New Chances  
By Dayposi Ray 

My life in Canada at the beginning was not so pleasant. That was because of the change in weather condition, the change in place and the living conditions and most of all I missed my relatives, my friends, and the place I used to live in before. However, with each month that is passing by it becomes easier and I begin to ease into the new lifestyle that we are trying to build here. I became happier when I learned that I have the freedom to study and work. Also, I was happy when I learned that we have a family doctor that will be looking after our health care needs. Above all I was happy that I don’t have to be scared like I was when we were living in our country.

1. Language experience
When I first enrolled in high school it was very hard. This was because I could not read, write or speak English. As soon as I entered the classroom I just sat and stayed there. The teacher was talking to me but I could not understand him. I sat there like a stranger and I did not talk to anyone. Later on, through school’s ESL program I began to speak English and understand it more. I have
come to have many friends afterwards and I am now able to understand and speak English much better than I did when I first got here.

2. Sports
I am someone who likes to participate in sport related activities. Since I started school, I competed in three sports which are soccer, volleyball, and wrestling on behalf of the school. In my free time I also like to go bowling and play paintball. Participating in activities as mentioned above keeps me happy and helps me to communicate better with others.

3. Travel
When I first arrived in this city I was afraid to go anywhere with the bus because I did not know how to get around and I did not know how it works. Every time I took the bus I would get lost and so I just tried to go by foot. However, as time goes on I not only know how to get around in Thunder Bay, but I also know how to travel to other cities. This resettlement experience may not have been easy at first, but I learned to adjust to the changes that came with it and so I am much happier living here now.