Touring Montral An Easy Bilingual Story

Check out this easy learn French in context story  about  touring the bilingual city of Montrà ©al, in Quà ©bec, Canada. Visiting Montreal Si on veut parler francÃŒ §ais sans partir d’AmeÃŒ rique du Nord, il ny a pas dendroit meilleur que la province de QueÃŒ bec. Pendant un seÃŒ jour de ​troisnuitsaÌ€ MontreÃŒ al il y a plusieurs anneÃŒ es avec ma femme et nos deux ados, nous avons deÃŒ couvert aÌ€ notre grande surprise une ville qui est vraiment bilingue. Cest un site parfait pour pratiquer son francÃŒ §ais. (Voyez ce dialogue en franà §ais quà ©bà ©cois pour vous amuser un peu) If one wants to speak French without leaving North America, there is no better place than the province of Quà ©bec. During a stay of 3 nights in Montreal several years ago with my wife and our two teenagers, we discovered to our great surprise a city that is truly bilingual. It’s a perfect place to practice French. (See this dialog in Quebecois French to have a bit of fun). Pendant notre premià ¨re aprà ¨s-midi, nous sommes entrà ©s dans un petit restaurant italien, qui à ©tait trà ¨s accueillant et charmant, pour dà ©jeuner. Quand la serveuse est venue à   notre table pour prendre notre commande, mon fils et moi l’avons saluà ©e en franà §ais et ma femme et ma fille l’ont saluà ©e en anglais. Elle nous a demandà © si nous prà ©fà ©rions qu’elle nous parle en franà §ais ou en anglais. Je lui ai rà ©pondu que mon fils et moi prà ©fà ©rions parler en franà §ais mais que les autres prà ©fà ©raient parler en anglais. La serveuse a ri et nous a dit  « oui, bien sà »r  » et elle a fait exactement à §a pendant le reste du repas. During our first afternoon, we entered a small Italian restaurant that was very inviting and charming for lunch. When the server came to our table to take our order, my son and I greeted her in French and my wife and daughter greeted her in English. She asked us if we preferred that she speak to us in French or in English. I responded to her that my son and I preferred to speak French but the others preferred to speak English. She laughed and said, â€Å"Yes, of course†, and she did exactly that during the rest of the meal. Avec de nombreux musà ©es merveilleux, des parcs et des jardins abondants, et des bà ¢timents historiques, il y a beaucoup de choses à   voir et à   faire à   Montrà ©al. Mais, un des sites qui à ©tait trà ¨s intà ©ressant pour nous à ©tait l’ancien site des Jeux olympiques d’à ©tà © de 1976. Il y a un arrà ªt de mà ©tro prà ¨s du parc olympique et nous somme sorti du mà ©tro là  -bas. With numerous wonderful museums, abundant parks and gardens, and historic buildings, there is much to see and do in Montreal. But one of the places that was very interesting to us was the former site of the summer Olympic Games of 1976. There is a metro stop near the Olympic park and we got off the metro there. L’ancien stade olympique est le plus grand du Canada. Son architecture est vraiment unique et on est immà ©diatement frappà © par la tour imposante qui le surplombe et qui soutient partiellement le toit. On peut monter au sommet de la tour par un funiculaire et accà ©der à   un observatoire. De là  , on a une vue à ©poustouflante du centre-ville et des environs de Montrà ©al. The former Olympic stadium is the largest in Canada. Its architecture is truly unique and one is immediately struck by the imposing tower which overlooks it and which partially supports the roof. One can go up to the summit of the tower by a funicular and reach a vantage point. There, one has an astounding view of Montreal’s downtown and the surrounding area. Aprà ¨s notre descente de la tour, nous nous sommes promenà ©s dans les jardins botaniques, l’insectarium, le biodà ´me et d’autres attractions. L’exhibition des pingouins dans le biodà ´me à ©tait probablement notre favorite et elle vaut à   elle seule le dà ©placement ! After our descent from the tower, we wandered through the botanical gardens, the insectarium, the biodome, and some other attractions. The penguins’ exhibition in the biodome was probably our favorite and it is worth a trip itself! Plus tard, en cherchant quelque part à   manger, nous sommes tombà ©s sur un resto qui faisait la promotion de plus de cinquante varià ©tà ©s de poutine. Nous n’avions jamais entendu parler de la poutine. C’est un plat de frites qui sont couvertes de fromage ou de sauce ou de quoi que ce soit le chef dà ©cide de mettre dessus. Nous avons essayà © plusieurs varià ©tà ©s de poutine et nous les avons trouvà ©es copieuses, originales, et c’à ©tait amusant de manger un truc absolument quà ©bà ©cois (bien que trà ¨s touristique). Later, while looking for somewhere to eat, we stumbled upon a restaurant which offered more than 50 varieties of poutine. We had never heard of poutine. It is a plate of French fries which are covered with cheese, sauce, or whatever the chef decides to put on top. We tried several varieties of poutine and found it very hearty, original, and it was fun to eat something absolutely Quà ©bà ©cois (although very touristy).

Good And Evil In Rudolfo Anayas Bless Me Utiima - 1116 Words

Revenge is often a prominent element present in numerous plots. Characters like Heathcliff or Chillingworth have sought retribution in the strongest ways against those who have wronged them. In Rudolfo Anaya’s novel Bless Me Ultima the concept of revenge also plays a hefty role. Through the eyes of Antonio, a young boy who starts making inquiries about the world, the audience can make a connection between the forces of good and evil. In order to show that life is more complicated than the two categories, Anaya uses the contrasts of the characters Ultima and Tenorio in a battle of revenge to show that the line between good and evil does not always exist. In the novel, the character Ultima was overall considered good by Antonio; however,†¦show more content†¦(Anaya 134). Ultima takes the saying â€Å"eye for an eye† quote quite literal. That being said, this goes back to Antonio’s grasp on forgiveness. If Ultima was purely good, she would not have taken revenge on the Trementios. She played the part of karma herself, which then spiraled into more hate between Ultima and Tenorio. In contrast to Ultima, Tenorio is often regarded as evil without the need for much thought. After murdering Narciso, Tenorio did not receive a kind penalty for his actions. The townspeople simply dismissed Narciso’s death because he â€Å"was the town drunk† so he â€Å"had died during one of his drinks† (Anaya 177). Due to this character, Antonio realized that life is not always fair. From Antonio’s perspective, Tenorio did not deserve forgiveness for killing Narciso. Antonio became biased for obvious reasons; however, he overlooked the justification for Tenorio’s forgiveness. Like Narciso, the deaths of Tenorio’s daughters were left unpunished. Tenorio was also described as â€Å"an evil man† by Antonio’s mother before his character was properly introduced (Anaya 89). Despite labeling him that, an explanation for why he is evil is never provided by her. Tenorio was called evil, but for what reasons? Is it just simply because he is in a family of witches? While his actions can register as wicked, his intentions for revenge against Ultima are regarded as good. Ultima was responsible for why â€Å"Tenorio’s daughter died† because of â€Å"Ultima’s

Thoreau, New Mexico Report Free Essays

Kaitlyn Willett Thoreau, New Mexico City Report Practically all residents pronounce the town’s name like â€Å"thuh-roo† (similar to â€Å"through† or â€Å"threw†) and definitely not like â€Å"thorough† or â€Å"throw. † Thoreau lies along Interstate 40 and the historic U. S. We will write a custom essay sample on Thoreau, New Mexico Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now Route 66. The climate in Thoreau is desert, with sparse vegetation typical of the region. Common plants include pinyon pine and juniper trees, sagebrush, tumbleweeds, and some short, sparse grasses. Summers are relatively mild, due to Thoreau’s high elevation and persistently low humidity. Cold, persistent, very high winds are common in spring, usually through much of the month of March. Thoreau supports three public schools in the Gallup-McKinley County Public School District. The public school mascot is the hawk, and the school colors are green and gold. In addition to the Navajo traditional beliefs (medicine men and Native American church) the Saint Bonaventure Catholic mission and several Protestant denominations are also active in Thoreau, including Baptists, Latter Day Saints (Mormons), Church of Christ, Church of God, and some independent congregations. The Native American culture and history is strong in Thoreau. The Navajo Nation operates a Chapter House here, and many Navajo residents speak their native language. Thoreau is a local trading center for artisans including rug weaving, sand painting, silver making, pottery making, and turquoise jewelry making. Anasazi archaeological sites connecting with Chaco Canyon can be found in and around the town. In Thoreau, there are only 73. 7% American Indians, 13. 3% Hispanic, and 12. 9% White. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,863 people, 532 households, and 405 families. Thoreau is your typical western setting. Hot days, cold nights, and lots of sand. Rattlesnakes and lizards are commonly found just about everywhere so you have to watch your every step. Though it gets pretty hot, the wind there will knock you down. History is all throughout Thoreau. It is home to the Navajo Indians and once to the Pueblos. The Pueblo Indian ruins are found in Chaco canyon and many are still standing. But how did the Navajo make their way to New Mexico? Starting in the spring of 1864, around 9,000 Navajo men, women and children were forced on The Long Walk of over 300 miles to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. It was a failure for a combination of reasons. It was designed to supply water, wood, supplies, and livestock for 4,000–5,000 people; it had one kind of crop failure after another; other tribes and civilians were able to raid the Navajo; and a small group of Apaches had been moved there. In 1868, a treaty was negotiated that allowed the surviving Navajos to return to a reservation that was a portion of their former nation. I bet almost everyone in here has never in their life heard of Thoreau, New Mexico. But though it is not commonly heard of, it is full of history and culture. To the Navajo Indians to the huge red mountains and cliffs, it is a town worth visiting. How to cite Thoreau, New Mexico Report, Essay examples

Reflection on Cultural Awareness for Intercultural Communications

Question: Discuss about theReflection on Cultural Awareness for Intercultural Communications. Answer: The saying that Fish without water often goes for individual who finds himself or herself in a situation where he should not be present or where he is very much uncomfortable to exist. A fish only lives in water and this is its obvious place to survive. When an individual remains in the place where he should be present in his comfort zone, it may be said that he is a fish who is living at his best place that is in water. However when he is not in the place where he is accustomed to, he may feel himself a fish who is taken out of the water that is out of his place where he is accustomed to. When I joined the Australian firm for internship, I had the same feeling where I felt that I had been taken out of my comfort zone from among the known faces and similar culture to that of unknown faces with different culture. From my learning on intercultural communications and theories, I had developed an idea about how cultural conflicts arise and how different person have biases towards another culture. A similar experience I also faced in the new firm. As I was from an Asian background, we follow totally different forms of greetings and biding goodbyes which were not at all liked by the Australian colleagues of the new firm. They made fun of the ways how I talked and conducted my activities. Some of them also showed biasness towards my culture which made me feel agitated. The Australian culture of workplace management was quite different as the environment was more informal which did not match with the work styles followed by Asian. Moreover I was also unable to understand their working cultural traditions and preferences as there was no one to guide me. However, my theories that I learnt in my university helped me a lot. I understood that I have to be open minded enough to respect other cultures and at the same time show my adaptability skills to match with the new environment. Two important components I have to incorporate is being aware of my own cultural traditions and preferences consciously and at the same time gather knowledge about the cultural preferences and inhibitions of the employees of the Australian firm. I have to be flexible enough to come out form my insecurity zones as feeling a fish out of the water would never help me to overcome the barrier of culture and emerge successful. Rather, I should try to use my communication skills effectively with the proper body language that Australians use and try to be one of them for effective team membership. This flexibility would make me feel respected where they would also try their best to develop ideas about my culture (Forehand Kotchick, 2017). I also had certain biasness towards their culture as I thought them to be casual with their behaviors with their employees which is not accepted in Asian firms. Rather, I tried to find its positive side and understood that it has a good benefit. This attitude helps in proper relationship building between individuals and helps in maintaining a transparency which increases effective communication and hence productivity. Asians are much formal with their approach and do not maintain such transparency which often results in development of negative feelings (Purnell, 2016). Hence, I decided to look towards the brighter idea to adapt to the new surrounding so that I do not feel fish out of the water anymore. A similar experience was faced by me and my friend who had come to the nation of Australian for completing out higher education in business management. He was of the Islamic background and belonged to the Kashmir region of India. He had his own set of traditions where he had to maintain certain outlook according to the need of his religious beliefs. On the first day of the university, he had faced certain biasness form some of the Australian students in the university. During a conversation with them, they made fun of his long beard and his sense of dressing irrespective of trying to understand his cultural traditions. Not only that, an Australian student also asked him from which country he came from. When he replied India, they made remark that Muslims usually come from Pakistan. This not only reflected their limited knowledge about other cultures, traditions, geography and demography but also showed their insensitive nature to make such remark (Ferraro Briody, 2017). This had aff ected my friends emotions and he felt broken down. Such situations are common occurrences in every nation in workplaces, study places sand others. In such scenario, it becomes extremely important for any individual coming to a new nation to develop a mind set of facing different biasness and preconceptions. Rather than feeling agitated or emotionally affected, he should take the opportunity to explain his cultural traditions and preferences with pride and polite way so that the opposite people can identify his own mistakes (Spencer, 2013). Developing the value that a person with other cultural traditions would be less knowledgeable about the individual is important as that will lead to less negative feelings and more strength of empowerment. The video showed a similar situation where the English men had preconceptions about the Korean women just from her appearance although she was born and brought up in San Diego and spoke perfect English. One should be positive about such situatio n and explain the opposite person about the cultural traditions and inhibitions to make him aware. This form of transparency should be adapted by every individual not only them who travel to new nations but also among individuals of the host country so that the reflection of human emotions and tenderness can be exhibited (Ang Van Dyne, 2015). Development of proper intercultural communication skills, self regulation, self awareness about cultural traditions, and adaptability to new culture, sensitivity while talking with people form opposite cultures and similar should be practiced by both the individuals coming from other backgrounds and that of the same host country. All these would ensure higher productivity at workplace, development of strong bonds among team members and a smooth workflow without any conflicts and negative feelings (Pedersen et al., 2015). I once had a chance of interacting with one of my friends father when I visited her place for studying together for our projects. As she was not in her place, I had to wait and during this time I had a chance of interacting with her father. After a short introduction, we soon entered into some serious discussion out of which the significant part of the transcripts is depicted: Sarahs father: When I travelled to your country, I had a weird experience. All the brown people there were staring at my wife as they have never seen women in their lives. Probably, they might have not seen white skin before. Me: It is really a bad experience of you, I must say. Sarahs father: Yes, I came to know form a friend of mine there that men there are not comfortable there to see their wives working. That is really not a good one as men there dominate women. Me: however, our cultural traditions had long supported such system. However, women are now trying to break the barriers and emerging out with good education, career and independent lives Sarahs father: It sounds good but I doubt as gender biasness have been huge issues in your country. Me: with the passage of time, our country is progressing Sarahs father: one interesting thing that was quite funny was how you people touch others foot when you meet. That is really unhygienic. Me: we mainly do it as a matter of showing respect to the elders Sarahs father: That is quite funny and how you say Namaste with flowers and incense sticks who on earth would do that? Me: each and every country has traditions that are set by ancestors and we respect our culture the way it is. From the entire discussion, I felt quite agitated as Sarah father named Mr. Greens conversations reflected he cultural preconceptions that he harbored within himself. He had developed some notions form certain experiences which he had applied to the entire nation of my country. He was insensitive in his approach and his statements made me develop the feeling of otherness as his comments made distinctions between our culture and Australian culture. Gender biasness was stated by him as a factor which is no more a concern in our country as women are now taking on education and career with the same length as their male counterparts. His idea thereby reflected a preconceived notion of our culture which no longer hold true. However, a mockery was noted in his acceptance of the fact. Moreover he also made fun of the cultural traditions of greetings elders in our country. He is actually not sensitive but impolite in his comments as he should have the idea about how to put sensitive things in a polished way. Moreover racism was noted in his speech when he used words like brown people. Therefore a strong sense of otherness was felt. However, the remarks which are made should never be put in such unskilled way (Tomalin Stempleski, 2013). If an individual is really curious about other cultures, he should develop the skill to put it in a sensitive way at the same time of respecting the culture of the positive aspects and wanting to know the main rationale behind the tradition rather than making fun of them (Katan, 2014). References: Ang, S., Van Dyne, L. (2015).Handbook of cultural intelligence. Routledge. Ferraro, G. P., Briody, E. K. (2017).The cultural dimension of global business. Taylor Francis. Forehand, R., Kotchick, B. A. (2016). Cultural Diversity: A Wake-Up Call for Parent TrainingRepublished Article.Behavior therapy,47(6), 981-992. Katan, D. (2014).Translating cultures: An introduction for translators, interpreters and mediators. Routledge. Pedersen, P. B., Lonner, W. J., Draguns, J. G., Trimble, J. E., Scharron-del Rio, M. R. (Eds.). (2015).Counseling across cultures. Sage. Purnell, L. (2016). Are we really measuring cultural competence?.Nursing science quarterly,29(2), 124-127. Spencer, M. B. (2013). Cultural cognition and social cognition as identity correlates of Black children's personal-social development.MJ Peebles-Kleiger, Beginnings: The Art and Science of Planning Psychotherapy, 215-260. Tomalin, B., Stempleski, S. (2013).Cultural Awareness-Resource Books for Teachers. Oxford University Press.