HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-04-07, Page 7THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016. PAGE 7.
Scrimgeour's trip to Taipei a memorable experience
Quite an experience
Hullett Central Public School student and Londesborough
resident Claire Scrimgeour recently returned from a trip to
Taipei made possible through the Avon Maitland District
School Board. The trip was a great experience, according
to Scrimgeour, and she encourages others to go. (Photo
submitted)
Aside from some interesting, but
less than exciting culinary
experiences, Londesborough' s
Claire Scrimgeour said that her trip
to Taipei, Taiwan was great.
Scrimgeour was one of 40 students
who made their way to Taiwan as
part of a special educational
opportunity through the Avon
Maitland District School Board
(AMDSB). The trip lasted 17 days,
with students departing on March 12
and returning March 28.
"Experiencing the different culture
there was fun," she said. "It was a
really great time."
Scrimgeour said that her favourite
part of the trip was a place called
Houtong Cat Village.
"The village is on a mountain and
the people that live there feed the
cats and take care of them,"
Scrimgeour said. "I love animals, so
it was the best part of the trip. There
were more cats than people there."
The former mining village fell on
tough times after the industry
collapsed and now it exists as a
tourist destination thanks to the
community's relationship with cats.
Scrimgeour's worst experiences
were actually two culinary
dishes, one earlier on in the
trip and one later on.
"The worst thing I tried was the
snake soup meal and the pork dipped
in pork blood," she said, explaining
she liked some of the food, but there
were some definite misses in the
culinary experience in her mind.
"The snake tasted like tuna and
chicken but there were bones in the
soup. You could see like jaw bones
and things like that.
"The pork dipped in pig blood was
just nasty," she said. "It just tasted
like blood and it wasn't very good."
Scrimgeour said she really liked
the other soups she tried, saying that
the corn soup, which was just soup
with corn, flour and spices, in it, was
really good and she really liked the
beef noodles.
The most memorable moment
from the trip was when the group
went to the zoo, Scrimgeour said.
She said that even the transportation
to and from the zoo was
unforgettable.
"They had these crystal-clear
gondolas that took you to the zoo, so
you could see everything while you
were going up there," she said. "At
the zoo, they had crocodiles, snakes,
lizards and pandas and it was a great
experience."
Annual Hullett auction, carnival night set
True to it's reputation, the month
of April began with showers. And
certainly March had its share as
well. So I thought we would have a Singing in the Rain is one of the
look at the song penned by Arthur most popular movies of all time and
Freed back in 1929, in the midst of defines the musical movie genre. In
the roarin' twenties. one scene Gene Kelly's exuberance
"Singing in the Rain" did make it as he sings the title song while
onto the hit parade of its day and was dancing in the rain lifts the spirits of
featured in a variety of movie everyone who watches/watched the
musicals. Its optimistic theme was movie. It is a reminder that joy can
intended to boost the spirits of be found despite the rain.
movie-goers during the Great Last month there were reports of
Depression. Judy Garland sang it in tundra swans in the area on their way
1940 in the movie Little Nellie Kelly. north for the summer. Last Friday I
But it was the movie by the same received a report that a flock of pink
name that actually clinched the flamingos had landed on the lawn at
song's reputation in 1952. the Cullen home. They didn't stay
UCW hosts World Day of Prayer
The Londesborough UCW held
their World Day of Prayer Service
on the evening of their regular
meeting on March 21 rather than on
the first Friday of the month.
However, the women still feel in
solidarity with worshipping
Christians around the world and
with those from the various
countries who write each year's
program. This year's service was
written by the women of Cuba, a
country which has been much in the
news of late. And the day on which
Londesborough celebrated the
service was a momentous one for
the country, for it was the day
President Barak Obama visited
Cuba, the first president of the
United States to visit in 90 years.
I always find that learning about
the country featured each year is as
interesting as the service itself. The
Cuban culture has been influenced
by all those nations that have been
involved in its development -
Spanish, African, Chinese, French,
Latino, Caribbean and North
American. This makes for a very
diverse culture. Spanish is the
official language.
In the 1950s a dictatorship began
that devastated the country. Along
came Fidel Castro, who as leader of
the National Liberation War,
eventually defeated the dictatorship
in 1959. During this time, the
national flower, the white butterfly
jasmine, which has always been
used by the women as a hair
adornment, was used to transmit
messages.
However, an atheist policy
prevented the practicing of other
religions. So for many years
Christians worshipped in private,
with the elders, for instance the
grandmothers, passing on God's
teachings to the children.
When the Constitution was re-
established in the 1990s it
guaranteed religious freedom as
well as universal education and
changes in economic policies.
However, Cuba continues to be a
poor country and families struggle
to provide the basic necessities of
life. It is to be hoped that the recent
lifting of the world trade embargo
will have positive results for the
population of some 11 million
peoples.
The title for the service was
"Receive Children. Receive Me."
and the supporting scripture passage
was the very familiar story
contained in Mark 10: 13-16.
Because the country maintained a
Christian movement through the
relationship of grandparents and
children, the picture on the program
is of an older hand held/holding a
child's hand as seen through a
church window.
Churchgoers have learned that in
Roman times, the women were not
allowed the same rights as the men,
were a marginalized segment of
society which Jesus sought to
change through His teachings.
Apparently so were children. Thus
when the children were brought to
Jesus, the disciples that turned them
away were following the custom of
the times. By receiving the children
and the women who brought them,
Jesus was giving their status honour
and greatness and changing the
values of dignity. It will be the
children of Cuba who will spread
Christianity in the coming years.
My take on this passage is that we
are all the children of God and can
come to Him to be received.
Conducting the service in
Londesborough were Joan Whyte,
Kittie MacGregor, Helen Lobb,
Dorothy Bogie and Sherri Postma.
Each brought to the altar a symbol
of Cuba and Christianity - Bible,
basket of fruit, candle, maracas and
sugarcane. Barb Bosman played for
appropriate hymns during the
service. A branch of the butterfly
jasmine was also on the altar.
The Londesborough UCW will
meet again on April 18.
long, just long enough to help
someone celebrate a 40th birthday, I
understand.
You will be receiving this copy of
the local papers on April 6. Exactly
one month later, on Friday, May 6,
Hullett Central School will be
holding its annual auction and
carnival night at the Blyth
Community Centre. This is the
year's major fundraiser for the
Student Advisory Council (SAC)
Committee. The funds raised pay for
student yearly planners, student trip
subsidies, extra learning resources
for each classroom, the music
program, Grade 8 graduation and
yearbook and playground upgrades.
Consequently, volunteers are
needed to make the event a success
and donations for the auctions and
penny table would be welcomed.
Think about how you might help
keeping in mind that the school
is a major presence in our
community.
Other news from the school is that
this spring's musical night will be an
operetta with pupils in Grades 4 to 8
involved in all aspects of its
production. The operetta will be
presented on the stage of the Blyth
Memorial Hall on Wednesday, May
11. More news about both these
events will be in future columns.
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The trip marked not only
Scrimgeour's first experience on
another continent but her first time
on a plane and, for her first flight, it
was a long one.
"I was nervous, but in the end it
went better than I thought it would,"
she said. "I slept and watched
movies."
Her flights included a 15 -hour trek
from Toronto to Hong Kong, China,
and then a one-hour flight from
Hong Kong to Taipei.
Scrimgeour encouraged anyone
who gets the opportunity to take part
in similar experiences through the
school.
"I was nervous going, but once I
got there it was too exciting for me
to be nervous," she said. "After
having gone and done that, I would
definitely recommend it to anyone
who gets the chance."
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