The First White Winter

I moved to Canada on a very special day. It was on my dad's 48th birthday, June 29, 2015. My family and I are from India but we lived in a small country called Kuwait. It's a desert country in the Middle East. Temperatures in Kuwait often go up to 50 degree celsius. That's pretty hot, eh? The city where I lived was a hub of Indian residents. So, I went to an all-Indian school and was brought up with strict Christian values. Leaving a country that you were brought up in for 15 years was emotionally very difficult. The fact that I didn't see so many Indian-looking people here made me wish that I was back home with friends and family. But I had and still have lots of fun getting to know people from around the world. I didn't know certain countries existed until I met my friends!

Back home, most of the stores and shopping centres were open way past midnight. So, most of our shopping was done at night (late night shopping is something I still miss). In Canada, all the stores close at 9 in the night. So, shopping for stuff in our first few weeks were always done in a hurry. The sun never sets until 8 in the evening during Canadian summers. Back in Kuwait, we always knew the time was six-forty-five-ish when the sun set. So, even if we never looked at our watches, we knew what time of the day it was. Used to that habit, we did the same when we came to Canada, thinking it was only six in the evening when it was actually eight. Because of this, we had to run all the way to the store (since we didn't have a vehicle at that time) and finish our shopping spree before the store closed. I am glad to know that stores in Canada announce when it is time to close.

Snow. . . . . who doesn't love it? This white flaky thing is something exclusive to this country. I just love how everything turns pure white in just a matter of hours. Drop in temperatures to something below ten degrees celsius is what makes the season of winter in Kuwait. It's an amazing feeling to move to a country with four seasons from a country with only two. Summer season claims most of the year in Kuwait. To conclude, I'm extremely happy about the move we made to Canada (minus the 'missing friends and family') . It's an awesome country with people of numerous different cultures and backgrounds and with so many benefits for new families and students like me. My first seven months have been just AMAZING!!