‘The amazing thing about Canada is how peaceful it is to live here,” says Khy Rattana, 20. “Everyone has a lot of opportunities to get a high level of education and if we graduate [and are not sure] what we want to do, we will have a [councillor] to help us to find a career that fits with us and it is free.”

Rattana has been in Toronto, Canada, for about three years now and currently attends adult school in preparation for university.

In six months she hopes to pass her prep classes and have enough credit points to enter a Canadian university. Will it work?

“At school, I only study a few subjects. The sciences are not too difficult for me but the English language is,” says Rattana, adding that she wanted to be a nurse because she did well in science subjects, and job opportunities were good and well paid.

Canada has much more to offer to Rattana than work and study. The wide lands of the North American country are full of beautiful nature. “We go camping [in spring and summer] and have a BBQ at Cultus Lake in Chilliwack.”

But apart from untouched nature Rattana loves shopping and city life in Toronto.

“Metropolis shopping malls and downtown Toronto are great for shopping. Like in Phnom Penh you find business centres and tall buildings. They celebrate many festivals with fireworks,” Rattana says.

As a girl from the tropics Rattana finds it hard to cope with winter because Canada gets extremely cold at that time of year (down to -30 degree Celsius). Only Christmas and New Year’s make the season bearable for Rattana - and winter sales!