Warm welcome

“Dr Willian Lai is very welcoming. Warm reminders were sent to me before my flight to Canada. He also introduced me to his former mentee so that I could receive advice from someone who had been on exchange in Alberta. He offered to take me on tours, and introduced me to supermarkets and stores where I could get necessities. Dr Lai helped me adapt to the life of Canada much easier. He also cared about my studies and introduced me to the academic culture of the University of Alberta, checked with me on my learning progress, and whether I was adjusting well from face-to-face to online learning because of COVID-19. He also spared no effort in introducing the different aspects of Canada to me. Dr Lai and his wife Vivien took me to significant historical sites such as the Royal Alberta Museum and Government House. These expeditions allowed me to have a glimpse of Canada’s culture, history, political structure and so on. Stories were told silently by things created by nature and the forebearers. We intended to visit other parts of Canada together to see some must-see natural sceneries. However, due to the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, the plans were unfortunately cancelled. I am really grateful for Dr Lai for being my mentor and helping me to enjoy and manage to complete my exchange despite the pandemic.” Pinky Kwok (BSW) with Dr William Lai, mentor in Alberta, Canada.