Monday, April 16, 2007

Thank you

I also want to say thank you to all our instructors.
To Scott who managed to turn borring grammar and writing into wonderful subject.
To Dr. Sengupta who brillianty taught the students not only reading and comprehension, but also how to survive in future at the University.
To Pam whose soft voice with mild British pronunciation sounded like a lullaby especially during quizes.
My special gratitude to Mrs. Gordon.
Mrs. Gordon was the first person I met at the University. She accepted me to the LEAP program and provided with moral support which I really needed at that time.
Thank you very much.
I wish the LEAP program prosperity and successful future.
Yulia.

Friday, April 6, 2007

Paskha Means Easter

On coming Sunday the Russian Orthodox Church is celebrating its most important Holiday - Paskha (Easter). It's realy symbolic that my last blog is devoted to Russian Easter. The last week before Paskha Russians call Holy Week. Each day of this week has its own meaning reflecting the last days of God' s life on the Earth. This week on Thursday the special service is performed in the Church when Russian Christians can ask for forgiveness, confess in their sins and recieve communion, and with the pure conscience start preparing to meet Paskha. Paskha is also a dessert, a sort of cheesecake, which is traditionally eaten on Easter. The word "pasqua" is actually of Jewish origin, meaning passing with Christ to the other life, or deliverance from death. The Russian Easter church service starts the night before. According to the ritual all Christians when meet each other during 40 days after Easter say: "Khristos voskrese!" ( Christ is risen!), and the other person answers: " Voistinu voskrese!"( He is risen indeed!). All Paskha week celebratory tables are full of different dishes, including meat, eggs and other items which were forbidden during 48 days of the Lent. For the Easter celebration there are more people in churches than usual. For me Paskha is a new life.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

The Sky and the Mountains in Calgary

Have you ever mentioned that the sky in Calgary each day is different. Though the coulors does not vary so much, but there are enormous amount of shades. And the mountains changes every day, they are not similar. The sky and the mountains live their own live and the city of Calgary does not prevent you from of observing them. On the contrary, in Moscow city dominates: sometimes you could even pay no attention to the sky, you dont see it ( in Calgary it is impossible). I've noticed that in Calgary people usually live in very comfortable but modest houses, in Moscow, especially in the Moscow region they usually built "palaces"which hide the sky.( Unfortunately there are no mountains in Moscow.) Maybe calgarians better than we, moscovites, understand that it is imposible to compete with the beauty of nature; and they dont compete and let us all enjoy the veiw?

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Grades

Today we received the last result of the mid-term exam in writing. When a week ago Scott said that some people had not passed this exam, it made me really nervous. I dont like writing exams because writing is not my strong point. During my previous pedagogicla experience at the Moscow Medical Academy I always wondered how my colleagues managed to put marks to their students. For me it was like a torture because I was young and treated my students as friends. They always asked me to let them go earlier ( especially girls) or to miss the session, and I really could not refuse. (Now I understand that I had problems with boundaries.) It is a very hard job to evaluate the knowledge of a student. Usually they themselves know which mark each of them deserves. In Russia we did not use percentage in grades, but only "excellent", "good", "satisfactory" and "unsatisfactory". When you speak about a future doctor you cannot avoid considering his or her personality, because for common Russian people the personality of a doctor means more that his or her professionalism (though it is wrong). But life is a chalenge, and education is a part of life and you have to compete with the other students. Marks could not be always absolutely fair, but the system of marks must be reasonable, clear and not formal, if only it could be achieved in the real life.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

"The Golden Ring" of Russia


One of the famous tourist route around Moscow is known as "The Golden Ring". This route includes the ancient Russian towns of Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov Velikiy, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Suzdal and Vladimir. They are realy gold because of their role in the development of Russia as a whole state. They survived during the most difficult historical periods of the country. They were conquered by Mongol hords, treacherous neighbors and Polish invaders. They were burnt to ashes but rose up illustrating the strong will of the Russian people
and their faith. These are the pictures of the main Russian Monastery - The Lavra - which is in Sergiev Posad. Among the treasures of the Lavra is the famous icon, "The Trinity", by Andrei Rublev. A lot of pilgrims visit Lavra during a whole year. This is a fine example of a working Orthodox monastery where the services didn't stop even in the Soviet period of militant atheism.
Those who have visited the Monastery could confirm that in reality it is more beautiful and magestic than on the photo.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

A Room with a View


It's so hard for me to start writing the essay, that as an excuse I am writing blogs one after another. Yesterday, when I was dreaming about dreams, I suddenly recollected my life in Moscow and started to compare it with my local life. They differ in the same way as the two pictures above. I am so happy to stay in Canada, that I dont even pay attention to the problems that I have, though they are very serious, and I really haven't decided yet how I will solve them. No, of course, I know the way I have to pass to reach the goal, however, there is no garantee that I' ll succed. My decision to study English at the University was absolutely right ( thank you very much for the Faculty of Education, that you have accepted me), on the other hand it occupies all my time and I have to postpone my medical exams, because it is useless to try passing them not being well prepared. On the third hand ( or leg) when I first started reading this "holly cow" "Toronto Notes" I was shocked, because of a great amount of new words and terms. I was sure that I would have never learned them ( I mean in English). Now the process is going unexpectedly fast, (thank you very much for the LEAP program). Maybe the next presentation I will devote totally to the medical aspects, like analys of electrocardiogram or examination of the patient with jaundice.
As far as above pictures are concerned, these are the views from My windows in Moscow and in Calgary.

My favourite Cat







Here is my Cat. I loved him so much. He was very clever and funny. He was like a member of the family. We called him Chuck. It was my first experience with pets. I was not going to buy anyone, but Chuck was a gift from our friends. He was red persian and had a special sign on his forehead reminding the letter "M"(the first letter of my family name). So we considered that he owned the same family name as we did. He was loyal to us as a dog despite the fact tha he was a cat. He met us at the door every day when we returned from work, woke us up in the morning instead of an alarm clock. He played with my son and was cordial towards all new people. He was always in good mood and never complaint.
He survived in the fire when our country house was burnt but caught a cold ( in was winter) and veterinarians could not save him. I still feel guilty for being not able to help him. Since that time I have some special attitude towards cats, espessially if they are persians or red.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

The Send-off to the Winter

In Russia we have a very old tradition to selebrate the send-off to the Winter. This Holyday is called "Maslennitca" and it lasts during a whole week. It started last Monday and will end this Sunday. This week must be spent in merrioment and joy. Each day Russian family usually bakes special flat round pan- cakes, which we call "blin"s and eat them with sourecream and jam or red/black caviar. All days of this week have their special name , but I dont remember what. "Maslennitca" dates back to the ancient Russian history and was set by pagans long before the Russian Christianity. This Holyday is so popular among Russian people, that it is supported by the local authorities. In Moscow, for example, on Sunday, the last day of the Holyday, they arrage a perfomance on the Red Square near the Kremlin . A lot of moscovites come to visit it. It is almost an obligation for all Moscow restaurants to send their cooks to the central squares and parks where people selebrate the Holyday to bake "blin"s on transportable ovens and sell them to the public. Some more details I will tell you tomorrow while speaking for 3 minutes during our Listening/ Speaking session. Yulia.

Friday, February 2, 2007

Neighbours

What is the right way to get acquainted with your neighbours? In Russia you may live for many years not being aware who lives next to your door. If you have a private house with a high fence ( about 3 meters) around it, you could not even see your neighbours. In Calgary it is impossible. You meet your neighbours every day in the morning, especially if it is snowing and you have to shovel the path or your driveway. You greet them, they answer. You feel that they want to ask you something but do not do it first. I asked some of my local friends about a procedure. Nobody knows if there is something special. Is it possible to invite them for a cup of tea or they will consider it to be a little bit strange or worse. I wonder, if you could give me an advice how to behave. What customs and traditions do you have in your countries on that point.
Yulia

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Hi all.
I am happy, my computer is in order.
Do you like Calgary and people who live there? I do. It seems to me that one might feel something special about the local life. How it could happen that people here in Calgary are not absolutely aggressive? They respect each other, are always ready to help. They are patient in lines both in a bank or in the Superstore. They dont press you when you are driving not so confidently and never try to teach you. Such behaviour is really amazing, because the world around us is very competetive. Whay makes them so benevolent and supportive?
I wonder if somebody could express your opinion about this question.
Yulia.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Hi all,
This year I got a chance to visit the Christmas party in the elementary school and kindergarden. It was th event, which I have never seen in my life. I am from Russia. We have a long lasting tradition to arrange New Year parties for children and teenages. During school winter hollidays all Moscow theatres and concerthall host children, but it is very formal. The party I saw in Calgary school was different. The large sport hall was full of children and their parents and grandparents. There was a large scene, decorated lire in the reak theatre. Scenic Acres School im association with Trickster Theatre presented the play " Celebration Around the World". Boys and girl were playing as real professional. They played together with nthe actors. Fathermore, some parents (fathers) were also involved in the play. Itg was a surprised. None of them refused to participate. All the audience was absolutely happy. It was fantastic.
I wonder if anybody, who possilbly read this post could say a few words about Christmas party at school in their countries?
Yulia

Friday, January 19, 2007

Hi all,
I'like to express my opinion abuot local places of interest. Since I have come fron MOscow<> who immigrated from Russia feel lack of cultural life. But at the same time they substitute it by sports, visiting friends and travelling through out the world.
LEAP program is a key toeducation and job in Calgary. It is not easy to get ther< and to study< but but the goal could be achieved if you work hard, Your home task occupies all your spare tome< you cant even go for a work, speak to your frieds, read booeks, etc, You have to be devoted to the LEAP program. The first week in the program was very hard, Bur I was surprised to find out that even after fiove days my oral Engkish speech became more fluent. Now I am tinking how to do two things together: to read the manuels for the Leap programm and to examine the :Toronto Notes? whics are the basis for my medical exams. Some books which were selected in the library,