Community Profile: Arezoo
Meet Arezoo who is a student in one of our Intermediate level classes! We appreciate you taking the time to share about your experiences in Canada with us :) and are sure that a lot of our students can relate!
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Arezoo. I am from Iran. I moved to Vancouver with my husband and children about a year and a half ago. I have been attending classes at Mosaic for two terms. Besides learning and improving my English, I really enjoy the opportunity to learn about different cultures and useful information from my classmates who come from all over the world.
How do you spend your free time in Vancouver?
In my free time, I enjoy exploring different places in Vancouver with my family. I sometimes go biking, especially when the weather is nice. I try to attend some festivals to learn about other cultures and taste their traditional foods. Since Vancouver has many beautiful beaches and lakes, I also like to go there for meditation and relaxation. It helps me feel calm and connected to nature.
What are some challenges you’ve faced with moving to Canada?
Moving to Canada has been a big change in my life. One of the biggest challenges was the language barrier. At first, I couldn't express my opinions and needs clearly. When someone spoke English fast, I often couldn't catch the meaning and felt lost in the conversation. Another challenge was finding a job. Without strong English skills and Canadian experience, it takes time to find the right opportunity. The weather was also a bit different for me at first, especially the long rainy seasons.
Which place would you recommend to someone visiting your country?
Although every city in Iran has its own unique beauty, food, traditions, and climate that can amaze any tourist, I would recommend two places in particular. Shiraz is known as the city of poets, gardens and beautiful architecture. Also Yazd is one of oldest cities in the world and is famous for beautiful desert architecture and ancient mud-brick buildings. Warm hospitality is one of the most remarkable and well-known characteristics of Iranian people.
What are you hoping to achieve during your time at MOSAIC?
My goal is to learn English with better skills and more confidence, and to overcome my fear and shyness when speaking. I also want to get to know Canadian society, make new friends from different nationalities and learn about their cultures and countries.
