Sprott-Shaw Blog

It’s almost September and I just ended mid-term exams at school; I only have the second of my Statistics exams to complete.  I am a little worried about the difficulty of this exam because for sure we will cover the extra chapter that we did this week. We were supposed to have the second exam last week but it was postponed due to a misunderstanding in class.

One the other hand, I am very excited because summer has not ended yet.  There are still long, hot days to enjoy; they are perfect for short trips or just spending time in the closest park.

I’ve been taking advantage of Sundays to learn baseball with a friend.  It is an enjoyable but tiring sport.  I get tired because my opponent often hits the ball very far, forcing me to run hard and sweat a great deal.  Baseball is enjoyable because I am good at hitting the ball.  The last time we played, someone hit the ball into a neighbour’s yard.  There was nobody at home so we were unable to ask for the ball.  We didn’t have an extra ball, so we had to decide who would go into the neighbour’s yard for the ball. One member of our group volunteered to go and came back agitated because he had felt guilty about going into a private yard.  He was fearful that someone was observing him.  Nevertheless, the game was fun.

I doubt I will be playing baseball this week because of the many school assignments that I have to finish for next week and also because I have to prepare for my final Statistics exam, beside that, there is not much to say for this week.

Edwin L.

My Best Rafting Experience

Last Saturday I organized a trip to Lytton, where Meghan a friend of mine lives. Meghan’s family own the biggest Rafting Agency in Lytton, therefore I was the honour guest.

My trip to Lytton with Kumsheen was one of the most memorable I have ever had, the facilities are fantastic and the staff are truly professionals. It is rare to find staff that are always friendly and helpful all of the time, Kumsheen found that staff. The young ladies and the guys who looked after me at meal times and during the rafting were the greatest.

The cook was terrific. I was expecting hotdogs and fries not gourmet meals, a fantastic buffet all around me, so many different types of food, it was like paradise.

During Rafting, everything was laughing hysterically at the guide’s tall tales, screeching with delight, bouncing around the boat, it was awesome.

I was very impressed with the facilities and services of Kumsheen. There simply aren’t enough words to describe the service provided and the trip I had. Everything about my trip was awesome, from the Rafting to the amenities.

I want to thank to Meghan for this wonderful experience I had in Ly Lytton with Kumsheen, and for sure I would recommend you guys to get involved in an unforgettable experience before summer ends.

Edwin Levita

Fireworks

Last night was a quiet night, like most other nights. I was doing the same homework routine when unexpectedly a friend invited me to go to Vancouver’s fireworks display downtown.

It was relatively quiet night for the thousands of spectators at the first night of Vancouver’s annual summer Celebration of Light fireworks festival. Every single person was anxiously waiting to see the fireworks.

When I arrived at English Bay, there were no places to sit.  All around the bay was crowded with thousands of people who arrived hours earlier.  The luckiest were the people with boats which floated around the platform of the fireworks.  In addition, small airplanes flying around must have had a spectacular view.

The night environment was accompanied with nice music.  I tried to listen, but it was almost impossible to hear because of the teenagers around us yelling and shouting.

Before the main fireworks display began, the organizers set off small fire works every five minutes until 10 PM when the best part started. The sky suddenly erupted into a variety of beautiful colors.  The amount of pyrotechnics on display was amazing. There were some types of fireworks that I saw for the first time and that was very interesting to me. The 25 minute show was spectacular. What can say?  It was just an awesome night.

I hope that everybody enjoyed the show.  There were lots of people working hard, including the police.

SUMMER - It is already summer in Vancouver and the short school break between terms has now ended. Classes started a couple of days ago and this term promises to be busier than the last.  I already have lots of homework to do, especially dealing with math-related courses.  Math, unfortunately, is not my area of strength.

I would love to be able to enjoy just one or two more weeks of holiday. I would use the time to plan trips and enjoy the tourist attractions and beaches around Vancouver, as well as the islands.

At least, from my window, I can still enjoy wonderfully sunny weather as I study in my room in Burnaby.

It is amazing to experience such warm weather in Vancouver.  Actually, I am very excited because this is the first time that I have experienced summer in Canada.  Previously, I was exposed to cloudy, cool weather with plenty of rain and, sometimes, even snow.  This does not mean that I don’t like snow, because I love winter. It is almost impossible to experience a snowfall in Peru, even at a very high altitude.

I hope Vancouver continues to have this wonderful weather, until I get tired of sweating.

Edwin Levita

A Recommended Activity

Deer Lake Park is one of many green, beautiful parks in Vancouver. Since moving from North Vancouver to Burnaby to live closer to school, I’ve been taking advantage of the cool weather to jog in the park. Of course, sometimes the weather simply doesn’t co-operate—Vancouver seems to have an abundance of wet, windy days—but a lack of sun is not a good read to avoid a good run.

I usually don’t spend too much time doing outdoor activities but, after many hours attending classes or studying, it is very nice to get out into nature. It is wonderful to be able to leave behind the concrete and asphalt of the city and enter into the peaceful environment of the park.  I love to jog along the trails and see which plants are just coming into bloom and which flowers are starting to drop their petals.  Spring is a wonderful time of the year because the deciduous trees and bushes are covered in brand new, bright green leaves.  The smell of the cedar and fir trees is fresh and clean, and it is a pleasure to breathe in the invigorating air.  Deer Lake Park also has a lovely lake.  As I run by it, I can see many different types of water birds enjoying themselves.  They look very happy as they swim and dive into the water.  I am amazed by all of the animals that call the park their home.  Birds of every size and shape play in the tree branches and dart through the sky.  Squirrels of different colours and shapes, some with big, bushy tails and some with small, straight tails, chase each other through the grass, chattering loudly.  The name of this beautiful space is Deer Lake Park but, actually, I have not yet seen any deer.

I love to be part of this natural setting, even for just a short time.  As I jog, I concentrate on the nice aromas of the flowers, shrubs and trees, and the relaxing sounds of the wildlife, and I feel at peace.  For just a little while, my mind takes a rest and I am able to forget all the responsibilities I have. Jogging through Deer Lake Park allows me to re-charge my mental batteries.

My favourite day to visit the park is Monday.  Usually, most people are working and I have the park to myself.  I can often enjoy many minutes alone, communing with nature, without being disturbed by the presence of other persons.

On other days, I actively seek out someone to jog in the park with me.  As we run, we share interesting stories about past experiences and adventures.  We also share smiles and laughter, which helps to relieve stress.

Each day at school, I am exercising my mind.  My brain gets a very thorough workout during the week.  It is also necessary to keep the body active, which is one of the reasons I enjoy jogging.

I am very lucky to have a wonderful, natural space called Deer Lake Park very close to my home.

Edwin

A Short Trip

Last week, I had another adventure in Vancouver.  My friend Cody and I arranged a trip to his parents’ cabin located on the Sunshine Coast, in South Western British Columbia. Cody left early to join his parents at the cabin, so I had to figure out how to get there on my own.  I followed Cody’s written instructions exactly, although I almost missed the ferry because I fell asleep on the bus.

After some mishaps on the road, I met Cody at the appointed location and then we drove for about 15 minutes.  Finally, we arrived at one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

Cody’s family was waiting for me with a home-cooked fish dinner.  The fish was caught that very day.  I had never fished before, although I was interested in the sport.  The next day, Cody’s family took me fishing.  It was an exciting activity because it was my first time.  I was hoping to experience the thrill of catching a fish, but I never managed to accomplish the task.

One hour later, we rode around the lake in Cody’s boat.  Cody taught me how to drive the craft but it was a little bit dangerous, in my opinion, so I stopped driving and just tried to enjoy the nice sunny weather and the surrounding nature.

We had to return to Vancouver early because of the ferry schedule.  As well, I had some homework to prepare for school.

I really enjoyed my trip to the Sunshine Coast.  Although the trip was short, it was nice to get away from my school schedule and enjoy of one of British Columbia’s natural attractions.

Edwin

My Adventure Away from Home

My name is Edwin Levita. I am 22 years old and I come from the land of the Incas: Cusco, Peru. I am one of the ten scholarship winners of the Class Act Canada contest that Mr. Dean Duperon, president of Sprott-Shaw Community College, promoted all around the world.

Since I arrived in Vancouver, I have experienced a very magical adventure that only a couple of years ago sounded like a dream. I am happily embracing my life at Sprott-Shaw Community College, immersing myself in a new and exciting world of education. Even though I am far from home, I am made to feel like part of a family. Sprott-Shaw is made up of wonderful, generous people who are willing to help me in every possible way.

Vancouver looks just as I expected, bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the west and snow-covered mountains in the east. It boasts clean air, abundant parks, sparkling lakes and many rivers fed by a never-ending supply of rain. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and I am thrilled to be able to live and study here. I consider myself very lucky; this is a dream come true for me.

In the short time I have spent in this new community, I have experienced one of the best times of my life. This wonderful gift of education from Sprott-Shaw is changing my future in a good way, and this is just the beginning of my adventure.