world of words September 2011, issue 75
“The English Language Program’s student magazine – a compilation of the spring session’s highlights, students’, opinions and other features.”
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2011 ELP Photo Contest
TIFF: The Stars are in Toronto
Graffiti in Toronto: Art or Crime?
nto Toro & the a, r favourite To E ei
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Inside ht is issue
ELP Photo Contest 4
UDG Students in Canada 6 Academic Skills Students 8 I Am Japanese 13 Flavours of the World: Japan 22 Fighting Evil with Harry Potter 24 60’s Protest Music 34 Softball 50
Your Ultimate Guide to Canada Jeollabuk-do: Canadian Impressions 10 Graffiti in Toronto: Art or Crime 14 St. Lawrence Market 18 Toronto Islands BBQ 19 Discover Our Toronto 20 Stargazing in Toronto 25 Life in Canada, A Retrospective 26 Sookmyung University 28 Kangwon National University 30 October Activity Calendar 33 A Guide to Canada: by Shunyi Teachers 36 International Christian University 49 cover photo credit: Marwah Khujah, Academic Skills student Rolla Tahir Qasim Alibhai, Laura Brown, Karen Cao, Lily Choi, Kimberley Hindy, James McMullan, Toni Papa, Darren Rigo, Becky Smith
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Editor & Layout Designer Staff Contributors
ELP Director’s Message
issue 75, sseptember e te ep emb mber e 2 2011 0 1 01
September 2011 Dear all, Summer is coming to an end and with it another great session at the English Language Program. Summer is our busiest time of the year as we welcome students from all over the world as well as groups from our affiliate universities. During the summer, students come to Toronto not only to study English but to vacation as well. As such, we always strive to provide an unforgettable experience not only in our classrooms but through a variety of experiential and volunteer activities as well. This issue of WoW is focused on Toronto, Canada and ELP most of all! In it, visiting students share their experiences in Toronto, their opinions about the Program and their teachers. The students enthusiastically highlight many of Canada’s famous sightseeing destinations (such as the CN Tower, the CNE, 1000 Islands, and much more). Moreover, one of our own staff members shares her photographs of various graffiti murals in the city. All in all, this issue will provide you with the ultimate Canadian tour guide! In addition, as we do annually this time of year, we share with you the winning photographs from the 2011 ELP Photo Contest. Despite the chillier temperatures, our activity calendar is filled with indoor and outdoor activities to help students practice their English speaking skills beyond the classrooms. Be sure to look at the October activity calendar in this issue, filled with Halloween themed events and more! As always, we hope that you share your successes with us so you can inspire generations of ELP students to come. Last but not least, we would also like to thank all the instructors, staff and students who have contributed to the magazine. We hope you enjoy this issue and consider it representative of your experiences here at the ELP.
All the best, Sherry Yuan Hunter Executive Director, English Language Program, University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
Disclaimer Due to our diverse student population, we receive many opinion-based articles relating to global and current-affairs. The views expressed in this magazine are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the English Language Program.
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issue 75, september 2011
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UDG Students in Canada Every year the University of Donja Gorica in Montenegro, in cooperation with Mr Peter Munk, sends a number of its students to attend English language courses at the University of Toronto, as part of the English Language Program (ELP). Director of the English Language Program, Ms Sherry Yuan Hunter, kindly agreed to answer a few questions about the programme.
1.
Can you tell us briefly about the English Language Program?
The English Language Program (ELP) at the University of Toronto (U of T) has been providing English language instruction to nonnative speakers for almost 50 years, making it one of the oldest providers of English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in North America. We are much more than an ESL program, we are part of U of T, one of the best universities in Canada and the world, therefore our commitment is to excellence. We are located in Toronto, and our multiculturalism is an advantage in this city. Students get a taste of the world by coming to Toronto and coming to the ELP. If you love Toronto, you’ll love the world. We are part of the School of Continuing Studies which provides non-credit education to help people succeed and fulfil their educational ambitions. At the ELP, we have over 2000 student enrolments per year. We have extraordinary instructors and staff. We offer high quality education and a wide variety of activities including our Volunteer Experience Program in which Montenegro students were very involved. We also have a fantastic student magazine, WOW!, and a range of experiential activities such as excursions and clubs. We want our students to study hard so we want them to play hard. To support students who want to go to university or college in Canada, we also have our University Application Program, which supports students through the application process.
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2.
Do you have students from many countries?
We have students studying with us at the ELP from over 60 different countries. 3.
Which students tend to be the most successful?
All students have the potential to succeed. Those who come with an open mind, have a positive attitude and are willing to take feedback are those that we find do the best. 4.
From which country do you have the greatest number of students? Why?
Our top three countries in terms of student numbers are Saudi Arabia, Japan and Korea. Saudi Arabia has a scholarship program and is investing in its youth so they send them abroad to study. In terms of Japan, we collaborate with a number of Japanese universities who send us students year-round. Korea is a key market and the country has strong ties with Canada. 5.
In addition to the summer course we attended, does the ELP also offer other programmes?
We offer courses year-round. We have very varied courses to meet the needs of all students. These include Comprehensive English, Business English, Academic English, Academic Skills for University and College Success and Speaking English. The students from Montenegro studied on the Comprehensive English course which is a six-week program designed to develop a student’s ability in
issue 75, september 2011
everyday communication, focusing on speaking and listening. Our Academic English and Academic Skills for University and College Success courses help prepare students reach their academic goals. Business English is targeted as professionals and aspiring professionals requiring English in order to be successful in their careers. Speaking English is a shorter course we run in the summer which focuses on oral communication skills. In addition, we offer courses that are customized. For example, we run courses in English for Teaching.
shows a deep bond with our program and instructors has been created. The ELP helps make the world a smaller place as students experience the world in one place here.
6.
10. One last question: are you satisfied with the performance of Montenegrin students?
How many students do you have per year?
Over 2000 enrolments. 7.
Do you give scholarships?
Not yet but we work with governments and organizations that offer scholarships for their students to study English. For example, the governments of Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan. 8.
Do you think that exchanges of students can promote cooperation between countries?
Yes! Students certainly make stronger ties with Toronto and Canada. Once they come here they have develop a strong connection with our country. We hope that next time they are thinking of an international partner to co-operate with in business or education they will feel a natural connection to our country. Recently, I met with a Japanese student who came back to visit us and meet with his former instructor after ten years away. That
9.
Do you see in not so far a future Canadian students coming to Montenegro to study and do business?
Yes, the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto has a strong connection with Montenegro via Robert Austin and Peter Munk himself.
Yes, very! We have had a lot of Montenegrin students study with us over the years. We have found them to be vibrant, full of life and energy! This year’s group, in particular, was very present in all of our activities, especially in our Volunteer Experience Program. by Magdalena Vasovic Student at The University of Donja Gorica ( UDG) The Faculty for International Economics, Finance and Business Montenegro (this article has also been published in Euronerve magazine – a European magazine)
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arwah Khujah, from Madinah, Saudi Arabia, is currently completing Academic Skills for Univesity and College Success. “I am planning to continue my Master in Business because I have recently become interested in it. My background is in Physics and I have not done any research in Business yet. A while ago, I applied for Physics, but due to changing my mind, I will try to switch my major. I have good communication skills, so I am very curious about the cultural differences between countries - especially in business. After I came to Canada, I discovered a lot of differences in the environment, people’s behaviours, their communication styles, and how they interact in diverse situations. My research topic will be about the cultural differences between Canada and Saudi Arabia and their effects on today’s business. My questions will apply both negative and positive aspects and how business people can respond to them effectively in workplace. In the research, I have used primary and secondary methods to have a better understanding of people perspectives and how they see their partners who have diverse backgrounds and come from other countries as well.”
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Academic Skills Students N
ozomi Ikeda from Tokyo, Japan.
Kimbereley Hindy, instructor for Academic Skills for University and Colleges Success talks to a few of her students about their research interests and their academic background.
A
lia Alshanbri
from Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia. “I would like to study immunology at University of Toronto because I took an immunology course and grew fond of it. I would like to research about different ways of improving our immunity including the use of nanotechnology. The researcher has a Bachelor of Science with a major of Microbiology from King Abdulaziz University. She was trained in her university hospital laboratories and the research center. She has work experience as a school laboratory technician. She has acquired a scholarship from The Ministry of Higher Education and relocated to Toronto, Canada where she is planning to pursue her dream by applying for the Immunology Master’s program at the University of Toronto. The research topic is “Nanotechnology and medicine: Treating acute diseases such as Tuberculosis”, the question is, can we cure acute diseases such as tuberculosis by nanotechnology? The research is done by gathering up data from different research articles and the hypothesis is that nanotechnology could be a new solution in treating some diseases that cannot be or have not been treated effectively by conventional methods.”
N
egar Familsabzevari,
from
Hamadan, Iran. “I have acceptance to the University of Toronto Scarborough for Biology. I start my undergraduate program in September, 2011. I am interested in this major because it covers all aspects of living things. I am interested in intracellular reactions because most diseases like cancer and haemophilia originate in cells. I believe that if scientists could understand cells, their relationships, and their language, many treatments could be found. I am a first year Biology student. I finished my high school in Iran and I got a Biology diploma there.”
“I am in a Bachelor program in Japan now, majoring in Korean and minoring in sociology, which focuses on particular ethnic minority groups in Japan.” Ikeda’s interest is in ethnic minority groups in Japan, especially the educational issues about Koreans. Presently, Japan has about 400,000 residents who have Korean nationality and permanent residency. (This number does not include those who acquired Japanese nationality; therefore, there are more descendents of Koreans living in Japan.) The primary cause of such a large population is that the first generation of Koreans in Japan were forced to immigrate to Japan as the labor force under Imperial Japanese rule in that period or the poverty in Korea after that. Considering this background, Japanese society has an obligation to support their ethnic identity as a part of the larger society. The majority of them, especially the third or fourth generation, speak Japanese as their first language and some cannot speak Korean at all. This is one of the most threatening reasons of the loss of their ethnic identity. Ikeda is a Korean major student at a Japanese national university minoring in sociology, in particular ethnic minority groups in Japan. At her university, she completed more than 5 courses about the ethnic minority groups including Ainu, Okinawan, Buraku and Koreans in Japan. In Toronto, where she visited to study, she found several populations speaking both their heritage language and English. Though Japan and Canada have dissimilar backgrounds, she wondered if the system Canada had adopted could be applied in Japan, especially for Koreans in Japan. The research topic is heritage language education for Koreans in Japan. (Heritage language education here means education about parents’ or ancestors’ language and culture.) In the research, Ikeda examined how the Canadian model of heritage language education might be applied in Japan. As primary research, a questionnaire about the recognition of Koreans in Japan and the heritage language education for them was answered by a sampling of Japanese students at the ELP. Also, research about the education for Koreans in Japan and about heritage language education are analyzed as secondary research. It is hypothesized that Koreans in Japan are not recognized adequately in the country and therefore, the necessity of heritage language education is not appreciated.
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A
laa Aldossari
from Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia. “I am planning to continue my higher studies in Education or Marketing here in Canada. In fact, I am in the process of applying for universities to get acceptance soon.” Alaa is interested in Montessori education, as it has become extremely popular for children all over the world. It is also important for the educational development process which will make a significant difference in the outcome of the next generation in the near future. The first beneficiary of this research is parents, as they will have a deep understanding of the Montessori system, which leads to a better choice of schools for their children. Another beneficiary is the owners and people in charge in Montessori schools as they play a dramatic part in this issue. Alaa Aldossari was trained by a qualified trainer who practised learning and teaching Montessori for more than 20 years. Alaa also was a Montessori instructor for almost two years for children between 3 to 6 years old. Alaa had work experience in two different institutions of teaching Montessori before she came to Canada to continue her education. In fact, her work experience deeply contributed to recognizing some differences and obstacles in applying this kind of education. One main issue was the absence of implementing the Montessori methods as it was presented by Maria Montessori herself about 100 years ago. Eventually, this caused unpredictable influence on the process and quality of teaching Montessori in schools. As globalization has enabled the knowledge to spread briskly worldwide, Montessori education has become one of those revolutions because it deals with all children including special needs in a very successful way. While such a system has specific theoretical and practical methods, some educational institutions misunderstand or simply ignore a number of strategies of this kind of education. The significant role of parents in Saudi Arabia in choosing schools that follow the Montessori scripts has become a demand and it is necessary to educate those parents to avoid the spread of low standards and criteria of some fake schools in this domain. Alaa is doing a primary research where there will be a questionnaire for parents who have children in Montessori schools. It will focus on the concept of Montessori and show what kind of information they already know and whether it is enough to know what is truly happening inside “classes.” The research will examine the range of knowledge necessary for parents to reduce the consequences of unreal Montessori schools in KSA, plus it will give a clear description of the correct way of 9 Montessori to be presented.
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Jeollabuk-do Canadian Impressions Introduction by Jennifer Harris, Instructor at the English Language Program This summer we were pleased to have 50 teachers from the Jeollabuk-do Office of Education (our JOE group, as we like to call them) join us for our English for Teaching program. They participated in a 4-week program that included observations, research projects, presentations, guest speakers…. and lots of activities on the weekends. Their instructors, Effie, Marijke and Jennifer S were quite impressed by these enthusiastic and hard-working teachers who spent their summer becoming better teachers and better speakers of English. How lucky for their students in Korea to have such dedicated teachers!
MY SWEET HOMESTAY by KyoungA Yu
Toronto is a very multicultural city and people from all ethnic backgrounds are respected and treated equally. To me, the happiest memory is the family in Toronto. My host (nickname is Lulu) is a nice lady who welcomes people in her home. She is a chef at an exclusive restaurant in Toronto's famous CN Tower. Lulu always makes a delicious dinner. So my friends are envious of me. I think the reason for the nice meal is Lulu's special love. I will remember this sweet house when I return to the Korea. Wonderful memories!
CANADA, EH? by Eanah Lee Canada… I just know that Canada is one of the big countries, the weather is very cold and Canadians speak bilingual in English and French. I didn’t know Canada a lot. So I wanted to learn a lot of things about Canada. As soon as I arrived, I went around many places after school. Toronto Island by canoe, the Jazz Festival, the Rogers Center to watch baseball and many countries’ festival, etc. They were exciting. I could understand Canadian history and culture. Especially, many people from other countries are living in Canada. I was impressed by living in cooperation with each other and respecting other’s cultures. It seems like Canada is a miniature of the world.
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MY NEW TURNING POINT AS A TEACHER Kyounghwa Lee I have worked as a teacher since 2001. It's more than 10 years making a living as a teacher. There is a famous saying about a decade, 'Even the rivers and mountains can be changed in a decade.' When this year started I thought I needed some driving force for another decade. That made me join this teacher's English training course at the University of Toronto. My first impression of the class was...DIFFICULT! The content of the class was good, but the class time in Korean elementary school is only 40 minutes. I was not used to being seated for two hours the first time. Fortunately, as the time went by, it became easy to handle. The most interesting and impressive time during the teacher's training was observation class. I had a chance to observe the class of other ESL students. I was very surprised in one class. There were two blind students in that class. I observed the teacher how she taught those kids very carefully, because I also taught a blind girl as a homeroom, teacher three years ago. When I had a lesson about reading and writing, that blind girl usually had to be still. She could not read and write although she had an assistant teacher who helped only her. But the blind students here could read and write with braille and computers. When the teacher had to give them a handout, she gave the braille handout that already was typed by her own braille writer. I couldn't find any trouble with the blind students during the class. I thought my blind student was so poor that she met a teacher like me, not like the teacher here at that time!! Through this observation class I came to think about my students. Every student has the right to learn fairly, every teacher has to have a regard for the demands of the students. I will try to listen to my students' opinions and love them when I come back!
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RECYCLING
Hey ELP Student:
by Jina Kim I went to the recycling depot with my homestay host. At home, we had to separate everything that is plastic, glass, paper, cardboard and tin. When we arrived at the depot, we had to deposit recyclables in the correct bin. While I was separating, some people came there and also recycled their things. It’s very interesting for me. When I lived in Korea, we put our recycle bins in front of our house and someone came to pick them up. We never drove to a depot. I am impressed with the way Canadian’s recycle because they collect all the containers and remove labels as well. Canadians have very clean and honest recycling rules. I decided to do that way when I go back to Korea. I didn’t realize that we can received a deposit for some recyclables, for example pop cans, water bottles, juice packs and so on. Unfortunately I have been throwing these things in the garbage. Today I realized I have been throwing money away. Oh my goodness. I’ll never do that again!
AFTER OBSERVATION CLASS by Keumsun Lee
My first observed class’ focus was speaking impromptu. It was a very interesting experience for me. There were 9 students including the 2 blind people. The 2 blind people used a braille computer and there was no difficulty participating in class. It was a shock to me and I respected the professor in that class and Toronto University’s education system. The second observed class’ focus was English through movie and drama. it was very interesting because I like to watch movies. There were three steps (before the movie, during the movie, after movie). After finishing the film, students have to write a journal related to the movie, and then, the teacher will give feedback to the students with comments. Teacher’s feedback will help students improve upon speaking and writing fluency. Through classroom observations I learned the teacher’s enthusiasm and attitude, so I appreciate this opportunity.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE DISCUSSION?
What’s your favourite English word & why? related to today’s topic, take a guess, and ask for student’s background knowledge and experience. And then, explain new vocabulary, sentences and how to do the activities, like Korean teachers. But they use many discussion activities in almost every lesson. Students have to discuss with their group members and think of main ideas. I think effective discussions are the heart of their lessons. I had difficulty expressing my opinion and thinking. Because I don’t speak English very well, I am not my accustomed to discussion. But, more and more, I could improve speaking skill through sharing findings with my classmates. Also I know discussion is a very important process for defining my ideas and organizing goals.
LOST MY MIND IN TORONTO by Oh, Deukbin I came to have special memories in Toronto. I felt I became a fool here. When I went some place, I always lost something. The first lost thing was an umbrella. It was rainy that morning, but sunny in the afternoon. So, I left my umbrella at the library. The second lost thing was sunglasses. When I went to the Woodbury outlet, I didn’t`t pay attention to shopping bag. So I threw my sunglasses into a garbage can in New York. I couldn’t`t believe what I did. The last lost thing was shoes. I guess that my shoes were stolen. Anyway, I can’t find my shoes anymore. I think Toronto is a too fantastic city, I lost my mind!! If you are in Toronto, the very wonderful city, you should concentrate on everything, especially on studying English!
by Mi-na Lee
I think there are some similarities and differences in teaching English after I had three observation classes. At first, many Canadian teachers begin the lesson doing prediction and eliciting. They show a picture
“Pathetic, because it’s very descriptive!” Mehmet K.
“Social Drinker, because I’m a social drinker!” Fabiano
TORONTO’S BEST ATTRACTION: CN TOWER by SeonAh Yoon
The CN Tower, is located in downtown Toronto, and is 553 meters high. I could see the CN Tower everywhere in Toronto. You will be able to take in the sight of Lake Ontario, the city and the Retractable Roof baseball park, which is located next to the CN Tower. The streets were laid out in a grid pattern in Toronto and there are a lot of trees. So, from above, it kind of looks like a city in the jungle. It’ll be interesting when you walk on the glass floor from on high. Also, it has an observatory where you can walk the edge of the outside tower with strings tied to your body on the 2nd floor, 356 meters high. It’s the CN Tower’s edge walk. It opened this month, August first, 2011. Best of all, you can see a beautiful night view from the CN Tower.
“Soul mate, sounds fun ..” TueSi
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THE TORONTO PUBLIC REFERENCE LIBRARY by Hyun Gun Lee There is a thirteen-hour time difference between Seoul and Toronto. To make things worse, it was a very hot day that I came to Canada. And I had jetlag for the first week in Toronto. It made me very tired all day. I had just 2 hours to sleep every day. But I remembered why I came to Canada. Why is Toronto good for ESL program? Is there any place for ESL? I wondered that what Toronto's benefit was for learning English. My first step for finding out is the library. You ask to me why the first step is the library. The library is very important for citizens. We can know that nation's level of culture through the library. Also, libraries are helpful to students for learning English and studying. Let's figure out the Toronto public library. Do you know how many libraries are there in Toronto? There are 3 reference libraries and 99 branch library in this city. The reference library is important for studying for students. And with 99 branches across Toronto, libraries are always close to your home in this city. There are various books, music and videos in both regular formats and special formats, such as : large print, closed caption & descriptive DVDs, book kits for all ages(books with CDs or cassettes), text-to-voice databases and e-books. So whenever you need help with learning and studying, you can find a neighborhood library. I recommend that if you come to Toronto to attend an ESL program you should go to a library first. It is first for succeeding in Toronto. Here is the branch map and homepage. h t t p : //w w w.to ro n to p u b l i c l i b ra r y.c a / branches/index.jsp
THANKS TO MARIJKE by Ji-hyeon, Yi I was lucky to be with my professor Marijke in my core class. She gave me a lot of useful guidance and techniques about teaching speaking, listening, writing, and reading. Her philosophy of education is consistent and reasonable. And she always encourages me to learn well even though I couldn't speak English fluently. Also I was really impressed with her 'Micro-teaching feedback'. She corrected my errors of micro-teaching with her kind comments. Of course, I know giving feedback to the students is a time-consuming job for the teachers. Nevertheless, she gave each of the students helpful feedback. I appreciate her from my heart. And I respect her as my role model.
SHE HAS CHARISMA! By Pak Saet-byeol I am interested in languages. When I was a student, my favorite subject was Korean & English, always. So I wanted to be good at those but English (especially speaking) made me crazy. Even though I got a good score on English exams, I couldn't say anything. A few years ago I stared to study English again. Now I am not good enough at English but I can say what I want to express.I wanted to learn how to teach English in English in Canada. That was the reason I volunteered for this training. Frankly speaking, there was nothing special for me in this course since in the past five years I've learned many things in Korean teacher's training center. Nevertheless, I like this program because of my teacher, Marijke. She was a charismatic leader. At the same time, she was humorous. That attraction of her made me pay attention and study during this program. Now, I want to be a teacher like Marijke. After studying English hard, I'll be a good teacher who raises the study desire of my students.
Anna Ngo enjoying Korean cuisine
A CANADIAN IN KOREA In June, Becky Smith, our International Marketing Manager visited South Korea. Part of the trip was spent in Jeonju where she met with the group of teachers from Jelloabukdo province who studied at the ELP this summer. The rest of the trip was spent conducting meetings in Seoul. One evening she was lucky enough to be given a guided tour of Insadong, a very artistic part of Seoul, by a familiar ELP face, Anna Ngo. Anna is a former Cultural Assistant and is now teaching English at a primary school in Seoul. After four months living in Seoul, Becky asked Anna about her experiences.
How are you settling in to life in Seoul? Very well. I’m getting used to the Korean culture and language. I’ve had some classes and can now read and speak some Korean. I’m also getting used to the spicy food and much better at using chopsticks. I went to a very interesting Korean culture event a few weeks ago and tried on a ‘hanbok’, a traditional Korean dress. What do you find different from life in Toronto? The toilets! I’m not used to the squat-style toilets. I also think there is more respect here in Korea for seniors. For example, on the subway there are special seats for senior, pregnant and disabled people. People really respect that these seats are just for these groups of people. What do you miss about Toronto? Raisin and oatmeal cookies from Tim Hortons! What are you hoping to do during the rest of your time here? I really want to explore South Korea and the rest of Asia as it’s the first time I’ve been to this part of the world. Is there anything you’d like to say to your friends at the ELP? I miss you!
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I AM Japanese “II am Jap Ja ane nese” se wa was writ ritten ten by En Engli glish Langua Lan uage ge Pro Progra gram m stud student entss from from Kw Kwa ansei Gakuin Gak uin Un Unive iversi rsity ty y and WA WAYO YO Wom Women’ en’ss U ver Uni v sitty: Takas kashi h Fuj Fujina inaka, ka, Ka K na Fuj F ita, Saori Has ashim hi oto to,, Rika Rika Hi Hirow rowasa asa,, Say Sayaka Iguchi, Rie Ito,, Kayomi om Minowa, Yuk Yuka a Motoike, Kosei Oha hara, Nozom omi Okaz k aki, Kazu azuhiro Oshio, Shiori Sak aka amoto, o, an and d Gaku Gaku Ya Yamam mamoto ot . Itt is bas based b ed on “II Am Am Can Ca adian Canadi adia an , a Ca an”, anadian television comm tel ommerc ercial ial fo forr Mols Molson on bee beerr that firs air first a ed in 200 2000. 0 The co comme mmerci cial al sho showed a man man nam na ed Joe Joe, an aver erage age Ca Canad nadiian, standi sta nd ng in i a thea heatre re, with ith a cin cinema ema sc screen beh e ind him m show howing diffe f ren rentt imag mages es rel relating to o Can C adi a an n cul u ture e. Jo oe gave gav a spe eech ec ab bout o whatt Cana wha Can dia ians ns are e, and an wha whatt Cana Canadia dians ns are not. The ad not a ver v tis tising ing ca campa m ign gn wa wass a hu huge ge suc ccesss for Mol o son n. You ca Yo c n chec check k out out the he Ca Canad nadian an versi rsion on on YouTub You ube e (sea (search rch Mo Molso lson n Beer er Co Comme mmerci rcial, al, I Am Can Canadi adian) adi an) n)!!
THE JAPANESE VERSION Hey! He Hey ey y! My la My lastt name las me iss no me nott Su uzu z zu uki ki an and nd I am not n n a sam no amura ur i o ura orr a sum u o wres um umo w es e tle t er tl er ((an and don a on’’t expe xp ctt to see e a sam sam mura u io ura orr ninj nin inj n a when en ny yo ou’r u’re e wa kin wal k ng dow ki ow th own he sstre ttre reet in n Jap Japan) an) Wh le Whi Wh e I am am prou prou roud ro d that that hat ssu umo m is our u na natio tio onal n sp port or , we do no all do sumo not sumo um orr ju judo do I am not a geis eiish eis ha a eit itth her e An And A nd we don’t alll w wear ear ki kimon monos mon os ev every eve ry y day (the they th y are jus justt for special events t ) I have a Prime Minist ster, st ter, no nott a Pr Presi es den esi dentt (And his name is not Koi Koizum zumii or zum or Kan Kan any anymor more; mor e Nod e; Noda a is our Prime Minister now!) w!)) Yes, I like to eat sushi and temp mpur mp ura, bu ur ura utt not n EV VERY DA DAY Y And not every Japanese person n can make ke sus sushi hi Japan has many beautiful places for sights htseei eing, g, not only hot springs Politeness and kindness are important in Japan; these are virtues for Japanese But just like people in all countries I have a lot of ideas and opinions And taking off my shoes when I enter a house is our custom I am proud of our technology I am proud of our anime and manga And I can proudly watch children all over the world enjoy pokeman and yu-ji-oh Japanese food is delicious, especially our cakes And while Tokyo is an amazing, exciting city, Japan is not only Tokyo Japan is a country with beautiful nature like Mt M Fuji and sakura – that means ‘cherry blossoms’ (eve ev v n if they he e only bloom in spring and it’s a shortt tim t e) Japan has beautiful traditiona ona nall sshri na hrines hri nes an and d temp temp m les le e an nd castles We have many disaster ter erss like ke ea arth hqua q kes k s an nd tsun sunami unami am miss and volcanic eruption ion on o ns But we overcome ou our disa disa saste sa ste ers r and nd re emai main ma n stro t ng. tr ng I .....AM..... JAPANE ANE NE ESE! E!!! ! !!
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Graffiti in Toronto
world of words
by Becky Smith Some 30,000 years ago in Europe and North America, prehistoric men and women decided to leave their mark on the world. They used animal bones and dyes to draw on the walls of caves and mark rocks to leave messages for those who came after them. Today, this practice continues and we can see it in most cities around the world, including Toronto. Instead of animal bones and dyes, however, the tools used are spray cans and paint. Instead of cave walls and rocks, the drawings and messages are made on the walls of laneways and garage doors. Look around and it won’t take long to find something scrawled on a wall nearby. Graffiti is everywhere. And has been throughout history. The word graffiti itself is thought to originate from the Greek verb ‘graphien’ (to write) and it can take many forms. “Tagging”, for example, is the most common. This is where a graffiti “artist” will quickly and quite simply write their name or nickname, often many times, as a form of marking territory. Then there is the extension to this in the form of
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the more creative “throw up” or “bombing”, which is also usually the artist’s name, painted quickly but using two or three colours and usually outlined. An even more elaborate “piece” may created using a larger range of colours with a much more stylized design. According to the City of Toronto, graffiti is a criminal act and is considered to be, “one or more letters, symbols, figures, scratches, inscriptions, stains or other marking that disfigure or deface a structure or thing” but it does not include art murals, “deliberately implemented for the purpose of beautifying the specific location.” Thousands of dollars are spent each year by the city, householders and business owners cleaning up the graffiti left on their property. This is where the distinction between what is art and what is crime becomes hard to define. In the eyes of those whose property is affected and for which they have to, by law, clean up, graffiti is usually seen as a crime. It’s often seen as a symbol of an area in decline and associated with drugs, gangs and violence. However, it may also be that in the eyes of those creating the graffiti what they are doing is indeed art. Because a creative piece is not sanctioned as an “art”
issue 75, september 2011
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mural, does that make it any less artistic? It’s also interesting to consider whether the images and words we see posted across walls in the form of legal advertising might be considered “art” or, equally, a “crime” by some. Modern day graffiti is thought to have emerged in the mid-1970’s in New York City and has spread throughout the world as a means of communication and selfexpression. Although it is certainly unsightly and unwelcome in many instances, there are examples of graffiti that can be considered to display genuine, artistic talent. Some artists have gained worldwide recognition. And, yet, because of the perceived criminal nature of what they do, remain anonymous. One such individual is the British artist, Banksy, whose real identity is unknown. Banksy’s work is considered by many to be highly skilled and often provides a thought-provoking social commentary and anti-war message. Were his work
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created on a canvas and placed in an art gallery, it is highly likely visitors would pay to see it. However, Banksy prefers to paint under the cover of darkness, often with stencils, and uses objects he finds in the city and outdoor walls to share his art with the wider public. Some cities have recognized the quality of his work and have taken the decision to preserve it. Others have cleaned it off in the same way they do with any other graffiti. Banksy visited Toronto recently. Some of the works he left as his calling cards have disappeared but at least one piece has been preserved. It can be found under perspex on the north-west corner of Church and The Esplanade. Finding examples of graffiti around the city can be a great way to spend an afternoon. Organized tours of some popular graffiti locations are available but it is possible to see some excellent examples by just knowing where to look. Popular locations
issue 75, september 2011 for graffiti artists can be found along Croft Street (between College and Harbord), throughout Kensington Market and on Rush Lane (between Spadina and Portland ). Rush Lane, North of Richmond West and South of Queen West has actually earned itself the nickname, Graffiti Alley.
Links
It’s also possible to spot legal ‘murals’ around the city , particularly in the Bloorcourt Village area. Some of these are created by a group of young artists from the L.O.F.T. The L.O.F.T. is a community organization providing opportunities for young and upcoming graffiti artists to, “beautify vandalized walls” in a legal and safe way. The idea is to harness the talent and empower these young people through community-based and legally-sanctioned art projects.
Tours of Graffiti Alley with Graeme Parry:
Public urban spaces are not always the most beautiful parts of our environment but, in some cases, adding colour and creating a free outdoor art exhibition for the wider community should perhaps not always be considered a crime.
Toronto City Graffiti Management Plan: http://www.toronto.ca/graffiti/ Banky’s film “Exit Through the Giftshop”: http://www.banksyfilm.com/ http://www.graemeparry.com/Site/Toronto_ Laneways.html Tours of Graffiti Alley with The Tour Guys: http://www.tourguys.ca/toronto-tours/ graffiti-in-toronto-tour/ The L.O.F.T: http://www.conccommunity.org/index.php/ loft/programs/graffiti_arts/
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In early August, ELP students took a trip to the St. Lawrence Market for the annual St. Lawrence Market Corn Roast! An admissionsfree event that celebrates and promotes Ontario’s produce. Located at Front and Jarvis Street, in the centre of the historic Old Town Toronto and within the City’s financial and entertainment core, the four buildings that make up the St. Lawrence Market once served as Toronto’s social centre, marketplace and City Hall. Today, there are over 120 specialty merchants and vendors producing fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, grains, baked goods and dairy products, a weekly farmer’s market and a cultural exhibition space upstairs.
more of a wall than a actual store. I convinced Sachiko and Hitomi to buy some of these Skraprs that debuted on the popular CBC show, Dragon’s Den. There was a small television next to it playing the infomercial that made it famous: it somehow is able to scrape anything off anything without scratching the surface. We spent a long time at this kitchen supply store/wall. Lastly, we ventured downstairs where Ayana, Kayoko, Tomoko, Ayumi and Sean found some funky napkin holders, more souvenirs and giant 1-ton jugs of maple syrup! Lisa and Sayaka bought some maple cookies and discovered some more free samples including a variety of confectures or jams on crackers, little squares of yellow, white and blue cheeses and an organic stall that was giving away mung beans and alfalfa sprout mixes with drizzles of tahini dressing on top. “I don’t like this very much” said Lisa, making a face. “Give it to me!” I declared, this salad reminds me of the years I spent working at health food stores in Kensington and the Danforth.
With this in mind, it was not surprising then that as we lined up for almost an hour to get some free roasted corn, we were treated to healthy samples of home-made corn bread (with real corn kernels inside!), hand-squeezed lemonade and home-style jams on biscuits. “Oh, these are so delicious!”, The weather was 35 degrees with the humidity but it was so nice to be remarked Sachiko as she bit into the bread and took a sip of inside the market and as the day drew to an end, we all split up. Ayumi, her lemonade. Sean took the liberty of getting us a few more Ayana, Tomoko and Kayoko decided to head to the Eaton Centre for pieces so we wouldn’t lose our spot in line. some more shopping, Sean went to Dufferin Park to try and join the ELP While waiting, we could see that the event was run by basketball game there, Lisa, Hitomi and others went off to Queen’s Park volunteers, wearing bright green t-shirts, young and old, station for a Japanese exchange session and I went left with Sayaka to go many had been shucking, peeling, boiling and roasting corn to the Taste of the Danforth! all morning and afternoon long. Several thousand kilograms of local Ontario corn could be seen sitting in onion bags in the back of a pick-up truck next to the roasting station. The heat was almost unbearable for us, so it is hard to imagine what the by Karen Cao volunteers and farmers were going through. One volunteer didn’t even wear gloves or use tongs as he maneuvered over the grill and flipped a hot corn with his bare hands. “Here you go!” he shouted gruffly, “butter?” None of us took any butter with our corn. “Why not? That is so strange!” said an elderly volunteer, “I eat everything with butter, I can’t imagine not surviving without it!” “It is not common on the other side of the world” someone in the line responded, “there are many tourists here.” “Oh!” replied the volunteer and smiled. As we sat down to eat our corn, Ayumi decided to take a few photographs of us before we made a mess of ourselves. 20 minutes later, we were stuffed and happy. The corn was hot, sweet and flavourful. After cleaning up, we then ventured into the Market itself. So many vendors! So many things! And all of it so fresh! First thing Tomoko spotted was a giant pig carcass on a trolley, this of course called for a photo. Being Saturday, there were also samples everywhere! We tasted 5 different kinds of nutty mustards on soft bread, thinly cured and sliced Italian meats in little paper cups and several types of thick and creamy pasta sauces. In one winery, we had to squeeze into a very small cooler (like sardines) to get a taste of some Niagara ice wine! Golden and syrupy, the sales associate joked “don’t drink a full cup of this or you’ll go blind or get diabetes!” Kayoko bought a bottle for a family friend back home, “you know, you’re going to Niagara Falls next week right” I said. “I know” she grinned. Next we moved on past the deli and into a wacky and fun souvenir store before stopping at a kitchen supply kiosk that seem to sell everything from banana holders to nearly a hundred different cookie cutters. Actually, it was
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issue 75, september 2011
by Karen Cao
Toronto Islands BBQ!
So much to carry. Most of it food! Off to the ferry. Find us a good space yo. Lighting coals. Frisbee throws. All-dressed chips. Hamburger licks. Hummus dips. Soccer kicks. Is that Toronto FC? They’re giving out free food! Johnny! Steal us their ketchup! We’ll return it, don’t worry. Beach time. Hey, where are the swimmers? Vincent has a brilliant idea. Throw all the girls into the water! No! Screamed Laura. Mami gets thrown in too. Karen is drenched. Boo. Sand castle building. “We love JC!” Lets take some photos. Watermelon cutting. Hey, its Darren! Pull up your pants ! yo. Oh but its time to go. Waiting for the ferry. Lets play some Daifugō. It’s beginning to rain. But we arrive home safely.
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Discover Our Toronto
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These are some of the activities we have experienced during our summer in Toronto. We hope that you will find these useful. If you want to experience a sensory place, don’t miss the St. Lawrence Market. Go and enjoy the freshness and variety of their fruits, vegetables, dairy products and the most famous Peameal Bacon Sandwich. Here are two restaurants to visit. If you are in Little Portugal, try Brazilian food at ‘Brazilian Star.” The typical food there is similar to original Brazilian food. The second place is “Medieval Times.” You can enjoy an exciting medieval death while you are eating. If you are an animal lover, the Toronto Zoo is the best place to go. You can have incredible underwater viewing, watching animals playing in the water from a short distance. You can also enjoy the sunshine and up-close sightings of animals. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood – the finest area in town. If you are wondering how to get there, just look for the oddly-shaped ROM museum. The best thing about Toronto Island is the variety of activities that you can do on a sunny day. Having a BBQ, playing soccer, seeing the Toronto skyline, riding a fourwheeled bicycle, sunbathing at the Island’s beach are among the thousands of ways you can take advantage of your time in this place. Why should you go to the RibFest in Mississauga? You will have the opportunity to try some delicious food that is typical for North Americans. You can expect to find many kinds of meat such as pulled pork which can be made into a sandwich and ribs. You absolutely MUST try the cornbread! It’s only $2 per piece. The best sauce is Kentucky Sauce. The best pulled pork sandwich is the New Mexico sandwich and the best cornbread is Wolfpack. Tip: if you don’t want to wait in a long queue, you can buy a Rib Pass for $20 at the entrance to the festival. You should visit Korea Town because it’s very clean. Korea is famous for the soju and many students from this country talk about this drink. You may find Korea Town boring because it has too few people.
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The Polish area in Toronto is something completely different to visit from the other parts of the city. There are many small shops and cafés and many churches and restaurants. It’s very worthwhile to try Polish food as well because it is different from Asian or Mediterranean food and very delicious! Finally you should visit the Polish bakeries too to explore the sweet side of the Polish kitchen.
issue 75, september 2011
Even though Toronto doesn’t have a ‘Japanese Town’, it’s easy to touch Japanese culture. The Japan Foundation provides great opportunities to understand Japanese traditions by holding photo exhibitions and giving special lectures by professionals from Japan. They also have a library where you can enjoy Japanese comics in English. The Japan Foundation building is an 8 minute walk from OISE east along Bloor Street, near the ‘Cartier’ advertisement. In addition, if you are interested in Japanese martial arts such as Judo, Kendo, Kyudo, Aikido, Iai-do, you can learn them at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, just a 30 minute bus ride (no. 100) from Eglinton. If you are in Toronto in July, go to the Salsa Festival! You can feel enthusiasm and excitement from the music and dance there. If you go, you must eat Latin American food. You can meet Latin American people on St. Clair Ave. West in Toronto! If you are into long, relaxing walks along the water, or if you are an athletic person and you want to have a nice run with great scenery, or if you just want to have a good cooling cocktail beside the water during crazy hot weather, the Sunnyside neighbourhood is the area for you to visit. Sunnyside gives you a feeling like you are on vacation even though you are in the middle of Toronto’s hectic life. So don’t waste time! Go out and have fun! Speaking English July 4 – 22, 2011
by Andrei Sakuma, Bruno Brandao, Helen Tseng, Jake Jarzabek, Joyce Yuan-Chin, Laila Grillo, Marina Kuzhleva, Soo Chung, Thomas Cegal Gouthier de Vilhena, Tomohito Saito, Zina Indermaur photo credit: Toronto’s Landscapes by Nick de Guzman (flickr; left) & High Park Discovery Walk (right)
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MISO SOUP
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Flavors of the World: Japan
Hello! We are Chefs Miki, Chiaki, Natsuki, and Kana from Chukyo University in Japan. Here are three popular and delicious Japanese dishes you can cook at home! We hope you enjoy our recipes!
Tofu, cubed Wakame (seaweed) Miso, spoonful Katsuobushi (fish soup stock) Negi (green onion), diced Water
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Steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Bring water to boil Add some katsuobushi to taste Melt and stir miso into mix Add tofu and wakame Finish by adding desired amount of negi – that’s it!!
Chef’s comments: Miso soup is best served with rice and grilled fish – this is a very simple and common Japanese meal!
Miso Soup by bluewaikiki
Herb Omurice by nyaa_birdies_perch
Yakisoba by jetalone
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Recommended by: Natsuki Ingredients:
OMURICE (Omelette + Rice) Recommended by: Miki and Kana Ingredients:
2 eggs Milk (optional) Steamed rice ¼ Onion, diced Chicken, chunks Ketchup Peas, mushroom, carrot and sausage chunks (optional)
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Steps: 1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Fry onion and chicken pieces, as well as peas, mushroom, carrot, and sausage chunks if desired Add rice and ketchup (to taste) and fry together In a bowl, beat eggs; for a milder taste, add milk In a separate frying pan, fry egg mixture in one flat, circular piece; cook on both sides Wrap the egg around the fried rice miX Top with ketchup, if desired
YAKISOBA Recommended by: Chiaki Ingredients: -
Steps: 1. 2. 3.
Yellow rice noodles, boiled ¼ Onion, sliced Cabbage pieces, shredded Carrot, chopped Chunks of meat (any kind) Salt and pepper Oyster sauce
Fry all vegetables and meat Add noodles and fry together Mix together salt, pepper, and oyster sauce, to taste
Chef’s comments: You can combine Omurice and Yakisoba to make Omusoba, simply by wrapping fried egg around Yakisoba! Top with oyster sauce or ketchup, to taste. Meshiagare (help yourself)!
issue 75, september 2011
Volunteer Experience Program
The Volunteer Experience Program allows ELP students to volunteer in Canada. There are many exciting events that students and participate in, such marathons/runs, theatre production, and special events. These opportunities allow our students to learn English and experience Canadian culture and festivities! It’s a great opportunity for anyone looking to apply to school or work.
Want to learn more? VEP Meetings are every Wednesday at 5:15PM in OISE Room 4-160. Or you can email the volunteer coordinator at vep.elp@utoronto.ca.
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world of words lights, camera, action.
H T I W L I V E G N I T H G I F
r e t t o P y r r Ha & the Deathly hallows part 2
In late July, about a dozen ELP students took a studious trip to Yonge and Eglinton's shiny cinema complex to watch the last installment of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series! Dubbed, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2,� the much anticipated film is Part II of the epic finale where wizards battle in an all-out war. Harry makes a startling discovery about his relationship with Lord Voldemort that forces him to make the ultimate sacrifice while a surprising frienemy helps save the day. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 garnered an amazing 97% approval rating on RottenTomatoes.com so it must be good right? Well, here are some reactions from ELP students who went and witness Harry's last adventure:
Karen: When did you start reading or watching Harry Potter? Manuel: I have read all of them and I have seen all of them. I started reading them when the first book was published. JinKyung: I have read and seen all of Harry Potter movies and books!! But I think books are better more interesting than movies. I was interested in Harry Potter when I was 10 or 11 years old. When I read a Harry Potter first time, I was really impressed by the story... the wizard, everything! Kkk. I've never read such kind of story before. Karen: Who is your favourite character? Manuel: Maybe I like Harry the most. Because it is all about him. Karen: Favourite or least favourite scene? Byung-ryul: When Harry got attack.... because he looked so brave. Brenda: Least favourite scene? None. My most favourite scene is when they fight for what they believe in, and never give up. It impressed me so much. JinKyung: Well, My favourite character in Harry Potter is Harry's best friend, Ron. He is a funny guy and helped Harry a lot and in so many ways. Also, he is so cute. Karen: Why do you think Harry Potter has such a wide appeal (in terms of age, gender etc.)? Byung-ryul: I think it is good for any age to read Harry Potter. In addition, I think (Rowling's) earlier work was for children but her later work is for children and adult. So that's why Harry Potter is so appealing to so many people, age groups and backgrounds! Brenda: I think it is because Harry Potter touches on so many themes about the friendship, adventure, kindhearted character, some vague love, challenge-facing...
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Karen: Do you think this is really then END of Harry Potter? Brenda: Maybe not. JK Rowling is still young and imaginative; she can create the next and next Harry Potter serials if she want. She can let the book be traced back to a period or prolong the story etc. and I think she must still has many readers. Besides, there is an evident truth that she is a writer. As a writer, she will keep writing in the future. So maybe she can create more stories related to Harry Potter.
interview by Karen Cao
issue 75, september 2011
Stargazing in Toronto: the Toronto International Film Festival REVIEWS
Did you Know? One of the best times of the year to visit Toronto is in September. Why you ask? Because one of the biggest film festivals in the world takes place in Toronto in September - the Toronto International Film Festival.
Where Do We Go Now Nadine Labaki Lebanon
This year marks the 36th anniversary of the festival; it first started in 1976. The festival is one of Canada’s foremost attractions; people from all over the world attend the festival, most of them come year after year. During the festival, Downtown Toronto turns into stargazing central! You are sure to run into a celebrity or two as you walk, bike or dine. Most importantly, the festival is particularly great for international students because they get to see many world premieres as well as films from their own countries!
In this funny, vibrant and beautifully shot musical, women of a small town in Lebanon try to resolve religious tensions between the men of the town through various elaborate plans. The film’s original music brings a light hopeful tone to the story, where characters threaten to erupt in fights any moment. Moreover, strong performances all around make every character worthy of their screen time. This is perhaps why the film won the People’s Choice Award at the festival this year!
Le Havre
Aki Kaurismaki Finland
Salmon S a Fishing g in Yemen
Le Havre
Where Do We Go Now?
In this feature, you can read a few reviews of films that were previewed at this year’s festival.
An elderly man, who works as a shoe-shiner in Northern France, decides to harbour and help an illegal fugitive. As the child is being chased by the authorities, the entire neighbourhood bands together to help the boy make his way to his mother in London. This film is timely, light-hearted and smart.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Lasse Hallström United Kingdom
This movie is based on the best-selling book by Paul Torday. Directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, Kristin Scott Thomas and Amr Waked, the film tells the story of Dr Alfred Jones, a fisheries scientist. His life is beyond dull and his marriage is in a state of collapse but when he is ordered to participate in a crazy, hair-brained plan to take salmon fishing to the to the highlands of Yemen everything changes. Jones is played by Mcgregor and Blunt plays a young project manager tasked with realizing the scheme on behalf of a Yemeni sheikh, played by Waked. However, the star of the movie is, undoubtedly, Thomas who delivers a superb performance as the belligerent press officer to the British Prime Minister. At times romantic and sad the film delivers wicked humour, and is sure to be a box office hit.
Mar ha Marcy May Marlene Sean Durkin U.S.A.
Starring Elizabeth Olsen who plays Martha, also known as Marcy May and Marlene, this movie tells the story of a young woman who runs away from an abusive cult in the American countryside. Haunted by her painful memories, Martha attempts to return to normality by spending time with her sister and her sister’s husband. Throughout the movie we see flashbacks of Martha’s time amid the cult interwoven seamlessly with the present day. However, as the film progresses reality and fiction merge as Martha’s paranoia increases. The film is thought-provoking and, at times, disturbing. It’s abrupt ending may leave the audience with a sense of dissatisfaction but will no doubt be the subject of late-night discussions due to the many questions left unanswered.
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world of words Mark Tang (CUHK) and Sungsu Kim
Life in Canada, A Retrospective Former students of ELP, now back in their home countries, can’t seem to stop thinking about their stay in Canada. Lend an ear as Mark, Kayoko, and Jordan reminisce about their great Canadian adventures…
WoW: Out of the Canadian cities you visited, which was your favorite? Why? Jordan: I think Quebec City was the best city. I love that European type of city very much. Moreover, I loved the food there. Although the food there was quite expensive, it was still so delicious.
WoW: What were your favourite pastimes during your time in Canada?
Kayoko: Niagara Falls, because they were so powerful! I actually had so much fun there!
Mark: My favourite pastime in Canada was cooking with my classmates. As my dormitory was close to the school, I always invited my classmates over to cook lunch and dinner. We cooked famous dishes from back home and shared with each other. All of us enjoyed cooking and always left full.
WoW: Which kinds of food did you enjoy that you’ve never tried in your home country?
Kayoko: Any activity at ELP! Jordan: I liked to go traveling around the city of Toronto during my free time. Sometimes, my friends and I would go shopping or cook traditional dishes. We were able to share so many kinds of food and cultures that, as a result, people from different countries could become best friends.
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Mark: I enjoyed the Korean food the most. I like to eat spicy food, and some Korean dishes are very spicy! One of my favourites was a pickle dish. Kayoko: The ice cream in Canada was so yummy! The choices for flavours and toppings were more various than in Japan! Jordan: I really loved chicken wings and poutine! My friends and I tried some wings around Dundas Square, and there were so many flavours of wings to choose from. We bought about a hundred chicken wings!!! Oh my god!! They were so good! As for poutine
issue 75, september 2011 - we tried it in Quebec, and the cheese on the fries was so special that we all loved it. WoW: What do you miss most about life in Canada? Kayoko: I miss not communicating with friends from other countries every day. Jordan: I miss the times when we would go to someone’s dorm and have a party almost every night of my last week in Toronto. That was really crazy but also memorable. We would chat a lot about different cultural aspects. Mark: I miss school life in Canada. Different from Hong Kong, school life in Canada is relaxed and free. In Canada, the teachers recommended students to study independently. However, in Hong Kong, the teachers request students to do lots of homework. When I first started my school life in Toronto, I loved it so much because it was much less stressful. WoW: Which Canadian or Torontonian attractions would you most recommend to others? Jordan: I think Niagara Falls is the most beautiful spot everyone should visit once in their lifetime, because it is magnificent! When we were under the falls on the Maid of the Mist boat, almost all the people became so excited that they screamed loudly.
and the projects we do are also often required to be in English. Kayoko: I continue to practice my English by keeping in touch with friends from other countries in English. WoW: Will you come back to Canada to visit us? Kayoko: Yeah! I’ll go back to Canada!! You can bet on it!! Mark: Sure! I love Toronto and its fresh air. I will come back again and visit my friends later on. Jordan: I will go back to Canada next March! But this time I will go to Vancouver for a conference held by Harvard University. I hope it will be fun! As for Toronto, I must go back some day because I really love the city and the people there. I look forward to seeing my friends there!
Jordan Chiang of National Taipei University and APEX group writes to us from Taiwan; Kayoko Masuda of Kobe Shinwa University writes from her home country of Japan; Mark Tang of the Chinese University of Hong Kong writes from his home in Hong Kong.
Mark: The CN Tower, because it’s the most famous landmark in Toronto and you can’t miss it! You can see the whole downtown area there as well as the Toronto Islands. It’s awesome, especially the view at night time from the top of the tower. Kayoko: I recommend experiencing the nature and outdoor life of Canada!! WoW: Which interesting word or phrase did you find Canadians used often in their speech? Mark: I always heard Canadians using the word “awesome” in their speech. One of my roommates was Canadian. Every day when we had small talk, he liked to use this word. And now I use “awesome” in Hong Kong as well! Kayoko Masuda and Ayumi Nakamura of Kobe Shinwa
Kayoko: “Residence”, “a little bit”, “awesome”, “hang out”, and “anything new?” Jordan: Eh? Eh? Eh? [WoW note: Not all Canadians actually say “Eh”…that much.] WoW: What do you do to continue to practice your English now that you’re back home? Mark: I like to watch English TV programs. They can help me to concentrate my listening and I can learn their speaking tone, everyday English and slang too. At first, it was hard to follow what they were talking about, but if you continue to practice it, you can gradually follow them. Jordan: I practice my English by reading lots of English magazines such as Time Magazine. Moreover, I chat with my friends in English. And during some classes in our school, we need to speak in English
Laura Brown (left) asked a few ELP students about their favourite things in U of T or Toronto. Natsuki Maeda
Yuta Kozato
Na Hwan-yi
Kwon Danbi
“Everyone is friendly at U of T and I like the campus, it’s awesome! My university is very small. U of T is like a town!”
“My favourite activities at ELP were Sports Club and Coffee Chat because I could eat doughnuts and meet with people from different countries and different English levels.”
“I like Toronto’s weather because my country has had lots of rain this season.”
“I love to eat at 7 West in Toronto. They have very, very delicious cheesecake and choco-banana cake. Yum!”
Johnny (JunKyeong) Kim “I don’t like the TTC much, but I love the Blue Jays and the Rogers Centre because of the roof that opens up.”
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Sookmyung University
CA Toni Papa interviews students from Sookmyung University & Kangwon National University. Sookmyung University students attended the Comprehensive English Program, while the Kangwon National University Students attended the Speaking English Program.
Ah-Young Yoo What was your favourite activity in Toron to? And why? I really enjoyed attending the afternoon workshop, I was never absent for these classes! Coffee chat was really great! In this class I learned everyday Engli sh expressions of Canadians. There were many other class workshop s, for example a job interview class, presentation skill class, Canadian culture class, and a pronunciation class. These were all very fun and useful in improving my English skills. Do you want to come back to Toronto? Of course! When I arrived back home in Korea, I decided to return to Toronto in 5 years. I am plann ing to go to graduate school at U of T and afterwards stay in Canada for the rest of my life!
Describe something you thought was really different in Toronto compared to Korea. I think that Korea has more convenient transportation, banking, and IT systems. Since Korea was developed in a very short time we have a fast mind and can do everything quickly. On the other hand, Torontonians are always composed. They take their time to say hello to each other and volunteer to help others, I was very impressed. Another difference that I found was that Korea is only composed of one nation for example we only use one language, have one culture and the custo ms are the same everywhere. Canada is composed of many different nations from countries around the world. This is why they have an open mind. What did you like about Toronto? Toronto is the biggest city in Canada. I found it to be very spacious and there was lots of gardens and green scenery. It looked exactly like my dreams when I was young. I really like Torontonians and I was impressed by their kindness. I was looking for a place on my map and people always came to give me the correct directions with a big smile on their face.
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issue 75, september 2011
Ah-Young Son in Toronto? And What was your favourite activity
why?
campus tour. It helped me My favourite activity was the around the university. I ding buil learn about many of the that U of T had to offer. wish I had seen all the facilities nto? What did you like about Toro and the surroundings of I was surprised by the people are kind. When I had a Toronto. Almost all Canadian kindly. Also It was not me ed help dy problem, everybo and there was a very air, humid, there was lots of fresh relax! me e mad It . here osp peaceful atm Do you want to come back to
Toronto?
Of course! It was like a dream!
I will be back!
ght was really different in Describe something you thou Toronto compared to Korea. but it’s not easy to find Most Koreans love spicy food in Korea is commonly food y Spic nto. Toro in spicy food d condiment made ente ferm a is made of Gochujang (it red pepper der, pow of a mixture of grains, soybean spicy foods nto, Toro In . salt) and t, powder, barley mal e. sauc i are commonly made with chill
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Kangwon National University Hwi Seo What was your favourite activity in Toronto? And why? Every activity was my favourite! But if I had to choose only one it would be the Boat Cruise Party. It was my first time to ever go to a cruise party. I have never experienced anything like this in Korea either, there were many people drinking and dancing. It was a different culture for me. I also really enjoyed Canada’s Wonderland! The rides were very interesting. For one of the rides you had to be in a position like superman! It was a great theme park that included a swimming pool and tasty food! What did you like about Toronto? Friendly people, flat ground, convenient transportation... so I think Toronto is really salubrious city! Do you want to come back to Toronto? Yes! Absolutely! I also want live in Toronto. I don't know how cold it is there in the winter but I know the climate in summer. I think the climate is really good in the summer. It is dry so it’s not so sticky! Korean summers are very sticky. I don't like that! Describe something you thought was really different in Toronto compared to Korea. Firstly, every morning we eat cereal! In Korea breakfast is rice, soup, and a side dish. I was really hungry every morning in Toronto. Second, the Toronto transportation system is really convenient and it is really easy to transfer. Korea’s transportation system is convenient as well but very complicated. There are a lot of subway lines so if someone takes the subway train for the first time in Korea they will have a difficult time. There are nine subway lines in Korea and Toronto only has four. I also think that the monthly pass is very useful. Third, I think parties are different in Toronto. I was invited to a birthday party from a neightbour. I knew them very well so I agreed to go. When I went to visit their home I was really surprised! There was a karaoke machine, friend chicken, barbeque, and a piñata. It was a very interesting and nice party. Everyone had nice dresses and nice shoes, I envied them! Now I understand what a piñata is. The culture of parties in North America is different from Korea. Lastly, I think there are many differences between Toronto and Korea such as fashion and attitude. Toronto is also a very historical city. The historical architecture looks well managed.
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issue 75, september 2011
Changi Kim What was your favourite activity in Toronto? And why? The trip around Toronto was my favourite activity. It was the first time for me to stay in another country so I thought everything was special, new, and interesting. I loved going on trips around Toronto both with my friends and alone. I wish I had more time to visit the places I didn’t get to see. For example, the Art Gallery of Ontario and Toronto Island. I loved going to most of the social activities and volunteering too! I’m am a shy person so when I went on these activities I was able to make friends. It was a really great time for me! What did you like about Toronto? Weather! I like Toronto's weather. Because Korea's summer is hot and sticky I’m always sweating when I’m just walking around. It’s irritating. In Toronto it’s not sticky, it is just hot. When I relax under the tree, I felt very cool. And I like the many festivals in Toronto. Most weekends when I stay in Toronto, I go to a festival. For example, the Brazil Festival the Beaches Jazz Festival. It was very interesting! I will never forget these times. Do you want to come back to Toronto? For sure! I want to come back to Toronto. I miss the life in Toronto. I really miss my teacher Elizabeth, Coleen, JC, Toni, Lily, Megan, my friends, and my homestay family. If I have a chance to go to Toronto, I will go. Describe something you thought was really different in Toronto compared to Korea. First, transportation. The subway system in Korea is very complicated (in Seoul, capital of Korea). It’s like a maze and the Toronto buses are bigger than Korea's. Second, weather. Korea's summer is hot and sticky. I hate sticky weather, it's terrible. Toronto's summer is not sticky. I love Toronto's summer. Lastly, Toronto meals. In Korea our meals are rice, soup, and side-dishes (for example kimchi and bulgogi, and seaweed). We usually have three sidedishes. However, when I stayed in Toronto, I had sandwiches, pancakes, rice and meat(chicken, beef, pork) dishes or pasta.
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world of words
Myungeun Kim in What was your favorite activity
Toronto? and why?
t cruise party because it My favorite activity was the boa . There were many other astic was very interesting and fant r well. It was nice to meet othe foreigners on at the party as foreigners! nto? What did you like about Toro nto. Firstly, I really loved I like many things about Toro through the activities I was going to the activities because life. So I am very thankful and ure cult nto able to gain Toro social activities for ared that there were so many prep in Toronto was very ring ntee volu ght thou I us. Second, me in Korea. When for ul usef interesting. It will be very n as part of my dow it e I apply for a company I can writ ause it’s experience bec ial spec very be will it experience and ps at ELP! ksho wor the , nally in a foreign country. And fi IC and job interview TOE the to t wen I ul. usef very They were workshops. Do you want to come back to
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There is lots of nature and Of course!!!! I love Toronto life. nto my English skills Toro in very kind people. If I lived ning to go to the University of would be very good! I’m plan money I will go there! ugh eno save Toronto. Once I
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International Students’ Social Activities Calendar
October
issue 75, september 2011
EVENT MEETING PLACE TIME PRICE
1
Nuit Blanche
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
6:30 pm
$F
2
Sports Club: Outdoor Basketball
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
2:00 pm
$F
3
Sports Club: Badminton
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:30 pm
$F
4
Royal Ontario Museum
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
1:30 pm
$F
5
Historic Casa Loma
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
1:30 pm
$15
6
Pool Hall Night at the Rivoli
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:15 pm
$**
7
Varsity Hockey: U of T VS. Queen’s Uni
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
7:00 pm
$F
8
French Canada Trip
Yonge/York Mills
7:00 am
9
French Canada Trip
10
French Canada Trip
11
Karaoke Night
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:15 pm
$**
12
Photo Club: Evergreen Brickworks
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:00 pm
$F
13
Jazz Night at the Rex
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:15 pm
$**
14
Canadian Football: Argos VS. Stampeders
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
6:45 pm
$24
15
Algonquin Park Day Trip
Yonge/York Mills
7:45 am
$85
16
Varsity Soccer: U of T VS. Ryerson Uni
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
2:00 pm
$F
17
Spooky Crafts Night
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:15 pm
$F
18
Parliament Tour
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
1:30 pm
$F
19
Taste of Toronto: Chinese Food
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:15 pm
$**
20
Bata Shoe Museum
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:15 pm
$F
21
Canada’s Wonderland: Halloween Haunt
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:15 pm
$45
22
St. Lawrence Farmer’s Market
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
10:00 am
$F
23
Niagara Falls Trip
Bloor/Queen’s Park
9:45 am
$50
** Make sure to bring spending money for this event. There may be added costs to the activity (drinks, cover charges, food). Unless otherwise stated, TTC transit or other transportation costs are not included. It is recommended that you bring pocket money to all events, just in case!
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Sports Club: Badminton
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:30 pm
$F
25
ELp Music Night
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:15 pm
$F
TICKET SELLING
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Pumpkin Carving & Costume Contest!
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:15 pm
$F
27
Scary Movie Night: The Thing
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
6:00 pm
$10
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Boat Cruise Party
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:15 pm
$20
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Night of Dread Parade
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
5:00 pm
$F
30
Toronto Island BBQ
ELP Lobby 4th Floor
11:00 am
$15
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Niagara Falls
Bloor/Queen’s Park
9:45 am
$49
Location: ELP 4th floor - Main Lobby PLEASE READ CAREFULLY Tickets are sold every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 12:30 -1:30pm. CASH payments only. Tickets will not be sold outside of the Ticket Selling designated times. Spaces are limited for all events; be sure to buy your tickets well in advance as some events will sell out. The price listed on tickets does not represent the actual cost. Tickets are purchased at a discounted, group rate. We reserve the right to cancel or modify events. We will make every attempt to contact you in advance.
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P ro
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With the various movements and changes happening in the world today by citizens demanding their civil rights, our 3-week Speaking English class investigated songs from the 60's and 70's that had messages of protest and peace. Political protest through music did not start or stop in the 1960's and 1970's. However, this was a very significant time with one of the most complex generation gaps. Rock and Roll was intrinsic to the political and social movement. This generation was swept off its feet by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Marvin Gaye, and John Lennon, to name a few. These song writers were not afraid to sing in protest of the government, the "man", and all that had been considered sacred by the past generation. Our Summer of 2011 class listened to and discussed meanings of the lyrics to the following songs; For What It's Worth - sung by Buffalo Springfield (1966) Ohio - sung by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (1970) What's Going On - sung by Marvin Gaye (1971) Could You Be Loved By - sung by Bob Marley (written 1979 released 1980) We then all created our vary own tie dyed t-shirts for a class momento. Peace & Love from Bill Mboutsiadis’ Speaking English Class in August of the Summer of 2011
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issue 75, september 2011
Pictures: tie-dye t-shirts made by Bill and his students (above); Bill and his students (below); all illustrations are taken from the posters that were created by Bill the Speaking English class.
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A GUIDE TO CANADA BY SHUNYI TEACHERS
world of words This summer, ELP hosted a group of teachers from Shunyi. While they were studying in Toronto, they took the opportunity to visit many places in and around Toronto. Here they write about sightseeing and the hospitability of Canadians! We are a group of 20 English teachers from different schools in Shunyi, Beijing, China. Some of us are elementary school teachers, some are middle school teachers and the others are high school teachers. We came here for a six-week English training program. Sadly, our program is about to end. We learnt a lot from the experienced teachers here, especially from our core teacher, James. We really enjoyed our lessons and appreciated them.
CN Tower On August 13, 2011, my classmates and I went to visit the CN Tower. It is really an attraction to all the tourists all over the world. Visiting CN Tower is an impressive experience for me. Taking the elevator to the top of it was an exciting moment, though quite short but unforgettable. Look! I took this picture on the top of CN Tower. How great it is! Do you know there is a restaurant on the top of CN Tower? It is called 360 and it looks like this. Sitting there while enjoying the beautiful view, you will surely have a great time. In this picture, you can see the glass floor on the top of CN Tower. Are you brave enough to step on it? Believe it or not, one of my classmates was even frightened to tears. If you want to try a more adventurous game, please try the Edge Walk at the CN Tower. So this was my trip to the CN Tower. Hope you can have fun there too!
Liheng Fang (KITTY)
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Photo credit: CN Tower by alexindigo (flickr)
issue 75, september 2011
Ottawa Trip Ottawa is the capital of Canada. It is the political center of Canada, so every tourist should put it at the top of their visiting list. We had been longing to see it for a long time.
Ottawa
On August 1st, our guide, an immigrant from China, took us to the city. Along the highway, there were lanes for people to ride bikes. That’s for the sake of cyclists’ safety. It is so considerate of the designers. When we approached the city, we found the buildings there are very traditional and specific. The whole city impressed us that it was like a big garden. What a beautiful city! We visited Rideau Hall, the official residence of Canada’s Governor General, who is the Queen’s representative in Canada. There we saw many trees planted by the leaders all over the world who once came to visit Canada. The guards were very polite. They took pictures with so many tourists patiently. We were lucky enough to enjoy the scene where the guards take turns to do their duty.
Ottawa
We also visited Parliament Hill. On the huge lawn surrounding it, we found many statues, such as Elizabeth, women’s rights, etc. On the square, the most impressive sight was the fire that was burning with the water. Unbelievable!! The trip was short, but we could hardly tear ourselves away from the beautiful and friendly city! It is really worth visiting.
Suling Ma (MARLENE) & Xinghua Jiang (LUCY)
Ottawa
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Our Canadian Parents How time flies! It’s about 40 days since we came to the University of Toronto. We are all English teachers from China who came here for short term English training, and this weekend our training will be over. We really enjoyed our classes and appreciated our teachers. In addition, we lived in the homestay and the host prepared 3 meals a day for us.
The First Meeting We arrived in Toronto airport at 8 o’clock at night last month. The taxi took us to our host family. Although we had known some information about Russ from SHS, we were still looking forward to meeting this man. At about 10 o’clock, we finally got to his apartment. Russ was happy to chat with us. I thought it was good to talk to him so he would know more about us and the things we like.
Russ Russ lives in a lovely residential neighborhood located in the West End of the city. Russ is a retired CEO of a packing company. In his spare time, Russ enjoys reading, cooking and traveling. You will really enjoy this homestay as it is close to several amenities, like parks and libraries. Russ really likes spending time with us, playing word games and doing activities that help to make learning English fun.
Crescent Homestay Information Sheet In the morning, after breakfast Russ told us some information about homestay, such as: House Telephone Number, Homestay Rules, Dinner Time, shower, miscellaneous and so on.
Three Meals a Day Russ is an old man. He lives in the apartment with us. Every morning, he prepares breakfast for us. A week later, we knew what a typical Canadian Breakfast was. Usually, the typical Canadian breakfast may consist of fruit, cereal, milk, toast, juice, or eggs. Guo Jian and I brought our lunch to school. In Canada, most lunches are “bagged lunches”, consisting of a sandwich, fruit or vegetables and a drink. I know Canadian lunch is generally not a large meal and is usually not served hot, but I can’t get used to bringing the same lunch all the time. It gets really boring! Usually, the host is responsible for making dinner. In Canada, dinner is the largest meal of the day and normally consists of meat, vegetables and a side dish such as potatoes, rice or pasta. But in our host family we never have the largest meal. The main reason is Russ has a big house in downtown. His wife Elizabeth takes other
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students there. Usually there are about 8 students from different countries. Every day, Russ takes the dinner back to the apartment for us but, because there are so many students, they can’t cook the real Canadian dinner. That’s a pity for our stomach!
Happy Times Every weekend, the students in the house change; some will leave, others will come. Russ and Elizabeth always invite us to the house to have dinner. Of course, the food is the same, not the Canadian largest dinner! Last week, two Japanese girls had to go back to their country, and we all had a good time after dinner. Russ advised us to have a party, where everyone would sing a song in his/her own mother tongue.
Our Canadian Parents This Friday, we will go back to our country. We are looking forward to seeing our families again. However, we have lived with Russ for more than 40 days. Although we aren’t used to the Canadian meals, we got a lot of happiness, love and help from Russ. We always had wonderful dinner time together. Dinner time is an opportunity for us to communicate with Russ. This is the time for us to practice English by engaging in conversation with him. Russ always said to us, “Oh, guys, I am your Canadian father. And my wife Elizabeth is your Canadian mother.” We will never forget Russ and Elizabeth, our Canadian parents. Thank you for treating us as your sons.
Changbai Hou (Henry) & Jian Guo (Jack)
issue 75, september 2011
Good Neighbour
Impressions of High Park in Toronto During our six weeks in Toronto, I spent a lot of time visiting city parks. What most impressed me was that the parks here are very beautiful. The second week here, I went to High Park, which is actually an open area with a large amount of grass and pools .The grass was very green, and the sky was very blue. Many squirrels and pigeons were there, and children were playing on the grass or in the fountain. It was a picture of harmony.
Hello, we’re Anny and Nancy. We met a good neighbour when we had been here for 30 days. They treat us very warmly and kindly. When we have some problems, they always help us. No matter when we are in trouble, they always help us out. Although our neighbour Geri is in a wheelchair every day and can’t move freely, she always tries her best to offer us help, and we’re deeply impressed with what she does for us. In return, we helped her with a yard sale last Saturday, and on that day we helped her sell many items and got a lot of money. We found the yard sale very interesting and, on that day, we communicated with people from all walks of life. It was a special experience for us. We will remember her and all our new Canadian friends forever.
Jinyan Ma (Anna) & Weihong Qi (Nancy)
There is a restaurant called The Grenadier Cafe. You can sit inside or outside and have some food and drink if you are hungry. The most interesting thing is that there is a small zoo in High Park, with many small animals such as deer, peacocks and so on. They are very cute and many moms take their children to see and pet them. If you need some peace and quiet and fresh air, High Park is a really good place to relax.
Hong Yang (Anny)
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Visiting Niagara Falls We were much honored to have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Niagara Falls. We took a cruise boat to go as close to the falls as possible and watched the waters thundering down. It was fascinating. We were wet when the boat passed through the mist but we were very happy. Someone told us that Niagara Falls looks more beautiful at night so it is a pity that we didn’t stay there for a longer time. If you are planning to go there, we suggest you try to see the falls by night. Of course, we bought some souvenirs there. It is an essential part of travel, right? Fortunately, the souvenirs were of very high quality. To sum up, Niagara is a really great place to visit. You won’t be disappointed.
Xuehai Weng (Jason) & Ruijun Wang (Iven)
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Did You Know?
The Canadian Side of the Niagara Falls are also called the Horseshoe Falls, because when you look at them from a bird’s-eye view, they resemble a horse shoe. Back in 1912, visitors to the falls were allowed to walk over the ice formed along the banks of the river to view the falls from below! More impresively: tightrope acts used to be preformed over the Falls!
Toronto’s Museums
issue 75, september 2011
I have been in Toronto for six weeks. During this time, I have visited some excellent museums such as the Museum of Inuit Art, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Bata Shoe Museum.
Frank Gehry by gtall1 (flickr)
Second, I think the most attractive thing for students and other people is the free admission policy of the museums – on certain days, you pay nothing to go into them. The Royal Ontario Museum is free from 3:30pm to 5:30pm every Wednesday, while at the Bata Shoe Museum you donate any amount you like - even just one dollar - and then you can go inside. For the Art Gallery of Ontario, it is free from bata shoe museum
6:00pm to 8:00 on Thursdays.
Yinping Wang (Christina)
The Bethune Memorial House On August 6, our group went to visit the Bethune Memorial House in Gravenhurst. In our minds, Bethune is a hero so we admire him very much and we are curious about his life and his experience.
taking over by paul (dex), flickr
When we got there, we found that the house was very beautiful and clean. The tour guide introduced Bethune’s family history and his childhood life to us. We were really impressed by his sense of justice and his commitment to saving injured people who suffered from the war. He was not only a great doctor but also a great soldier. When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, he volunteered to go to Spain and worked hard to collect blood from donors in the cities and transport it wherever it was needed most.
The Bethune Memorial House
In 1938, he came to China and was summoned by Mao Tsetung, Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party. He spent his final years in China and made a great contribution to the Chinese Anti-Japanese War. Our people will remember him for ever. After the visit, we thought about what we can learn from Bethune - for one thing, his belief in internationalism and solidarity and also his spirit of absolute selflessness. As Mao Tsetung wrote: “With this spirit everyone can be very useful to the people. A man’s ability may be great or small, but if he has this spirit, he is already noble-minded and pure, a man of moral integrity and above vulgar interests, a man who is of value to the people.”
Jian Guo (Jack) & Changbai Hou (Henry)
A CANADIAN GUIDE BY SHUNYI TEACHERS (CONT’D)
The most impressive thing for me was how the mixed cultural background in the museums reflects the harmonious social environment in Canada. For example, in the Royal Ontario Museum, I have seen a lot of wonderful things from many countries such as China, Korea, and Britain. In this way, I can learn the history of these countries in person without going there and spending a lot money and energy. That’s good for us students. Also, in the Bata Shoe Museum, there were so many different kinds of shoes standing for rank, culture, geography and so on. It’s really an amazing place.
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world of words
The 1000 Islands Region The 1000 Islands Region is a familiar name to us Chinese because it shares the same name with the one in Zhejiang, China. Being eager to find the difference between them, we went there, but as soon as we arrived we were all shocked. It is really fantastic and quite different from the one that is located in southern China. The fresh air, clear water and different shaped islands all present us with the unique beauty that can only be found in the northern world. You can do plenty of things there, like sitting on a ship to appreciate the absolutely beautiful scenery, rowing a boat through the islands, taking a motorboat to enjoy the excitement and so on. What impressed us most is the “Love Island� owned by a rich American who bought it in order to build a castle for his wife. Unfortunately, his wife died before the castle was finished, and from then on the American did not go to the island any more. While we were indulging in the natural beauty, many visitors waved to us from their boats. We greeted each other just like old friends. It is true that there are no boundaries in friendship. The world is a big family and we should treat others as our family members. The 1000 Islands Region is beautiful, and so is our memory. Do remember to visit the 1000 Islands Region when it is convenient for you. We are sure it will be a big feast for your eyes. Hongyun Yang (HILDA) & Yanwu Cheng (CHRISTY) Shunyi Teachers Photo credit: 1000 Islands by H Dragon (flickr)
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issue 75, september 2011
Montreal Trip We went to Montreal on July 30/31 with a Chinese tour guide. It took us about 6 hours to get there and, on the way, we stopped at a Chinese restaurant. We thought the food was really delicious. We reached Montreal at about 5 o’clock, just in time to visit St. Joseph’s Church. The church is magnificent with a beautiful green dome. We thought it was very different from what we had seen before. St. Joseph was a doctor who realised that a lot of people suffered from some diseases and couldn’t live a happy life, so he cured them without charge. The people thanked him for his selfless spirit and built the church in order to memorialize him. Everyday many people say prayers to God and confess to the priest there. The next day we visited the old town of Montreal. The buildings were really ancient. There were many shops selling hand-made products along the street and we enjoyed looking at them. All in all, we had a wonderful trip. Old Montreal
Liping Duan (EMMA)
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Enjoying Ourselves at the 2011 Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)
I didn’t win the prize Hong Yang (Anny): At CNE, there are many games like this. I played this one, but unfortunately I lost. It cost me 25 cents - that’s OK, it was just for fun! I love it.
The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) runs from August 19 to September 5. James advised us to go and experience this big event in Canada so went there on the opening day and had a really great time.
We were surprised at all the shopping outlets in CNE. The clothes there are pretty cheap. Many people are crazy about buying lots of clothes.
Beaver Bra Josie Hazen is an artist living in Windsor, Ontario. She was visiting in the Parry Sound area and wanted to participate in the Support the Girls project.
My New Personal Bodyguard Xuehai Weng (Jason): I watched the dog show at CNE. It was really exciting and the dogs were very cute. After the show I decided to take a dog as my personal bodyguard. The guy behind me is an appropriate candidate. Do you think he is the best one? But I am worrying about my fridge. There is not enough food for this huge guy.
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Xinghua Jiang (Lucy): At the CNE opening ceremony, I listened to the speeches given by some officials, but the most exciting part for me was the performance by the band. I took this picture here because it was so meaningful.
Learn from the leader Yinping Wang (Christina): I know every giant event needs a giant leader. They show everyone their wisdom through the big event, and they are so kind to greet everybody. This is the CNE Manager with me at the CNE Opening Ceremony!
issue 75, september er 2011 1
Dream Come True Hongyun Yang (Hilda): I saw Marilyn Monroe at the CNE. I think she is the most beautiful actress in the world. I enjoyed the time not only at CNE but also in Canada. What a wonderful experience here!
Ruijun Wang (Iven): This was my perfect experience at the CNE in Toronto. Look at me, now I’m a soldier! Am I cool or what? I’m wearing the whole kit. Actually, it’s very heavy but I wanted to try it! I like Canada very much.
Suling Ma (Marlene): At the CNE, I enjoyed many exciting games. It was really great fun to experience such interesting games in Canada. It was unforgettable. Liping Duan (Emma): At CNE, I took a tour around the military exhibition. When I got in the plane, an officer patiently explained the system to me. I was happy to learn how the plane worked.
Liheng Fang (Kitty): Is this a beautiful picture? Yes, I think so! When I was young, I had the dream to join the army, but what a pity! It didn’t turn into a reality. This picture helps me to fulfill my dream. Thank you, CNE!
James and Weihong Qi (Nancy) were standing on this bridge before trying out the Crazy Mouse rollercoaster. They really enjoyed the ride.
Anna, Lily, Iris & Anny: Twister is amazing! We really had fun at the CNE!
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The TTC
(Toronto Transit Commission) Before we came to Canada, we heard that the TTC in Toronto is the best transport system in North America. Indeed, you can go anywhere you want by TTC. What impressed us most is the humanity. For example, people can bring their bikes or pets to the bus or subway, and disabled persons have special seats. People here are very nice and friendly. They give their seats to the elderly or to pregnant women. When passengers get off the bus, the driver will say “Have a nice day!� with a big smile on his face. To our disappointment, the fares of TTC are a little expensive. But generally speaking, the TTC is very convenient and enjoyable.
Qiuling Li (JENNY) & Guorong Yao (CATHERINE) Photo credit: Chinatown by The City of Toronto (flickr)
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issue 75, september 2011
The Toronto Islands Hello, we are Lily and Iris and we want to introduce a great place to relax. . . Toronto Island. We took the Harbour Front Ferry to get there. The island is quiet, full of trees and flowers, with seagulls everywhere. We walked and lay on the grass. It is a good choice to take photos here. We had a picnic with friends, rode bicycles around the island, and rowed a canoe on the lake. We breathed the fresh air and enjoyed the quiet holidays. The beach is attractive. The blue sky, white clouds, clean water and soft sand make a beautiful picture. If you walk on the beach with bare feet, the feeling is awesome.
Xiaojuan Li (LILY) & Shuhua Yang (IRIS)
Did You Know?
The Toronto Islands are comprised of several small islands, which are connected to each other. The Islands are a popular summer recreiational destitination for many Torontonians. But did you know that there is a small residential community at the Islands? There are houses, schools, hotels, churches as well as an airport! The community is also completely car-free!
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world of words
Last, but certainly, not least ... a few words of goodbye from Yue Wang.
Shunyi Teachers Back row: Carolyn, Jenny, Emma, Anna, Iris, Lily, Eileen, Jack, Christy, Nancy, Iven, Jason Front row: Catherine, Kitty, Anny, Lucy, Marlene, Christina, Hilda, Henry
Oh, Canada Travelling is a kind of treasure. Now I believe in this saying deeply. It will not only help you learn something new but also get you close to the essence of a place. From my experience, I think I discovered a natural and friendly Canada. The first day I was in this land, I started to compare everything with the things we have back in China. Green is everywhere: along the roads, in the gardens, on the roofs and walls, and no need to mention the numerous parks that cover any free space of the neighbourhood, either big or small - they are absolute green surprises. Surrounded by so much green, I felt my eyes were breathing the fresh air. Maybe because of the green spaces, animals are living freely and happily here. Early one morning, I heard something squeaking in the backyard and I sat up in bed and looked through my bedroom window. Down there was a raccoon searching the garbage can. It was my first time that I had seen the animal. Another day when we roamed around the city, we found a nice place to take pictures, by the river, near a bridge and there were many seagulls and Canada geese strolling on the bank, feeding themselves lazily. To take a picture close to nature, I went near and sat on the grass beside them. The moment I sat down, I realized the cool wet thing beneath. Oh, good luck! I got a lucky mark on my trousers---- the fresh geese drops! Lovely creatures and friendly Canadians! They leave the nature untouched. And so friendly are they to the strangers, too. I have a cordial homestay family just like my own family; I have experienced teachers to give us knowledge; we have nice CAs (Cultural Assistants) who toured us around; I met Jo, who warm-heartedly explained the history of the Trinity School of U of T and showed me around; I met a TTC conductor who patiently explained the fares and after I paid, he sang out the amount of change I should get back…. Wherever I went, there were smiling faces and kind people. I was profoundly touched by the people and nature here. In a few days, I will say “goodbye” to this country. I would like to leave my best wishes here and take home my great memories.
Yue Wang (Carolyn)
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PREPARE FOR EXCELLENCE The English Language Program at the University of Toronto can help you achieve your goals, whether you are studying to advance you career or your academics. We are committed to your success. www.learn.english.utoronto.ca
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM 252 Bloor Street West, Suite 4-106 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1V6 t: 416.978.5104 f: 416.971.2839 e: learn.english@utoronto.ca w: learn.english.utoronto.ca SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES 158 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2V8 t: 416.978.2400 f: 416.978.6666 e: learn.english@utoronto.ca w: learn.english.utoronto.ca