This is me, ready to go down the slope
[By Andrey Ustyugov]
I have already spent over 1 year as an International Student in Canada. This year was full of events, new experiences, new acquaintances, and a huge step in broadening my outlook which is very important for me. I am absolutely convinced that, wherever you go and expose yourself to a new culture, you have to use the opportunity to gain as much as possible from it. This is particularly true for those people coming from the Southern hemisphere and/or warm climate countries. When you come to such a Northern country as Canada, it can be very different from your homeland in terms of culture and weather. However, because we become so worried about these differences, sometimes we may not realize the opportunities that these differences can bring up.
One classic feature of Canada is the cold winter. Being myself from a Northern country, I have so many positive emotions associated with winter and all the exciting activities it brings with it. However, I have noticed that not all International Students share my excitement about the approaching winter. At a certain point, I have come to realize that this is due to the fact that not everybody sees the positive sides of this kind of climate. Yes, winter brings cold weather and ends summer. But, on the other hand, many nations that face cold weather most of the year have come up with some cool (literally sometimes!) ways to make the season unforgettable and makes you impatiently wait for a new winter – and its snow – during the summers.
Winter is not just cold and slippery sidewalks. Winter is white crispy snow that makes sure you know the laws of physics do work! It means: you can experience acceleration (due to gravity) by gliding on a fresh powder snow on a snowboard or ski at a heart-breaking speed while breathing the fresh and clear air that you can only experience on a sunny winter day! The Province of Alberta, in particular, offers a unique opportunity of being close to numerous ski resorts. From time to time, SAIT organizes ski and snowboard trips with all possible support.
For me, being in Canada and not taking advantage of the amazing Canadian winter is like feeling the heat in Hawaii without enjoying the beaches. You know, when you go to Australia you make sure you try surfing, right? So when you come to Canada, you do not have an excuse to miss all the great pleasures that come with Canadian winter!
Andrey Ustyugov is an International Student from Russia. Before joining SAIT to take the Petroleum Engineering Technology program, he studied foreign languages in his home country and worked as a translator/interpreter in Africa and Asia. You can reach Andrey at astafjev.forever@gmail.com
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