In Chinese, there is a famous idiom which is "Life is like a play". Everyone has a different role in the play. I have been in a totally different life for five months since I came to Vancouver. During this time, I did some really good jobs; however, I still need some improvement in my "play".

First of all, I am very proud of the three things that I have accomplished. Before coming to Vancouver, I had never lived away from my parents or been to any foreign country. At present, I live without my parents and have no relatives that can help me in Vancouver. I am still as happy as before and have become braver and can face any problem by myself. Furthermore, I did a good job in my studies, which is the most important goal for coming to Vancouver. In both my language college and BCIT, I maintained one of the best students in my class, which encouraged me very much. Thirdly, I have joined the real society, which is really different from my school life. From this colorful stage, I learned how to deal with daily chores like banking, bills, and cooking. Meanwhile, I have learned how to make friends with people from different cultures. All the beautiful roles that I have played made my life in Vancouver wonderful, and they have brought my growth as an adult too.

However, I need some improvement in my "play". The most obvious shortage of my performance is that I was too nervous to be myself. For example, when I was in a group of people that I did not know well, I could not express myself clearly and I could not easily become part of the group. Although I was not worried about my English is poor or grammar mistakes, I was just too shy to say a word. Because of this, I have not had many non-Chinese friends, and I have lost some really good chances to learn from others.

Generally, I have given ninety percent of my performance in Vancouver. I learned to take care of myself, organize my life well, and work with others. All I need to do is to try to relax, and enjoy the cultures and friends here. I hope that my experiences can help me in my future life. I hope this can help all the international students as well.

November 13, 2000