Make it Christmas Day

This song was written by a Canadian singer, Jann Arden. She is one of my favourite singers and song writers. Make it Christmas Day is from her live 2002 album that she sang with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

I love this song, but I'm not sure of the Disney animation in the video. I like the short Christmas scenes. Look for baby Jesus with Mary and the three wise men walking. Also, there are the church windows and bells. The star is called the star of Bethlehem and you will see it on top of the Christmas tree at the end of the video. So, there is some Christmas tradition in the video and the meaning of Christmas is in the song.

Also, under the video, you will see the lyrics or words to the song, Make it Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!




Many years ago on Christmas Day
People came from all around to bow their heads and pray
For on that lonely night a babe was born
God gave us his only son that He may save the world

And He taught us of compassion
He taught us how to love
He taught us to believe in God above

Let know that you are still alive
Raise your hands up to the sky
Get down on your knees and pray
If only for one day
Make it Christmas Day

Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dong Jing-a-long
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dang Dong
Jing Jing-a-ling
Sing along Jing along
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dong
Ding Dang Dong

Now we all await the coming eve
I wonder if there is a single a soul who still believes
It's not the flashing glamour of the lights
But only the remembrance of a distant holy night

For He taught us of compassion
And He taught us how to love
He taught us to believe in God above

Let know that you are still alive
Raise your hands up to the sky
Get down on your knees and pray

Let Him know you're still alive
Raise your hands up to the sky
Get down on your knees and pray
If only for one day,
Make it Christmas Day

Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dong Jing-a-long
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dang Dong
Jing Jing-a-ling
Sing along Jing along
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dang Dong

Jing Jing-a-ling
Sing along Jing along
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dang Dong

Jing Jing-a-ling
Sing along Jing along
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dang Dong

Jing Jing-a-ling
Sing along Jing along
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dong

Today in History: White Christmas

December 1, 1977, David Bowie and Bing Crosby sang White Christmas together. The Christmas celebrations brought together two famous singers from two generations and two different countries. Bowie is British and Crosby was very American. Also, at the time, the younger Bowie was a popular rock n roll singer and Crosby will always be remembered for his role in the Christmas movie, White Christmas. Many people still buy Bing Crosby's Christmas album and listen to his songs at Christmas.

Last December, I featured another song, Little Drummer Boy. It was sung by David Bowie and Bing Crosby. If you would like to watch it, press here

How to Solve a Rubik's Cube

I really want to know how to solve a Rubik's Cube. The Rubik's Cube is a complicated puzzle that was around when I was a kid. Now, it has made a come back. My daughter recently got one as a birthday gift and she can do it. I popped on You Tube to see if there was a step by step process I could easily follow. There are videos that are long and complicated, but I did find another way.





What is the main idea of this news report?

1. Write a one sentence introduction to this video.



Discussing the Video:

2. Write 5 to 7 factual questions about this news report.

3. Write 3 or 4 questions to solicit another person's opinion or personal experiences on topics related to this video.

Are you still curious about the solution? Here's the secret. Press on Rubik's Cube .

How to: Describing a Process

There are several patterns of organization. Which pattern does describing a process belong to?

1. Listing

2. Sequencing

3. Comparison/Contrast

4. Cause/Effect

5. Problem/Solution

6. Extended Definition

A process uses sequence organization. Describing a process requires using steps that follow one after another in time order. Common time words or phrases used are first, then, next, after that, finally and the next step.

Steps in a Process

Listen to the following video. Then complete the exercise.

1. What is the topic?

2. What is the main idea?

3. What is the pattern of organization?

4. What does the presenter say in her introduction? List the parts of her introduction.

5. Listen for time words. For each step, write a signal word or phrase and the detail that follows.

For example,

Step 1: Then - fold the paper.

6. Does the presenter offer any warnings? Can you give an example?

Lie to Me Game

If you have been following this blog, you know Lie to Me is a popular American TV show. Also, did you know Candians watch a lot of American TV? There are probably more American television stations than Canadian stations. Anyways, a game started on the internet where you can post three stories about yourself. One is a lie. Then the viewer is to guess what one of the three stories is untrue.


Can Canadians lie well? Let's watch Nadine from the west coast of Canada tell her three stories.




So, which one is the lie?

Now watch the next video. Stacey thinks she knows which story is untrue. Watch Stacey's video. She explains her answer. Do you agree with her answer?

Then Stacey tells her three stories. Which story is untrue?





Maybe you find it difficult to spot Nadine's lie and Stacey's lie. For more help, go to "How to Spot a Liar". See the related links below.


Related Posts:

• How to Spot Liars
  Lie to Me

The post, Lie to Me Game: The Update,will give you the correct answer. Which of Nadine's stories is untrue? Is it story number one, two or three?

How to Spot Liars

Can you tell when people are lying? Here a retired FBI agent or a government crime investigator talks about identifying lies. He was a polygraphic examiner. A polygraph is a machine that records people's feelings when they talk. Sometimes criminals are asked to take a polygraph or a lie detector test. If you fail a polygraph, it often means you were lying.

Listen to this news report and try the quiz. The former FBI agent uses a proverb or wise old saying, "The eyes are a window to the soul". He adds, "You can see right through them." It's interesting to know right and left handed people lie differently. Also, have you ever noticed people are uncomfortable when they lie?



Related Posts:

• Lie to Me

Lie to Me

Lie to Me is an American TV program that started in January 2009. This show has returned this fall for a second TV season. On the show is a man who can read faces. He is able to read a person's emotions. Moreover, he is able to see if someone is lying or not. He is like a human lie detector test.

Watch this video. It is a promotion for Lie to Me. It's kind of fun! See if you can read the emotions on these faces. You may like to watch it more than once. If you look carefully, you will see white words beside each photo. There are words like surprise, excitement and disgust. Are you good at reading people's feelings? Are you good at reading people you know well? Strangers?

Food and Drinks Around the World

Every country has food and drinks that make you feel at home.Today Real Canadian English welcomes some guest bloggers who talk about their comfort food..


As in Canada, tea and coffee are popular in my country too. In India, we prefer to drink these beverages with milk.The first drink at home at the beginning of a day is coffee or tea. After that with breakfast, we also drink either of these. Another popular drink in Kerala, where I am from, is pure coconut juice. People always love to drink this juice mainly because it is natural, pure and delicious. It is healthy too. I can very well say that no foreigners leave our country without having this drink. It is readily available anywhere in Kerala, a southern state in India.

Jancy
Kerala, India

In China, everyone should know dumplings are very popular food, especially in the northeast part of China. Most people love them because they have a history not less than four thousand years old. The dumplings are available in a wide variety of stuffings. You can put everything that you want in the dumplings. During the Chinese Spring Festival or other important holidays, people make the dumplings for celebrations. They are an indispensable food on the table, eventhough they are not easy to make. However, people like making them. People get together and sit at the table. That is a best chance to communicate with each other. Everyone should have her own role because that is team work. If you eat the dumplings, you will have good luck in the future. Right now, you can eat dumplings anywhere that there are Chinese living because that is an old Chinese custom. There are many people from different countries who enjoy them too. Also, dumplings are my favourite food.

Grace
China

Koumiss is an ancient Kyrgyz beverage which is prepared by fermentation of mare's milk. For a long time people have believed that this curative drink gives power after long illness, cures many heart diseases, and cures disorders of the alimentary and pulmonary system. Koumiss contains enzymes, vitamins, iron, iodine, calcium, lactic bacteria and many other things. This drink improves metabolism, reduces cholesterol level in blood and raises an organism tonus. Scientists have come to the opinion that koumiss is one of the most healthy drinks, and the secret of Kyrgyz longest living citizens relates to the regular usage of koumiss.

Svetlana
Kyrgyz

Related Post : Tim Hortons

Summer in Toronto: Taste of the Danforth

Taste of the Danforth
Originally uploaded by BruceK

This weekend catch the Greek celebration on Danforth Avenue. Get off at the Pape subway and you will be in the middle of the festival. There will be free music and entertainment. Many of the restaurants will have food specials. It was started 16 years ago and attracts huge crowds every year.



Here is a short video about the Taste of the Danforth.

Lie to Me Game: The Update

In October, 2009, there were three posts related to lying.

• Lie to Me, the television show
• The game, Lie to Me
• How to spot the liar

It's time to give the answer to the Lie to Me game. I have hidden it here, so you must first watch Nadine tell her stories. Here is the video where Nadine reveals her lie. Were you right? Are you good at spotting a liar?

Validation: A Narration

A narration tells a fictional or factual story. It uses time order. Time words and expressions help develop the story. By using some, but not too many time words, the reader can follow the story easier. In this student generated story, you can see a variety of time words and expressions. Also, like any story, there are three parts, the beginning, middle and end. Be sure, your beginning doesn't tell too much of the story.

Before you read this narration, you might like to view the film, 'Validation'. This story comes from the comments after the film. Press here to view 'Validation'.




A young man, Hugh Newman, worked at a validation booth in a parking lot. People came there for their tickets to be validated. However, once they saw Hugh, no one could stop smiling because he always found good characteristics about everyone. Hugh told them they were great and he made them feel glad. Soon, a security person found that people made a really big line up from the validation booth to the parking lot. Then the security informed the supervisors. Everyone including his boss was happy after they met this young man. They all felt they were appreciated.

Hugh continued to say good words that gave people a positive feeling and made them happy. He thought that the people liked to hear the good words and enjoyed their great smiles. Even some presidents of nations like Bush and Saddam smiled. Also, when he was in trouble with the police officer about his driver's license, his positive words helped him get out of an unpleasant situation.

When Hugh went to have his picture taken for his driver's license, he saw a young beautiful girl called Victoria. She was the photographer. While she was taking his photo, he started to smile. However, she reminded him that no one is allowed to smile in a driver's license photo. Hugh went away sadly and came back the next day to have his picture taken. He tried to make Victoria smile, but she didn't want to do it. He felt upset and she took his photo. She was a very unhappy person and this continued to upset him.

Hugh became so sad that he was unable to make others happy. Then he lost his job at the parking lot. However, he found a new way to make people smile. He was a very good street photographer. He talked to many people and made money taking their photographs. Later, he went to the dentist's office. He saw a driver's license photo with a smiling face. After that, Hugh tried to find Victoria at her job, but it was not easy. Victoria had been fired because she took pictures of smiling people. It was not allowed for documents. He sought her everywhere. Finally, Hugh met Victoria in the passport office.

When Hugh found her, she was taking pictures. Victoria was smiling and people were smiling too! Then he asked her about the change. She explained what happened during her childhood. She told him she was always sad because of her mother. Now, she knew her mother had started to smile because of his kindness. Finally, Hugh and Victoria hugged and kissed. The people who were standing there appreciated them and clapped.

Film Festivals 4: Validation

' are the newest films in the series.

Before you watch the film, do you know what the word, validation, means? The movie starts off with the main character working in a parking garage. His job was to validate parking tickets. When customers shop, go to a movie or eat in a restaurant near the parking lot, they can get their parking tickets validated. Then the parking is free.

This employee has special qualities that make him very popular. He is a very positive person and helps others feel good as well. However, even the happiest people can stop smiling. What will happen to this young man? All I can say is there is a lot of positive energy in this short film and I hope it brightens your day. Enjoy!


Now tell the story. Press "comments" below this post and help tell the story. Each person should write two or three sentences of the story. The first person will start the story and each person will continue the story. If the story finishes, the next person will start the story again.

Remember, you will continue the story from where the last person stopped. Replay the video if you need help. I look forward to reading the story:)

What is Canada?

What is Canada? Let's ask a Canadian. Nadine is a 21 year old university student from the province of British Columbia. She likes to do online videos and has done one for Canada Day. She speaks casually to people who are not from Canada.


Hear what she has to say about Canada. She talks about our geography, our money and what Canadians like to do in Canada. Enjoy!




July 1st is Canada Day. Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day!

rise up
Originally uploaded by 416style

Canada became a country on July 1, 1867. Not all the provinces joined then, but the federal government was formed. In fact, the western provinces didn't join until 1905 and the Canadian government welcomed Newfoundland in 1949. Also, there has been recent changes. The eleventh province, Nunavut, was formed up north in the 1990's. We also have two northern territories.

John A MacDonald was the father of confederation or the first prime minister of Canada. Canada used to be mostly farms and rural communities, but now there are many urban areas. Canada has several big cities and this is a picture of downtown Toronto. ' TO ' is the biggest city in Canada and one of the largest cities in the world. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has a population of over 5 million.

What do Canadians do for Canada Day? There will be lots of Canadian flags and free activities. Toronto has activities at the main squares. There is always live music and the best part is the fireworks at night. Ontario Place always has a grand show over Lake Ontario. And don't forget the backyard barbecues. Get out the cold drinks. It's summer!

Unfortunately, this year Toronto has a city strike. This means a lot of Canada Day celebrations could be cancelled, but the rest of Canada will not be affected. The capital, Ottawa, is fun place to visit around Canada Day. There's a parade and lots of entertainment downtown. It's hard to get a hotel that weekend because its such a popular holiday destination.

Strike or no strike, Torontonians and the rest of Canada will celebrate our national holiday. Tomorrow is Canada's birthday!

Music Monday: Michael Jackson Tribute

Not at all what I expected. This Michael Jackson tribute is done by inmates in CPDRC, a maximum security prison in the Philippines. It is surprisingly peaceful and I'm sure you'll recognize the tunes.

While I was listening and watching this tribute, I realized Michael Jackson's music career was more than 40 years in total. He was the lead singer of the Jackson 5 at 11 years old. Also, I remember seeing an old American award show where Michael was a little boy and already popular on stage. I don't think he ever had a chance to grow up normal.

Because he had tremendous fame at such a young age, I'm sure it was difficult to ever live a private life. He was married briefly to Elvis Presley's daughter who also grew up in the public eye. Hearing of Michael Jackson's death, Lisa Marie Presley recently wrote on My Space that Michael was often surrounded by vampires and leeches. This means other people would want to know him and use him since he was famous.

It's a sad ending, but people all over the world are acknowledging his contribution to music and his ability to perform. I watched parts of Jackson's music concerts and some music videos. He really had great dance moves. Do you know his famous moon walk? Have you seen the choreography in his spooky "Thriller" video?

So here is the inmates in Cebu, the Philippines. Byran Garcia who is the head of the prison started these choreographed exercise routines for the inmates. The first two, "Ben" and "I'll Be There", are earlier songs. The last song, "We Are the World", was written and composed by Michael Jackson.






According to Wikipedia, the dancing inmates started to become popular a couple of years ago. They used the "Thriller" video/music by Michael Jackson, and it was uploaded in July, 2007 to Youtube. Jackson's Thriller became the world's biggest selling album of all times. The 25th Thriller Anniversary Album was released in 2008.

English Mania

English is becoming more popular all over the world as a second language. Why? English is a universal language. That means English is a world language and many countries are using English to understand world issues. For some time, English has been one of the official languages for business communication.

As a teacher of English, I often wonder what will happen to the English language. Many old words from other languages make up the English vocabulary, and the English language is always growing. Each year new words are added to the dictionary. For example, technology advancements has added many new words to the dictionary. Even some expressions like "cool" add new meanings to words.

My biggest concern is what will happen to English grammar? If more people use English as their second language, will less and less people speak it well? How important is it to speak perfect English? No one speaks Shakespeare English in modern times, but in 50 years what will pass as spoken and written English?

In the following video, Jay Walker talks about English mania in other parts of the world. Mania means to have a lot of enthusiasm or excitement. Are people getting excited about learning English? Watch the video and find out.





How important is the English language in your country? Do students study for an important English test? Write a short comment about English tests in your country.

Film Festivals 3: Signs Part 2

STOP! Signs Part 2 is the ending of the story.

• Please watch Part one of Signs first. It is below this page or post.
• After you watch part one, you will appreciate the ending of this romantic comedy.

Here are two alternative endings to Signs. Which ending do you like best?

Version 2 (by Saba)

Jason slept. The next day, he got up sad and he went to work like every day. But that day, he was a little late. Just as he arrived at work, the men were taking off a note from the window. The note said, "Out of the office a 10:00 am" and she had drawn a happy face.


Version 3 (by Kiana)

The next day, Jason went to work. He tried to find the girl, but he couldn't get any information. so he got disappointed and felt sad. Finally, one day the girl came to his office and surprised him. They met a couple of times and fell in love.





Related posts:

• Film Festivals 2
• Film Festivals

Film Festivals 3: Signs

Signs is a romantic comedy directed by Patrick Hughes who is from Australia. It's part of the Shweepes Short Film Festival. It's your typical love story where boy meets girl and falls in love. However, this time its a bit different because they find a fun way to communicate.

Watch part one of Signs. Then go to "comments" and write an ending to the story. What will happen next? Write a few sentences.






To be continued. Part 2 of Signs will be shown tomorrow.


Related posts:

• Film Festivals 2
• Film Festivals

Pronunciation: Thought Groups

What are thought groups?

When we talk, we do not separate every word. This is difficult to understand. We join several words together to form a complete idea. One idea is a thought group.


Here's an example. ( / ) is used to separate thought groups. ( / ) is for a pause or a short stop. At the end of the sentence ( // ) is used. ( // ) is for a longer pause or full stop.

Yesterday, / I went swimming / with my friends / at the community centre. //


Why are thought groups important?

• It is easier for people to understand you when you speak.
• It is easier to hear people when you listen.
• Thinking in thought groups improves your reading speed and comprehension as well.

How to use thought groups?

Thought groups are part of the rhythm of the language. The last word in each thought group is stressed. To stress a word, you must say it louder, longer and clearer. Here's the example sentence again with the stressed words in colour.

Yesterday, / I went swimming / with my friends / at the community centre. //

Pausing and stressing are just part of the natural rhythm of the language, but they help a lot.


Would you like to learn more about pausing and thought groups?

Watch the video below to understand when to pause and how to group words. Remember, thought groups can improve your listening, speaking and reading comprehension.

Music Monday: Feist

Many popular musicians and actors have performed on the American television show, Sesame Street. It's an educational children's series that has been a favourite for years. The puppets, called muppets, have educated more than one generation of kids. The Canadian singer, Feist, joined the muppets in their 39th season in 2008. She taught children to count and sang with the muppets. Feist sings her song, 1,2,3,4. She uses the same music, but changes the words a bit.




Feist is a Canadian singer-songwriter and was the big winner in 2008 at the Canadian Juno Awards. She won 5 awards including Song of the Year and Album of the Year. Feist's last album was The Reminder in 2007. Leslie Feist was born in 1976 in the one of maritime provinces, Nova Scotia. Both her parents are artists. She later moved west to Calgary and eventually to Toronto. Since the 90s, Feist has been recording pop rock and indie music. Indie music is alternative rock. Indie musicians like to be independent and don't want to create main stream or commercial music.*

Below is one of Feist's songs called My Moon My Man. Under the video is also the words. It is often hard to hear the words to songs, so I have included the lyrics. Songs have verses just like poems have verses. Like poems, the meaning of songs are not always clear. Just enjoy songs. Don't try to analyse every line. I think its a love song.

My moon, my man
So changeable and
Such a lovable lamb to me

My care, my coat
Leave on a high note
There's nowhere to go but on

Heart on my sleeve
Not where it should be
The song's out of key again

My moon's white face
What day and what phase
It's the calendar page again

Take it slow
Take it easy on me
And shed some light
Shed some light on me please
Take it slow
And shed some light
Shed some light on me please

My moon and me
Not as good as we've been
It's the dirtiest clean I know

My care, my coat
Leave on a high note
There's nowhere to go
There's nowhere to go

Take it slow
Take it easy on me
And shed some light
Shed some light on me please
Take it slow
And shed some light
Shed some light on me please

My moon my moon my man
My moon my moon my man
My moon my moon my man
My moon my moon my man



Feist has her own website. To listen to more of Feist's songs press here and then look for 'video' at the top of the page.


*Biography source: Wikipedia



Related Posts:

• Music Monday
• Music Monday: Disney Nature "Earth"
• Music Monday: Susan Boyle
• A Change is Gonna Come

Wanna be Wednesday 6/3

I want to be the prime minister of Canada. That's what William Shatner, a famous Canadian actor says. Here he talks about being the governor general of Canada who is the representative of the Queen of England, and then the top position in the government, the PM or prime minister.

Our present governor general is Michaelle Jean and the prime minister is Steven Harper. His party, the conservatives are the biggest party in Canada and he is the leader of the conservative party. He leads the country because his party has the most politicians elected to parliament. He has been elected for the second time. In Canada, elections are usually every four years. I didn't vote for Harper and the majority of people in the city of Toronto did not vote for him either. I don't think he cares much about Toronto. Other major parties include the liberals and the NDP.






How did William Shatner become famous?

Television. His biggest claim to fame is the star in a science fiction adventure. He was Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise in the T.V. series, Star Trek in the sixties. He has done other series and most recently stars in Boston Legal where he plays a lawyer in his law firm.

Why is Star Trek important?

It started a chain of television programs and movies at the theatre. The latest is an excellent movie called, Star Trek.

Would you like to watch a preview of the movie?

I saw Star Trek and it was really entertaining. This science fiction movie has got a lot of positive reviews. The original character from the sixties television program, Spock, stars in the movie. In the movie trailer or advertisement, you will see two characters with pointed ears, one is the senior Spock and the other is the young Spock character. Spock was second in command and Kirk was the captain of the Starship Enterprise in the original television series. As Spock says, "Live long and prosper."

Talk Show Tuesday: The Daily English Show

The Daily English Show is presented by Sarah. She is presently living in Neseko, Japan and is from New Zealand. Most Mondays, Sarah has guests on her show, and Derek is interviewed here. He is presently working in Japan too.

Sarah starts the Daily English Show by introducing Derek, then she does "Stick News", and finally, she continues her interview with Derek. During the interview, Derek talks about two ski mountains, Niseko and Whistler. Whistler is north of Vancouver in British Columbia. In fact, I skied there a couple of years ago, and it definitely beats the Quebec mountains. Some of the trails go on and on and on. While we were there, they were preparing some of the runs for the Winter Olympic Games. One of my favourite runs was the Lady's Slalom which is where some of the ski races will be this winter. Go Canada!

Sarah ends her program with a true and false quiz about Derek's interview. After you finish the oral quiz, try the six questions below. Press "see how you did" to see the correct answers. Later on, you may want to press "transcript" for the conversation. As well, you may like to review the "notes". There, some of the expressions and words are explained.

Spring in Toronto 3

It's time to see the baby animals at Toronto Zoo. Also, do you know about the two free parks where you can enjoy a stroll and see some animals too? These are my favourite places to be near nature. All three of these places feel like you have left the city. All that green space relaxes you especially on a spring day.


1. Riverdale Farm


Riverdale Sheep by Glossy Eye

Riverdale farm was the first Toronto Zoo. The old zoo had small buildings with caged openings to see the exotic animals. In fact, the old monkey cage is still there near the stone bridge and the pond. Look for the turtles in that pond. There's several.

So what's at the farm?

There is a restored farm house with a front porch surrounded by colourful flowers and bushes. In the front of the porch is the start of a park. Here you can listen to free music concerts in the summer. Nearby, there is wading pool for the younger children and some picnic tables near the tall mature trees.

Beside the farm house is the entrance to the farm. To the left is the barn for the horses and a donkey. There are sheep and also pigs. Because it's spring, there may be some lambs. Other fenced areas hold animals for us city people to watch. I remember the cool waterfall in the forest area beside one of the walking paths.

Behind the farm house is modern building. It is used for community activities and there is a play centre for young children. As you can see, young children and families enjoy the Riverdale Farm.

Where is it?

In Cabbagetown. It's on Sumach Street which is near Parliament and Gerrard. You can get there by TTC. On the weekend, you can park there, but sometimes you have to park on the next street.


2. High Park

An Emu in High Park by Neil Aiston

Trees and more trees. This park is huge! It's got a restaurant, a public swimming pool, long bike trails, a children's playground, Grenadier Pond and don't forget the free zoo. The animals are outside enclosed by high wire fences. There are maybe a dozen different kinds of animals.

Where is it?

The west end of the city. You can take the Bloor subway line to High Park stop. My family has taken bikes on the subway, so we could bike in the park. By car, it's near Bloor and Keele.


3. The Toronto Zoo

www.day-trips.ca/content/toronto-zoo



This modern zoo opened in the seventies. It's huge! Be sure to wear your walking shoes and a hat. There are several large buildings where animals and sea creatures from different countries or areas can be viewed. Also, many of the exotic animals roam around in the large open spaces.

Also, there is a water park for kids. Bring a picnic lunch or visit one of the several restaurants. Special visiting animal exhibitions are popular. The stingray exhibition started this May. Press here for more information.

Where is it?

In the east end of Toronto. It's on Meadowvale Road in Scarbourough. It's off the Highway 401 by car or take the TTC. There are buses that go out to the zoo.


Today it is raining, so I am writing this post. But hopefully it will be better weather soon. The trees look so good with new leaves and the spring flowers do wonders for us all:)



Related Posts:

• Spring in Toronto 2
• Happy Birthday Toronto!
• Winter in Toronto 5

Put Down Your Cell Phone

Do you know about the recent Ontario legislation about no cell phones while driving?

Drivers must pull over if they want to talk on a cell phone. Drivers can talk on a phone while driving if they use hand-free devices such as a cell phone with a head set or speaker phone. Basically, you must be able to keep both hands on the wheel. Those caught using their cell phone while driving may be fined and possibly lose demerit points off their license. When fully licensed drivers get fifteen demerit points, their driver's license is suspended. Not all the provinces in Canada have this law at this time.

What's the video about?

It's a news report on a study about driving a car and using a cell phone at the same time.

How to do the listening quiz?

Press questions. First, read the questions and then listen to the video. After you complete the questions, press "see how you did" to find the answers to the quiz.

Do you want to add a comment?

Press comment at the bottom of this post. Do you agree or disagree? Should the Ontario government ban cell phone use while driving?

Music Monday 4/25

Here's part of a song, All I Need by Radiohead.

1. First, watch this artistic music video. The dancers move beautifully and the photography is awesome.
2. The second time listen for the missing words in the quiz. Words from songs are often difficult to hear, so just pick up a few phrases by doing the quiz. Read the three questions from the quiz before you play the song again.
3. Finally, Do you know what kind of song it is? A love song. What sentence is repeated? "You are all I need." Check out the verses to the song by pressing 'transcript'.
4. You may like to watch this music video again now.
   

Another Step: Twitter Can Be Fun Or Useful

Where is Twitter on this blog?

Look at the side of the blog. At the side and above the list of 'labels' is the most recent updates from Twitter. There are about five entries or short posts. Remember a Twitter message or "tweet" can be a maximum of 140 characters or about one or two sentences. Some of the messages have links to my blog and other messages go to outside web sites. The messages can come from me or I can copy or "retweet' messages from other people. Twitter is like a mini blog. My Twitter name is realcanenglish which is a short form for this blog, Real Canadian English.

What can you read in one or two sentences?
A variety of English communication. I can post

• Proverbs
• Wise sayings
• Idioms and expressions

I can chat about everyday topics like

• The Toronto weather
• Current News
• Holidays

I can use links. Press on the underlined words for

• More readings
• Grammar practice
• Interesting photos
• The occasional video

I can direct you to my blog for

• The latest blog post
• An assigned blog post

Job Interview Tips

After you are finished the listening quiz, check your answers by pressing, "see how you did". Also, under the video is the word, transcript. Press on the word, transcript, and you can listen again and read the words at the same time.

Celebrating Nurses

Nursing Week has started. I'd like to say thank you to all those hard working, dedicated nurses who have helped to put the "care" in health care in Ontario and around the world.

Spring in Toronto 2

Tulips in Bloom
Originally uploaded by szuberi

May means spring flowers and trees. Enjoy the tulips and cherry trees at High Park. Edwards Garden and Osgoode Hall, York University also have those beautiful pink cherry blossoms.

Netherlands' Gift of Spring Flowers

It was the love for the Dutch's royal mother that started the annual gift of tulips to Ottawa. During World War 2, Princess Juliana and her two children fled the violence in the Netherlands and took refuge in Canada. Then came the birth of the royal family's third child, Margriet which means daisy. There was one problem. How could the royal child be an official citizen of the Netherlands? The baby was born in Canada, but a room at the Ottawa Civic Hospital was declared 'Dutch soil'. Margriet was born January 19,1943, and the royal mother and her children continued life in Canada.

In 1945 the government became more stable, so the princess and her children were able to return to the Netherlands. In thanks, the Dutch people sent a gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa, the capital of Canada. The following year, Princess Juliana sent 10,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa.

Each year, the Netherlands continued to give thousands of tulips to the capital of Canada. About five years ago, Queen Juliana died at the age of 94, but the Dutch Royal family decided to continue the tradition in memory of the late queen.

The Ottawa Tulip Festival begins every May in Ottawa. It is Canada's biggest tulip festival. For more information about the Tulip Festival and the gift of the tulips, visit the Ottawa tourism site. Ottawa is a fun place to visit in the spring or summer. Be sure to rent a bike and enjoy the many parks and gardens along the canal.



Did you like this post? Find "Subscribe To" on the right side. Press "posts" and get lots more.


Related Posts:

• Wanna be Wednesday 3/18
• Spring in Toronto
• Places Along Lake Ontario
• Winter in Toronto

Wanna be Wednesday 5/6

I want to be a good mother; not an ideal mother.........just a good mother. Some day I hope to be a good grandmother too, but that is a long way off. Enjoy this slide show called "Mothers in All Colours"

Mothers and children

View more presentations from taxalia.

This Sunday is Mothers Day, a holiday to show appreciation to our mothers. Every child grows up with mother role models. We watch our own mothers, other people's mothers, and our parent's mothers. We read about mothers in stories, and we watch actors play mothers. There are even famous 'mothers' like the Queen Mother of England and Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa was born in Albania August 26, 1910 and later became a citizen of India. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1972. Mother Teresa was a very wise humanitarian. Although she died September 5, 1997, people have not forgotten her caring ways. She was quoted often. She had a unique definition of poverty. She said,

We think sometimes poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.

..........Everybody today seems to be in a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world.*

.
Her words are untimely. She believed in a spiritual poverty; not a material poverty. I think Mother Teresa is a good role model for all mothers and anyone who wants to add love to their everyday life.

Do you have a role model? Who? Why is that person a good mother? Add a comment of 2 or 3 sentences.


* Source of quotes:Vijay2623@slideshare




Related Posts:

• Wanna be Wednesday 3/25
• Wanna be Wednesday 3/4
• Family Day
• Winter in Toronto 5

It's Friday! TGIF

TGIF means thank goodness it's Friday. You will hear Canadians say TGIF on Friday after they have worked hard all week. On Friday, we start to get in the weekend mood. Here's a short ESL video where people are stopped on the street and asked the question, "What do you do for fun?" The people have different accents. One man who is interviewed says he is from Ireland.

You will hear the interviews two times. The first version is good because it has no subtitles. The second time the words are added, so you can follow the conversation at the bottom of the video. So, what do you do for fun on the weekend?

Music Monday: Disney Nature "Earth"

Tim Allen composed and performed the music in this Disney Nature video.





'Mandy the movie guy' does interviews for movies on T.V. and radio. Mandy moved from the Philippines in 1988. He attended university in America before he started his career. Mandy interviewed the writers/directors of Disney Nature "Earth", Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield. They talked about why they chose to make this movie and some of the difficulties in working on this documentary.

Disney Nature "Earth" is in the first week at the movie theatres. "Earth" opened on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. The Disney film is about three mother animals, a polar bear, a hunchback whale and an elephant. Their babies represent the next generation - a generation which will need our protection. I enjoy nature documentaries and I hope to see "Earth" soon.







Related Posts:

• Music Monday: Susan Boyle
• Monday Music

Film Festivals 2: A Narration

A narration tells a fictional or factual story. It uses time order. Time words and expressions help develop the story. By using some, but not too many time words, the reader can follow the story easier. In this student generated story, you can see a variety of time words and expressions. Also, like any story, there are three parts, the beginning, middle and end. Be sure, your beginning doesn't tell too much of the story.

The rabbit was running freely in the pasture. It was listening to the birds singing and enjoying the beautiful environment. However, the rabbit didn't realize a calamity was coming! A girl, who had a knife, saw it and chased after it. The rabbit ran very fast to avoid being caught by her. Suddenly, a boy jumped down from a tree and crushed the rabbit.

After that, the boy took the rabbit and went into the house. The girl followed him. When they were inside, the girl cut the rabbit into two pieces while the boy was holding it. The idol was inside the rabbit. The idol had magical powers that could change things to some other things like insects to jewels and cages to pie. He ate jam to get power to make magical things.

When the boy and girl knew the idol could let wasps become jewels, they decided to catch the idol and limit his actions. The girl made a lot of apple jam and put it in a big container. Then they took the container out of the house. The idol followed her outside and ate the apple jam. While he was eating, many wasps and flies were flying around him. The idol made the insects become a lot of jewels, feathers and ink. The boy was happy and took those jewels into their house.

The boy and girl decided to bring all the boxes of ink and feathers to town. They sold them at the store to buy more jam. While they were going to the store, the idol changed things to a crown and a gun at their home. Meanwhile, the rabbit came back to their house and changed into a tiger. It caught the idol. At that time, the children returned home and opened the door.

The children wanted to protect the idol. They took the gun and killed the tiger. After this, the tiger changed into a rabbit. The boy tried to catch the rabbit to kill it, but suddenly a lot of centipedes came out from all the boxes of jewels. The centipedes covered the children. Eventually, the children were not able to defend themselves against the centipedes. Now the rabbit, which had the idol, could regain its freedom and run on the grass.

In conclusion, we should always rely on real things instead of imaginary things. When you achieve something without trying, the probability of losing it quickly is high.


The story teaches us the fact that nothing can be constructed on the basis of a destruction. As it seems, the main figures in this story, the children, were convinced that with little effort they could have much much more. But in the end, they are entrapped in their plan to have unbelievable wealth and power. It also shows that during childhood and adolescence, people tend to think magically and are more interested in accessing big goals with little effort. But in my view, the story was told in an unpleasant style and creates, especially with the disturbing music,a sense of fear and anxious feelings.

To see the first draft of this story go to the comments section of the post, Festival 2. This story was written about the short animation film, "Rabbit". To check out this award winning film by Run Wrake, press here.

Talk Show Tuesday: Oprah

A lot of people tuned in to watch The Oprah Winfrey Show last week. Oprah's topic was Twitter and her guest was the movie and T.V. star, Ashton Kutcher. Why Kutcher? He just got 1 million people to follow him by asking people to join his Twitter site, twitter.com/aplusk. Kutcher had a public competition with the News station, CNN. This T.V. station also reached 1 million, but Kutcher got there about a half an hour earlier. He became the first to have 1 million members!

Twitter is a free social network service on the Internet. Twitter just turned three years old on March 21st and has been growing like crazy. At the beginning of 2009, Twitter had 6 million followers and by the end of February, it had 10 million*. It has hit mainstream! I joined it, but at first I snubbed it. I didn't understand. How could people spend their time sending and reading one or two sentence messages? It's suppose to be at the moment and answer the question, "What are you doing?" But it's not that simple.

It's about sharing thoughts and ideas. Join famous people's sites like Ashton Kutcher or Oprah. Join up with ordinary people who share one of your interests such as photography or just living in Toronto. Look up professionals or companies related to your work. Join news sites, blog sites, music sites...... Don't forget your relatives and friends. They can join your site.

First, view Ashton Kutcher talking about wanting to get 1 million followers. Then the second video shows The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah talks about Twitter and being a a new user of Twitter. Also, she interviews Ashton Kutcher.





My Twitter site for Real Canadian English is at the side of this page. Some of my entries or posts have links. If you press on the underlined words, you will go to more information.

To truly understand Twitter, you need to join and use Twitter for awhile. You need a user name and a password. The URL is http://twitter.com Not everyone likes it. If you do join, you might find these tips useful. Press here.


*source:comScore media Metrix, 2009



Related Posts:

• Talk Show Tuesday: Ellen Degeneres
• Technology: Free Video Chat Service

Music Monday: Susan Boyle

Whose Susan Boyle? About a week ago, she was an unknown woman who lived in a village in Scotland. Then she came to the auditions for a popular British television show, Britains Got Talent, 2009. Susan was interviewed before the show. This is what she said.

My name is Susan Boyle. I'm nearly 48. Presently unemployed, but still looking. I'm going to sing on Britains Got Talent...I live alone with my cat, Pebbles.....Never been married. Never been kissed....Shame.

She's been singing since she was 12 and always wanted to perform in front of a large audience.

When you watch Ms. Boyle on T.V., be sure to observe the audience and judges body language before, during and after her performance. To go to Susan"s Boyle's performance, press here. Then come back. There's more.



Thank you Susan Boyle! You have warmed hearts and put a smile on so many faces. In the last week, millions of people from around the world have been wowed by her song. Here's a couple of sincere responses from ordinary people.






I'd like to leave you with one more video. This time you will see a family watching Susan's performance.(Sorry, it was disabled today.) It was the same in our house. Sharing the moment is a really positive experience. My son and husband shared it with me. Then I enjoyed sharing the video with my daughter and watching her reaction. Some people have said they cried. Others said the performance gave them goosebumps.

The song is "I Dream a Dream" from the musical, Les Miserables. The lyrics or the words for the song are under this last video. Susan said she would like to be as successful as the famous singer, Elaine Page. Here's Page's version. Which do you prefer? You can listen and follow the words if you like.

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame.

And still
I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different form this hell I'm living
so different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

Did you like this post? Go to 'Subcribe To' on the side. Just press 'Post'.


Related Post:

• Music Monday

Film Festivals 2

"Rabbit" is a short animation film by Run Wrake. "Rabbit" has been shown at film festivals all over the world including Ireland, Portugal, Brazil, Australia and Japan. One of the film's first screenings was at Trafalgar Square in London, England as part of the London Festival. The next summer, in 2006, it was shown on the giant 50 foot open-air-screen in Hyde Park, New York City. "Rabbit " was shown before the main feature film. Run Wrake's film has received many animation and short film awards.

"Rabbit" feels like a 1950's school reader. According to Photoshoppix, Wrake found some old stickers in a junk shop and used them in this film. He started with about 200 stickers and it took him about a year to make this short animation film.

This animation film is not meant for children. While colourful children's illustrations are used, "Rabbit" has a serious tone. The boy and girl in the story have a major flaw and there is a clear moral or lesson for the viewers.

For English language learners, you may like the unusual setting. It's a bit like a picture dictionary. You'll see what I mean by watching it. Rabbit is a strange artistic film.





Now tell the story. Press "comments" below this post and help tell the story. Each person should write two or three sentences of the story. The first person will start the story and each person will continue the story. If the story finishes, the next person will start the story again.

Remember, you will continue the story from where the last person stopped. Replay the video if you need help. I look forward to reading the story:)