East&West Dialogue with D.D. Jackson and Andy Milne: Two Canadian Juno Award-winners Now Based in the States


At our East&West Dialogue, guest speakers from Different cultural backgrounds share their life experiences, insights, and have a dialogue with our audience. In this first dialogue of Season 2023, we are thrilled to have D.D. Jackson and Andy Milne, two Juno-winning jazz pianists, composers, and band leaders, to reflect on their multi-ethnic racial identities growing up in Canada and living in the United States, and how these experiences have impacted their approach to their art.

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EAWLC Communication Skills Coaching Hour 2023

“Becoming skillful with your interpersonal communications makes life easier.“
– Eleanor James
The way we speak to each other, especially at work, can help you or cause you harm. How fortunate to choose to be skillful and to navigate easily in new or difficult situations like:
How to approach people, asking questions?
How to make small talk, and fit into the circle?
How to deal with difficult people?
How to diffuse situations in a considerate way?
….

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On The Spring Festival, Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year: Different Perspectives Compiled

The article I wrote, followed by comments from friends, gives some light to different concerns and perspectives around a recent hot topic in the Chinese community. Thanks a lot to my friends who have shared their thoughts frankly; their names are listed in the Acknowledgement at the end. I found the rethinking and learning process very beneficial to me.

–Yang Wang

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English Social Conversation @East and West Learning Connections 2023

 *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?

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EAWLC Social Reading Club/读点东西俱乐部: Read Together, Chapter by Chapter

This online club meets ALMOST every week to read books together, chapter by chapter.  Club members, who come from diverse backgrounds and live in different countries, take turns to present the chapter(s) they volunteer to lead the reading of and facilitate the breakout room discussion that follows.  We welcome you to join us and bring your unique life experience and perspective to the discussion!

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East&West Dialogue: Transitioning from University to Career

Sisi Ye and Michelle Shi, from Ottawa and Toronto, respectively, both graduated from McGill University, and have stayed in Montreal to develop their career paths.  The two young, promising career women will come to our East&West Dialogue and share how they have evolved, their work-life balance, as well as feelings and experiences they have had throughout the journey.

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5 Poets Breaking into Song (#7)

George Elliott Clarke & East and West Learning Connections Present

5 Poets Breaking into Song (#7)

Live : 20 St. Joseph St. Toronto (ON), at the Canadian Music Centre. Near Wellesley&Yonge subway station

Saturday, Nov 19, 2022, 7-9  P.M.

Maximum in-person attendees: 50. Masking is required in the building.

Door will open at 6:30 P.M.  First come, first seated.

You can also watch the performance live on Youtube. 

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English Lecture on Ancient Chinese Culture| Ruan Ji: Extreme Eccentric or Champion of Justice?

The Wei-Jin period (220-420 AD) was one of the most chaotic in Chinese imperial history. This turbulent time nonetheless produced distinguished literati (mingshi) of formidable talent and charisma. In this talk, we focus on the figure of Ruan Ji ( 阮籍 , 210-263 AD) and try to understand the pressures that faced the literati of this period and the difficulties that underlay their sometimes eccentric responses.

Free online English event

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East&West Dialogue with Faith Fang and Christina Wang: Across Arts and Sciences

On Oct 14, East and West Learning Connections will host a dialogue with Faith and Christina, two college students whose experiences cross arts and sciences as their interests blend or co-exist. What is their actual experience pursuing their passions in diverse fields? What could it mean for younger students who are now looking for their own direction? Join us to hear and share.

 English dialogue with simultaneous interpreting in Chinese on Zoom.

Open for free to the public.  Everyone is welcome!

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EAWLC Outstanding Service Award Winners

East and West Learning Connections (EAWLC) is run by volunteers.  Without their talents, commitment, and hard work,  all the programs we have offered to the public just cannot possibly come into reality.  Every year at our Annual General Meeting, our Board chooses a number of winners to receive the EAWLC Outstanding Service Awards based on time commitment, task impact, and organization involvement in the previous year.  The award does not apply to board directors, advisors, or guest speakers, even though they are also volunteers to whom we are deeply grateful for their help.  Each year there will be friends generously donating some cool items so we can give the winners as a gift.  The winners are the representatives of all EAWLC volunteers who all come to help us with a giving heart for the community.  Thank you so much, members, volunteers, and donors, for your great support and contributions! 

2023 EAWLC Outstanding Service Award winners

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