Britannia

Britannia Copper Mine
This trip was really interesting. I didn’t expect it would be so much fun. We got to take a train and go inside the mine. And I understood how hard it was for all the workers to dig for copper. In the early years, they had no trucks or lights, and the mine was so dark that they wouldn’t see their fingers. And the workload was super heavy for each worker. Plus, the environment there was super dangerous and fatal. Sincerely, so much respect for all the miners.

It was also neat to be able to pan for precious gems, gold nuggets and copper. WOW! I found a few of all these. I was so lucky. They are my Britannia souvenirs.  Also, there was a HUGE mine truck and we took a picture in front of it. It made me feel like I was the size of a fairy! LOL

Goldstream Park

Goldstream Provincial Park

Apart from the hike we did on Mount Doug, this was the hardest! I really appreciated the waterfall.  Initially, I didn’t really like risking my life on a hike (LOL) as I am not that brave as a person and I am afraid of heights also.  But after this trip, man, I felt like I was a whole new person as the climb to Trestle Bridge was really difficult! So, I am glad that my friends were with me as we needed to help each other out. I find it so amazing how things that seem impossible, with the help of others, get a lot easier.  You know the hike was not so difficult, what was difficult was that in some areas the dirt was soft, so a bit slippery, so we needed to help each other through these parts.

But the Trestle Bridge made it all worthwhile. I had never seen or been on a Trestle Bridge before. We walked across the bridge and then had a rail-picnic on the other side. This was also the first time that I have had a picnic in this way.  Before we headed down, we also met a couple of young boys. They were brothers and they both played lacrosse. I had never heard of the game before, but I have checked it out on the internet and looks a bit like football, except the players are throwing and catching the ball, using a stick with a net on the end of it.

It was great to experience nature again. It is so beautiful and clean here and the air is so fresh. I am so glad that I could do this hike and find out that I am stronger than I think I am.

Chinatown

Chinatown

 We went to Chinatown today. I think the Chinatown we saw in the BC museum was better than the real Chinatown. Or maybe it was just because the real one was not as ‘Chinese’ as my expectation. We had our lunch there. We ate dim sum and fried rice. But of course, the food in Hong Kong is always better.

After that we went on a walking tour of Victoria Harbour and watched the float planes land and take off. We also saw two otters, and yes, we got to talk to some kids from America. So cool! They were at the end of their holiday, so they were flying home.

We were going to go on a public tour of the Parliament buildings, but everyone wanted to go shopping, so we took some neat photos on the 150 years sculpture in the harbour. The parliament buildings were in the background. And then we went to different shops to buy our souvenirs. By the way, the cap that I’ve bought for my brother was on my head today LOL. I got tired of all these souvenirs, because every product in every shop was the same. The only difference was the price. So, I didn’t buy anything today.

Zipline

Zip-lining
I had never done zip-lining before, so that was my first time. All of us were quite scared before we started this activity, but we got used to the heights. So, it became a lot of fun. Leo and Francis were our safety staff and helpers. They were both part time workers. Leo is an artist and Francis is studying in university. His major is psychology.

I felt like doing zipline was a life lesson. Because at first, I felt like the whole thing wasn’t even humane LOL. But, when I took my first step of the platform, I learned trust and how to be brave. I also found out that the first step is the hardest, and that it was all I needed. Because after that first step, it became easier and easier and easier. I learned that things get easier as long as I keep trying.  (Yes. That’s what I was thinking instead of enjoying the excitement…) Seriously, the progress of getting used to something was just that easy. From scary to exciting, from difficult to easy. I mean, we face so many new difficulties every day, but we should not be afraid. Just like how I did the zip-line thing, you step forward, you may die, but you may also succeed because of that first step. If you die, it’s your fate, but if you succeed, that’ll be a real big step for your future. So, don’t waste your time, JUST DO IT.

BC Museum

BC Museum

I liked the ‘how to save our world’ part. It was all about the problems that are hurting the Earth, like global warming and water pollution etc. I liked it as I felt it related to modern times and critical questions that we must all face in this century. It’s not like that I was not interested in Canadian culture, I would like to know more about it too. But that environmental section just touched the bottom of my heart. Plus, the problems are still ongoing, and we keep harming our planet. It reminded me that I am a global citizen too. I have the responsibility to keep our earth sustainable. So, I liked that part very much.

Also, because we still had some extra time, so we went shopping at some local stores and bought tons of things. I bought a little bear with a Canadian flag sign on it. And I bought a keychain with my name on it. I also bought a cap and a packet of maple coffee for my older brother.