Before I came to Canada, I've never had a car. And since I got my driver's license, it only took few times I drive that I found out I have eye problem which causes poor eye-sights, and my red-green color-blind also an issue when I'm driving. So after the first few drive experiences, I never drove a car then.

Before coming to Canada, I had never owned a car. Even after getting my driver’s license, it only took a few drives for me to realize that I have vision issues. My eyesight isn’t great, and being red–green color-blind also makes driving more challenging. After those early experiences, I basically stopped driving altogether.

The day I arrived in Canada, I know right now that I need to have a car. But in the first year, my rental house only have one parking spot and it's been reserved by my roommate who got me this room in a townhouse. So although I got my Canadian driver license in July, but I didn't buy a car until the next year's Januaray, when I moved out of the townhouse and moved into a condor.

When I arrived in Canada, I knew right away that owning a car would eventually be necessary. However, during my first year here, my rental house had only one parking spot, which was already taken by my roommate—the person who helped me get the room in a townhouse. So although I obtained my Canadian driver’s license in July, I didn’t buy a car until the following January, after I moved out of the townhouse and into a condo.

I bought a SUV, toyota's RAV4 from a Chinese sencond-hand car dealer, which provided a set winter tire complementarily. It's also the first time I learned that I need to change tires based on seasons, especially winter. I used the winter tires and In April, I booked a reservation to change winter tires to all-season tires. But the technician told me that the four-season tires comes along with the car is over-used, and can not be reinstalled. So I had to buy a new set of four-season tires and use them.

I bought an SUV—a Toyota RAV4—from a Chinese second-hand car dealer, who included a set of winter tires for free. That was also the first time I learned that tires need to be changed according to the season, especially in winter. I used the winter tires through the cold months, and in April I booked an appointment to switch back to all-season tires. However, the technician told me that the all-season tires that came with the car were already worn out and couldn’t be reinstalled. As a result, I had to buy a brand-new set of all-season tires.

In this winter, after almost a year I bought the car, I need to change the four-season tires to winter tires. But after I left my car and my old winter tires in the Costco Tire Department, I was also told that one of my winter tires was broken and cannot be installed. I had to visit several stores before I can find a new tire with the same brand.

This winter, almost a year after purchasing the car, it was time to switch back to the winter tires again. After leaving my car and the old winter tires at the Costco Tire Centre, I was informed that one of the winter tires was damaged and could no longer be used. I had to visit several stores before finally finding a replacement tire of the same brand.

Looking back, I think I was fooled by the Chinese car dealer, and that's the price I had to pay when I try to escape using English but using my mother language to buy a car.

Looking back, I feel that I was probably taken advantage of by the car dealer. That turned out to be the price I paid for avoiding English and relying too much on my native language when buying a car.

So if I decide to stay in Canada, I must using more English to communicate, in that way I can save money.

If I decide to stay in Canada long term, I know I’ll need to use English more confidently in everyday situations. In the long run, that’s not just about communication—it’s also a way to avoid unnecessary costs.