Message #1

Norfolk, Virginia and Quebec, Canada

When I was in middle school I was able to visit Quebec , Canada during my spring break. While visiting Quebec , I found myself wishing that I lived there rather than Norfolk , Virginia , United States . We stayed in the historical section of Quebec that has been preserved through the years. The historical section of Quebec had the feeling of a small village. There were not that many modern necessaries as we have in Norfolk . The streets were all cobble-stoned rather than being paved. The locals were very friendly to us whereas the locals in Norfolk are usually perturbed by visitors. We did most of our sightseeing by foot during the day and at times late at night. In Norfolk , however, most people use some sort of transportation to get around the city, and very few people are willing to walk around the city late at night. Both sets of locals share a tremendous sense of pride and accomplishment in their cities. Located far up north, Quebec was still in the midst of its winter, whereas upon leaving Norfolk , we were enjoying the spring. Quebec 's winters last a lot longer and are a little colder than what the people of Norfolk are used to. On our way to our destination, we saw houses with snow practically up to their rooftops. Trenches were dug out to allow occupant of these houses to get out of their front doors and garages with their vehicles. While down south in Norfolk , we are afraid if we are forecasted to receive a couple inches of snow. The weather is so cold that we actually were able to play on a frozen waterfall one day. While Norfolk has continued to progress with the times by building newer, modern-looking, buildings, Quebec has decided to build a newer city alongside the historic one. Situated across the water from the historical section of Quebec is the more modern Quebec . This Quebec is actually similar in appearance to Norfolk . It has skyscrapers, malls, and a host of other buildings just like Norfolk has. Although I often dreamt about living in Quebec , Norfolk still holds a special place in my heart.