there is the Red Sea; to the east are the Arabin Gulf,
Bahrain, U.A.E., Qatar and Kuwait; to the north, Iraq and Jordan.
Most of the
Saudi area is desert. Al-Sarawat Mountains are located in the west. The
Empty Quarter Desert is in the southeast which is a desolate area without
plant or animal life.
Abdullah
Al-Howait is from a country which is located in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia is a large country compared to the countries in the area.
Al-Madeanh Al- Monawarh is the city of the prophet Mohamed.
Kyoto
By Cassidy Kao
Kyoto, Japan
is the most beautiful city in all of the countries in the world which I
have visited. Japanese are very kind to foreign people. Japan is not a
very big country but each city has a different style. My favorite place
is Kyoto in Japan. Kyoto is the best place where people can feel the Japanese
tradition and culture.
I appreciate
or like traditional places. Traditional style is preserved in Kyoto. Kyoto
has many traditional buildings. For example, there are traditional castles,
shrines and houses. Special are traditional castles which have foot bridges,
a living antiquity *of Japan. Those buildings make Kyoto full of antique
style. Kyoto has a Japanese style different another cities.
Living in
Kyoto, people look very happy. They are very joyous when they know everyone
likes Kyoto. Kyoto people like to wear traditional clothes more than the
other cities. If you ask them about Kyoto, they like telling it to you.
When you stay in Kyoto, you can feel like you are staying in old Japan.
When I visited
the other cities in Japan, I felt Kyoto was very special and traditional.
If you want to feel Japan, you have to go to Kyoto. Kyoto will tell you
about Japan. You will like Kyoto, a beautiful city in Japan.
My First Day in the United States
By Cassidy Kao
When I came
the Unted States, I felt very lonely, because I came here by myself.
I came
here on Sunday night. I missed my father, mother and sisters. I had never
come to the United States befor so I was nervous this day. I didn't see
a lot of people. I don't know what I can do.
I met
some people from Taiwan. They help me with many things. They knew I had
just come here. They took me to buy some things that I needed.
I didn't know
how to cook because I never learned to cook in Taiwan. A girl from Taiwan
taught me how to cook. I thought cooking was not difficult, but I still
don't cook very well.
I wanted to
call my family, but I didn't have a phone. I was very sad because I wanted
to tell them about my first day. Now, I always think it is very funny,
in my first day.
Her Chinese
name is Ya-Chi "Cassidy" Kao. She is from Taiwan. She lived in Taipei.
It is not a big city, but it is very busy. She has been a student in CESL
since July, 1997. Her good friends call her "Cassi." When she finishes
CESL, she will study at a university. Her major is Early Childhood Education.
She likes to play and talk with children. She wants to understand children
and what they want and need. She likes to listen to music and read in her
free time.
Watching
movies is my favorite
By Chieko Suzuki
If I have
free time, I like to watch a lot of movies. Maybe many people like to watch
movies because movies make them feel good. In my case, after watching the
movie, I can still feel the story.
Movies have
many kinds of stories. When my feeling is excitement, I want to watch action
movies. Action movies make me strong.
I watched
Face Off. It has a lot of action scenes. And also it used computer graphics.
Face Off is about relations of a family. The wife can trust her husband
or not. I like the scene in which the wife trusts her husband, even though
his looks are different because he changed his face to keep a secret. She
was going to help him. At the last, he got own his face and went back home.
Then they hugged each other. I really enjoyed it while I was watching this
movie because it is a good story, too.
When I am
sad, I like to watch happy stories and love stories. Those movies give
me cheer. After that, probably I can get rid of my bad feeling.
Lately, I
went to the theater to watch Titanic. It was very impressive. The old woman
has a memory which is a true love story of the Titanic. Jack and Rose were
standing together at the point of the Titanic and feeling the wind, that
is my favorite scene. The end of the story was sad but he is living in
her heart forever. After watching the movie, I couldn't say anything because
I couldn't express the words.
Anyway I suggest
watching good movies when you are feeling bad. Maybe you'll be fine.
My first impression of United States
By Chieko Suzuki
I remember
when I went to New York City for a few days. It was my first foreign trip
in my life. I went to the United States by myself because my friend lived
near New York. Before I went to New York, I was really looking forward
to visiting there.
When I arrived,
my friend was waiting for me. Even though I felt very tired, I was excited
just to be in J.F.K. I saw a lot of new foreign things for the first time.
I looked around
in New York City with my friend. A lot of skyscrapers, shops and people,
everything was new for me. Food also tastes different from Japanese stuff.
Like a pizza. Actually Japan has the pizza, and sometimes we eat the pizza
but I think American pizza is better than Japanese pizza.
One of my
memories is I spoke English at that time but I didn't know how should I
say English. I just knew a few words. I was really interested in speaking
English, so I asked my friend a lot of sentences. Of course I forgot the
sentences as soon as I spoke English.
However, I
really had good time in New York. I could communicate to people; also I
saw a beautiful night view. I'll never forget my first foreign trip.
Chieko Suzuki,
who was born Dec. 9, 1972 in Tokyo, Japan, has been in the United States
since August 1996. At that time, she entered CESL but she is still taking
CESL. Maybe she likes CESL.
Come
to Florida
By Se-uk "Chris" Oh
Florida is
a very interesting state which attracts many tourists each year. There
are a lot of things to see and do there. I went to Florida last Halloween.
Orlando
is in the middle of Florida. We can get there in about 15 hours from Carbondale.
Florida's weather is very different from Carbondale because Florida is
situated in the southern tip of the US. There is Disney World in Orlando.
There are many things to see in Disney World. And other places are Sea
World, Universal Studios, and etc. However, when I went there, I just had
five days, so I couldn't see all of them. I only went to Universal Studios.
I saw Terminator, ET, Back to the Future, and Jaws. Those were very exciting
to me. Maybe I'll never forget about that time.
And
then I went to Miami. Miami was hotter than Orlando. There are many beautiful
beaches near Miami. I could swim there.
Many beautiful
women were bathing in the sun. All of them wore bikinis. Some of them even
took their swimming suits off. So, I couldn't help but close my eyes. If
you are male, it will be a good experience for your life time. This is
one of the most important reasons that you have to visit Florida.
There are
so many tourist resorts in Florida, but I couldn't go to all of them. Five
days are too short to see everything. If you really want to go to Florida,
I'd like to advise that you need about enough time to go there.
My friend
said the distance from Orlando to Key west is 371 miles, so if you want
go there, you need six hours. And he said southern and western beaches
are better than eastern beaches in winter. Since those are warmer than
eastern beaches, you can go swimming, diving, snorkeling, and fishing there.
Ms. Davis who was my grammar teacher said we can eat a lobster for about
$15 for dinner in Shells or Red lobster.
If you haven't
decided where you will go on this spring break yet, don't hesitate! Just
go to Florida! Many beautiful women are waiting for you guys.
My First Day in the United States
By Se-uk "Chris" Oh
I went to Seattle
Aug. 5, 1997 because my cousins were there. The weather was very nice.
I ate only Korean food because all of them are Koreans. My nephews are
so good at English that I tried speak English with them but I couldn't
send my meaning and even understand their saying. However, I was very happy
because I could challenge studying in the US.
Se-Uk "Chris"
Oh is from South Korea. He was born in Dae-jon which is located in the
middle of South Korea. He is majoring in mechanical engineering. He was
a senior in Korea. Now, he is studying English at CESL. After CESL, he
will go back to Korea to finish his studies at his university. In the future,
he will be the president of an automobile company because he is genius
and has many abilities.
My
first day in the U.S.A
By Jung Jae Kim
On August 16,
1997, I arrived at J.F.K. Airport in New York City. At that time, I was
very nervous because I couldn't speak English very well. So when I passed
the immigration desk, I didn't understand what he said, but I answered
some questions with just two words, "Yes, OK." Then I could pass easily.
I met my brother
who waited for me. We traveled New York City for five days. During those
five days I didn't worry about speaking English because my brother can
speak English well. We visited a lot of places in New York City, and we
also saw musical and jazz concerts.
After I finished
traveling with my brother, I came to Carbondale alone. The first day, I
didn't know how to register for housing and CESL. I worried about that
very seriously so I looked for somebody to help me, but I couldn't find
anyone. Unavoidably, I did them by myself. Fortunately, an American whom
I met was very kind to me, and I finished them safely.
UN Center
When I arrived
at Carbondale, I was surprised because Carbondale is a very small town,
very much quieter than New York City. I think Carbondale is not dangerous
compared with the other place. So I am getting to like Carbondale. Anyway,
I can't forget my first days in New York City and Carbondale. It is long
way to me.
Let's go to an exciting country--Korea!
By Jung Jae Kim
There is a
country which is very silent and beautiful in northeast Asia recommend
as the best place for traveling-Korea.
Korea is located
between China and Japan and it is surrounded by sea. It has many islands
and many beautiful mountains. Now, let's go to Korea!
When you come
to Korea, you will arrive at Kim-po Airport in Seoul, which is the
capital of Korea. Seoul has a lot of buses, taxies and so on. There is
a heavy traffic jam. So I'd like to advise that you get on the subway (subway
fee: $1.00 to $1.50). If you get a subway ticket, you can go anywhere in
Seoul.
Seoul has
a long history, about 500 years. There are many traditional places, such
as Kyong-Bok Palace, Duk-Soo Palace, and several the others.
Kyong-Bok Palace
And if you like shopping, maybe you'd like to buy bargains.
Some nice places for shopping are Myong-dong Street and Nam-de-moon Market.
Take the green line to get there.
Seoul is surrounded
by mountains. So if you like to climb mountains, you can enjoy climbing
them and when you stand on the top you can see all of Seoul's landscape.
Seoul has a big river which is called Han and separates
Seoul into north and south. You can enjoy jet skiing, boating, wind surfing
and so on. As Seoul is capital of Korea, it has a lot of exciting things
to do. I will introduce the other beautiful places in Korea later.
Jung Jae Kim was born in May 11, 1974. He is from Seoul,
Korea. Jung came to Carbondale in August, 1997 and has been studying in
CESL. When he finishes CESL, he hopes to enter aviation technology at SIU.
Living
in Carbondale
By Sung Joon Kim
Carbondale
was famous for digging coal and some metal. However, Carbondale is the
city of education nowadays. There are about 45,000 people in Carbondale.
Approximately 25,000 of them are S.I.U. students.
People who
live in Carbondale are very friendly to international students, because
S.I.U. has a large number of international students. Therefore, people
can have many opportunities to meet people from different cultures and
countries. Also, Illinois is the home state of Abraham Lincoln who is the
famous Civil War president of U. S.
There are
a lot of international restaurants around this town, people can eat many
kinds of food anytime and anyplace.
A traffic
jam is hardly found in Carbondale except when there's a train across the
street. Some trains have too many cars. I have seen a train which had more
than a hundred cars.
Carbondale
has a big mall near town which has many conveniences.
Southern Illinois is famous for its terrific natural beauty. Giant City
Park is one of the famous places which is located near Carbondale.
Living expenses
are quite reasonable around this town. Southern Illinois has three Super
Walmart and Carbondale has one of them.
If you are bored, go to Walmart and just look around every section in Walmart.
It is going to take about three hours for the window shopping.
The
S.I.U. campus is the most famous and largest place in Carbondale. It is
a beautiful campus.
Come to Carbondale
and see it. I think that Carbondale is a pretty nice place to live.
My first day in the USA
By Sung Joon Kim
When I came here,
Iarrived at the airport in St. Louis. I didn't know how get to Carbondale,
so I went to some office in the airport. Finally, some woman helped me,
so I came to Carbondale by BART mini van.
I stayed the
first night at a motel. I met some Koreans, who stayed next to my room.
My roommate now is one of them. The next day I moved to University Hall,
and I got #443. That was my first room in the dormitory at Carbondale.
That was a nice place, I met many friends there.
Next day,
I walked around campus to find the CESL office, but I couldn't find it
easily; the campus was too big to find one office. Finally, I found the
CESL office. It was in the Faner Hall, which is the place where I'm studying
now.
The first
three days that I came here were very interesting and I felt so good due
to the beautiful town of Carbondale.
Sung Joon,
Kim is studying in the CESL. He is 25 years old. He has been here for over
a year. Before he came here, he worked in a company for opera and all of
classical music. He has many friends in Carbondale, and he likes living
in Carbondale. When he finishes CESL, he is going to enter the university
in here. He will study the music business in the university. He is a nice
person.
Hawaii
By Li-Yu "Nell" Pan
Hawaii, which consists
of many beautiful islands, is my favorite vacation place. Last year I had
a long vacation in Hawaii and watched lava reach the sea from a volcano.
When I arrived in Hawaii, I saw that native girls were dancing around the
beautiful beach. I ate many sweet and juicy fruits, and I also tasted delicious
seafood.
On the second
morning I got up early and went to see a magical volcano. I saw that lava
float down the mountain and water spring from the sea. The smoke
was full on the top of the volcano, and I also saw that
molten rock fall down. People were yelling and excited about the explosion.
I think a crack in the earth's surface made these landscapes very, very
exciting for me.
In Hawaii,
the Polynesian Cultural Center is a popular place for visitors. A city
called Honolulu is a famous honeymoon place for Japanese couples. If you
are interested in riding a great wave, you can find a lot of wonderful
beaches around the main island of Oahu. That feeling of riding a great
wave will make you feel satisfied.
My First Time In The U.S.A
By Li-Yu "Nell" Pan
I remember that first
time I visited America was June 1997. I came to Carbondale. I saw the small
town has no high buildings and was different from my country.
At daytime
the weather was very hot and wet. At night, the sky was covered with the
stars.
I first
attended CESL on June 30. I was excited and enjoyed Southern Illinois University.
In CESL, I am studying with international students from all over the world.
Every CESL teacher is as kind as a friend. I have been here for six months.
That life was boring unlike my hometown, but I still like Carbondale. I
have many friends in CESL right now; they come from different countries.
I think if I go back to my country, these memories and experiences will
be in my mind forever.
K O L Y
A
* * * *
Winner of the Academy Award and
Golden
Globe for Best Foreign Language
Film in 1996.
By Pavel Juricek
Its awards
demonstrate how wonderful the film Kolya is. This Czech movie was a success
throughout Europe and the United States because of its content and ideas.
The author,
director and leading male actor, Zdenek Sverak, is very famous in the Czech
Republic. Almost all of his movies, such as dramas and comedies, make a
good first impression and deliver a strong, lasting message. Sverak was
experienced with the making of the totalitarian reign of the Communist
Party. Before 1989, every movie in the Czech Republic had to be cleared
by a government censor board composed of political people with no knowledge
of the art of movie-making.
The story
begins with Louka, played by Sverak, living in Prague just before the Velvet
Revolution begins. Louka is a chamber musician playing the cello at funeral
receptions. It is obvious from the beginning that his skills are greater
than what this job requires. As the story develops, we learn that Louka
was once the first-chair cello player for the Czechoslovakian National
Symphony, but after his brother immigrated to the United States, Louka
was stripped of his position by the Communist Party. Following his experience
with the symphony, Louka took to living a simple life. He had many girlfriends
at the same time, but he promised himself that he would never marry. He
could not make enough money and therefore he accepted a friend's offer
for "business" that required him to marry a young woman from Russia. She
paid for this marriage to get Czechoslovakian citizenship. Her name was
Natasha and she had a five-year old son named Kolya.
The problem
in the story begins after Louka marries Natasha and she secretly immigrates
to West Germany leaving Kolya behind. When the boy's grandmother becomes
ill and cannot care for him, the local authorities bring the child to Louka.
Living together
proves to be very interesting, not only because of the language barrier
but also because of the age difference. Becoming roommates is the main
idea of the story. Sometimes it is funny and sometimes it is sad. The movie
also shows how people lived during the totalitarian regime with the Russian
Army always nearby. We also see how after the Velvet Revolution people
change their ideas and try to live like nothing happened before.
The movie
is very nice. Sometimes it is very sad, emotional and touching. It gives
people inspiration for thinking. I like this movie and I hope you have
that same feeling after you see it, too. The movie is available on video.
"Witty & Funny"
The New York
Observer
"Irresistible"
The Washington
Times
"A Triumph"
Playboy
"A Gem of A Film"
The New York
Times
"A Can't-Miss Crowd-Pleaser"
Los Angeles
Times
Sunshine
City of Australia
By Rebecca Lai
One of my favorite
places is Brisbane in Australia. Every year there are thousands of people
visiting the place especially in summer. There are many places to visit
such as the zoo, Sea World, Dream World and the most popular place 'Gold
Coast' in Brisbane. Brisbane is the ideal of paradise in my opinion. I
am sure you are going to love it if you ever go there.
First of all,
I want to introduce the most famous spot " Gold Coast." It is also my favorite
beach. My sister, my friend and I spent two days at Gold Coast, enjoying
the view and the seaside there. I will never forget the most beautiful
sunset I have ever seen. The sky is full of different kinds of colors.
I remembered the day at the beach, I just looked at the sky and enjoyed
that moment. We went to a fancy restaurant to have dinner. And also we
can see the sight all around the beach. It is really fantastic.
People there
are also very friendly. When you are walking on the streets, it might be
a person say "Hi" to you. The other thing to do is go shopping. I love
it. You see some modern stuff and enjoy the things different from your
country.
There are
still many places I have not visited. If I have free time, I will choose
the same place in Australia to visit. The sunshine, sky, and the things
all around Brisbane make me exciting. I can not wait to visit it again.
My First Day in the United States
By Rebecca Lai
My first day
in the United States was in St. Louis. My friend and I were tired because
we had flown for a long time about 15 hours. It was almost midnight when
we got to the airport in St. Louis. We spent a night in the hotel because
at that time there was no shuttle taking us to Carbondale. The next day
we got on a shuttle and began a whole new different life in the United
States.
Carbondale
is much smaller than I imagined. Maybe it is because I am from a big city.
Everything seems very convenient for me. But here is much different, such
as the weather is colder and the streets are not so crowded and when you
go across the streets, you do not worry that the cars are gonna run across
you. It is safer walking on the streets. I think people here are nice and
friendly. I think I am starting to like this place. I will try. Now
I am in CESL AE2. The teachers and classmates are good. I hope I will learn
more at SIU. I am excited about the new life.
Chia-i "Rebecca"
Lai comes from Taiwan, a very flourishing country. She grew up in a very
busy city, Taichung. Crowded streets, lots of pollution, chaos and traffic
jams, etc., those things are enough to describe her hometown.
The reason
she chose the USA to study abroad is because she has lived in her house
for almost 21 years. She wants to see more and learn more from other places
where she can be more independent and does everything on her on. It is
really a challenge to her. Now she is in America and starts to experience
a whole new different world.
MY FIRST TIME IN
AMERICA
By Young-sun "Sunny" Nam
I have been
in the United States of America to learn English, since August 18, 1997.
It was my first visit to another country. When I came to America for the
first time, I couldn't speak English very well. I learned English for eight
years, but I only learned about grammar. That is why I am mistaken every
day whenever I speak English, since I came here. My first few days in America
were nerve racking, because Americans didn't understand what I said, also
I couldn't understand what they said. I'll never forget it. English is
still difficult for me, but it is interesting.
Before I came
here, I thought that American people compared with Korean would be very
different. For example, thinking, manners, custom, and so on. I can find
some differences. Most Americans have good manners. Even when they meet
other people for the first time, they are friendly.
Now, I'm in
CESL, Center for English as a Second Language. I met a lot of friends here.
I came to Carbondale with my sister. She used to be a CESL student last
year, but now she is an SIU student. Carbondale is a good place to learn
English. There is not much to do in Carbondale, but I enjoy it. I'll go
back to Korea this summer. Before that time, I'd like to experience a lot
of things.
BEAUTIFUL ULLUNG ISLAND
By Young-sun "Sunny" Nam
Korea is surrounded
by sea. That is to say, it is a peninsula. Therefore it has many beautiful
islands, such as Cheju Island, Wan Island, Odong Island, and Ullung Island.
So most islands are popular places for sightseeing. My major is geography,
so I went there three years ago. I'd like to introduce Ullung Island because
it was a wonderful experience.
There are
two ways how to get there. If you depart from Ulsan, it takes about seven
hours to get there, and if you depart from Sokcho, it takes about two and
a half hours. You can get on a ferry boat at Ulsan and Sokcho. When you
arrive at Ullung Island, at first you will arrive at Dodong harbor. And
then, you can enjoy sightseeing, swimming, and fishing.
Cheju Island
is famous for women, wind, and rocks. In addition it has many horses and
oranges. On the other hand, Ullung Island is famous for squid, traditional
pumpkin candy, and a dead volcano. Therefore if you go there, you can buy
squid and pumpkin candy very cheaply. A squid is similar to a octopus.
Korean people enjoy eating it. When I went there, I had to cook every day,
so I usually cooked squid dishes because it was very cheap and I could
buy it everywhere. Secondly, you can find many pumpkin candy factories
easily. Try one! You will like it. Thirdly, Ullung Island has a dead volcano,
so you can see various molten rocks, lava beds, and so on. I climbed a
mountain to explore these things. That was very hard work, so that night
I almost passed out, but I will never forget the experience, because it
was great. Also I'd like to recommend walking on the coast road. If you
walk on the coast road, you will see fantastic natural scenery.
Do you think you are open-minded? If you can answer 'Yes,'
go to Ullung Island in Korea! You will never regret it. Try to experience
Korean traditional and general things. They are waiting for you.
Young-sun "Sunny"
Nam was born February 7, 1973. There are five in her family: her parents,
one older brother, one younger sister, and her. Her hometown is Seoul,
which is the capital city of Korea. She has been in Carbondale since August,
1997. Her hobbies are listening to music and cooking. Now she is a student
in CESL. She will go back to Korea this summer. After she graduates from
her university, she'd like to get a good job, appropriate to her aptitude
and capability, and also develop her aptitude.
First impression
in the United States
By Terry Jeong
I came here,
the United States, five months ago. America, especially Carbondale, is
totally different from Seoul, Korea where I came from. We use kilograms,
but Americans use ounces for weight. We use kilometers, but Americans use
miles. We use Celsius degrees, but Americans use Fahrenheit degrees for
temperature. And then, we use our own language, Korean, but Americans use
English. Korean and English are totally different--different structure,
intonation, pronunciation. I often make a lot of stupid mistakes.
One day, when I had just come here, I went to a restaurant.
After I finished dinner, I asked the waitress, "Would you like to bring
the bill please?" Then the waitress said, "Sure, how many? Two?" I tried
to understand what the waitress meant, but I had no clue about that. I
thought that it is a kind of American culture. Americans like to pay each
other unlike Koreans. So then, the waitress asked me how many pieces of
bill I want. I answered, "Of course one please." Then, the waitress asked
me again, "What kind would you like?" A bill is just a piece of paper which
says how much should I pay. Did the waitress mean what kind of paper of
bill do I want? It didn't make sense. I said seriously, "Excuse me. I don't
understand. What do you mean? I can't speak English well, so could you
explain what kind of bill do you have and how different them?" She gave
some very surprising words. "Well, we have Budweiser, Miller....?" Oh,
my God. She was talking about beer! I hate English pronunciation! However,
I believe and hope to be better with my English in the near future. When
I just first came here, I didn't like Carbondale because it looks so boring.
And yet, now, five months after, I like this place. I believe that I'll
like here more and more.
My Fantastic traveling
By Terry Jeong
Two years ago,
I had visited in Canada. I went to Banff the first time, Then I went to
Jasper. My last destination of this trip was Vancouver.
Banff and Jasper are well known as Rocky Mountains National
Park which are pretty huge. There are many famous lakes, valleys and glaciers.
Among them, Lake Louise is one of the best attractions. The name "Louise"
is derived from one of Queen Victoria's daughter whose name was Louise.
Queen Victoria called this lake "Lake Louise" for her daughter. However,
the Princess Louise never visited Lake Louise in her life. When I visited
there for the first time, it was fully frozen. One of the other attractions
I remember is Castle Mountain which is a group of rocks. It looks like
a castle. Therefore, people have called it Castle Mountain. When I was
driving past that, it was covered with lots of snow. It was so beautiful,
and looked like a picture by a very famous painter. I have never seen such
as a beautiful landscape in my life, except Solak mountain in Korea. I
could see wild animals like deer, bears, elks, and horses here and there.
One deer family was living near the camping yard where I had stayed. They
were not scared of people. When I visited Banff and Jasper, it was late
in spring. However, there were lots of snow, and I could enjoy skiing.
There are many ski areas there. They open from October to the end of April.
People enjoy sailing in summer instead of skiing.
I had spent
the last few days of that trip in Vancouver. Vancouver is a commercial
city unlike Banff or Jasper. I saw big white whales at Vancouver Aquarium
in Stanley Park. I walked around Stanley Park for five hours because I
didn't know how big Stanley Park is. When I came back to the hotel, I almost
passed out. However, it was a very nice trip. I have visited Canada several
times after this trip. I hope to visit Canada again.
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