Outward Bound: Longest Field Trip of the Year

All positive and raring to go at the start, our first challenge didn't bode well for the rest of our field trip. The initial 12 participants from MicroSkills arrived at Broadview Station punctually but spent the whole time barking up the wrong tree, waiting on the south and then the north side of the Erindale - Broadview junction. Finally, the white bus showed up, and we tracked it down to its pick-up point, where we saw the following green sign mocking us on the lawn:

Hands duly stamped, it was time for the de rigeur photo op, including the following, from left: Lily and son Andy, Xiuli and daughter, Joan, Zumurod, Yumei, Amir, George, and Ivy and husband Gordon. In absentia: Munna.

It's quite a place, but things were kind of dead on arrival--there would be no activity till 10:30, and even then. So what was there to do but to drift and to wait.

These times were comforting but fictional. Some activities might've started more than 15 minutes late had one or two proactive leaders gone out of the way to page their colleagues.

How strange: not too much desperation to join the canoe portage activity!

 The tent raising activity seemed to be a hit! I can't wait to read Amir's, Yumei's, and Joan's reports!

Some of us followed guide Justin to the teamwork games activity.

 Gordon and Ivy seemed to have gotten ample conversational practice on their hike.

That was my group crossing a river of hot lava! The others may disagree, but the food might have been the best thing at the Open House. Trail treats, including apples, hard granola bars, various other snacks, and apple juice made a welcome break after our first round of activities. Ideally, the water fountain would have been turned on as well.

Biggest logjam: the challenge tower was a hit but hit with an unfortunate combination of equipment guesswork, queue jumping, rope hogging, popularity, and wind chill. There were kids up there who wouldn't come down, teens who didn't respect the line, counsellors who disregarded the queue jumping or didn't seem to know the ropes (literally), and MicroSkills participants who were potentially looking at a three to four-hour wait to get kitted.



Finally, all of us decided to cut loss and go to the portable wall instead, which was when my camera batteries ran out.

After catching the half-hourly shuttle to Broadview, grabbing lunch, and riding the streetcar to Yonge, some of us were caught by the rain and a TTC subway delay, arriving back in North York after 4 p.m.

Given participants' excitement and enthusiasm, there's little question as to our commitment to a healthy lifestyle and the great Canadian outdoors. Nor was there any question about Outward Bound's ability to deliver on its outdoor education courses. It would be great if they would consider a few suggestions on how to overcome the teething on what must surely be their first outing in Toronto!

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Price Drop on Kinect XBOX

Kinect-XBOX 360 option is at far right.

Field Trip to Outward Bound, Friday, April 29

WEATHER UPDATE: Please dress for the temperature!

Camping, Canoeing, Climbing, Eco-Literacy, Environmental Stewardship, Group Facilitation, High School Credit, Leadership Training, Natural History ... these are some of the uncommon offerings coming to your neighbourhood. Outward Bound, says Wikipedia, "is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor education organization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year." Check out this Breakfast Television feature for a preview of the place.


Right here in Toronto, we've been privileged to be among the first organizations to be invited to tour their Open House at Evergreen Brick Works. Our MicroSkills LINC 4 - 5 class will be among the first to participate in Outward Bound's brand-new "urban base camp" in the middle of our city. Although the regular cost for a three-week program for Grade 11 and 12 children is $1,700, admission is free for us. Also, there will be healthy snacks available to all, according to the website. Activities there include:

• Climb our 60-foot high ropes “Challenge Tower” - view photos at Facebook
• Scale our 30-foot Climbing Wall
• Scamper up our Climbing Boulder in the historic Brick Works Kiln building
• Leadership Initiative Activities to develop teambuilding and problem solving skills
• Motivational presentations by inspiring staff members including a Mt. Everest climber
• Guided ravine hikes and site tours
• Tasty (but healthy) traditional and creative trail treats and light refreshments
• Presentations on Outward Bound Canada’s Urban Adventure and high school credit programs
• Outward Bound Canada Staff and Instructors will be on hand to help connect you and your students, school, family members or community group with the opportunities for exciting adventure-based learning at the Brick Works.

Please meet at Sheppard Yonge Subway Station at 8:45 a.m. As we have a booking for 10 a.m., we'll need to leave the southbound platform of Sheppard Yonge at 8:50 a.m. to get to Broadview Station by 9:30 a.m., where we will catch a shuttle bus to Evergreen Brick Works, where Outward Bound Canada is located. Let's not be late because the shuttle bus comes half hourly and seating is limited (about 24 in each bus): "Take main exit to Broadview Avenue and walk north one block north to Erindale Avenue and catch the free (large white) shuttle bus to the Brick Works that leaves every half hour, starting at 9.15am and takes under 10 minutes."

You can also drive (parking is $6) or walk there from Castle Frank Subway Station if you would rather not take the shuttle bus. Do bring your cameras, good walking shoes, and completed-and-signed risk-waiver forms. And welcome to the great Canadian outdoors! What a way to round out our week on the theme of a healthy lifestyle!

Pancakes n Waffle Tuesday!

Hopefully, you haven't overeaten the Easter weekend and are ready for a Canadian breakfast of pancakes and waffles Tuesday morning!

But, following the principle that those who don't work don't eat, we'll be rolling up our sleeves to do some serious cooking. Even better than that, I have no idea what to do, although you will find some scrambled directions in the box below:

Besides pancake mix and butter-flavoured syrup, we have little else. So, if you feel like pitching in, do feel free to bring coffee whitener, orange juice, toast and jam, bacon and eggs, tater tots, hashbrowns, breakfast sausage, ice cream, or whatever Canadian breakfast offerings you've got.

Top Google Images for "Pancake Mix"

Regardless, come and enjoy with us!

FAQ: Three Questions on Good Friday and Easter

Christ is risen! 基督复活了！المسيح قام! Хрыстос уваскрэс! Si Kristo ay nabuhay! Le Christ est ressuscité! Christus ist auferstanden! Χριστός Ανέστη! המשיח קם לתחייה! Kristus telah bangkit! キリストは上昇です！ 그리스도 께서 부활! مسیح می باشد افزایش یافته است! Chrystus zmartwychwstał! Hristos a înviat! Cristo ha resucitado! Christ artış olduğunu! 

1. What's the true meaning of Good Friday and Easter?
For most people in Canada, it's an unusually long, four-day weekend with a celebration of the coming of spring and life in nature. Symbols of chocolate eggs and bunnies can be found in most Shoppers Drug Marts. And the religious kind will go to church. But the meaning of the festival is not in going to church or not going.

One must go back into history to know the true meaning of Good Friday and Easter. About 2,011 years ago, the Creator God who rules the universe spoke to human beings through the person of His Son, Jesus. When Jesus was killed on the cross, God made Him alive again to show that Jesus was God's special person and that one day Jesus would judge the world. On that Good Friday, Jesus lay down His life to die for our sins. On that Easter Sunday, He was made alive and seen by many. Those who have watched the Canadian-produced Gospel of John movie will remember these two events:

Good Friday

Easter Sunday

2. What's the big deal about Good Friday and Easter?
So somebody got killed and then returned to life. Why should I care? Why do Christians risk their lives to tell people about Good Friday and Easter?

First, the Creator God commands everybody everywhere to turn from their ways and to turn to Him. Second, doing nothing is not a good situation. Watch the following section of the Gospel of John movie and notice what happens to those who believe in Jesus and those who do not--drag the slider to watch 5:30 - 5:43:



3. Who is Jesus, really?
Some say He is a prophet, but only a prophet. Some say He is a great teacher, maybe the greatest teacher ever. Others say He is God. Who is this person that changed history so much that we date our lives by His life (e.g. the year 2011)?

The answer, again, is in beginning of the Gospel of John.

Listen to 0:45 - 1:28, and guess who "the Word," or the Message, is. Then listen to 3:15 - 4:46 to find out the answer.

Of course, if you listen to the whole of the Gospel of John, you will see the important things Jesus did and said.

But the story of Jesus is not finished. To continue with it, follow this video, called Acts:



This Good Friday and Easter, will you believe in Jesus, "the Word" from God, and follow Him as your Master? Or will you go your own way?

Field Trip to Queen's Park, April 18

Time to clean out your SD card and refresh the batteries in your digital camera again!

Next Monday, we're going to the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park for a guided tour. The tour itself begins at 10 a.m. sharp.

So we'll need to meet beforehand:

For those going on their own, here's the map: http://goo.gl/maps/Mpry

Everybody else will leave around 9:00 a.m. from the Southbound Platform of Sheppard Yonge. Look out for Teacher Grant, our dear guitar-playing supply instructor, and Monique, our dear student intern.

Do not be late.

 

BTW, do you know your LG?

Independent Work This Afternoon

Hello there! Due to a last-minute teachers' meeting, you have the option of doing either one of the following:

1. Watching an English movie in the Level 2 classroom. It's a Mr. Bean film featuring his best clips.
2. Using the LINC Internet Lab on 9th Floor and work on the following:

• Update and/or your blogs. Those who don't have blogs yet, please ask your classmates to help you create one. When you're done, post a short paragraph (2 - 3 sentences) and email me your blog address (???.blogspot.com).
• Practice your listening comprehension using this lesson on a family that hikes together.
• Learn the vocabulary and do a role play with a partner on this lesson about behaving and misbehaving kids.

Air, Land, or Sea Adventures at a Discount, Plus a TTC Token or Two

Under the new budget, we've been hit by a token famine. There have been many suggestions as to how to survive this crisis. Here is one other way to raise TTC tokens to support our LINC quest:






Group buy opportunities allow you to use your social network every day to entice your family and friends with great discounts while getting various levels of commission. The following are three options from different group-buy facilitators:


Nice Wings!

$69 for a 90 Minute Flying Lesson with Barrie Flying Club ($145 Value)

If someone clicks through the above link and buys this flying lesson, I get $7. If five people do so, I've got my TTC transport covered for the week, with change.

Fire Extinguisher Not Included

$20 Gets you $45 At Madras Palace For Authentic South Indian Cuisine Buffet (Valid At 2 Locations)

This is spicy hot. But if I get $5 for every person who clicks through to buy, I'll need six buyers to pay my transport fare for a week.

Think or Sink?

$28 for Sea Kayaking, Paddling or Canoeing on Georgian Bay with Free Spirit Tours

This deal doesn't pay very well. I believe they're offering a buck or two in commission for every person who buys. So this may not be the fastest way to get TTC tokens. You'll need upwards of 15 people to buy to pay your fare for a week!

So, here are three deals that could work, YMMV. Feel free to share your money/token ideas on your blogs.

P.S. Of course, if you have the skill and the commitment to make this a business, you can create a group buy aggregator like what this guy did.

Field Trip to Job Fair, Thursday, April 7

On Thursday, April 7, we're heading down to the Metro Convention Centre for the National Job Fair & Training Expo (New Website!) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Admission is $3 with the MicroSkills group. As usual, we're leaving the southbound platform at Sheppard Yonge Station at 9:30 a.m. Those going on their own are to meet on the ground floor of the venue at 10:15 a.m., and you are free to stay all day (it closes at 7 p.m.).

Make sure to dress nice and neat and bring copies of your résumé. If there are any changes, check this website to stay tuned for details.
Best wishes to all knowledge and job hunters!

Buncha Brisk Bookin', Bibles, and Busy Beholdin': Today's UofT Trip

Guides Aviva and Meg with Kazem, Aisha, Hamid, Xiuli, Sunny, Sherry, Anna, Yumei, our TESL friend Mei, and Donald and his class

Last shot before leaving the Visitors Centre

Those are chemistry symbols back there, not Da Vinci's Code! And then it as off to the athletic centre ... sorry, no pictures allowed.

Waddaya know ... right in the Robards Rare Books Section!

A special exhibition commemorating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible!

To think, we'd just watched this page from Codex Torontonensis, ca. 1070, on the Toronto Public Library's copy of Gospel of John (2003) in class yesterday, in English! Trinity College was next, with its chapel and exquisite architecture.

Memorial Wall ... with Flanders Fields

Soldier Tower

Finally, Hart House with Milton's 1644 Areopagitica, university crests, and lunch and coffee! A surprise awaits.

Okay, what's left but to break out the brochures and blab on the blog. You know the drill!

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