Abidemi: That’s right.

Jeremy: Can you tell me _a little bit about _____________ what the transition was like coming from Nigeria to Canada and doing a Canadian education system?

Abidemi: Sure. For me, it was an interesting experience. _both great__ and at the same time—hmm, I don’t want to say _Traumatic experience__________, but very different in __terms of lifestyle______________. Since I was very young, I’d loved traveling. I wanted to travel. So when my family _decided to make_______________ the move to Canada, I was really excited. But I have to say, I wasn’t really prepared. I _had no idea__ where is Canada, America, England—they’re all the same to me at that age.

So when we moved and my dad _had initially______________ made the move. He __went ahead of us______________. He got a job. He found a place for us to live. And then, I arrived with my mom and my other sisters. _There were______________ five girls and we arrived at the airport. And my first memory is _looking out_____________, mid-December in Montreal—we arrived at Montreal airport—, looking out, and seeing this __withe thing covering__________________ the ground and thinking, “What is that? Why is it so white?” And I remember saying to my dad as he drove up to _drive us home________________, “Let’s play in that. I want to play in that. What is that?” So that was _my first memory_of________________ Canada of the snow.

And it was fun. It was great arriving in December __but at the same time_______________, it was very cold. Personally, I’m not somebody that likes the __cold too much____________, but having the warmth of my family in the midst of that cold made it worth it. _It was awesome____________________.

And then at school, making the transition _was a little harder______________. At that time, the school we went to, _there were_____________ not a lot of minorities. So, I think some of the teachers and _some of _____________ the students _didn't know how________________ to get accustomed to us, and we weren’t sure __what to expect either__________________. But everyone tried their best and we _flourished______________. And I went on to high school and then to university. And __one of the things_______________ was having my teachers—like we were talking about before, _recognize the potential________________ in me and my sisters and really _encoraging____________ us, and being with my classmates and making friends and having fun with them .

And _during that time ____, it was the late ‘90s, and there were a lot of transitions going on in _other parts_of the world______________. So people from different countries, like I remember we had _a lot of_________ people from Bosnia _because of the war________________ coming to my high school, and from other parts of the world, from Asia, so it was a really _multicultural school___________________—high school that I went to. So learning about other cultures _through___________ my friends, too, made it really worth it.

So I’m __centanly_glad____________ that my family made the move. It’s opened up amazing opportunities for me as well. And __being able to _______________ come now to Japan and teach English, that was because of that. So yeah, _although_______________ in ways that I hadn’t imagined, but it _was so worth____________ it. And I’be grown and I’be had so many __awesome experiences______________ that yeah, I’m really thankful for it.

Abidemi: That’s right.

Jeremy: Can you tell me ______________ what the transition was like coming from Nigeria to Canada and doing a Canadian education system?

Abidemi: Sure. For me, it was an interesting experience. _______________ and at the same time—hmm, I don’t want to say ___________, but very different in ________________. Since I was very young, I’d loved traveling. I wanted to travel. So when my family ________________ the move to Canada, I was really excited. But I have to say, I wasn’t really prepared. I ________________ where is Canada, America, England—they’re all the same to me at that age.

So when we moved and my dad _______________ made the move. He ________________. He got a job. He found a place for us to live. And then, I arrived with my mom and my other sisters. _______________ five girls and we arrived at the airport. And my first memory is ______________, mid-December in Montreal—we arrived at Montreal airport—, looking out, and seeing this ____________________ the ground and thinking, “What is that? Why is it so white?” And I remember saying to my dad as he drove up to ___________________, “Let’s play in that. I want to play in that. What is that?” So that was __________________ Canada of the snow.

And it was fun. It was great arriving in December _________________, it was very cold. Personally, I’m not somebody that likes the ______________, but having the warmth of my family in the midst of that cold made it worth it. _____________________.

And then at school, making the transition _______________. At that time, the school we went to, ______________ not a lot of minorities. So, I think some of the teachers and ______________ the students _________________ to get accustomed to us, and we weren’t sure ____________________. But everyone tried their best and we _______________. And I went on to high school and then to university. And _________________ was having my teachers—like we were talking about before, _________________ in me and my sisters and really _____________ us, and being with my classmates and making friends and having fun with them .

And _______________, it was the late ‘90s, and there were a lot of transitions going on in ________________. So people from different countries, like I remember we had ___________ people from Bosnia _________________ coming to my high school, and from other parts of the world, from Asia, so it was a really ____________________—high school that I went to. So learning about other cultures ____________ my friends, too, made it really worth it.

So I’m _______________ that my family made the move. It’s opened up amazing opportunities for me as well. And _________________ come now to Japan and teach English, that was because of that. So yeah, ________________ in ways that I hadn’t imagined, but it _____________ it. And I’be grown and I’be had so many ________________ that yeah, I’m really thankful for it.