“The English Language

Program’s student magazine

– a compilation of the spring

session’s highlights, students’,

opinions and other features.”

world of wordsJune 2011, issue 74

Are You Getting Enough?

Greetings from Camp

Glen Bernard ORPHANS ON THE SILVER SCREEN

Focus on Japan, France & Toronto A sleep deprivation

survey+more fi lm reviews

2011 upcoming WOW submission deadlines: September 9, December 2

A Royal Farewell 4Unlikely Classmates 6

July Social Activity Calendar 7Oh, Baby, Baby, It’s a Wild World 8

Are You Getting Enough 10Barbeque at the Toronto Islands 12

Phot o Club Gallery 13

Student Opinion SectionShould Cell Phone Use be Allowed in Schools 14

America and the Decay of Democracy 15Focus on Japan 16

Focus on France 17Senseless Smoking 18

The Historic University of Toronto 19The Volunteer Experience Program 20

Orphans on the Silver Screen 22X-Men: First Class Review 23

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Review 24A Taste of Toronto: Moroccan Cuisine 25

Congratulations to Academic Skills Students 27ELP Soccer Super Stars 30

Boat Cruise Party 32Question of the Week 34

Into Secret Doors: Doors Open Toronto 40Toronto Through the Eyes of ELP Students 42

Greetings from Glen Bernard Camp 44

Inside this issue

Rolla Tahir Editor & Layout DesignerQasim Alibhai, Nanamoye Ascofare, Laura Brown, Cassie Cai, Karen

Cao, Lily Choi, Kimberley Hindy , Monique Montgomery, Toni Papa,

Evelyn Pedersen, Darren Rigo, Karen Thomson, Wilson Yu

Contributors

ELP Director’s Message June 2011 Dear all,

Street strolls, park picnics and Bixi bikes – it is undoubtedly summer in Toronto! In this issue of the WoW magazine, we invite you to spring forward into summer with us! We present a sliver of the exciting happenings at the English Language Program and we hope it will encourage you to contribute to future issues.

As we prepare to welcome new and returning students from all over the world, we are also busy planning programs and activities for them to participate in and practice their English outside the classrooms. Each month we organize a wide array of activities to ensure everyone’s participation, so make sure to view our activities calendar inside this issue. With the Sports Club gaining popularity among our students, we highlight some of our soccer star players, while the Photo Club inspires students to explore Toronto and its historic architecture. Th is session’s highlight, however, was surely Spring Camping at Glen Bernard Camp, pictures of which are featured in this issue along with student testimonials. Th is issue also features testimonials from staff members as part of our royal farewell to one of the Program’s most valuable members. Th is past session Ms. Marjatta Holt, who has been with the Program for more than 30 years as a teacher and as a staff member, began her retirement. We wish her all the best!

Moreover, in this issue we feature and congratulate ELP students who have been admitted into universities in Canada. As always, we urge you to share your success stories with us. Last but not least, we would like to thank all the instructors, staff and students who have contributed to the magazine. We hope you enjoy WoW and consider it representative of your experience here at the ELP.

All the best,Sherry Yuan HunterExecutive Director, English Language Program University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies

Disclaimer

Due to our diverse student population, we receive many opinion-based articles relating to global and current-affairs. The views expressed in this magazine are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect those of the English Language Program.

A Royal Farewell

On May 26th, 2011, the ELP had to part with one of its most valued staff members, Ms. Marjatta Holt as she began her retirement. Marjatta has been with the Program for more than 30 years, as a teacher and as a coordinator. She came to be known to everyone as a teacher, a mentor, a friend and of course, as the Grammar Queen. Students and staff organized a party to send her off with a royal farewell befitting of a Queen!

4

world of words

Camera: ready!

Flowers: ready.

Balloons: ready.

Students prepare for the party.

Anna N

go with M

arjjat Holt

Above: ELP staff and instructors

celebrate and perform with

Marjatta at the Duke of York.

“I have enjoyed working alongside Marjatta. What a woman!

She was not only a colleague, but a friend

‘Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait for the answer’.

This was Marjatta.”

Rosa Leo, ELP Program Administrator

“Marjatta gave me my fi rst teaching position in the ELP and for that, I am eternally grateful. Marjatta loves grammar, and she loves teaching...mostly grammar! I was privileged to study Pedagogical Grammar with Marjatta in the TESOL Certifi cate program at Woodsworth College. I enjoyed every moment in her class. Marjatta makes grammar fun and it is much easier to learn when you are having fun. Marjatta’ door was always open to students, teachers, administrators, friends, anyone who needed help. No matter how busy she was, she always found time to help. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to work with Marjatta, and I miss her every day at the ELP. “

Mary Lawless. ELP Academic English Instructor

“Marjatta knows everything there is to know about English grammar! Thank you Marjatta for your grammar lessons, guidance and advice, and the Coff ee Chats! ELP won’t be the same without you!” Anna Ngo, Former ELP Speaking English Intructor and Cultural Assistant

5

issue 74, june 2011

by TuTT lane Public Relations(flickr)

Q&QQA&&Monique, the Teacher

When did you fi rst realize that two students in your class were mother and daughter? How did you feel about it? Was it the fi rst time you teach close relatives in the same class? This is actually pretty funny.  I sometimes have students come up to me after class to explain why they were late.  Well, Rouida and Sara were late one day, so Rouida came up to me after class and tried to explain that they had been busy trying to get Sara enrolled in a class or a course of some kind.  I must have looked skeptical, and I was kind of wondering why Rouida was speaking for both of them.  They seemed to be friends, and I kind of suspected that they were both trying to get away with something!  Rouida must have read my mind, because she smiled and said, «You know, I am Sara›s mother.»  «Mother!» I exclaimed.  I couldn›t believe it.  Rouida did not look that much older than Sara.  And then I found out that she has four other children.  Five children!  She looks fantastic.Has that changed the way you teach? Does the age diff erence between your students fi gure into your teaching methods? Do you know what?  It has, a little.  I always try to think of how I would feel if my mother were in class with me.  I always try to be respectful of my students, but I think I give Rouida that extra little bit of respect you would give to someone›s mother.  The age diff erence also aff ects learning.  In our fi rst conferencing session together, I told Rouida, «You know, younger people like Sara have brains that are still plastic (meaning they are still changeable).  So they learn languages a little bit easier.»  Then I looked at her very seriously and said, «You know, you are probably going to have to work twice as hard as Sara.»  She looked back at me and smiled and nodded.  The best part about it is that she has worked so hard, maybe twice as hard as everyone.  I think she actually followed my advice.How is the interaction between them in class diff erent from/similar to other students? No, I don›t think so.  They seem to have a very beautiful relationship.  It is a pleasure to teach them both.

Rouida, the Mother

Tell us a little bit about yourself? My name is Rouida. I am a mother of fi ve children. I have a bachelor degree in business administration. I am studying English to continue my studies to get

Master degree. I have chosen Toronto because it has good universities. I like Toronto because it is multicultural, nice and safe city.When did you fi rst realize that your daughter would be attending the same class as you? Sara and I registered together at the University of Toronto and our results in the English test was the same, so we stayed together at the same class.How do you feel about attending class with your daughter? I feel alright to combine with my daughter at the same class. As you have attended more classes together, have your feelings changed or remained the same about being in class with your daughter? My feelings remained the same.What do you hope to achieve after completing this class/program? I hope to speak English fl uently and enter the university. What do you think of your daughter as a student? I think my daughter is a good student, smart, ambitious and confi dent.

Sara, the Daughter

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? My name is Sara. I am from Saudi Arabia from Riyadh. Specifi cally, I’m studying English because I want to study university in Canada. I did not choose Toronto, my parents did. They thought that Toronto was a good city for business and multiculturalism.When did you fi rst realize that your mother would be attending the same class as you? Since we came to Canada I knew that it is possible to be in the same class but when that actually happened, it was 6 months ago.How do you feel about attending class with your daughter? Honestly, it isn’t a good thing. I don’t have my freedom to do anything and I feel like a baby in front of other people.As you have attended more classes together, have your feelings changed or remained the same about being in class with your mother? Yes when we were in the previous English school. No my feelings didn’t change because we were very close all my life.What do you hope to achieve after completing this class/program? I want to be accepted by university in Toronto, especially Ryerson University.What do you think of your mother as a student? I think my mom is a very good student because she works hard and she tries to improve herself.

Unlikely ClassmatesEvery once in a while, something special and out of the ordinary happens at ELP. This time around, one of our teachers found out that she is teaching a mother and her daughter in the same level and the same class! Monique, the teacher, tells us about her experience teaching the unlikely classmates, while Rouida and her daughter Sara discuss with us what it is like being in class together.

6

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July

** Make sure to bring spending money for this event. There may be added costs to the activity (drinks, cover charges, food). Unless otherwise stated, TTC transit or other transportation costs are not included. It is recommended that you bring pocket money to all events, just in case! 

TICKET SELLING

Location: ELP 4th fl oor - Main LobbyPLEASE READ CAREFULLY Tickets are sold every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 12:30 -1:30pm. CASH payments only.

Tickets will not be sold outside of the Ticket Selling designated times. Spaces are limited for all events; be sure to buy your tickets well in advance as some events will sell out. The price listed on tickets does not represent the actual cost. Tickets are purchased at a discounted, group rate. We reserve the right to cancel or modify events. We will make every attempt to contact you in advance.

International Students’

Social Activities Calendar

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM (ELP)252 Bloor Street West, Suite 4-106Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1V6t: 416-978-5104 f: 416-971-2839e: learn.english@utoronto.ca w: learn.english.utoronto.ca

1 Canada Day!

2

3

4 Start of Term: Registration

5 Orientation

6 Welcome Party 3:00 pm $F

7 Pancake Brunch ELP Lobby 4th Floor 11:30pm $F

8 CN Tower ELP Lobby 4th Floor 5:15 pm $21

9 Canada’s Wonderland Yonge/York Mills 9:45 am $49

10 Niagara Falls Bloor/Queen’s Park 9:45 am $49

11 Taste of Toronto: Sushi Night! ELP Lobby 4th Floor 5:15 pm $**

12 Caribbean Carnival Offi cal Lanuch TBD - Stay Tuned! TBD $F

13 Sports Club: Outdoor Soccer ELP Lobby 4th Floor 5:15 pm $F

14 Bata Shoe Museum ELP Lobby 4th Floor 5:15 pm $F

15 Baseball Night: Blue Jays VS Yankees ELP Lobby 4th Floor 6:15 pm $30

16 Toronto Island BBQ ELP Lobby 4th Floor 11:00 am $15

17 Toronto Zoo ELP Lobby 4th Floor 11:00 am $23

18 Sports Club: Tennis ELP Lobby 4th Floor 5:15 pm $F

19 Riverdale Market ELP Lobby 4th Floor 5:15 pm $F

20 Canoeing at Harbourfront ELP Lobby 4th Floor 5:15 pm $21

21 Beaches International Jazz Festival ELP Lobby 4th Floor 6:00 pm $F

22Movie Night: Harry Potter & theDeathly Hallows ELP Lobby 4th Floor 6:00 pm $8

23 Algonquin Park Day Trip Yonge/York Mills 7:45 am $80

24 BrazilFest 2011 ELP Lobby 4th Floor 11:00am $F

25 Taste of Toronto: Wing Night! ELP Lobby 4th Floor 5:15 pm $**

26 ELP Music Night ELP Lobby 4th Floor 5:15 pm $**

27 Art Gallery of Ontario ELP Lobby 4th Floor 5:15 pm $F

28 Blue Man Group ELP Lobby 4th Floor 7:00 pm $55

29 Live Music at Yonge/Dundas Square ELP Lobby 4th Floor 7:30 pm $F

30 Toronto Island BBQ ELP Lobby 4th Floor 11:00 am $15

31 Niagara Falls Bloor/Queen’s Park 9:45 am $49

EVENT MEETING PLACE TIME PRICE

mussttt ddddooo

tttthhhiiss

mmoonnn

ttthhhhhhhhhh: vvvaaaa

rrriiiioooouuss TToronto free festivals!

7

issue 74, june 2011

Hun

ter

Hun

ter

Cop

per

Cop

per

Petu

nia

Petu

nia

Dr.

Who

Dr.

Who

Clo

ver

Clo

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CLOVER

The fi rst friend we met was “Clover,” a large brown groundhog, a kind of “rodent.” From their name, you might guess that groundhogs live in the ground; in fact, they use their paws to burrow (= dig) not only holes, but entire underground tunnels! During the spring and summer, groundhogs “eat like a hog” J , in preparation for the long winter ahead. When the temperature turns c-c-c-c-o-l-d, they retreat to their underground home and stay there until the following spring. Five months later they emerge, all slim and sexy, but very, very hungry! This cycle of eating and fasting, of activity and inactivity, is known as hibernation.

HUNTER

And speaking of sexy, our next guest was “Hunter,” a sleek, long-legged lynx. The lynx is cousin to the cougar and bobcat; all of them belong to the “feline” (= cat) family. Now Hunter, like all Ontario lynxes, is an “ambush hunter.” She waits in ambush (= hiding) until her prey gets very, very close, and then she attacks. Her favourite lunch is a snowshoe hare, which is a type of rabbit. Unlike Clover, Hunter does not hibernate during the winter; on the contrary, she is very active. One of her most unique features is her enormous paws. These paws act like big, wide snowshoes, allowing her to move easily and swiftly across the deep snow without sinking down into it. Built-in snowshoes ~ how cool is that?!

COPPER

The third guest made some students shudder in disgust ~ “Copper” is a one-metre-long arboreal fox snake; snakes, of course, belong to the “reptile” family. If, for a moment, you can set aside your fear of snakes and try to look at Copper objectively, she actually is quite beautiful. Her snakeskin is a sort of soft yellow with big dark brown patches all the way along. Copper is cold-blooded, but is able to regulate her body temperature according to the season. She loves to warm up by basking (= lying) in the sun. The sunniest, warmest spot in rural Ontario is in the centre of a country road or minor highway, but you can see the problem with that: cars!! So Copper has to be really careful about where she goes for her vitamin D therapy.

DR. WHO

“Dr. Who” got his name from his nighttime call ~ “Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!” Can you guess what he is? He is a gorgeous bird of prey (= a hunting bird) with huge green eyes . . . he is the majestic great horned owl. Dr. Who is quite large, but he weighs next to nothing. In fact, Dr. Who is mostly feathers ~ deep underneath all of those soft feathers is a small, extremely light skeleton. He has top-notch (= the very best) hearing, and uses it to locate the smallest fi eld mouse scurrying through the dead leaves on the forest fl oor. As he swoops down to catch his defenseless victim with his sharp talons (= claws), the mouse won’t even hear the owl coming. The owl uses “silent fl ight,” that is, you cannot hear him at all when he is fl ying toward you. Now that’s a dangerous enemy!

On Thursday, March 31st, Comprehensive English students were treated to a special visit by the team from the Muskoka Wildlife Centre. A two-hour drive north of Toronto, the centre’s mission is to rescue wild animals that have either been injured or orphaned (= have lost their mothers) and nurture them back to health. During the summer months, the centre is open for visitors to come and observe the 40 species that call the centre home. The team could not bring all of their friends down to the city with them, so they chose 5, just to give us a glimpse into the amazing variety of wildlife that inhabits Ontario fi elds and forests.

Oh, Baby, Baby, Oh, Baby, Baby,It’s a It’s a WorldWorld

8

world of words

If you are interested in animal conservation, then you will love the April fi lm release, Born to Be Wild IMAX 3D, narrated by Morgan Freeman. It shows the work of two scientists, one in Borneo, the other in Kenya, who devote their lives to rescuing orphaned orangutans (a kind of ape), and baby elephants.

PETUNIA

Our fi nal guest was “Petunia.” Normally, petunia refers to a summer garden fl ower with a delicate fragrance (= a really nice smell). Well our new friend had a scent alright, but not a nice one. Petunia is a black skunk with a pointy nose, beady little eyes, and a white stripe down the middle of her back. She’s not very large ~ just a little bigger than a kitten ~ but wow! can she defend herself! Get too close to a skunk, and watch her turn around, lift that furry tail, and ayyyahhhhhh!!! she will shoot the nastiest spray at you ~ and she has excellent

aim! That spray can cause temporary blindness (= for a short time you will not be able to see), and it can take up to a full month to get the stink out of your skin!

As for Petunia, she could defend herself at one time . . . but when she fi rst came to the centre the staff immediately had her de-scented so she couldn’t spray them ~ or the visitors! But you don’t have to go to the wildlife centre to meet Petunia. She has lots and lots of cousins right here in Toronto and Mississauga ~ just ask any family dog who made the mistake of getting too close!

Evelyn Pedersen teaches in the Comprehensive English program, and is looking forward to visiting the Muskoka Wildlife Centre this summer.

To learn more about the good work of the centre, visit muskokawildlifecentre.com.

9

issue 74, june 2011

YOUAREGETTING ENOUGH?

Did

you know? “counting sheep” is a technique used by those who cannot sleep or are insom

niac.

SURVEY SUPERVISED BY ACADEMIC ENGLISH INSTRUCTOR QASIM ALIBHAI.

INTRODUCTION

Do you often feel sleepy during the day? Do you have trouble keeping your eyes open during grammar lessons? Well, it’s not the grammar (grammar is awesome!), it’s you! You are probably suff ering from sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is a common condition that people experience when they do not get enough sleep. Experts say that adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night to feel refreshed and to perform optimally through the day. Therefore, if you get less than seven hours of sleep on most nights, you will start to experience the eff ects of sleep deprivation.

CAUSES by Muhammad Kamruzzaman

People suff er sleep deprivation for various reasons. One of the reasons is stress. It’s one of the main

causes. If you are stressed, you can’t sleep. If you can’t sleep, you get stress even more. Another reason is diet. Lots of fried foods and foods that are high in sugar often cause sleep deprivation. Caff eine which is found in coff ee, tea, cola, and energy drinks can also contribute to poor sleep. Also drinking alcohol initially will make you fall asleep faster, but it will disrupt sleep in the night. Smoking not only disrupts sleep but also reduces total sleep time. Those who smoke have more diffi culty getting sleep and wake up more often at night. Extreme temperature (too hot or too cold) may disrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep. Uncomfortable bed or pillows or too much noise can cause sleep deprivation.

IMMEDIATE EFFECTS by Fahad Deham l Aledeilah

Sleep deprivation has many immediate impacts. For instance, students lose many marks in school because they stay up all night to study for test. They don’t understand that when they do not get enough sleep, learning is very diffi cult. They do not remember information and get lower

grades in school. Secondly, on the job, sleep deprived workers cause many workplace mistakes. Doctors who do not get enough sleep are seven times more likely to make mistakes on long shifts than other doctors. Another impact of sleep deprivation is car accidents. In the U.S. 20% of car accidents are caused by tired drivers. That is about 1500 death, and 7000 injuries every year.

LONG-TERM EFFECTS by Zainab Al-Marhoon

Studies show there is relationship between lack of sleep and weight gain. The people who get less sleep re more likely to be overweight. For example, when we are tired we get hungrier. So, we eat more than when we sleep very well, and have more time to eat because we are awake longer. In addition, people who get less sleep are more likely to have serious health problems and get sick. On study shows the women who sleep less than fi ve hours a night are 40% more likely to have heart problems than women who get eight hours of sleep every night.

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world of words

sleepless at ELP

sleepless at ELP

Figure 1: Are ELP students getting enough sleep?

Figure 2: Do ELP students feel tired when they get up in the morning?

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO TREAT SLEEP DEPRIVATION?by Miwako Imaeda

One of the treatments is to reconsider your lifestyle. This meaning is to get up and go to bed same time including weekends. You need to try to keep a regular schedule. Second treatment is to try to do exercise in daytime. Regular exercise helps your sleeping, but you have to remember that don’t exercise within 3 hours of bedtime. Another treatment is to refrain from using computers, cell phones, smart phones a few hours before your bedtime. The reason is that their lights stimulate the brain. In addition, do something routine before you go to bed every night. It is important because a body can remember these actions and get ready for sleep. If you try these treatments, you will sleep better.

MORE WAYS TO TREAT SLEEP DEPRIVATION by Saeed Almarhoon

Take a hot bath before going to sleep. Cut down on caffeine products, alcohol, smoking, and stress-

causing situations. Avoid napping during the day. Try to fi nish housework, homework, etc. before midnight to

have some time for you to relax before you sleep at night. Try to keep the room cool and dark. If you can’t darken the

room, use a sleep mask. Try to relax. Worrying about falling asleep actually keeps

people awake. Eating a balanced diet is important to overall health and sleep,

like vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains but make sure your stomach isn’t too empty or too full before going to bed.

A Slee

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11

issue 74, june 2011

AgainsttheToronto

SkylineM

onkeyBusiness

FiringU

pthe

Grill

Barbequeat the Toronto Islands

12

world of words

Photo Club GalleryPhoto club meets monthly to explore different Toronto neighbourhoods and parks. Check out the Photo Club board in the lobby or talk to Darren for more info.

Saki

Sakura

Mehmet

Darren

13

issue 74, june 2011

?Current advances in technology have made individuals’ life increasingly

more comfortable and easy. A cell phone is one of the electronic devices that most citizens benefi t from. Modern mobile phones include various functions such as the Internet, text messages and dictionaries. Due to these resources, students possess cell phones and bring them to their school. Some teachers argue that the use of digital phones in the classroom should be permitted for study purposes. However, allowing them to use this device during the class for any reasons should be banned for three reasons.

Firstly, cell phones can distract students from their work. Although some teachers assert that these devices are essential to assist such studies as calculation function in mathematics and dictionary use in language subjects, it is hard to recognize whether students are really doing what they are supposed to do. Once students are holding their phones, they will be easily tempted to play games or send text messages to their friends. Exchanging text messages, especially, is one of the culprits that distracts students’ attention from their work. For example, if a student sends a message to a hard-working peer, the latter becomes disruptive because of the message from the former. Since sending messages to their friends interrupts not only the sender but also the receiver, cell phone usage during the class should be prohibited.

Another reason why mobile phones should not be brought to schools is that they might provoke cheating on exams. There are several means of committing this action. For instance, an advanced student can be forced by lower-achieving students to send answers to questions. Another way could be by accessing the Internet and use search engines to get clues about answers. Some teachers and students would suggest collecting cell phones during a test, and give them back to students after the exam is over. However, it is hard to ensure that all cellular phones are handed in to an instructor. Some might lie to their teacher that they did not bring theirs or keep their real phone in a pocket and submit a fake one.

Lastly, teachers can be irritated if they see students touching and looking at their mobile phones during class time. This conduct infl uences their instruction because it might make them think that their lessons are boring. In addition, this will lead to less motivation in teaching once they fi nd some students concentrating on their phone not on the lesson.

In conclusion, despite the fact that mobile phones can be a great support in certain subjects, the use of this gadget should be strictly controlled in schools for creating a better academic atmosphere in classrooms, preventing cheating on tests and maintaining teachers’ motivation to deliver good lessons.

by

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by Nayoon Yang

about the author: Originally from Korea, Nayoon aspires to become a public school teacher in Korea, she says “my dream is to become a fantastic and passionate teacher in 2012”. Aside from learning English, she came to Toronto to relax, enjoy lfe in Toronto. She plans to go back to Korea in July and so she is hoping to spend the rest of the days in Toronto meaningfully.

Should Ce

??Phone Use??Allowed i??Schools

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world of words

NYC

Celebratesby

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America & the

Decay OF

Democracy

by Daita Watanabe

One of the most striking global incidents in 2011 is undoubtedly Osama bin Laden’s death. According to President Obama on May 1st, American Forces completed a high-risk operation in Pakistan: the killing of bin Laden. As soon as American citizens heard about this event, some danced and cried with wild joy because this man had been a symbol of hatred and evil for the US since September 11th, 2001. However, is it appropriate for them only to rejoice at this result? If the USA is one of the greatest democratic countries in human history, the military team should have captured bin Laden and taken him to court. Even so, his death sentence might be unequivocal.

It is often said by supporters of this military operation that Osama bin Laden deserved assassination since he was one of the most notorious and inhumane villains. No one will ever forget this mastermind of acts of terror, September 11th, when over two thousand American citizens were killed. Without doubt, had the American Forces failed to capture him, he certainly would have conspired against the innocent civilians. Still, those who support this assassination have to reconsider what a democratic government has to fulfi ll in order to solve such a critical problem.

According to Stephen L. Cater, in “the Burden of Victory” in Newsweek, May 5th, 2011,  it was obvious that this team’s mission was commanded by the White House to put an end to bin Laden’s life. Based on Cater’s assertion, this issue could undermine the very foundation of democracy. The USA, always watched by other nations, has been the only superpower for a long time. Unless the US remains a global leader, the fact that American Forces killed bin Laden will not be as infl uential to the rest of the world as before. Yet, what they did has defi nitely become one of the cornerstones for how other democracies can behave.

Furthermore, one of the most important foundations to drive democracy is a nation’s citizens. Even though they became mad with joy, has the complex problem of terrorism been solved through this mission? Indeed, this achievement could perhaps become trapped in a vicious circle: the fear of potential revenge. If the fi rst priority for the US is to eradicate the possibility of September 11th happening again, Americans should consider how to reduce hostility directed toward their country.

To sum up, even though the time when this mission was completed could be the fi nest moment for President Obama in his presidency as well as for the American population, it also might mean a decay of democracy. Hopefully, this operation, which certainly will become part of history, should be an opportunity for the US to refl ect upon what they have to be.

15

issue 74, june 2011

by Daita Watanabe

About the Contributor: Daita is an Academic English student in level 60. He came to Canada to improve his English skills.

He hopes to acquire a master’s degree in Education.

Disturbing the Peace: “Article 9” of the Japanese ConstitutionA problem in Japan centers on about Article 9 called the ‘Peace Constitution’

that renounces all wars. Some politicians state that, since it is impossible for the Japanese to participate in wars according to the terms of the constitution, the citizens should be proud of it. However, their boycott is not based on an autonomous decision. Without a doubt, this situation is one of the most serious issues facing Japan. After World War II, the US government created the Japanese Constitution, declaring that the Japanese should refuse to participate in wars in any situation. However, today the Japanese often encounter serious problems and compromises. Even though the US government created the Constitution, so far they have requested that the Japanese join wars with other nations. Article 9 makes it impossible for the Japanese to cooperate with the US military. Still, the Japanese cannot clearly refuse this request because the US has been protecting Japan for over 70 years; thus, the government necessarily has to behave with ambivalence. As one instance, although the Japanese Self-Defence Force, which is not regarded as military, become involved in the Iraq War in 2003, they were never stationed in a dangerous zone. What they were able to do was to support the rebuilding of Iraqi society in a safety zone, because it was impossible for them to kill the enemy. In such a complicated situation, the issue was undoubtedly due to whether or not they could make a decision

independently.

One of the suggestions to solve this diffi cult problem is to re-examine and discuss Article 9. In order to acquire objectivity, Japan has to look back deeply to the past and make a strong new determination for the future. Unless the Japanese engage in a national controversy over what they did and what they have to do, they may not make up their mind when they face tough issues like the Iraq War. Based on the decision of whether they change the ‘Peace Constitution’ or not, they should choose with confi dence what they have to do by themselves. In fact, if they judge to keep Article 9 and not to participate in wars, that process will be totally diff erent from what they did before. Furthermore, their choice will be more valuable than the Japanese expect. No matter how much the US and other nations complain about their decision, they have only to cling to their unfl inching refusal. On the other hand, if they determine to change the ‘Peace Constitution’ after investigation, they also have to be confi dent about their decision in order to tackle countless laborious issues. To sum up, so as to eliminate their ambiguity about Article 9 and decide autonomously what they will do, Japanese have to discuss and examine what is the best decision for their future.

“The Psychology of Recovery”: A ResponseIn this article, “Lesson for Japan’s survivor: The Psychology of Recovery” in the

New York Times on March 19, 2011, the writer implies the near impossibility for those who have experienced a catastrophe to truly overcome it through the  example of the recent Japanese  earthquake. According to him, this is because  such experiences will become a traumatic identity for Japanese citizens, and the story will never end. However, even if world history shows several examples about the unending story, aftermath of the disaster, the Japanese will defi nitely alleviate their suff ering and overcome this tragedy one day. First, this article should have referred to one of the most important periods of history no one will ever forget. That is World War II. In fact, Japanese citizens recovered from the damage of WWII, although there was much more serious suff ering than this earthquake. They spent much more power and energy than we imagine, but it was possible for them to complete the most diffi cult task of all: to restore a nation. Second, this experience will become the identity of Japan, as the writer discusses. Still, even though it is regarded

as negative now, the Japanese will be able to change it into a positive one. In fact, they have already started to move forward to remake their society with the unity of most citizens. This is one of the typical phenomena about how positive they become to struggle with diffi cult issues. Furthermore, so far people from all over the world have made an eff ort to help Japanese citizens to rebuild their nation. It goes without saying that, if they join hands for one purpose, Japan will certainly get over this crisis. In other words, nothing will be impossible, especially when the world becomes one. This is the time that they become an inspiring example to show the story of complete recovery from a catastrophe.

Background photo credit, JPBennett1 (fl ickr)

Focus on Japan

16

world of words

The Eiffeffff l ToTT wer by tibchris (flickr)

French Cuisine by Noonch (flickr)

FRENCH PRIDE:

“Vive la France!”France, an old country with many treasures such as its

delicious cuisine and unique landscapes, has been criticized for the high self-esteem of its citizens. This behaviour consists of a feeling of superiority over others. In fact, when foreign students move to France, their French counterparts take a long time to accept their presence. Several probable causes can explain this negative French attitude. One of them comes from history. Because France played a crucial role during the First and Second World War, its culture became globally well-known. Indeed, French civilization strengthened especially in the areas of arts and humanities such as painting, photography and literature. Artists like B. Vautier, R. Doisneau and G. Sand proclaimed their talent and their French origins. Consequently, the French language gained honour and became one of the most highly-esteemed languages. This helps to explain why individuals complain about the French who do not answer in English when it is appropriate. Their English level is poor because they do not have the interest in learning other languages. Another situation, which demonstrates French arrogance, happened during a famous public event. In 2010, during the World Cup Soccer, the French coach had to choose players who would represent the country. At that time, most of the soccer athletes who showed expertise had visible African or Arabic backgrounds. Unfortunately, the trainer, in favour of “a more French team”, rejected these players despite the fact that they could have brought France victory. Even though this type of reaction has been severely punished by the law, it is still not severe enough to make it disappear. Even French politicians have practiced this hostility against other societies. For example, Charles de Gaulle, president of France from 1959 to 1969, rejected several American political approaches since he expressed a great deal of disdain for the U.S.A. and its global cultural prevalence.

In order to reduce this societal problem, the government should review some previous actions. One of them that must be stopped is constructing housing in the suburbs exclusively for immigrants experiencing fi nancial diffi culties. In fact, this creates a social division between the wealthy French living downtown and descendants of self-starters who came in the ’70’s and ’80’s from Spain, Italy and North African countries. As a result of this gap, children are raised separately, which contributes to a sense of intolerance. This is the reason why French youngsters and their peers from other communities should be educated together. If a person grows up among individuals with diff erent habits and traditions, this person will be more open-minded. To conclude, the French would become less proud and distant from other nationalities by sharing the same social and educational atmosphere.

Focus o

n Fra

nce

by Chloe Simoes

About the Contrib

utor: Chloe came to

Canada in January, right a

fter h

er graduatio

n form High School to

improve

her English writing and speaking. In

itially she had only intended to

stay for 6 months, but now she plans to

continue studying at th

e university level in Toronto!

17

issue 74, june 2011

Senseless

Expression Extracted:

Second-hand Second-hand refers to something

that is passed on from someone

else. Generally, the term is used

to refer to objects and goods

that are used or have had a

previous owner.

For example: You can fi nd second

hand clothes and objects in

vintage stores or garage sales.

In this article, Hamed Alnakhli

refers to “second-hand smoking”

(otherwise known as passive

smoking), which means smoke

that is inhaled involuntarily by

non-smokers.

by Hamed Alnakhli

about the author: Originally from Saudi Arabia, Hamed has been in Canada for 11 months. He graduated from Biotechnology and he would like to complete a master’s degree in Canada. Hamed’s favourite Toronto characteristic is the multiplicity of cultures, which he says “makes it easy to form relationships with people from diff erent cultures”.

At the present time, millions of people, who realize that smoking is harmful, smoke cigarettes-white cylinders fi lled with tobacco leaves- on a daily basis; however, the legality of smoking ban has been one of the biggest controversial issues

in today’s society. For some, smoking is entertaining and necessary, whereas for others, it is very disturbing. Citizens were identifi ed as smokers 400 years ago when Jaun De Grijalua landed in Yucatan and observed cigarettes smoked by natives, (www.cigarette-bellow-cost.com). Regardless of the personal views on smoking, it is obvious that smoking is considered a bad habit because of its disastrous eff ects on human health. The proof of this is the results shown by a signifi cant number of studies which verify that smokers are more susceptible to serious diseases than non-smokers. For instance, according to the Canadian Cancer Society, 90% of lung cancer in men, and 80% in women is caused by smoking. This means that smoking increases 22 times the likelihood of developing lung cancer in smokers compared to non-smokers. By contrast, no study shows any usefulness of smoking to

human health. Therefore, it is diffi cult to fi nd logical reasons why people practice this habit. This essay will argue the urgent need to ban smoking everywhere as it will continue to threaten the health of humans as long as it is permitted.

Opponents of smoking prohibition justify their arguments by saying that smoking is a matter of a personal choice, and governments have the responsibility to defend this freedom. They also claim that smoking is harmful and fatal but only after many decades, unlike poisonous foods or unsafe cars, which cause immediate risks. Moreover, they expect if governments banned cigarette sales, the crime rate would rise, and the individuals would treat each other with antisocial behavior.

We all value personal freedom and deem that individuals should not be forced to quit smoking, but it is tobacco companies who we should be acting against. If a company produces contaminated foods, which cause food poisoning, the local government would immediately take the foods out of the markets, and such a company should be punished with penalties. Similarly, cigarettes and the other tobacco products, such as creamy snuff , shisha tobacco, and “Roll-Your-own,” are poisonous and lethal in the long run. For example, research by the American Cancer Society shows that in the USA, deaths caused by tobacco every year reach 400,000, more than by AIDS,

alcohol, drug abuse, and car crashes. In fact, smoking is not a real choice; it is considered an addictive drug. Once people,

particularly the young generation, start to practice this habit, they will not be able to stop easily because of the amount of nicotine in their blood.

In addition to that, non-smokers can also be aff ected by so-called “passive smoking,” the involuntary inhaling of smoke from cigarettes smoked by other people. The fact that non-smokers can be exposed to the same risks that threaten smokers’ lives is clear evidence for the need to ban smoking. Indeed, secondhand smoke is the main source of indoor air pollution. Because of this, children are the fi rst victims. Their organs, especially brains and lungs, are at risk of growth retardation if they inhale the cigarette smoke. Unfortunately, not all parents are aware of such a negative impact, and children are not able to protect themselves from breathing polluted air. Unless smoking is banned, societies will keep suff ering from having children with learning diffi culties and chronic respiratory infections.

The damage does not stop at this point, but even involves pregnant mothers and their embryos. In terms of mothers, smoking during pregnancy increases the chance of miscarriage and develops many kinds of birth defects, not to mention its eff ect on reducing milk production. Smoking is clearly detrimental to pregnant women, but it causes much more harm for the developing fetuses. For instance, chemicals, such as nicotine and carbon monoxide, are passed on to the fetus through the placenta causing serious harm, such as increased heart rate, and abnormal movements. Some chemicals which are known to cause cancers are concentrated in the blood of women who smoke, which of course transmitted to fetuses as well.

To conclude, smokers, their partners, children, infants, and even unborn fetuses are all exposed to the consequences of smoking, such as lung cancer, chronic respiratory infection, and growth retardation in newborn children, either through smoking, breathing, or the placenta. The responsibilities of governments toward their citizens are similar to that of parents toward their children. Parents need to organize everything for their children and sometimes make diffi cult decisions for the benefi t of their advantages; governments also have the same responsibilities for the sake of the public. The only solution governments should enact to protect their citizens from smoking is to ban import and sale of all tobacco products.

18

world of words

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Our University of Toronto trip was amazing, because of three extraordinary aspects. First, there are many buildings in a very old style; moreover, some of thes e buildings participate with a new modern building because the policies of the city of Toronto do not allow builders to destroy the old structures. In fact, when we saw the view of the building, it was more attractive. Visitors can easily walk between the buildings, although they might scrutinize the old buildings. Many buildings were also hard to save, but the University of Toronto did. Next, the campus of university of Toronto is part of metropolitan Toronto; for example, Harbord Street goes through the university; as a result, many faculties are in different places. We also notice that there are residences for students on many areas inside the campus of the university. It is a great idea because the students walk to the class in a short time. Finally, walking between the buildings is very interesting because there are natural gathering places; for instance, Philosopher’s Walk is a famous path. In addition, many benches have small plagues; furthermore, they have expression or advice. UofT also has a large area that is very natural places. I strongly believe that any university has a mission to the community. To sum up, the three aspects to our visit to Toronto University are saving history, mixing with society and maintaining natural beauty.

in

phot

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19

issue 74, june 2011

The Volunteer Experience Program allows ELP students to volunteer in Canada. There are many exciting events that students and participate in, such marathons/runs, theatre production, and special events. These opportunities allow our students to learn English and experience Canadian culture and festivities! It’s a great opportunity for anyone looking to apply to school or work.

Want to learn more?

VEP Meetings are every

Wednesday at 5:15PM in OISE

Room 4-160. Or you can email

the volunteer coordinator at

vep.elp@utoronto.ca.

Volunteer Experience Program2011

20

world of words

" I went to several volunteer

activities such as the Walk for Kids

Help Phone, Hot Doc Film Festival

and Green Ribbon Event. However,

I will never forget two of them: the

Tree Planting while it is raining

cats and dogs and the Goodlife

Marathon Kit Packing because I had

a great time working in a team. I

recommend volunteering not just

to get a certifi cate but also to share

memorable and unique experiences

with others!!! "

Cloe Simoes

“I went to the Green Ribbon volunteer and

children volunteer !! I joined 2 volunteers and

I liked being a children’s volunteer , because

it was a good opportunity to meet Canadian

children and I could talk with them. I wanna join

more volunteer acitivites.”

Anonymous

Cassie was a CA for VEP during

the month of May assisting in

many of the events. This is what

she had to say about the program

– “In the month of May, I

joined hands with many ELP

students from diff erent levels of

Academic and Comprehensive

English to volunteer at diff erent

places in the city. Many of our

volunteer spots are new to our

students, and we had a lot of fun

visiting unfamiliar but friendly

neighborhoods. At Yonge Street

Mission, we played and ate with

little kids on a beautiful Saturday.

We also met plenty of volunteers

from elsewhere who were just

as enthusiastic as we were. In

sum, volunteering is a great

way for out students to discover

Toronto, engage with the locals,

practice English and have fun at

absolutely no cost. Come out and

join us!”

Cassie Cai (CA)

21

issue 74, june 2011

lights,

camera,

action.

Jane Eyre (2011)Th e Blind Side (2009)No Reservations (2007)

Ever since Oliver Twist (the brave young homeless character created by Charles Dickens) imploringly

asked for more soup ~ “Please, sir ~ I want some more!” ~ the orphan has been a recurring theme

in Western literature. Now fi lm is its own literary form, as well as an expression of modern culture,

with all of its struggles and issues. As such, children who have lost both mother and father have

become the central character in a surprisingly wide cross-section of movie genres. Let’s look at four

recent instances.

No Reservations (2007)

“I have no idea what to do with a kid. Especially one who’s lost her mother,” moans an attractive brunette to her therapist in an afternoon counselling session. The speaker is Kate, an uptight, workaholic chef responsible for the kitchen of a high-end French restaurant in Manhattan. Used to being in charge of everything and everyone, she is at a loss when her sister is suddenly killed in a car accident, and her ten-year-old niece, Zoe, comes to live with her. What to feed the child? How to amuse her? How to form a bond of trust? And how to help Zoe deal with the sudden loss of her mother? These are some of the issues with which Kate grapples in this engaging human drama. Family, Kate learns in time, is what you choose to make it.

The Blind Side (2009)

Th e Blind Side is also a modern drama, but unlike No Reservations, this fi lm is based on a true story. Technically, 17-year-old Michael Oher is not an orphan. His drug addict mother is still

alive, and is living in Hurt Village, a housing project not far from the posh Memphis suburb where Sean and Leigh Ann Tuohy enjoy a very comfortable life with their two children.

But Michael is alone ~ he has been for years ~ and lacks all of the resources and tools a young person needs to fi nd his way in the world. Leigh Ann Tuohy can see this, and acts swiftly, if not impulsively, to draw the youth into her family’s circle of provision and belonging. From the start it is a bumpy ride: “Big Mike” is the wrong size, the wrong colour, the wrong social class, the wrong grade point average, and even, it seems, the wrong temperament (=personality) to make it in a predominantly white world. But love always fi nds a way, and sometimes, it can sneak right up behind you . . . and get you from your blind side.

Jane Eyre (2011)

Since its fi rst publication in 1847, this classic feminist story has been told and retold countless times. And this, of course, is a testament to the story’s power to engage our imaginations. Jane Eyre’s parents both succumbed to typhus

when she was yet very young; her subsequent childhood was spent with an abusive aunt and her equally detestable cousins ~ not the adoptive family we would wish for young Jane.

Jane’s circumstances only worsen upon her arrival to Lowood, a charity school. There she is falsely accused, shamed, and deprived of even the most basic necessities. For eight long years she endures the wretched institution before fi nally leaving to seek work as a governess (= a nanny and live-in teacher). The events that follow depict a young woman who, though not overly religious, does have deep convictions about right and wrong, and is prepared to make great personal sacrifi ces for those beliefs. As we watch Jane’s story unfold, we can’t help but wondering: How exactly does a young woman, in a patriarchal, male-dominated society, come to be so brave and so very, very strong? The answer lies in the terrible things that she has suff ered as an orphan. Those bitter childhood experiences ~ events that would have destroyed most ~ turn out to be the very elements that pound and pressure and shape Jane into the wise and confi dent and compassionate woman we watch her become.

Orphansn the Silver Screen

22

world of words

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

Kung Fu Panda (2011)

lights,

camera,

action.

Toni:

What did you think of the

movie?

Tomo: X-Men First Class was a very exciting movie. Unfortunately, I could not understand

all of the language in the movie because I am still learning English. The images in the movie

were great and from these images I was able to understand the story a little bit.

Toni: What did you like about the movie?

Tomo: All the scenes were really amazing, I was never bored because they were exciting

all the time. There was lots of action and the eff ects were great!

Toni: What didn’t you like about the movie?

Tomo: The scenes change a lot and really quickly so at times it was hard to follow the

story especially because of my English skills.

Toni: What was your favourite scene?

Tomo: The fi nal action scene was fantastic! It was a good way to end the movie.

Toni: Who’s side are you on, Magneto of Professor X?

Tomo: Professor X of course! He is the good guy.

Rating: 4/5

X-Men First Class is an adaptation of the X-Men Marvel Comics; this fi lm is meant to be a prequel to the X-Men fi lm series that preceded it.

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

“What on earth could this popular animation have to do with orphans?!” you’re probably wondering. “Kung Fu Panda is about . . . . . well, it’s about kung fu! You know, the good guys versus the bad guys, teamwork, all that kind of thing.” True, but have you seen the second instalment of Panda, currently playing in theatres? Not yet? Well, you are in for one big, squishy surprise!

In the sequel, Po has a very strange fl ashback (=a mental picture of something that happened a long, long time ago) during a routine fi ght. That fl ashback leads him to start questioning his personal origins. Who am I? Where did I come from? Po muses. At the fi rst opportunity, he returns to the noodle restaurant in the Valley of Peace and has a long heart-to-heart chat with Mr. Ping. (Really, it is very funny: we wonder how Po could have gone so long without noticing the in-your-face physical diff erences between him and his so-called father ~ a Chinese goose!)

The time has fi nally come, Mr. Ping realizes, for him to have the talk with Po that sooner or later, all adoptive parents must have with their children: that conversation in which these selfl ess adults explain to their children that they are not their actual birth parent; that in fact, somewhere out there, there is another who is their biological mother or father. This is never an easy conversation, and it surely isn’t easy for Po. Mr. Ping can’t provide Po with any of the details concerning his birth parents ~

he himself doesn’t know ~ and Po is propelled into a personal quest for the truth that will lead him straight into the domain of a menacing enemy.

So what’s the deal?

Now we have looked at orphans in four diff erent fi lm genres: modern drama; drama based on a true story; historical fi ction; and adventure/animation. The popularity of orphan stories that we have observed here begs the question, Why this great interest in orphans? Why do we simply refuse to tire of the “parentless-infant-is-one-day-noticed-and-pitied-by-a-kind-benefactor” narrative?

One reason may be their universal appeal. Orphan stories are bound by neither geography nor by language: every culture has its own heart-warming tales of individuals and families who have welcomed a destitute child into their homes and their hearts, making that child one of their own, with all of the same rights and privileges as biological sons or daughters. This tale has been told over and over again down through the centuries, and around the world. Familiar as we may be with it, each telling of this story feels like the fi rst telling.

More signifi cantly, however, in a world where accounts of betrayal and abandonment and destitution are too, too common, our hearts are refreshed, and our souls fed, each time we see one human stepping out of his or her comfort zone ~ a diffi cult thing for any of us! ~ and reaching out in compassion to embrace a young one in need.

~ Evelyn Pedersen teaches the English through Movies Focus class in the Comprehensive program.

X-Men First Class

Revie

w

23

issue 74, june 2011

lights,

camera,

action.

Ahoy, me hearties! With Johnny Depp reprising his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – in 3D, no less! – ELP scrambled to the movie theatre on Friday, May 27th to see if the fourth installment in the series lived up to expectations. One action-packed, laugh-out-loud funny adventure later, CA Lily Choi caught up with two particularly enthusiastic movie-goers for their two cents on the fi lm…

Lily: So – what were your general impressions about the movie?Duc Do: Overall, great movie. The sound eff ects were really cool – they

really matched the action sequences. Hery Sutan: Wow! That was my fi rst time wearing 3D glasses. I felt dizzy at

fi rst but it was okay after a while.Duc: The special eff ects were really great, too, especially when the beautiful

mermaid changed into a girl…Hery: [During a scene in which the mermaid, unable to walk, is carried] Duc

turned to me to tell me, “I want to carry her”! Anyway, the movie was funny and creative.

Lily: Was there anything about the movie that disappointed you?Duc: The storyline didn’t seem original. It was predictable; I knew what was

going to happen in the end.Hery: Yeah, the plot seemed like it was derived from medieval stories. There

was also more focus on humor than on action. More action would have been fun. And like I said, the 3D glasses made me dizzy, and they didn’t cover my peripheral vision. Maybe I’d recommend watching it in 2D instead.

Lily: Do you have a favorite character from the movie?Hery: Jack Sparrow, of course!Duc: The mermaid.Hery: She has a name, okay?Duc: What was it?Hery: Syrena!

Lily: Who was your least favorite character?

Duc: Penelope Cruz, who played Angelica [Blackbeard’s daughter and Jack Sparrow’s love interest]. Her acting wasn’t great in this action genre. She’d probably be better in another genre, like romance or comedy.

Hery: Gibbs, Jack’s friend. You didn’t see him a lot, though. He only appeared a few times, but he would have been a funny character if he had tagged along with Jack Sparrow on his adventure.

Lily: If you could take the place of a character in the movie, who would it be?Hery: The monkey, probably. He didn’t have to do much in the movie.Duc: The guy who got to carry the mermaid.

Lily: Final question – do you have any predictions for what might transpire in the next Pirates fi lm?

Duc: I think Jack Sparrow will get a new crew together in the next movie. An old character might also come back to life…maybe Captain Davy Jones [from the second and third movies in the Pirates of the Caribbean saga]? Oh, and the guy who went underwater with the mermaid will show up again, maybe as God of the Seas!

Hery: Jack and Angelica will meet again somehow. Who knows, maybe they’ll have a kid. Imagine three generations of Sparrows in the next movie! And of course, the monkey has to come back.

Duc and Harry give Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides a rating of 7.5 stars out of 10, and would both recommend the movie to others.

Do you like movies and would like to improve your writing skills? Join the ELP CAs and other students at any movie night event and share your opinions on the fi lms by writing for WOW!

And if you enjoy learning English through fi lms, you can consider taking our English through Movies Focus class in the Comprehensive English Program!

Reviews can be however long or short as you want them. You can submit your writing to wow.elp@utoronto.ca.

PiPP rii ates of the Caraa ibi bbeeaanaa : OOnnOO SSttrranaa gegg

ree Tidese

RReviewbyy

Duc Do&

Hery Sutan

- Intnn erview

byyyCCA Lilyy Chhooii

Lily Choi ( CA)

24

world of words

Hookah or W

aterpipe

Rice with Chicken

Tent-like designs

Moroccan Tagine (stew

)

Canada, Ontario, Toronto. The Huron translation of Toronto is “place of meetings;” therefore it comes to no surprise that this city is one of the most cosmopolitan of the world. Its bustling energy and overly friendly population attracts citizens from all over the planet who exchange cultures, languages, ideas and food. There are over 10000 restaurants in Toronto. Depending on the kind of food you want to eat, diff erent parts of the city accommodate diff erent communities, which in turn open restaurants to help ease homesickness and sate the appetite of adventurers like our group of twenty people that went out to try North African food in early May.

A part of the African population of Toronto resides on the eastern side of Toronto, along the Bloor and Danforth line. After exiting Greenwood station, on a Taste of Toronto quest, we began our march towards Café Tangiers, a Moroccan restaurant. A sense of community could be felt around the area, as bits and pieces of French, Arabic, and Amharic were heard from passers-by and groups of men sipping tea and having light conversations on the patio.

Café Tangiers is located at 1385 Danforth Avenue; it is a small restaurant with a very oriental, cosy and casual décor. Ismael and Kamal catered to us for the night, and off ered us three meal choices. It came to a very big disappointment when we were told that couscous was not on the menu.

Many of us had watering mouths on the long subway ride just thinking about dinner. The majority of students ended up having lamb over rice; others had chicken over rice- all with a small side of salad. A more adventurous group of girls, encouraged by Iman (an ELP student from Morocco) tried the hearty and deliciously looking vegetable tagine, and loved it.

In my opinion, the best part of the whole meal would have to be “dessert.” Mint tea occupies a very important position in the Moroccan culture; the way Moroccan tea is made is almost an art to be mastered. It is served as a drink of hospitality at gatherings, and also serves as a digestive after meals. One of the students ordered a large tea and had many try it. Others chose to have shisha or baklavas.

Overall, Taste of Toronto: Moroccan Food was a very exciting experience. The atmosphere and staff were very friendly and welcoming. Had couscous been available, the whole experience would have been twice as successful! The students enjoyed themselves and are excited for the next Taste of Toronto event.

Many other foreign restaurants can be found in Toronto, and they should all be tried! Let the quest for Toronto’s best couscous and mint tea begin!

A Taste of Toronto…

moroccan cuisine

Restaurant Highlight Hookah (also known as shisha, argile, water pipe or even hubbly bubbly! )Th e hookah is a traditional smoking activity in many parts of the world, mostnotably in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. It is usually done with a group of people. Hookah is becoming more popular in the Western world, but due to smoking restrictions, cafes only off er herbal hookah (nicotine-free), which allows you to smoke indoors. (Pictured above left )

Reviewed by Nanamoye Ascofare

25

issue 74, june 2011

Asma AlsulamyUniversity of Quebec, Masters in Didactique des Langues

Asma is from Saudi Arabia; she began her studies at the English Language Program

in level 30 Academic English and completed the highest level in the Program. She

also took Academic Skills for College and University Success. She would like to

acquire a PhD in teaching languages.

“All the universities that I applied to asked me if I have English courses, tests… and U of T and ELP is stronger than other schools, academic English here is focused”“(ELP) goes from general to specifi c, Level 30 was so easy but the advanced level, like Level 60, you learn why it’s important to study English” “English has to be learned by practicing outside, not just stay in school and study”“ELP’s VEP has a club that helps students learn English and interact with Canadians”“I want to thank all the teachers that were suff ering with me, I want to thank Rosabel, I was a devil in her class! Level 30”“I also want to thank Bernadette, she was very helpful and a wonderful teacher, also Catherine & John for Level 30, Level 50: Carolina & Laura, Level 60 for Yasseen and Karen for Post-60, Academic Skills”

26

world of words

by Karen Thomson and Kimberley Hindy, Academic Skills for University and College Success

Kimberley Hindy and Karen Thomson would like to congratulate the hard-working stu-dents of the Academic Skills for College and University Success program this term. It’s been an exciting and rewarding experience for us, and we hope that you learned as much from the course as we did from you.

The students in the AS program have all met the profi ciency requirements to enter the University of Toronto (as well as many other Canadian universities), many by successfully completing Academic English Level 60. Hav-ing reached their goals with regard to Eng-lish language profi ciency, it was our respon-sibility to prepare them with the research, writing and presentation skills they will need for their university courses. We did this by thoroughly working on a research topic, reading academic resources, and fi nally, writing a full-length research paper. Con-sidering this course is only 12-weeks long, we were pleased to have such ambitious students who knew what they wanted and needed to learn and weren’t afraid to work hard to achieve their goals – skills that will serve them well in their academic futures.

The research topics discussed this term were wide-ranging because the students were encouraged to choose a subject of special interest to them and their future

academic life. Kimberley and I learned a great deal about subjects such as nanotech-nology, mathematics, marketing, colour theory, violence in video games and learn-ing motivation. Our students developed their research skills throughout the course. They researched their topics online and at Robart’s Library, wrote research propos-als, literature reviews, prepared annotated bibliographies, presented seminars, and fi -nally wrote a 10 to 14-page research paper and summarized their results in a formal presentation. That’s a lot to accomplish in 12 weeks! The results were amazing! Our students surpassed our expectations with their well-developed papers and profes-sional presentations on complex topics.

So, congratulations to all of the AS partici-pants. We know that this course was very diff erent from the courses you have taken before with its emphasis on independent work and self-motivation, but we are very proud of your hard work and persever-ance, and we wish you every success in the future. Please keep in touch. We’d love to hear about your university and college experiences and how completing the re-quirements of this course may have helped prepare you for what is to come. Good luck and remember the golden rules – don’t procrastinate and always cite your sources!!

Have you or someone you know been accepted into university? Has our Program helped you achieve your goals in life? We would love to hear your story and feature you! You can write your story for WoW or give a testimonial. If you are interested in doing so yourself, or in nominating someone, you can contact us at wow.elp@utoronto.ca. Or get in touch with us through facebook or twitter.

ww

w.facebook.com

/UofTELP@

ELPSCSUofT

CONGRATULATIONS to our Academic Skills Students

27

issue 74, june 2011

Mohammed AlnowigyUniversity of Ottawa, Undergraduate, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Mohammed is originally from Saudi Arabia. He has completed Academic English level 50 and 60 and is now in Academic Skills

for University and College Success. In the near future, Mohammed plans to complete a math course at Ryerson, after which

he will begin his studies at the University. In the long run, he plans to complete his Master’s and PhD to fulfi ll his dreams of

becoming a researcher.

“I chose ELP because ELP teaches me grammar intensively and off ers me fl exible class hours with a lot of time to apply all the information I learned outside of the class, at home and independently, usually other schools off er only 9-4 or 9-3 classes, which takes all the time of the day”“All the weak points that I had were addressed, the program strengthened my grammar and speaking”“If you already have a good background, you should apply to the intermediate program at ELP, not the primary”“I want to thank all my teachers, John, Karen, Caroline, Marijke, Erin and Kimberley as well as Denise, she helped me get my acceptance from universities” “One of my weak points was my confi dence in speaking with natives, VEP broke this fear, it opened up the society and community to me. The best one was the food delivery; we were going to each house and knocking on doors, asking them about delivering food. For me, it is hard to go to each house and face new people, so this is the best VEP experience.”

Ozlem UmduMcMaster University, Master’s in Number Th eory

Ozlem is a Turkish student, who has completed Academic English level 60 and is now taking Academic Skills for University and

College Success. She would like to acquire a PhD and return to her home country to teach at the university level.

“Before I came to Canada, my friends recommended University of Toronto and ELP so I completed Level 60, got accepted McMaster and then came back for Post-Level 60 in Academic Skills”“… and I liked my teacher a lot, Kimberley, she teaches both Level 60 and Level Post-60”“I learned how to speak, how to do academic research and it improved my writing and my speaking”“U of T has a lot of resources and a lot of activities for students to learn, before, during and after school... for example, there was a special day where we introduced Turkish food, clothes, drinks and culture to other ELP students”“I took 2 levels and I had the same teacher so I want to thank Kimberley, she’s funny, comical, she is not boring, when she teaches something, I don’t feel bored in her class and she has a Masters so she is very knowledgeable about a lot of things about writing”

Humeyra KiyakUniversity of British Columbia, PhD

Humeyra has a Master’s Degree in Math from Turkey. She took Academic English level 30 and is currently

enrolled in Academic Skills for University and College Success. Although Humeyra would like to return to teach

in Turkey at a university, she is very tempted by the comfortable living in Canada and is thinking of staying.

“I chose ELP because it is in Toronto and Toronto is centre of everything, with lots of opportunities for students and U of T is the best university in Canada. Also my friends recommended ELP.”“When I came here, I couldn’t speak really well, and now I can and I can complete my work independently; this course is perfect”“I want to thank Naglaa, Kimberley and Erin; Kimberley is really good at academic English and research”“There are a lot of diff erences in language, in Level 50, thinking in my own language was a problem, but in Level 60, Erin helped me with that in writing; I can write after this course and I don’t think in my fi rst language”“My ELP teachers were great because they speak clearly, were interested in all of their students and were friendly to students; they also provided good feedback on assignments and we did peer editing which were really important”

28

world of words

Amr OmarUniversity of Toronto, Master’s of Civil Engineering, Specializing in Construction Management

Amr is from Egypt, he is now enrolled in Academic Skills for College and

University Success. After completing his Master’s Degree, Amr would like

to pursue his career as opposed to getting a PhD.

“I’ve been studying English since primary school and since I graduated from university in 2010, I haven’t been practicing and when I moved to Canada in December and tried to pursue my career and Masters Degree in Canada, I noticed that I needed an English requirement and more practice on my research skills despite passing my IELTS exam so I took (ELP’s Post-Level 60 Academic Skills) this course”“I learned many new things about new research that I basically had no initial ideas about, I was able to practice research and presentation skills throughout the whole course which are going to help me in my Masters”“When I started, I started out strong and so I began slacking and procrastinating, which is completely wrong. You have to continuously excel in the course, not just at the beginning and end”“Listen to your teachers, they know better!”“I met a lot of people here; I made a lot of new friends, which helped me practice my spoken English”“I did volunteer work at my community centre, at the North York Civic Centre. I collected garbage and got to know what is volunteering and its role in the community, it was a social experience, I met a lot of people who wanted to volunteer for the same cause”“I would like to thank Kimberley Hindy, my teacher, for helping me out and guiding me throughout this course. As well as Karen Thomson, who helped us out with participation in class and getting more audience for presentations; organizing guest speakers and seminars for us.”

29

issue 74, june 2011

Duc Do, Defender, Arsenal “Soccer is fun to play and is very exciting!”

Abdullah Sadik, Midfi elder, Real Madrid “W

inning games is the best part of s

occe

r”

Yoshiki Matsumoto, Forward, Liverpool “It’s not m

y favourite sport but it’s great to

play

with

frie

nds”

Ryo Ishieashi, Defender, Inter Milan “Playing soccer is fun on the UofT back campus

espe

caill

ay w

ith E

LP”

Stephan Naoki, Goalie, Toronto FC “It’s great to play spccer with friends”

Yuki Kamo, Forward, Toronto FC “It’s fun to hang out with friends on UofT campus while

pla

ying

”

CA Toni Papa, an athelete herself, conducted these interviews.

The ELP soccer club is a great opportunity for our student athletes to get outdoors to show off their skills, learn new tricks, have fun, and meet new friends! The soccer club holds weekly pick-up games right on the U of T campus. Here are some of ELP’s super star players. CA Toni Papa asked them about their position on the fi eld, their favourite team an why they love playing the game.

ELP SOCCER

SUPER STARS

30

world of words

Kensho Fujihata, Forward, Manchester United “It’s a great exercise!”

Daiki Tsukamoto, Defender, Inter Milan “M

aking friends is easy on the soccer pitch”

Ali Hawsawi, Goalie, Liverpool “Winning a gam

e is one of the best feelings”

Carloalberto Pollatta, Midfi elder, Inter M

ilan “I love everything about sovver!”

”

Ping Chia Bon, Midfi elder, Inter Milan “It’s great to play in the summer”

Omar Alageel, Defender, Juventus “Playing soccer is really healthy because it giv

es y

ou a

gre

at w

orko

ut”

Byungryul Jang, Defenfer, Manchester U

nited “Soccer is fun and a great excersise”

31

issue 74, june 2011

Boat Cruise Party

by Kar

en C

ao (C

A)

On April 29th, over 50 ELP students marked the beginning of spring with another fantastic boat cruise party along Lake Ontario!

The boys were all fancied up with their fi tted suites and black polished shoes, it was like graduation! As we got off the streetcar and headed to the harbour, there was already a long line forming. It had begun around 5:15pm. The weather was almost perfect, a bit chilly but not cold enough to prevent us from seeing the CN Tower and the beautiful Toronto skyline and harbourfront light up! As the line ended and the captain honked the boat’s horns to signal departure, a breeze started blowing across the deck and we scurried inside.

In the beginning the dance fl oor was empty except with the odd couple. Is dancing at 6pm a bit early? There was still light outside! Thus the fi rst hour consisted of scouting out places to put our bags, coats, changing

shoes, fi nding the bathroom, lining up for drinks and food and in general, checking people out. The cruise was packed with nearly 400 international students from all across the globe, not including ISX staff and ship crew members. People came from China, France, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Brazil, Korea, Columbia, Japan, Argentina, Britain and the U.S. to name a few. The music started to pick up around 7:30pm and as the alcohol started to fl ow, the dance fl oor beckoned. Friends and strangers alike were having a grand time, Top 40 music bellowed from the DJ’s turntable into the warm inside air and ELP took it all in. Covering almost a quarter of the dance fl oor, we were a popular crowd. Groups like Big Mehmet, Small Mehmet, Sakura and Saki danced merrily together, along with Kevin, Kizuna, Cabi, Xintong, Ping Chia, Ayşenur and Tufan. KGU students including Atsushi , Moeno, Takuya, Bandou, Anna, Hiromi, Mami, Yuri and Daiki also made quite a splash on the scene.

32

world of words

33

issue 74, june 2011

Question of the Week

YOU HAVE A

LREADY TRAVELLED T

O CANADA.

WHIC

H COUNTRY DO Y

OU WANT T

O VIS

IT N

EXT?

AUSTRALIA, I

HEARD T

HE SEA I

S VERY B

EAUTIFUL..

. OR I

COULD COM

E TO T

ORONTO AGAIN

!

SATORI, JAPAN

FRANCE. THEY H

AVE MANY T

OURIST A

TTRACTIONS,

LIKE T

HE EIF

FEL TOW

ER AND A

LSO A VERY

INTERESTIN

G CULTURE.

OMAR,

SAUDI ARABIA

SWIT

ZERLAND... T

HERE IS B

EAUTIFUL,

NATURAL SIG

HTSEEING,

FORESTS TO W

ALK THROUGH AND I

WANT T

O SEE W

HAT KIN

D OF F

OOD THEY E

AT!

YURI, JAPAN

I WANT T

O GO T

O AUSTRALIA

. MANY O

F MY F

RIENDS R

ECOMM

ENDED IT.

ITS S

AFE AND T

HERE IS

A LOT O

F BEAUTIF

UL NATURE T

O SEE.

DAIKI, J

APAN

THE U.S

.A., I

WANT T

O VIS

IT T

IMES S

QUARE AGAIN

.

RYO, JAPAN

BRITAIN

! TO W

ATCH SOCCER GAM

ES. THEY G

ET VERY E

XCITED!

TAKUYA, JAPAN

ITALY!

I WANT T

O BUY D

ESIGNER B

AGS!

KURUMI, J

APAN

34

world of words

IN THE SUMMER, DO YOU PREFER TO SPEND THE DAY RELAXING AT THE BEACH

OR HANGING OUT IN A PARK?

THE PARK... THE BEACH IS TOO HOT!STEPHEN, JAPAN

I LIKE THE PARK, BECAUSE YOU CAN MEET UP WITH YOUR FRIENDS THERE SPONTANEOUSLY

AND JUST CHILL OUT.DARREN, CANADA

THE BEACH... THE PARK IS TOO HOT!JIN, KOREA

BEACH! BEACH! BEACH! WHY WOULD ANYONE GO TO THE PARK?MIO&YUKO&RITA&DANIELLE&YUKI, JAPAN&ITALY&BRAZIL

THE PARK... IT MIGHT BE COOLER AND IT’S MORE ACCESSABLE.

KAREN, CANADA

BEACH. ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS GO TO THE BEACH. THE GIRLS IN THE PARK ARE UGLY LIKE A PUMPKIN.BYUNG–RYUL, KOREA

THE BEACH! THE SUMMER IS SHORT AND WE CAN GO TO THE PARK ANYTIME.IZUMI&MISUZU, JAPAN

IF YOU CAN’T DECIDE,

HEAD TO TORONTO ISLAND. IT HAS THE

PERFECT COMBINATION OF PARK AND BEACH!35

issue 74, june 2011

“I WOULD BUY MAPLE SYRUP

FROM DARREN!”AOI, JAPAN

IF YOU FOUND $100 ON THE STREET, WHAT WOULD YOU DO

WITH IT?

“I WOULD USE IT TO BUY A SOME TOM’S SHOES. THAT WAY I GET SOMETHING AND SOMETHING GOES TO

CHARITY.”DUNYA, U.A.E.

“I WOULD GO TO THE CASINO... ALTHOUGH I

DON’T KNOW HOW TO GAMBLE!”

SAKURA, JAPAN

“TO BE HONEST, I

WOULD GO TO CAMTO.”DAHAE, KOREA

“I WOULD GET 10 000 PENNIES

AND GIVE THEM TO HOMELESS PEOPLE!”

PING CHIA, TAIWAN

“I WOULD SPLIT IT $5 BILLS, THROW

IT IN THE AIR, AND WATCH

PEOPLE SCRAMBLE FOR IT!!”

MIO, JAPAN

“I WOULD GO TO ALGONQUIN

PARK!”YUKA, JAPAN

“I WOULD TAKE IT TO THE EATON CENTRE!”

NASEEM, SAUDI ARABIA

36

world of words

“DOWNTOWN YONGE AND THE EATON CENTRE. THERE IS

ALWAYS AN EVENT OR SOME-

THING EXCITING HAPPENING!”BRUNO, BRAZIL

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TORONTO

NEIGHBOURHOOD?

“THE ANNEX. YOU CAN FIND

ANYTHING THERE!”

TUE SI, FRANCE

“TORONTO ISLAND, BECAUSE THERE ARE

DOLPHINS... RIGHT CHRIS?”

PING CHIA, TAIWAN

“HIGH PARK AND ‘THE ISLAND’ ARE GREAT PLACES TO RELAX IN

THE SUMMER.”JAE, KOREA

“GREEKTOWN! THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD, DELICIOUS, AND TASTY FOOD!”

TOMOHIRO, JAPAN

“TORONTO ISLAND! THERE ARE MANY BEAUTIFUL VIEWS OF THE

THE CITY, NATURE AND CUTE COTTAGES.”

RYO, JAPAN

37

issue 74, june 2011

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE BEST RESTAURANT IN TORONTO?

LEBANESE CHINESE

JAPANESE

PARAMOUNT

NEAR THE EATON CENTRE, IT’S AUTHENTIC ARABIC FOOD, AND THERE IS A GREAT VARIETY. THE HUMMUS IS REALLY GOOD TOO!

MAJED SAUDI ARABIA

SUSHI ON BLOOR

I LOVE THEIR TEMPURA, IT’S THE BEST IN TORONTO!

SUSHI ON BLOOR

IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO JAPANESE SUSHI.

GENZO RAMEN

IN KOREA TOWN, IT’S CHEAP AND DELICIOUS!

KONNICHIWA

ON BALDWIN. IT HAS DELICIOUS NOODLES!

TOKYO KITCHEN

IT HAS REAL JAPANESE TASTE!

SUSHI ON BLOOR

ITS CHEAP BUT THE FOOD TASTES REALLY GOOD!

MAMI

JAPAN

TOMOHIRO

JAPAN

JAE

KOREA

DON’T FORGET, IT IS CUSTOMARY TO LEAVE A TIP OF ABOUT 15% AT MOST CANADIAN RESTAURANTS. TIPPING TELLS YOUR WAITER

THAT THEY DID A GOOD JOB.

EFFIE

CANADA

IZUMI&MISUZU

JAPAN

ITALIAN

LA VECCHIA

THEY HAVE A GREAT BRUNCH. IT’S NOT CHEAP BUT ITS VERY TASTY!

DANIELLE

BRAZIL

THE CHINESE FOOD TRUCK

THE WHITE ONE, NEAR ROBARTS LIBRARY. MY COUSIN TOLD ME THERE IS A CHINESE VAN WHERE YOU CAN EAT VERY CHEAPLY. I TRIED THEIR FOOD; IT WAS SURPRISINGLY DELICIOUS! I HAVE BEEN GOING BACK FOR MORE EVER SINCE.

BYUNG–RYUL

KOREA

GREEK

THAT GREEK RESTAURANT

NEAR CHESTER STATION.* THEIR PORK SOUVLAKI IS REALLY GOOD!*THERE ARE ABOUT 22 GREEK RESTAURANTS NEAR CHESTER STATION

HIROMI

JAPAN

? ? ?

THAT PLACE

WITH THE GREEN SIGN. THE FOOD IS CHEAP, IT COMES IN BIG PORTIONS, ITS GOOD QUALITY, AND ITS DELICIOUS! BUT I CAN’T REMEMBER ITS NAME...

MIO

JAPAN

38

world of words

IS THERE ANYTHING FROM YOUR HOME COUNTRY THAT YOU WISH YOU COULD FIND IN CANADA?

I MISS NIKUJAGA AND SUSHI. SATORI, JAPAN

DATES... TH

E ON

ES YOU G

ET HERE JU

ST ARENT TH

E SAME. O

MAR, S

AUD

I ARABIA

MANGO TREES! THE MANGO

STRAIGHT FROM THE TREE IS

THE BEST! TONI, PHILLIPINES

I WISH T

HE

Y HA

D CE

LL R

EC

EP

TIO

N AN

D WIF

I IN TH

E SUB

WA

Y. JIN, K

OR

EA

I MIS

S TH

E CA

PP

UC

CIN

O AN

D TH

E CO

RE

NE

TT

OS. R

ITA, IT

AL

Y

I MIS

S TH

E FR

EN

CH S

TIC

K BR

EA

D. DA

NIE

LL

E, BR

AZ

IL

I MIS

S DIG

ITA

L LO

CK

S, I HA

TE C

AR

RY

ING K

EY

S. JOH

NN

Y, KO

RE

A

I MISS MY DEEP BATHTUB! YUKA, JAPAN

39

issue 74, june 2011

Chu

rch

of th

e Red

eem

er b

y ful

lyre

clin

ed (fl

ickr

)by

Mic

hael

Cav

en (fl

ickr

)by

Whi

tewa

ll Bu

ick

(fl ic

kr)

by Hyunsun Kim When spring comes in Toronto, a lot of buildings open their doors to everyone only once and they want to show their secrets inside. That is “Doors Open Toronto”. This event in Toronto started in 2000, and it was the fi rst Doors Open event in North America. Doors Open Toronto helps us to know about everything in Toronto such as history, the arts, architecture, beautiful nature, and our daily life I visited Old City Hall with my son on May 28th

since I had visited the Legislative Building at the ELP, so I compared the two buildings. Old City Hall is located at 60 Queen Street West in Toronto. It was used for offi cial work. It contains a Council Chamber, courtrooms and municipal offi ces, and then it became a courthouse for the Ontario government. Old City Hall was nearly removed because of the planning of the Eaton Centre; however, some citizens and community activists, known as the “Friends of Old City Hall”, convinced the city to preserve this important landmark, which complemented Osgoode Hall and the New City Hall. Old City Hall was declared a National Historic Site by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in 1989. It is made of grey and red stone from Ontario’s Credit River Valley and New Brunswick, and it is a huge and grand building like an old castle. It is brown and gray, and it is very similar to the Legislative Building, because they were designed by same designer, Edward James Lennox, who was an architect in Toronto. At that time, Old City Hall was one of the largest buildings in Toronto and the largest civic building in North America; in other words, Old City Hall was one of the symbols in Toronto.

It has carved arches and walls inside. There are entrances on all sides of the building, but the main entrance on Queen Street is the most

elaborate. It is fun to look at the variety of faces on the carved arches, especially on the west side of the centre arch where Lennox’s own face was carved. If you want to know the designer’s face, I recommend this place.

When we go outside there is the monument in the centre. It was erected in 1925 to honour the dead from The First World War. Also Old City Hall has a Clock tower. The gargoyles are similar to those on the Peace Tower in Ottawa. We can view the Clock tower from far away. If you see it fi rst, you want to know what this building is because it is so beautiful!

There are some bushes and fl owers in front of Old City Hall. It is very diff erent from the Legislative Building which has a lot of parkland. So, if you like to go for a walk the Legislative Building is better for you.

I felt that Old City Hall shows the authority of a grand city and the city’s history. Also it is the same as the Legislative Building inside. Most young people prefer brand new things to old things; however, I think old things are very important for us to be foundations of our life and our country although they are old fashioned. Old City Hall looks more beautiful and magnifi cent than many skyscrapers. After that my son and I visited New City Hall and we compared the two buildings. I thought that Old City Hall looked like my grandmother; the New City Hall looked like my brother. The New City Hall showed active and modern features. However, I didn’t feel the majesty and dignity that I felt in the Old City Hall. In the future the New City Hall will be another symbol in the history of Toronto.

The Church of the Redeemerby Jalal Almusilet, Academic English level 40

When I visited the Church of the Redeemer I was interested in it because most people go there to pray to Christ . The small church is prominently located at the intersection of Bloor Street and Avenue Road, near the University of Toronto. It was founded in 1871 when the area was still on the fringe of the city. The Gothic Revival style building was completed in 1879. The church is the oldest church in Toronto. When they made it they used Georgetown stone, while the interior

features polychrome. It’s very amazing. The church has some ornamentation in the “ stained glass windows “. The design is wonderful because it is old style and also it was restored . The church also hosts a range of musical events and concerts . In conclusion, I have another religion but when I visited the church it was a good experience for me.

40

world of words

Elgin Th eatre by go ask alice (fl ickr)

ELP

Phot

o C

onte

st S

ubm

issio

n, 2

008

by st

even

harr

is (fl

icke

r)

Elgin Th eatre Ceiling D

etails by go ask alice (fl ickr)

Elgin and Winter Garden Theatreby Nidhal Alabri, Academic English Level 40

On Sunday May 29th 2011, I went to one building from Doors Open in Toronto. It was a big chance for me to visit one of the great heritage buildings located on Yonge Street. This building is called the “Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre”. This is the last surviving Edwardian stacked theatre in the world. The building was designed by the famous architect Thomas W. Lamb in 1913. It was used for plays and vaudeville productions. The building consists of two fl oors and each one is a theatre. In the past, the lower fl oor was transformed into a cinema. The building was renovated by the Ontario heritage foundation in 1981 and 1987. In the 1990s, many musicians played their music in the Elgin theatre like “The Who’s Tommy musical” and “Napoleon”. In 2004, four episodes of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” were fi lmed in the Elgin theatre. I liked the hand-painted walls with garden scenery. Also, I was impressed by the branches and leaves decorations on the ceilings and the columns that have been turned into tree trunks. When I entered the theatre, I received a leafl et about the theater and I was asked to sit and watch a movie. I enjoyed my time. I hope I can visit it again. Finally, I continued my day visiting other great buildings in the Toronto area. It is still in my memory- the magic dramaturgic building of Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre. Then my friend and I had lunch in an Arabic restaurant.

Gooderham Buildingby KeunHee Lee, Academic English level 40

I’m really interested in old style buildings so I was glad when I heard about the event ‘Doors Open Toronto’. I went to the Flatiron building which is located at Wellington Street and Front Street. In 1891 the Gooderham family wanted local residents to recognize their success and the success of their distillery business, so they built the Flatiron building. Now the fi rst fl oor is a pub area, and the other fl oors are offi ces. The building materials are red brick, iron and glass. It is a 5-story red brick building with 12-foot high ceilings and brass fi ttings. This building is Gothic style; also, the top of the building looks like an old church steeple.

The rear of the building has a wall where someone drew a fanciful painting on the wall. The painter used an actual window to give a more realistic appearance. In this photo you can see there is a diff erence between the RBC bank building and the Flatiron. As you can see all the buildings are modern except the Flatiron. It is a little bit strange, however this is nice spot to take a photo. I love European style buildings, like this ‘Gothic building’ because this style is something that I’ve never seen before in Asian buildings. I hope you learn about amazing European architecture.

41

issue 74, june 2011

by Marwah Khujah

by Marwah Khujah

About the photogaphs: Photography is a very common and effective way for our students to reflect on their experiences while in Toronto and at the ELP. We encourage their efforts by organizing the Photo Club, led by Darren Rigo (CA). It is free to join the club, so bring your camera to explore the city with us and learn key photography tricks!

About the photographer Marwah Khujah is an Academic English level 60 student from Saudi Arabia.

“I love taking pictures because I feel that I have freedom and look at everything from my own perspective. In that way, my photographs reflect my mood. In fact, I love taking pictures of anything around me and sometimes I like to send messages through them. Also, I like each part of Toronto that I have visited and everything interests me!”

Photo Credit: CN Tower by Marwah Khujah

Fatimah Al-Sayoud is from Saudi Arabia as well. She is currenlty enrolled in Academic English level 50.

Toronto through the Eyes of ELP Students

by Fatimah Al-Sayoud

by Marwah Khujah

42

world of words

by Fatimah A

l-Sayoudby Fatim

ah Al-Sayoud

43

issue 74, june 2011

In Spring 2011, ELP staff and students embarked on a truly Canadian experience - camping! Some students have experienced winter camping with

the ELP before, others have been desert camping, but for most, this was the fi rst time they have ever been camping. Naturally then, everyone was

extremely excited to try new activities and experience the Canadian wilderness. Some of the numerous activities available to us were archery,

kayaking, canoeing, zip lining, mountain biking, and rock climbing!

Springii Camping:iiGlen Bernard CampSSprpriingngii CCampm

44

world of words

Left

to ri

ght:

Dai

ki, L

aura

, Rol

la, K

ensh

o &

Meh

met

(boo

tom

).

Th e S

ide K

ick:

Lau

ra, l

eade

r of F

ox

Th e P

ro: D

arre

n, le

ader

of W

olf

Th e B

oss:

Chri

s, le

ader

of M

oose

Th e N

ewbi

e: Ro

lla, l

eade

r of E

agle

“This past weekend I had the pleasure of

joining many of you on the ELP Spring

Camping trip to Glen Bernard Camp. I am

new to the ELP community so I felt a bit timid

at fi rst, but I can confi dently say that the

students of the ELP program are so friendly

and welcoming that I immediately felt like

one of the gang. I know for a lot of us some

of the activities we did at Glen Bernard were

new. It was so much fun doing so many new

things all at once. I think I have found a few

new hobbies.

I cannot talk about the trip without

mentioning my tribe, Team Fox (or Foxy).

Thank you to all of my foxy tribes members

for your enthusiasm, you defi nitely helped

make it a memorable trip.

I am looking forward to more events with

my new group of friends. See you all in the

hallways!”

Laura Brown, CA

When we arrived at the camp site, we were divided into groups: wolf, with Darren as their leader; Fox, led by Laura; Eagle, led by Rolla; and Moose, led by Chris. The groups rotated between activities separately, but we all got together during meal times and free times. One very memorable night, everyone (including the Glen Bernard staff !) spent almost one hour playing “Move your body if ...”!

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“Spring Camping was the most truly Canadian experience that I have ever had. The campers, activities, environment and especially the nature of the scenery were all wonderful. I was touched by the connections and relationships I made. Thanks to all camp counsellors and all the ELP staff for such a wonderful experience!”Marwah Khujah is an Academic English level 60 student from Saudi Arabia.

ActivitiesiiSe

rra

Maz

in

Dai

ki

Kevi

n

Archery MasteryArchery Mastery

Nao

ki

Shiz

ue

Yuri

Puzzled PaddlersPuzzled Paddlers

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world of words

Puzzled Paddlers

“I went spring camping at Glen Bernard Camp from June 10 to 12. The camp is north of Toronto, so it took 3 hours by bus. I went with comprehensive and academic English students; moreover, there were 30 students so I met many people from diff erent cultures such as, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Italian people. They were so friendly and kind. Glen Bernard Camp was an amazing place; in addition, there was a lake and garden similar to a jungle so it is a natural area. I did a lot of exciting activates; for example, I tried archery,tree climbing, canoeing, kayaking and swimming on the lake; in addition, I played sports like soccer and basketball. We slept in cabins made of wood. It was the most exciting weekend I have ever had. When I came back home I was tired and I took a shower and then I went to sleep. In

conclusion, I will never forget this trip to Camp Glen Bernard.” Mazin Binishaq is an Academic English level 40, from Saudi Arabia.

Dai

ki

Abdu

lrah

man

Dai

ki

Zipping through the ZipperZipping through the Zipper

Serr

a

Kiz

una

Meh

met

High Hopes for High RopesHigh Hopes for High Ropes

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issue 74, june 2011

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issue 74, june 2011

memories ...

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