Poya's Speech

This is a speech that Po-Ya, an exchange student we hosted from Taiwan gave at the end of her stay in Pender Harbour. Reading the speech gives a good understanding of why we support the Rotary student exchange program.


 

Rotary Speech                                                  Po-Ya

Pender Harbour? Where is it? I remember I was sitting in front of the computer, trying to find information about it…but…didn’t really get much information about it.

 

So I started to picture this place, maybe it is a place full of malls and I can shop all day? Or maybe it is a place that never gets rain since it’s called “ The Sunshine Coast”? or it might be the opposite, it might never stops snowing because it is in Canada?... I had so many questions about this mysterious place, I couldn’t wait to figure it out!

 

So after saying goodbye with my family in the airport, I flew to Canada alone. I was on the plane, thinking” what am I doing? Poya, do you realize that you are going to be apart with your family for a year? A whole year!!” and then there’s a stronger voice” this is what I want to do, to be an exchange student, I’m making my dream come true, and I know I can do it, no matter what challenges I am going to face, I won’t give up! I won’t let my parents down, I won’t let myself down!”

 

So the journey started on Aug 16^th, 2011, my first week in Canada was in Tweedsmuir Park with some other exchange students and Rotarians, my first impression to Canada..” Cold!”

 

Coming from Taiwan, where the temperature was 33 degrees the day I left…now I’m at Burns Lake about 5 degrees, mountains covered by snow…I looked at myself, gloves, scarf, thick socks, 3 sweaters, hoodie…and I looked at the student from Mexico who was standing beside me…well I wasn’t too bad actually, because she’s got 5 sweaters on…she could hardly walk…haha at least I could walk…just a bit slow…and then I noticed a tough girl with a T-shirt and shorts on, immediately, I knew where she’s from…she was the Real Canadian I could tell easily!

It was a fun trip, I was very homesick though…

 

Finally Dave drove me back to Pender, I thought it was a long way from Burns lake to Pender, but apparently Canadians didn’t think so, they said to me” not too bad, it’s just a 12- hour drive!”…well I thought to myself, I’d better get used to it!

 

Dave kept driving and driving…I wondered if he’s ever going to stop even though we were already in a place where all I could see was- trees! And then he stopped in Garden Bay and dropped me at my counselor- Jan Smalley’s house, well this was a bit different than what I had imagined, I was pretty sure I didn’t see any malls on the way here, and…I don’t have …neighbours! Well…maybe I did, just I couldn’t see them.

 

My exchange journey is hard to sum up in a few words, I just had too much fun and too many stories that I want to share…too many people that I want to thank…

 

My parents didn’t want me to study abroad until I found Rotary Youth Exchange program, though they are not Rotarians, they’ve heard of this program, and they always trust Rotary, this program has a successful reputation in Taiwan! That’s how everything started, that’s when I got this opportunity to have more perspective to view the world! It’s a big world, and I never got to know Canadian culture until I really lived with Canadians. I’m so happy that I have three amazing host families, they contribute so much but never ask anything back.

 

One year ago, being an exchange student was my dream. I've been making it real since then, now I’m here, with the friends of life, and you guys, the amazing Rotarians! I not only learned about Canadian culture from Canadians, but also I learned so many different cultures from others exchange students. This is such a wonderful life-changing program, definitely the best year in my life so far! I will never forget that it's because of you guys…my dream comes true!

 

All the happiness, sadness, craziness that I’ve been through with my host families, friends and Pender people.. I wouldn't want to change a bit of what had happened during my year in Canada, not even one little bit...because everything is just perfect! All the highs and lows, that's what makes it unforgettable!

 

I don’t want to count down my last 40 days with Pender people, and 23 days with exchange students, time really flies fast…but that's the reality, gotta wake up from my beautiful exchange student dream one day, but when I wake up, I will hold on to these memories that we created with laughter and tears, put them in my heart... with a big smile, I will continue making my next dreams come true...

 

Thank you Rotary and all the people who have helped me during this important year in my life, thank you so much for hosting me, everything is just perfect except for now…I think I have 4 Dads and 4 Moms…my family is visiting Canada in July, and that’s gonna be a problem, one of my dads might want me to do my homework, one of my moms might want me to wash the dishes…I hope I could just see them all in once at Christmas or Lunar new year, when I can get presents and lucky money…

 

Thank you Rotary! Now I’m gonna go back and said to people” Most of the Canadians don’t live in igloos, and they do have summer…well kind of…, and in Pender, chances are, hitting a dear happens more than hitting a car, and maple syrup goes the best with pancakes, and if you tripped someone on the street and that person said sorry to you, you know he or she’s Canadian…and by the way, try forks and knives, they are so much easier than chopsticks! and I want to say …Canadians are awesome, eh!”