Issue 12 - July 2021

ISSUE 11 || JULY 2021

We Are Back

Back to In-Person classes: Yey ! Finally the day has come! Our 5 Heartland students from Carol’s class are back to in-person classes
after a long time with online learning: Emily, Ruiko, Rolando (top left to right), Mao, and Vivian (bottom left to right). We all appre-
ciate your patience, and are so happy to finally get to see you all in person! If you haven’t, please check out our “Back In-Person”
video on Heartland YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/HeartlandEnglish) to see these memorable moments. You will also
find out our safety protocols on our “Welcome Back” video to learn about what to expect when you come to study at Heartland.

Find this newsletter— and more— on the student blog! Visit www.blog.heartlandenglish.com

Letter from the Editor Contributors
Writers:
Hello readers, Baljinder Singh
Tania Judih Brito Pakin
My name is Moé Moriizumi, a new administrative Yuzue (Jon) Zhang
assistant with Heartland! Michelle Santos Amaral Strehl

On June 14th, we had a very exciting moment: our Heartland students Emily Qin
finally returned to in-person classes for the first time in a long time! We Mao Fujiwara
hope to add more in-person classes throughout the summer. Ruiko Odajima
Rolando Cardozo Jr.
On July 1st, it is a tradition to celebrate “Canada Day,” in recognition of Vivian Thi Thuy Tu
the beginning of Canada’s political independence as a country. As a sad Mingyang (Peter) Feng
reminder of the oppression and violence perpetrated by Canada's colo- Alexandre Antunes De Freitas
nial institutions against First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, this year, Anran Fang
Canada Day followed the discovery of more than a thousand unmarked Thi Vu (Sally) Le Tran
graves of Indigenous children who lost their lives in residential schools. Huiyu (Gigi) Ji
It is important for all Canadians to take this time to “reflect, Naiheng (Susan) Yang
acknowledge, honour and stand in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples, Viktoriia Spivak
while fully embracing Truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may Ruoxuan (Roxanne) Liang
be. This is the only path to meaningful, lasting Reconciliation, and mov- Mengting (Tina) Yu
ing forward in a good way, together.” (Nahanni Fontaine, NDP MLA St. Zakaria Chaibi
Johns) Jenni Danino

Heartland students come to us from many different counties and have Teacher Editors:
different ways of celebrating important events in their history, and per-
sonal lives. Read on for some highlights from our student writers. Sara Scales
Michelle Shihrer
Moé Moriizumi [email protected] Carol Hutchinson
Jeneen Tomko
2 Heartland Student Newsletter | July 2021
Jeff Sinclair
Ken Freund
Jon Knight

National Day in the Philippines

By Rolando Cardozo Jr.

I come from the Philippines. My national day is June 12. It's June 12 because it was the birth of the independent Filipino nation. The
Philippines was independent from Spain on June 12, 1898.The Philippines is one of the newly industrialized countries. We celebrate
Independence Day by parades and some game activities. I feel great when our Independence Day is coming.

Image by Day Finders Image by National Geographic

3

China’s National Day

By Mengting (Tina) Yu

National Day, officially the National Day of the People’s square officially began. People began to gather, and

Republic of China celebrated annually on 1st October. finally more and more people gathered around the

Why this day? Because this is the day when the Chinese concert. The crowd listened to the singers with rap-

people are truly liberated, and became a country. So ture. Many people even sing along with the singer.

the Chinese government set October 1st as the Nation-

al Day of China. The concert went on until 12 a.m., when fireworks

started. People started running towards the fire-

On this day of the year, people always dress up and works, lighting, people, cars, beautiful women add radi-

flood into the city center. Because there are always a ance to each other, dazzling, dizzying, packed,

lot of people doing lion and dragon dances there. Many packed. Everyone looked up at the colorful fireworks,

people stopped and watched. If you are tired of shop- and cheered enthusiastically. Everyone is in a festive

ping, you can go to the nearby pedestrian street to atmosphere!

taste the food. Every National Day, there will be all

kinds of food in the pedestrian street. For example,

barbecued mutton kebabs, chicken hotpot, grilled steak

and steamed kebab shrimp. The spectators' mouths

watered. Every time, I would order a lot of mutton ke-

babs and then have a big beer to share with my family.

When people had enough to eat and drink, at eight o
'clock in the evening, the concert in the downtown

By Yuzhe (Jon) Zhang By Naiheng (Susan) Yang

My country's birthday is called National My friends invite me to dinner to
Day. It's on the October 1st. In this day celebrate the national day in my
people can do anything , such as travel, country, China. On normal days, we
go shopping. In National Day we have a are always busy with our work and
rest 7days, but if you are student, you families. Therefore, friends get to-
will have many homework and all gether with each other. After dinner,
kinds of tutoring classes. we still have several choices: some
people dress up with cheongsam at
Students in China are extremely hard workers! the square; some go to karaoke; and
others go to the designated spot and
wait for the fireworks.

4 Heartland Student Newsletter | July 2021

By Emily Qin

I’m from China. My country’s national day is October 1st, because that day was the day our country was founded. We will dec-
orate the streets with flags and flowers, and have some outdoor activities. We will have fireworks and evening parties at night.
My country didn’t become independent from another country. My country became a modern country in 1990. In my country
people will sing the national anthem, spend time outside, and watch evening parties.

By Ruoxuan (Roxanne) Liang

China's National Day is October first, and it is for commemorates the establishment of the People's Republic of China.
In 1949 10 01, the People's Republic of China's founding ceremony was held in Beijing, Tiananmen Square. From then,
every National Day, people will celebrate for "country's birthday".
Every ten years from 1949, there will be a spectacular military parade at Tiananmen Square. There will be 15,000 sol-
diers from the People's Liberation Army, Armed Police Force, and militia reserve force. Besides that, there will be more
than 580 sets of military equipment. All these soldiers and equipment will make 15 safari teams and 32 equipment
teams. Among that, there will be more than 160 fighter planes making 12 air echelons for the parade. The military pa-
rade will be streaming through all platforms across the whole country.
The chairman will also give a speech about remember the tough times, and how should we group to solve the prob-
lems, also looking forward to the future of the country. Raising the national flag and play the national anthem are im-
portant elements for National Day too. Believe it or not, if you visit Beijing with a tour team, there will be a specific
part for watching raising the national flag, and trust me it is solemn and you will not be regret seeing that.
Kind of similar to Canada's long weekend, China has a week of vacation for National Day, which is seven days of vaca-
tion. People will travel around during the vacation, for some famous places, there will be crowds of people. This is why
some people would just stay home and take a rest from their jobs or school.
Overall, China's National Day has some spectacular military parades and a great time for a vacation to let people cele-
brate. If you are going to visit China one day, this might be the best time to visit besides the Spring Festival.

5

By Mao Fujiwara

I come from Japan. My national day is February 11th. It was enacted in 1966 based on Japanese mythology, as the
date of Japan’s founding is not clear. It was founded in 660 BC, but Japan became modern after the end of World
War II. Japan is an independent country. The National Foundation Day celebration parade is held every year in To-
kyo. We feel happy.

Japan’s National Day

By Ruiko Odajima

I come from Japan. Our national day is February 11th. I don’t know why. This is because there is no clear rea-
son. Japan wasn’t controlled by any country. I don’t know when Japan became a modern country. I have never
done anything on the day. Our national day makes us happy because it is a holiday.

10 Heartland Student Newsletter | July 2021

Brazil’s National Day

By Michelle Santos Amaral Strehl

I come from Brazil. My national day is September 7. Brazil became independent of Portugal on
September 7, 1500. My country has been modernizing since them. On Independence Day there
is a big parade with the armed forces in the center of the city. The people will watch in person
or on TV.

Vietnam’s National Day

By Vivian Thi Thuy Tu

I come from Vietnam. My national day is September 2rd. It’s September 2rd because that is when Ho
Chi Minh read the Declarations of Independence of Vietnam. My country became a modern country in
1977. Some things that people in my country do to celebrate my national day are go to the beach, pic-
nic, BBQ, party... I feel happy because I can go out that day and meet my friends.

11

Ecuador’s National Day

By Tania Judih Brito Pakin

My country birthday is called Quito day. It's on December 6th every year.
On this day it's very fun. We go to parties with friends and enjoy traditional
food. It's fun because we get to spend time with family.

There is also a place called Quito in Ecuador, and you will see the Virgin of Quito sculpture

India’s National Day

By Baljinder Singh

My country’s birthday is called
India Day. It’s on August 15th
every year. On India day, people
enjoy watching fireworks, spend-
ing times with their friends and
family. It’s fun because the
weather is very nice. People don’t
work this day, just relax and enjoy
the holiday.

6 Heartland Student Newsletter | July 2021

Ukraine’s National Day

By Viktoriia Spivak

On the last Sunday of May, we celebrate Kyiv Day in Ukraine. Often something new and useful for people opens
on this day. People gather in the central Khreshchatyk Square to watch a concert and dance. Usually, on this
day, many people wear national clothes. At the same time, citizens from different towns visit Andriyivskyy De-
scent, which is a famous street with ancient buildings and a flea market. You can buy magnificent pictures that
are painted by local artists. It's the perfect time for relaxing with friends, relatives, and family.

blog.heartlandenglish.com 7

Birthday Traditions

How do students celebrate their birthdays? Let’s find out

By Mingyang (Peter) Feng from China

My birthday is in December. In China, people give red envelopes, gifts, noodles, birthday cake, blow
out candles and eat with family and friends. I want to celebrate my birthday by watching a movie at
home.

By Anran Fang from China

My birthday is in February. A birthday cake is eaten on your birthday. We also buy presents for
our mother. I want to travel with my family on my next birthday.

By Huiyu Ji (Gigi) from China

My birthday is February 1st. The national “birthday” of our country is October 1st. We will have sev-
en days off on National Day. I want to spend my birthday with my family, but they are in China.

By Thi Vu Le Tran (Sally) from Vietnam

My birthday is on September 12th. There are some birthday traditions in my country. It's very important when
you turn one. All people in your family come together. They give you presents and organize a party for you.
Then you will have small parties with your family and a few close friends every year. I wish for next birthday I
get to be with my daughter and my family. If possible, I would like to eat some cake with my new friends at
Heartland.

(Belated)

By Alexandre Antunes De Freitas from Brazil

My birthday is on June 28th. Usually, the birthdays in my country are a lot of fun. We always have cake, music,
drinks and good conversations with friends and family. Children’s birthdays are even more fun. There are al-
ways games, dances, many kinds of presents and a lot of candies. This year I want to celebrate my birthday
with my wife and my son, and thank God that we are healthy in this pandemic.

12 Heartland Student Newsletter | July 2021

IELTS/Conversation Preparation classes
will be back for a 2-week program: July 26
to August 5, 2021 (There will be no class

on August 2nd for Holiday Monday).
If you are interested, please send an email

to [email protected]

13

The Moroccan Travel Guide

By Zakaria Chaibi

Ever been to Morocco before? If not, you should think about it. For many reasons, I’d say it can be a mind-
blowing experience for you. Morocco may not be the most visited tourist destination in the world; but, many
visitors say it really should be. In addition to the beautiful nature you can enjoy there, all tourists agree that
there is something special about its people; something that would make you fall blindly in love with it, and
decide to go back or even stay and live there! Burkosha, a Russian girl who visited Morocco for fun says after
she learned Moroccan Arabic: “Casablanca is my home”. Burkosha came to Morocco for a quick visit, but
there must be something special that made her change her mind and decide to stay. So, what makes Morocco
a pleasant destination? The answer is simple: Diversity. In this country, there is diversity in everything: The
weather, the nature, the rituals, the language, the religion, the food, etc. There must be something to enjoy
for all people.

You've heard of hitting two birds with one stone, well, thanks to its strategic location, traveling to Morocco is
like hitting a whole flock with a stone. It’s like visiting many different spots from the world at once. Take your
pick: Counting stars at Merzouga desert, a trip to the snowy mountains next to Marakesh, or surfing in its vari-
ety of stunning beaches? If you go to the Sahara, you will have the chance to experience many exciting adven-
tures. Aside from riding camels, which is fun for sure, there are other activities you can enjoy such as sand
baths, sand surfing, riding a quad bike, and the list goes on. If you are an athletic person who’s obsessed with
mountaineering, Morocco will offer you its fresh air, snowy climate, and its clean view from the highest moun-
tain in North Africa, Toubkal. If you are a beach person however, and you want to feel the warm sand be-
tween your toes and the sun on your back, there are numerous beaches you can head to. Morocco is the only
African country whose coastline runs along both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. That is to say, there are
plenty of both calm-water beaches and wild windy beaches just waiting for you to visit.

Another aspect that makes Morocco a preferred choice is its multilingual status. The majority of Moroccans
are capable of communicating in more than two languages. In addition to the local languages, most people
can speak or at least understand French, English, and Spanish. This makes it easier for non-Arabic speakers to
express themselves, communicate their needs, and more importantly, engage with people and learn about
their experiences. Conversing with people with different beliefs and views can sometimes be a life-changing
act.

Of course, one thing that the Moroccans are known for is their hospitality and enthusiasm. You will be thrilled
by how willing they are to share everything with you, and it’s always an absolute pleasure for them. You will
have the chance to taste different salty flavours, for each area in Morocco has something special to offer. The
most famous dish in Morocco is the Tagine. I hope that you get to try it because once you do, you will want to
ask for the recipe. So, I am sure you’re going to love it. The Tagine has a lot of potential to connect with you.
Cooking in it is so simple, the ingredients are common, but because they are cooked specifically in the Tagine,
their taste becomes unique and pleasurable. I really hope that you get the chance to experience it.

Heartland Student Newsletter | July 2021
8

Very Beautiful!

9

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access  84 Training hours
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• All fees are in Canadian dollars.

18 Heartland Student Newsletter | July 2021

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• Study programs aligned to your target score
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TO GET STARTED:

1.Send your name and email address

to [email protected]
2.Pay the $147 all-inclusive fee
3.Receive your access code and start studying!

19

Friday In-Person Activity

In-person activity for the
first time in forever! Stu-
dents from Carol’s class
went on a Heartland
neighbourhood tour.
They had a chance to ex-
plore the Exchange Dis-
trict area and to learn
history, places to eat and
visit!

14 Heartland Student Newsletter | July 2021

If you wtaryntBaDnI@in7sa6n6eJuicbeilecreeAamve, Taiyaki pancake with matcha ice cram, Not A Waffle
offers unique ice creams@2-709 Corydon Ave

Fun to watch making rolled ice cream at Winnipeggers have tried this shop at least once!?
Rollesque@6-794 Sargent Ave Neon Cone@The Forks Market
15

Heartland has our own YouTube channel to https://www.youtube.com/user/HeartlandEnglish
offer our latest news, teacher interviews,
Hit SUBSCRIBE button!
Friday activities, and many more!

Follow us! Find this newsletter— and more— on 280 William Avenue
@heartlandenglish the blog! Winnipeg, Manitoba

Visit blog.heartlandenglish.com R3B 0R1
Edited by Moé Moriizumi 1-204-989-8448
heartlandenglish.com