How to Order Chinese Cuisine Authentically to Get the Best of It

How to Order Chinese Cuisine Authentically to Get the Best of It

By Yang Wang

April 15, 2024

 

I hosted an eating-out for a blind women’s group last month on St. Patrick’s Day.  In the group each member takes turns to organize an outing, usually to a restaurant of their choice.

I invited members to a Chinese restaurant, the Asian Legend in Scarborough.  It was a bit of travel for some members who lived in the Downtown area or in the West end of the city.  But hey, there were lots of authentic Chinese restaurants in Scarborough.  And people in Scarborough spent that much time travelling to Downtown or further for work or entertainment all the time.  I really wished we had had more subway lines extended to this east end of the city!  The biggest truth was I had a ski accident in February, and was still having some headaches and dizziness so I took the advantage of being a host, and chose a good and relatively familiar restaurant that was nearby me.  Anyway finally Five of us sat down at a Lazy Susan round table, and began to order.

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Living with Cultural Barriers: A Speech, a Poem and the EAWLC / 我的文化差异体验

By Yang Wang

I was invited to give a speech at Don Heights Unitarian Congregation on October 15, 2023 to introduce East and West Learning Connections (the EAWLC).  I shared my personal stories and observations of cultural difference, barriers for first generation immigrants, problems the immigrant  community face to realize the two-way diversity process, and what the EAWLC had been doing to help address those concerns.  Thanks to the engaging audience, their frank and thoughtful questions, plus interesting stories made my wish for a meaningful conversation come true!

Continue reading “Living with Cultural Barriers: A Speech, a Poem and the EAWLC / 我的文化差异体验”

East&West Dialogue: Adoption Stories of Two Australian Families

East&West Dialogue: Adoption Stories of Two Australian Families

 

At our East&West Dialogues, guest speakers of different cultural background volunteer their time to share life stories, expertise, thoughts and/or concerns, and have a dialogue with the audience.

In this dialogue, two fabulous Australian moms, Mandy van den Elshout and Willa McDonald,also two distinguished career women, will share their family stories of adopting and parenting children from China, how they cope with cultural differences, and the joys, challenges and love along the ongoing journey.

Toronto Canada Time: Friday October 20, 2023 at 7:30-9 P.M. (Eastern Time)

Sydney Australia Time Saturday October 21, 2023 at 10:30 A.M. to 12 P.M.

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Readings and Podcasts for EAWLC Western Literature Book Club 2022

Instructor: Professor Emma Gorst

Time and venue: The second Wednesday of the month in the evening from 7:30-9 P.M. on Zoom

 

For details, the latest schedule, and Zoom link, please visit: Reading for Culture with Emma: the Western Literature Book Club @eAWLC 2022.

 

Please come back to check this page often as we will keep updating the reading materials and podcasts.

Continue reading “Readings and Podcasts for EAWLC Western Literature Book Club 2022”

Reading for Culture with Emma: The Western Literature Book Club at EAWLC 2022

Book Club Instructor:

Emma Gorst obtained her PhD in Medieval and early modern English literature from University of Toronto. Before that, she copy-edited textbooks for Pearson and worked in online marketing at Random House. She did her postdoc at Yale University in 2013-2014. Emma teaches university and college writing at Seneca College and tutors young readers in her spare time.

For more details about Emma, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmagorst/

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English Social Conversation @East and West Learning Connections 2022

* We are constantly recruiting native English-speaking facilitator volunteers for the English Social Conversation program!  Please see the invitation message at the end of this announcement.

 

Have you ever wondered what to talk about in a social conversation?  Or as an immigrant do you sometimes feel it is difficult to join your local co-workers’ conversation because you don’t know the people or things they are talking about,  or you have some everyday questions that you would like to know how local people would think or deal with?  Or do you just want to find a safe, relaxing and friendly environment to talk to some native English speakers, and enjoy a pleasant conversation?

Judith Lawrence and her native English-speaking volunteer team are kindly facilitating Social Conversations to address those questions for you at the East and West Learning Connections.  They come from all walks of life.  We are so delighted to have a group of open-minded, friendly and fun people as our facilitators!  You are welcome to bring questions of interest to the breakout rooms.  We try to keep a ratio of facilitators to participants at maximum around 1 to 4 in every session.

 

Time:Every 1st Wednesday of the month at 8-9 P.M. Eastern Time, except for summer and winter breaks.

In 2022, it is March 2, April 6, May 4, June 1, September 7, October 5, and November 2.

Please note you will need to register for each of the above dates.  Registration for the month is open right after the previous session is finished.

Zoom registration link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIscO6oqD4uE9I4m3zjcUvl4TeGS1lLMJhZ

Zoom room will open 15 minutes prior.  Please be on time.

Cost: Free

For inquiries, comments, or sending over topics of interest, please write to info@eawlc.org.  Thank you!

 

Message from Judith:

“CASUAL Conversations

I am inviting you to join me  in English conversation in the comfort of your home on zoom!  We can talk about many topics and learn from each other.  I am a retired high school teacher who has spent many years travelling the world.  I like reading, and am running an audio book club.  I have been to the East and West Learning Connections   a few times, and wanted to volunteer.”

The experiences, thoughts and ideas exchanged between facilitators and participants are from individual perspectives only, and do not represent the opinions of our organization or any specific community on the whole.  We proudly promote conversations of this kind so people of different cultural backgrounds get to know each other a bit more at an individual level.

Professionals, students or home-makers, everyone is welcome to join us, and have English talks with our awesome conversationalists!

 

* Finally, here is a short introduction of the program.  If you know some native English-speaker who could be a good communicator, and would like to come and help as a facilitator, please feel free to forward the message — it’s an invitation!

“The East and West Learning Connections is a federally registered non-profit organization that helps people of different heritages break cultural barriers and get connected through learning, communicating and volunteering opportunities.  We are running a free English Conversation program to help immigrants improve conversational skills in social settings.  We cordially invite native English speakers to join us as volunteer conversation facilitators.  It is a good opportunity to share your knowledge and perspective, plus to exchange thoughts and life experience with neighbours of different cultural backgrounds.    The attendees are mostly well-educated, first generation immigrants who would love to learn more about the society, people and customs here in Canada.  We hope everybody at the event will have a good time talking to one another!”

My Reflection on Canada Day: An Immigrant’s Perspective / 2021年加拿大日随感

My Reflection on Canada Day: An Immigrant’s Perspective

Author: Yang Wang

English Translator: Jovial Si

July 2021

 

July 1st of 2021 marks the 154th anniversary of Canada. However, it was not celebrated with the joy and pride that were characteristic of this day in the past. The whole nation was disgraced by the heart-wrenching findings of the remains of more than 1,000 Indigenous children  in unmarked graves across the country since May.

This land had been home to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years until it was taken by European settlers. Then from 1831 to 1996, Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their parents to attend government-sponsored residential schools, run by Catholic Churches, for the purpose of cultural assimilation. In the schools’ textbooks, Indigenous peoples were called “savages”. Many of the children were sexually abused or mistreated, and many died either at school or while escaping from school. Each and every little white bone in the unmarked graves at former residential sites marks the dark history not-so-distant from now, and the cultural arrogance and barbarity of the European settlers who committed it. Continue reading “My Reflection on Canada Day: An Immigrant’s Perspective / 2021年加拿大日随感”

EAWLC Policy Information Sessions

East and West Learning Connections (EAWLC) has developed and adopted a series of general policies to serve as an expression of  its core values as a new, federally-regulated Not-for-Profit Corporation. Grounded in Canadian values of fairness, openness, and respect for human rights and equality, these general policies are meant to guide the behaviour of all those who gather under the umbrella of the EAWLC, to foster an environment of trust and mutual respect, and to celebrate diversity.

During the summer of 2021, the East a Continue reading “EAWLC Policy Information Sessions”

Readings and Podcasts for EAWLC Western Classics Book Club 2021

Instructor: Professor Emma Gorst

Time and venue: The second Wednesday evening at EAWLC Zoom room

For details, latest schedule, and Zoom link, please visit: Reading for Culture with Emma: Monthly Reading Group @East and West Learning Connections 

Please come back to check this page often as we will update the reading materials and podcasts as it goes.

 

Continue reading “Readings and Podcasts for EAWLC Western Classics Book Club 2021”