Saturday, March 27, 2010

Go Canucks Go

I recently went to two Vancouver Canucks hockey games that had similar results, but were nonetheless very different games. The first game was against the Calgary Flames who are fighting for a play-off position, so everyone expected a big game. The game started off very fast with both teams racing up and down the ice and getting a lot of chances to score; however, this pace did not last very long. In the second and third period, the game became slow and a little boring. The play of the Vancouver Canucks was not very consistent in this game. They started the game controlling most of the play and dominating offensively. They scored three goals in the first period, but then they began to sit back and start playing a defensive game. This gave the Calgary Flames a chance to get back in the game, but for some reason they did not have any energy. The Canucks gave them many chances to score, but even though the Flames were fighting for a play-off position, they did not take advantage of these chances. They looked like a team that was beaten in the first period and did not have any fighting spirit left for the rest of the game. Although the Canucks won, this was not a very interesting game.

The second game I went to, on the other hand, was a spectacular game. No one expected the game to be very good because the Canucks were playing the Anaheim Ducks, a team that had already been knocked out of the playoffs. Like the first game, it started off fast, but unlike the first game, it never slowed down. The speed and intensity of the game built up in each period and at some points of the game it was hard to follow the play because the game was so fast. Contrary to their play in the previous game, the Canucks were consistent throughout the game. They scored early to take a lead that they never gave up, and they played an offensive style for every minute of the game, never sitting back to give the other team a chance to get back into the game. However, that does not mean Anaheim did not make it difficult for the Canucks. In contrast to the Flames who did not compete after the first period, Anaheim played hard until the end of the game. They skated as fast as the Canucks and made the Canucks work hard for every chance they got. No one would have predicted that this game would be the better of the two games, but that is what makes sports so interesting. No one knows what is going to happen (although, as in these two games, it is usually a safe bet that the Canucks are going to win;)

Monday, March 15, 2010

Blog Assignment March 15-21 (midnight)

Ex. 8 p. 105 from your textbook. Choose one topic and be sure to use vocabulary from this chapter. Write in paragraph form and at the end of your paragraph be sure to include a separate sentence stating your main idea.

As always, include personal entry and comments on other students' blogs.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

My Olympic Experience (or, Why I Love My Wife)


I was a very lucky man during the Vancouver Olympics. My wife works at a 5 star hotel that had corporate tickets to many events. Sometimes they couldn't give all the tickets away to clients, and, as a result, she got free tickets to some events. We got to go to two hockey games and two medal ceremonies. At one of the ceremonies, we got to see Canada get the gold medal, which was an incredibly exciting moment. We also saw a couple of concerts at the medal ceremonies - they were excellent. I could never have afforded to go to all these events, so I am very happy that I married my wife.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Want to Try Something Different?


Example Process Paragraph


Want to Try Something Different?

You can safely swim with piranhas, but it's important to know how and when to do it. First, choose an appropriate time, preferably at night and during the rainy season. Avoid piranha-infested waters during the dry season, when food supplies are low and piranhas are more desperate. Piranhas feed during the day, so night-time swimming is much safer. Second, streamline your movement. Wild or erratic activity attracts the attention of piranhas. Swim slowly and smoothly. Finally, never enter the water with an open wound or raw meat. Piranhas attack larger animals only when they are wounded. The presence of blood in the water may tempt the fish to attack. If you follow these simple precautions, you will have little to fear.

from: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/paragraphexamples.html

My Favourite Vietnamese Restaurant


I went to one of my favourite restaurants in Vancouver recently. It's a Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Thai Hoa, and it's located at 1625 Kingsway. This restaurant has a great menu with a large selection of food. And so cheap! We ordered the Vietnamese crepe (closest dish), the green papaya salad (in the middle), and the Vietnamese style beef stew with rice (at the far end). Everything was absolutely delicious, and the total cost was only $21. Also, there was also enough food to take half of it home and have it for lunch the next day. (Hint: at a restaurant, if there is too much food you can just say to the waiter: "Can I get this to go?", and they will put it in a container for you to take home.) If you haven't tried Vietnamese food before, I recommend this restaurtant for your first experience. Just don't forget to invite me!

Monday, March 1, 2010

How do I add a link to my blog?

Adding a link to your blog is a great idea if you want to share the location of a web site with friends.

1) Go to your blog

2) Click on “customize” in the top right corner

3) Click on “Layout” tab in the top left corner

4) Click "Add a Gadget"

5) Scroll down and add "Link List"

6) Go to “Link List” on the page and click on “Edit”

7) Add the URL of the blog you want to link to where it says “New Site URL”
→ e.g. to link to my blog type in: thefishinmusician2.blogspot.com

8) Add a title → e.g. for my blog you may want to call it
“Michael’s Blog”