Topic reflections on homeland and ethnic origins: Mexico

I was born in Mexico, which has different festivities and celebrations around the year. I miss be part of it. To me is more difficult to follow our traditions living in Canada, however we try it. One of the most important celebration is in November 2^nd named Day of Dead.

Day of Dead is a celebration dated before the Spanish conquer came to Mexico, around 500 years ago. This day is to honor our death ancestors. Some places and some families follow this tradition in different way, however they have always something in common. The Altar.

The Altar can be small  or  big. One of its characteristics is made it dedicated to one or more people dead. Depends where it is located, for example in a house it can be to the parents, siblings or any other relative. Like this one.

In the School or other public space could be to someone famous as an artist, painter, writer or historic personage. Look this one for Juan Gabriel (famous Mexican singer)

The altar at least most have:

·        Candle – It is the guide for the souls to come to the altar. It can be with the image of  any Saint, Virgin Marie or not.

·    Pan de muertos – Spanish bread  eaten traditionally in these days

·        Tamales and other food that they enjoyed when they were alive. It is a dish made from Corn Flour wrapped with corn leaves.

• Cempasuchil flower. This colorful flower will show the way to the death too. Look and Mexican woman harvest in Puebla state in the back the Popocatepetl volcano.

 

• Calaveras de azucar – Sugar Skulls. It remembers the death is our final destination.

• Glass of water. To the thirsty souls.

Finally, each altar can have toys if it is for a kid. Tequila, liquor or cigarettes if the person liked to drink. If the family is devote to any Saint or virgin, they will place that image close to a cross.

This tradition help to keep the memory of our people dead alive and close to us. It is an amazing time to spend around family and friends. To  have those pictures make me  feel more close to my homeland. 

Self-assessment: 

Writing this reflections help to express the Mexican culture in English. This work kept to me attentive to reach vocabulary that in my normal life I don't use. 

Reflections:

Good to have homework with different topics that it may increase our English vocabulary.

Discovering the Laurentians

Version 1

Original version with all the mistakes highlighter on red.

Version 2

Version with all the corrections.

The Laurentians or Laurentides is a Quebec region, it has been named as four season destination. I  really believe that too. 

What happens when you live in Canada? You would discover the same places several times because each place offers different views depending on each season. That means if you go in the summer time you won't see the same landscape that you will see if you go in the fall. That is what happened to me.What happens when you live in Canada? You would discover the same places several times because each place offers different views depending on each season. That means if you go in the summer time you won't see the same landscape that you will see if you go in the fall. That is what happened to me.

Look at Lac Morency in the Laurentians region two summers ago. That summer we spent time kayaking, hiking and playing tennis. It was a perfect gift from Mother Nature after a long and cold winter.

This year we decided to go in the fall season to have the same opportunity to enjoy it, to have another perspective of this place. The result was just spectacular.

Walking through the woods gave me again the opportunity to spend time recharging energy with each step in the magical fall colours.

However, this time we decided to go up to the North of Lac Morency, to the Mont-Tremblant area, which has been named the #1 ski resort in Eastern North America by Ski Magazine for the last 18 years. Believe it or not, it was for me finally a dream come true. My expectations were not disappointed; the place is gorgeous.

You never know when will be the next time I will set my eyes on this place.

Self-assessment: 
It has been a great opportunity to express in English my vacations in this area, but I spent a few hours trying to do it nice an clear.

Reflections:
When I finish my text,  I believed  it was a good one however it was corrected a lot. I have to work more in prepositions and practice to improve my writing skills.

1. Listen to a class presentation to take notes of the main ideas and supporting details in order to prepare for an exam.

Listen to this audio clip, and outline using logical main points as well as sub points

                                                      How to prepare for an exam

1.  Some of the reasons we have so much trouble remembering things for a test even we study
   - We Get Nervous
   - We don't often leave our self time to prepare for a test


2. Some thing that we can do to reduce  anxiety during testing:
   - Practice some emergency Technics to reduce anxiety
       - Take deep breaths
       - Count backwards until 20
       - Doing visualizations, imaging things peaceful to be calm and relax


3.- Specific things parents can do to help the kids to be prepared for a test
     1.- Teach them good testing habits
     2.- Sleeping well
     3.- Eating well
     4.- Dealing with stress effectively
     5.- Organizing study time. Built in the schedule 30 minutes each night preparing for the test

4.- High School cramming the information
     - Problem with that is we can overwhelm our brain
     - Some times is too much information to really effectively keep track up
     - What we really we need to know for that test
     -  Place some limits that really you need to retain



Self-assessment: 
It was necessary to hear many times the audio to be able to create a list with the principal points.


Reflections:
I must to do more exercises like this to improve my listening but most important how to write down the ideas listened.

Our first days on Canada

My family and I arrived to Canada on August several years ago, when was celebrated New Brunswick Day. We landed in Fredericton, New Brunswick's capital.

We called to taxi's service by phone because there was not any cab at the airport, big surprise for us, because we thought would be taxis in line waiting for passengers as we saw in others places.

Finally on the way to reach our bed and Breakfast, we were expecting to see all kind of celebrations around the city, but we saw closed the business and not people in the streets, we were not prepared to see that place very calm and quite. We know, we came a small city but we didn't expect to see that.

The B&B's owners were very nice and polite with us, it was a good decision to stay at that place. Finally not more long nights packing , finally sleep!!! anxious for the future but already in our new country Canada!

At the second day we had an appointment with the multicultural association to be introduced with the city and its services.Now we knew which one will be our next step. We decided to take a bus to go to Saint John where it was always our first choice to be in, when we applied as Permanent resident.

When we arrived in Saint John was a nice lady waiting for us that we met before by internet and we kept in touch for a long time. She offered us space at her home until we get a place to stay, incredible but next day it was possible to have an apartment with furniture for one week for a good price, it was in the uptown, my favorite time over there was when I could hear the horns of the cruise ships and see the seagulls flying in a foggy day. Beautiful scenario.

Few days after that we had a contract for a long term department and now it was the time to start to furnish our new place.

Thanks to God my husband got and started a job just one month after we came to Canada. We learn that is true when you are in the correct place in the correct moment, We are now part of that saying!