Katey Beth and Sally at Orientation

My summer placement is in Hamilton, Ontario. I volunteer at the Hamilton Art Gallery where I work with kids, teaching and aiding them do all different kinds of art. It’s a lot of fun working with kids. My buddy is Sally Paungrat, she’s from Baker Lake and works at the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre. She is also working with kids. We sometimes go shopping together. My host family are Teresa and Bob, they have children of their own, a grandchild, and a dog. There is also a girl from Spain who lives with us, her name is Marina. Sometimes she teaches Sally and I to speak Spanish, it’s kind of hard. I am enjoying it here in Hamilton, it’s a wonderful city. On Thursday Sally, Marina and I are going to Niagara Falls. On Sunday, we are going to watch a baseball game, we are all very excited. My host parent’s grandson is a very outgoing person. He’s very talkative and funny, he make us laugh all the time. We also play video games with him. Sally and I have also taught our host family some Inuit games. Maria loves to leg wrestle.

I have found a lot of things about life down south different than back home. Notably, the lower price of food, the bugs, and the weather – you only need to wear t-shirts, tank tops, shorts or flip flops. I like the weather here in Hamilton as it is nice but not too hot. In our free time Sally and I will sometimes go to the park and play soccer or tag.  Last weekend Bob, Marina, Sally and I went for a walk in the forest and saw a wild turkey. It was amazing, as it was my first time ever seeing a turkey. I have also made a friend from India who works at the Art Gallery with me. Her name is Srinidhi and she is a very nice person.

I am so glad that I am in this program!