It's not long after the end of last semester that thirteen students in OSJSM all set off to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, in three different groups. By the end of July 29th, all of us had arrived there, longing for the 52-day program study. Having transferred from Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal to Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International airport, we took the taxi and school bus to UOttawa. UOttawa, the oldest and largest English-French bilingual university in both Canada and the world lying in the heart of the capital of Canada, is famous for its dense and well-established academic atmosphere and bilingual learning atmosphere, which was totally indicated in the bilingual guidepost on campus. We reached our dormitory 90 U finally, went to bed early in order to get refreshed and well prepared for the following courses.

On the morning of Jul. 30th, with green tea, coffee and blueberry croissant, the instructor of Faculty of Medicine gave us an orientation in Tabaret Hall. Firstly, Ms. Tammy warmly welcomed us and wished us a good time in U Ottawa. Next, Jingjing and Richard gave us a short explanation of the summer program schedule, along with some introduction of the natural scene and historical spots in Ottawa. At the last, we took a group photo to mark the occasion.

Intensive courses followed the short and helpful orientation. Mrs. Saba, a kind lady, is the lecturer for our EPA courses. She is willing to drive her courses based on our needs. Role plays and presentations are our special activities in this course to arouse our interests in English learning. What a great fun! Anthropology is rich in its content. We showed great interest in different cultures, civilizations and the process of human development. Mrs. Baird, our psychology professor is really full of humor. She gives us a whole lot of interesting stories except for teaching the textbook knowledge.

Besides the intensive courses, we had so much fun in Ottawa. We had a Campus Tour under the guide of a sophomore in Faculty of Business. He introduced different faculties of the school to us. After visiting the libraries, gyms, and other important facilities of the school, we got familiar with the beautiful university of Ottawa. In the evening, Adam and Tharshika, students from the Faculty of Medicine, who had been studying at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, took us to travel around the School. We visited Rideau Canal, Byward Market, and Parliament Hill, and we watched Canada 150 anniversary light show together.

Thoughts from students:

The first week in University of Ottawa was exhausting but full of surprises! It is a valuable experience for us to have such wonderful lectures, even culture shock and take good care of ourselves in a different country. We believe the pleasure to be here will eventually become wonderful achievements. We are looking forward to having more exploration and discovery in our next six weeks in Canada.

--- By student A

The first week here is full of challenges and surprises. I believe that it would be a good chance for our self-development. I enjoy the crystal blue sky and the cool weather. The beauty of the scenery and the architecture never fail to amaze me. All the fun role play on medical English class, the interesting video about babies’ development and various kinds of unique cultures fascinated me. I can’t wait to taste life here. The first week’s stay in Ottawa left us impressed by this charming cosmopolitan city. Walking along the Rideau Canal, our “date” with Ottawa has just begun. As getting more and more familiar with the environment, we tried to add some fresh element to our campus life. A lot of peers, as our “great chefs”, started to exhibit their excellent techniques. A variety of dishes including Chinese and western dinners have brought us endless satisfaction and happiness. Caring and sharing are also the meanings brought by the dormitory life.

--- By student B