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CommentsEtienne I have enjoyed these conversations to say the least but we might be going outside the purpose of this blog. As a professional in Japan I am sure you are on linkedin.com so feel free to reach out there and we can continue on. Maybe you have another open forum?My daughter is in first year science and will major in chemistry. Her last chemistry test she got 20.1/20 but her physics was 13/25. I would prefer physics over chemistry and have tried to guide her into other possibilities such as R&D as a career path. Leading edge stuff is always exciting. Posted by Rob on 03/31 at 09:08 AM | # Rob,on a different note incidentally, did you see Gibson's Passion of the Christ? It was an amazing historical error that not a single word of Koine Greek was uttered in that movie. Most likely Roman auxiliaries, Pilate, educated Jews, etc... would have spoken Greek amongst each other in that part of the world in 30 A.D. ..... Oh well, there goes historical accuracy. China? Try to learn a few Chinese characters before. It is kind of fun. Science? What exactly if I may ask? I am a physicist. (And yes, government mandated affirmative action using stats should be at best considered to be a medication, a drug, whose side effects are potentially dangerous. I am not saying that governments, democratic governments, cannot exert leadership but we must watch them....) Posted by Etienne Forest on 03/29 at 12:53 PM | # Etienne you do make some good points and what this ALL comes down to is government meddling, politics. In the days of the Romans and when Jesus walked among us did you ever noticed that the "common" language of the day was Greek. Why? Well because it worked, why fix what ain't broke. I have been to different countries to work and have always enjoyed learning what I can and that included France. The guy I was working with could speak very little English and I wasn't much better with French but after two weeks the job was finished and on time. In fact, we conversed personally after that for quite some time through Internet translator programs. Soon I will be heading to China on another controls and automation project and again I hope to enjoy the culture and pick up some local language. Next year it will be India. I do like the point you make about Hispanics (as a point). Again this is indicative of government agendas, and those agendas are always about numbers and stats. Now numbers and statistics are very important in science and mathematics but when the government starts to complain that there is not enough women in politics (as an example) well how is that anybody's fault. Running for public office is a choice and let the best person win, regardless of gender. And once in office that person needs to represent ALL members of his/her constituency. What's next, not enough female referees in the NHL? I have three daughters (one currently taking a science degree) so I am all for their success in life but those successes will be of their own choosing, not to fit some government agenda. Posted by Rob on 03/29 at 09:54 AM | # Ho Rob, I forgot to say. I have a sick language story about dealing with the USA. My laboratory in Japan must obey Japanese procurement law. But we also deal with American labs, German labs, CERN, etc... One lab in the USA (LBL) asked for a copy of our laws; only the Americans ever made such request. So we politely and generously mailed the brick document at our expenses. They then bitched because it was in Japanese! What do these idiots expect? Japanese laws, for domestic usage, written in English???? The next thing we will hear from them is that we do not have enough provisions for people of colour... not enough Hispanic contracts... Posted by Etienne Forest on 03/28 at 11:05 PM | # Rob, your story is indicative of what is totally wrong about Trudeau’s vision of bilingualism. His son Justin cannot finish a sentence without mixing French and English, Quebec comedians say that he speaks in “bilingual”. There is a proper time, when kids are learning at school, or engaged in some social activity, to bring up the fact that some people in Canada say “Father Christmas” and they are French speaking. And then why do we say “Santa Claus” instead of Father Christmas like the Brits? That leads to an interesting story about Dutch immigration in New York, etc… Why don’t the French Canadian say St-Nicholas like some Frenchmen do? That is also interesting; in part because French Canadians used to give gifts at New Year rather than on the feast of St-Nick (I surmise…). So you could go on and on without any political agenda beyond trying to understand the culture of the other side but only when the time is appropriate. But none of these issues belong to a time and place when the kids go nuts about a Christmas party. I do not want this propaganda in Japan, in Quebec or in Sudbury where my daughter lives. I am 100% with you on this. Someone mentioned "O Canada" on this blog. Again an interesting topic for (young) Anglophone adults: why do French Canadians sing such an anachronistic politically incorrect song? Why paradoxically, it makes the song immune to changes unlike the English version which is constantly under threats from the PC crowds? Even Harper made some suggestions about it.... The words of O Canada are intensely racially conscious and Christian in French. The last stanzas were the worse: "Along the giant river the Canadian grows in hope, because he comes from a proud race... sacred love of the Throne and the Alter....amongst the alien races, the law is our guide... for Christ and the King" Yet, no one would ever touch it. Why? I stand for this anthem and so do Quebeckers of the Muslim faith and blacks, yellows, etc.... So it is worth a discussion, but would you discuss this at the hockey game or on Coach’s Corner? No. Posted by Etienne Forest on 03/27 at 08:06 PM | # Etienne, I have one for you. The past Christmas our village celebrated an inter-faith Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Because "The Village" considers us to be bilingual all the commentary was done in English and French. One of the weirdest moments of the whole ceremony was when the English commentator asked the kids "Are you ready to meet Santa Claus?". Well with about 300 hundred people the room filled with cheers. After the children settled down the French commentator asked the same question in French. Well you could figuratively hear a pin drop in the room and yet the commentator was standing up there looking around the room, smiling, waiting for the same burst of exuberance that never came. I am not sure about the commentator but it sure felt like like one of those moments where everyone is thinking "Awkward". Posted by Rob on 03/27 at 10:07 AM | # Rob, I will answer you later if time permits but I want to tell you a story that will sicken you and did sicken me, in response to your rhetorical question: “I wonder when the Canadian government deals with the United States are all documents sent in both official languages. It wouldn't surprise me.” While the serious answer to your question is “no”, here is a true sick story. I gave a talk about Japanese culture to smart students from Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK. The official languages of the meeting were quite understandably English and Japanese. The scientific/educational attachés of the various embassies gave introductory speeches. The speeches were in English and in Japanese. When it was the turn of our attaché, the dude gave a speech in French because we are a bilingual and multicultural country. This guy felt the need to inject Canadian propaganda into a scientific meeting. Well thank God, with 4 languages, that the Swiss did not make his speech in German, French, Italian and Romanche. Countries are multilingual in the sense that they are made mostly of unilingual regions with small bilingual enclaves. This is why I am against Quebec being officially bilingual as I am against Ontario being bilingual. But this is for later if I get the time to write more…. PS My talk used Japanese toilets to explain East Asia to foreigners! Posted by Etienne Forest on 03/27 at 01:33 AM | # Etienne, so what you are saying, is the rest of Canada should follow Quebec's lead, eliminate bilingualism for the scant minority of French scattered across Canada, save the money and pour it into better social services? So you believe that Quebecers who leave should be assimilated into the province they chose to live in whether it be Ontario/Alberta/Newfoundland, etc., or return to Quebec? At the same time all provinces should adopt Quebec's labour policies and not allow companies and workers from outside to work within another's province? So basically next time Costco opens a store in New Brunswick the workers building the store should be NB construction workers and those Quebec workers who took the jobs away from NB workers should sit on their ass in Quebec waiting for Quebec jobs? Posted by Rob on 03/26 at 10:58 AM | # Time for the NATION of Quebec to leave CanadaPosted by Dick Field on Mar 11, 2008 at 09:49 PM
Can’t Speak French - You are a Second Class Canadian! As a young Canadian you can fight and die for your country; your country says it values your sacrifice. More...Post a Comment on: Time for the NATION of Quebec to leave CanadaNext entry: We Know What’s Best For You Previous entry: One in Four Teens Has an STD Note from the Editor: This section is for comments from readers of canadafreepress.com. Please don't assume that Canada Free Press agrees with or endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege. |
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