Life in Saskatoon

    Having stayed in Saskatoon, Canada, for over 10 days, the deepest impression on me is the community spirit. The distance between strangers is not that big. People say hi to each other kindly the same as they would to family members even though they’ve never met before. When cars meet at a traffic junction the drivers slow down and wait for the other car to go first, because the drivers are concerned about others and are happy to follow the rules. Ironically, in China, where traditional culture teaches people to behave politely and kindly, the phenomenon of inhospitality still exists. Many people in China just care about their own interests.

    Besides, people in Saskatoon know how to enjoy life. Apart from having a higher income the reason people here enjoy life is due to their culture. People in Saskatoon know how to seperate working hours from family time. They will drive to a natural resort on holidays or at weekends with their family, and go fishing and camping together. What’s surprising to me is that mobile homes and motor boats are commonly seen in Saskatoon, probably because they cost much less than a toilet located inside an apartment in the CBD area of Beijing.

    The selling of cigarettes is very strictly limited in Saskatoon. Not only do you have to be old enough to meet the legal age, but you also need to wait for the clerk to get the packet out from a secrete locker. It’s very humane and thoughtful for the government to set rules like this, because smokers cannot help themselves from purchasing cigarettes if they are displayed right in front of them. The rules will help more people give up smoking, and as a result improve the health standards of Saskatoon citizens.

    Furthermore, it doesn’t cost a penny to see a doctor in Saskatoon. You don’t have to give up your treatment just because you have no money, because, it’s all free. This is surely the kind of social benefit that everyone in the world envies.