Cathy Sun: Problems of an Immigrant

When I immigrated to Canada, I faced a really hard time because I had to deal with numerous problems. I have had to find a house to settle down; I have had to buy a car to solve the transportation problem; I have had to deal with new language, new people and new circumstance. The main problem for me is Culture shock. I am trying to overcome this problem in two ways.

I am taking a language course to improve my English. Studying in class with a good teacher is a very effective method to help me in the new language. In this class, I have learned not only a lot of vocabulary, idoms, and grammars but also a lot of skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Also, the teacher has taught me how to learn English effectively in many ways. For instance, he has told me to write new vocabulary on pocket notebooks and review them everyday; he has told me to listen to English audio and repeat it every day; he even has told me to how to do the time management in English study. Furthermore, I could practice English more often when I had an English class.

In class, the teacher has maked serious and efficient plans of English teaching every day. He has been dedicated to teach us a lot of fresh knowledge everyday, covering academy, history, poems,and music among others, and has managed the class time efficiently for us to practice it in class. Moreover, after class, the teacher has given us homeworks to keep practicing English. For instance, he has requests us to read a novel; he has given us some gramma assignments; he has asked us to write essays almost every week. As a result, I can use English more fluently through such practices.

Joining social activities is another approach to conquer Culture shock. Firstly, it can help me to overcome my homesickness. I can make friends when I join social activities. Consequently, I won’t feel so lonely as before. Also, I have gotten used to the new life because I began to like Canadian life through such activities. In addition, I have gotten to know Canadian culture through joining social activities. I have knew Canadian holidays, customs, and lifestyle among others. Meanwhile, I also have knew the different outlook and thoughts of Canadians from my native country.

In conclusion, as an immigrant of Canada, my biggest problem is Culture shock. I am tyring to overcome this problem by taking an English course and joining social activities. After goiong through a period , I will know more about Canada and feel more comfortable with living in Canada.

                                   Cathy Sun

                           Feb 1, 2014

Myunghee Jung: Emotional Intelligence

Recently, I learned about EQ in English class. EQ could categorize with self-awareness, self-control, self-motivation, empathy, people skills.  I guess that some limited people should have a strong EQ at each part but many people are not. I am such a person who is not have strong EQ. What EQ skills do I need to improve on a personal level? I think I need to improve skills such as self-motivation and people skills.

First of all, I need to improve self-motivation.  Since I left my job, I have been beating around the bush without self-motivation. When somebody questioned about  my long- term goals, I cannot answer clearly. The end of last month, I met one counsellor for new immigrants. She asked me, “what are your goals?” I said to her that I would like to work in my previous field or I would like to study for graduate studies. Then, she gave me tons of papers which is I can search on the Internet easily. If I had a strong self-motivation, I probably would tell her the goal what I want to achieve and she might recommend more details which I really want to know.

 In addition, I also have to improve my people skills. Sometimes, I am thinking that I can live very well, even though I don’t have any close friends in Canada. In my personal analysis, I am feeling tired about making new friends and building new relationships. Because I worked in the IT industry, I usually communicated with computers not humans. Besides, I prefer e-mail, text messages than phone calls to reducing miscommunication. I guess if I worked on sales position, I might be well-developed people skills in my past but I have not met many people. So that is why I am not good enough for people skills. For better life, I have to improve EQ skills.

To improve self-motivation, I will narrow down my choices until end of June. To improve people skills, I will have communication in verbal with peoples as possible as I can. It is my minimal plan.; 

Shopping: Mihye Lee(Ann)

Nowadays, customers have a variety of ways to purchase goods such as online and in store. The style of shopping depends on individual preferences. Most people think that shopping online is better than going to shopping centers. However, others think that going to stores enhances the shopping experience and is more enjoyable. There are several advantages of shopping online and in stores.

There are two advantages of shopping online. First of all, it is more convenient than shopping in stores. People do not have to walk around malls all day to find what they are looking for. In addition, they do not have to wait in long lines to pay for their purchases and have the items delivered directly. Therefore, people are able to save time and energy. Secondly, it helps shoppers shop around for the best deals on many items. People can compare the prices of products and buy cheaper ones by shopping online. Moreover, it offers a wide variety of choices to purchaser. As a result, people are able to research for desired items anywhere and can choose the best one.

On the other hand, there are two advantages of shopping in stores. Firstly, customers are likely to receive good customer service. If a product has any problem after shopping in stores, customers can exchange them immediately for another one with taking the receipt and the item back to the store. For instance, when shoppers who buy a cosmetic item have any skin trouble after using it, they can receive full refund or store credit back easily. Secondly, customers in stores tend to be more satisfied than shopping online. They can choose a better quality item by touching and viewing it closely when they buy home furniture, kitchen gadgets, bedding among others. In addition, they are able to purchase clothes which are up-to-date design while they see the fashionable showroom in stores. Therefore, they feel comfortable by shopping in stores.

In conclusion, there are certain advantages of shopping online and in stores. The advantages of shopping online are more convenience and shopping around. On the other hand, the advantages of shopping in stores are good customer service and more satisfaction. In my opinion, shopping online not only is more convenient but also saves time and money. Therefore, the more people shop online, the more comfortable they will be.

Cindy Liu: Shopping Online Vs. In- store

Shopping is a very important part of our daily lives. Everyone has to do shopping almost everyday to keep life going normally. However, different people have different shopping habits. Some people prefer shopping online while others would like to shop in store. Both shopping online and shopping in store have certain advantages.

Some people think that shopping online provides many benefits for them. For one thing, online shopping gives people a lot of convenience. People can do shopping without going out, and they can buy things at home or in office only with a computer, a web and a credit card; furthermore, online stores are convenient, for they are open for 24 hours, and online shoppers can place orders anytime. In addition, people can get lower prices when they shop online. Usually, the costs of online business are low, so the sellers can offer some special online promotions to attract customers. For example, last week I bought a baby stroller online for half price. Finally, people can find a lot of information about online sales products. For example, there are some reviews of products written by people who have bought or used them; moreover, many products are accompanied with introduction videos. It is a good way to share information and show online shoppers how to use those products.

In-store shopping has certain advantages. Firstly, it is easy for buyer to make a decision to buy a product or not; people can touch the product and they can know the quality very well; also they select the right size easily after having a try. Secondly, people can receive the products that they want to buy immediately because in-store shopping has no delivery time. Finally, shopping in store is a form of entertainment. For example, I often ask my friends to go out for shopping on the weekend. It is a very good relaxing activity for us. We walk in the mall, talk a lot and share newest products information; when we feel tired, we go to a café and enjoy some drinks and desserts.

In conclusion, people can get benefits from both of those two different shopping styles. Therefore, I often comparison shop before I make up my mind, especially for some big items. However, I prefer shopping in store because it is easier for me to purchase products; I can know the quality, select the right size and receive directly.

Feng Shui: Daria

Feng shui is a Chineese philosophy about the relationship between humans and their environment. It is the way the environment and people connect.Based on laws of nature,its theories offer a way to understand environment. Feng shui theories came frome logical assumptions about natural causes and effects that endured through time. The idea of Feng shui offers some of the basic concepts that explain its principles.Feng shui has changed from superstitions to a knowledge in a new century and has caused many effects on different aspects of our lives.

Firstly,it has effects on structure of new buildings. For example,good feng shui in the kitchen is very important for obvious reasons. According to good Feng shui, it is the best not to have the kithen close to the front door or to the back door because the feng shui energy can easily escape. Also feng shui concerns staircases.The worst feng shui location of a staircase inside a home is when it is facing the front door for the feng shui energy rushes up quickly, thus leaving the main floor whithout feng shui energy nourishment.

The second effect of feng shui is on how we decorate the furniture. For instance, the biggest and more common feng shui challenge in a modern bedroom is placement of the mirror. According to feng shui , people should not put the mirror facing the bed, for it reflects their picture and causes a sense of panic during the night. Also people should not put the bed in line with any of the doorsin the bedroom. When one's feet are in line with the door, he/she loses their energy at night and their enrgy becomes weaker.

In conclusion,feng shui is a new science that helps people to improve their comfort.

 

The educational system in Canada offers to parents different kinds of education. They have the right to choose the most appropriate education for their children. There are public, private, religious and international schools. Homeschooling is allowed as well, but the regulations vary from province to province. The education of children is one of the responsibilities of parents, and they must think very carefully before they make a decision to withdraw their children from the social learning environment in public school and place them in a homeschool. 

Homeschooling has as many advantages as disadvantages. Speaking of homeschooling, there are certain odds for children and parents. One of the advantages is individual schedule that parents create for needs of their own child. A flexible schedule allows to put an emphasis on certain courses which children are more interested and most successful in. It also allows adding some courses in the home school curriculum. It means that children might study at different levels of the different types of subject. In addition, parents can create a weekly schedule that fits their needs and allows them to do things without the force of a traditional classroom schedule. Finally, many parents know the time of the day when their children may work and learn better. Some children learn best in the morning; some of them in the noon or evening. This fact gives possibility to parents to make the best individual schedule for their homeschooled children. Another advantage of homeschooling is ability to study any time. It helps homeschool families to continue their children’s education at any time. Homeschoolers can learn at home in a relaxed atmosphere, and even vacations might be educational for them. Furthermore, children who are homeschooled may learn out in their community resources such as museums, libraries, business, marines and other resources in order to acquire new skills and knowledge.

At the same time some disadvantages can be crucial for parents who decide to choose homeschooling education for their children. One of the disadvantages of homeschooling is huge amount of work. Firstly, if they want to give a child perfect education, they have to prepare each lesson very accurately and be able to explain new information very clearly and in a understandable manner, especially if the parent is not skilled in some subjects. Secondly, parents still have household duties and chores that usually take a lot of time. They should remember that homeschooling is a full time job. Thirdly, there is no time for parents’ job besides home. Parents have to devote all of their time for home education of their kids if they want to give them quality education. The second disadvantage is social communication of homeschooled children. All kids need to have friends and be around other children or classmates. Some homeschoolers can feel cut off from their peers, especially during the teen years when friendship is very important for children. Besides, children miss the opportunity to learn how to communicate with adults who are not the members of their families and how to build respectful relationship with them.

Parents who decide to teach their children at home have numerous reasons as motivations. They include religious reasons, family reasons, poor learning environment at the school, child’s disability or special needs. If you decided that homeschooling is the best option for your children, you need to do research by internet to know more advantages and disadvantages of that kind of education.

The Computer, Blessing or Curse? By Valentina Volynkina

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Nowadays, it is not possible to imagine our life without computers. People use them all the time and all places. Since the first computer was invented, our life has changed so much. The first computer could occupy whole room or a building and was very slow. Modern computers might perform many complex operations instantly. Anyway, it was a real digital revolution. In my opinion, the computers give people a number of benefits; at the same time, the users can have some health problems if they overuse the computers.

Since we had the opportunity to use the personal computer, we have obtained huge amount of benefits. Above all, the Internet is the best invention, which people can use through the computers. Needless to say, how many possibilities this amazing thing gives us. For instance, the users might search any necessary information by the Internet; they can connect with their relatives, friends or business partners by the Voice services and Social networks; people may share any information with each others: receive and send letters, photos, audio and video, books, documents and one another; besides, the students have capabilities to gain on-line education by using electronic media and information and communication technologies (ICT); shopping and many types of entertainments for different  kinds of customers  are available as well. If the computer users don’t have the Internet for some reasons, they still have other capabilities to do not use the personal computers. There are many useful programs including programs that were installed in the computer initially, and programs that we can install independently. In addition, there is big amount of devices, such as scanner and printer, digital and video cameras, microphone, projector and TV screen and other devices, which connect with the computer and help to perform various tasks and works.

At the same time, the usage of the computer can create some health problems. People who overuse the computer might have the most common challenges with their health that are met among the computer’s users. Firstly, people can develop very serious problems with their vision because the eyes become dry and they are pressured when we work with the computer for a long time. Secondly, the users of the computers may have issues with the muscles and joints. It happens due to inactive work. Most often, it presents in the back and shoulders pain and the stiff neck. What’s more, the electromagnetic radiation, which is created by the computer, can harm human heath, too. One can experience very severe diseases under the influence of electromagnetic radiation such as the bleeding disorders, hypotension and cancer. Not to mention, that the radiation has the greatest influence on the immune, nervous, endocrine and reproductive systems of human body.

No doubt, the computer and the Internet have more advantages than disadvantages. We can enumerate them infinitely. They facilitated our life greatly. Of course, there are some disadvantages and challenges, but if people use this intelligent equipment reasonably, it is not harmful to human health. 

Valentina Volynkina: Finding Employment in Canada

Newcomers to Canada have to deal with some challenges before they can find their niche in the new society. These challenges can have serious psychological and physical influence on new Canadians and their families. In my opinion there are two main obstacles in the way of finding employment in Canada.

The lack work experience in Canada is one of the most serious obstacles for newcomers. In spite of the huge experience which newcomers had gained in their home countries, it is practically impossible to find a job because they don’t have Canadian work references. It can be acquaintance reference when a person who held a good position and knows your skills, your behavior and character can give you good reference. Also, it might be friendly reference when a person, who can give you reference, has friendship or relationship with the employer. Furthermore, statistic show that 85% job market in Canada is hidden. Therefore jobs offer without advertisement, and only employers, managers or supervisors have information about them; it is big problem to find a job for newcomers without networking in this country.

 

Language is the second great challenge that newcomers face in Canada. Knowing the language is key for social integration. It is very important to communicate with other people: neighbors, classmates, club members and etc. in order to feel themselves part of the community and society of Canada for rapid adaptation. On the other hand, newcomers can have problems to use available services and education system without English or French. Furthermore, they need to build new relationship and friendship because many newcomers don’t have friends or even family in Canada and it is not always possible to contact with people from their own ethnic background. Moreover, not knowing English or French in Canada can be obstacles for economic integration. Newcomers need to get attached to the labor market and to become work ready by Canadian standards. For instance, they have to learn how to write resume or be successful in an employment interview.

In conclusion, majority of newcomers who try to get a job in Canada, have difficulties with finding employment. Firstly, they have to solve problems related to obtaining Canadian work experience by volunteering, bridging programs, internship and etc. And secondly, they need to improve their language’s skills in order to integrate into Canadian society as soon as possible.

 

Valentina Volynkina: Food

Food has huge influence on people's lives. Our health depends on what, when and how we eat. As health generally as mood, performance, and even the ability to be creative, and our inner life depend on food. Food plays two main roles in our lives.

Firstly, food plays physiological role in the lives of people. Food provides the development and updating of the cells of the organisms. It is the source of energy for our vital activity - height, weight, normal hematopoiesis, vision, skin, performance and longevity. Also, food has an effect on the mental development of the organism. For example, there are products like alcohol, sweets, fast food, red meat, fat food that can cause depression. Not tasty and monotonous food can contribute to nervous diseases and mental disorders, as tasteless food reduces the emotionality, causes the apathy and promotes the fatigue. On the other hand, people eat vegetables, fruits, and fish less likely to suffer from the depression. There are necessary nutrition for human lives - water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins. They protect our organisms and vital organs, regulate systems, build genetic material and help to keep our skin, organs and hair in good shape. We get them by food that we eat.

Secondly, the social role of food in our lives is important, too. Food helps us to communicate with the family members, friends, colleagues and partners. There are the good traditions to meet with the family and friends to celebrate the holidays or the memorials at the same table. Family meals, where family members can discuss the current occasions and events of their lives, or to discuss plans for the future are very important for all generations. It helps the family members to get close, and friends to meet again in our busy time. A good opportunity to get close to the colleagues is a meeting with them in informal conditions at the holiday table. The discussions of the important issues with business partners are also not complete without a cup of coffee, lunch or dinner in the restaurant, which dispose to make the right decisions in business. Now we have a great opportunity to get acquainted with the cuisine of the other nations. People can do it by visiting the national restaurants. They can learn about cooking of the certain dishes from their foreign friends and acquaintances. With new dishes, we can increase our rations and enter the new dishes and food. And also we can introduce the cuisine of our own country to people from the different cultures. This is one of the ways to explore cultures of the other countries which is very important for understanding people of different cultures.

 

In conclusion I would like to remind that nutrition plays very important social and physiological roles in human lives, so it should be: balanced in the quality and quantity compositions, regular - 4-5 times a day in small portions, sterling with a ratio of the proteins, fats and carbohydrates 1:1:4 in the day, variety - vegetables, meat, fish, nuts, berries and herbs. This will contribute to the maintenance of health, physical and mental health and active longevity

Grace Tao: Food

Food is the most important factor in people’s lives. Since the beginning of human being’s history, people have gathered, hunted and planted all kinds of food. Why is food so important? In my opinion, food plays different roles such as material support and spiritual satisfaction in our lives.

 

Firstly, food provides material support to people. Food is our basic sustenance. It is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth. Besides the need to survive, we also need food to provide energy in our daily activities such as study and work. What is more, food contains many nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. These substances are essential to our health. In some areas, people also use food therapies to cure some liinesses. For example, Chinese people are used to eating pork liver to treat anemia.

 

Secondly, food is also very important for people’s spiritual satisfaction. We enjoy the processes, both in preparing the food and in eating them. Spouses spend several hours preparing food for the ones they love. Those who eat them enjoy not only the delicious food but also love. Both food and the ways we eat have artistic expressions. We can find many beautiful books that teach us how to prepare food and eat food. In addition, food is a very useful method of communication. After a whole day of working and studying, dinner time becomes the warm and relaxing moment for family members. Parents and children eat, talk, listen and laugh. If we have dinner with friends, we can share our happiness and sadness. Furthermore, we often make agreements of business at dinner tables.

 

Therefore, food not only provides material support to people but also bring us spiritual satisfaction. We cannot live without food. We also need food to seek a high-quality life style. All of us appreciate the gift from nature: food.

 

                                            Grace

 

Arezoo Fallahjoo: Natural Disasters

Many parts of the world are prone to natural disaster. People are affected by natural disasters all around the world. As a result of this phenomenon, people's lives completely change .The impacts of natural disasters is various.

The impacts of natural disaster on public health are obvious. For one thing, people will experience physical problems that may take a long time to recover.  Certain infections and diseases will spread in disaster stricken areas and, some injuries will last for the whole life. This stressful situation may lead them to experience psychological problems as well. Mental problems are another negative effect of disasters. The loss of family members and relatives will lead to serious stress for the victims of natural disasters.

Natural disasters have negative impacts on economy as well. Tourism is an important part of the economy of the country.  Natural events like earthquake or thunder   will absolutely decrease the rate of tourism. Also, natural occurrences impact the trade. Import and export will be impacted negatively. Moreover, natural resources may be destroyed. As a result, poverty will prevail in a disaster area.

In conclusion, negative impact of natural disaster is numerous. On the other hand, it gives people opportunity to think about their values. What is worthwhile and, what is not? It would be wise not to take our life for granted, and find ways to support each other during difficult times.

Arezoo

Arezoo Fallahjoo: Social Problems

 

Nowadays, divorce cases have increased. With divorce come a lot of changes to family daily life. Not only children but also spouses experience various problems, stresses and difficulties as a result of separation. 

Divorce causes harm to the children more than other members of the family. As a result of divorce, the support they receive from home become less than before. Consequently, children experience a stressful environment. They have a limited time to be with their parents. When they need to have a talk or even a simple huge from them, they have to wait until the appropriate time. This situation increases the risk of emotional problems. They develop negative outlook and step by step, they lose their trust in their parents. Thus, the rate of happiness and health will decrease.

A lot of changes in family daily routine are another negative aspect of divorce. After separation occasions such as birthdays and New Year are never the same as the time when the family were together. These changes weaken the relationship between parents and children. The stress of this situation damages the parent-child relation and creates a distance between them.

In conclusion, divorce affects families not only in short –term but also long-term. It would be better if people are more responsible while making decisions about marriage and divorce as well.

        

Arezoo      

Arezoo Fallahjou: Laughter the Best Medicine

 Life brings challenges. Instead of complaining about life`s probable problems, try to laugh at them. Although it is not easy to smile in different situations, "Laughter is the best medicine" obviously.

The health benefits of laughter are obvious. For one thing, laughter prevents diseases. It increases not only the level of health-enhancing hormones but also the anti-body cells. All this means a stronger immune system. A Study shows that laughter improves the blood flow and function. It can protect people against heart attacks and other heart problems. According to new research, people with heart diseases laugh forty percent less than others.

Emotional health is another benefit of laughter. Laughter makes people feel good. The feeling that they experience when they laugh remains with them for long hours. Laughter helps people keep a positive and optimistic outlook through difficult situations. Nothing works faster than a good laugh, to bring emotions and mind back to balance. Laughter supports emotional health as well.

Laughter has some social benefits, too. It can improve the quality of family relations. When we laugh with other people, a positive bond is created. This bond prevents stress in the family. Humor communications strengthen the relationship.

In conclusion, laughter can be a stress management strategy for the whole life. Laughter supports physical, emotional and social health definitely. This priceless medicine is fun, free and easy to use.

Arezoo Fallahjou: Healthy Families

Making a healthy family environment is important for raising children. This is achieved when men and women both do their responsibilities well. Although men and women both play an important role in raising family, women make better parents than men.

 Women are naturally protective of children. They have emotional feelings. Child and mother emotional relation helps mothers to understand their children`s feelings better than the father. Women are also sensitive; even without asking their children, they know their feelings. Not only are mothers kind to their children, but also they are patient.  Women are stronger. In terms of facing problems, women most of the time seem strong and can make decisions better than men.

Women are involved with their families` conditions more than men. Women are naturally closer to their children. They spend more time with them, so they build better relations. Family management is another responsibility that women to better than men. They consider any condition for planning about budget, travel and time.

In conclusion, "Men make house, women make home". Definitely both of them have main role in parenting, but in daily life, women have greater role in raising children and more responsibility in parenting issues.  

Arezoo Fallahjou: Juvenile Crime

The juvenile world in complicated. It seems they need supportive guide step by step to avoid social dangers. Youth crime is a serious problem. There are many reasons why juvenile turn to a life of crime. However, two are the most important.

The quality of living environment is one of the most important facts in youth criminal behaviors. . School in the first place for making friends. Youths tend to make friends easily. They follow each other a rule models. If their peers have criminal behavior, they teach each other.  Sometimes, because of the peer's pressure, youths become involved in criminal behavior. Living in poor families is the other reason for juvenile delinquency. Poor families may not be able to educate their children in school. These children spend most of their times on streets. Lack of education leads them to criminal thinking. When unemployed parents need to run a household, they do not have legal opportunity to earn money, so they get involved in criminal activities.

Drug abuse is the second reason for juvenile delinquency. The basic relationship between drug and crime is simple. They do everything in order to find money to buy drug. Sometimes, they prefer to be inside the criminal groups; therefore, they get involved in crime. Drug user's behaviors are affected by drugs. Especially when they are "high "on substance, they commit a crime easily.

In conclusion, youth crime is a major problem in my communities. Increasing opportunities of employment can help decrees the crime rate also, a friendly relationship inside the house is a good motivation for youth to share any problems with their parents. Responsible parents identify their children`s friends. They control children after school hours and fill it with wholesome programs. Making a safe environment can prevent youth from any danger.      

Katherine: Imigration

Advantages and Disadvantages of Immigrating

Every year, there is a big amount of people immigrating to Canada. Most of them have a dream to come here; some of them just want to leave to a new place. No matter what reason they have for immigrating, advantages and disadvantages of immigrating exist at the same time.

There are three advantages of immigrating to Canada. First, there is a developed education system in Canada.  For adults, there are a lot of continuing education and training opportunities. Some of them are free, especially for new comers. It is really beneficial. For youngsters, the education system is really developed. It is helpful for building the foundation of their future effectively.  Second, there is a developed social security system for the citizens. One example is the medical security system. Everybody has free medical services when they need and the services are considerate. The other is the pension system; no one needs to worry about life when they are old, because they can get the pension from the Government. Third, there is a harmonious multicultural society system in Canada. People can keep their traditional culture. The government even offers some opportunities for their children to learn their mother languages.  Actually, different religions coexist with each other peacefully in this country. People have complete freedom to decide their religions.

Although there are many advantages of immigrating to Canada, some disadvantages exist. First, newcomers need a period of time to realize the new natural environment and the social environment. The climate of Canada is awfully cold. It takes time to become accustomed to the long and cold winter. Nevertheless, the problems from the social environment are not so easy to deal with. Every thing is new. They know nothing about the country or the neighborhood. They even do not know how to communicate with others. Second, Language skill is a big stepping stone on the road of improving the life of a new comer. Lack of language skills is one big barrier for the social contact. They even cannot make a small talk with people; furthermore, they find it hard to have any social contact. The other big barrier of lack of language skills is for the career. They were experts when they were in their own country. But they become nobody because of the hardship of communication. Third, Culture shocks make them feel that they are out of place. When they stand on the beautiful land, they really feel that you have made a mistake in coming here. They feel lonely and isolated. There are some chances to meet people, but it is hard to make real friends. Forth, no matter what their business or their career was before, they have to start it from the beginning here. All things are difficult before they are easy. Running a new business maybe need double effort. Starting a new career is the same.

Immigrating to Canada may be a good thing, but along with the good thing comes with a lot of challenges and hardships. There are no less of advantages and no more of disadvantages of immigrating to Canada.

Lucy: Immigration

Canada is a multicultural country, it welcome people from all of the world.. Meanwhile, many people think it is a dream country for living, so there are lots of people to immigrate to Canada every year. Different people have different reasons for immigrating. Someone succeeded, and someone disappointed. There are some advantages and disadvantages of immigrating to Canada.

   There are some advantages of immigrating to Canada. First, children will get a good education. They grow up in Canada. They will have many opportunities to go the famous universities of the world, because it is easier for local students than international students. Meanwhile, these children can have good English training. They can speak English fluently, and it is easy for them to find a job in different companies. Second, there is a good environment in Canada. There is fresh air and less population. Canada is a large country with a small population. Last, there are health and benefits for living. For instance, the food is sake and fresh. Everyone has healthcare, and they can have a high level of life.

On the other hand, there are some disadvantages of immigrating to Canada. English is a language barrier for many immigrants. It is difficult for them to communicate with others, especially for newcomers. Therefore, they cannot make friends, so they always feel lonely and isolated. For some people, they have to face the difficulty in finding a new job. For example, some professional technologists have to go to the local universities or colleges to get diploma, and then to get the licenses to find the jobs finally. This is a long struggling way.

In a word, immigrating of Canada is a huge decision. You know the advantages while you have to face the disadvantages. You should consider them seriously before, and then make up your mind to do your best to fit the new lifestyle.  

Elizabeth Catano: Success

We have all read about people who are successful. They make a fortune. They seem to do well in many areas of life and do it over and over through a lifetime. Hard work and creativity are two of the most common traits in succesful people.


They work hard ! yes, they play hard, they get up early, they rarely complain. Also they expect extraordinary results from themselves. Most of them did well in school. They study hard and they are incredibly curious. Successful people want to learn everything about everything !

They are very creative. They go around asking why not? They see new combination, new possibilities, new opportunities and challenges where others see problems. They wake up in the middle of the night thinking I've got it! They ask for advice, try things, consult experts and amateurs, always looking for a better, faster and cheaper solution. Successful people create stuff from everything.

Successful people know lots of people, and they know lots of different kinds of people. They listen to friends, neighbors, co-workers and everybody. They value people and relationships. Succesful people are always insatiable learners.

Judit Koncz: Homeschooling

“Less is sometimes more” says the proverb. Nowadays parents can choose among different school types and teaching methods. But how can they decide which one is the best for their child? Which one fits their needs, and which one can they really profit from? Reaching a decision is very difficult, because all school types and teaching methods have both positive and negative sides. Some parents think, homeschooling is the best way for teaching their children, but it has pros and cons too.

Homeschooling has a lot of advantages. It is an effective way of teaching, for it is individualized. Children have the opportunity to learn in their own tempo, giving them time to understand and practice everything. In their own home, there is no peer pressure, no negative impacts of social environment. Therefore, they can concentrate on the subjects. Another important advantage of homeschooling is the comfortable environment without academic pressure. The students can rediscover their natural curiosity and enjoy learning. Not only is homeschooling an efficient teaching method but also it plays an important part in the parent-children relationship. Families spend more time together. Children can share their secrets and their fears with their parents and this can make their relationship more deep and intimate. Through the homeschooling, parents can have control of their kids. They always know where they are, and they don’t have to worry about negative impacts in the school. Parents can quickly realize if their children have special abilities, good sense of something and can encourage them.
However, homeschooling has a lot of disadvantages, too. It can cause serious socialization problems. The kids don’t have any classmates. They don’t know how to interact with other children in the class; they don’t have a challenge to be the best in the class, and they don’t know what teamwork means. They won’t have other idols, who could change their lives in a positive way. Unqualified teachers are another disadvantage of homeschooling. Most parents are not qualified teachers. They don’t know the exact methods to improve special skills, and sometimes they can give false information. All these can cause the shortcoming of their children in the education and on the job market.

All in all, homeschooling is an effective way of teaching, but we have to follow a lot of rules when we want that it works.

Bonny Zhang: Poverty

What Are the Causes of Poverty? How Can Poverty Be Eliminated?




Poverty is still a big problem in many countries of the world. People cannot help to ask: What are the causes of Poverty? H-ow can poverty be eliminated? In my opinion, Unsuitable gove-rnment policies and diseases are the main causes of poverty.



Unsuitable government policies include war and poor economic policies. Firstly, wars caused by any reason could cost huge a-mounts of money and damage the whole economy of the coun-try heavily. As a certain result, people will suffer from poverty. Secondly, bad economic policies are connected with people’s li-fe. Bad economic policies can lead people to poverty. Besides, paying too much attention to politics instead of trying to devel-op economy causes poverty. To illustrate, in some countries, th-e political leaders are idolized and politics always acts as the focus of people’s life, So people live in top poverty.



Disease is another main cause of poverty. The first reason, cur-ing serious diseases requires a lot of money. That is a heavy burden on many families. In some developing countries, health insurance system can only cover few people. Serious diseases will put the families in debts. Even in advanced countries, heal-th insurance system cannot cover all expense or any conditions,diseases also make the families feel tight in their life. Another reason, Diseases make people lose job opportunities. On the on-e hand, Serious diseases make people lose their work ability. On the other hand, some companies refuse employing people with serious illness. No work opportunities lead people to pov-erty direc-tly.



Since we already know that poverty is caused by government policies and diseases, we can also find the proper way to solve the problem. The long and short of it is: to eliminate poverty, governments should establish suitable economic and political policies, people should live in a healthy life style.




Bonnie Zhang