Culture Quest...

Bangkok

2009-12-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

The view from the back of a Tuk TukMy first experience at Muay Thai Boxing!!!!An action shot!Went on a dinner cruise with Tresa, college counsellor at Concordian International School. It was fantastic. After dinner there was a dancing show.Bangkok weekend market... you can find anything there!

China

2009-12-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

Walking around you see so many beautiful buildings. This one is in Shanghai.Peking Duck...my new favorite food. Apparently it takes about 3 days to prepare. The chef comes and cuts it up for you at your table.But on second thoughts...maybe I should have wood :)

You had me at 'Kimchi'....

2009-11-27T17:22:00.001-08:00

It is always nice to visit Korea because I get to see my Korean family (whom I lived with for a year in 2001). Here is my Korea sister and Hanguk Uma (Korean mom). Insadong, is know for its traditional tea houses and antique shops. The hanbok is the traditional dress....comes in all sizes. You can find so much random stuff on the markets.

UAE

2009-11-27T17:09:00.000-08:00

Dubai...once a small fishing village. This is inside the Dubai Museum. Outside of these walls is a different story.In fact, many, many stories. The Burj Dubai is almost completed and is the world tallest structure. Nothing says Dubai like at trip to the Gold Market....Or to their indoor ski resort.I like the traditional henna tattooing...and experienced a short camel ride in the desert.

UAE and Korea

2009-11-18T02:51:00.000-08:00

Coming soon...I'm going to try to get these pictures up really soon but the Chinese government has blocked this website. I am having a difficult time re-routing to find a way to get pictures up.

Istanbul......so amazing!!!

2009-10-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

The Hagia Sophia-once a basilica, then a mosque, now a museum. The Spice Market is so full of color and lively banter!Inside the Blue Mosque. The basilica cistern, built in the 6th century, is breathtaking.

Germany and Switzerland

2009-10-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

The Glockenspiel in the center of Munich. Everyone 'Oooooohhhs and Ahhhhhs' about 3 times a day at it. The clock parts spin to music and re-enacts the wedding of Duke Wilhelm V (founder of the infamous Hofbrauhaus)Inside the Hofbrauhaus. You know you are in Switzerland when...While staying at the Ecole d'Humanite, I would hear the cow bells each evening as the cows were brought in to the barn. Zurich...such a beautiful city.

Frankfurt

2009-10-15T23:58:00.001-07:00

The old main plaza of Frankfurt, most of which was destroyed during WWII. All of the buildings were rebuilt to look like the originals Here is the book burning memorial located in the center of the plaza where nazi book burnings were held. The inscription translates to 'Where they burn books, they will ultimately also burn people'.A small portion of the Jewish Memorial Wall.

More of sunny Portugal... and the following day in rainy London

2009-10-10T06:06:00.000-07:00

I visited the town of Silves in Portugal. This castle was built over a Roman structure during the occupation of the Moors. Beautiful views from the towers.My mom and I took a boat trip around the coastline of Lagos to explore the caves and the fantastic rock formations. Our boat guide told us this rock formation is nicknamed 'The Camel'. A rather cloudy day at Trafalgar Square...but you still see Big Ben in the distance. The Candian flag caught my eye across from Trafalgar Square. Hello Canadian Embassy :)

2009-10-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from my trip to Portugal. I stayed in the Algarve (southern most province) in a small town call Guia but took day trips to some of the larger towns of Lagos, Sagres and Albufeira. In front of the old city wall of Lagos.Amazing Lagos beach! British 50's pop rocker, Sir Cliff Richard, opened this winery about 10 years ago. I think most of the people on the wine tour came for this novelty rather than the wine.

The best sea bass I ever ate!!!

The town of Porche is known for it's beautiful hand crafted pottery. I got to watch some of the ladies while they painted.

Let the Travel Begin!!!

2009-09-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

I leave Squamish tomorrow for almost 3 months. I am so excited to start meeting potential new Questers all over the world. Here is my travel schedule. Feel free to contact me at keely.stott@questu.ca if you would like to meet me at any point of my trip.
Cheers!

Sept. 25 Fly to Portugal
Sept. 26 Portugal
Sept. 27 Portugal
Sept. 28 Portugal
Sept. 29 Portugal
Sept. 30 Portugal
Oct. 1 Portugal
Oct. 2 Portugal
Oct. 3 Manchester
Oct. 4 Manchester
Oct. 5 London
Oct. 6 Geneva
Oct. 7 Geneva
Oct. 8 Montreux
Oct. 9 Neuchatel/ Bern
Oct. 10 Cologne
Oct. 11 ?
Oct. 12 Frankfurt
Oct. 13 Berlin
Oct. 14 Berlin
Oct. 15 Munich
Oct. 16 Munich/ Stuttgart
Oct. 17 Stuttgart Fair
Oct. 18 ?
Oct. 19 Winterthur
Oct. 20 Hasliberg Goldern
Oct. 21 Basel
Oct. 22 Zurich
Oct. 23 Zurich
Oct. 24 Istanbul
Oct. 25 Istanbul
Oct.26 Istanbul
Oct.27 Istanbul
Oct.28 Istanbul/UAE
Oct. 29 Dubai
Oct.30 Dubai
Oct.31 Dubai
Nov.1 Dubai
Nov.2 Dubai/ Abu Dhabi
Nov.3 Abu Dhabi
Nov.4 Travel Day
Nov. 5 Seoul, Korea
Nov. 6 Seoul, Korea
Nov. 7 Korea Fair
Nov. 8 Seoul, Korea
Nov. 9 Seoul, Korea
Nov. 10 Beijing
Nov. 11 Beijing
Nov. 12 Beijing
Nov. 13 Beijing/ Dalian
Nov. 14 Dalian Fair
Nov. 15 Dalian Fair
Nov. 16 Wuhan
Nov. 17 Wuhan
Nov. 18 Shanghai
Nov. 19 Shanghai
Nov. 20 Shanghai
Nov. 21 Shanghai
Nov. 22 Shanghai/ Hong Kong
Nov. 23 Hong Kong
Nov. 24 Hong Kong
Nov. 25 Singapore
Nov. 26 Singapore
Nov. 27 Malaysia and Singapore Holiday
Nov. 28 ?
Nov. 29 ?
Nov. 30 KL, Malaysia
Dec.1 KL, Malaysia
Dec.2 Bangkok, Thailand
Dec.3 Bangkok, Thailand
Dec.4 Bangkok, Thailand
Dec.5 Bangkok, Thailand
Dec.6 Bangkok, Thailand
Dec.7 Bangkok, Thailand
Dec.8 TRAVEL DAY Thailand-Japan
Dec.9 Tokyo, Japan
Dec.10 Tokyo, Japan
Dec.11 Tokyo, Japan
Dec.12 Japan/ Vancouver
Dec.13 Squamish

Fall 2008 Begins!!!

2008-09-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

Quest is now officially into its second year of operation! We have now doubled our student population. All are amazing students adding to the diversity of our campus and community. Below are some pictures of orientation.

A hike with the international students around the Four Lakes trail. Our incoming international students come from Switzerland, Bangladesh, Germany, Korea, China, Italy, South Africa, Cypress, Chile, Kosovo and Scotland. The returning students (in green, called Q-reps) helped run the orientation for the incoming class.At convocation, the students all signed the honour pledge. Phoebe, one of the Q-reps, help serve snacks after convocation. Some of the incoming students on the balcony after convocation. A mixture of first and second year students and staff celebrating.

Racing Beds...a Squamish Tradition

2008-08-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

The Bed Races marks the beginning of the Logger Sports Festival in Squamish. Really, you say? Yes, teams literally race beds through an obstacle course down the main street of Squamish. I'm not too sure how this tradition started but the Logger Sports Festival was started on this weekend ( Aug 1st-4th) to commemorate the skills of the workers in the logging industry. Logging was one of Squamish's main sources of economic activity until recently. This are still some logging companies but not on the scale of what it once was. Tourism is now one of the leading sources of economic activity in the area. The Logger Sports Festival celebrates the towns history and attracts skilled loggers from all over the world to compete. For more information and pictures check out their website http://squamishdays.ca/pages/welcome.php

Our Quest Bed Racing Team consisting of some of our students (Phoebe, Regan, Andrew, Sven) and our newest admission counsellor, Melissa. Andrew tackles one of the challenges, target shooting with a lazer gun.

A team effort at sawing

At the end of the race!

T.O.M. in Squamish

2008-06-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Test of Metal, an annual bike race in Squamish, took place the other weekend. Approximately 800 bikers competed on the treacherous 67 km track (part of which passed by the university)

Here are some picture of the day. For more info about the event check out http://testofmetal.com/

Nevada or Utah...a town in both states

2008-06-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to Wendover, Nevada for 3 nights. This is a strange little town with a lot of history. Wendover used to be a World War Two Army base. It house over 40,000 men and is where the Enola Gay took off from before dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This location was chosen largely because the army was testing nuclear bombs in the remote Nevada desert. Wendover is now a growing tourist town known for casinos, concerts and....that's about it.

Wendover is located in both Nevada and Utah. You follow the rules of the state on either side. For example, in Nevada you can gamble and drink alcohol in public and in Utah you can not gamble and only drink in private clubs. Here I am with each foot in a different state. You can slightly make out the state names painted on the road. Wendover is a short distance away from the Bonneville Salt Flats. In 1930's the area became internationally famous when Malcolm Campbell set numerous speed records, not to mention the naming of the legendary Triumph Bonneville motorcycle.Another random American roadside tourist attraction is Wendover Will, the largest neon man in America. Not to be confused with the largest foil ball, largest pitch fork, or largest watermelon...all worthy of a five minute stop for a photo op.

White Water Rafting on the Coquihalla River

2008-05-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend I joined my high school friends for our traditional May Long Weekend vacation. Every year in May we plan a trip and this year involved white water rafting on the Coquihalla River. This river is one of the tributaries to the Fraser River (the main river exiting into the Pacific Ocean at Vancouver). It is located near Hope, B.C. Here's a map so you can have a better idea on where we were.
During the weekend the temperature reached 31 degrees Celsius. Such a high temperature led to the increase in rate of snow melt from the mountains. Due to this, the river levels became very high and the speed of the river was also increased. That equates to an exceptionally fun rafting trip!!! Here are some pictures from the day. I am the one in the blue helmet and sunglasses (looking at the camera)

The Academic Year Comes to a Close...

2008-05-16T16:20:00.001-07:00

...but we do have summer courses available.
You can check them out at http://www.questu.ca/academics/summer_programs.php.

Our first academic year has ended and the students have handed in their papers, packed their bags and embarked on their summer adventures.

Here are some pictures from our Year End Adventure Race. All four floors of the residences competed against each other for the coveted Spirit Cup.

Happy Earth Day!!!

2008-04-22T14:44:00.001-07:00

Quest is happy to be celebrating Earth Day with the rest of the world.
Being earth friendly and earth conscious students (and admission counsellor), a few of us did the fun chore of recycling the other day. Here's the proof that it's not so bad. So... RECYCLE...look how much fun you can have. All of the weekly recycling refunds goes towards environmental projects on campus organized by the EcoQuest Club.

This weekend, I participated in the annual Soccerfest. This is a huge event in Squamish. There were over 72 teams that came from all over the Vancouver area. At any given time, there were at least eight games being played and all teams played at least 5 games over the course of the weekend. It was a blast!

Fire and Ice in Whistler B.C.

2008-03-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Fire and Ice is a fantastic event held weekly in Whistler during the winter. It involves a giant ice ramp, a ring of fire, spectacular firworks and a few snowboarders with nerves of steel (see picture below). Since Quest is a proud sponsor of the event, I went to watch the show last weekend and talked with people interested in learning more about our university. Brian Taylor (Dean of Enrollment) and Sarah Siddall (Admission Counsellor) joined me at the event. What a great night we had!

International Dinner and Visit to South America

2008-02-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

Before heading off on my travels to Quito, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo, a group of international students joined me at my house for dinner. It was a great opportunity to welcome a couple of new students that joined Quest in the January term. It was also nice to sit together as a group and discuss some of the exciting things and challenges that come with moving to a new country.

I had a wonderful trip to South America. I visited a number of schools and spoke with many students. Currently at Quest, we only have one student from south of the American border (he is from El Salvador). It is my goal and wish that we have more countries from South America represented at Quest, making our student population even more diverse. Below are a couple of pictures I took with some students at the British School of Quito. We were posing while waiting for a webcast to download. While in Buenos Aires, I had the pleasure of having dinner while watching tango dancers perform. Quite spectacular!!!

Hope you enjoyed the holidays!

2008-01-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

Quest is about to start it's second term! Most of our students went home for the holidays, caught up with friends and family, ate lots of turkey, and recharged for their upcoming classes.
I was fortunate to have 2 students stay with me during their break. Lhendup (on the left and is from Bhutan) experienced his first ever Christmas with me and my family. Bjorn (on the right and is from Germany) was able to tell me about the differences of traditions between Canada and his home. Here we are after decorating the Christmas tree (note: Winnie, my dog, tried to help too)

My First Visit Ever to Mainland China...

2007-12-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

A couple of week ago, I had the amazing opportunity to meet with students in Dalian, Beijing and Shanghai. Here are some pictures of my trip:

Me with two student volunteers at the Dalian Maple Leaf College Fair. I was able to meet with a number of great students wanting to learn more about Quest.

The entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing. Across the way is Tienanmen Square.Inside the Forbidden CityA visit to the Western Academy of Beijing. I was able to see one of our Quest student's former art project that is permanently in the WAB courtyard.

Thailand...what a beautiful country

2007-11-27T05:43:00.000-08:00

Amazing temples, gorgeous beaches, friendly people, breathtaking views, delicious foods, inexpensive shopping... Thailand is a wonderful place to visit. Here are some pictures of my trip:

At Wat Pho I visited a temple that holds a large golden reclining Buddha. Wat Pho is the largest and technically the oldest Wat in Bangkok. The Wat is also popular because in the courtyard there is a massage school that offers traditional Thai massages at a reasonable price.

I had the pleasure and privilege of being the first college visitor at Concordian International School. The students were fantastic!!! Dinner at a local restaurant with a prospective Quester, Pink, and her friend.Ah...tuk tuks. So fun and stylish yet a little dangerous. Use with caution :) I had a wonderful meeting with two great students, Yangchen and Pali, from Prem Centre in Chiang Mai. At the end of my visits I had a couple of days to relax and so I went south to Krabi for some quality beach time and...of course, some serious rock climbing.

Malaysia

2007-11-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

This year, Malaysia celebrates it's 50 year anniversary of independent rule. I was recently in Kuala Lumpur to visit a couple of high schools and attend the EARCOS Conference. Here are some pictures of KL. I can't wait to go back and explore the rest of the country.

This is a picture of some great students from Wesley Methodist School, their counsellor and myself. Two of the most famous KL building are:
The KL Tower. There's a revolving restaurant at the top that gives you a 360 degree view of the city. It does one full revolution about every 90 minutes. The other famous building is the Twin Towers (notably featured in a movie with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones called "Entrapment"). The towers glow beautifully in the night sky.I went on a tour with other EARCOS participants to a pewter factory. All of their products were still made by hand.A picture of King, a potential Quest student, and I having coffee in KL. King is really interested in learning more about studying in Canada.Ahh, the chaos and colors of the market. One of my favorite places. This is the KL Chinatown market.

Singapore

2007-11-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Commonly called "Asia 101", Singapore is multicultural city that is quite easy to navigate. Singapore is also known for it's strict rules and fines (chewing gum is illegal!!!). The people are friendly, the food is delicious and the history is interesting.
Here are some pictures:

The landing spot of Raffles. His landing opened the door for other European trades men and women to settle in Singapore.

Singapore has a large Indian community. While I was there 'Little Indian' was colorfully decorated to celebrate the festival, Deepavali. The markets in 'Little India' were fantastic. This is lady I met in the market who was having her hands henna tattooed to mark the end of her fasting for Deepavali. I had the opportunity to try a number of traditional foods with Misha, friend and potential Quest student, and her family. This was the first time I had ever tried a salak fruit (also known as snake skin fruit because of the texture of their skin) Singapore is quite hot and humid. In Chinatown, I found all the employees of this establishment succumbing to fatigue from the heat (a.k.a. sleeping on the job).

The Merlion fountain is a landmark in Singapore. Half lion and half fish (or mermaid???), this fountain has become a national symbol of Singapore.

Some Pictures of Korea...

2007-10-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

Korea has been great!
There's so many amazing places to visit and foods to eat.
Here are some pictures of my experience so far...
Changing of the guards at Duksu Palace
I think this guard is trying really hard not to laugh A traditional meal in Insadong with Yunjin, a student from Daewon High SchoolMe and my Korean sister, Seung Hee, in Myeong-dong. I lived with her and her family in 2001/2 and we've been close friends ever since.

A fun karaoke sesion at a popular Nori-ban with Crystal and Heather from the CEC Network

Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand...

2007-10-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I will be in Asia from Oct.21- Nov.18 visiting school and attending conferences.
If you would like to meet up to learn more about Quest during my trip, feel free to email me at keely.stott@questu.ca.

Here is my schedule:
Seoul, Korea Oct.21-28
Singapore Oct.28-31
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Nov.1-6
Bangkok, Thailand Nov. 7-11
Chaing Mai, Thailand Nov. 12-13
Bangkok, Thailand Nov. 14-18

Rock Climbing, Oxford School, Grasshopper Tacos and ASF Fair

2007-09-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

Mexico has been great so far! I've really enjoyed meeting so many new people and visiting with old friends. There is still one more week before I return to Squamish but until then, here are some pictures of my trip...

Juan Paublo, a friend and potential Quest student, and I went and visited the Frida Khalo exhibit at the MACRO Art Gallery in Monterrey. Such an amazing collection of her work was brought together.

After the school fair at the American School Foundation in Monterrey, Juan Paublo took me to the Huasteca Canyon. This canyon is a popular place to rock climb.

Her are a fantastic group of students from the Oxford School. We took a serious and silly picture. Can you guess which one this is???Juan Paublo's mom insisted that I try a grasshopper taco. I'm always up for trying new foods.

Today, I had the pleasure of meeting many students at the American School Foundation Fair. It was very successful event!

Going to Mexico Sept.19th-28th

2007-09-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hello! I will be in:
Monterrey Sept. 19-21
Mexico City Sept. 22-23
Guadalajara Sept. 24-25
...and then back to Mexico City Sept. 26-28.

If you would like to meet to learn more about Quest while I am visiting your city, please feel free to contact me at keely.stott@questu.ca.

THEY'RE HERE!!!!!

2007-09-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

The inaugural class of Questers have arrived!

What an amazing group of students with diverse and fascinating skills and hobbies. These students have breathed life into our campus, our courses and our community. We just spent the first week in a whirlwind of orientation at various locations in Squamish. The students are now studying the 'Cornerstone' course for the next month in Rossland, BC at Red Mountain.

To learn more about the courses they will be studying next, go to:http://www.questu.ca/academics/foundation_program/course_descriptions.php

To learn more about our students, check out their student profiles at:http://myquest.questu.ca/yourquest/quest_students.html

I can't wait for them to return! They are truly so much fun!!!
Some of us decided to go for a hike. A student challenge using teamwork!

Quest's giant birthday cake

Camping trip and Nana's birthday

2007-08-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to go on an amazing camping trip in Washington State. There are so many beautiful places to explore in this region. Here is one of them called Twin Lakes. These lakes are located high in the mountains and are glacier fed. They shimmer a gorgeous blue/green.We all did our share of chores. Somebody had to chop the fire wood... might as well be me!

After camping, I went to spend time with my Nana on her 90th birthday. What an achievement! I certainly hope I look as good as she does when I'm her age.

Squamish Triathlon

2007-07-17T05:07:00.000-07:00

My most recent achievement is completing the Squamish Triathlon last weekend. Over 300 participants raced the Olympic size course. It is incredible what you can do when you put your mind to it. I am excited to see what goals and feats Quest students will achieve in the coming months!

Here are some picture of the event.

The before picture. Preparing for the transition from swim to bike.

Trying to keep warm before the race begins. The 40km bike ride. Thankfully, my seat is quite comfortable.Some of my support team!So happy to cross the finish line.

Pictures of Hong Kong

2007-06-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Avenue of Stars features a statue of Bruce Lee.

Young girls in traditional dress getting ready for a parade.

So many colorful dragons danced in the parade. The parade was just one of the many ways Hong Kong will celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the hand over of power from Britian to China

A beautiful trip on the Star Ferry that crosses between Hong Kong and the Kowloon Peninsula The start of a an escalator that runs for over 2 kilometres directly through the center of the city.

June Mak, Quest counsellor based in Hong Kong, and me smiling among the nations.

Foods from around the world...

2007-06-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about traveling is food: trying new dishes, learning new recipes and getting a different perspective about my own food choices.
Here's a link my good friend, Aatri, sent me that shows a weeks worth of food (and costs) from many different families from all over the world.
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html

I look forward to tasting the specialties in Hong Kong tomorrow. I'll be sure to take some pics!

Visiting Hong Kong

2007-06-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Hello! I will be visiting Hong Kong from June 20th-26th. If there are any students that would like to meet or have advice on what I should see in their beautiful city, please feel free to email me at keely.stott@questu.ca.

A Good Holiday with Great Friends....

2007-05-30T18:10:00.001-07:00

If I could offer recent high school graduates one piece of advice, it would be to....keep in contact with your friends. Despite busy schedules and other pressing day to day stresses, my closest high school friends and I had made a pact to always go away together one weekend in May. This year we went to Manning Park, B.C. I can honestly say that it is the most fun of my entire year. So hold on to your high school friends...as you get older, it becomes a tough thing to do but it's definately worth it!

113 Days....

2007-05-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

113 days until we welcome students on campus. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am. We have applicants from all over the world and ,finally, I will get to meet them in person!

Today, I went to the campus and here are the most recent photos...

The Student Services Building
The view of the Library from the Recreational Building The brand new Gym floor...ready for the first slam dunk ever!
The view from the Recreation Building of the all weather field, tennis courts and residences.
A close up of the residences

The Academic Building

Preview Day at Quest University Canada, April 14th

2007-04-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

Another successful Quest Preview Day was held on Apr.14th. Here are some picture of the event and the progress of the campus. Enjoy...
Getting ready for the tour
Alex from the CEC visited

Into the Library

Happy Greek Easter

2007-04-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Kaló Pás'ha!
This year, Greek Easter coincided with Easter and I was fortunate enough to spend it with my best friend, Sandra, and her family. The Greek Orthodox Church does not always celebrate Easter on the same day as the Catholic and Protestant Church because the Greek Orthodox Church historically followed a different calender.

Tradition says that the Virgin Mary dyed eggs red to celebrated the Resurrection of Christ and to celebrate life. At the Greek Easter celebration, each person takes a hard boiled red egg and challengers attempt to crack each others' eggs. The breaking of the eggs is meant to symbolize Christ breaking from the Tomb. The person whose egg lasts the longest is supposed to have good luck for the rest of the year. (Below: Sandra and I just cracked our eggs. Guess who won?)The most traditional dish at Greek Easter is roast lamb which honours the 'sacrificial lamb' of Christain tradition. Other foods such as special breads, greek salad and spanakopita were served.
Dancing is another fun tradition at Greek Easter celebrations. It's also a good way to work off the feast that was eaten!

International Festival at Chapel School in Sao Paulo, Brazil

2007-04-01T05:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended the International Festival at Chapel School in Sao Paulo. What a fantastic event! This festival is to celebrate the diversity at the school and for students to share information about their culture by performing traditional dances, playing music and serving typical foods from their country.

Hundreds of students, parents, teachers, allumni and visitors participated in the celebration. I look forward to when Quest holds an event like this!!!

Here are some pictures of the day...

The last country to perform was Brazil. The energy of the Samba was electric. Everyone in the hall was dancing!!!

Wow Brazil!!!

2007-03-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

What a great country. I visited the capital city, Brasilia, yesterday and met with one of Quest's Advisory Board Members, Heitor Gurgulino de Souza (Secretary-General Elect, International Association of University Presidents (IAUP), Brazil). Heitor and I not only visited two schools in Brasilia, but we also visited a number of historical sites. Below are some pictures of...

The Cathedral of Brasilia. A Cathedal that is mostly underground.
The monument of Juscelino Kubischek de Oliveira, the Brazilian president who moved the capital of Brazil from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia in 1955.
A traditional Brazilian lunch (rice, beans and beef) with Heitor and his wife.
A great school visit at GALOIS. Thanks to all the students who stayed behind to ask questions and took this picture with me.
After school visits in Rio de Janeiro today, I visited the Christ Redeemer Statue on Corcovado Peak. What an amazing view of the city. Here are some pictures...

People posing for the picture
Impanema Beach from above

Heading to Brazil...

2007-03-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'll be in Brazil from March 25th until April 1st visiting Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba and Sao Paulo. If you would like to meet to learn more about Quest during my visit please feel free to email me at keely.stott@questu.ca.

Samantha and friends, Escuela Inglesa Kent and Guadalajara, Mexico

2007-03-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

I just arrived back in Squamish and I'm missing Mexican food already (so today I had a burrito for lunch). I want to thank everyone for welcoming me to their schools and for all of their sightseeing and cuisine tips! I hope to visit again soon.

Here are some more pictures of my trip and the friends I made along to way...

My first enchilada with Samantha and her friends (Edgar, Chema and Diego)

The fantastic class at Escuela Inglesa Kent (serious and fun poses)

Some sights of Guadalajara...

The beautiful cathedral in the centre of town

Pinatas at the market

What a Great Group of Students!!!

2007-03-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today I visited the ITESM high school in Mexico City and had the pleasure of meeting grade 11 and 12 IB students.
Thanks for the fun day!

Grade 11 Class: Our serious pose...

Grade 11 Class: Our crazy pose...

My first day in Mexico City

2007-03-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

I've had a fantastic first day in Mexico City...people are so friendly and helpful, the weather is nice and there's so much to see in the city. I went exploring around the Zocalo (the picture is on my last blog entry). I watched a number of performances in the center square, visited the Cathedral, walked around the markets and went to the Technotitlan Archelogical museum. Technotitlan was the capital of the Aztec Empire, prior to the Spanish invasion. This is a picture of me inside the Technotitlan site with the Cathedral in the background.

In front of the Cathedral were a number of performances by Aztec or Mexicas dancers. When not ceremoniously dancing, some of the older men would draw a chalk circle on the ground, burn a sort of sweet grass and welcome people into their circle. Once in the circle, the men blew the smoke over the persons body and spoke some words. This reminded me of Canadian First Nations smudging ceremonies: burning sage and cleansing yourself of bad spirits by wafting the sage smoke across your body.

Here are some pictures of my day...

Kids learning how to use a metate and the traditional way to make tortillas.

Mexico City and Guadalajara in March!

2007-02-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

I'll be visiting schools in Mexico City and Guadalajara March 12-16th.

If there are any students in Mexico that would like to meet, feel free to email me keely.stott@questu.ca

2007-02-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a great Valentine's Day on Feb. 14th!

Since it is a day to remind the person you love how important they are to you, my boyfriend raked the leaves into a special message.Also... I was just notified of a cool site that tells you the percentage of countries in the world you have visited. It even maps it out for you!

Check it out at: http://douweosinga.com/projects/visitedcountries

Preview Day at Quest

2007-02-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

The Admission Counsellors The campus tour begins...
Cool picture on the stairs

The view from the cafeteria
Mini classes capture the attention...

Saturday, Feb.3rd was another successful 'Preview Day' at Quest. Students and their families visited the campus to get a taste of what a Quest education would be like. Mini classes with the faculty, a tour of the campus (still under construction) and a chance to ask Quest's President, Dr. David Strangway, many questions...were just some of the things students had the opportunity to experience.

The next 'Preview Day' will be held on Apr.14... until then, I hope you enjoy the great pictures.

Quick and Easy Application

2007-02-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

Hello. Just to let you know, there has been a few new changes in the application process at Quest.

We have recently condensed our application form so that it is simpler and quicker for student to fill out. Here is a link to the online form http://applynow.questu.ca. You just fill it in and then press submit. Only 2 pages!!!

Another new item is our financial aid application for international students. Print it, fill it in and send it off.

Also, there is a step by step guide for applying to Quest on our website http://www.questu.ca/admission/international_students/how_to_apply.php

Let me know if this makes applying to Quest easier for you.

Take care,

p.s. Above is a picture of me preparing for a trade show yesterday.

My First Blog Ever!

2007-01-29T11:20:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to my first blog ever. I was a little nervous about the process of creating a blog but now that I've gone through the steps it doesn't seem quite as daunting. Like anything that is new or foreign, you realize afterwards that it wasn't as strange or as difficult as you imagined it to be. So... travel to that distant country, eat that mysterious meal, take that unusual dance class and master your fears.

My name is Keely. I'm the counsellor of international admission and student support at Quest University Canada. I moved to Squamish in the summer of 2005. Previous to the move, I had spent the past 10 years traveling and was starting to feel the need to find a permanent location. Where better than a place that is located on the ocean, nestled by mountains, known for a number of outdoor sports, has a small-town friendly atmosphere and still close enough to make it to Vancouver in an hour. For me, Squamish had it all!

Yet, in order to satisfy my "itchy feet", as my Nana often called my love for travelling, I decided to welcome fellow travellers to my home. I opened a bed and breakfast in the fall of 2005 and decided to name it "The Wanderer's Return" (another term coined by Nana).

Aside from local BC visitors, I have hosted guest from many places such as Singapore, Germany, England, Spain, Belgium and the U.S. What I enjoy most is sharing travel stories over morning breakfast and coffee.

I invite you to share your stories with me and hope you enjoy reading mine.