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When Juri Hong watched her first Toronto Santa Claus Parade, she felt gob-smacked.

“I said oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” said Hong, moving her head right and left, recalling the disbelief she felt as each float passed by.

Her next thought: “Who makes that?”

Three years later, that job is Hong’s. The 22-year-old South Korean is a float decorator with this year’s Santa Claus Parade — expected to be the largest in the parade’s century-plus history — and says her first job in Canada helped her finally feel confident in her new home.

Hong left her home in Ulsan, South Korea to come to Toronto in 2011. She was tired of studying Japanese at university and wanted to learn English. She dropped out of school, landed an acceptance at Seneca College’s visual merchandising arts program and hopped on a plane to start a new life.

But her Canadian adventure started off rough.

For months, Hong was too intimidated to make Canadian friends. She had trouble communicating and occasionally, she experienced racism.

“Once, when I took a seat on the subway, a [little kid] pointed at me and told his mother, ‘Look at her, she looks so different,’” she said. “Everyone just focused on me.”

 

The comment stung and other incidents followed, but Hong usually kept quiet.

She eventually made Canadian friends, found a boyfriend and learned to speak English, but it wasn’t until she started working that she felt truly confident in her new city.

“It’s really different to be working. I have to argue and I have to discuss,” she said, adding that she now feels more comfortable speaking out against racism.

Working out of Santa’s secret workshop in North York since September, Hong said the transformation of the floats — along with the change she’s seen in herself — astounds her.

Hong said she’s proud to help create the same sculptures that made her jaw drop three years ago. Her key responsibilities include painting the giant sculptures and working with papier-mâché.

Celebrating Christmas isn’t new to Hong (she used to celebrate in South Korea) but Canadian celebrations are on a much larger scale, she said. Along with more decorations in homes, Canadians also care more about large family gatherings, she said.

Her parents, who still live in South Korea, say they’re proud of her, even if they don’t quite understand the appeal of Canada.

“They said, oh my God, it’s so boring!” said Hong, recalling her parents’ last visit.

While Hong still struggles with English from time to time, she’s glad to have the help of another float decorator, Joanne Lee, also from South Korea, to work through communication barriers.

She wants to live in Canada for at least five more years and is in the midst of applying for permanent residency.

As for her favourite float?

It’s the one with the soccer-ball sized Timbits, of course.

“Tim Hortons is a really important part of Canadian culture, I think,” she said, letting out a big laugh.