Study Abroad at the
University of Guelph
Winter
2012
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank the following people for making my exchange trip a successful one:
•
The University of the South Pacific (USP) Student Exchange Committee, for selecting
me to represent USP at the University of Guelph, Canada;
•
Mr. Clayton Kuma for writing my academic reference;
•
Mrs. Seth for writing my personal reference;
•
Dr. Drew Allbritten for taking time out to explain to me about North America and hence
preparing me better for the trip;
•
The international office in Guelph for organising awesome events and always helping us
out when needed, in particular to Dinuka Gunaratne;
•
Mr. Chandra Pal (my grandmother’s brother) for hosting me in Toronto and helping with
transportation to the university;
•
Mr. Dharmendra Narayan (uncle) and Mrs. Roshni Narayan (aunt) for hosting me in
Edmonton after semester had ended;
•
Mr. Vijay Mani (uncle) and Mrs. Sangeeta Mani (aunt) for hosting me in Surrey after
Edmonton and sending over food and spices that I could not get hold of in Guelph;
•
Mr. Rajesh Prasad (uncle) and Mrs. Sunni Prasad (aunt) for hosting me in Auburn after
Surrey;
•
Mr. Ashneel Prasad (cousin) for taking me around Seattle and Las Vegas;
•
The other exchange students, who became such wonderful friends in such a short span of
time: Jose Galvez, Alex Bataller, Emma Whyte, Cecile Colineau, Amy Douglas, Toby
Lane, Mark Mitchell, Fernanda Penaloza, Svenja Scheinder, Paloma Ortiz, MCarmen
Guerra, Lina Heistinger, Alastair Gray, Marcos Reyes, Claire Montaz, Antoine LecoqVallon and Caleb Opersko (our Canadian guide);
•
Sanjay Singh for being a familiar face from home;
•
Lastly my parents for financially supporting the trip.
Social and Academic Experience
I flew out of Nadi on January the fourth unsure of what to expect in Canada as it was my first
time going there and first time to be traveling without family. It was about an eleven hour flight
to Los Angeles, a three hour stopover and then a five hour flight to Toronto. I was expecting to
see snow as we landed and was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t any and the temperature was
negative two degrees Celsius (a lot warmer than I had expected it to be). All I had read on the
internet was that in January the East Coast of Canada gets at least a couple of feet of snow and
temperatures around negative twenty degrees Celsius.
From the airport Sanjay and I caught a taxi to Mr. Chandra Pal’s apartment and on the sixth he
and his friend (Bob) dropped us of at the University of Guelph, specifically at the East Town
House complex. It was really lonely the first night there as none of my flat mates had checked in
and I didn’t know where anything was.
On Sunday we had the orientation for the exchange students and this is where I met Allison
Broadbent and the other members of the international team and most of the other exchange
students that I would spend the next four months with. We went around the university and were
shown the main lecture theatres, cafeterias, and hangouts of the students of Guelph.
The week that followed was spent running around trying to sort out classes, getting to know the
surrounding areas of the university and meeting students in my classes.
On the twenty first of January we went to Niagara Falls, it is pretty impressive but I had higher
expectations and thought it would be as big as it gets portrayed on television and the tourist
websites. On the bright side finally saw snow in Canada.
Also went to a butterfly conservatory, an IMAX theatre to see a brief history behind the falls and
lastly went behind the falls and I was a few feet away from where the water was gushing down
from.
Photo 1 and 2: Trip to Niagara Falls
After the trip we came back to the East Town Houses and met up with some of the other
students for dinner.
The week after the Niagara trip (beginning on the twenty-third) was just spent going to classes
and adjusting to the way lectures were conducted in Canada. It is more interactive and the
students aren’t scared to share their opinion, students are a lot more vocal than the students here
in Fiji.
The weekend that followed, on the twenty-ninth, the Spanish students hosted us to dinner and it
was one of the best I have ever had. They made lemon chicken with bread and potatoes and some
other Spanish cuisine, it was really simple and delicious meal.
Photo 3: Most of the exchange students at the Spanish dinner
Source: MCarmen Guerra
After the delicious Spanish cuisine, the French students hosted us to dinner a week later and the
stereotype is true, they do love their cheese.
Photo 4: French dinner menu
Source: Claire Montaz
After the French dinner, things were pretty quiet as classes started to get more intense. I started
having a lot of group discussions in my courses and got to know a few members in my classes a
bit better.
On the ninth of February I had my first mid-term for BUS*2090. I thought it was a pretty hard
test as the professor wanted specific answers and the multiple choice options were so closely
linked and worded that any of the four could have been the answer. I passed it in the end so it
was all good.
Two days later, on the eleventh, I went with a few of the other students to Toronto for the
weekend. We walked all over downtown, went to Toronto Island and finished with dinner at an
Italian restaurant where we had pizza. The next day we went around the places we hadn’t visited
and then headed back to the university in the evening.
Photo 5: Outside a coffee shop in Toronto where you can take pet dogs inside
Source: Emma Whyte
Photo 6: On Toronto Island
Source: Emma Whyte
Photo 7: Downtown Toronto
Source: Alexandra Isnard
The week that followed after the trip to Toronto was pretty hectic as the mid-semester break (or
reading week as it is known in Guelph) was coming up and the professors wanted to make sure
that they were sticking to the course schedule.
For reading week I and a few others headed into Quebec to see and experience ‘French Canada.’
I did not know what to expect and was greatly surprised. It was like being in a whole new
country, hardly anything was in English, even the road signs were in French. Whilst in Quebec
we spent time in Montreal and Quebec City. We left on the eighteenth of February and returned
on the twenty-fourth.
In Montreal we basically went walking around the city, up Mount Royal, and checked out some
of the shops for souvenirs. There was also a music festival on but we didn’t have much time to
check it out as time was catching up with us and we had to head back to the university.
Quebec City was where we did some exciting things like dog sledding, walking in snow with
snow shoes on, snowmobiling and making a snow man. We also went to an ice hotel where it
was true to the name, everything was made of ice, even the furniture and shot glass.
Photo 8: Montreal City from the top of Mount Royal
Source: Akshay Prasad
Photo 9: Ice tubing at Mount Royal
Source: Akshay Prasad
Photo 10: On the Island at Montreal
Source: Amy Douglas
Photo 11: Music Festival in Montreal
Source: Amy Douglas
Photo 12: Ice Hotel in Quebec City
Source: Svenja Scheinder
Photo 13: Dog sledding in Quebec City
Source: Akshay Prasad
Photo 14: Snowmobiling in Quebec City
Source: Svenja Schneider
Photo 15: Snow walking in Quebec City
Source: Amy Douglas
Photo 16: Making of a snowman
Source: Amy Douglas
Once the reading week ended I headed back into studies and had my BUS*4250 test the
following Wednesday on the twenty-ninth. It was a pretty good paper as whatever we did as a
class and covered as a group came in the test. After the test things were pretty slow as I just
attended lectures and met with members of my BUS*2090 class for our non-alcoholic
‘mixology’ event.
A week later on the seventh of March I celebrated my birthday with one of the other exchange
students (Mark Mitchell). We basically invited everyone over to my place, had drinks and went
into town. I blacked out and the next day the following photo was uploaded on facebook and the
general consensus was that it was an epic night.
Photo 17: On my birthday
Source: Mark Mitchell
On the eleventh of March the University had organised the College Royal Ball, and a few of us
got all dressed up and attended the event.
Photo 18: College Royal Ball at the University
Source: Marcos Reyes
A week later on the seventeenth of March we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. I still don’t know
what the significance of the day is except that it is an Irish tradition and also a day that everyone
starts drinking from the morning till they drop.
Photo 19: St. Patrick’s Day
Source: Alexandra Isnard
The day after St. Patrick’s we went to a maple syrup festival. Where we were told about the early
history of how maple syrup was discovered and also how the first settlers in Canada adapted to
the cold and created the fur trade which was the backbone of the Canadian Industry back in the
day. According to legend maple syrup was discovered by accident when one of the early settlers
accidentally slashed at a maple tree with his sword and tasted the sweet smelling sap that oozed
out of it.
Photo 20: Maple syrup festival at Westfield Heritage Village
Source: Lina Heistinger
On the twenty-third of March we went to laser quest, this was my first time at it and I was quite
happy that I came third in it but was sad at the same time that two girls had beaten me for first
and second.
Photo 21: After laser quest
Source: Akshay Prasad
The day later we hosted the non-alcoholic mixology event in the Atrium at the Science Complex.
Basically what we did was get some non-alcoholic drinks and some fruit together and asked the
participants to come up with the best tasting drink. We had three rounds of competition. This was
part of our BUS*2090 assessment whereby we had to organize and run an event all on our
own.We managed to raise over $200 and get close to sixty people to attend.
Photo 22: Mixology mayhem event
Source: Andrew Whittaker
After the mixology event we headed into the final two week of classes before exams. The
professors just ensured we covered everything before the exams began and gave us an outline of
how it would be structured but nothing more than that.
On the thirtieth of March, Sanjay and I had a table in the University Centre to Promote USP. A
few of the students showed interest and said that they would definitely consider coming to USP
on exchange if they can get the equivalent courses.
Photo 23: Promoting USP in Guelph
Source: Sanjay Singh
Exams are conducted over two weeks in Guelph and my exam was scheduled for the second
week. So the weekend before the first week of exams myself and three others went on a road trip
to Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City. Basically in Montreal and Quebec City I saw the same
things but without all the snow and ice.
Ottawa being the capital was pretty nice with its historical buildings.
Photo 24: On the road to Quebec City
Source: Akshay Prasad
On the way back from Quebec City we went to a Toronto Blue Jays game, they were playing the
Boston Red Sox. Too be honest it was a pretty boring game, probably because I didn’t know who
the players were and what the matchups were like. Toronto won the game I think (we left after
the sixth inning).
Photo 25 and 26: First baseball game
Source: Alastair Gray
Source: Alastair Gray
After the baseball game we headed back to Guelph for some much needed sleep. A couple of
days later we decided to paint the cannon.
Photo 27 and 28: Painting of the cannon
Source: Svenja Schneider
Source: Claire Montaz
The painting of the cannon has been a Guelph tradition for years. Students will guard the cannon
during the day then paint it in the middle of the night and then guard it till dawn to ensure no one
else paints over what they have done on the same night.
After that it was just sitting my exam, and trying to spend as much time with the other exchange
students before the dreaded day we all had to leave to go our separate ways. On our final night
we had a huge potluck dinner as there was so much food leftover and everyone enjoyed my
chicken curry (I think I am in the wrong field of studies).
Travels after Guelph
On the twenty-first of April I headed into Toronto to spend some time with my granduncle
(Chandra) . I had already seen most of Toronto so while I was with him I didn’t do much
travelling. I just spent time talking to him and getting to know him better. On a few occasions he
took me around to visit some of his friends who had also migrated from Fiji.
Photo 29: My granduncle, his friend Bob and his wife.
Source: Akshay Prasad
After Toronto I headed to Edmonton, Alberta. I got there on the third of May and my aunt
(Roshni) and uncle (Dharmend) picked me up from the airport. The first weekend there we
headed out to the Eastern part of Alberta, to Calgary City and Banff National Park. On the way
there we stopped over at the Royal Tyrell Museum.
Photo 30: At the Royal Tyrell Museum with my aunt and two cousins (Shawn and Ashley)
Source: Akshay Prasad
In Calgary my uncle drove us around and showed us the city and then we went to out to a mall to
do some shopping. We spent the night in Calgary then made our way to Banff the next the day.
Photo 31: My uncle and his family at Banff National Park
Source: Akshay Prasad
We returned back to Edmonton on Sunday and a couple of days later went to the West Edmonton
Mall, which is the biggest mall in all of North America and used to be the biggest mall in the
world. It has a water park, a roller coaster, a couple of gaming places, an ice skating rink, three
cafeterias and over a hundred stores all under one roof. I went on the roller coaster and man does
it give you an adrenaline rush.
Photo 32: At the entrance to the water park in the West Edmonton Mall.
Source: Akshay Prasad
Photo 33: On the roller coaster
Source: Akshay Prasad
On the tenth of May, we went to watch a junior hockey playoff game between the Edmonton Oil
Kings and the Portland Winter Hawks. Edmonton won the game in the end in the dying seconds.
Photo 34: First Ice Hockey Match
Source: Akshay Prasad
Rest of my time was spent visiting family around Edmonton, I didn’t realise I had so many in
Canada. I even met a guy that used to stay a couple of houses down from mine right here in
Samabula, talk about a small world.
After Edmonton I headed over to Seattle on the twenty-seventh of May. My mum’s sister (Sunni)
and her family live there. I didn’t really get out much in Seattle as they all work and the nearest
bus stop was like a ten minute drive away, who knows how long it would have taken me to walk
there.
Two weeks later though my cousin (Ashneel) and two of his friends took me to Las Vegas. We
left with our pockets full of money on a Friday and returned with our pockets full of air the
Sunday that followed. In my personal opinion Las Vegas is over-rated; it is nothing like the
movies. If you want it to be like the way it gets portrayed in the movies then you need a lot of
money, and I mean a lot.
Photo 35: At Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas
Source: Akshay Prasad
I spent the next two weeks catching up with my family in Seattle and catching up online with the
other exchange students that were on the road. On the seventeenth of June, I headed to Surrey,
British Columbia to spend time with my aunt (Sangeeta) and her family. During the week I got to
know my little cousin (Melvin) a little better. My aunt and uncle were pretty busy at work that
first week I was there so we didn’t do much. On the twenty-third however my cousin and I
headed into Vancouver to the Rogers Arena to see Russell Peters live. I must say he surpassed
my expectations and was even better than I had expected. All my cousin and I did was laugh the
entire show.
Photo 36: Russell Peters live at the Rogers Arena, Vancouver
Source: Akshay Prasad
After the show we headed back home and the next day we went up to Whistler which is a
popular spot for skiing in British Columbia during the winter. It is also where they had some of
the Winter Olympic events.
Photo 37: At Whistler with Melvin
Source: Akshay Prasad
During the week that followed Melvin and I went and saw a couple of movies and headed into
Vancouver once to meet up with one of my friends from my BUS*4250 class for lunch. After
that just had some visitors come home to see me.
After that on the sixth of July we drove down to Sacramento, California; as my aunt and uncle
wanted to go visit some Gurus’ that had come in from India. This gave me a chance to see a bit
more of the US.
In Sacramento most of our time was spent visiting the Gurus, we did however manage to go to a
flea market and some outlet stores before heading into old Sacramento to see some of the
scenery. Unfortunately there aren’t any pictures with me at the moment as my cousin has yet to
email them.
On the way back to Surrey on the twelfth, I got dropped off in Auburn and less than a week later
on the sixteenth, I was on my way back to Fiji. The seven or so months went by so fast that I still
can’t believe it’s all over so quickly.
Other Experiences
The following are what I experienced and noticed while abroad:
•
Students are more vocal in class as well as on online discussions for the courses. They
aren’t scared to share their view as we are here in Fiji;
•
The lecturers are really helpful and answered any questions I had they were also eager to
learn about our culture and ways;
•
The lecturers also encouraged us as students to ask questions as they said that is one of
the best ways to learn;
•
The library has two talking floors which students can use for discussions and they also
encourage their students to eat and drink in the library. They don’t seem to have problems
with pests;
•
The library also has more than enough computers to cater for the needs of the students
and two printers which you can send documents to for printing from any computer in the
library. Then you just have to go to the printer insert your printing card and collect your
document. Not much time is wasted waiting in lines, the most time I spent waiting to
print was about seven minutes;
•
I found having to tip for any service provided a bit annoying also that the prices did not
include tax, they add tax to the price when you take it to the counter, but you have to
adapt to the ways of the country you are visiting;
•
Everything was the opposite, from the way the toilets flushed, to the way you switch on
the lights to driving (I nearly got run over four times for looking the wrong way before
crossing the street);
•
Canadians are crazy about ice hockey like we are about sevens rugby and they say ‘eh’ a
lot;
•
I spent seven and a half months in North America and at the end of my trip was still not
used to pennies, nickels, quarters, and dimes (as well as loonies and toonies in Canada
and dollar bills in the US);
•
Out of all the wonderful food I ate I shall miss poutine the most. Basically it is French
fries, covered in heaps of cheese curds and then drowned in thick brown gravy (sigh).
Photo 38: One of our last nights in Guelph
Source: Emma Whyte
My advice to anyone going on exchange would be to go with an open mind and not to have too
high expectations as you may be disappointed when they aren’t met (as I was with Niagara Falls
and Las Vegas). Secondly, not to expect everything to be the way it is back home (just be ready
to embrace the new cultural experience). Also while on exchange befriend as many people as
you can as you never know when the friendship may come in handy. Going on exchange opened
my eyes and made me realise that we in Fiji can do a lot with all the natural resources we have,
we just have to all work together. I just wish everybody could go on exchange as it gives a
different view on life, as well as gives you an insight into other cultures as well. This is one trip I
shall always cherish.