It's going to be a great country when they finish unpacking it.
That's definitely what you would call a "backhanded compliment"!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Thanks, I guess
I'm not going to say much about this quote, except to tell you that it's from Andrew H. Malcolm, a respected writer for the New York Times, who served as a foreign correspondent in Canada for several years.
That's definitely what you would call a "backhanded compliment"!
That's definitely what you would call a "backhanded compliment"!
O Canada
"O Canada" is Canada's imaginatively titled national anthem. It was originally in French and was first used in 1880 on St-Jean-Baptiste Day, Quebec's "national holiday". "O Canada" has been the de facto national anthem since 1939, but only became official in 1980.
"O Canada" is often sung half in English and half in French, to celebrate our two official languages. For those of you studying French as well as English, it might be interesting to compare the English lyrics and the French lyrics. The emphasis in the French version is different from the emphasis in the English version and is just one example of the sometimes different priorities of French and English Canada.
"O Canada" is often sung half in English and half in French, to celebrate our two official languages. For those of you studying French as well as English, it might be interesting to compare the English lyrics and the French lyrics. The emphasis in the French version is different from the emphasis in the English version and is just one example of the sometimes different priorities of French and English Canada.
English version
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
French version
Ô Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Interesting, eh?
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie-rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. The band currently includes seven members, but like many indie acts, members come and go quite often. Husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne were founding members and now share frontman duties.
The band has released two albums, Funeral (2006) and Neon Bible (2007), which have won several Canadian and international awards. Besides "normal" instruments like guitar, bass guitar, and drums, Arcade Fire members play piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, xylophone, glockenspiel, keyboard, French horn, accordion, harp, mandolin, and hurdy-gurdy. That's a lot of instruments! Maybe that's why the band has such an interesting, unique sound.
Below you will find a couple of Arcade Fire's songs. The first, 'Wake Up', has been adopted as entrance music by the English Premier League team Burnley FC. The second, 'No Cars Go', is my personal favourite Arcade Fire song!
The band has released two albums, Funeral (2006) and Neon Bible (2007), which have won several Canadian and international awards. Besides "normal" instruments like guitar, bass guitar, and drums, Arcade Fire members play piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, xylophone, glockenspiel, keyboard, French horn, accordion, harp, mandolin, and hurdy-gurdy. That's a lot of instruments! Maybe that's why the band has such an interesting, unique sound.
Below you will find a couple of Arcade Fire's songs. The first, 'Wake Up', has been adopted as entrance music by the English Premier League team Burnley FC. The second, 'No Cars Go', is my personal favourite Arcade Fire song!
Precious
Tuesday, May 18, 6 pm:
This week's English movie at Thalia Hollywood is Precious, which was nominated for six Academy Awards (and won two). The movie deals with some pretty serious subject matter, including poverty, teen pregnancy, AIDS, and physical/emotional/sexual abuse.
Precious stars Gabourey Sidibe, a previously unknown actress, as an illiterate, obese 16-year-old living in Harlem and coping with more problems than any 16-year-old should have to. When she becomes pregnant for the second time, she transfers to an alternative high school where she is given the chance to improve her life. Despite its depressing themes, many reviewers have called the movie "a triumph".
This week's English movie at Thalia Hollywood is Precious, which was nominated for six Academy Awards (and won two). The movie deals with some pretty serious subject matter, including poverty, teen pregnancy, AIDS, and physical/emotional/sexual abuse.
Precious stars Gabourey Sidibe, a previously unknown actress, as an illiterate, obese 16-year-old living in Harlem and coping with more problems than any 16-year-old should have to. When she becomes pregnant for the second time, she transfers to an alternative high school where she is given the chance to improve her life. Despite its depressing themes, many reviewers have called the movie "a triumph".
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
I am Canadian
I cannot believe I have waited so long to post this video! First, a little information: "I am Canadian" was the slogan of Molson Canadian, a beer brewed by the Canadian company Molson. In 2000, this advertisement aired, celebrating the meaning of being Canadian. Overnight, the country was in love. Within a few days, many Canadians had memorized the entire commercial. It's funny, but it was the first time in my life I had seen Canadians get really patriotic!
How many stereotypes (of Canadians or Americans) did you recognize in this advertisement?
How many stereotypes (of Canadians or Americans) did you recognize in this advertisement?
HeyIronically, Molson was taken over by the American beer company Coors in 2005, and the slogan "I am Canadian" was quietly retired. The beer itself still exists, although it's not particularly good!
I'm not a lumber jack or a fur trader.
I don't live in an igloo, or eat blubber, or own a dogsled,
And I don't know Jimmy, Sally, or Suzy from Canada,
Although I'm certain they're really, really nice.
I have a Prime Minister, not a President.
I speak English and French, not American.
I pronounce it "about", not "a boot".
I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack.
I believe in peacekeeping, not policing,
Diversity, not assimilation,
And that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal.
A toque is a hat, a chesterfield is a couch,
And it is pronounced "zed", not "zee", "zed".
Canada is the second-largest landmass,
The first nation of hockey,
And the best part of North America!
My name is Joe, and
I AM CANADIAN!
S'mores
Last week, some of you had the chance to try s'mores, a North American camping dessert made with Graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. S'mores (a contraction of "some more") have been popular since at least 1927, when the first known recipe was published in the Girl Guide manual. Here's a very technical diagram showing how a s'more is constructed:
Since some s'more ingredients, although readily available in North America, are rare in Germany, I have developed a German version using ingredients you can find at any German supermarket! They really are delicious and now you can try them for yourself! You will need:
- one package of Leibniz Butterkeks
- one package of mini Schaumküsse
Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Place the Schaumkuss on a baking sheet in the oven. Keep an eye on it, because when the chocolate begins to melt, it will melt quickly!
3. When you see the chocolate melting, take the Schaumkuss out of the oven. Place it between two Butterkeks and squeeze until it flattens. It should look something like this:
4. Now eat it! Enjoy it! Brush your teeth afterwards because a s'more is pure sugar!
Since some s'more ingredients, although readily available in North America, are rare in Germany, I have developed a German version using ingredients you can find at any German supermarket! They really are delicious and now you can try them for yourself! You will need:
- one package of Leibniz Butterkeks
- one package of mini Schaumküsse
Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Place the Schaumkuss on a baking sheet in the oven. Keep an eye on it, because when the chocolate begins to melt, it will melt quickly!
3. When you see the chocolate melting, take the Schaumkuss out of the oven. Place it between two Butterkeks and squeeze until it flattens. It should look something like this:
4. Now eat it! Enjoy it! Brush your teeth afterwards because a s'more is pure sugar!Saturday, May 1, 2010
Feist
Leslie Feist is a Canadian singer-songwriter who tours both independently (under the name Feist) and as part of the Canadian indie band Broken Social Scene.
Feist was born in 1976 in Nova Scotia. She was raised in an artistic family and founded her first band (a punk group) at the age of 15. She moved to Paris in 2004 and collaborated with a number of European bands, which helped her to acquire an international following. Although she had been fairly successful in the music industry since the 1990s, she skyrocketed to fame after her song "1234" was used in an iPod commercial.
Her musical style is hard to pinpoint - it has been described as indie rock, folk, and even "baroque pop" (whatever that means). Regardless of what you choose to call it, Feist's music is lovely, and I've heard that her live performances are amazing. You can listen to a couple of her more famous songs below:
Feist was born in 1976 in Nova Scotia. She was raised in an artistic family and founded her first band (a punk group) at the age of 15. She moved to Paris in 2004 and collaborated with a number of European bands, which helped her to acquire an international following. Although she had been fairly successful in the music industry since the 1990s, she skyrocketed to fame after her song "1234" was used in an iPod commercial.
Her musical style is hard to pinpoint - it has been described as indie rock, folk, and even "baroque pop" (whatever that means). Regardless of what you choose to call it, Feist's music is lovely, and I've heard that her live performances are amazing. You can listen to a couple of her more famous songs below:Dear John
Tuesday, May 4, 6 pm:
This week's English movie at Thalia Hollywood is Dear John, based on the book by Nicholas Sparks.
Starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, the movie tells the story of a soldier who falls in love with a young woman. When he is deployed to the war, they keep in touch by exchanging letters, but will the distance and the absence be too much for their relationship to bear?
Bonus English tip: The title of this movie is a bit of a play on words. Although in this case the letters are literally letters to someone named John, a 'Dear John letter' is also an English idiom for a letter to a boyfriend or husband, ending the relationship. For more on the meaning and origin of this expression, check out the Wikipedia page.
This week's English movie at Thalia Hollywood is Dear John, based on the book by Nicholas Sparks.
Starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, the movie tells the story of a soldier who falls in love with a young woman. When he is deployed to the war, they keep in touch by exchanging letters, but will the distance and the absence be too much for their relationship to bear?
Bonus English tip: The title of this movie is a bit of a play on words. Although in this case the letters are literally letters to someone named John, a 'Dear John letter' is also an English idiom for a letter to a boyfriend or husband, ending the relationship. For more on the meaning and origin of this expression, check out the Wikipedia page.
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