Friday, September 16, 2011

Host a workshop!


Hands On Heritage is now in its second year of activities. We have fun exploring our local heritage from Multicultural perspectives.

Here are some of the workshops conducted so far:

Ibn al Haytham, Medieval Egypt & the Science of Light

Abbas Ibn Firnas: Aviation pioneer in Medieval Spain

American Sign Language for kids

Introduction to Chinese & Muslims in China


Special Charity Entrepeneurs Day Camp:

Campers had great fun creating social awareness by producing a radio show, making gifts for their neighbours, scrapbooking, and inventing products for charity fundraisers.

If your school or community group is interested in hosting any of our elementary level heritage programs, from a faith-based or non-denominational approach, give us a shout at HandsOnHeritage@Gmail.com




Thursday, August 25, 2011

Young Charity Entrepreneurs at Ramadan Daze

The 'Needs' Twister Game: lose a need, lose your balance
Wow! 4 Wednesdays of intense activity: we were scrapbooking, making gifts, understanding
physical & spiritual needs, developing a dream charity, making an invention that would fundraise for said charity; recording radio show skits, interviews, stories; learning about the drought crisis in the Horn of Africa and playing a crazy game of twister that teaches you how a lack of needs can throw you off balance!
Our Ramadan Daze team had a wonderful time with all the kids. The camp proceeds raised $700 for Mercy Mission and the kids' Radio Show CD sales raised over $150 for Horn of Africa relief. We are grateful to the Almighty that we were able to engage in acts of charity ('Sadaqah') during the month of Ramadan and hope to continue the good work throughout the rest of the year as well.
Good job everybody!
Special thanks to Mastermind Toys for donating the door prizes.


Inventing a 'lung health awareness' board game
to raise funds for their fantasy charity: lung cancer research 



Creating customizable hats with interchangable visors, logos for a dream charity
 that would provide sports shoes to kids in need





Working on a wall hanging, made from paper plates, to collect
donations for their imaginary cause: Charity Homes for the homeless




We learnt about the synergy of
Salah, Sawm & Sadaqah: Prayer, Fasting & Charity.



Handmade flower pens & envelopes made from old calendar pics for the neighbours




Get a taste of Ramadan Daze with our 'Sadaqah Soundwaves'
Radio show: over 25 mins of  jam packed fun and inspiration!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Historic Quebec teaches us so much about Ontario!






















.....The geography, the history, the language.
As we careered down steep, narrow, icy roads in a minivan, strolled through colourful 17th century streets named after saints and kings and ordered double doubles in French, our trip to Quebec city taught us so much about a much flatter, newer, more Anglophone- no- more Allophone Toronto.



We were buzzing on a Francophone high. Even our little one worked up the courage to speak French. After one restaurant meal, she returned triumphantly to the family, waving a styrofoam container. 'Je voudrais des boites' had been her brave request to the lady at the counter for a couple of takeout boxes for leftovers. Now how was I to know that a disposable cup was un verre jetable not une coupe a papier much to the bewilderment of the waitress at the breakfast place?



It takes time to get used to the idea of winter here. The constant windchill which I guess blows in from the St Lawrence river gives a new meaning to 'it's cold out.' I now understand why the most successful settlers of New France were those who could learn from their aboriginal hosts and survive the winter. They even have an ice hotel here: for fun!



We snow scared Torontonians simply do not have the same winter smarts. Take the sidewalks for example. Only out-of-province tourists use the sidewalks here during the spring thaw. Locals walk merrily by on the asphalt and you watch helplessly from behind the snow dunes as you sink into ankle deep puddles and rivulets. Hey even their driveways are snowproofed. White tarp like tents offer protection against the laughable idea of actually having to shovel out front. Back sore Torontonians: watch and learn.



But do you know what really sealed our newfound identity as - not Torontonians but- Ontarians? The squeejee kid in Montreal who, after briskly cleaning our van windscreen at the traffic lights while we sat there avoiding eye contact, calls out to my husband "Go back to Ontaareeo man!"