In year 1999, we traveled to Hamburg, Germany. We went there because dad was working for a German company and he was going there for job training. I was very excited because it was the first time I would see winter. It was really amazing to fly from Singapore where everyday is summer, to winter in Germany, in just 14 hours. There was no direct flight to Hamburg, so we transferred in Frankfurt.
When we arrived, it was very cold. Mom was a little bit worried because she couldn’t speak German. We were lucky that dad came to the airport to fetch us. We lived in a condo and it was very cozy. It had a very big living room. The kitchen wasn’t very spacious but it had everything we needed. The most important part is that it had a very cozy bedroom. I had my own little bed and the blanket was beautiful.
The next morning, I woke up and saw it was snowing! I was really excited! Every morning, we walked down the metal stairs to buy groceries and food. The area around our home was very peaceful and nice. Our owner had a store just below our condo that sells Mercedes cars and they looked cool! I think that's one of the best services appartment in Hamburg (http://www.appartementvermietung-lorenz.de/).
Elbe River is just 5 minutes away and usually after dinner we would walk along the river. There were lots of wild ducks living in the river and we fed them with bread. There was a big tree with a huge hole in it. I climbed it and it was fun! Hamburg also has the biggest dogs! They looked furry and strong! Their teeth are as sharp as nails!
Every Saturday, we went to a fish market. It not only has fish, but also has meat, vegetables, toys, and clothing. We went on Saturdays because on Sundays the shops were all closed. We saw the Hamburg City Hall and it had a huge clock in the front wall of the building. In Hamburg, we did a lot of sightseeing and traveled to many interesting places.
Hamburg is the first city I visited in Europe and it is very different from the other cities I visited. I wish I would go again!
At the end of year 2004, mom, my little brother Alex and I went to China. We had to stay there while dad was preparing a new home in Canada. We stayed in grandpa's house in Ningbo for half a year and we had lots of fun there.
Population
During the first month, we just went shopping and played around. China has so many people and everywhere you go is crowded! We had to line up for a long time when we were at stores.
Transportation
Grandpa drives a scooter and he always took us around on it. Mom practised using it and she drives us to eat or buy clothes and food. Mom sat in the front, I sat behind her, and Alex stood on the scooter holding the front.
Food
There are lots of tasty foods in China that I haven’t eaten before coming to China. They have so many kinds of jelly! They have long ones, fat ones, big ones, and all of them are so yummy! We sometimes went to this restaurant called Xiang La Ju. We always ordered spicy fish with lots of spicy soup and lots of chilli in it. We also went to a restaurant called Chun Wang Ji and the meat porridge there was so good!
My favourite food during that time was Lan Zhou Noodles. On the spot, you could see the chef making the noodles with flour and stretching it with his hands. I always added a little spicy sauce on the noodles and it tasted so great! The soup was so delicious that I always drank up the whole bowl. Sometimes I even got another bowl of soup and it’s free! Mom drove the scooter with us to eat Lan Zhou noodles every week. Look at my little brother Alex eating noodles! He was only three years old by that time and he could finish a whole bowl of noodles! After the first month of playing, I had to go to school because I didn’t want to fall behind.
School
Everyday morning, grandpa would send me to school with his scooter. In China, everyone in school has to wear a red ribbon to represent China. Sometimes I forget to bring my ribbon and I had to sneak past the school “guards”. The school guards were actually young students who stood at the gate and watched for students that were not wearing a red ribbon. They wouldn’t let those students in if they didn’t wear a ribbon. It was lucky that I was always early for school so the “guards” was not in yet. Normally, I was so early that I had to wait about half an hour for school to start. I had lots of friends in China and they also came to school early. In school, there are lots of cultures. In my class, there were two Japanese twins, lots of Chinese, and an American.
When school finally started, we sang the national anthem and did a Health Hustle. We also did an eye exercise every two periods to relax our eyes. I got a lot more homework in China than in Canada. In the first few days of school I actually had to stay in school late to finish my homework! In the school year, I learned lots of Mandarin. We also learned English but it was very easy. After school, we lined up and a student in our class would hold a sign up showing our class number. I loved it when it’s my turn to hold the sign. In the summertime, I always bought ice-cream from an ice-cream shop near the school. There was also a stationary shop that I brought small toys from. When I had to come to Canada, we took pictures of the class to remember these good times.
Others
We went shopping every week in China with mom. I like China because it has so much food and toys. Alex would beg mom to buy a toy for him every time we went shopping. If you had noticed, lots of things are made in China, especially toys. Frequently, my uncle visited us. He and his wife joined us for dinner sometimes and cooked fish soup. It’s so good!
Cousins
After we lived in Ningbo for half a year, we moved to Beijing, where my dad’s parents and younger sister lived. I have two cousins there, Chu Ling and Xiao Pi. Chu Ling is my older cousin and Xia Pi is my younger cousin. In Beijing, we danced on the carpet with the Christmas tree all day and sometimes we went outside to bike. My grandpa and grandma took care of us while we lived there. Grandma and grandpa took us outside to the pond when it was a hot and sunny day. We caught lots of small fishes using a net and some sausages. We also had a turtle in our house. It crawls so slowly and it’s not afraid of us. I loved it when we go shopping at the huge stores. The stores had so many toys and delicious food! I was as happy as living in Beijing as living in Ningbo. I had a really fun time in Beijing. Next year, I hope we can visit my cousins again!
Comparing to Canada
Unlike Canada, China’s schools all do an eye exercise. China’s students also wear a red ribbon to represent China. In China, we get three times as more homework than in Canada. China also makes students’ learning faster than Canada because I feel grade 3 in China is harder than grade 5 in Canada.
The End
I was really sad when we had to leave China. I really hope we can go to China again sometime to visit my friends and grandpa!
Every Saturday, we went to a fish market. It not only has fish, but also has meat, vegetables, toys, and clothing. We went on Saturdays because on Sundays the shops were all closed. We saw the Hamburg City Hall and it had a huge clock in the front wall of the building. In Hamburg, we did a lot of sightseeing and traveled to many interesting places. 
Hamburg is the first city I visited in Europe and it is very different from the other cities I visited. I wish I would go again!
