[2025-10] Haeum's (17) Review Video

Q: How were your 12 weeks in Canada?

A: Yes, it was good. I think it was a special experience for me. Living together here in Canada, far away, and having these experiences together felt really special. There's no academy, no homework, so I was able to learn how to use that free time.

Q: How was life with your homestay family?

A: They were really warm and kind, and it was fun. I think I spent a lot more time with them. We ate all three meals together, played a lot of board games together, and after eating, we'd just go outside and play hockey or go for a walk together. I think I had more conversations with this family more often. And every night before bed, Mr. Jon and Ms. Laura gave me hug, and also Levi, Jesie, and Alexie gave me hug before bed. It became something I'd miss if I didn't get it. On the last day before I leave, I received a goodbye gift, and they celebrated my birthday early with a cake, candles, a letter, and presents. I cried while reading the letter... Levi was crying next to me, Jesie was crying too. I actually felt more of that warmth here than when I was in Korea.

Q: What are your most memorable moments?

A: Actually, with hockey—watching it on TV, going to games, playing street hockey or ice hockey—I'd never done any of that in Korea, so experiencing all of that was really great. And I got to see the Rocky Mountains. It felt like it was something I'd only seen in social studies books or textbooks, not something real. Then Levi said, "That's the Rocky Mountains." And I was like, "That's the Rocky Mountains?!" Seeing the Rockies, going for walks together—those times were really good.

Q: How was church life in Canada?

A: Youth group was actually really fun. In Korea, everyone is so busy that even making time to participate Youth is hard, and I kept feeling like we couldn't fully enjoy that time. But here at Youth group or gatherings, when I asked friends how their days were, no one says things like "I was so busy with school, had to extra study, or did too much homework." Instead, they say things like "I played hockey" or "I went somewhere."

And although I didn't know some friends' names, they all knew mine and would greet me and talk to me. I felt sorry not knowing who they were, but I felt I was welcomed. Those experiences at church made me felt really comfortable and it was really good.

Q: Do you think your English has improved?

A: My English improved a lot, definitely. First of all, the environment made it impossible not to improve. There's no phone, no opportunity to hear Korean, so naturally my English improved. Rather than improving by thinking "I need to study this" or "I need to do more," it was more like at some point, naturally sentences started building on sentences, and I experienced that growth process. I always studied English in Korea. I even went to a English language academy for 9 months, but I think it has been improved more in three months here than I learned in Korea. Because I don't use English in Korea as much as here in daily life. I learned a lot about how to use words and sentences properly in situations. I realized that it wasn't that I couldn't speak English, I just didn't know how to use it, how to apply it. That's why I couldn't do it before.

Q: Any final words you'd like to share?

A: Culturally, it's very different too. Here in Canada, people keep saying "good job" for everything. Even at Art Camp when I drew something, they kept saying "good job." Actually, in Korea, people don't really say "good job," and rather than saying "you did well" or "that's good" or "you're good at this or that," they evaluate by saying things like "anyone can do that" or "there are people who do it better than you." Rather than looking at me for who I am, they compare me to other people who have nothing to do with me. But here, they really see me for myself, and I really liked that. I came here for English, but I feel like I gained something unexpected in that aspect too. That time here felt really precious and really enjoyable.

2026.01.10