Prairie Rose

I Don't Want It To End

2008-04-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

This is one of the saddest weeks in my life.

“The final writing exam on Friday is over, but there are still two more days to go, with the reading, listening, and speaking final exams still to come. Oh no, just two! I want more classes, more exams. More, please!”

This is what I’ve been thinking about all this week, and I’ve tried hard to stay optimistic. It seems that there are so many reasons to be happy: the EAP 3 course is almost over, sleepless nights are behind me, and there is no more daily competition. But why do I feel like I don’t want all this to come to the end?

Maybe because everyone in EAP 3 became like a family to me, well… maybe not quite everyone. But still, the feeling of being one of the EAP 3 family is an exceptional feeling that I've experienced. Now, The Prairie Chicken makes more sense to me. The University is truly a place where together with other “baby chicks” like me, it made me feel comfortable, and gave me more confidence and strength to “fly into the world”.

Maybe it’s because of the wonderful teachers I have had, Murray, Scott, and Ilana, who’ve been teaching me “how to fly by myself”. I might be scared of not being able to fly without “their supporting wing”, and to fail one day. But I know I will always remember their helpful advice on how to survive, though.

I still can’t believe it's over. No more rush to be on time, no more talks about icebergs and "little EAP 3 penguins", no more "discussions" about how dogs are fluffy, friendly and cute, and no more "John loves Mary because..."

I should be happy, because I have found friends for life, and have gained an invaluable knowledge of thinking like a Canadian, and talking, listening, and speaking like one as well. What’s more, now I can write down my thoughts, in an academic and well-organized way, in English.

My goal in EAP 3 is reached. I should be happy, and ready for more challenges ahead of me...

Vivid Dreams

2008-04-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

Many people, if not most, do not believe in dreams. They see dreams as "just what your brain processes during the night". I can't disagree more.

Lately, I have been experiencing very unusual dreams. They are more vivid, and more realistic. In one of my dreams, I saw green-green grass, and the sky was as sunny as during the warmest day in July. It was early afternoon, and I was walking back home through the park with my bare feet on the grass. I could feel the grass stems pinching my feet, and the grass was so fresh and fragrant it was hard not to remember. I remember I felt so happy, like I was almost flying. I heard birds singing, like real birds sing early in a summer morning.

I walked and walked, but suddenly, I realized I couldn't find my way back home. So I began asking people around me if they knew where I lived, and where did my house disappear to? No one would talk to me. Everyone looked very sad, so I kept walking on the grass and looking for my home...

When I woke up next morning, I tried to forget about the dream. But it seemed so real, that my feet were so sore and red, almost like from me walking on the freshly-cut grass all night. I wish I didn't have to wake up to go to the University, otherwise I could find out what happened to me and my house.

I tried to explain to myself how I could remember colors and senses from my dream so well. Maybe it's because I started paying more attention to my dreams than before, or maybe because it was just an unusual dream !?

The Shopping Explorer

2008-02-15T22:34:00.000-08:00

Although I cannot call myself an explorer, today I was one. I went shopping.

It may seem ironical, but I was trying to find out how to save as much money as possible, while shopping for groceries and other goods in some department and grocery stores in Calgary.

I began my adventure with grocery stores. I knew that the health food and specialty stores are generally more expensive than Co-op or Safeway; they are also much more pricier than the Real Canadian Superstore or Costco wholesale. However, I made a short list of groceries I usually buy every once in a while, and went to search for the truth.

I compared prices for such groceries as milk, bread, vegetables, fish, and orange juice. On average, prices at the Superstore were 5-10 % lower than in any other store. However the choice was limited and the quality of those items was a bit lower than at Co-op. For example, the only choice of fish in the Superstore was halibut (maybe only on that day), but because I had had a bad experience with Superstore fish before, I did not want to take a chance again, which is a story for another blog.

I also compared prices for toothpaste, shower gel, and some cosmetics such as Olay face moisturizers, at Zellers, the Bay and Sears. I was impressed by the difference in prices. The same merchandise at the Bay and Sears were up to 45% more expensive than at Zellers. Wow! I asked myself why I had never considered Zellers to be a good and savvy store.

By the end of the day, I came back home exhausted but happy that I had found the answer on how to save money. I knew that if I wanted to purchase some quality foods, I would go to Co-op or to the Community Health Food store (I would not want to save on my health). But if I would run out of my favorite face moisturizer, I would go directly to Zellers.

Thank You But No, Thank You!

2008-02-03T21:27:00.000-08:00

I feel strongly that editing is a useful tool in learning to write academically.

I remember the day when we were asked to hand in a draft of our essay for someone else in our class to edit. "Sounds good", I thought at that moment. "My editor will help me to correct the mistakes that may not be noticeable to me, and will assess my work objectively, giving me two stars and a wish."

I enjoyed editing a classmate’s draft essay as well. With pleasure, I shared my knowledge from previous writing classes, and gave some useful tips to the essay’s author. It was good practice for me to try to recognize some of the inaccuracies in the essay, and to make a few helpful suggestions.

However, after reading some of my classmates’ blogs about their thoughts of editing, I had the impression that not everyone considered editing to be a "good exercise", especially when it involved the editing of their work by others.

"But why", I asked myself. "Since when does someone learning to write not need an extra help?" It was kind of like, "thank you but no, thank you!"

After reading my own edited essay draft, I was glad to acknowledge and consider all of my editor’s notes and corrections. In fact, I rewrote my whole essay taking advantage of almost all of the editor’s helpful suggestions.

The only thing that remains a secret is, what does our dear writing instructor think about her "amateur editors"?

EAPP Skateboarder

2008-02-02T22:05:00.000-08:00

While thinking recently about my impressions of the EAP III program, I remembered when my brother Alex shared with me his experience of riding a skateboard.

Before his first real ride on a skateboard, Alex was a little afraid and nervous. Some of his friends had ended up in a hospital with broken ribs and bones from skateboarding, so my brother was not sure if he could do it without getting hurt. For that reason, he decided to ask his girlfriend’s older brother to teach him how to be a good skater and to perform some fancy tricks.

After a few weeks of practising every day, my brother was ready to conquer the nearest "vert ramp" in the neighborhood. He was not feeling confident enough to perform all the tricks he had learned, that his friends were doing. But he skated the ramp anyway, and liked it so much that he kept on doing it. Only a few months later, Alex could call himself a confident but very cautious skateboarder.

I have been experiencing something very similar in the EAP III program. After successfully completing the four-month EAPP II program, I continue my "practising" of how to be a good writer and speaker, although I am nervous of how I will do this. However, I have learned many new and useful skills such as speed-reading, critical thinking, editing of my own writing, and speaking in front of audience, so I feel confident that I will succeed.

I enjoy the pace of the course, and I am really excited about all of the upcoming assignments and exams. The more challenging they are, the better I can prepare myself for my future studies, which I expect will have more serious challenges.

The part of the EAP III program that I most enjoy, however, is our teachers, Murray and Ilana. I admire each of them for their different approach to teaching us, and for their knowledge and professionalism. Every class is interesting, and full of new unexplored horizons.

Hard Work Pays Off !!!

2007-12-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

Today is a day that I will look back on to see how my life has changed over the last four months. I can certainly say that I have learned a lot during the EAP II course.

First of all, I built up my confidence in reading, listening, speaking and writing. On Tuesday, I went to a very fancy Chrismas party, where I met a lot of interesting people. There were a lot of engineers, geologists, doctors, lawyers and other professionals among them, and I had a chance to talk to some of them. I was trying to use my improved academic English and surprisingly, none of them could believe that English is my second language. I got so many compliments about my English, and it is all thanks to my dear teachers Regina and Zalfa.

But the most important thing I've learned is how to write in a more sophisticated way. Moreover, I can recognize and correct most of my grammar mistakes now. That is real progress for me! That only means I'm looking forward to EAP III. However, I'm tired and I really need "to recharge my batteries."

Well, It's almost the end of classes. The only thing left is to pass final exams succesfully and . . . Voila!

You would agree with me that we all, students and instructors, need a break. I am looking forward to spending the holidays with my family and friends. Christmas is a wonderful and magical time. I would like to ask everyone to make a wish and who knows, it may become true in the new year 2008.

Merry Chrismas and a Happy New Year to all!

Click, Rewind, Click

2007-12-04T23:59:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the commercial on TV where the woman clicks on her tape recorder and plays back to her husband, "honey, you can have whatever you want if I can get new golf clubs"?

This was in response to his look of stunned disbelief at all of the new kitchen appliances she had just bought, which filled their kitchen.

Unfortunately, my husband pretends to have a tape recorder just like this, which he plays when I have to admit sometimes that he is right about something. He will say, "click, rewind, click - OK, you're right!", and repeat this about four or five times.

I have found that in our marriage, each of us has been right sometimes, and also wrong sometimes. But right or wrong, we forgive each other for our mistakes and try not to make them again.

This doesn't mean, however, that I don't want to get back at him for reminding me of when I am wrong. I sometimes think that I didn't really need that extra pair of shoes or boots, but really, a girl needs a pair of $300 Italian stretch boots for the really cold winters here.

I had my opportunity, though, when my husband's birthday came up recently. He is always finding something that needs cleaning in the house. For example, the kitchen countertops always have to be spotless.

So, I decided for his birthday to get him something he really needed - a magnifying glass. The woman at the bookstore at the university where I bought it asked me why I wanted it wrapped in a box. When I told her it was for my husband to see how I had cleaned the house, she almost fell over laughing. Then she told the other woman working in the store, and they said they wished they could see my husband's expression when he opens his gift.

"Click, rewind, click - honey, you're right, I did need this". Now I have my own tape recorder.

A Second Chance

2007-12-03T17:56:00.000-08:00

Everyone deserves a second chance, don't you think?

One day I was coming back home from downtown by bus. It was full of people when I got on, but I saw one seat unoccupied. As I came closer I saw a middle-aged man sitting alone beside the empty seat, whose clothes were slightly dirty and covered with construction materials.

It seemed like he was intentionally hiding his face underneath a baseball cap on his head. There was an odour of beer around him, so no one wanted to sit beside him. I did.

Suddenly, he graciously took his hat off, smoothed his greasy hair, and said hello to me. A smile appeared on the kind face that he revealed. "Why", I asked myself, "is everyone on the bus trying to avoid this man"?

We began to talk and there was no sign of him being drunk. He was surprisingly polite and quite intelligent, but as I realized later, unhappy.

As he told me, six months ago after he lost his job, his wife filed for divorce. Since that time he has not had a home, a family and the woman he had always loved so much. He had recently moved to Calgary to look for a job, and with his PhD in chemistry, he managed to find one as a builder with a construction company.

Very sadly he told me that it was very hard for him to be working outside of his profession, that he was having difficulty meeting women, and that no one was interested in him. He asked, "look at me, would someone like you go out with me, who is so ugly"?

I wanted to reassure him, so I said if I were single, I would consider it. He became much happier, and as the bus stopped and I got up to leave, I encouraged him, "don't give up your hopes but be strong; you are a better man than you think you are".

I wish my trip could have been longer so that I could have told him that everyone deserves a second chance, and sooner or later he will receive his own and will be happy again.

Silent Messengers

2007-12-01T23:18:00.000-08:00

In my home country of the Ukraine, there is a flower called "Chervona Ruta", which blooms only over one night and which is believed to have the power to make people fall in love. The flower is so rare that it is almost impossible to find.

One of the most popular Ukrainian folk songs, "Chervona Ruta", describes the legend of the flower. In the song, a young man believes that the young woman he loves, must have gone looking for the flower because he can't stop thinking about her.

In his dreams, the girl comes toward him carrying the flower, and he tells her not to bring the flower because he is already in love with her.

The song is a very romantic story about love. But I think sometimes in real life it can happened without any magic flowers. People fall in love and stay in love for the rest of their life. However, flowers help to express feelings of those who are in love. For example, if a man is shy and gives red roses to his loved one, he is probably trying to say that he loves her very much.

Flowers are like silent messengers and their different colour delivers different messages. Red flowers generally express passion and love, pink symbolize affection and admiration, white mean truthfulness and purity, blue show early friendship and yellow express congratulations.

Talents

2007-11-30T23:06:00.000-08:00

I believe that everyone of us was born with some talent. Some people were born with many talents, some with few. My talent is that I have a voice and ear for music or as they say, a "musical ear".

I was born in a family where most of the relatives on my mother's side were (and some of them still are) very talented, playing different music instruments and singing "like birds".

When I was seven, my mother enrolled me in a school of arts for me to take "bandura" and vocal lessons. The bandura is a national Ukrainian string instrument like a guitar, which is over 700 years old. I studied there for seven years, and I am very thankful now that my parents recognized my musical talent and helped me to develop it.

I was very successful in musical theory regional competitions, but after finishing my musical education I decided to become a lawyer. I can only imagine how different my life would be now if I had continued in music.

However, later in my life I discovered other hidden talents, which I promised myself I would keep improving in order to help as many people as I can. As the Bible says, "buried talent is worse than the committed sin".

I have heard similar stories from other people. It is so sad that sometimes we have to leave something we really enjoy doing, in order to do other things we may not like as much.

One day, sooner or later, I expect we will all become parents. We should always support our children, and help their talents to grow together with them.

More Pizza Parties, Please !!!

2007-11-28T23:46:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed our Pizza Party yesterday. What a great time we had, right?

Finally, I had a chance (and time) to chat with my classmates, something that was impossible for me to do during classes because of our busy schedules. I am so glad I found many new friends thanks to the EAP course.

I can say that I have never had as many different friends as I have made at the University of Calgary. This is definitely a great place to meet new people and to socialize. Everyone of us is unique in our own way and that is the beauty of friendship.

Although we had a pizza party, I came back home hungry. Why? Because I was trying to meet all the other students from EAP I and EAP III, whom I didn't have a chance to talk to before.

As you know, I took some pictures yesterday and I have already posted them on my blog (see on the left side).

Forbidden

2007-11-24T23:04:00.000-08:00

What our life would be like if we were allowed to do what ever we want to?

It's scary to imagine gangs, crime, cheating, betrayal, chaos everywhere . . .

I believe that the concept of forbidding is about protection of those, who live their lives honestly and know their boundaries in everything they do: personal life, marriage, home, work, business, public etc., form other people who break rules and destroy other's lives.

Why there are so many things in our life forbidden?

Forbidden behaviour, forbidden rules, forbidden goods, forbidden thoughts, forbidden friendship or even forbidden love.

I met some individuals in my life who were unhappy because of something was forbidden for them. They tended to be more unhappy, irritable, pessimistic than other people and even had a suicidal thoughts.

Does anyone could help me to find the answers why?

My Furry Doctor

2007-11-19T18:40:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned before, I love cats. All my life there were cats in my home: Siamese, Persian, Burmese, Russian Blue and, mostly, tom-cats. They were my favourite toys, my best friends and my siblings until my younger brother was born. Now that I am grow up, I think that cats are more than just our four-legged friends.

Pets are a new kind of remedy for us. Please, don't confuse it with Chinese Traditional medicine, where animal's organs and body parts are used in preparing remedies for very sick people!!!

Yes, we all know that if you are stressed, petting your favourite kitty or puppy will help you feel better. But how about if you have a headache or any other body ache. Do you think pets have healing qualities?

From my experience, some cats do. I would like to give you a couple of examples.

About four years ago, in the Ukraine, I remember the day when I got a terrible headache. I took some Tylenol and then another one for a few more times, but somehow it was not helping me. I went to bed and tried to fall asleep when my cat Doris came to me and laid down on my pillow, around my head. Fifteen minutes later, I felt relieved and my strong headache was gone. A similar incident happened to me yesterday, when I got a bad stomach ache and my cat Safi(she is on the picture) came to me, laid down right on my stomach and guess what happened? A few minutes later I was feeling much better! I was so surprised at what had happened to me, that I decided to share my story with you.

I am curious to know if anyone of you or anyone you know might have had the same experience?

The Best Pancake Breakfast!

2007-11-14T22:17:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

I hope everyone of you has tried pancakes for breakfast at least once in your life. But how about trying realy delicious pancakes?

I would like to share with you my favorite recipe for pancakes. This recipe is so easy, that anyone (including guys who have never previously cooked) can easily impress his or her family, friends or loved ones with their cooking skills!!! I have tried many recipes, but only this one is really quick, easy and good. These pancakes are delicious and guaranteed to be thick, yet light and fluffy, moist and full of flavor.

Ok! Let's start with what you will need: two big bowls, a measuring cup and wooden spoons, a hand whisker, non-stick frying pan and the dry and wet ingredients listed below:

Dry ingredients
1 cup of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 & 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

Wet ingredients
1 large egg
1 cup of buttermilk (do not substitute with regular milk!!!)
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter

Step 1. In a large bowl sift together the dry ingredients.
Step 2. In a separate bowl combine and beat the egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract and melted butter, using a hand whisker and not an electric mixer.
Step 3. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, mixing gently until a lumpy batter is achieved. Take care not to overmix.
Step 4. Heat a non-stick frying pan, grease with a little butter and ladle a spoonful of batter in the pan. Gently panfry on medium heat until bubbles start appearing. Turn each pancake and continue to cook until both sides turn a golden brown colour.
Step 5. Remove from pan and place on a serving plate. Drizzle with maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream, if you desire.

Variations: These pancakes are delicious with any seasonal fruits, but are best when topped with fresh berries.

This recipe serves two hungry people. For more people or for “extra for tomorrow”, just simply double the recipe.

Enjoy and Smachnoho!

Friends In Our Life

2007-10-24T22:25:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends!

I was thinking how important it is for everyone to have friends. Some people are more lucky and have a lot of good friends; others may have a few good friends.

Theoretically, there is a third category of people who have no friends. And today I met someone from that group - a woman at the C-train station who told me she has no friends at all. She seemed to be very tired and to be approximately 50 to 60 years old. But she explained to me that in all her 32 years of life, she had never had even one good friend. It must be very disappointing and hard for someone to live life with no friends, all alone.

That is why I am thankful to God for all of the good and very best friends He sent to me. The picture on the left shows Maria (in the burgundy dress), who is one of my best friends here in Canada. She is like a sister to me and her family is my family, and conversely.

In my experience, most friends know how to share your sadness with you, but only very few know how to celebrate happy moments together with you. And Maria is exactly the kind of friend who knows how to do both - cry and laugh with me. She was my matron of honor, and my wedding would not have been complete without her friendship.

Also, I thought how hard it would have been to study at the university without my EAP friends. I am truly happy that I met so many good people and that some of them became good friends. I hope to see them in the next EAP course, hopefully. But for now, I am enjoying a happy time with my dear friends, so I wish the same to you.

It's Autumn Now!

2007-10-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my second favorite season of the year after spring! All the trees are dressed in brightly coloured leaves and the air smells more different than in any other season. This scent reminds me of my childhood, when growing up in the village, people used to burn dried fallen leaves and dead branches at this time of the year.

Another reason I like autumn is the rain. There is no more tranqiul sound than the sound of raindrops falling down. This tranquility always inspires me to poetry . . .

My legs are relaxed,
so is my brain,
I'm not in a rush,
I'm watching rain...

Thanksgiving is almost here and, honestly, it is hard to write about something other than our upcoming Turkey Dinner. I am planning to try a new recipe for the turkey stuffing, and I am going to make my own cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries.

I wish everyone will enjoy the extra day off, whether you are going to be busy cooking or simply visiting your family and friends this upcoming long weekend.

Hello EAP II 2007 Classmates!

2007-09-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome everyone to the Learning English for Academic Purposes Program.

I hope everyone enjoys the weather here and student life in Calgary. It has been a long wait for me to go to university. Because I did not have a Canadian Student Visa, I had to wait until I could obtain Permanent Residence.

I am very excited to be a student again and I think the University of Calgary is one of the best universities in the world to study in. I am looking forward to finishing both levels of LEAP, and to improving my writing skills. I would like to make a lot of new friends in university and to meet many new people!

I hope you will find my blog interesting and that you will post your comments soon!