world of words april 2010, issue 69 “The English Language Program’s student magazine; a compilation of the winter’s session’s highlights, students’ opinions and other features ”
Find Out What Your Body Language is Telling Others! HOSTING THE OLYMPICS: A Blessing of a Cruse
Special Focus: Saudi Arabia, Japan & China
WINTER CAMPING: ELP’S MINI VERSION OF THE WINTER OLYMPICS
Inside this Issue
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World of Words
Toronto 4—Since I Arrived in Toronto 5—Why Japanese Students Like Toronto 6—Multiculturalism in Canada 6-7—Cuisine in Toronto 8—Happiness
Opinions 9—On Eradicating Poverty 10—My Best Friend 10—A Heartfelt Goodbye 11—Guitar Star: Carmelo
Sports 12—Wrestling & Volleyball 13—Zinedine Zidane 14—Basketball 15—FIFA 2010 16-19—Discussing the Olympics
Foreign Countries & Cultures 23-25—Focus on: Saudi Arabia 26-27—Focus on: Japan 28-29—Focus on: China 31-32—Other countries
Entertainment 20-22—Volunteering 34-35—Music & Movies 36-37—Wacky CA’s 38-39—Popular Game of the Session: Jenga! 43—King Tut Was in Town
Body Language 40-42—Meditations on Body Language
Winter Camping: Wanakita 44-57—All About Winter Camping Recounted Through Pictures
Issue 69, April 2010
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ELP DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE – WINTER 2010 It has been an exceptional winter session at the U of T School of Continuing Studies’ English Language Program! Despite cold temperatures, the school has been buzzing with great energy, as our students from all over the world have been very active inside and outside the classroom. Taking full advantage of the weather, and especially one snow storm, students had the experience of a lifetime while winter camping at Wanakita in Haliburton with the program’s experienced and enthusiastic staff! We hope that you enjoy the current edition of the WoW magazine. You will find some interesting features and wonderful stories inside, from discussions on this year’s winter Olympics in Vancouver to interesting meditations on the meaning and function of body language. Once again, many students lend their voices and opinions on life in Toronto, the various activities they engage in and, of course, educate others about their own countries. This issue focuses on Saudi Arabia, China and Japan. On behalf of everyone at the ELP program, I wish you the best of luck in all your future activities. We hope to hear from you on your path to achieving your goals. Share your stories with us so you can inspire generations of ESL students to come! All the best, Sherry Yuan Hunter Executive Director, English Language Program SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES—UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
It has been a wonderful and exciting session , and from all the staff at ELP, we wish you all the best!
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The Things I Had to Learn Since I Arrived in Toronto by Seoyeong yoon When I arrived in Toronto, I didn’t know anything about Canadian life. I remembered when I arrived in the Pearson airport. I felt strange because there were many people from other countries. I didn’t know about Canada is an immigration country, so I realized that I can meet many friends while I study English in Toronto. The first, I have eaten Korean food for a long time before I arrived in my homestay. I have had a Canadian style breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes, I have got a pain of the stomach because Korean people usually have Kim-chi, rice and vegetables salad. The other side, Canadians have a meal such as a Pizza, Hamburger and steak. I have changed to eating
Canadian’s food. The second, I learned how to use TTC transit. For example, when I get off the bus, I should pull the yellow lines on the window or press the bells, and if I pay cash, they don’t make change. I must have prepared $2.75. If I get on the bus in Korea, I don’t need to the pull yellow lines in the bus because they have only bells. The third, both country people life style is different. During Summer many Canadians go to the beach, Toronto island and Wonderland. I had a picnic with friends on Toronto Island. We grilled a barbecue, Hamburger, played Frisbee and wore sunglasses and sun screen. I have been to Wonderland three times. Wonderland is an amusement park in Toronto. I bought a season pass and then I went to Wonderland with my friends to rides. I didn’t like Roller coasters before I came to Toronto. I like them now. Also during Winter I watched hockey game. Hockey is the most traditional sport in Canada. All of the Canadians go to hockey game place to watch it. I saw many people wearing a Toronto Maple leaf an uniform. I could understand they are proud of Hockey. Other thing is Maple syrup. Maple syrup is famous in Canada. Canadians usually use Maple syrup when they make a pancake. It’s so delicious. I learned how to cook a pancake of Maple syrup. The last thing, I have lived at homestay for 1 year. I applied for a tax refund about rent house. I can get a little cash from the government. I feel like a Canadian. I have learned Canadian life for 1 year, and my life pattern is closer to Canadian to Korean.
1995 / 2010 How Toronto changes in 15 years. I remember, the first time I went in Toronto. It was the July 1st 1995. I had no idea at this time why it was a free day. I had arrived in Toronto for four weeks to learn English in a school for foreign teenagers. I was only 14, but old enough to visit the city and see 15 years later the mutations of the city. Passionate by urbanism, the most important changes I notice concern this topic. As in 1995, the subway is still too hot in winter, in too cold in summer, and the external appearance didn't change. It still look like a giant food can. But the main difference is inside the car. The 70's oranges and greens seats changed. Now they are red. (cont’d on opposite page)
Issue 69, April 2010
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Why the Japanese students like Toronto?
In 1995, buses were also old fashioned. If today, buses look like WE ASKED A FEW JAPANESE STUnormal, try to guess how they looked like in 1995. Did you see DENTS WHAT THEY CHERIST MOST the film "speed" (a blockbuster in 1994, in witch a bus explose if ABOUT TORONTO & HERE IS WHAT it go faster than 80km/h)? In the film, the bus has a 70's design with leaned windows to give an illusion of speed. In 1995, all THEY SAID … Toronto buses looked like that. If the buses windows try to give an illusion of speed, in fact it was comic, because the buses were ◊ Yuka: TTC, Other cultures, People are very kind not able to go over 50km/h without seemed to collapse. ◊ Miki: Kind people, See many places like sightseeing, OISE acBut except those funny things, the most important change for me in the last 15 years is all the harbor front between front street and the lake. In 1995, if all factories already had left this industrial area (it was the most important industrial area of Toronto during the major part of twentieth century), it was still easy to see the vestiges of the industrial past. I remember this no man's land crossed by the highway. Three big roundhouses were still there. The Skydome and CN Tower looked like a little bit alone in this battle field. I came back there last week, and the changes are really visible. Condominiums and new buildings are now linking the city center and Queen's quay, and a streetcar line was built from Union station to Spadina station through the Harbor front.
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There is also a lot of other changes in the city. For example, le roof of the old city-hall was restored. In 1995, it was so oxided that it was almost white. As I can not enumerate all, but every day, when I'm walking in the street, I see something whose changed in the last 15 years.
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◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊
◊ ◊ ◊
Thibaud Martinie
tivities Toma: COLD WEATHER, People are kind and friendly, Convenient it is a big city, CN Tower Yuya: Food - chicken is juicy, fruits and vegetables are sweet, People are kind, TTC system, you pay once and can go anywhere Ayaka: TTC, transportation, Canadian people, Food Yui: Food, Lake Ontario, TTC Nanae: Homestay family and house, TTC, Activities (i.e. WINTER CAMPING! See page 44) Koichiro: CN Tower, Bloor Street, Maple Leafs Hockey game Masahiro: Skating at night at harbourfront, CN Tower, Toronto Raptors Hinako: Safe city, Kind people, Drivers are nice when crossing the street Misaki: CN Tower, Air Canada Centre for basketball, Casa Loma Yukiko: People, Niagara Falls, CN Tower
Kosei: Shopping, Beautiful CAs, Going on activities with other ESL students Yuko: Multicultural, Ice Hockey, Many kinds of sweets
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JAPAN? TURN TO PAGE 26.
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Multiculturalism in Canada by Zezo Ghalib Life in Canada is interesting. There is freedom for all of the people. The best thing here is the multiculturalism. You can find all cultures here: Asian, African, Arabic and South American. This diversity lets you learn about all these cultures. Because of this, Canada respects all these cultures. For example, if you are white or black you are going to be equal in everyone’s eyes, with the same opportunities. Whether your religion is Catholic, Muslim, or Christian you are going to receive the same respect. Canada is often described as a multicultural nation. Simply stated, it means that Canadians are not of any one cultural background, race or heritage. Instead, Canadians today reflect a vast diversity of cultural heritages and racial groups. This multicultural diversity is a result of centuries of immigration. For example, many black people were slaves in the U.S., so they moved to Canada to find freedom; as a result, the culture of these people moved to Canada. To sum up, life in Canada has amazed me because I found the people friendly, equal, and respectful; moreover, multiculturalism shows me that Canada hugs all the cultures in one country.
Cuisine in Toronto by Bill Zheng Cuisine should be the most typical aspect of a culture. Catering cultures are quite different from one to another and the tastes can be easily found out. Back to the days I stayed at Beijing, what I enjoyed most is absolutely the multi-regional and multi-national restaurants around the whole city. Moreover, the most common way we Chinese use to socialize with the others has to be eating out, and then Chinese immigrates had spread this overseas to most of the countries, include Canada. As an international and the biggest city, Toronto does not only provide the residents a great living environment with blue sky and fresh air, but also offer tourists an opportunity to experience multi-cultures from the Korean Town to Little Italy, from the Chinatown to the Little Greece within merely a few steps.
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So that we can see many different restaurants owned and run by people from different countries and areas with different tastes. After I arrived at Toronto, the first lunch I had was Vietnam rice noodle, called Pho Hung on Spadina Ave., and it was said to be the best rice noodle chain restaurant in Toronto. Indeed, it is. After that, I started my exploration to the best restaurants around Toronto. During the first three months, my friends and I had enjoyed food from Downtown to Markham, from High Park to Scarborough. Although the time was tight before and after class on weekdays, we could still go to as different restaurants as possible every day around OISE and visit those faraway at weekends. If you want to have an attempt to Vietnam rice noodle, Pho Hung should be the first one taken into consideration, there’s one on the north side of Bloor Street, just 200m east to the OISE. And another one is on the west side of Spadina Ave., around Kensington Market (350 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2G4). Traditional Chinese restaurants are everywhere downtown Toronto, for example, you can just go to Chinatown and your options are varied. Asian Legend (418 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M5T 1G7), which is located next to the Bank of China and not far from AGO, is one of my favorites.
Sichuan Garden Restaurant (359 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2G3), located opposite to Pho Hung on the east side of Spadina Ave., is really good at cooking spicy dishes from Sichuan, China. Thai food is also with great taste, Royal Thai (350 Bloor Street West) is not far away from OISE too, located next to a Shoppers Drug Mart. Korean Food should be an option to some of the people, Ka Chi, one located in the Korean Town (612 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M6G 1K7), and another one is south to Kensington Market, next to Pho Hung, is my first option if I want to have pork bone soup. Steak, as the symbol of western food culture, also deserves a try. Moxie’s should be one of the most famous restaurants, has one located in Yorkdale shopping mall and another one inside the Fairwell Mall at Don Mills, a little bit far from downtown, but really good at cooking steak. The restaurants mentioned above are only the ones which are close to our campus. In fact, if you pay more attention on both sides of Bloor St., Spadina Ave. and Dundas St. W., you will easily find so many there. Enjoy your staying here in Toronto!
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HAPPINESS
Because of the varying lifestyles of people everywhere, being happy has different manifestations. From my point of view, having a lot of money, making many friends and living a meaningful life are the sources of personal happiness. To begin with, having a lot of money is one of the ways to be happy. When a person has lots of money, he will buy a beautiful house and an excellent car. Also, he may spend his money traveling all over the world or tasting many kinds of special food from different countries. Therefore, he can not only enjoy life but also be happy all the time. Furthermore, making many friends is another way to achieve happiness. On the one hand, there is an old saying, Ä friend in need is a friend indeed.” Friends can help you when you get into trouble. If you feel sad and have some problems, friends will become good listeners or helpers to make you happy. On the other hand, having friends can be a lot of fun. You can share some interesting experiences together. Also, friends will understand you easily and communicate with you honestly. Obviously, having friends is a good way to be happy. Last but not least, people feel happiness because their lives are very meaningful. If they are scientists, they are very happy when their invention or discovery is completed successfully. For volunteers, they feel happiness because they can help some people have better lives. For doctors, if their patients become healthy, they will feel happiness. All in all, living meaningfully can make you happy. In conclusion, earning lots of money, having friends and living purposefully are some foundations of happiness. Happiness is around, so try to grasp it!
By Tongfeng Zhao
World of Words
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HAPPINESS? ◊
MOHANDAS K. GANDHI: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
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JOHN MILTON: “The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven.”
◊ MARK TWAIN: “Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination.” ◊
JAMES OPPENHEIM: “The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.”
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HENRY DAVID THROREAU: “That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest.”
◊ GEORGE SAND: “There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.” ◊
PROVERB: “He who laughs, lasts.”
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ANTON CHEKHOV: “People don’t notice whether it’s summer or winter when they’re happy.”
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CHERI HUBER: “When you stop comparing what is right here and now to what you wish were, you can begin to enjoy what is.”
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MARGARET LES RUNBECK: “ Happiness is not a station to arrive at, but a manner of traveling.”
Issue 69, April 2010
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By Kleber Ferraz
On Eradicating Poverty
Today is another cold day in Toronto. After John Lee eats a great breakfast, wears a warm jacket and leaves home towards his job, he does not have time to think about others. Here many people want to gain more money and be powerful; they do not have time to look beside them. However, in the same world, there are several hundred people dying and suffering because they do not have food, proper clothes and shelter. The question is: What are people doing to help them and eradicate poverty? Eradicating poverty is the solution for the world because it is possible to raise the quality of education and to provide for everyone the basic necessities of life.
There is a large number of poor people in the world and poverty does not give them choice to have a suitable living. Eradicating poverty would be possible to increase the quality of education in many countries and education is related with the development of the country, and opportunities for work. For example, people who are looking for a job would be more prepared with a high quality education as their background and it would not matter whether they come from a rich or a poor family. Furthermore, the country would value employees with a lot of skills and new businesses would offer opportunities for novice workers. In many documentaries and news stories, it is possible
to watch and see that there are not the same rights for rich and poor people; consequently, the poor people do not have the same support as food and health assistance. Especially in some countries in Africa, the government does not provide them with food, and this results in heath problems as malnutrition. In addition, eradicating poverty would give them the same rights such as the basic necessities of life, food and health assistance. Finally, if people start to think about others’ needs, they will see that with minimum actions they can help many poor people, and eradicating poverty should be the goal of the whole world’s efforts.
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World of Words
My Best Friend Safe is the most faithful friend I have ever had. Since I met her the first day in our college in Riyadh, she has been like my sister. Safe lives in the same city as me, Riyadh the capital of Saudi Arabia, which is the place where we were born. After we graduated from college, we always made a schedule to get together weekly or on the week end. Also, we share everything, like ideas for the future. Besides, we have the same mentality; for example, we read the same kinds of books. Safe is an emotional women which makes her amazing and beautiful. Her smile does not leave her face even in hard times. Now she is married and she has two kids and she has given them her heart. Once I got my scholarship and finalized my visa I informed Safe about that .
She cried so much and tried to make me forget this idea of travelling out of Saudi Arabia to continue my higher education because she wanted us to be together. All the time she misses me and contacts me weekly by phone . She still hopes I will come back home. Really I don’t know how I can thank my best friend Safe for all the time I spent with her . In my heart there is a palace for her. Finally I just want to say it's wonderful to have a faithful friend , and it is a big challenge to keep them close to you all your life. My advice to all people I meet is to be a faithful friend. It’s the hardest mission in this world.
by Samiyah AL-Otiabi
A Heartfelt Goodbye
Before I came to Toronto I didn't thought that it's will be that special, because before this experience I’ve been to many courses in Florida and a conference in Boston so I thought, well it will be the same. But the thing was that this
experience was very special, let me tell you why: the people are very amazing, friendly and intellectuals plus the friends and the teachers that I met in the U of T they all amazing. I learned a lot from them. I had a great class with my amazing two teachers Ortensia and Maurilio and I tried my best to join all the activities because I know and am sure that in every single activity or even talk I’ll learn something new. The U of T gave me the chance to meet many friends from many other countries that I can talk to and improve my English and help them to improve their English by talking and practicing plus now I know a lot about other cultures and they knew about Kuwait more than before. In conclusion I would love to thank the U of T and all the people who helped me in this experience and I would love to say that I miss my friends, my teachers and the students service team Anna , Shirley , Tope and Yoon .. I love you Yours, Dalal Al Rashed guys!
Issue 69, April 2010
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM GUITAR HERO: CARMELO ELP’s own guitar star Carmelo is from Mexico. He has been in Toronto for about one and half years. Our talented star has been playing the for 15 years. He loves to play rock music especially songs from The Beatles. He also wants to learn how to play different kinds of music. He wants to apply and study music at the Royal Conservatory of Music. His advice for those who want to learn how to play the guitar is to come out to the Guitar Club to learn the chords and practice at home! Past Performances: December 2009 Final Event at Hart House, Winter Camping, Geordie’s Jam and in the ELP lobby with the Guitar Club!
TO BE PART OF THE HYPE—JOIN THE GUITAR CLUB !
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World of Words
Wrestling by Khalid Almozini When was WWE wrestling founded, and how did it develop? Roderick McMahon and Toots Mondt started it in 1952. WWE developed into a big, successful company, and it’s a really good job to be a wrestler. However, there are some disadvantages of being a wrestler. First, you could get hurt while practicing or while performing, and that might end your career. For example, Sid Vicious the wrestler broke his leg while participating in a match and that ended his career. Second, most wrestlers take drugs to survive in the ring and that may give them health problems. For example, Chris Be‐ noit died from drugs. Next, you must be in good shape to wrestle and that requires a lot of work. To sum up, there are some effects of wrestling which may be very harmful.
Facts about wrestling •
•
•
It’s a form of martial arts; Shuai Jiao, a wrestling style originating in China, has a reported history of over 4,000 years. In Egypt, wrestling has been evidenced by documentation on tombs (circa 2300 BC) and Egyptian artwork (2000-1085 BC). Greco-Roman wrestling became an event at the first modern Olympic games, in Athens in 1896. Since 1908, the event has been in every Summer Olympics.
Volleyball by Talal Al Zayed Volleyball is one of my favorite sports. In fact a lot of people find it an interesting sport; also it can be played by both men and woman. Actually what surprised me the most are three rules that I found about this game. The first rule is I can not touch the net! Before when I was playing this game with my friends we used to touch the net without knowing that is illegal. The second rule is you can hit the ball with your head, but when I played before I did not use my head. The third one is you can play it with 6 players, but before when I was playing with my friends we did not really focus on that. We just played and we did not really care about how many players were on the court. In conclusion, volleyball is one of the most fun sports you can ever play. Besides, you do not have to make a lot of effort because you just stay standing in the middle of the court and wait for the ball!
Facts about Volleyball • • •
The longest recorded volleyball marathon by two teams of six is 75 hours 30 minutes at Kingston, North Carolina in 1980. Most volleyball players jump about 300 times a match. On a global basis, Volleyball ranks second behind football in participation sports; there are over 800 million players worldwide.
Zinedine Zidane by
Feras Albkri
Issue 69, April 2010
In 1972 Zinedine Yazeed Zidane was born in Marseille, France. Zidane or (Zizou) like fans used to call him is from a poor family who were originally from Algeria. His father noticed that his son has talent in soccer, so he helped to make Zidane a professional player in a professional team. Zidane got accepted into a team where he could show his talent; that team was called Can FC. He stayed there for two seasons and then he transferred to a bigger team. Zidane was getting popular during the matches; he was proving to everyone that he deserved to play for the national team. His new team FC Bordeaux was helping him to develop his skills, because they were one of the best teams in France. Finally the national team coach of that time brought Zidane to play with the national team in a friendly match. It was against Denmark, and Zidane was sitting on the substitution bench. The score was one goal for each team, so the coach called up Zidane to get ready to play for the next twenty minutes. Zidane was the perfect choice to help the French national team win, because Zidane succeeded in scoring a goal in that game and turned the match against Denmark. This was the beginning of a legend that will not be forgotten. After this match Zidane was popular internationally, and many teams in Europe wanted Zidane to be their playmaker. The team that got Zidane’s contract was Juventus. After playing with the Italian team until 1998, Zidane was one of the players that Juventus fans will never forget. In 1998 Zidane was bigger than ever, since he was the first player to win two awards: the Golden Ball (Ballon Do’r) and best FIFA player of the year. In that year Zidane was the biggest reason why France won the FIFA World Cup.
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In 1999 he finished playing for Juventus, but he didn’t win any awards or trophies that year. Teams all over Europe were fighting to get Zidane in 2000. Flirontino Perez, the president of the Spanish giant Real Madrid, was willing to pay sixty four million Euros to have him playing in a Madrid jersey for the next five years. After this irresistible price Juventus agreed to sell Zidane. He became the most expensive soccer player in the history of soccer. Zidane showed people that he deserved that money by winning the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid; he also won the Club World Cup with the Spanish team. Zidane was again named best player of the year in 2000. No soccer player wanted more than what Zidane did in his career, but Zidane didn’t stop there. In 2003 he won the Spanish league with Real Madrid and he was named the best soccer player of the year for the third time. Zidane was set for retirement; while playing his last match at Bernabeu stadium of Madrid, Zidane scored a magnificent header. The coach of the French national team tried to convince Zidane to play in the World Cup, but Zidane refused to play for the national team. All the fans were trying to change Zidane’s mind, but he did not respond at all until the president of France, Jacques Chirac, talked to Zidane and persuaded him to change his mind. The French fans had high hopes of getting the World Cup after learning that Zidane would play with them.Zidane took France to the final.They played overtime; the match was a draw by 1-1. In the overtime Zidane was at the back of the field when Marco Materatzzi tried to make him angry. He said some offensive words about Zidane’s mother and sister. Zidane couldn’t take it and he head butted him on his chest. Zidane got suspended from the game after what he did. Italy won by penalties in the final and Zidane’s career was ended by a red card. However, Zidane didn’t stop getting awarded; he was the best player in the World Cup of 2006 and the second best player of the year. That’s how it all ended. He was the legend, the genius and most importantly he will be in every soccer fan’s memory forever.
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World of Words
BASKETBALL
FIFA 2010 Destination—South Africa Countdown—3 months (June 11—July 11) Places to Watch the Games—Hoops, Duke of Gloucester, The Football Factory, The Rhino, Scallywags, Shoeless Joe’s
Basketball is still a young game. It is just a hundred years old. In the winter of 1891 a certain college was having trouble with male students. The weather was so bad that the students had to stay indoors. Because they could not enjoy their sports outside as usual, they were unhappy, and some of them even got into fight from time to time. Finally one of the teachers at the college J.E Naismith, a Canadian was asked to invent a new game for students. It was not as easy job because such a game had to be played indoors, and the court was not very large. Naismith thought for a few days and invented a kind of ball game. It was a fast, exciting game. At first, Naismith had planned to have the ball thrown into a box. As they could not find boxes of the right size, he had to use fruit baskets instead. The first basketball match at the Olympic Games was at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the first women's basketball in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Basketball is a ball game involving two teams, with five players each. The purpose is to score points by putting the basketball into the other side’s hoop and preventing the other team from obtaining the ball or scoring. You can pass the ball in any direction and shoot, but subject to rules. Informal basketball games can have any number of players, for example, one of the most popular street basketball games is ‘three on three’. The highest level of today's world basketball league is the United States National Basketball Association (NBA). Basketball is full of passion and vitality, and bring happy. It fully demonstrates the love of human beings for sport and for the ultimate challenge- higher, faster, stronger.
by Haoran (Howard ) Li
Little Italy in Toronto is a great neighbourhood to see the games!
Did You Know? In 1930, Uruguayan squad, the host country's team, claimed the first-ever Men's World Cup title over Argentina, 4-2. Why South Africa was awarded the 2010 World Cup? Fifa decided that the 2010 tournament would be hosted by an African country, with five countries - South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya - in the running. In 2004 the organisation's inspection committee announced that South Africa had the potential to organise an "excellent" World Cup - compared to Egypt and Morocco's potential to organise "very good" World Cups, Tunisia's potential to organise a "good" World Cup, and the probability that Libya would "face great difficulties in organising a World Cup to the standards required". Economic benefits? It has been estimated that the 2010 World Cup will create some 129 000 jobs, contribute around R21-billion to the country's gross domestic product and another R7.2-billion in government taxes, with the 350 000 visitors spending a some R9.8-billion in the country.
FIFA 2014 Destination—Brazil
Issue 69, April 2010
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Hosting the Olympic Games
Every four years, hundreds of top athletes and sports fans get together in one city to celebrate the Olympic Games. It is like a huge party for the whole world since, during these 3 weeks, emotions fluctuate with the games’ results. Recently, not only have the Olympics attracted more attention, they have also caused heated debates about holding them. Are they a good opportunity for a country? Some argue that hosting the event will cost too much money, while others believe that the profits can cover the costs and that the advantages may even extend to other areas. Although nobody is able to guarantee the Olympics will be a money-making business without risks, they can bring a range of benefits to the host country. First, hosting the Olympic Games can “boost” the economy by creating job opportunities and advancing tourism. In order to keep them on track, the government will devote great effort to improving infrastructure and environmental conditions, training local people as well as publicizing its city. This can provide enormous opportunities to increase the workforce. According to the article “Is it worth hosting the Olympic Games?”(J. Bailey, 2008), when Paris bid for the 2012 Olympics, economic experts estimated that 60,000 jobs would be created, and the number would be 135,000 if they were hosted by New York. The Olympics’ impact also lasts for years after the event because when the host city has became the world’s centre once, people will remember it for their lifetime.
by Xiaomeng Ren
The structures built for the Olympics will be parts of the history to remind people of those exciting moments. Data show that Barcelona had 1,727,610 tourists in 1991, while after the 1992 Olympics, the number increased explosively to 2,455,249 in 1993 and 3,149,002 in 2000(“Editor’s blog: Rio wins Olympics- who benefits?” 2009). Second, besides the effects on the local economy, hosting the Olympics can also waken patriotism. The government often uses the Olympic Games to mobilize residents to be involved by holding torch relays and promoting the host city to foreigners. Society can be reunited during those events; the Paris 2010 bid, for instance, used the strategy of choosing Zidane, an immigrant’s son as the promotion ambassador in order to “bring Parisians of all backgrounds together”(Bailey, 2008). Unlike other business or sports events, the Olympics are able to influence almost everyone. During the 17 days, the media focus on those games, so the most heated discussions are all about them. Citizens feel proud of winners from their countries, and encourage those players whose Olympic adventures end in failure; by sharing those emotions, people from all parts of the country feel connected to each other. Third, for the reason that the host country can be the focus of the world for several weeks, the Olympics are not only a good option to create a “feel-good factor”(Bailey,2008), but also a great opportunity to reintroduce a country to others; in other words, they can promote cultures and landscape or announce economic power as a showcase. For example, considered as a poor and undeveloped country for decades, China eagerly needed a chance to dispel the myths about her. The 2008 Beijing Olympics opened a door to other countries and invited them to explore the new China. China has put her achievements on the stage whose name was the Olympics; as a result, it is commonly believed that “the Beijing Olympics in 2008 are seen by many as evidence of China’s acceptance into the global community and a way for her to showcase her economic growth and acceptance of the West.” (Bailey, 2008). Beijing is not the only one who used the Olympics as an opportunity to enter a new era; so did New York. According to Bailey, with the purpose of showing that the city had recovered from 9/11 and reopened for business, New York devoted a great effort to the 2010 bid. In conclusion, despite the fact that holding the Olympics is expensive and may bring chaos to the host city, it is still a great way to develop the local economy, evoke citizens’ patriotism and showcase powerful achievements. Taking into account these benefits, it is possible that more countries will join the team of bidding to host the games and more people will enjoy this worldwide sports event.
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World of Words
OLYMPICS & BUSINESS By Hao (Arthur) Ye
Currently, the Olympic Games have become the biggest sports event, for they are not only a sports competition, but also about the economy. Many companies pay attention to the Olympic Games, because it can help them to promote their products. In order for companies’ products to appear at the games or on TV advertisements, they will sponsor the host city by providing money or some goods. The host city can use that money to build the sports facilities. For example, at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the famous venue with the swimming pool was called “The “Water-Cube” A part of the money for that came from Hong Kong companies. It was good for the Olympic Games in Beijing.
HERE ARE SOME FIGURES SPENT IN PREPARING FOR THE VANCOUVER 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS:
On the other hand, some companies do not use their money to built facilities, but may just use it to encourage athletes to win medals. Some athletes might work harder in order to get these rewards. As a result of that, the games will be more exciting and competitive. For instance, at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, a beer company said to the gold medal winners that they would give him/her one million RMB (Chinese money). Some companies give athletes houses, cars, or other goods. Finally, the Olympic Games can help the economy of the host city. Since the best athletes come to take part in the games, it will attract a large audience to watch the competition. The audience will come from different places and they need hotels, restaurants and services. This gives the host city an opportunity to develop its economy. For example, at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, every hotel was full. In conclusion, when the Olympic Games and business get together, both sides can enjoy the benefits.
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The estimated cost to host the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics is 1.76 billion dollars.
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The three main Olympic venues cost $580 million to build.
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The opening and closing ceremonies were held at BC Place Stadium, which received over $150 million in major renovations.
Issue 69, April 2010
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THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM’S
VOLUNTEER CLUB “Volunteering is a lot of fun! It is a great feeling to make new friends, learn about Toronto and Canada, while giving to the community. Don’t hesitate to join, you will love it!!!” Peelbong Kim, ELP student and Volunteer Club member from Korea; he completed more than 50 hours of volunteering.
Learning English beyond the classroom • Practice Speaking English • Gain Experience to help you with Future Employment • Meet New People, both International and Torontonians • Explore Toronto and participate in its Vibrant Culture
Volunteering for Evergreen at Downsview Park TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE DO AT THE VOLUNTEER CLUB!
Volunteering for Evergreen; planting trees
Against the Toronto Skyline during Volunteering for Bikes for Africa
United Way (Left) & Second Harvest (Right)
Organizations we volunteered for in the past: • The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation • Evergreen Canada • Toronto International Film Festival • Luminato Festival of Arts + Creativity • Central Eglinton Community Centre • Doors Open Toronto • Harbourfront Festivals
Face Painting at Fusion of Taste Festival
Bikes for Africa (Left) & Final Party where students receive their certificates of volunteer achievements! (Right)
Evergreen (Left) & United Way (Right) Information You Need to Know … The Volunteer Club has meetings every Wednesday at 5:15PM in RM 160. Learn about upcoming events & sign up for upcoming events At the end of each session, if you complete 20 hours of volunteer work or more, you will receive a certificate and a photoalbum! Any Questions? E-mail: volunteer.club.elp@gmail.com
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World of Words
Is it beneficial for Countries to host the Olympics? by Fang Kong These cultures were diverse and admired. In Hosting the Olympic Games is a dream that every country pursues to strengthen the pride of its people. Therefore, the host countries eager to show everyone their unforgettable Olympic Games usually invest heavily in unique venues such as stadiums, pools and horse tracks. The best example is the Bird’s Nest Stadium, an unparalleled structure built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The stadium cost $450 million (U.S) and $15 million annually to maintain (Emily Mathieu, 2010). Moreover, it is also believed that the Bird’s Nest stadium is not a useful legacy because the structure is “empty and not being used” after the Olympic Games (Mathieu, 2010). Even though the Beijing Olympic Games touched off strong criticism, it also brought many benefits to China. One of the most important benefits of hosting the Olympic Games was brilliant business opportunities. For foreign companies, the Beijing Olympic Games seemed to be a key to open the Chinese market, which had been closed for a long time. As a result, China succeeded in attracting foreign investments. According to a People’s Daily Online (http://english.people.com.cn/) report, Japanese enterprises invested $3 billion (U.S) in the Beijing Olympics in 2003. Hosting the Olympic Games was not only an opportunity to open the Chinese market to foreign tradesmen, but it also encouraged domestic companies to export. For example, Aokong, one of China’s biggest shoe manufacturers, spent at least 2.3 million U.S. dollars to be an official sponsor for the BeiJing Olympics in order to draw in foreign buyers (People’s Daily Online, 2008). It is clear that business opportunities are one of the best advantages of hosting the Olympic Games. Not only were the Olympic Games an unprecedented period of time for business, but they were also an incredible opportunity for multicultural exchanges. The Beijing Olympics Opening ceremony played an important role in showing the world Chinese multiculturalism with extraordinary performances such as acrobatics, the Peking Opera and a traditional Chinese fashion show.
addition, the Olympic concepts, coming from foreign countries, affected Chinese culture as well. With the Beijing Olympics’ spirit, “One World One Dream”, Chinese education was enhanced in many ways. Firstly, studying English became a popular trend among both young and old because they were proud to help foreign visitors during the Olympics. A CCTV Online News Video (http://vsearch.cctv.com/) showed that over 10,000 citizens of Beijing volunteered to study English every holiday morning. Secondly, the Olympic education became a power which encouraged students to be creative when they studied. A Beijing 2008 Online (http://en.beijing2008.cn/) report described the core concepts of the Olympic spirit, which is “understanding each other, cooperation and competing fairly”, and this was applied through the Olympics education. Through these games, China absorbed the merits of both traditional Chinese and Western cultures and opened a new chapter of development. Another benefit from hosting the Beijing Olympics was the creation of an opportunity to promote cities’ infrastructure. Statistics show that the total investment of infrastructure, including energy, transportation systems and social services, reached approximately $10 billion (U.S) in Beijing in 2007 (The official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games). Due to this huge investment, using new energy, upgrading transportation systems and perfecting social services helped the Chinese to gain more comfortable lives. In 2006, the green coverage of Beijing reached 42.5 per cent and the air quality index increased to Grade 2 or better (The official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games). Although only large cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai and Qingdao were developed for the Beijing Olympics, smaller cities also obtained experiences for future development. Thus, hosting the Beijing Olympic Games contributed to earthshaking urban changes. To sum up, hosting the Beijing Olympic Games became a turning point for China by providing a lot of advantages. Because of the Olympics, the Chinese economy, culture and society were further advanced. Otherwise, if China had not had the chance to be its host, citizens would continue to follow a stereotypical routine. Accordingly, the Chinese government should unite all citizens to continue the advancement of the economy, culture and society achieved through hosting the Olympic Games.
Issue 69, April 2010
Is It Beneficial For a City to Host the Olympics?
By Kunga Sherab Although there are some benefits to holding the Olympics, there are many more drawbacks. Many people believe that holding this event in their city is beneficial. One reason is that they create jobs and attract visitors, whichbenefits the economy. Another reason why people believe that the Olympics are beneficial is because the government helps to improve the city's infrastructure by building new trains, roads, and parks. Finally, the city attracts domestic and international attention, making its citizens feel proud. Although these are some benefits, there are a lot of drawbacks to holding the Olympics in a city, including large bills, useless sports stadiums, and misuse of money.
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Another disadvantage is that cities are left with empty sports stadiums after only 17 days of use. After the Olympics end, 80,000 seat stadiums, swimming pools and horse tracks are left empty and many of these will never be used again. For example, Australia has many athletes,
but underused stadiums in Sydney are costing the taxpayers $32 million per year in maintenance fees (Bailey, 2008).
Finally, although the city holding the Olympics is able to gain some benefits, the rest of the country does not get those benefits and money is often misused. The Olympics may also harm the economy in other parts of the country, because the country provides support only for the city holding the Olympics. Even when a country tries to improve its situation after holding the games, it still has many financial problems. For example, China plans to turn the Bird’s Nest stadium into a shopping mall in order to attract visitors. Nevertheless, it still has to pay $15 million per year to support its Olympic debt.(Globe and One of the many negative aspects of holding the Mail,Jun 30,2010) Olympics is that cities lose a huge amount of money. For example, Montreal, which hosted the In conclusion, there are many drawbacks to 1976 Olympics, is still paying off the cost of the holding the Olympics. From now on, the money games today (Bailey,2008). Cities also have to pay used for the Olympics should instead be used for large amounts of money for security. For example, because of increased security fears, the city of Ath- long-term projects, such as housing and social ens spent 1.5 billion dollars on security alone out of projects that would benefit all citizens of a couna total of 12 billion dollars on the 2004 try. games.(Bailey, 2008)
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World of Words
By Natalia Sánchez Traslaviña
Volunteer Club Joining the Volunteer Club at the English Language Program in the School of Continuing Studies at the University of Toronto is one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had. The Volunteer Club offers many activities that let people help others while people can have fun, make new friends and improve their English as well. My name is Natalia Sanchez and I am from Caracas, Venezuela. It is not my first time in a volunteer group. I have had similar experiences in my country, in which I have learned a lot. For this reason, as soon as I heard about the Volunteer Club I wanted to become part of it. One of the activities that had a great impact on me was to work at the Good Shepherd Ministries. Our mission was to help prepare and serve food to the homeless and less fortunate.
I feel satisfied to have been in contact with those people because that experience made me grow personally. We have other activity named Pink Ribbon Party. It was for the benefit of the Canadian Cancer Society. We have been assigned to make pink ribbon pendants that will be sold to raise funs for this worthy cause. It was a very enriching experience for me because it taught me that spending a few hours of my time I can contribute to the benefit of many people. You only need to carry with you willingness and desire to collaborate. All of us can be volunteers. This is not a mission only for special people. When people think in volunteer work, they almost always imagine huge projects and that is not always true. Giving a hand in little projects can be the best reward. I want to finish with a famous quote:
¨Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls¨ by David Thomas.
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by Rola Fayez
VOLUNTEERING
Issue 69, April 2010
Volunteering is an altruistic activity targeting to promote quality of life. Volunteers do not get paid for their participation and services. Volunteering can help improve the participants’ communication and social skills, help them make new friends from diverse cultures and communities and build a resume that will double their chances when applying for a job. Involvement in volunteering activities indicates that this person is keen, cooperative, responsible and able to participate in a team. Eventually, those advantages can help establish their future career. l will talk about my experience volunteering in Toronto. I joined the volunteer club at the English Language Program of the School of Continuing Studies at the University of Toronto. Since I started in volunteering, l participated in many volunteering activities. I sold the 50/50 Maple Leafs Game tickets at Air Canada Center for a foundation that donate funds to help art students pay their tuition fees. Also, l volunteered at the Daily Bread Food Bank packing up and sorting the assorted canned foods meant for distribution to destitute families. Furthermore, l volunteered at the Good Shepherd Center which is a place for serving and preparing fresh meals to the homeless and disadvantaged people.
Ultimately, these volunteering activities helped me to improve my English language skills as I was then speaking with native English speakers beyond my clinical time hours, l also learned new English words. Also, l got more involved with people by making new friends from diverse cultures and communities which ultimately improved my communication skills. Moreover, by volunteering, l explored new places in Toronto that helped me understand the Canadian community better. Working at the Food Bank may not seem to be the most exciting of jobs. However, while volunteering it is important not to forget the larger picture behind the seemingly insignificant or menial tasks one may be asked to perform. . For example, some people may think that sorting and packing food items for needy people is boring. But by thinking broadly, people will have a better understanding of the sense of altruism and compassion. In conclusion, volunteering can contribute to the larger community while allowing one to participate in a truly diverse culture. Helping others and learning a lot will make a difference for the individuals as well as the world we live in.
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World of Words
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Issue 69, April 2010
By Ibrahim Al-Humoud Al-Jubail is a city in the Eastern Province on The Arabian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. Jubail was originally a small fishing village. Jubail has four main parts: The Industrial area, Jubail city, the Naval Base and the Desalination Plant. Jubail is like any other city, although I would not call it a city because it is not a huge city and it has a lot of open areas. The population in Jubail is about 150,367. Also Jubail was still being developed in the early 70’s. Then the Saudi government designated Jubail as an industrial city. The Jubail Industrial area consists of petrochemical plants, fertilizer plants, steel works, an industrial port and has a huge number of support industries. It produces steel, alminum , plastic and fertilizers.The distance between the Industrial Area and Jubail is about 15 K.M which provides a buffer zone. Jubail also contains The King Abdul-Aziz Naval Base and desalination plant, SWCC stand for “Jubail Saline
Water Conversion Corporation desalination plant”. The Naval Base has a seaport for basic training and it has a small compound for the workers.The Naval Base also has an airport lane eventhough it is rarely used.Furthermore, It has all the facilities such as schools , a hospital , super markets and mosques. The distance from Jubail to the Naval Base is 7K.M; moreover, the space between The Naval Base and SWCC is 8K,M.the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is a Saudi government corporation responsible for desalinating sea water, in order to augment the supply of potable water to coastal and inland cities in the Kingdom. SWCC is also the second largest electric power producer in the Kingdom. To sum up, Jubail has changed in a blink of an eye, Jubail is one of the most important cities In Saudi Arabia. Jubail has provided to the government and the Saudi citizens a lot of benefits.
Focus on: Saudi Arabia
THE CITY OF AL-JUBAIL
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World of Words
My City: Riyadh
Focus on: Saudi Arabia
by Yazeed Alshoudokhi Riyadh is the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. That means it must enhance the facilities of the first city in Saudi Arabia. The main facilities that are being improved are the infrastructure of education, housing and transportation. The infrastructure of education in my city Riyadh took the first priority in the agenda of my government. The government in my country has spent a lot of time and money to create new building styles to serve our universities. For example, King Saud University, see figure1, had a low
Figure2: The Kingdom Tower
ranking previously, so the government had to make a plan to improve the university. The government renewed the building of some colleges, and made new parking areas. The main improvement the government made was to build a new medical facility. Moreover, besides the construction and new buildings to raise the ranking, efforts also include enhancing the websites and updating the faculty of our university. The rank of the university has improved. Furthermore, the housing in Riyadh is tempting the people because it has a fantastic design. For example, The Kingdom Tower, see figure2, is a multi-purpose building with smart offices, takeout restaurants
and a shopping centre. These services can attract many tourists to this city. In Riyadh, taxis and "Albaldah Line"buses that can go a n y w h e r e cheaply- are examples of the transportation there. Where Figure1: King Saud University can we find the improvement here? Actually, the street has been improved to be wider and more beautiful than before. There is a study to plan a metro across two main streets: King Abdullah Street and King Fahd Street. This study may solve many problems in transportation in Riyadh. Figure3 indicates the improvements in the streets. In conclusion, the government has to improve Riyadh, because it is the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. There are many improvements in facilities, but the infrastructure of education, housing and transportation are essential and significant.
Figure3: King Fahd Street and Alolya Street
Issue 69, April 2010
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by Munirah Thaqfan
In Saudi Arabia, unemployment is on the rise. It has been shown that 25% of Saudis who finish their undergraduate studies, according to a Saudi survey, have to wait at least 2 years to find stable full-time jobs. Unemployment, now, is becoming the most serious dilemma in this country. The survey exposes several reasons for this problem. The growing population may play an important role in the difficulty in finding jobs. Since the family members in Saudi usually consist of large numbers ( the average parents have at least five children), it is becoming challenging to find jobs for all of them. Another reason is the enormous number of foreign workers. The private sector usually employs foreigners because they are paid less than Saudis. In some cases, Saudi citizens lack fairness due to the monopolization of highly-paid positions by some of the most powerful people. This would expand the joblessness. Recently, the serious impacts of unemployment have been explored. According to the Saudi police manager, Saeed Alqahtani, the number of criminals arrested in the year reached about 1000; 60% of them were thieves. They admitted that they stole because of their survival needs. This shows that crime rate and poverty are strongly related to each other. What is more, the long term effects can be noticed when children are raised seeing that people from their community have no jobs; they will grow up with an inner deterrent that hinders them from being ambitious, diligent, and successful. Relationships can also be destroyed owing to this problem.
According to Saudi Arabia’s traditions, men usually take the financial responsibilities and women have to take care of the household affairs. If a man gets laid off, he would put the family in a critical situation because of his suspended financial obligations. Much of the discussion on finding solutions to the unemployment problem has centered on the Alshura council, which plays an advisory role. Undoubtedly, the government should undertake the responsibility of this problem which can be reduced in two effective ways. First, the government should set new legislation that is applied specifically to the private sector. A big and powerful company like Aramco, the biggest oil company in the world, has to show annual statistics to the government to prove that over 75% of its workers are Saudis. Second, since Forbes Magazine list of the richest people always includes several millionaires from Saudi, the government has to urge them to contribute to their society by helping the unemployed .One of the their social duties towards their community is improving the unemployed standard of living. Abulateef Jameel, a Saudi millionaire, may represent an ideal example for them. Giving loans to develop small business and offering scholarships to study outside the country to increase job chances are his influential methods to help such people. Others also must follow his example to prevent the situation from getting worse. Saudi citizens have the right to work in their country more than any one else. By eliminating unemployment, the government would give them one of their essential rights.
Focus on: Saudi Arabia
UNEMPLOYMENT IN SAUDI ARABIA
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World of Words
Problem/Solution: Population in Japan by Tomomi Notagashira
Focus on: Japan
While the world population has been rooms, yet this is not very common because growing rapidly, birth rates have been decreasing in many developed countries in the world; Japan, which is known as the one of the most aged countries, is no exception. The birth rate in Japan has been gradually declining since the end of the rapid economic growth in 1960’s, and there are three underlying reasons why this has been occurring. First, bringing up children in Japan is very expensive today. Japan has developed its educational system as it has experienced the rapid economic growth, creating the general expectation that children should receive a higher education. This expectation has made the cost of raising children more expensive, as a consequence of which married couples are less motivated to have children. Another reason is closely related to the increasing number of women who work outside homes; many women have difficulties taking child-care leave from the companies which they are working for. Despite the increasing number of women who have important roles at firms, welfare policies that many companies offer do not promise the return of female workers after their pregnancies; as a result, women who especially want to pursue their working careers tend to forgo having children. Finally, even if companies have policies that enable women to return to their positions after child-care leave, there are not enough places where parents can leave their children while they are working. Most day-care centers in urban areas are full with many children, so parents have to sign up on waiting lists and wait for their chances to place their children in one of these places. Some workplaces provide their workers with private day-care
companies do not want to spend a large amount of money for these facilities. In order to increase the birth rate in Japan, there are three solutions that should be taken by the government. First of all, the government should establish a law that makes it truly possible for parents to take child-care leave from companies, and also to return to their work position again. This would provide more choices to every worker whether they have children or not, so in the long term, it would promote the increase of birth rate in Japan. Second, the government should increase the number of day-care centers and the workers at these facilities. The number of workers employed at day-care centers has been decreasing mainly because of the terrible work conditions such as the lack of employees compared to many children. The government needs to invest a large amount of money in this field so that more youths would take this job in the future. Finally, the government should change the policies that are provided for families who cannot manage their household expenses. At this moment, it is distributing some money among these families; however, it is not helping them enough to have and raise their children because more and more families are having financial problems due to the economic recession. It is essential to deal with this problem as soon as possible; otherwise, the imbalance in age in Japan will be even greater after a few decades, and it will eventually lead to the collapse of the social system of the country.
Issue 69, April 2010
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The Dolls’ Festival Have you ever heard about “The Dolls’ Festival”? This is a Japanese traditional ceremony for girls that is held on March 3rd every year. There is a superstition about the Dolls’ Festival. It is said that if we don’t display the dolls, the girl will be late getting married. This is just a superstition, but we want to get married, so most families display dolls on the exact day. In fact, since I’m in Canada now, my parents displayed the dolls for me. My family’s dolls are very old, because they were used by my grandmother and my mother in their childhood. However, I like those dolls, because I can feel my family’s love from a long time ago. Recently, many kinds of dolls have been introduced, but maybe I will use my dolls forever, and I will give them to my children. Do
By Saho Itou OTHER FESTIVALS CELBRATED IN JAPAN We call it ‘Hinamaturi’.On that day a family who has female children displays dolls on a red tiered stand in the house to wish the girls much happiness. On the top of the tiered stand, Ohinasama is displayed on the left side and Odairisama is on the right side. There are more dolls and we have to put them in order, so every year it takes a long time to arrange the dolls. But while we set up the dolls, we enjoy chatting. It is a good opportunity to communicate with the family. We usually eat red, white and green lozenge-shaped rice cakes and Chirasizusi and Hinaarare which are Japanese traditional foods. Also, we sing a Hinamaturi song. This ceremony started about one thousand years ago, in the Heian era , and it became popular in the Meiji era in Japan. We also celebrate it at school. I remember having fun parties when I was a kindergarten and elementary school student. We sang songs and ate food. Girls always look forward to celebrating that day.
•Cherry Blossom Festival—late January-
mid February •Seijin Shiki: Coming of Age Day (second
Monday of January) •Hinamatsuri: Doll Festival (March 3)
•Hanami: Flower Viewing (late March to
early April) •Tanabata: star festival (July 7) •Shichi-Go-San: festival day for children
aged three, five and seven (November 15) •Ōmisoka: New Year's Eve (December
31)
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World of Words
SECOND EMPEROR: Li Shi Ming
Focus on: China
FIRST EMPEROR: Li Yuan
The Tan dynasty history in China by Chenhan (Mike) Xia The Tan dynasty was in power from 618CE to 907CE and it was the peak period of history in China. There were several great emperors who made the Tan dynasty became strong and famous. To start with, the Tan was founded by the Li family, who won the war when the Sui Empire was overthrown. The first Emperor was Li Yuan who seized power and chose Chang'an for the capital city. The second Emperor was Li Shi Ming, his third son. He made an innovation when he inherited his father’s power. Also, he invented a new political system. It balanced the power between the officials and the emperor. Following Li Shi Ming’s innovation, the people became affluent and happy. Thus the Tan dynasty began to develop at this time. Furthermore, the Tan dynasty also exerted a powerful cultural influence over neighboring states such in Korea, Japan and Vietnam. These countries made contact to keep peace between China and these countries. Therefore, the Tan had a wonderful environment to trade and communicate with these countries. They became the cultural center in Asia.
EMPRESS: Wu Ze Tian
Last but not least, the Tan dynasty was interrupted briefly by the second Zhou dynasty (690CE-705CE) when Empress Wu Ze Tian seized the throne. The Empress also made an innovation to develop productivity in agriculture and trade. She hired some highly talented and educated people to help her manage the country. Thus people became rich and the society was secure. She returned the throne to the Li family when she died. In conclusion, the Tan dynasty was largely a period of progress and stability in the history of China.
Issue 69, April 2010
Air pollution
According to statistics from the World Bank in 2007, 16 out of 20 of the world’s most polluted cities are in China. Air pollution has already sounded the alarm to the Chinese; the health costs of pollution in China amount to about 4.3 percent of its GDP. Lack of efficient controls on industrial waste is one of the main causes. In order to make more money, factories use only the cheapest energy, such as coal; as a result, what those factories bring to the country is not only economic profit, but also the black smoke coming out of chimneys. With less fresh air, more diseases have appeared as another outcome. For instance, the number of people with asthma and heart disease has increased rapidly in the past 10 years. Another contributor to air pollution could be the huge number of cars. More Chinese families are now able to own at least one car, yet at the same time fewer people have the opportunity to see the blue sky, which is dyed grey by exhaust. Air pollution used to be the biggest obstacle for Beijing to qualify for holding the 2008 Olympic Games, so the government took some actions to deal with it. First, 19 the most polluted factories were required to reduce 30% of their exhaust.
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Second, cars were divided into odd numbers and even numbers; they could only appear on the road on certain days. Third, coal-burning factories were moved out of Beijing. Although those measures literally achieved the goal of decreasing air pollution in two months, they are just short-term solutions and brought inconvenience to its citizens. To cut the problem from its root, there are three proposed solutions. First, because coal is such a temptation to most factory owners because of its low price, they will be reluctant to use clean and sustainable energy sources if the government doesn’t force them to. New policies should be created to balance the economic and environmental profit for using new forms of energy. In addition, air pollution can be controlled by improving the transportation system, which would upgrade the air standard by popularizing public transportation and reducing car exhaust. For instance, bus routes should cover most of a city and the ticket price should be lowered to attract more travelers. Third, planting more trees can help to purify the air, since trees are seen as the lungs of the earth. For the reason that air pollution can not disappear within a short time, trees can be a long-term plan to minimize harm. If these projects can be done, living conditions will be highly improved. When the environment becomes better, people will be healthier. Both the government and factory owners should pay attention to air pollution and realize what serious damage it can cause to our lives. Only in that case, will they be willing to participate in fighting against air pollution, for example, by adopting new energy sources, popularizing public transportation as well as planting more trees, to create a better environment for citizens’ and their own benefits.
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World of Words
The Just Married Logbook: Notes on Communication Waves and Currents Affecting Married Couples in Cuba “Communication- like sailing- is not an act; it is an art.” Patriarchism remains a “cornerstone” in most of our cultural systems. Marriages built upon such preconceptions of roles which establish the man as the “captain” of the relation “ship” may result in divorce. Cuba is one of the states where patriarchism exists still, and is one of the countries with highest divorce rates in the world. The challenges that marriages commonly face are reinforced by a social environment which limits the partners’ choices, selfgrowth and independence. “Relation-ships” are meant to “sail” and there is a vast ocean to explore; however, couples will find obstacles in their trajectory. The fact that occasionally the particular rhythm of the couple’s “relationship” is transformed as a consequence of many factors may bring the result that neither of the partners is strong enough to switch their first defined route. Sails follow the winds, and winds may change. Strong winds strike at the hopes and joys, and the stormy clouds of indifference and despair replace the blue of the spouses’ sky. Raised voices from deep inside the boat announce that the hurricane season is starting and the “relation-ship” alarm is declared. In spite of the danger of collapse - or maybe because of it- each person in the “partner-ship” tends to struggle for survival. The “What- can Ido” question arises. To achieve possible solutions, we should refer to what real communication is. Communication- like sailing- is not an act; it is an art. Communication within a couple acquires specific shapes, colors and movements which tend to be reinforced through the years, with the result of an “in crescendo” definition of the couple’s routes and currents; however, they are susceptible to collapsing in this self-definition
by Daylins Rufin
process. Thus, “dialogical communication” is recommended to resolve this problem as a source which provides strong healthy winds for the “relation-ship” to sail. Dialogical is related to dialogue and a dialogue is only possible when there are two of “you”. If either of the “you” understands that she or he is on the top or the bottom of the communication space, dialogue would not be possible. To enable the spaces for dialogical communication, Cuban couples need to realize that patriarchism there has a strong face called “machismo” (an exaggerated sense or display of masculinity, emphasizing characteristics that are conventionally regarded as male, usually physical strength and courage, aggressiveness, and lack of emotional response [Encarta Dictionary]), which thereby reduces the ability to change. The “machistas” (those people who adopt an attitude of machismo) often assume a position of denial toward dialogue. Such behavior conspires against the partner’s empathy and connection as well as bringing about an unbearable sensation of emptiness. Silence gives rise to more loneliness and a cloud of solitude embraces the “relation-ship”. We cannot change the external facts, but we can improve the internal factors. If we become aware of the importance of communication, we will be able to develop the skill of sharing feelings assertively. If we believe in dialogue, those who become castaways on isolated islands may agree to search for common ground, giving rise to an unlimited ocean of happiness. Then, the last page of the logbook may be updated: Sunny again, visible horizons. Anew journey begins.
Issue 69, April 2010
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SYRIA & TOURISM by Rashad Bolbol
Syria is an Arabic country located in southwestern Asia on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Syria’s area is 185,180 square kilometers, while the population is 23,027 million. Syria is one of the most attractive countries in the Middle East for tourists for many reasons. Syria is a natural museum with more than 4000 archaeological sites for Syria had some very important early civilizations. First, we will start with three ancient cities.
In Damascus, which is the capital city of Syria, you can find old buildings that belong to the BC era, like the Umayyad Mosque. The old city of Bosra is a unique monument, enclosed by the walls and towers of a splendid citadel, inhabited between 481 and 1231 A.D. However, Nabatean and Roman monuments, Christian churches, mosques, and schools are all equally celebrated. The City of Palmyra is in the middle of the Syrian desert, where it has been a settlement since Neolithic times, from about 1000 B.C. For about one millennium it was an Assyrian caravan town and later became an important outpost of the Greek Empire for about two hundred years. Maaloula is one of the most scenic villages in Syria and it is of par-
ticular interest as the only place in the world where Aramaic, the language spoken by Christ, is still used as a living language. The word Maaloula means entrance in Aramaic. These are some samples of Syria’s ancient cities. Moreover, castles are the second most important archeological sites in Syria. Besides that, Syria’s castles are considered the largest castles in the Middle East. Some of these castles are Samaan, Damascus, and Salah El Din. The amazing mountains, fantastic sea resorts and restful forests are places available for tourists to visit so people can enjoy their time in different places with varying kinds of weather. To sum up, Syria tempts tourists because it’s really worth a visit.
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Salsa By Lubov Oliynyk Salsa is a little story about passion and fascinating flirtation. Salsa is the queen of Latin Americans dances. In 1928 the Cuban Ignacio Pinero said: “Exhale salsyta” (“We will add lights”) and these words become the name of his new song. Soon, this phrase was transformed into “salsa”, a dance of the same name which became madly popular. Before 1970 the word "salsa" meant a mixture of various Latin American styles and rhythms, including Huarache, Cha-cha-cha, Pichincha, Rumba and Mambo. This means that the people danced in different ways but called the mu-
My Favourite Cartoon Character:
Doraemon Doraemon, who comes from the future, is a cat robot character in a famous Japanese cartoon. He has a very miraculous pocket that has lots of wonderful and magical devices. He uses these to help his friend Da Xiong to solve different problems. The Japanese cartoonist Teng Benhong created this character in 1969.Then Doraemon became more and more popular in Japan. In 1969,when Teng Benhong was working in his home, suddenly a cat rushed into his house. Even though the deadline was coming, he played with the cute cat. After he played with the cat, he found that he didn’t have enough time to finish his work. While he was worrying about that, he bumped into his daughter’s toy doll. He had a brilliant flash of imagination. He combined the cat and the toy, and he created today’s popularcartoon character-Doraemon. At first Doraemon was a cat robot like other robots, and like a cat, he was yellow all over. One day,
sic “salsa”. Later, the music gave birth to the dance. Salsa includes elements of different dance styles and Caribbean influences from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic and nearby countries like Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia. Some salsa movements were taken from traditional dances and others are specific. The salsa’s character is reflected in its main steps. This comes at the expense of not moving the upper body and transferring the emphasis and rhythm to the legs and waist. Salsa - it is not even dancing, it is the image of life and freedom. Salsa is the color of chocolate and vanilla, a heady aroma that arouses feelings of spicy bitterness and sweet taste!
while he was napping, a mouse bit his ear. When he went to the hospital, by mistake the doctor cut off his ears. He was very upset, so he went to a beach and cried. After three days, his sister Dorami found him, but he had turned blue .From that time on, although he is a cat, he is afraid of mice. Then lots of interesting things happened to this little guy and his friends. Doraemon is not only popular in Japan, but also in Asia, because he is very friendly and cordial. For example, he came to China in 1991, and the children in China love him very much. Every child wants to own a Doraemon, because he can do everything with his magical devices. Doraemon, is a cartoon character who will consort with several generations.
by Meng Li
Issue 69, April 2010
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Welcome
CE Students!
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World of Words
MUCH ON DEMAND
BANDS: The New City and Marianas Trench HOST: Jesse
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cake. Like a chemical experiment, you are bubbling with expectation, and with the joy of getting your apron covered with flour. You don’t care if you miss the pan when you try to flip your pancake. It’s okay ~ who’s to see! Live lobsters may jump up from a pot of boiling water. No problem: this is the joy of cooking! Preparing delicious food over an open fire is a basic human instinct; all you need is an adventurous spirit! The joy of cooking is the pleasure of creating something meaningful. Meryl Streep, who thrilled us in her 2008 role as a middle-aged woman in love, in Mamma Mia, (the live musical will return to Toronto for a six-week engagement at the end of April 2010), acts perfectly in an unassuming, openhearted, elegant manner. In one very touching scene she breaks down and weeps in her kitchen, revealing Julia and Paul’s hidden sadness. For her amazing performance as Julia, Streep was nominated for an Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards. Amy Adams also delivers a fine portrayal of a cute working lady, though she looks too young to be a thirty-year-old woman! I especially enjoyed the sequence where Julie tries to reconcile with her husband following a big blow-out. Throughout the film, the producer’s restrained use of colour and light is also favourable.If you are interested in this movie, you should look up the “real” Julia Child on the internet. You will discover a very lovely, talented grandma!
Directed by Nora Ephron, 2009, Columbia Pictures, 123 min.
“What should I do?” You might have said this one lazy Sunday afternoon. But it may be more serious to say so when you feel your life is becoming nothing. A movie we saw in Evelyn’s movie class explores several important themes, such as family and their support, the socalled middle-age crisis, and the human need for purpose. Julie and Julia is a heartwarming comedy based on the two true stories of two American women in two different times. The stories are connected by a cookbook! “What should I do?,” moans Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep), the future writer of America’s most successful cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She has just arrived in Paris in 1949 with her husband Paul Child (Stanley Tucci), who has worked as an undercover spy for an American secret agency in Asian countries for many years. Actually she does not need to do anything: the government covers all of their living expenses. But she needs something to fill her days, some challenge to embrace. At last she finds it: cooking! Over time she masters French cooking, and with the encouragement and support of her “anchor,” Paul, she eventually publishes a cookbook for “servantless American cooks.” In the parallel story to this, Julie Powell (Amy Adams) is stuck in a dead-end clerical job in New York. The time is 2002. She also needs to find something meaningful to do. Her husband Eric (Chris Messina) urges Julie to start up her own blog about cooking. So she sets herself a challenge: to try out the 524 recipes in Julia Child’s cookbook ~ in a single year! She names her blog The Julie and Julia Project. You know how amusing it is to watch a drop of batter become a beautiful golden pan-
By Atsufumi Kato
Movie Review: Julie and Julia
Issue 69, January 2010
Wacky CAs! Your Cultural Assistants Know How to Have Fun!
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Issue 69, January 2010
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From top to bottom, left to right: Anna, Rolla, Shirley and Janet show their enthusiastic team spirit ! Tope is King ! Toni’s wacky hair! Toni loves winter and snowmen apparently … Now that’s what I call friendship! We make a great team, don’t we? Show your CA’s some love!
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JENGA !
What are you waiting for? Join in on the fun! You can play Jenga with your classmates, friends and CAs during Games Nights each month. Check out the activity calendar to know the exact dates and times!
RULES OF THE GAME — Set up the tower by placing three blocks facing down. Make three blocks face the left. Keep on doing this until there are no more blocks. Try to take a block out by tapping the short side of it, or by pulling it out. Once you pull it out, place the block on the top of the tower - either facing left of the blocks, or facing down, or vice versa. Repeat step #2 until someone makes the Jenga Tower fall.
HAVE FUN!
Issue 69, January 2010
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by Chiaki Takano It is interesting that Japanese students tend to be re‐ garded that they are like robots. This means they traditionally use less body language: eye contact and facial expressions during conversation than other cultures. So when Japanese students go abroad, their attitude reflects a strong personality to other peo‐ ple, because in other countries, body language usually has a sig‐ nificant effect when people greet other people, and when they want to express their mind well. In most countries of the world, greeting somebody with a gesture has a very important meaning, because we usually greet others when we first see them , and that greeting will show that “ I’m very happy to see you to‐ day.” So this gesture is very important to have a good relationship with others. How you greet others will be our identity, and that will decide whether you are a friendly person or not. In Japan, we do not usu‐ ally use body language a lot and just say hello. To elder people we bow, but we do not hug or kiss.
However, this looks quite strange when we are abroad, and we will be acknowledged that we are unfriendly but too polite nation. Therefore, when we go to other country, it is important to know how they comforta‐ bly greet others, or you will lose your good image by others. And another importance of us‐ ing body language, eye contact and facial expressions are to express our mind effectively. In many Eng‐ lish countries, it is very common to use those a lot during conversation, because those will help us to show our emotion and feeling, and will moreover activate the conversation between peoples. Especially for overseas students, it is really ef‐ fective to use those three skills because those will compensate for our lack of English speaking abil‐ ity. For example, calling someone on the phone makes overseas students feel very difficult, because usual phones will not allow to use those skills. So that when Japanese stu‐ dents speak without the skills, that means it is same as they are talking on the phone and give a boring ro‐ botlike impression to other peoples. However, now Japanese students start changing. Some universities offer special classes to practice the three skills a lot through pres‐ entations, discussions or debates, because we started to be aware of the importance of those in greeting and showing emotions to others. The whole country wants to break the im‐ age of our boring characteristics and personalities, and focusing on those skills as well as learning English before the students want to go abroad. With a lot of practice, now we Japanese are gradually ap‐ proaching the image of a normal hu‐ man away from that of a boring ro‐ bot.
Importance of Body language
What is George W. Bush’s body language saying about his state of mind?
Issue 69, January 2010
Body Language by Samar Zaidan Communication is the way by which people can deal with each other. People use their body to achieve a better communication, and how they use it is the critical edge. Body language is an essential tool for communication in two ways, improving communication and expressing ideas. First of all, body language is important to improve communication between people. When people are aware of their body language, and they know how to use it in an appropriate way, they will avoid misunderstandings. For instance, putting arms behind the back sends a message that this person is not outgoing and he/she does not want to involve in the community. In addition, realizing that the body language differs from one culture to another, helps people to enhance their communication with foreigners. For example, in western culture, people respect that each person has his/her personal space, so if someone tries to break this rule, they consider him/her as a rude person. Understanding body language can be a helpful factor to improve communication between humans. Expressing ideas is the second significant way to use the body to communicate with people. Body language adds more clarity on the means of communication. Facial expressions are the easiest tool to make the speech or the conversation clearer. For example, smiling and relaxing during a job interview give the employer an obvious view that this person is self-confident and good at critical situations. Furthermore, using the body language during speech reduces time for people, so they do not need to speak for a long time to express their ideas. For instance, if a member of the project team does not agree with what his partner has said, he can frown, and then he sends a message without saying a ward. People express their concepts and thoughts by using some gestures and postures to communicate with each other. All in all, body language is an integral part of communication. We have to understand and realize how to use our body to improve communication and express our ideas in the best way possible.
1.
How to Read Body Language?
Body language is a form of non-verbal communication, consisting of body pose, gestures, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals subconsciously.
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2.
Gauge how close someone is to you. The closer they are, the warmer their opinions are of you. The farther away that someone is, the less they actually care. If you move slightly closer to them, do they move slightly further away? That means they don't want your interaction to be any more personal than it already is. If they don't move further away, then they are receptive. And if they respond by getting even closer to you, they probably really like you. Watch their head position. Overly tilted heads are either a potential sign of sympathy, or if a person smiles while tilting their head, they are being playful and maybe even flirting. Lowered heads indicate a reason to hide something. Take note if someone lowers their head. If it is when he is complimented, he may be shy, ashamed, timid, keeping distance from the other person, in disbelief, or thinking to himself. If it is after an explanation, then he may be unsure if what he said was correct. It should be noted that some cultures see this as a sign of respect. Cocked heads mean that they are confused or challenging you, depending on eye, eyebrow, and mouth gestures. Think of how a dog slightly cocks its head when you
3.
4.
make a funny noise. Look into their eyes. People who look to the sides a lot are nervous, lying, or distracted. If someone looks down at the floor a lot, they are probably shy or timid. Some cultures believe that looking at someone in the eyes is a sign of disrespect, so this could explain why someone is avoiding eye contact with you. Dilated pupils mean that the person is interested. Keep in mind, however, that many drugs cause pupils to dilate, including alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA, LSD and others. Don't mistake having a few drinks for attraction. Also, some people have permanently dilated pupils (a condition known as mydriasis). Check their arms. People with crossed arms are closing themselves to social influence. Though some people just cross their arms as a habit, it may indicate that the person is (slightly) reserved, uncomfortable with their weight (therefore trying to hide it), or just trying to hide something on their shirt. If their arms are crossed while their feet or shoulder length or wider apart, this is a position of toughness or authority. If someone rests their arms behind their neck or head, they are open to what is being discussed or just laid back in general. If their hands are on their hips, they might be waiting or impatient.
5.
Watch their feet. A fast tapping, shifting of weight, or movement of the foot will most often mean that the person is impatient, excited, nervous, scared, or intimidated. Note though that people with ADHD will constantly jiggle their legs. It doesn't mean anything, it's entirely subconscious and, while annoying, it can't be stopped. If the person is sitting, feet crossed at the ankles means they're generally at ease. If they purposely touch their feet to yours, they are flirting!
(Information obtained from wikihow.com)
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ONE DAY IN DERROW’S LIFE by Kleber Ferraz Tomorrow is an im‐ portant day in Derrow’s life. He will have his first job interview after graduating from college and he could not sleep last because he was thinking about it. Derrow had already learned about body language but now it is time apply it; and he also knows how impor‐ tant body language is to make a positive impression in market‐ place. Gesture, facial expression, eye contact, posture and active listening can tell important posi‐ tive or negative messages. Most of the job interview‐ ers have techniques to find the abilities of a candidate during a conversation. In fact, they inter‐ view the candidate to know more about his work experience and over the interview they analyze the candidate’s emotion and feel‐ ing; the way they react to some questions gives to the interviewer what they are really thinking. However, Derrow knows that and today, after a long unsleeping night, he gets into the elevator towards the second floor. He wears formal clothes and has the same appearance of a business‐ man. After he talked to the secre‐ tary, he walks to meet his inter‐ viewer Mr. John Wayne and say‐ ing his name he gives him a strong hand shake while he looks in his eyes. Mr. Wayne tells him to have a seat. Although he is still really nervous, he has the posture of an important director of a big company and they start the inter‐ view. During the 30 minutes of
the interview, Derrow had a perfect sitting posture, used formal gesture and main‐ tained eye contact all the time with Mr. Wayne; he does not know whether he gets the job but he knew that he left a good impression on his in‐ terviewer. Derrow could not remember what was the last that he felt so much proud of himself and decided to go out with some friends to celebrate his great at the job interview at his favor‐ ite place, a Japanese restaurant called Sushi on Madison. One of his friends, Mike, invited the girl who Derrow has special feelings for but nobody knows about it. When he saw her, he went to the washroom trying to think what he would say to her and after few minutes he came back to his spot. His friend introduced Ana to Der‐ row but he could not say one word. He is quite shy and the idea of being close with her makes him nervous. Anna is a pretty Cana‐ dian blond girl and lives near Derrow’s house. She starts to him but he does not answer even looks to her, and also he can con‐ centrate himself in a conversation just thinking how nervous he was appearing. The Derrow’s attitudes
made her believe that he did not like her but the fact is that it is contrary; he does like her and he gave the wrong message. A day after, Derrow re‐ ceived a call from Ferraz Com‐ pany saying that he got the job but he could not celebrate be‐ cause he was thinking about what he did last night. In brief, Derrow is a good example of how body language can affect people’s life and how important is body lan‐ guage for people’s daily life. Body language is important at any situation and Derrow’s experience shows that people can gain and lose opportunities in just one day because they can give positive or negative messages.
Issue 69, April 2010
KING TUT WAS IN TOWN ! Pharaoh of Egypt Reign 1333—1324 BC 18th Dynasty
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February 26-27 2010
Wanakita Winter Camping: The Story Told in Pictures
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ELP staff arrived enthusiastic and ready to provide students with the ultimate winter camping experience !
To begin with, we participated in “ice breaking” games: human knot, jumping ropes, and even a game called “Move Your Butt If ..”!
The point of these games was not just to introduce everybody to each other but also to foster team spirit and train students to work in pairs and teams.
Issue 69, April 2010
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THE CORE In between activities we spent time together indoors, eating, playing, singing, and generally just relaxing. We played dominoes, cards and of course — Jenga!
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SKIING
Issue 69, April 2010
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SNOW SHOES
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HIGH ROPES This activity was quite a challenge for almost everyone! It required a lot of upper body strength, patience and concentration. Very few students made it all the way to the top and they were very proud!
Issue 69, April 2010
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Sounds interesting? Good news is, you don’t have to go to Wanakita to try it! Rock climbing is very similar and is available in many gyms!
Issue 69, April 2010
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BY THE CAMP FIRE … Students skied at night on the frozen lake all the way across to the fire camp! They drank hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows! Some students enjoyed it, other found it icky … try it yourself! Afterwards, we played broomball—a game very similar to hockey, but more casual ...
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SNOW FIGHTS! Everyone wanted to snow fight all the time, even when they’re trying to take a group picture!
Issue 69, April 2010
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TOBOGGANING
Issue 69, April 2010
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We divided into three teams. Each team had to perform jokes, impersonate people, burp!, show off some impressive dance moves, and stand on their hands! We also played Pictionary!
World of Words
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World of Words
I THINK IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT EVERYONE HAD A BLAST !
Everyone made it into this picture (above), or at least they tried to make it!
Issue 69, April 2010
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We Asked One Student What She Thought of Winter Camping at Wanakita & Here’s What She Had To Say … Manal Loved Winter Camping at Wanakita, these are some of the reasons why: It was her first time vacationing without her family but she felt really comfortable with her friends and colleagues. It was a completely different experience than ones I’m used to back in my home country. People were fun with activities, like skiing, snow shoes, drinking hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows by the camp fire! She felt adventurous, especially after she made it all the way up to the top of the high ropes ! It wasn’t an easy challenge and not everyone made it to the top. Tobogganing was so much fun and sitting by the fire place on site playing music, and games was wonderful! She loved the different songs that students and CAs played on the guitar, piano or even their iPods! The food was delicious, every meal was different and yummy! Manal met a lot of new friends and she wants more and more activities like this one.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT WINTER CAMPING—DON’T MISS OUT ON ELP’S UPCOMING SUMMER CAMPING IN JULY & AUGUST !
PREPARE FOR EXCELLENCE The English Language Program at the University of Toronto can help you achieve your goals, whether you are studying to advance your 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 e: learn.english.utoronto.ca SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES 158 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2V8 t: 416.9782400 f: 416.978.6666 e:learn.english@utoronto.ca w:learn.utoronto.ca