Sunday, September 26, 2004
Autumn
We are officially into Autumn. True to form the weather has turned warm and we are having absolutely gorgeous days. Autumn in Ottawa is always beautiful. The Gatineau Hills become a blaze of colour. One marvels at the variety of shades the leaves can turn into... you have to see it, experience it, to understand why so many people wax poetic at this annual passage of seasons. I'll post a picture soon. If you live outside Ottawa, try to get here in the next couple of weeks and feel the magic for yourself.
We are officially into Autumn. True to form the weather has turned warm and we are having absolutely gorgeous days. Autumn in Ottawa is always beautiful. The Gatineau Hills become a blaze of colour. One marvels at the variety of shades the leaves can turn into... you have to see it, experience it, to understand why so many people wax poetic at this annual passage of seasons. I'll post a picture soon. If you live outside Ottawa, try to get here in the next couple of weeks and feel the magic for yourself.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
World Cup of Hockey
Canada 3 Finland 2
Need I say more? ;-)
Canada 3 Finland 2
Need I say more? ;-)
Monday, September 13, 2004
One World Film Festival
The One World Film Festival presented by World Inter-Action Mondiale (WIAM) promises to be an interesting and thought provoking series of documentaries on global issues.
The Festival runs from October 20 - October 30, 2004 in Ottawa. Films will be shown at Library and Archives Canada and the University of Ottawa. For further information go to http://www.wiam.ca or call (613) 238-4659. If you are typing the URL into the address bar of your browser, note that the address ends in .CA (as in "dot see, eh" ... after all it is a Canadian site .. he he).
The One World Film Festival presented by World Inter-Action Mondiale (WIAM) promises to be an interesting and thought provoking series of documentaries on global issues.
The Festival runs from October 20 - October 30, 2004 in Ottawa. Films will be shown at Library and Archives Canada and the University of Ottawa. For further information go to http://www.wiam.ca or call (613) 238-4659. If you are typing the URL into the address bar of your browser, note that the address ends in .CA (as in "dot see, eh" ... after all it is a Canadian site .. he he).
Sunday, September 12, 2004
How Sweet It Is
Here's how good it gets sometimes. It's the weekend. The rain has stopped. The sun is shining. Not a cloud in the sky. And...
Canada beats the Czech team 4-3 in the semi final of the World Cup. Finland beat the USA 2-1 in the other semi final on Friday night. The final is on Tuesday, September 14.
If I sound irrational it's because it is about hockey. You have to understand that hockey rules Canada. Even mild mannered ESL people get fanatical gleams in their eyes and dream of their hockey heroes skating to victory.
Today's vocabulary: hockey puck. ;-)
Keep your stick on the ice!
Here's how good it gets sometimes. It's the weekend. The rain has stopped. The sun is shining. Not a cloud in the sky. And...
Canada beats the Czech team 4-3 in the semi final of the World Cup. Finland beat the USA 2-1 in the other semi final on Friday night. The final is on Tuesday, September 14.
If I sound irrational it's because it is about hockey. You have to understand that hockey rules Canada. Even mild mannered ESL people get fanatical gleams in their eyes and dream of their hockey heroes skating to victory.
Today's vocabulary: hockey puck. ;-)
Keep your stick on the ice!
Friday, September 10, 2004
Computer Information in Simple English
If you are looking for computer related information in simple English then go to The Newbie Club. You can become a member for free and have access to a lot of information. The site is run by Joe Robson of England. They do have guides for sale that are written in simple English - not computerese - that anyone - (even me!) can understand. But the free stuff itself can keep you busy for hours.
You can click here or on the title above to get to the site.
Hope this helps the persistent student who kept asking me ;-)
And yes, it has stopped raining.
If you are looking for computer related information in simple English then go to The Newbie Club. You can become a member for free and have access to a lot of information. The site is run by Joe Robson of England. They do have guides for sale that are written in simple English - not computerese - that anyone - (even me!) can understand. But the free stuff itself can keep you busy for hours.
You can click here or on the title above to get to the site.
Hope this helps the persistent student who kept asking me ;-)
And yes, it has stopped raining.
RAIN!
Ottawa's heaviest rain in years began early Thursday morning and went on and on and on... roofs leaked, basements flooded, cars were trapped in deep puddles. Even the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill was closed. Interestingly the Emergency Departments in the Ottawa Hospital were much less busy than usual. Apparently the inclement weather was part of the hurricane Frances that hit Florida recently.
ESL students must have learned new words such as deluge, torrent, and soaked. Not to mention umbrella ;-)
Canada plays the Czechs tomorrow in the World Cup semi finals. What World Cup? Ice Hockey of course... Fans around the country will be glued to their TV sets.
Talk to you next time. Got to go dry out my shoes.
Ottawa's heaviest rain in years began early Thursday morning and went on and on and on... roofs leaked, basements flooded, cars were trapped in deep puddles. Even the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill was closed. Interestingly the Emergency Departments in the Ottawa Hospital were much less busy than usual. Apparently the inclement weather was part of the hurricane Frances that hit Florida recently.
ESL students must have learned new words such as deluge, torrent, and soaked. Not to mention umbrella ;-)
Canada plays the Czechs tomorrow in the World Cup semi finals. What World Cup? Ice Hockey of course... Fans around the country will be glued to their TV sets.
Talk to you next time. Got to go dry out my shoes.
Monday, September 06, 2004
It's been a while.
Summer whizzed by, as it usually does. It has been really beautiful. The weather was cooler than usual and it felt just right. None of that draining summer humidity except for the odd day here and there. It rained a fair bit and I am told the farmers are happy with that.
Summer in Ottawa is festival time. Let's see now... we had the Jazz Festval, followed by the Blues Fest, and then the Chamber Music Festival (purportedly the biggest in the world) ... of course I shouldn't forget the Folk Music Festival which kind of rounds off the summer each year. Did I miss any of the biggies? In between we had all kinds of ethnic festivals. The Byward Market was as busy as ever with local farmers and vendors during the daytime. At night it was a paradise of restaurants, bars, pubs, musicians...
Oh yeah we even had an election sometime in between. We now have a minority Liberal government, quite a fall from the commanding majority they had going into the election. Parliament opens in October. Teachers, if you haven't taken your ESL class to Question Period in Parliament, consider it seriously. Now there's an activity that your students will remember for a long time to come.
Classes start tomorrow, September 7. Labour Day weekend is almost over and it's back to the serious business of ESL. Serious? Well yes. But also tons of fun. Nothing like it.
Until next time.
Summer whizzed by, as it usually does. It has been really beautiful. The weather was cooler than usual and it felt just right. None of that draining summer humidity except for the odd day here and there. It rained a fair bit and I am told the farmers are happy with that.
Summer in Ottawa is festival time. Let's see now... we had the Jazz Festval, followed by the Blues Fest, and then the Chamber Music Festival (purportedly the biggest in the world) ... of course I shouldn't forget the Folk Music Festival which kind of rounds off the summer each year. Did I miss any of the biggies? In between we had all kinds of ethnic festivals. The Byward Market was as busy as ever with local farmers and vendors during the daytime. At night it was a paradise of restaurants, bars, pubs, musicians...
Oh yeah we even had an election sometime in between. We now have a minority Liberal government, quite a fall from the commanding majority they had going into the election. Parliament opens in October. Teachers, if you haven't taken your ESL class to Question Period in Parliament, consider it seriously. Now there's an activity that your students will remember for a long time to come.
Classes start tomorrow, September 7. Labour Day weekend is almost over and it's back to the serious business of ESL. Serious? Well yes. But also tons of fun. Nothing like it.
Until next time.
