An emotional experience

Most of us came to Vancouver without knowing anyone, so we tried our best to make friends as soon as possible and almost everyone met very nice people that probaly we won't forget. I'm really dfelighted about the time that I've spent here, but saying good bye is one of the things that I really don't like about Vancouver. Last weekend I had to say good bye to 2 great girls and it was very hard for me because we became very close friends during their time in the city. It was on friday night that I realized that it was probably the last time that we were going to be together and I started to feel a little bit sad, but pleased because I met them. On saturday I went to the airport with one of them and next day with the other one. Sunday was the wors't because I went in the airport to wait with my friend and suddenly I really wished I could go home too. I think I was a little bit depressed and pensive. For a moment I thought that it was me who really wanted to go home, but now I don't think so!

Monterrey vs Vancouver

Monterrey is the third largest city of Mexico. I'ts well known as the capital of knowledge, techonologies and business in my country. The main activity is in the manufacture area.

The population of Mty is 4 million people, almost the double that Vancouver's population. My hometown is very close to the border to USA. Actually, people from the city use to go shopping to Texas, just like people from Van go shopping to Seattle.

Monterrey is located in the north east of Mexico, meanwhile Vancouver is in the west coast of Canada. Vancouver is almost surrounded by water, and Monterrey isn't. Actually the east coast, Golf of Mexico, is about 500 km away.

Like in Vancouver, the weather in Monterrey is unpredictable, so you never know what to wear. Monterrey has a humid subtropical climate. Also, weather changes so quickly, but almost all the time is very hot. During the summer, the average high reaches 35°C. Winters are cool but not cold. The average January high is 19 °C. Rainfall is scarce, but more prominent during May through September. Snowfall is a very rare event. For example, during the last 100 years, it has snowed just twice.

The city is surrounded by mountains, but not as beautiful as Vancouver's mountains. Any way, it´s known as "The city of the mountains" in Mexico. The "Cerro de la Silla" is the main landscape that everybody remembers about the city.

Usually, the people from the north are so nice and love to party (what else could I say about them!). Unfortunately, the city is not as safety as Vancouver, but is so much more safety than Mexico City. Actually, people from all over mexico flock to Monterrey because it's a safe place with a lot of job opportunities and a good place to live.

The food it's great, but not the most famous and typical of Mexico. As in Vancouver, we have a lot of cultural diversity, so we have plenty of different kinds of restaurants.

About globalization, I think that it gives the opportunity to have access to products and information from all over the world. Also, it encourages the acceptance of cultural diversity. Unfortunately, not all the countries have the same benefits in a global world.

My hometown is a globalized city. Actually, it was chosen as the host city for the Universal Forum of Cultures 2007, because NL Government presented the most profitable and interesting development project.

Also Vancouver was chosen to the host city for an international global event, the Olympics Games 2010.

I think that my city and Vancouver have a lot of similatirities, because both of them are big cities with a lot of cultural diversity and they are open to globalization.

Monterrey Promo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx9k-MPEffg

Why Monterrey was chosen as the host city for the Universal Forum of Cultures 2007?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOzJy8CqVbE

Monterrey in pictures:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cHCi5fCA6o&feature=related

Challenges

The first challenge that I had when I arrived in Vancouver was with Imigration. The agency in Mexico told me that I did't need the student permit because I was going to stay in Canada only for 24 weeks, so they didn't ask for the student visa. Apparently, someone misunderstood something because I needed it. I spent almost 2 hours at imigration. Finally, they gave me the tourist visa. At that moment, I was so upset with my agency because I payed them a lot of money to make all the paper work. Also, no one was waiting for me at the airport to pick me up. It was 2:00 am, and I was completely tired. I had called my homestay family, but they didn't answer. I decided to take a cab, and the nice driver let me use his cell phone to call my parents and the host family again. Finally, they answered. When I arrived at 5:00 am, I was totally exhastued.