Maybe it’s just this area of BC, but Vancouver is more alien to me than any place I have been. Maybe I have just been gone too long. but How did we go from this sign:

(Remember these, short, made sense, didn’t want the driver to be distracted and crash…. ahh good times.)

to This sign: (please don’t beat on the driver)

Have we really gotten that more violent since I left Canada?

I always took the second sign as a precautionary measure. All the bus drivers have been pretty cool, who would want to hurt these guys and gals that take us places we can’t go otherwise? But last night changed that for me…

I was taking the last direct bus home last night when half way through the trip someone came on, and stood at the front of the bus. The bus driver politely asked him to sit down. But the man’s Pass-card didn’t work on the new system. So he yelled at the driver. The bus driver gave him the ok to sit down anyways. the man refused. The bus driver stopped the bus at the next stop and asked the man to sit down, as it is dangerous to be standing at the front door of a moving bus. When the man continued to yell, the bus driver opened the door and asked him to leave.

The man threw his fist up in a boxing stance and refused.so we sat thee 1/2 way home as the man threatened to hit the driver and the driver calmly called transit police to come get the man. A passenger tried to reason with the man, but he didn’t want anything but to fight the driver, and wouldn’t “sitting like a chicken-$#!t”

I shake my head in shame.

I used to be very proud of my country, but living in this part of Canada makes me ashamed. The violence, the attitude, the lack of respect for each other.

3 times in the last month we have been awoken by a fire alarm close to midnight. Now the Rumor was that someone had been stuck in the elevator each time and that was their cry for help. Well we’ve had the repair man by several times, no victims of elevator-human relations….

Turns out there is a couple upstairs that whenever they get into a fight, it’s not enough for the husband / boyfriend to storm out and cool off, no he’s got to pull the fire alarm. Management has asked them to leave.

Need coffee comment back

Don’t clear your eyes. You read it correctly. P.E. (Physical Education) has a written component. at least it does in one school in Surrey. I’m really hoping this is just a one school screw up. Because really. P.E. Written. Does that make sense to anyone?

I honestly thought my student was pulling my leg last month when she told me she had failed Grade 9 P.E. because she had missed the written test. I just couldn’t wrap my head around the idiocy of it. As an educator and as a parent this seems like one of the most ridiculous things. It wasn’t until yesterday, a bright beautiful day that another student came to my class with P.E. Homework. I jokingly said “Ok, jump 30 times and  we’ll call it square.” Apparently his P.E. teacher had decided “Hey we have a gorgeous sunny day outside, clear warm weather, Let’s spend P.E. Class indoors at a desk going over avalanche safety tips. Then we’ll send the kids home with a safety flyer and a questionnaire that doesn’t relate to anything on that flyer.

P.E.’s purpose in the school curriculum is to provide students with the chance to move around, get some exercise. Help with circulation, get the blood flowing, wake up students who fall asleep during academic courses. etc. I know my students complain about too much dodge ball, but given a properly set up curriculum you can have a lot of fun with P.E.When I was teaching it in Beijing I tried to have a full curriculum of Dancing, Ultimate Frisbee, team building activities, relays, kickball (Soccer-baseball) and yes dodge ball. On top we as a school provided tennis, roller-skating, badminton, basketball and more.

So I pose the question to those who have stayed. Were you aware of the P.E. Written Component? When was it started? and if you can explain it: Why? Thoughts, ideas and comments are welcome at Facebook, Google+, or right here at WordPress. Thank you for helping unravel the mysteries of The West.

Chad Baldwin.

I am a teacher. As most of you know I have been a teacher for most of my adult life. I’ve taught across Asia (Ok, 2 Countries in Asia… ^_^! ) and coming back here to Canada I have noticed a complete reversal of attitude towards the English Language from my students, who are currently all from Asia. It came to me as a bit of a shock at first. but I have eased into it, and now think it is funny.

When I was in School, my French Teacher, monsieur Van Camp  refused to speak English in class. He felt it bad form, and I agree. My Spanish teacher spoke almost no Spanish in class and I cannot even remember her name let alone any Spanish. My Korean Teacher in Seoul, Kim JiHyun SeonSaengNin,  followed monsieur Van Camp’s Model and only spoke Korean. A teacher friend tried to teach me Mandarin, but did it through English. I’ll tell you My French and Korean are better than my Spanish and Mandarin.

When I lived in Korea, I taught ESL, or English as a Second Language. I had my own Kindergarten Class for a while (At 2 different schools), but for the most part I taught ESL. Being Caucasian it was expected of me. In the average Korean’s mind foreigners in Korea have 1 of 2 Jobs, Soldier, or ESL Teacher. I learned to speak Korean fairly well while I lived there, as I thought it was the right thing to do. Not once was I expected to speak Korean in a class, and in fact it would be considered bad technique to do so. I kept my ability hidden from my students, so they would feel the need to practice their English, and they agreed.

When I got married we moved to China, where I once again taught mostly ESL. Just like Korea I had periods of time teaching other things, like math, science, drama, P.E. Culture, but for over half of my time I taught ESL. again I tried to learn Mandarin, which I struggled with, but I was never asked to speak it in class. Again, bad form. Even if I understood, I would respond in English.

Now I have moved back to Canada, and my main job is not to teach ESL, but writing, and Homework Assistance. I have quite a few students who are frustrated that I don’t (or won’t) speak Chinese to them. I find it amusing. Yesterday was a good example. My Student “J” repeated at least 3 different times “Do you know<Insert Mandarin here>?” And it was always off topic things. Our topic of the day was cooking pancakes. and his questions ended up having to do with Pompeii and volcanoes.

Now outside of the classroom I have noticed the same thing, which is a bit more frustrating. My beautiful wife, has noticed it too. She has made friends with a few other Filipinas in our neighbourhood. And they can’t talk to me. Their husbands can’t talk to me. When they call our place and I answer the phone, they take over a minute and a half to realize they have the right phone number and ask for my wife.

I find it really funny and a bit annoying that people move to Canada but haven’t mentally left their home yet.