My Canada Travels

2008 Teacher Tour Leader Program

2008-05-02T09:21:00.002-04:00

Introduction

The Teacher Tour Program can operate in Canada, USA or overseas.

Canadian, UK or USA teachers can travel overseas to teach groups and/or international groups can travel with their teacher to Canada or the USA.

A combination program occurs when a Canadian teacher travels overseas to teach for a month or so and then travels back to Canada or the USA with their group for a program in Canada or the USA.

Tour leaders can be bilingual English teachers, Faculty of Education students, travel consultants, educators, education consultants, HR trainers, motivated parents and non-native English instructors who have teaching or tour experience and wish to attend either teacher training or education consultant training while in Canada.

Tour leaders who help us organize and escort a group of 12 (or more) English students will have their airfare, English camp accommodation, English camp meals, English camp tour expenses paid and receive a small honorarium for acting as guardian and assistant ESL English teacher.

This program is ideal for non-native speaking English tour leaders who want to travel to Canada with their "class" and experience a real Canadian English Immersion Program. The 2007 Asian English immersion camp will include locations in India, Philippines and Thailand.

The tour leaders will be able to use their English, work with our ESL in Canada English teachers and the English Camp activity and skills instructors. We will be posting specific 14, 21, and 28 day English Camp programs with full day schedules and updates as they become available.

We look forward to seeing you and your students in 2008.

We will be integrating the Tour Leader Program with the ESL in Canada 2008 Algonquin Park Summer English Camp Kids (7 to 17) Programs, ESL in Canada Study Tours and the 2008 Asian English Immersion Wintercamp Programs.

Locations in Canada include Toronto, Ottawa, PEI, Algonquin Park, Niagara Falls, Banff, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, Rocky Mountains and Halifax.

Locations in the USA include New York City, Boston, Orlando Florida, San Diego California, and New Orleans Louisiana.

How we Operate Our Programs

The Tour Leader program is designed to be the best experience for all parties who participate. We want this program to be a good experience for parents, students, assistant teachers, tour leaders, regular English teachers, activity coordinators, the ESL in Canada program organizers, various cooperating schools, residence providers, travel providers and the attractions, and event providers.

We want the parents of the English students to feel comfortable with the tour leader acting as escort, guardian, assistant teacher, sometimes translator and confidant. It is a worrying experience for parents to send their children half-way round the world. We want parents to feel comfortable with the knowledge that a trained professional from their country is there to assist.

Our goal is to have the English students who are studying and traveling to Canada to have the best experience of their life. We want them to improve all the English skills and be able to use them.

We want the students to have fun, meet new international friends, have a wonderful tour of Canada and Canadian culture. We want students to come back to Canada with new locations and participate in new tours that become available in other exciting parts of the world.

We want the international tour leaders to have a good experience with this program. Many international English teachers have student loans, low wages and high expenses preventing them from being able to travel to join English immersion programs. The tour leader program can help these teachers finance their overseas professional development and teacher training.

Many international English teachers have employment requirements of language immersion, and teaching skills workshops or on-going professional development. The tour leader program is designed to trade the expenses of travel and tuition for assistance and training. We want the international teachers to enjoy the tour, improve their English and teaching skills, gain some international teaching experience, meet new friends and fellow Canadian teachers and help them obtain their professional development requirements.

his position is ideal for non-native English teachers that have to attend ESL workshops or programs to maintain or upgrade their English skills and wish to attend these programs in Canada or the Asian camp locations. The tour leaders receive air flights, meals, accommodation, small honorarium and TESL workshops in exchange for their assistance.

To meet all current Canada CIC Laws and USA Work Permit Regulations the Teacher Tour Program is not considered a job and the cost of airfare, accommodation and the TESL, TEFL and TESOL teacher training workshops are not considered a salary.

Please use this link to the teacher registration form to apply for this exciting program.

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Blog URL
http://my-canada-travels.blogspot.com/

Link to 2008 ESL in Canada Registration Form for: University Graduate Programs - University Undergraduate Programs - Community College Programs - Private Colleges - Public High Schools - Private High Schools - Public Elementary Programs - Private Elementary Schools - Private English Language Schools - Private Language Teachers - Private Career Training - Internship Programs

Spectacular Canadian Study and Tours

2008-04-10T09:54:00.006-04:00

ESL in Canada Study Tours

The Study Tour Program begins with Pre-Tour English instruction for a special purpose. ESL in Canada provides vocabulary, definitions, history and culture of the Canada locations, events and activities. The pre-tour English instruction will prepare tour participants to understand and communicate in English during the Canada events and tours.

Arrival in Canada

Week One Toronto

20 hour Study program

Toronto Tours

Niagara Falls Day Trip

CN Tower

Toronto Zoo

Hockey Hall of Fame

Royal Ontario Museum

Week Two Ottawa

20 hour Study program

Ottawa Tours

Algonquin Park Tour

Parliament Buildings

White water rafting

Ottawa Museums

Ottawa Galleries

Week Three Montreal

20 hour Study program

Montreal Tours

Mount Tremblant Tours

Mount Royal

Expo 67 Fairgrounds

Montreal Cathedrals

Week Four Quebec

20 hour Study program

Quebec Tours

Old Quebec City Tours

Walled City Tours

Fort Tours

Saint Lawrence River tours

Departure to Toronto

Return to Home

Spectacular Canadian Tour Locations

Niagara Falls - Join the sightseeing excursion to Niagara Falls, with a Maid of the Mist cruise for an up-close view of the falls.

Toronto CN Tower - The CN Tower is Canada's most recognizable icon. At a height of 553.33m (1,815 ft., 5 inches), it is the World's Tallest Building. Visitors can enjoy "To The Top: The Movie" a 15 minute documentary of the building of the engineering marvel that created the CN Tower.

English Language Skills

Writing introduces the purpose of the work, expresses main ideas and gives details, conveys essential information to the reader, uses format and content appropriate for intended audience, demonstrates adequate vocabulary for the topic. Student can reduce information to main points with accurate supporting details and no major omissions of important points or details, can also demonstrate good use and control of complex grammatical structures, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation.

Speaking effectively in most daily practical and social situations, and in familiar routine work situations; participate in conversations with confidence; speak on familiar topics at both concrete and abstract levels; can provide descriptions, opinions and explanations.

Reading identifies main ideas, factual details and inferred meanings in text, identifies organization of text, topic sentences and logical relationship including links between paragraphs; follows the sequence of narration or process even when events are out of sequence; distinguishes facts from opinions; infers meaning of words from context clues; hypothesizes how something works; evaluates ideas in text, draws conclusions and expresses own opinion; interprets key information in a diagram or graph as verbal text; transfers key ideas from a chart or diagram. The student can follow an extended set of multi-step instructions for established process or directions.

Listening can comprehend main points, details, speaker's purpose, levels of formality and styles in oral discourse in moderately demanding contexts; follow most formal and informal conversations, and some technical work-related discourse in own field at a normal rate of speech; follow discourse about abstract and complex ideas on a familiar topic; comprehend an expanded range of concrete, abstract and conceptual
language; determine mood, attitudes and feelings; understand sufficient vocabulary,
idioms and colloquial expressions to follow detailed stories of general popular
interest; follow instructional texts and directions; follow clear and coherent phone
messages on unfamiliar and non-routine matters; identifies the component parts of the presentation: introduction, topic development, topic shift and conclusion; identify and respond to formal welcomes, farewells, toasts, congratulations on achievements, awards, sympathy, condolences and questions. Student can follow an extended set of multi-step instructions on technical and non-technical tasks for familiar processes or procedures, and identify stated and unspecified meanings in extended suggestions and recommendations.

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Blog URL
http://my-canada-travels.blogspot.com/

Link to 2008 ESL in Canada Registration Form for: University Graduate Programs - University Undergraduate Programs - Community College Programs - Private Colleges - Public High Schools - Private High Schools - Public Elementary Programs - Private Elementary Schools - Private English Language Schools - Private Language Teachers - Private Career Training - Internship Programs

Planning 2007 Florida Christmas Holiday Study Tour

2007-11-04T13:57:00.002-05:00

The TLC Network Club is planning a Florida Christmas Vacation Study Tour with projected dates December 23 to January 2, 2008.

The main Florida destination is Orlando for eight days. Passes for Disney World, Universal Studios, local Orlando attractions, and optional day trips to Busch Gardens, the Everglades, Miami and Kennedy Space Station. This trip will last 10 days and is projected to cost about $900.

The study tour will include a tour guide, ESL instructor, travel summaries and destination information. Please tell us what you are most interested in and any suggestions to make this the best Florida vacation ever.

Email to: info@eslincanada.com

Florida Destination Information.

Disney World is the ultimate fantasy trip in Orlando, Florida.

Disney is the place where dreams come true. Where make believe is real, time stands still and stars are within reach. Walt Disney World is this magical place. The world of Disney magic awaits! With this much enchantment, the vacation of your dreams is closer than your imagination. There's something for everyone to enjoy at Walt Disney World.

Special three, five or seven day passes allow visitors to access all four Disney theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM Disney Studios and Animal Kingdom.

Link to Walt Disney World

Compare Disney World resort packages at $1600 USD

Universal Orlando Resorts and Theme Parks

The Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks are a world where everyone can choose their own perfect fun. You can have the ultimate adventure, have fun, rejuvenate yourself, have a romantic dinner, challenge yourself on incredible theme park rides, and relax by the pool in a beautiful Florida setting.

Universal Orlando Resorts and Theme Parks

Orlando has the most world class theme parks.

Orlando is a world-class destination for every member of the group. Everyone can have fun in their own way. The theme parks Cypress Gardens, Discovery Cove, SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World Resort are unrivaled anywhere in the world.

Information on things to do in the
Orlando area.

Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida

More than a Zoo, more than an Amusement Park, Busch Gardens can be a delightful day for any age. Over the years Busch Gardens has added many things to their collection of roller coasters and their animals exhibits. Water Rides include Tanganyika Tidal Wave a peaceful jungle journey and Stanley Falls a Log Flume water ride. Other Attractions include King Tut's Tomb, Serengeti Railway, Skyride, Rhino Rally, Edge of Africa a safari experience and Stine's Haunted Lighthouse.

Busch Gardens

Kennedy Space Centre is the real out of this world destination

At Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, you get the unique chance to tour – up close – NASA’s launch and landing facilities. Experience interactive simulators, live shows and jaw-dropping encounters with massive rockets. As well as have the opportunity to meet a real member of NASA’s Astronaut Corps. It’s all what you can expect from an inspiring day at Kennedy Space Center.

Kennedy Space Center

Miami has world famous South Beach and Art Deco District

To know Miami Beach is to love it. And the only way to really know it is to experience the excitement firsthand. When the sun comes up with the peaceful serenity of a tropical dawn, it rises over the Atlantic Ocean and it shines brilliantly over one of the hottest destinations, MIAMI BEACH. It sizzles with style and sophistication.

Miami Beach Channel TV

The tour will include a tour guide, ESL instructor, travel summaries and destination information. Please tell us what you are most interested in and any suggestions to make this the best Florida vacation ever.

Email to: info@eslincanada.com

Travel to Canada

2007-10-23T23:52:00.001-04:00

Travel to Canada

Even though I selected where I was going to, there were lots of stuff to improve. I had spent two whole months to prepare for the trip. Which school? Which city. Obtain a visa and how long was I going to stay and so on.

My first step in Canada was at Sep. 7. 2006. Canada was totally another world. When I came out of the airport, It was so..quiet. There was just a few lights in the city far from the airport. It wasn't so late. It was almost 11 pm. If I were in Korea, It would feel like the daytime at this time. There are lots of neon signs at Friday night, flashing brightly.

I needed to get used to here and my homestay house. On sunday, I was supposed to find a way to get to school with my friend. She also came here with me. I asked my homestay mother how to get to the subway. When I was about to leave home, she asked me "can you make it??" with nervous voice and sighs. I nodded confidently.

It was proved soon that I was wrong after walking only one block. I had just got lost for 30 minutes. I wasn't a brave girl to ask a Canadian. When I found the subway, I was exhausted. Actually it had been in front of me and It had a really small sign compared with Korea's.

After I have been staying here for 6 months, I have figured out some differences between Canada and Korea.

Canadian's life style is a bit slow. For instance, they don't complain even when the subway is out of service suddenly. If the subway is out of service in Korea, many Koreans become a very annoyed crowd. It is posted as a main topic in the morning news, whereas it is just a common thing here in Canada.

Canadians spend lots of time with their family. They are enjoying their life and sports. In my case, I just hardly have seen my family in a day, sometimes I wasn't able to see my family during a whole day. My parents go out at 7: 30 AM and get back at 7 or 8 pm from their work. I was supposed to be in my high school from 8am to 10pm. After it, I also had to go academy school for 3 hours. That means I got home about 1 am while my parents were sleeping. I think the work time is until 4 or 5pm in Canada. It is such a nice aspect to a family.

Also Canada has summer time. when I heard I needed to change time 1 hour back at winter last year, I was so confused. I didn't catch why time was changed. Because it isn't in Korea. It was an interesting thing to me, and I felt I had got one more spare time. Still I'm not sure I've got used to the summer time.

A few days ago, the summer time finished but I didn't know that. At the day, I had a plan to go shopping with my friends at 3 pm. I was just watching a DVD, my phone rang. On the phone, she told me it was 3pm already. However, my clock indicated 2 pm. I was embrassed and she told me the summmer time had finished from the previous morning.

Just what I want to change in Canada is the subway problem and if it's possible, also the brutal cold in the winter season. If you live in Toronto and you usually take the subway the Toronto subway can be out of service. The Canada subway needs to be renovated, fixed and not to be out of service so often.

Also, Toronto is so cold in the winter.I heard it had been warmer than usual in last winter, but still it was extremely cold for me. It frequently had been below 0, like -10 or -15, and it was colder with wind chill I don't want to picture it. Just imagining also makes me feel cold.

However, I'm enjoying the comfortable vacation in my life. I don't need to worry about the difficult tests, what I'm going to do and so on. I've been feeling I'm out of all of things I want to dodge. I like Toronto's life style, multiculture and
beautiful nature.

When I'm walking on the street under the bright sunshine, listening to music, I don't envy whoever in the world. Toronto island, high park and Lake Ontario and so on. There are lots of fancy places to shake your mind as like spring wind. Just sitting in these places or seeing the sights is pretty enough to make you happy and get a shiny smile on your face.

Story By
Sue Gyeong Choe ESL in Canada Intern student

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Blog URL
http://my-canada-travels.blogspot.com/

Link to 2008 ESL in Canada Registration Form for: University Graduate Programs - University Undergraduate Programs - Community College Programs - Private Colleges - Public High Schools - Private High Schools - Public Elementary Programs - Private Elementary Schools - Private English Language Schools - Private Language Teachers - Private Career Training - Internship Programs

My Canada Life by Serina from Taiwan

2007-10-20T13:59:00.001-04:00

Canada story --- life in Canada

It was my dream to stay in another country for a long time. I quit my publishing job that I have worked at for 7 years. My sisters and I with three children planned to visit another cousin's sister who had immigrated to Markham, Ontario nine years ago. We are so excited and looking forward to traveling in Canada.

We arrived at the airport at 11:00 pm and went to stay at my cousin’s house. We were tired but I still couldn’t sleep. I could not wait to "hang out" outside. I got up about 5:30 am and asked the children with a low voice who would like to go outside with me. We prepared to try birdwatching. I used to do birdwatching in Taiwan.

I like the nature in Canada when I step out of doors. The trees look so green and big. The air is fresh and the sky is so wide. We took a walk around my cousin’s house and tried to find some birds or something new. Unluckily, except for a lot of beautiful houses and nature, we didn’t see anyone or any cars in the street. The morning of Markham Toronto looks so quiet and peaceful. It is totally different from Taiwan where there is energy and people are busy for breakfast, exercise, hiking…or doing something. Here seemed a little bit boring but I liked and enjoyed the peace and nature here. The camera is my best friend. I took a lot of pictures of new surprises and experiences for me. Sunrise, sunset, sky, clouds and snows are a rich meal for my camera.

It is hard to live in greater Toronto if you have no car. It is really not convenient to take a bus here. The time seems to come back 15 more years ago of my life in Taiwan. We have to waste a lot of time to wait for buses. I experienced inconvenience in a big and developed country. However I am getting used to the life the more I understand the country and their culture. You won’t wonder many things what drive the way.

I also like Canadian people who are kind and friendly. I knew them since I got lost sometimes. They were kind to show me the direction. It made me comfortable and safe when you stay in Canada. Sometimes, in order to practice my English I approached women when I waited a bus or meal. I got a friend with this experience.
She is an Indian woman and stayed here for about two years. She worked in Tim Hortin's . I usually went to see her and bought coffee when I go to her store.

I like to cook in Canada. The kitchen is comfortable and convenient, the other reason is to save money and I don’t like fast food here. I remember one time I cooked in my cousin's house in the afternoon. The sun shined and crossed the window of the dinner room. The sun was beautiful and made me happy. Suddenly, I find that cooking is not bad and I enjoyed the beautiful sights and mood. By the way I live in a nice place. Our living room is very beautiful and this house has one whole side of glass walls and roof. I can enjoy my food and enjoy nature from the glass windows.

My Canada Life by Serina from Taiwan

Join the TLC Club - Travel Language Culture Network Club

A tour guide in Toronto

2007-10-19T21:22:00.001-04:00

A tour guide in Toronto
By Sayaka Sawa

I’d like to tell my experience about welcoming my family from Japan to Toronto. My mother and younger sister visited me during the Christmas vacation from Dec 24th to Dec 29th. I had to be a tour guide and an interpreter for them. I planned an inexpensive and relaxing tour.

This was my schedule:

December 24th (first day):
Their flight arrived at Toronto around 3pm. When I went to the airport they told me the wrong gate, so it took some time to meet them. Luckily I told them my cell phone number, so it was helpful. We used the TTC to travel to my host family’s house. My mom and sister stayed there with me. I really thanked my host family for inviting my family to stay. We went to the CN tower the first night but it closed early because it was Christmas Eve.

December 25th (Second day):
Relaxing day. My family was tired because of the long flight from Japan. We woke up at noon and exchanged Christmas presents with my host family. It was fun! On Christmas day, everything was closed in the town. So we went to see things where we can enjoy the outward appearances like City Hall, Casa Loma and the U of Toronto and tried a street hotdog.

December 26th and 27th (Third and fourth day):
Niagara falls two-day trip. I used the “Casino bus” to get to Niagara Falls. The casino bus costs $5 for two ways. (If you’re interested in, I can tell you their phone number.) We really enjoyed Niagara Falls sightseeing. We went to the I-MAX theatre, Behind the Falls tour, Rainbow Bridge and Clifton Hill, etc. We didn’t forget to go shopping, too. We went to the USA outlet shops across the Niagara Bridge to the USA and my mother bought me a MP3 and a lot of clothes. I was happy. We stayed at the Backpackers hostel for $22 per person including breakfast and tax. It was a cozy and nice place.

December28th (fifth day):
In the morning we went to Harbourfront Center for ice-skating. There were only a few people there so we could enjoy it. After lunch we walked around Union station, then went to the Eaton Center for shopping. I got a new coat there. This night we cooked Japanese food for my host family.

December 29th (sixth day):
I took my family to the airport and said goodbye. They didn’t use a lot of money in Toronto, so they gave me all money they had left, which was great.

Our Suggestions for Family Tour Guides

The TTC weekly pass and day pass are very useful for short staying travellers. You can choose the one that fits your plan. If you go to airport to pick up someone, I recommend that you bring a weekly or day pass for him or her because they usually don’t have coins.

Especially during holiday seasons it’s better to make it sure that the attractions are open. Even though you can check on the web, you had better make a call, because sometimes they don’t update.

Story by Sayaka Internship student at ESL in Canada

Join the TLC Club - Travel Language Culture Network Club

Canada My New Home

2007-10-18T16:15:00.001-04:00

Hello My name is Susann.

After finishing High School I was confronted with a lot of possibilities …shall I study, work, take a break or travel …Well, I decides to go to Canada, learn English and have some time for myself.

I chose Toronto through a selection process… I have been in England and South Africa so I didn’t wanted to go there again. Australia has to many strange animals which I don’t like and America has too many strange people I don’t want to meet. So Canada seemed perfect for me. Especially after I heard that Toronto is a multi-cultural city with a lot of foreign influences and international flavor, I couldn’t wait to go there. Besides, the USA is not that far away so I thought I could maybe visit New York, Washington D.C. or Boston someday.

As I arrived here in Toronto, I was a bit surprised because Canada is not that different from Germany. I felt immediately at home and it was not hard for me to find friends. Now, after 4 months in Toronto, everything became very familiar to me. Even speaking English became somehow easy and natural. I don’t have the feeling that I'm on vacation in a foreign country but I feel home and happy here.

I had the possibilities to try a lot of stuff and I also learned a lot about myself. The stay here in Toronto gave me the possibility to relax, to try new things and to meet new friends from all over the world.

More Later!!
Susann

Join the TLC Club - Travel Language Culture Network Club

Toronto Activities

2007-10-16T19:18:00.001-04:00

I want to tell about my activities in Toronto.

I went to many places during the last three months: CN tower, Casa Loma, Royal Ontario Museum, Art gallery (AGO), Hockey game, Greek town, China town, Little Italy, Korean town, Toronto Islands, Blue Jays baseball game at Rogers Centre, ice skating, Bata shoe museum, Chicago the Musical, Octoberfest Festivals, Halloween party, and others.

I often joined school activities. LSI had lots of different activities after school. Not only I could meet many friends from other classes, but also I could enjoy group discounts. It’s very fun to go somewhere with many friends even to a quiet museum. I didn’t know anything about Toronto, but nowadays I feel familiar with the city.

I travelled outside of Toronto, as well. I went to Algonquin Park by car with my friends. It was the best season for trees changing colors to red and yellow leaves, and I really enjoyed it. To travel by ourselves is also nice because we can use the time for whatever we want. We had good learning experiences to organize a plan, to make a reservation, to rent a car, to read a map, and so on.

I sometimes used student tours like Moose, TnT or Dragon city travel (Chinese agency). They offer tours very cheaply. But almost all tours with them were very busy and I didn't have enough time for shopping or sightseeing for myself.

If you have time, I recommend making your original plans using bus or rental car. In my case I have a driver’s license in Japan. But Canadian traffic systems are different from Japanese ones, so I didn’t drive but I asked my friends to drive.

To study English isn’t only in the class I think. Travelling gave me a lot of fun and good experiences. I’ll travel to the west coast of Canada and Europe someday.

These days I’m really enjoying skating at Harbourfront centre and the Nathan Phillip Square. I bought skates at Canadian Tire at the price of $29.99. If I go skating more than 5 times, it’ll be cheaper than renting skates! You can get skates in wall mart or second hand shops, as well.

It's easy to enjoy Canadian winter!

More Later
Sayaka
ESL in Canada Internship student

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Blog URL
http://my-canada-travels.blogspot.com/

Link to 2008 ESL in Canada Registration Form for: University Graduate Programs - University Undergraduate Programs - Community College Programs - Private Colleges - Public High Schools - Private High Schools - Public Elementary Programs - Private Elementary Schools - Private English Language Schools - Private Language Teachers - Private Career Training - Internship Programs

Ride the Moose to Niagara Falls

2007-09-01T17:57:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time I did an English internship at LSI - Language Studies International in Toronto, Canada.

I was busy at the LSI reception organizing activities, printing programs for students, answering phone calls and helping students. During one of these busy lunch breaks a large bunch of students came bombarding me with questions again.

During the 1000 questions the telephone started to ring again and again.
Finally I picked up:

- Hello. LSI. May I help you?

- Yes. This is Ross. Whom I am speaking to?

- Evgeniya.

- Are you sitting at my black computer?

My thought was: " Am I in trouble?..." This is how I met Ross - the best troublemaker.

Guess what he is doing at LSI? His words "pretending to be a teacher". This is some of the vocabulary he taught me - lazy bum, grudge match etc. So you can imagine what kind of person he is. However when all else failed he always came through with the solution.

I have passion for traveling and Ross knows all the tips and tricks, how you can travel cheap and comfortable in Canada. The first place in this country I wanted to go was Niagara Falls. Ross suggested: " Ride the moose. Call Steph at the Moose."

Call the Moose??! In my mind appeared moose pulling the sledge, next was a moose sitting in the office and answering phone. Probably Ross saw my irritation, he added twinkling: " Call Stephanie from the Moose Travel Network company. This is Canada's only national jump-on, jump-off adventure bus tour network for backpackers and independent travelers."

I was not sure if I should follow Ross' advice. But I was burning with curiosity, so let's call the moose. Friendly voice answered: " Moose network travel. Steph speaking." Huh, I was relived - a human being answered the phone.

In five minutes I had the whole information about the trip schedule. Steph mentioned something about tasting ice wine. What?? Wineries of. Ontario??? But especially the opportunity to see the falls in daylight and at night peaked my desire to go on the trip as soon as possible.

The very next Saturday the bunch of LSI students and me were on our way. We departed at 11:30 a.m. from the Global Village Backpackers Hotel (460 King St. West).

When we stopped at Inniskillin Winery I remembered Stephy recommending wine. She was right, after testing wine (three samples - white, red and ice wine - for $5) you can definitely say that even ambitious wine experts will have pleasure at the Inniskillin winery. By the way the climate in this region is the same as in Burgundy, France. I was surprised to find out about wine industry in the Niagara region. The ice wine there is the best one I ever tried before.

On the way to Niagara Falls Brian, our bus driver and guide, pointed out some historic places such as Brock monument, a symbol of Canadian independence from the USA. By the way thanks to Brian (I should have mentioned it from the very beginning) I know all the facts you are reading now. Besides giving us better understanding of Niagara region as the whole he took care of everything - stopped for lunch and washroom breaks, bought tickets for Maid of the Mist boat ( "the must do" excursion at the falls) etc.

The last stop we did before the falls was the Whirlpool rapids. To be honest I expected to see water spinning around - like a whirlpool. But I could hardly believe that these at first sight peaceful rapids have class 6.

And here they are! - In the afternoon we reached our final destination - the Niagara or thundering water, translating from Indian language. The water falls down with such a craft, that a huge cloud of mist arises above the place. Than the sunrays shined out from behind the clouds and came though the mist above the water. The rainbow appeared and I could not turn away my eyes from it - the Heaven and the Earth were united.

At this moment you cannot deny the Bible word, that the God set His rainbow in the clouds as the sign of the covenant He established between Him and all life on the earth (Gen 9:8-17). I don't know how long I would have stared at this miracle, but somebody pushed me into the back and I was forced to turn around. How poor and ugly
was the view of the Niagara town on the other side - rows of hotels, casinos, and same halls. I didn't want to accept the other side view as the real one, so I turned
back to the rainbow again and enjoyed it till dusk.

Then the falls were lit up changing colors all the time a very nice view. However the view I will always look for is this unforgettable rainbow. HIS RAINBOW..

Story By Evgeniya Pekar
LSI Internship student

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Blog URL
http://my-canada-travels.blogspot.com/

Link to 2008 ESL in Canada Registration Form for: University Graduate Programs - University Undergraduate Programs - Community College Programs - Private Colleges - Public High Schools - Private High Schools - Public Elementary Programs - Private Elementary Schools - Private English Language Schools - Private Language Teachers - Private Career Training - Internship Programs

The Beaver Tour with MOOSE travel network

2007-07-28T22:20:00.001-04:00

The Beaver Tour with MOOSE Travel Network
By Sayaka Sawa

I would like to report my wonderful trip to Algonquin park with MOOSE travel network.
Here is the itenerary:

The Beaver Tour (3 days)

Day 1
Meet up at the Global village hostel (MOOSE office is on the second floor), then drive to Algonquin park. On the way, we droped by a supermarket to buy dinner ingredients.

Experience the overview tower, small hiking to Oxbow falls.

Chance to meet a moose on the every road!

Arrive at the hostel, prepare meals.

Campfire and guitar with songs, viewed the stars in the night.

Day 2

Hike to the famous 'Lookout trail'.

You can have activity options: hiking, canoeing, or going to the beaches.

Weather permission, inner activities: dart, cards, various games.

Prepared dinner.

Enjoy the music and bar in the hostel.

Day 3

Native leaning house, rock.

Lunch at the beautiful park.

Arrived in Toronto around evening.

Suggestions:

-All breakfasts are included, but not lunch and dinner. Only one dinner is served. You can have chances to buy cheap ingredients at supermarkets everyday. You can use the kitchen, BBQ grills as you want. The hostel has a quite clean and nice kitchen equipped with all necessary kitchenware. Tea and coffee are free. If you want save money, you can bring some snacks, fruits, and so on.

Hostels: It is a really nice and confortable hostel. I recommend. They have their original bar place, clean rooms, 3 showerrooms

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Blog URL
http://my-canada-travels.blogspot.com/

Link to 2008 ESL in Canada Registration Form for: University Graduate Programs - University Undergraduate Programs - Community College Programs - Private Colleges - Public High Schools - Private High Schools - Public Elementary Programs - Private Elementary Schools - Private English Language Schools - Private Language Teachers - Private Career Training - Internship Programs

Working with Moose Travel Network

2007-07-14T10:07:00.001-04:00

The TLC Club and ESL in Canada will be organizing individual and group packages from the Moose Travel Network.

The ESL in Canada intern students are putting the Moose trips to the test and we expect their reports and pictures to be posted soon.

Some information about Moose:

Moose Travel Network makes every effort to give adventure travel customers as much as possible for FREE… and if it isn't free, it's a great deal! Moose Travel Network negotiates the best prices at all the adventure activities along the way. For those interested in activities like, bungee jumping, skydiving, whitewater rafting or wilderness camping Moose prices are the best available!

Moose Travel Network is Canada's only national jump-on, jump-off adventure bus tour network for backpackers and independent travellers. Our guided adventure bus trips are designed to give our passengers a unique look at Canada. We take travellers "off the beaten path" in order to show them key scenic, historical, and adventure sites.

Moose Travel Network also offers a very wide range of trips varying in distance, price and duration. 90% of all trips start and end in either Vancouver or Toronto… we also offer combo tours and winter tours! Guided orientations and bus tours of Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City are included in the bus trips.

The majority of Moose passengers are aged between 18 and 35 years but there is no age limit. We offer our travellers a unique bed reservation service at all the best backpacker youth hostels in Canada. Our passengers are guaranteed beds even during the busiest times of the year.

Discover a world of natural beauty and diverse, friendly people… discover Canada! Join the TLC Network Club today, and get ready to have the time of your life!

TLC Club URL
http://www.eslincanada.ca/

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Blog URL
http://my-canada-travels.blogspot.com/

Link to 2008 ESL in Canada Registration Form for: University Graduate Programs - University Undergraduate Programs - Community College Programs - Private Colleges - Public High Schools - Private High Schools - Public Elementary Programs - Private Elementary Schools - Private English Language Schools - Private Language Teachers - Private Career Training - Internship Programs

Visit Ottawa in this year

2007-05-28T10:18:00.000-04:00

Ottawa is a beautiful City and visitors should plan to stay for a week to see the many national exhibits available. Here is a good starting list of Ottawa attractions.

Ottawa Cultural and Historical Attractions

Ottawa is blessed with a wide range of cultural and historical sites.

Arts Court
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
Carleton University Art Gallery
Centrepointe Theatre
Gallery 101
Great Canadian Theatre Company
Kanata Symphony Orchestra
Kanata Theatre
Karsh-Masson Gallery
La Nouvelle Scène
National Arts Centre
National Gallery of Canada
Opera Lyra Ottawa
Ottawa Art Gallery
Ottawa City Hall Gallery
Parliament Hill
Rideau Hall - Home of the Governor General
SAW Gallery

Ottawa Museums

Bank of Canada Currency Museum
Billings Estate Museum
Canada Agriculture Museum (Experimental Farm)
Canada Science and Technology Museum
Canada Aviation Museum
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
Canadian Museum of Nature
Canadian War Museum
Cumberland Heritage Village Museum
Diefenbunker - Canada's Cold War Museum
Goulbourn Museum
Library and Archives Canada
Nepean Museum
Osgoode Township Historical Society & Museum
Pinhey's Point Historic Site
Royal Canadian Mint
The Bytown Museum
Watson’s Mill

For more Ottawa Information
http://www.eslincanada.com/ottawa.html

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Blog Disclaimer
This blog uses original and reprintable articles in whole or part. Posts can be edited for spelling, grammar, accuracy, fairness or to meet ever changing legal publishing standards. We post one link to indicate the original post or source. We rely on the accuracy of the sources. This blog is not responsible for errors or omissions or any liability for any posts or any real, imagined, fabricated, current, past or subsequent damages. For additional info: eslincanada (at) gmail (dot) -com-

Visiting Calgary Alberta Canada

2007-05-20T20:18:00.000-04:00

Calgary is located on the banks of the Bow River near Alberta's majestic Rocky Mountains. Calgary, Alberta attractions, include the Calgary Stampede, Glenbow Museum, Calgary Tower, Canada Olympic Park, Calgary Zoo, Heritage Park Historical Village, Spaceport, Aero Space Museum, Calaway Park, and Fort Calgary.

The Calgary Stampede is Calgary's best-known visitor attraction. The Calgary Stampede is often referred to as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" features a large parade and world-class rodeo and draws more than a million visitors each year. Stampede Park also features a midway, a grandstand stage spectacular, lots of free entertainment, and interesting Western and Cowboy displays.

The Calgary Aero Space Museum features 58 aircraft including:
World War One - Sopwith Triplane;
World War Two - Avro Lancaster Mk X,
Hawker Hurricane MK IIB - Pending Restoration
de Havilland DH 98 Mosquito PR35 - Pending Restoration
de Havilland Tiger Moth
Avro Anson Mk II
Cessna T50 "Crane" - Pending Restoration
North American "Harvard"
Taylorcraft "Auster" Mark VII
Post World War II Military
Avro CF-100 "Canuck" Mk III
de Havilland DH 100 Vampire F Mk. III
McDonnell Douglas CF-101B Voodoo
F86 Sabre
Other Calgary Aero Space Museum exhibits include Civil aircraft engines and film.

The Calgary Glenbow Museum boasts over a million artifacts and some 28,000 works of art in its vast collections and is one of the largest museums in Canada. The Glenbow Museum continues their commitment to preserve western heritage while simultaneously providing visitors with a glimpse of the world beyond. Museum exhibits feature Native culture, Western settlement, early farming, and the oil industry. Art exhibits located on the second floor with a research library located on the 6th floor.

Canada's largest historical village "Heritage Park" invites you to step back in time and experience Western Canada during 1864 to 1914. Ride a horse drawn wagon, sail on the SS Moyie, experience the early thrills of an antique midway or ride the powerful steam train. Visit the Alberta Bakery or the Old Fashioned Candy store to enjoy the treats! The staff are happy to explain the challenges and hardships faced by the Canadian pioneers who helped settle Western Canada.

Calgary SpacePort is a unique education and entertainment facility focusing on space and aeronautics. The Calgary SpacePort features the latest computer, simulation and communications technology, hands-on exhibits and displays. SpacePort features a soaring aluminum prototype of NASA's space shuttle orbiter, interactive displays from the Canadian Space Agency, flight and motion simulators, a moon rock exhibit and many more exciting interactive space and aviation adventures. Calgary SpacePort is open 9 AM to 9 PM every day and admission is free.

Calgary Zoo, Botanical Garden and Prehistoric Park houses over a thousand animals, including several rare and endangered species. The Prehistoric Park exhibits 22 life-size models. The outdoor botanical gardens showcase a variety of annuals, cactuses, and rainforest plants.

Canada Olympic Park is the site of 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games events including: bobsleigh, luge, ski jumping, freestyle skiing. Guided bus tours and 90-metre ski jump tower elevations available daily. Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum features bobsleigh and ski-jump simulators.

Fort Calgary Historic Park is the historical site of the 1875 North West Mounted Police fort. Fort Calgary Historic Park at the merge of the Bow and Elbow Rivers has an interpretive centre, with ongoing excavation and reconstruction of the original fort. Fort Calgary is where the settlement of Calgary began. Displays in the interpretive centre cover the life of Natives, early pioneers, and the North West Mounted Police, Canada's world-renowned Mounties, who arrived in 1875 to establish law and order.

Calaway Park is Western Canada's largest outdoor family amusement park, with 23 rides. You can also catch a live rainbow trout or play a round of mini-golf. Musical productions are presented daily by the resident entertainment troupe, "Calaway Live". It also has an RV park, campground for travelers and beautiful view of the Rockies.

Calgary Tower was built as a centennial project in 1967. The Calgary Tower is a navigation "center" of the city and stands 191 metres (626 ft) high and provides a 360-degree view of Calgary and Rocky Mountains to the west of the city.

The Calgary Science Centre brings science to life with hands-on exhibits and unique demonstrations. The Discovery Dome is one of the best multimedia theatres in North America, with shows and wide-screen films throughout the year.

There is lots to see in Calgary - for more info:
http://www.eslincanada.com/calgary.html

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This blog uses original and reprintable articles in whole or part. Posts can be edited for spelling, grammar, accuracy, fairness or to meet ever changing legal publishing standards. We post one link to indicate the original post or source. We rely on the accuracy of the sources. This blog is not responsible for errors or omissions or any liability for any posts or any real, imagined, fabricated, current, past or subsequent damages. For additional info: eslincanada (at) gmail (dot) -com-

My TnT Trip to New York City

2007-04-18T15:23:00.000-04:00

During the Easter Holidays, I took a trip to New York City with my friends.

I think I made the right choice taking the TNT tour, because we had no idea
where to start sight seeing in this big city.

The ride to N.Y.C. was about 12 hours, but it didn't feel that long. At the border of Canada and America, we passed Niagara Falls and I was lucky that I could see the Falls "lighted up". It was so beautiful.

On the first day in New York, we visited Mid Manhattan and our guide took us to many places, such as Broadway, 5th Ave., Times Square, and Rockfeller Center. Broadway was absolutely amazing with 20 many advertisment signs.

Our bus guide told us try not to look like visitors, taking pictures of the city, but it was impossible.

In the evening, my friend and I went to see the Broadway Musical, CHICAGO. We were tired from the long day, but still we enjoyed our night out in New York.

On the second day, we went to Lower Manhattan, to see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and also to Ground Zero. Battery Park, which is located in the tip of south Manhattan, is full of street peformers in summer and Im looking forward to visit there again. Also, we enjoyed our free shopping time in SoHo and in Chinatown.

The next morning, on the last day of New York trip, we went for a walk to Central Park, which was so beautiful and peaceful. There was also a building where famous John Lennon lived and was killed.

Two and a half days in New York was fascinating but too short for me. I enjoyed the city so much. Also, I made many friends on this tour and I think it was a good chance of having an English Only Trip with a Canadian Guide, and many friends from all over the world.

I certainly would like to visit there again. I LOVE N.Y.! :)

Natsumi
International ESL Student from Japan

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This blog uses original and reprintable articles in whole or part. Posts can be edited for spelling, grammar, accuracy, fairness or to meet ever changing legal publishing standards. We post one link to indicate the original post or source. We rely on the accuracy of the sources. This blog is not responsible for errors or omissions or any liability for any posts or any real, imagined, fabricated, current, past or subsequent damages. For additional info: eslincanada (at) gmail (dot) -com-

Algonquin Park Trip in Canada

2007-03-13T12:37:00.000-04:00

I put my first step in Canada at the beginning of autumn 2006.

Before even I got used to Canada, I went to the Algonquin park with my friends. My friends took the same airplane with me for about 14 hours from Korea to Canada. I had heard lots of stories about Algonquin Park from my school friends who already took a trip there on weekends. It was really a wide park, so someone overstated to me that It could be same size as South Korea.

Even though we had planned to stay there for 2 days, we weren't able to book a room for 1 night because It was peak time, so lots of people already had made reservations 2 or 3 weeks earlier. One friend of mine told me if you tried to find a room after getting there, you could make it. However, we had to take a risk to do that plan, so we just called off the plan to go there for 2 days. Instead of it, we decided to go for 1 day.

At first, we had to rent a car because It was so far from Toronto about 3~4 hours by driving. We also could have gone there by joining a school activity or through a travel agency. We all agreed that if we used school trips, we wouldn't have enough time to enjoy the beautiful scenes and so on.

One friend had a international driver licence, so we rented a car easily. We met in the early morning about 7AM near the rental car shop. We got a fancy car just according to our wish and were ready to start our first fantastic trip on our own.

After taking the car, we suddenly were so excited. listening to music, we opened a window and talked a lot a lot including all the small stuff. We should have to get some food for our lunch and dinner, so we popped into one big supermarket located on our way to Algonquin park.

As soon as we entered in the store, we ran to a chicken corner and picked it up. After that, we looked around for other foods more slowly. When we were out of the store, our hands were full of food. It took about over 3 hours to get there. When we finally got out of the car, we were starving and exhausted due to long time driving. We found some seats and opened chicken and lots of foods waiting for us to be eaten for 3 hours. The food disappeared within 30 minutes only garbage remained.

Now, we saw the beautiful park mixed with bright red, dark red and yellow. Each place had it's own name. We needed to move from one place to another by car since it was too far beween two places. We wanted to pop in every place but we weren't able to do it. When we looked at just 3 places, the sun had already gone down. There were lots of tent cars to stay at night and we took a picture with a man who went around by a bicycle. Despite the fact we just met him, the travel made us relaxed and we got along easily. I think it is the biggest benefit of traveling. On the bridge, lots of people shouted and took a picture the animals which were crossing the river. However, we had to pass it.

The way back to Toronto felt longer than before. We were so tired, because we had
been almost whole day in the car, except for taking pictures. During on our way home, we fell asleep naturally. We successfully returned to Toronto at 11 pm inspite of getting lost in front of Toronto because It was our first time to drive in Canada. We weren't used to the Toronto traffic system. It was tiring but also nice trip.

We got along with each other more through this trip and enjoyed Toronto's fall colours. If you come to Canada, I suggest you to go Algounqin park at any season. In the spring, you can feel how spring is close to you. In the summer, you can enjoy Canoes. During fall, the beautiful trees will welcome you. In the winter, you will see a white world.

Let's enjoy your life in Canada.
By Sue Gyeong Choe, ESL in Canada Intern

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Blog Disclaimer
This blog uses original and reprintable articles in whole or part. Posts can be edited for spelling, grammar, accuracy, fairness or to meet ever changing legal publishing standards. We post one link to indicate the original post or source. We rely on the accuracy of the sources. This blog is not responsible for errors or omissions or any liability for any posts or any real, imagined, fabricated, current, past or subsequent damages. For additional info: eslincanada (at) gmail (dot) -com-

My Magic Bus Tour to Niagara Falls

2007-01-27T17:52:00.000-05:00

I was excited going to Niagara Falls when I heard we could join the Magic Bus Tour on Saturday. I have been there in summer time last year. I expected to see the different landscape in winter time.

I bought some food in the supermarket on Friday. I thought that I should prepare some food for Saturday’s travel because Niagara Fall’s food could be expensive. I got up early on Saturday to cook breakfast and prepared lunch and dinner boxes and some snacks.

Magic bus picked us up at Dundas Square in downtown Toronto. After the tour guide introduced our day's schedule we headed for Niagara Falls. First place we went for a wine taste. Ice wine is really wonderful it smells good and tastes a little sweet. I like sweet wine I thought my sisters would love ice wine very much. I must bring some for my family’s activity of wine tasteing next year.

The town of Niagara on the Lake is our second stop I have never been there before. Thanks for these day’s snowing. I love to see snow especially in the huge places. It looks so pure and peacefull. Sometimes it makes me sad to step or dirty the fresh snow. I visit the small town with my friends. There are many different stores over there we did a lot of nice window-shopping.

Finally, we arrived in Niagara Falls and it was really different from when I visited last year. The Falls are still strong and great. Trees looked so bright with light decoration and then I found out it was crystal ice frozen. It looked so special and beautifull.

Magic bus offered 4 different tours for us to sightsee in Niagara Falls. I chose to go Skylon tower. It is pretty nice when we saw the Niagara Falls and whole city from the high tower, and the weather is good for us to see the whole view clearly. I caught a lot of pictures from different directions. The weather is too cold so we could not stand longer outside. I and Jon-Ming enjoyed the beautiful view in the high tower and tried to see Toronto in the distance.

After then we spent some time in the star bucks waiting for the night lights of Niagara Falls. I took out peanuts for eating. Jon-Ming was surprised that I prepared so much food today. I said food is important to take on a picnic. I still have fruit and dinner what do you want. Don’t worry it is enough for us.I am happy to have a good conversation with Jo-Ming on this travel tour.

Story by Serina for My Canada Travels

1-day trip to Niagara Falls with Magic Bus

2007-01-22T11:59:00.000-05:00

1-day trip to Niagara Falls with Magic Bus

Last Saturday I joined the Magic Bus Niagara Falls tour. Actually it was my third time to visit Niagara Falls since I came here, but this tour had Niagara on the lake tour and wine tasting tour as well, so I could enjoy them.

It was a beautiful, sunny and clean day. Niagara Falls hasn’t frozen yet, but they made up with snow, which was amazing beautiful! I could enjoy the different face of the falls.

What made me surprised was the long free time they offered. It was from 2:30 to 6:30 PM in total 4 hours. I went Clifton Hill, Old Casino and relaxed at the coffee shop.

Magic Bus offered some optional tours, Behind the Falls tour, Skylon tower, I-MAX theatre and helicopter tour. But I already tried all of them except the helicopter tour, which I couldn’t afford.

My friends who joined the tours seemed to be satisfied with them. One of my friends said she could see Toronto from the Skylon Tower observation deck.

Just before we left there, we could see the night lights of the Falls. It was a valuable tour and we could see a lot of different things all in one day.

Original Post by Sayaka

http://my-canada-travels.blogspot.com/

Other Blogs of note

Canada Life Stories

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Gorgeous Niagara Falls

2007-01-22T10:40:00.000-05:00

Well, to be honest I was not really interested to see Niagara Falls. Especially because I couldn’t believe that there is anything special about them. Hence I was really skeptical about this trip, but in the end, it has definitely worth it to go there.

We went with "the Magic Bus" company and our trip started at 9 AM on a nice winter day. The good thing about this trip was, that we not just went straight away to Niagara Falls like other companies use to do it. We saw a lot of stuff on our way to our final destination.

Our first stop was at a Winery, where we could try some really good Ice Wine for free.

After that, we visited the town Niagara on the Lake, which is one of the most beautiful towns in Ontario, Canada. There, we had some leisure time and we could walk through this really quite and lovely town.

We also saw the Niagara Whirlpool before we finally arrived at Niagara Falls. And I can tell you that Niagara Falls is really gorgeous.

If you have the possibility to go there you should definitely take the trip. You not only have the opportunity to see the Waterfalls, but you can also go to one of the Casinos, Museums, to the Skylon Tower, or you can take a Helicopter Ride or try the Journey behind the Falls. There are a lot of things to do and you can, for sure, spend a nice time at Niagara Falls.

I’m also really happy that I took this trip in winter because through the white snow, everything looked so beautiful. So don’t be scared of the cold weather because it really worth it to see Niagara Falls in winter.

Die Niagara Fälle waren nicht unbegingt mein erstes Wunschziel hier in Kanada. Ich konnte nicht glauben das irgendetwas besonderes an diesen Wasserfällen sein sollte. Folglich war ich auch nicht sehr motiviert dort hin zu fahren. Letztendlich dachte ich mir aber, dass, wenn ich schon mal in Kanada bin, ich auch wenigstens die Niagara Fälle besichtigen sollte. Und um ehrlich zu sein hat es sich wirklich gelohnt! Diese Wasserfälle sind wirklich wunderschön und auf jeden Fall einen Besuch wert. Auch, weil man viele weitere Möglichkeiten hat, seine Zeit dort zu verbringen. Du kannst in eines der Casino gehen, ein Museum oder den Skylon Tower besichtigen, eine Niagara Helicop- oder Journey Behind the Falls Tour machen. Also versäume nicht, wenigstens einmal in deinem Leben die Niagara Fälle besucht zu haben, auch wenn du vielleicht am Anfang denkst das nichts besonderes an ihnen ist.

Original Post
by Susann
ESL in Canada Intern student from Germany

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My trip to Chicago

2007-01-18T11:41:00.001-05:00

My trip to Chicago

The good thing about Toronto is that it is not that far away from the United States, so you have the possibility to easily visit some US cities. One day, my friend and I decides to go to Chicago for a few days, because we heard that it is a beautiful city and that it worth it to visit it.

So, this was our schedule

Friday, the 12th of January

Well, my friend and I planed absolutely nothing for this trip, so I was a bit nervous whether everything would be okay. About 8 hours before our department time, we bought the tickets for the greyhound bus, which is a famous bus company in the USA and Canada. We decided to go by ourselves and not with an agency because we wanted to feel free to do whatever we want, and not what an agency wants. So we bought the tickets and looked forward for an, hopefully, great experience.

Saturday, the 13th of January

Our bus departed at 1 AM in Toronto, near the Eaton Center and we prepared ourselves emotionally for a long bus journey. All in all, we needed 14 hours to drive to Chicago by bus.

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed of America as I saw all the old and degenerated houses. The USA always wants us to believe, that they are the Superpower in the world and that everything is better there than everywhere else, but actually it isn’t like this at all. As we saw how dull and lonely everything in Michigan looked, we realized that Canada has so much more to over than this.

After we finally arrived at 14.30 pm in Chicago, we had to find a hotel. As I said earlier, my friend and I didn’t really prepare anything for this trip. We booked no hotel, we had no real plan what to do after arriving in Chicago…so we took our bags and started to search for a place to sleep. Well, we took a room in the first hotel we found…the Holiday Inn. It was right next to the greyhound bus station and it was really comfortable.

After that, we decided to take a small walk through Chicago and I can tell you that I was really surprised as I realized at the end of this day, that we walked once through almost whole Chicago. So, this city is really small…and it is really cold and windy. As you may know, Chicago is also called the “Windy City”. On the one hand, because the wind is really strong and on the other, because there is a lot of corruption. Well, I’m from Germany so I’m somehow used to wind, but my Brazilian friend was not really happy about the cold weather. However…despite of the cold wind, we saw the Millennium Park, Downtown Chicago, the Navy Pier and so on, and I really have to admit that Chicago looks beautiful at night. Quite the contrary is Chicago by light, in my opinion.

Just like in Michigan, there are a lot of old houses and some parts of Chicago, which are a bit away from downtown, look kind of sad. Actually, Chicago looked like I thought Detroit would look like a lot of shabby houses and many unfriendly people. We asked a woman, who works for the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) for some help and she almost screamed at us because we couldn’t really catch what she told us. However, as my friend and I walked back to our hotel at night, I suddenly remembered that Chicago is also known for it’s crime and it’s gangsters, so I was really glad to have him by my side and not being alone in this city.

Sunday, the 14th of January

On Saturday, we wanted to see a bit more of Chicago, so we bought a day pass for the Chicago subway which is, by the way, really old. So we had the opportunity to see a lot of Chicago without having to walk too much. We went to the Buckingham Fountain, to Chinatown, to the Hancock Observatory and the Bahá’í Temple. My favorite place was the Hancock Observatory, because you have a great view from up there and there are also some funny stuff to do.

Well, actually my friend and I wanted to stay in Chicago until Monday, but we decided just to leave this night because we saw everything we wanted to see and we had no idea what we could do the next day. So we took the bus, which left at midnight and both of us were really happy to go back to Canada and the beautiful Toronto.

I have to admit, that this trip really changed my opinion about some things. Before I went to Chicago, I always said that Toronto sucks, but now I’m convinced that Chicago sucks and on the other side, Toronto is really cool. It has also shown me, that the USA is not at all, as they want us to believe they are. Still, I really enjoyed this trip because I could spend a nice time with my best friend. He made this trip really worthwhile for me.

post By Susann
ESL in Canada intern student from Germany

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A tour guide in Toronto

2007-01-16T18:50:00.000-05:00

A tour guide in Toronto
By Sayaka Sawa

I’d like to tell my experience about welcoming my family from Japan to Toronto. My mother and younger sister visited me during the Christmas vacation from Dec 24th to Dec 29th. I had to be a tour guide and an interpreter for them. I planned an inexpensive and relaxing tour.

This was my schedule:

December 24th (first day):
Their flight arrived at Toronto around 3pm. When I went to the airport they told me the wrong gate, so it took some time to meet them. Luckily I told them my cell phone number, so it was helpful. We used the TTC to travel to my host family’s house. My mom and sister stayed there with me. I really thanked my host family for inviting my family to stay. We went to the CN tower the first night but it closed early because it was Christmas Eve.

December 25th (Second day):
Relaxing day. My family was tired because of the long flight from Japan. We woke up at noon and exchanged Christmas presents with my host family. It was fun! On Christmas day, everything was closed in the town. So we went to see things where we can enjoy the outward appearances like City Hall, Casa Loma and the U of Toronto and tried a street hotdog.

December 26th and 27th (Third and fourth day):
Niagara falls two-day trip. I used the “Casino bus” to get to Niagara Falls. The casino bus costs $5 for two ways. (If you’re interested in, I can tell you their phone number.) We really enjoyed Niagara Falls sightseeing. We went to the I-MAX theatre, Behind the Falls tour, Rainbow Bridge and Clifton Hill, etc. We didn’t forget to go shopping, too. We went to the USA outlet shops across the Niagara Bridge to the USA and my mother bought me a MP3 and a lot of clothes. I was happy. We stayed at the Backpackers hostel for $22 per person including breakfast and tax. It was a cozy and nice place.

December 28th (fifth day):
In the morning we went to Harbourfront Center for ice-skating. There were only a few people there so we could enjoy it. After lunch we walked around Union station, then went to the Eaton Center for shopping. I got a new coat there. This night we cooked Japanese food for my host family.

December 29th (sixth day):
I took my family to the airport and said goodbye. They didn’t use a lot of money in Toronto, so they gave me all money they had left, which was great.

Our Suggestions for Family Tour Guides

The TTC weekly pass and day pass are very useful for short stay travellers. You can choose the one that fits your plan. If you go to airport to pick up someone, I recommend that you bring a weekly or day pass for him or her because they usually don’t have coins.

Especially during holiday seasons it’s better to make it sure that the attractions are open. Even though you can check on the web, you had better make a call, because sometimes they don’t update.

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I love to teach students visiting Toronto

2007-01-12T11:51:00.000-05:00

I love to teach students visiting Toronto.

It gives me an opportunity to use lots of Realia in the classroom.

My favourite realia is using Maps to Teach English.

Maps offer ESL teachers with a wonderful format for teaching.

Teachers can teach basic math terms for scale and distance.
Teachers can also teach spatial relationships and even ratios.
Adding time and speed components allows for lots of applications
for students to plan trips and calculate each section.

Maps can indicate three dimensional components. Students can learn
terms about height and depth as well as composition.
Resources Maps can indicate agriculture, forests and minerals.
Land use maps allows for explanations about parks, preserves and
the effects of urbanization.

My students love to use the free Ontario Driving maps and use
the distance cross references to calculate driving times. I
pass out about 100 of the Ontario travel brochures that promote
Niagara Falls, Algonquin Park, Elora Gorge, Museums, festivals,
boat cruises, canoe trips, camping adventures and the other 90
wonderful things students can do while visiting Toronto. Students
can pick two or three locations and use the maps to plan the trip.

The students want to see their favourite attractions or activities
or events. When you provide the information and maps the students
will learn an amazing amount of English motivated by their interests.

Teachers can go to the Ontario Ministry of Tourism for free maps. The
staff are very helpful and can provide almost everything that you
need.

For more teaching info:
http://www.eslincanada.com/learnfrommaps.html

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Canada FAQ's

2007-01-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

Canada FAQ's

The name “Canada” is believed to derive from an Iroquois term meaning village. Canada is the worlds second-largest country, eclipsed only by Russia. Canada's north boundary is the Arctic Ocean, the north-east boundary is Baffin Bay and Davis Strait, the east boundary is the Atlantic Ocean, the west boundary is the Pacific Ocean and the south borders the United States and Alaska to the north-west.

Canada contains an abundance of natural resources: timber, petroleum, natural gas, metallic minerals, precious gems, industrial minerals and fisheries. Canada has large areas of fertile, flat land across the Prairie provinces and surrounding the Great Lakes and St Lawrence River basin. Only 5 per cent of Canada's land is suitable for farming. Farming employs about 3 per cent of the population with about 280,000 farms. Wheat is the most important single crop, and Canada's produces about 16 per cent of the world's supply. Forests cover about 49 per cent of Canada's land area, about 4.2 million square km or 1.6 million square miles.

Canada contains more fresh water lakes and inland waters than any other country in the world. In addition to the Great Lakes shared with the US, Canada has 31 lakes more than 1,300 sq km (500 sq mi) in area. The are several great rivers in Canada. The St Lawrence drains the Great Lakes and flows into the Gulf of St Lawrence. The Saskatchewan flows into Lake Winnipeg and the Nelson flows from Lake Winnipeg into Hudson Bay. The Athabascan, Peace, Slave, and Mackenzie Rivers merge and flow north into the Arctic Ocean. The Fraser and the Columbia rivers both flow west into the Pacific Ocean.

Tourism is one of the leading industries in Canada. Every year Canada is visited by over 45 million tourists. About 730,000 square km or 282,000 square miles of scenic areas have been preserved in the natural state for use as national, marine, and provincial parks. The world-famous Jasper, Banff and Algonquin parks receives more than 10 million visitors annually.

Canada's major cities are Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Ottawa. The major cities are distribution centers for exports and local manufacturing.

Most of Canada’s inhabitants live in the southern part of the country, and vast areas of the north are sparsely inhabited. The population of Canada is 32,507,874 (2004 estimate), compared with 27,296,859 during the 1991 census. The indigenous people of Canada who are officially designated the First Nations, are divided into nearly 600 groups, or bands and make up nearly 2 per cent of Canada’s population. The racial and ethnic make-up of the Canadian people is diverse with 34 per cent of the population composed of people of British or part-British origin and 27 per cent French or part-French origin, the Asian immigrants are 16 per cent, and the remainder of the population is composed of people of various ethnic origins, such as German, Italian, Ukrainian, Dutch, Scandinavian, Polish, Hungarian and Greek.

Education is compulsory for children from ages 6 to 16, and it is free until the completion of secondary school studies. Canada has more than 16,000 elementary and secondary schools, with a total enrollment of nearly 5.3 million pupils. Canada has 69 degree-granting universities and colleges with over 500,000 full-time students. Canada's larger universities are: the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Manitoba, University of Moncton, University of New Brunswick, Memorial University, Acadia University, Dalhousie University, Carleton University, McMaster University, University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, York University, University of Prince Edward Island, Concordia University, Laval University, McGill University, University of Montreal, University of Quebec, and the University of Saskatchewan.

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