Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Have a great holiday!
See you all in the New Year!!

It's Christmas Eve!

Many Canadians also have to work on Christmas Eve, but it is often a half day. This is done to allow workers time to travel to the homes of family members . Public transportation systems also close down in the late afternoon or early evening.

In the afternoon some people buy last-minute Christmas gifts for their family and friends while others wrap presents that they bought earlier. Many people attend a church service in the evening, known as midnight mass. Traditionally, this service started at midnight as December 24 became December 25 but now it often starts earlier in the evening.

If a family is going to eat a traditional meal on Christmas Day, they may begin preparations on Christmas Eve. A traditional Christmas Day meal often consists of roast turkey with squash, turnips, potatoes and cranberry sauce as a main course and mince pies or plum pudding for dessert.

In my family we were always allowed to open one Christmas gift on Christmas Eve, usually Christmas pajamas!! At the end of the evening we would hang our stockings by the fireplace for Santa to fill with presents during the night. We would also leave cookies and milk for Santa and carrots or celery for the reindeer.

Santa is so important to Christmas in Canada and the United States that the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) maintains a website to allegedly 'track' Santa's movements on Christmas Eve. It is also on TV and radio news programs!!

Tongue Twister of the week!

Two trains travel together to Toyland.

Last weekend...

Other than the Christmas parties, where did I go?

Photo of the Month!

It's hilarious!! Obviously I took this photo.

I'm sorry Phil but it was too good not to share! :D

4 Days until Christmas!!

To celebrate this occasion I have the photos from last Saturday evening's Christmas party!!

After we opened all of the presents from the gift exchange!!

4 Days until Christmas!!

To celebrate this occasion I have the photos from last Saturday morning's Christmas party!!

Pass the parcel game.

Making Christmas cards.

Finished gingerbread houses.

Christmas presents from our special guest, Santa!!

See you in 2 weeks

Bye Everyone!

I'm going back to Australia

for the next 2 weeks.

I'm going to visit my family

and enjoy Christmas, new year

and my birthday in the nice

warm Australian summer.

Rachel, Yoshi and Yoko will see you

next week but I won't see

you till after I get back.

So I hope you all have a wonderful

Christmas and a happy new year.

Good luck for 2011.

See you all again soon.

A Christmas Classic

This is a classic Christmas video clip from the very famous Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie by Rankin/Bass. It debuted on television in 1964 and has been broadcast annually ever since. It is the longest-running TV special in terms of consecutive years! It is shown in pretty much every English speaking country around the world. I have watched this movie every year since I was young. ~Rachel

Sketchy Santas

Having your photo taken with Santa

is a Christmas custom that most

children will experience at some point.

Some kids however, seem to

be absolutely terrified of Santa.

I was never sure why, until now.

Have a look at these creepy photos.

For more sketchy Santa pics visit

http://sketchysantas.failblog.org/

Hello from Yoko!!!

I'm new here at RLE.
I'm from Takatsuki, Japan but you would never know it from my native-like English skills! MMMawawahahahah
I'm here to help you, our students, schedule your class time.

Please come in and introduce yourself to me!
See you soon :D

Black Christmas

This might seem like a strange topic for a Christmas post,

but if you want to know what Christmas

is really like in Australia

then you need to know about bush fires.

The end of the year is dry and hot in Australia

and is known as the bushfire season.

(mush like Japan has typhoon season)

Also the drought that has lasted for years

continues to make the situation even worse.

Almost every year there are huge fires that destroy

forests, animals, peoples homes

and sometimes, sadly their lives.

One of the most famous, in 2001

was known as "black Christmas".

Australia has many eucalyptus trees, (the ones koalas eat)

so many in fact that the mountains near my family home

look blue from a distance due to the fumes they release.

Eucalyptus is however, also highly flammable,

this means that the fire travels very quickly

and often traps people.

All in all the bushfire are dangerous,

but Australians have lived with them for years

and we know what to do to avoid being caught.

Oddly enough though, they are also rather beautiful to watch.

The Poll

Last week's poll question was a tricky one!
MMawahaha

Which animal completes the idiom: to have a _____ in one's throat?

horse (1 vote)
fly
goose (1 vote)
frog ( 2 votes)
shark
cat
toad (2 votes)
pigeon

The correct answer is....
Drum roll please...
..
..
..

To have a frog in one's throat!

If you have a frog in your throat then you have difficulty speaking clearly because of a cough or a sore, dry throat.

'Teaching was difficult today. I had a frog in my throat all day!'

New Christmas Photos

Christmas is only 11 days away so to get you into the holiday spirit here are some festive RLE teacher photos! Woot woot!!

And remember the Christmas parties are only 4 days away so let us know in the office if you intend on coming!! Also vote on this week's poll question! It's really important :D

Tongue Twister of the week!

Red-nosed Rudolph romps readily 'round ruby wreaths.

Beware the Anti-Santa

Everyone knows Santa,

but did you know there is an Anti-Santa?

The KRAMPUS is a demon that

carries away naughty children.

So if you have been bad boys & girls

this year, you might not only get

coal instead of presents, but you

might also get a visit from this creepy fellow.

(Reminds me of the Japanese Yokai "Namahage")

Let them eat...

White Christmas is an Australian sweet,

made from a combination of Copha or white chocolate,

icing sugar, sultanas (raisins), glacé cherries,

desiccated coconut, milk powder

and rice bubbles (puffed white rice/rice Krispies).
It is cooked in a rectangular slice tin,

and cut into slices for eating.
It is very well known in Australia,

being a sweet that children can easily be taught to make.

If you want to give it a try follow this link for a recipe

http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/2007/11/white-christmas-recipe.html

Rachel was asking me about Christmas in Australia,

so I thought I would write about it on the blog.

Christmas in Oz is pretty much the same as

it is in most other countries. We have

a tree, presents, carols, Santa etc.

But because December is in summer in Oz

we do a few things a bit differently.

For example, Christmas Lunch/Dinner

is often a BBQ outside, and we drink

beer or champagne not eggnog.

Most kids leave out milk & cookies

for Santa but my Santa preferred

a beer and chips... (perhaps just my family)

Some people have Christmas in July when

it is cold to replicate a more traditional

Christmas time feeling. (But it's rare to do so.)

A part of our heritage - Canadian Maple Syrup

I'm not sure if this is exactly how it happened but it does look tasty!! This is the way my family makes maple syrup as well. Maple syrup on snow is the best!!!

What Phil did last weekend

The gig on Sunday night went well.

Thanks to everyone who came.

If you missed the show, make

sure to catch our next one.

More info at

http://www.myspace.com/blueheronfire

and on facebook

The Poll

Last week's poll question was a tricky one!

Which animal completes the idiom:
''Straight from the _____ mouth?''

dog's (3 votes)
donkey's
bird's (1 vote)
horse's (2 votes)
elephant's
whale's
cow's
pig's
monkey's
turkey 's (1 vote)

The correct answer is HORSE'S!

Straight from the horse's mouth!

If you get information about something 'straight from the horse's mouth', you get it from someone who is directly involved and knows a lot about it.

Thank you to everyone who voted last week!