Around The World
Rod has been to many sides of the world and has experienced living life in all of them. Rod witnessed many different cultures, religions, and ways of life. Here, he shares his opinions and feelings on all the points of interest he has been to. Join Rod for an around-the-world experience!
Journey Across Canada
Rod has been incredibly lucky to get the privilege to travel from Canada's West to East coast, or Vancouver to Quebec city by car. It was a 5 day road-trip, with many stops. Experience every inch of Canada with Rod!
Travel Experiences
Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver is very special to me because it's where I was born and grew up. I first lived in Downtown Vancouver, but most of my time was spent in North Vancouver. Yet, I didn't stay in just one place; I explored all over Vancouver, finding out how different each part of the city was.
Downtown Vancouver is the heart of the city. It's where all the fun happens at night and where young people hang out. It has lots of shops and malls, making it my favorite part of Vancouver because it matched my interests the best.
If we look a bit to the east, like in East Vancouver or Coquitlam, it's more about factories and work places. But, it's not just that; there are lots of trees and nature too. However, this means there are more wild animals around, which you don't see much in Downtown.
North Vancouver is where I really felt at home. I lived there for 9 out of the 11 years I was in Vancouver. It had everything: shopping, great schools, nature, places to play sports, the ocean, and wonderful neighborhoods. Plus, all my family was there, which made it even better.
Then there's West Vancouver, which is also important to me because I went to two great elementary schools there. Besides schools, it had beautiful nature, good transport, shopping places, and friendly communities (If you would like to know more about my education, visit the "academic" section.)
Overall, I really love Vancouver for many reasons. But, there are some things I didn't like much. Outside of Downtown, the city felt a bit quiet at night, and it didn't have the busy, lively streets I enjoy. I love cities with lively nights and lots of culture, and this affected how I felt about Vancouver. The food wasn't as great as I hoped because of the city's quietness. However, the accessibility, as in bus services and rental bikes and scooters made it super easy for someone my age to get around alone. And at one point, I wanted something new and different, and thankfully, my family was ready for that too. This made me grateful for all the experiences I've had.
To wrap it up, Vancouver means a lot to me. Downtown was where I had the most fun, but North Vancouver holds the biggest place in my heart because of all the memories there. Even though I wish the city had more excitement and culture, I still love it a lot.
Tehran, Iran
Tehran means a lot to me too, just like Vancouver. My parents are from Iran, and Tehran is their main city. However, they had me in Vancouver, thinking it would be a better place for me to grow up because it had everything I needed. But we didn't stay away from Tehran for long. We moved back and forth between Vancouver and Tehran, spending most of our time in Vancouver.
Recently, Tehran has faced some tough times because of political issues and sanctions. This has changed a lot of things for me, especially as a teenager who uses the internet a lot. It's also affected things like big restaurant names, certain brands, and even caused more pollution.
The pollution in Tehran is really bad. The sanctions mean Iran can't get oil from other countries, so they have to make their own, which isn't the cleanest. This makes the air dirty because of all the car exhaust going into the air.
In Tehran, to use apps like YouTube, Netflix, WhatsApp, and play online games like Fortnite, I have to use a VPN. But finding a good VPN connection can be tough, and sometimes the internet is slow, which is frustrating.
Living in Tehran shows you all these challenges, from finding a good internet connection to dealing with pollution and not having easy access to things we might take for granted.
The country also has strict rules, and sometimes the police can be very strict, making it feel more controlled than I'd like. I don't want to dive too deep into politics, though.
Because of these issues, some people in Tehran can seem unfriendly or upset, which really bothered me. My first time there, I noticed this right away at the airport, and it made me feel uncomfortable. But I learned that it's because everyone's dealing with these difficult situations.
However, there's a lot I love about Tehran, especially my school. I did really well in school there, better than I did in Canada. I felt valued and respected by my teachers and classmates. The education system in Iran suits me better.
And the food! The food in Tehran is amazing. Their signature dish, chelo kabob (rice and kabob), is my favorite. What's incredible about Iranian food is not just the taste but the huge portions they serve. It shows how generous they are with food, and I absolutely love that.
To sum it up, Tehran plays a big part in my life, but it's not always easy being a teenager there because of the internet issues, pollution, and how some people act. Despite this, the excellent education and the fantastic food make me feel better about these challenges. The good parts about living in Tehran really make up for the not-so-good parts.
Istanbul, Turkey
The moment we arrived in Istanbul from the Istanbul International Airport and headed into the city, I instantly felt that living here was going to be an amazing part of my life.
And it was. About a month before we left Vancouver, my parents surprised me by saying we were moving to Istanbul, Turkey. I already knew a bit about Turkey because one of my best friends in Vancouver was from Istanbul and always shared good things about it.
During the wait to move, I got curious and started learning more about Istanbul. I dedicated a space on my wall to pin up information about the city's famous places, neighbourhoods with the best nightlife, and its natural beauty. I discovered something really cool I didn't know before: Istanbul is split into two parts by a strait called the Bosphorus, with Europe on the west side and Asia on the east. There's even a bridge, the Bosphorus Bridge, that lets you travel between the two continents. I also learned about popular malls like Emaar Square on the Asian side and the intense football rivalries between Besiktas, Fenerbahce, and Galatasaray. When these teams play, the city really comes alive, with fans sometimes even getting into fights. There would be flares, and the streets would shake.
Once we got to Istanbul, I instantly saw that the city's nightlife and vibrant culture were exactly what I had missed in Vancouver. The area we lived in was right in the heart of the European side, bustling with music, street food, and people enjoying themselves – just what I had been looking for.
After settling in for a month, my parents began organizing my education and activities, aiming for our move to be long-term. I ended up attending an online school in Vancouver since we couldn't find a suitable international school nearby. Although the online school wasn't as challenging as I'd hoped, my parents planned for me to attend an in-person international school the following year. Meanwhile, I joined a football class at the Juventus Academy of Istanbul, where I made good friends. However, in my online classes, I noticed that the education system seemed lacking. Me and my parents felt like it wasn't challenging enough for my level.
We started exploring all the places I had researched, like the Emaar Square Mall, the Bosphorus Bridge, and various mosques that looked stunning against the skyline. My favourites were Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, and Yeni Cami. We also visited the Galata Tower, one of my favourite landmarks worldwide. Another really cool place was Taksim Square. Hand on heart when I say this, this place was crowded 24/7. It was never empty. This place had everything. Stores, bands playing, street foot, you name it!
Everything was going well, with my parents applying for residency, and I had come to consider Istanbul my favourite city. Unfortunately, we had to move away after a few months. It was hard leaving because I was just beginning to feel at home, making progress in school and settling in with my new life. The move was tough, but I've learned to not cry because it's over but to smile because it happened.
If I had to pick a downside of Istanbul, it would be the language barrier since Turkish is quite different from English. But I was learning, using apps like Duolingo and taking online lessons, so my Turkish was getting better.
All in all, Istanbul holds a special place in my heart as my favourite city. The culture, religious practices, how people act, and the nightlife were just what I loved. I can't say anything bad about Istanbul, and I doubt any other city could take its place in my heart, not even Vancouver.
Yerevan, Armenia
We went to Yerevan after Istanbul. We went to a hotel close to the airport, but I felt there was something off about this city the moment we left.
Unfortunately, the air quality in Yerevan was bad, and I got a somber vibe, even from the airport. Yerevan felt like this super old city that nobody remembered anymore. Walking around, it was all quiet and kind of sad, like everyone had just left one day and never came back. The streets were empty, and the buildings looked like they hadn't seen any love in years. It was like being in one of those ghost towns from a movie, except it was real and kind of creepy. Everything just felt abandoned, like the city had given up. It was super weird and a little spooky, honestly.
When we got to our hotel, I knew that place had seen better days. It felt dirty like no one had bothered to clean it in forever. You could tell right away that nobody really cared about the building. It was all run-down and kind of gloomy. But then, we got to our room, and it was surprisingly big and nice, which was surprising. But when we looked out the window, the view just hit us with the realness of the city's deadness. All you could see were these empty streets and old buildings that looked like nobody had lived there for decades.
So, we decided to take a walk outside, just to see the place up close. We ended up going to this supermarket, thinking it might be a bit more lively or something. But nope, it was just like the rest of the city. The shop owners and the customers all looked like they were super down or something. Everyone was so quiet, barely talking, and they kind of had this vibe like they were sad to be there, sad to be alive. It was super strange. It matched the whole vibe of the city.
So, my dad has this friend in the city, and his family was super nice, deciding to show us around, promising to take us to the "best places." The first place was a mall. And, to be honest, I was kind of skeptical because I didn't really think a mall in a city that felt forgotten could be that interesting. But actually, I was wrong. The parking lot was massive, and once we got inside, everything changed. It was like stepping into another world. The mall was super clean, and there was this huge TV screen stuck on the wall, showing ads from all the stores inside. It was kind of mesmerizing. The energy in that mall was different from the rest of the city. Outside, it felt like a zombie apocalypse had hit or something, but inside, people were buzzing around, actually having a good time. This was interesting to me.
Next up, the family took us to this place called the Yerevan Cascade. The Yerevan Cascade is this huge historical monument in the city, and I really didn't know what to expect. But we went to a café there, and it blew my mind! The place was packed, and the energy of the people was amazing! People were talking loud and laughing, and just having the best time. It kind of reminded me of a café you'd find in Istanbul!. And their food was surprisingly amazing too, but that's beside the point right now.
The atmosphere was just as lively and positive as the mall we visited earlier. So, now I'm thinking about something. Are these people that we saw and the mall and the Cascade happy, energetic tourists, or are they from the wealthier side of the city? Because they were nothing like the people we saw near our hotel. Those people were close to dead, but here, it was like everyone was living their best life. This was also very interesting to me.
In summary, my overall feeling about this city is content. At first, I wasn't a big fan of the atmosphere around where we were staying—it felt too gloomy and kind of brought me down. The air quality of the city was a big issue for me too. But discovering those more famous parts of the city that were full of life and energy really changed my feelings for the city, and it made me a bit happy as well. It was super interesting to see the differences between the 2 main areas of the city, and how people act in both of them.
Quebec City, Canada
Quebec City is probably my third favourite city on this list. However, there is something important to know. Quebec City is divided into 2 parts, Quebec and Old Quebec. The area that we lived in was Old Quebec, which had buildings and war camps since France was colonizing the city.
Old Quebec is much different than the regular Quebec city. Old Quebec is much more my style. Street shows, streets full of shops, and amazing food. In old Quebec, certain streets are now closed to cars, and can only be accessed by foot, which I really like. The streets are narrow anyway, so it is kind of hard to drive in them. The main form of transportation in Old Quebec is electric bikes because there are also lots of hills in the area.
This was the final destination of our journey across Canada, which you can read about towards the top of the page. We got there at around 12am, and we drove through Quebec to get to Old Quebec, so I got to see a little bit of Quebec too. I think that Quebec is very similar to many of the other Canadian cities. It is similar to Vancouver the most I think. The city is big, and it has a lot of people, but it's not very exciting. However, Old Quebec on the other hand, was a whole different story. When we first drove in there with a car, you could instantly tell a big difference. It was like the rest of the city was sleeping, and only this section was wide awake. In this area, there was always music blasting, and no joke, wherever you went, you would hear the music. It's like there were secret speakers on the street that were playing music. Once we got to our condo, I was really excited, because our place was smack in the middle of Old Quebec. Since we got there late, I had to sleep, but the next day, the moment I woke up, me and my family went out to explore.
The first place we went was this street right below us, down a hill. Basically, anywhere you wanted to go, there would be a hill. Now this hill, was one of the best in Old Quebec. Food shops, shows, lights, music, and LOTS of people, all at the same time in this street. This street was where I spent most of my time in Quebec.
Next up, was the beauty of this area. The houses looked very French and European, and there were little parks everywhere. The buildings were beautiful, and just a couple of blocks next to our house, was a national historic site of Canada, called Le Château Frontenac. This used to be a castle from the colonization times, but now its a hotel managed by Fairmont, and it is VERY expensive. In front of the hotel, there is a beautiful boardwalk area which shows how the St. Lawrence river flows through the city, and shows a bunch of different islands. There is also a lower part of quebec city, as the city was built on a cliff. The boardwalk looks over that area, and therefore the different parts of quebec too, from a higher view. There is a really cool like gondola type contraption on this boardwalk, which can take you up and down lower and higher Old Quebec
I found out that Quebec is a bit safer than most Canadian cities, which made me feel comfortable to walk around by myself. And boy was I right. I would take a 2 minute walk from our house to that street I mentioned above, and spend hours there with my dad in libraries, famous ice cream parlors, which would take vanilla ice cream and dip it in super thick chocolate flavours, making the best thing you will ever taste, amazing bubble tea shops, middle eastern and European street foods, and just biking around on rental E-Bikes (but we mostly ate food, because we like food a lot.)
We went out of Old Quebec a few times, just to go to Costco and to get groceries and stuff. The actual city was nice as well, but I felt like it wasn't anything special, and it was kind of like Vancouver. But whenever you entered Old Quebec, you would get hit with this special vibe that I feel like you couldn't get anywhere else in Quebec.
In summary, my overall feeling about this city is absolutely amazing. It's my third favourite city that I have ever visited (list at the bottom of page), the people, the atmosphere, the culture, the difference of language, the food, the music, the historical buildings and sites (another one I forgot to mention was the Parlement, which was a beautiful white government building, and reminded me of the white house), the natural beauty and scenery, the cleanliness of the city, and the accessibility of the city satisfied me so much to make it my third ever favorite city that I have visited.
Dubai, UAE
How can I even start with this futuristic paradise? In Quebec I started researching about Dubai before we left for it, and during my research, I became fascinated. I didn't know about this city that much before I researched about it, despite my parents living there for some time before I was born. But when I started researching, I remembered everything, because I knew I wanted to go see everything once we get there. I have a love for buildings and architecture, and I love looking and huge, tall, wonky, and interesting buildings, which Dubai has all of.
Before I tell you about my story when I got to Dubai, I have to tell you my funny story of on the way to Dubai. So I was flying from Montreal (we drove there for the flight) to Dubai, but I was going by myself. I have done it loads of times now, but this was my first time doing it, so I was kind of nervous but super excited at the same time. I left my dad in Quebec (he will come to Dubai later by himself), to see my mom in Dubai.
Emirates had a special service for kids flying by themselves, and my parents got that for me. When I boarded, I made my way to my seat in economy (This will be important later) I realized that it was a pretty empty flight. The plane was still big though, (Boeing 777) as it was a long-haul flight. I got to my seat and waited until they closed the doors. Once the doors closed, I got super excited because there was nobody sitting next to me at all, and even nobody in the row next to me either! (Photos at the bottom of page) So I sat there, and the flight attendants brought me some complimentary chocolate, and they asked me if this was my first time flying alone, and I said yes. I would like to say, that Emirates did a wonderful job of making sure I was okay and enjoying my flight, as they checked on me like every 20 minutes!
Around 1 hour (Out of 9) into the flight, a flight attendant approached me, and believe it or not, she asked if I wanted to upgrade my seat! Now listen to this: not to premium economy, not to business, but FIRST FREAKING CLASS! I was actually speechless, but I obviously agreed 🤣, and she took me to my new seat (pictures at the bottom of the page).
Now you KNOW I had to take advantage of this free $9,500 upgrade. My seat would turn into a bed, there was a bar in the middle of the plane, and there was even a place you could SHOWER. Yes, 38,000 feet in the sky, you can take a shower with Emirates First Class (But I didn't do it because I didn't have any extra clothes.) At this point, I was feeling a bit hungry, and I realized I had a MENU right next to me. So I ordered a pizza to start it off. Now, I am a big boy, so I definitely needed to order lots, you know, to get our money's worth 😉. Once the flight attendant brought my food, she told me a few things. She said that I could also order by my screen, which was super big, by the way, and I could also press a button next to my screen if I wanted anything. Now THIS is what I am talking about. Again, I had to make my parents' money worth, so I think you can guess what happens next.
9 pm, Pizza, 10 pm, pasta, 11 pm, lobster soup, 12 am steak frites, 1 am, waffles, 2 am caviar on toast, 3 am, break, 4 am, Salmon, and finally, I had Bzar chicken (The times may or may not be correct, I was just trying to say what I had) If any of those flight attendants are reading this, I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have upgraded me 😆 ❤️.
Anyway, there was much more stuff, like watching movies, seeing the cities we flew over, and the drinks that were right next to me, but this was the best part. We landed around 7 am Dubai time, and this is when the real fun began.
We went up burj khalifa to the 125 floor(photos at bottom of page), saw Dubai Mall and the fountain show, went to buffets, waterparks, swimming, and the future museum when my dad arrived, and it was a whole vibe.
However, as I said at the beginning, my favourite part of Dubai was the architecture. I spent hours looking at maps of cities, and Dubai is one of my favourite places to look at. The 2 palms (Jumeirah and Jebel Ali) on the coastlines really fascinated me, the famous buildings like Burj Khalifa, The Future Museum, and the 7-star hotel, Burj Al Arab also really impressed me, and I was always taking pictures of them and the skyline in general when we drove by.
We went to Tehran after some time, as school was starting again, but we still come back to Dubai anytime that my school is on break, because I REALLY, REALLY like this place 😃.
All in all, I would give this amazing city a 10/10, but I have one complaint that I forgot to mention. It is. SO. INCREDIBLY. HOT. It's actually crazy how hot this place can get, especially in the summertime, but for me, the other factors of it DEFINITELY cover for the heat. Absolutley amazing.