Quest: To find Moon Cakes

Reminiscent of my Teacher's College year, I'm spending Mid-Autumn festival away from home, in a town with few Chinese people.  Hence, the quest to find the Chinese food store and find moon cakes.

On the way I saw the Che Bar on Morley Street... (it was raining today, so I picked a photo off the Wiki Commons, lol).  There's also a Fidel Castro Bar in the City Centre...

Found the Fortune Dragon Oriental Food Store, just across from the University.  There was a small selection of Asian foods but I managed to I pick up seaweed for sushi, Udon noodles, and Korean glass noodles too. 

The customers and the cashier spoke Mandarin.  The cashier asked where I was from, probably because I spoke English with a foreign accent.  When I told her I was from Canada, she asked if there were many Chinese there.  She was so surprised to hear that Toronto has such a high percentage of Chinese (I told her I guessed it was 13% but I looked it up and it's 11%), looked at me with disbelief when I told her there were three "Chinatowns" in Toronto, and was amused when I told her that the majority of Science students at the University of Toronto were Chinese.  I think she thought I was a student because she told me that International students from China tend to go to Leeds University so there are very few Chinese at Bradford University and Bradford College, and that the closest Chinatown is in Manchester.

Will be sharing moon cakes with my housemate and the other Canadian teacher who teaches at Grange as well, and will bring one to school to share with the maths department tomorrow.

Music in Bradford

On Thursday night I stopped by the St. George Concert Hall to pick up some performance brochures, particularly the Orchestral Concert Season brochure.  I noticed that "Tasmin Little", who the Music building at the Bradford University is named after (I found out that they give out memberships to the public for use of space and piano practice rooms), was playing the first Chamber event of the season the following night at 7:30pm at the Bradford Cathedral.  A bunch of Canadian teachers were also planning to see Shakespeare's Julius Caesar at the Alhambra Theatre on Friday night at 7:30pm.  Hence, on Friday, after cheese and drinks at Bradford Academy where Impact (our recruiting agency) gave a presentation on an opportunity to train teachers in Uganda and India during school holidays, I jumped into a taxi with the others heading back to the City Centre (7:10pm).  I hadn't been able to reach the box office by phone and the Concert Hall where I had picked up a brochure was already closed so as I considered whether they would be selling tickets at the door, I dropped my stuff off at my apartment.  I decided I had enough time to go find out and I really wanted to see this performance, so I flew down the stairs again (7:20pm) and ran the three blocks over to the Cathedral.  Just in time.  So awesome living so close to great places to be.



I haven't heard a lot of piano & violin works so this was a real treat.  Tasmin Little graduated from Bradford University and told the audience that her favourite place to play is Bradford.  Great repertoire.  I liked the Sonatensatz so much that I sent a link to my sister in hopes that one day we could actually pull it off!  The Sonatensatz is from the "F-A-E" sonata whose name in Italian refers to the lonely life of the concert violinist, which Tasmin noted with a wry smile.  The Kreutzer was not what I expected but I've always loved Beethoven and I think I'd have to hear it again to really understand it.  The Delius was gorgeous.  Delius is a 19th century composer born in Bradford.  What didn't make it onto the printed program was the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's "Spiegel im Spiegel" which Tasmin described as being the Moonlight Sonata in a major key.  We heard two encores as well, a Hungarian dance arrangement and a delightful jazz piece that I recognised but whose name I do not know...

Intermission. The cathedral, where I worshipped two Sundays (I think?) ago.

I had been offered row 5 seats on the other side but when I took a look, I realised it was on the wrong side of the piano.  It doesn't look great in the photo but I was pretty pleased with my last minute choice of seats.  Really, I didn't need to see any more than just between those the pillars.  I could see Tasmin in her entirety and I could see Mr. Lenenhan's hands at the piano.  Good enough.  Paid way too much for this little concert but paying 5 Pounds to hear the St. Petersburg Orchestra two weeks from now as an Under 30 audience will make up for it!

Sights in BD1

I go through this walkway every day.  There are no flowers in this "garden".... and according to the sign on both ends it is "temporary".  I don't always go to the end of it where this mural is but I do pass it more days than not.  The Bradford Cathedral with its blue clock face is peeking out from behind a heritage building.

On one of the heritage buildings on that street:

Trip to Leeds

The metropolitan area of Leeds-Bradford is the 4th largest in England (after London, Manchester, and ??).  Leeds is the major economic centre in West Yorkshire.  Bradford itself has a population of 300k and, 9 miles away, the greater area of Leeds is home to 800k.  Not bad, not bad.  Major wool producers in the 17th-18th centuries, Leeds-Bradford now struggles with post-industrialisation and economic deprivation.  We were told to go to Leeds if we wanted to shop or experience any sort of night life, so there we went!

Every way you looked in the city centre was pedestrian-only roads flanked with beautiful 18th century? architecture.

Went inside...reminded me of Aussie flea markets.

I'm not sure what kind of architecture this is.  Anyone know?

Firefighter autographing their topless photos in their famous calendars

Whaaaat... Zebra burgers?  Kangaroo?  Buffalo?

Saturday evening -- closing down at 6pm.  Thought the gate to the arcade was as nice as the passageway before it was closed!

ar·cade/ärˈkād/

Noun:

A covered passageway with arches along one or both sides. A covered walk with stores along one or both sides.

Dinner at 100% Fresh Dough.  Roast duck and hoisin flatbread.  Fusion food = excellent.

Must return another week to see the Art Galleries and museums.  Town hall was nice, saw a wedding party taking photos there.  Next week we'll hopefully take a walking trip to Bolton Abbey.

Bradford Cathedral

No pictures today but here's the link!

Went to the Bradford Cathedral today for the 10:15am Choral Eucharist.  I arrived a few minutes late and a little old lady at the door offered me her bulletin as she stepped out the door.  Then as I looked around my seat for a hymnal, another little old lady standing behind me gave me her book of Common Songs opened to the hymn being sung and throughout the service she'd point me to the right page in the bulletin because I was having trouble following the liturgy!  And when I went up to the front to be blessed during Communion (I wasn't sure I wanted to share the bread and cup at a new and strange place so I just asked for a blessing), the old lady beside me also laughed at our disorientation because we didn't know which way to go to return to our seats.

The music was gorgeous.  Among the choir's songs and the congregations singing two of my favourite hymns (All Creatures of Our God and King and Be Thou My Vision), we heard Brahms' Geistliches Lied and the organ played a Prelude in B minor by Bach as the clergy and choir walked down the aisle.

Reverend Dave Bookless, former director and co-founder of A Rocha UK, spoke a sermon on "setting our minds on divine things" rather than earthly things (Mark 8).  As he was the keynote speaker for yesterday's A Rocha presentation (which I had forgotten about and missed), his example was of caring for creation and endangered species.  Is it ethical to choose to save the parts of nature that will serve humans best?  One thing that stood out to me was that he said that we cannot see nature as there to serve humans, but we also cannot see humankind as a virus to nature, a species that she could do better without.  Instead, we must see God at the centre of the world, and us looking after what God cares about, not what multinational corporations or governments care about. 

I love liturgies. The rhythm of Prayer of Confession, Prayer of Intercession, and Prayer of Offering is good for my mind and soul, I think.  There is excitement and inspiration at a contemporary church like The Abundant Life Church I went to two weeks ago and ETCBC, but I find a traditional liturgy peaceful and healing, a space for quiet revitalisation.  I think I'll be back.  It's only a block away and around the corner from my place!

Education rankings

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-maths-science-reading

Huh.  Canada ranks higher than the UK and the US, by far!  Even better than Australia!  Well, this is what I'm dealing with.  It's amazing how little the kids here know and how their math does NOT stick.  Is it the lack of knowledge by teachers?  Is it the push to pass the tests which are mostly based on facility with numbers, which isn't obviously connected to number sense?  Is it affluence or economic and social stability?  Still trying to figure it out.  I'm so surprised that year 11s (15 year olds) cannot add fractions even when given a procedure, and didn't like it when I tried to explain equivalent fractions by shading in chocolate bars on the board...

Global Justice in Bradford

Yesterday, as I got off the bus after school, I heard something going on in Centenary Square.

Sign on the left says "Stop the Drone Attacks in Pakistan"

Peaceful protest against drone attacks in Pakistan.  Apparently Bradford has been a leader in action on several global issues.  I stayed for a few minutes.  I think our MP was speaking.  What struck me was that this was a home issue.  And since Bradford is now my home, what Bradford cares about is now what I need to care about.  98% of my students are Pakistani.  I have a few Slovakian and Latvian students in my classes (the new Slovakian boy that came to class yesterday was quite defensive - I haven't been given much about his background), one or two that are black, but otherwise my students predominantly South Asians and practice Islam.  

"Civilian casualties of drone strikes are estimated as high as a third to one half of all victims. Operated by remote control from thousands of miles away, these pilotless killing machines are fuelling anger and terrorism around the world." -- Dave Webb, Chairman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Yvonne Ridley, who was captured and imprisoned by the Taliban in Afghanistan weeks after the 9/11 attacks, told the crowd that there is a correlation between suicide bombings and the drone attacks issued by the US government.

I also learned that Obama doubled the drone attacks when he assumed Presidential office in 2009.

Article from Bradford's local newspaper, The Telegraph and Argus:

Death Count of terrorist militants and civilians

Words that make us

This is the Atrium at our school.  Two years old, $15 million dollars.  Banners carrying quotes by Ghandi, Anne Frank, Martin Luther King Jr. hang from the skylights.  Can you believe 2000 students have lunch here every day?

Church hunting

I'm on a roll with these evangelical, super powered church services, aren't I.

Last week I went to Ilkley with people so I didn't go to church.  This week, I found a couple of options but since I woke up late, I decided to go to the church that was actually within walking distance of my place.

Abundant Life Church - http://www.alm.org.uk/

A couple dozen spotlights, sound system, polished band, televised, complete with applause and emcee style worship leading.  Smashing design work on the adverts and screen projections.  Just like the megachurch I went to, just six weeks ago.  Genuine female pastor, multi-cultural congregation, approachable congregants, and humble ministries though.  I think I could worship here although some things still make me uncomfortable.  That's just me being born a social critic.

More reflections, but not on here.

Friday night in Bradford

There's a fountain in Centenary Square and it is quite a nice spot at night!  We had had curry on Morley Street (can't remember the name of the restaurant although I tried very hard to remember) then decided to join some others at the Golden Goose pub in the city centre as a Green Day cover band was playing.  The City Hall clock tower sang its chimes as we passed by to indicate that it was 10:45pm.  It didn't seem unsafe, despite the warnings we had received to avoid walking around at night.  We commented on how it would be fantastic if there were a cafe overlooking the square.  The nearby Starbucks closes at 7pm.  The pub closed at midnight.  Apparently Bradford has no night life and we are to go into Leeds instead!