Day 18

It wasn't a very good day.

At noon only 5 people had signed up for the spanish lunch, and we decided to delay it one week. We prefered doing our peculiar party (with running of bulls included) this week, because next week Macarena and Veronica are not gonna stay here, but we had to alter our plans.

In the afternoon I visited a chinese store inside chinese garden, in Chinatown. They had a lot of beautiful things, but the prices were very highs.

Before arrived in my home, I tried to take money from an ATM... but I couldn't. The ATM refused my card, and now I have to wait until tomorrow to talk with my bank in Spain and try to get any solution. I wanted go dancing tonight, but after that I decided stay at home and keep the cash, because it could be necesary for me next days.

Day 17

Today I passed for all classes in CSLI to tell everybody that this Wednesday there is a Spanish Day in the school. I think people is interested in participate, but I am not sure. Fernando is very stubborn and said he's not going to dance.

I bring my "diabolo" to the school and I was teaching how to use it to some people. Selina learned very fast (she had never tried it, and in half hour she learned how to do 2 tricks). Maybe I would take it more days.

After the school I went with Gema and Rocio to buy things for the Spanish Day, and after that we walked by Gastown.

Tomorrow is gonna be a industrious day, because we have to preparate all for the Wednesday's party. I hope a lot of people would sign up for the lunch.

Note: from today, I'm gonna try to use each day, at least, 2 words that I have learned since I am in Vancouver.

Day 16

I woke up early, about at 9.30 am, and I talked with my parents by Skype. I love this system, because I could talk with them 54 minutes for only one euro.

About at noon I went to Downtown, to do a sightseeing with Almudena y Fernando. We walked around Downtown, from Canada Place to English Beach, everytime by the shore. I liked specially Pacific Boulevard, where you can walk very near to the ocean (even I put my hands in the water).

Vancouver is a really beautiful city. I think I'm gonna enjoy walking across it the next two months.

Day 15

Yesterday I arrived in my home at midnight and today I was been out of my home, so now I have to tell you what I did all the weekend.

Yesterday I went to Victoria. I was near to lose the bus, because I made a mistake setting the alarm in my watch, and I had to run and take a taxi. But finally, I get it.

I liked the travel, but I think that is very expensive. Maybe, if I would have to travel Victoria again, I would go by my own, without a travel agency.
In Victoria I saw the Royal BC Museum and a IMAX film (about dinosaurs), and I walked along the port. I liked the Museum a lot, because it has a very good ambientation for each collection. I took a lot of pictures.
I thought go to see whales, but I had to paid 80$ more and I decided don't go.

Two spanish girls went to visit a castle, in Victoria. That castle appears in the TV show "Smallville" and in some movies too (for example, in X-Men).

In the ferry, when we were coming to Vancouver, I was talking a little with a man from U.S.A. I think I'm improving my english, because he understood me well and I understood him too.

Day 14

Amazing!! This is the word that better describe my day.

In the morning, I went to the Graduation Party in a boat. Like others weeks, they gave the certificate to all people who graduated today. But I didn't know that they gave too a medal to the better student of each class, and I have won one!!!! It was for my participation in the Listening and Pronunciation course, in the morning, with Sara. It was a surprise for me, so I am very happy.

The party started after "the graduation ceremony". We danced a lot and I enjoyed it very much. You can see party's pictures in my picassa album.

In the afternoon I went to book my travel to Victoria (tomorrow I have to wake up about at 5.45 am) and after that I went to Stanley Park with Almudena and Fernando. Almudena rented a bike, but Fernando and me prefered to take rollerblades. It was very funny, because I haven't practised it so far, and the first 15 minutes I had to do serious efforts to not fall down (Almudena took some pictures and videos). Fortunately, after that, I remembered how to use the rollerblades correctly.

And tonight, for dinner, I have gone a chinese restaurant with Alvin, Amos and Jun. They gave us one "lucky cookie" for each one. My lucky cookie said: "Seize from every moment its uniqueness, especially this week". I am surprised, because this is a perfect advice for me now.

Day 13

Hi guys!!

Last night I cooked the dinner. I had a problem with the skillet and the ommelette didn't look very well, but her flavour was ok. I couldn't cook "pan tumaca", because we hadn't bread.

Rachel corrected my diary (the first 8 days) and I had mistakes, but not a lot. I am happy about this :). I hope to remember my mistakes to not repeat them in the future.

Today was the brazilian lunch at CSLI, and it was the first time I tried brazilian food. I liked it very much, overall the "strogonof" (I got the recipe and I will try to do it in Spain). After that, I joined in a "samba class". It was very funny.

My school has prepared a Graduation Party for tomorrow. This party is gonna be in a boat. It looks amazing. I am sure that I'm gonna enjoy it.

On Saturday I hope can go to Victoria, with Macarena, Almudena y Fernando. I tried to find the travel agency this afternoon, but I didn't. Tomorrow I'm gonna try it again.

Day 12

I'm sorry, but nothing really interesting happened today.

Yesterday I went to a disco in Davie street, with Macarena (spanish), Cheque (mexican) and Amanda (brazilian). We was dancing all the time, since 10 p.m. to aproximately 2 a.m. I had to pay 10$ to entry and 6,75$ for my beer. Also, I paid 18.75$ more for the taxi. I enjoyed dancing but, definitively, go dancing in Vancouver is very expensive.

Finally the spanish lunch at CSLI is gonna be on next Wednesday. On Monday we want to announce it to everybody, and on Tuesday we're gonna cook almost everything in the school's kitchen.

I'm gonna cook the dinner tonight, with Spanish Ommelette. I hope that they like.

Maybe tomorrow would be a more exciting day. That's all folks.

Day 11

Hi friends, how are you? One more day, here I am to tell you how was my day.

Yesterday I tried Philipine food for first time, and I liked it. The main plate was a portion of beef with bacon cooked inside aluminium paper in the oven. Delicious.

Actually, I haven't very interesting things to tell you today. I have eaten again in a mexican restaurant, I have decided to do the spanish lunch at CSLI next week with the others spanish people and I have defeated a korean guy playing ping-pong.

After dinner (today is the turn for Amos and his taiwanes food), I'm gonna go to dance with some friends in Downtown. I hope not come back very late, because tomorrow I have to wake up at 7.30 again.

Day 10

And now is the moment to tell you what I have done today.

At CSLI all continues perfect. Today I have tried a pre-cooked brick of macaroni with cheese for lunch. It wasn't delicious, but it was ok. This afternoon I have given to Rachel one copy of this diary, and she's gonna correct it. I am sure that this copy is gonna be full of red pen when she takes it back to me.

Four new spanish students have arrived to CSLI today and I have proposed to them (and to Macarena too) to make a spanish lunch at CSLI. Maybe we'll do it next week.

After school, I have gone with two of the new spanish students (Almudena and Fernando) to Gastown (a historic zone of Vancouver). Maybe you'll not trust me, but we have spoken in english almost all time. And I have taken pictures (you can see them in my picassa album). I have liked it very much.

Tonight Alvin is cooking a philipine dinner. I will tell you tomorrow how it was.

Day 9

Sorry. Yesterday I forgot to write in my diary. Today I'm gonna write 2 times: one time to speak about yesterday and another one to speak about today. It's good, becuase now I have the oportunity to write in past simple ;)

Yesterday, such as I do on Saturday, I stood at home. I went to have my lunch with my new korean homemate. After that, I saw another movie in english: Billy Elliot. It was a little harder than Minority Report, because this one had more dialogues, but I understood it quite well. For dinner, Jun cooked korean food and I liked it.

It is all I did yesterday. I think it's not enough for my diary, then I'm gonna tell you some curiosities about Vancouver:
- When you go to eat something to a restaurant, you have to pay your drink, but the water is free. You can drink all the water you want.
- They don't include taxes in the prices. If you see something whose cost is 1.99, possibly you must pay about 2.18$ to buy it.
- There are a lot of homeless; more than I expected. Overall in Hastings Street.
- People in Vancouver eat less fast food than I thought. Sometimes for lunch they eat a sandwich either a hamburguer, but they frequently cook for dinner.
- There is no only one color for taxis, such as in Zaragoza (white) or New York (yellow). Each company has her own color.

If I discover (or remember) more curiosities about Vancouver, I will tell you another day.

Day 8

Today I have stayed at home. Well, I have gone to a indian restaurant to lunch, and I've watched Minority Report (with audio and subtitles in english) this afternoon. This is all i've made today. And I don't recommend you indian food, I think it's too much spicy.

Hiroyuki has gone in the morning, and in the afternoon has arrived a new homemate: Jun Su (I don't if this is the correct form to write it). He comes from Korean, arrived Vancouver 3 weeks ago and he is gonna stay here for a complete year!!!

Tomorrow Paul is gonna go to Europe. He's gonna visit France, and it's possible he takes a car and he drives to Luxembourg and Belgium. During the next week, each night one of the homemates are gonna cook the dinner. I have to cook at wednesday, and I think I'm gonna cook a spanish ommelette.

My family has given me bad news. I will never forget you.

Day 7

Today I am not going to write a lot. I am going to give you the new webpage where I will upload all the pictures I will make. Now, there are about 30 photographs.

http://picasaweb.google.com/amenambar/Vancouver#

I only want to say that one hour and thirty minutes is not enough time to see Stanley Park. I will have to come back another day.

Tomorrow Hiroyuki comes back to Japan, and tonight he is going to make a japanese dinner for us. I am sure everything is going to be delicious.

PS: Anai appears in many pictures because she has forgotten her camera at home, and she has asked me if I could take picture for her with my camera and give her later.

Day 6

Today (as every thursday at CSLI) it have been a Graduation Day. A lot of people have been graduated today (almost 70, I think), and they have received their diplomas (yes, it is the same word we use in spanish, this isn't a mistake).

We have taken pictures in each course. I know you are waiting for pictures and today I am going to show you two I have taken today.

They are my classmates in the Listening and Pronunciation course. Sara (the third woman by the right, in the top line) is the teacher. I would like tell you the name of each one of them, but I only remember 3 or 4 of their names. In the top line: Go Ja, Daniel, Haryuko (I am not sure), --, Sara, Janie, Solange. In the bottom line: Jin Ju, --, me, --, Hyun Ju, --. If I remember their names later, I will complete the blanks.

And they are my classmates in the Vocabulary and Grammar course. I remember more names in this picture. In the top line: Johanna, Iovana, Solange, Julia, me, Rachel (the teacher), Tetsuya, --. In the bottom line: Miho, Hyun Ju, Jun, Deborah.

Every people in those pictures are very kind people.


After school, I had bought a mobile phone. I think it is cheap (55 CAD). And after that, in the evening, I have gone with my homestay family to see a movie in the theatre. We have seen the pre-opening of "My best friend's girlfriend". I am very happy, because I have understood better than I expected.

Tomorrow I gonna visit Stanley Park by bicicle. I hope we have good weather for this activity.

Day 5

Hello, one more day.

Step by step, I am starting to meet new friends. Today I went with Anai (from Mexico) and Macarena (from Cáceres, Spain) to take a soft drink after the school. They have introduced me Carlos (from Perú), and Daniel (from Mexico). They are nice people.
Also I have taken my lunch with Hiroyuki (from Japan), one of my homemates.

The courses are going very well. The first day at Listening and Pronunciation course we made an exercise to listen 2 news from the television, and I understood almost nothing. Today, we have heared other 3 news (from the radio, this time), and I have understood it preatty well.

This morning, at the same course, we have watched the second part of a episode of "Friends". It was so funny, because they watched the first part last week and I weren't here last week, but I remember what happened in the first part better than people who watched it last week. I knew one day all the time I spent watching Friends in Spain it's going to be useful ;)

Tomorrow I am going to go to the cinema, because my homestay family has free tickets. I think i am going to understand almost nothing, but it's a great oportunity to go to the cinema. I will tell you how it was.

I think it is enough for today. Have a good day and I will come back tomorrow. Bye.

Day 4

The titular for today is: I LOVE THE CSLI SCHOOL. The courses are very very funny, I am learning and I am meeting people from all around the world.

Today I have met many people. In the morning's brake I have been talking with a classmate, called Hussein, from Saudi Arabia, and we have talked about go to a disco this weekend. At lunch time there was a "mexican lunch", to conmemorate the Mexico Independence Day, and I talked with two mexican girls, called Anais and María Luisa.

In the afternoon class I have talked with two korean girls, but i can't remember their names. It's very dificult to me remember asian names (and many times, asian faces too).

Fridays we have outside activities during the class time. For this Friday I have joined in one to visit the Stanley Park by bycicle. And maybe, friday afternoon I will go to the aquarium with a spanish girl and two mexican girls.

I am very happy, and I expect it's going better day by day :)

PS: I haven't made any photos yet, but when I have some photos I will upload it to internet to you can see them.

Day 3

Today i have started my courses at CSLI. I have enjoyed this day, but it has been a hard day.

I haven't started my day well. I forgot where I must leave the bus, I passed my stop and I had to run back to the school. Fortunately, I arrived in time.

After sign in a few documents and a short presentation of the school, I have had to make a test. It isn't too dificult, but they give you a little time to make it. When I have finished it, a teacher had come to interview me. With the test and the interview, they have said to me that I have a middle level, and they have joined me in 2 courses: one listening and pronunciation course in the mornings, an another one for vocabulary and grammar in the afternoons.

I have enjoyed both courses (teachers are very nice people), but overall listening course is very hard. Also I have had to do some homework this evening at home (I have spent more than 2 hours to transcribe a 4 minutes audio).

Well, I don't remember anything else interesant to tell you. Maybe tomorrow I will be more inspirated.

Day 2

I am quite tired after a large day, but i try to write anything before go to sleep.

Yesterday I arrived Vancouver without troubles. I was tired due to the travel, and I went to sleep early (after talk a little with Paul and Alvin, my homestay family).

Today i woke around at 8.30. I have met Amos (one of the others students, from Taiwan) and Trevor (a Paul's friend). Later, we ate pancakes for breakfast (I had never eaten it and I like it very much), a they explain me the home rules. At 11.00 aproximately, Paul and Alvin came with me to Downtown, to show me the zone and where I have to take and leave the bus to go school tomorrow.

For lunch we have gone to a Sushi restaurant. It was delicious. And in the afternoon, I have gone shopping with them (but I didn't buy anything).

During (and after) the dinner I have talked to them about me, about my family and about why I choose Canada to study english. After that, I have shown them some photographs of my family and my home, and we were be talking for an hour (or more). I try to teach them how to play "guiñote", but it was late and I think they don't have understood me.

It is all for today. Goodnight!

Day 1

I had started my travel today. This is a large trip that is going to keeping me in Canada during eighty-five days.

I'd never thought i will fly to Canadá to learn english... just two months ago. Then my shoulder go out, i had a lot of time to think in my future, in my desires, in my dreams. I thought there's time to drive my life in another way, to do things that my job doesn't let me... such as go to another country to learn english.

First time i thought go to England. It is the nearest place to my home where i could learn this language as native. But i'm not sure at all, and i decided to ask my cousin, who was in England learning english some months ago. With her advices, and other from my parents, i chose Vancouver instead of England.

And now, one month and a half after that, here i am, flying over the Atlantic Ocean. This is probably the most important experience in my life. I can't believe it yet.

The aircraft is comfortable, but i haven't too much space to write on my laptop, then i stop for today. Tomorrow i will tell you how was my arrival at my new city... my new home... my new life.

PS: each airplane seat have a screen with a lot of music, films and tv programs. I have seen Iron Man, but it was in english (without subtitles) and i understand almost nothing :P