Game On!

The Guild continue to impress with this delightful BollyWood ode to online gaming.




And just in case you still don't know who The Guild are... http://www.watchtheguild.com/

Happy Canada Day Quiz!

This art stolen from the interweb.

Canada turns 143 today (i think). Here in Japan it isn't a holiday and so i am off to work (i teach EFL/ESL in Osaka, Japan). But today i plan to give my students at the university a quiz about Canada in honour of the nation's birthday. Don't feel bad for them! The quiz is pretty easy and mostly just a warm-up to discussion.

In class this semester we have been alternating between two textbooks. One is a communicative text for conversational English that has grammar and speaking exercises. The other is a text about Canada. Each week or so we read a different section and discuss it and learn some new vocabulary, facts and cultural information.

Below are ten of the questions that will be on the quiz. How many do you know the answer to? (warning: History buffs may be offended by the over-simplicity of the quiz. Remember, it's for a low level ESL class)


Select the correct answer :

1. Canada’s head of state is –
a. The Prime Minister
b. The President
c. The Queen of England
d. Celine Dion

2. Canada, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and South Africa are all members of -
a. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
b. The League of Justice
c. The Axis Powers
d. The British Commonwealth

3. The capital of Canada is –
a. Montreal
b. Toronto
c. Ottawa
d. Vancouver

4. The first Europeans to explore Canada were -
a. The Toronto Maple Leafs
b. Fur traders and fishermen
c. Christian missionaries
d. Cowboys


5. The word “Canada” comes from the ______________ word “kanata” which means villages.
a. French
b. German
c. Iroquois
d. Latin

6. In Canada, about ______________ of people speak French as a first language.
a. a quarter
b. half
c. all
d. a third

7. Iroquois, Ojibwe, and Mohawk are all examples of –
a. hair styles in Canada
b. Native Canadian tribes
c. types of shoes
d. words that mean “snow.”

8. Canada officially became a country in –
a. 1776
b. 1867
c. 1985
d. 1492

9. In 1885, _______________ was completed, connecting the eastern parts of Canada to British Columbia.
a. the national railway
b. the Suez canal
c. the CN Tower
d. Niagara Falls

10. The British defeated the _____________ in order to gain control over what is now Canada.
a. Germans
b. Americans
c. French
d. Chinese



Bonus Questions:

Which of the following is NOT a Canadian province?
a. Quebec
b. British Columbia
c. Halifax
d. Saskatchewan

What animal is on the Canadian one-dollar coin?
a. a polar bear
b. a loon
c. a beaver
d. a sasquatch




Symian is: quizzically Canadian
Currently Reading: Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
Currently Listening: The Mean streets of Watsonia - mixed by Matt Anaka
Kanji of the Day: 加　ー　"ka" - used phonetically to represent Canada.

Happy Canada Day, Everyone!

Thought i would post two photos this week since i have been so blog-slack lately (busy working!). These two images scream "Canada!" to me. Both were taken last year in September when i was back in Ontario. I'm happy to see in the news that my dear hometown survived the G20 with only a few scratches and bruises.