Jae Hyun Ko Professor Bain-Conkin Narrative Script 2013-01-30 Dilemma of my journey to Canada My heart suddenly pumped fast and

my whole body including my face all turned pale white. An interrogation from the police when you have done something wrong is not really a thing to enjoy. Police, not losing her eye contact on me, inquired me so many complex questions. Not knowing what to do, I felt so powerless. I never expected my journey would turn out like a criminal scene. Irritated by the incoming finals in Korea, I with no definite idea remembered the offer my parents made to me a few years ago. The finals in Korea are just a hell, 12 exams as a middle school student. Mother said Are you interested in studying abroad? As a frightened 12-year-old, I shouted, No! You dont want to see me anymore?? Then after a few years, just because I wanted to avoid the finals, I said Maybe...I want to study abroad. My parents agreed on it and there started my journey to Canada It was about late August when studying abroad became a resolute decision. Because high school in Canada starts around September, Mother and I rushed to get all the documents ready. How perfect would have it been if the student Visa came out a little earlier! All documents other than the student Visa were ready before I set out to fly. I was panicking for sure. I said to myself millions times Just going off to the foreign land is freaking me out enough but...do I have to go there as an illegal alien??! If there were no alternative plan, I would have given up studying abroad or might have boarded long after the Visa came to my hand. Yes, fortunately I had a plan. Since I could not speak English at that time, going alone would have been stupid. I therefore was supposed to board with the brother of the president

of the firm that linked me to the Canada school. Such plan somewhat relieved me. Time flew by so quickly as if it had been only one day since I decided to go to Canada. However, I was at the airport with all my clothes, school supplies, and pictures of my family in my two huge carriers. The emotion that shadowed on me was intolerable but I somehow managed to hide my tears. I just had a mixed feeling about leaving. Saying Bye, see you all in a year, I hugged all my family and departed with the guardian, the brother I mentioned above. At age 14, I tried to look as grown and calm as possible in front of the guardian, but maybe he noticed that I am still nervous. I know every young adolescent kid somehow think they are more grown than they actually are, so he might have known that. He kept on asking me Are you ok? I responded with a deep voice to look more adult: I am fine, actually I am enjoying it. Knowing my true feeling, the guardian tried to alleviate my fear of foreign country with good experiences he had when he was at the same situation as me. Because thirteen hour flight was so boring and went by so slow, I thought Why did not the time in Korea gone slowly like this? After a few hours of sleep, I landed in Canada. All things passed by so smoothly at formalities for entry and at the other process. An officer who checks the passport and other document asked me Why did you come to Canada? and I coolly responded I just came here to travel and see if Canada would be a good place for me to study. Then, the officer said How long will you be staying here? and I handled it as well by saying Around 3 weeks then I am going to head back to Korea and come back next year for study. At that time, with no Visa, travelers were allowed to stay in for a month. I thought Yes! Practice with the guardian actually worked well! I said to the guardian Well, we worried too much when it is this much easy But, sometimes when things go too well, one fears the incoming destruction of it. I did not take down my guard until I go out of the airport. But, just guardian and I were about to leave the airport after customs declaration, one police came upon us and inquired us a few questions that the other officer

asked me before. From there, disaster came upon me, a disaster that made me powerless. I was so shocked and nervous that my face stiffened. My heart beat went up by more than twice of its normal rate. The police noticed the change on my face and said You two follow me. I said to myself Wow, right in front of exit door! Many thoughts were going through my head such as Maybe that police though that I am being kidnapped or something. The police checked my carrier and the guardians and asked me Why did you bring so many clothes and studying materials when you said you are coming here for just a visit? I stood there like a stone and then my guardian said Oh, I asked him to bring some of my stuffs because my carrier was full. I run the academy here, so these are for my students The officer took us to the other office. I dont really recall the name of the office. I said to me It would not be a really bad thing if I get caught and sent back to Korea since I was already missing my own country and did not feel really satisfied with my decision to come to Canada. Then, we waited in the office for a few hours because the office was packed with people. Our turn came and they asked us a few questions. They checked everything of my guardian. They checked his address and called to the academy to check if he was the brother of the president there. They did not check a lot from me. Whole time I repeated inside Ah, just send me back home. I dont really like this country from the start. Basically, I was so mentally destructed. Later, what gave us the real problem was the question of whether I would be safe with my guardian. However, after all the inspections, we were set free. I luckily managed to get into Canada as a student without student Visa at that time. Eight hours of dilemma in the airport exhausted both my guardian and me, so, bantering on each other about this experience, we went to his house and enjoyed the meal. Promising not to have such situation ever again, I said to myself before I go to bed What a dynamic day it was!