Field Trip Friday to Toronto Reference Library

OK, everybody. We'll be going to the Toronto Reference Library on Friday, meeting at the entrace of the library at 10 a.m.

Here's the map:


View Larger Map

Need more help? Here's a video, haha!



If the weather permits, we'll visit Yorkville and the University of Toronto as well.

Bring an umbrella, just in case, as well as walking shoes, water, and snacks.

A Tentative Deal, Finally!

So, after weeks of impasse, the big bosses--Chrysler and its potential buyer, Fiat--have gotten their way.



The Canadian Auto Workers union has agreed to take the $19 wage cut they refused earlier.




So it looks like the factory will stay open and they'll all go back to work.




Just my good fortune--I found this chart with the breakdown of their putative $76 hourly wage. So the base wage of $30 remains untouched as the cut affects only health and other benefits.

Hmm, interesting ... good to know!

ESL Help for Geeks

Okay, you may not be a real geek, but these ESL sites might still be helpful:

1. Get your pronunciation ironed out at BBC's Learning English website for pronunciation tips. Mind you, it's the British pronunciation, but that's okay, you'll get away with it in Canada!
2. Can you say plagiarism? Bone up on this dreadful pitfall of higher learning at VOA's Special English website.
3. You'll not run out of ESL practice activities online at this website, featuring fun exercises on vocabulary, grammar, sentence patterns, tongue twisters, and lots more!

Keep it up, and who knows, but you'll become a real ESL online geek some day!

Easter Weekend on the Road

My son and I clocked over 2,000 km on the road to visit Philadelphia, where we had friends, New York City, and Boston. We got to see the back of the Statue of Liberty (I was too cheap to ride the ferry), the ground floor of the Empire State Building (there was zero visibility at the top and they wouldn't let us into the elevator), and the Freedom Trail in Boston.

Here are the pictures (in reverse chronological order):


Up historic Bunka Hill, Boston


Mm, lobsta!


Mm, free pahking.


Sorry, zero visibility.

Highlights of the trip include getting free parking in Boston, which about paid for the lobster lunch I had there! It was also gratifying driving home out of the city, against the Boston-bound traffic, which snaked about 10 km from the toll station.

Reflections on Good Friday and Easter

The very Canadian cultural celebration of Good Friday and Easter has historical roots in Christianity. It may have little to do with bunnies and eggs. One way to read the history is through a multilingual comic.

You can also watch it in a video that was produced in Canada:





But the history of the celebration actually goes back a little further back than 2,000 years ago, when Jesus was crucified and then rose from the dead. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus were prophesied 1,000 years before it happened, by King David and others. Here are two video clips discussing the prophecies:

Christ's Death & Resurrection in Prophecy (1 of 2)
Christ's Death & Resurrection in Prophecy (2 of 2)

His sacrifice is what the ceremony of the slain lamb (video here) is all about.

Can you fill in the blanks with the words provided in italics?

Tomorrow, we look at how the original story of Good Friday and Easter has been changed over time.

Microskills Meets Ontario Science Centre

Despite the weather, we arrived, 20 adults and 13 children in all, each getting the hand duly stamped and checking out Ontario's premier science exhibition. Admission was deeply discounted, thanks to the OSC's Community Access Services, supported by Honda Canada Finance.



Without further ado, everybody fanned out and headed for various halls and exhibits. Look who's learning new stuff in the Weston Innovation Hall?


So far so good, I hope.


This one's for management. The weather and the walking notwithstanding, I had on my dress shoes, no sports shoes.


And one more I-was-there pic, to justify the claims on Monday morning.


The astroglobe (above) was part of the Sultans of Science temporary exhibition of Arab math and science achievements over time. A makeshift prayer room can be seen behind the posters.


Yay! Feeding time!


Heart health in the human body section!


Fascinating, eh?


Coronary and cardiac--what's the difference?


Incubating? Information overload?


All in a day's work--time to head home!


Another group photo--so long, until the next field trip!


Do give your comments below and update your blogs!

A New Beginning, and No April Fool's Joke Either!

S'long, CAF. Yesterday was the last day of our class under the banner of the Canadian Arab Federation.


As of today, we're under Microskills, another organisation committed to combating racism but with a vision "to help individuals build a better future."

In particular, Microskills supports "settlement, employment, training, and self-employment
services ... for women, immigrants, youth, racial minorities, and the unemployed." It has offices in Etobicoke and other places, and even a Centre of Excellence for Women and Newcomers in the building next to ours--200 Consumers Road!

So keep coming to class and stay tuned for news about opportunities for career, business, and other helps!