Newsletter 24
This week has been all about education, eating and Italy. I got out and about finally visiting the trendy Eataly Toronto. The first of its kind in Canada, a fusion of eating and Italy. Two things that are dear to my heart.
In this weeks newsletter I present to you five things that interested me and I hope will be of some interest to you too.
1. Eataly comes to Toronto – The Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor Street West, the happening place to be.
Ninetta and I checked it out this week and it received mixed reviews from our perspective.
We ate lunch on the third floor section, yes Eataly takes up three floors in the Manulife Centre, a restaurant named La Pescheria – Northern Italian cuisine, specializing in fish and seafood. Ninetta ate the ravioli and I had spaghetti. The servings are not your typical Italian style, these were light lunches. It was pricey but delicious, we both left the restaurant hungry.
Having everything Italian under one roof is impressive, the meat market, cheese shop, vegetable market, restaurants, cafe, bakery and pizza places. It really reminds me of a community market, a pricey one however.
I saw some special extra virgin olive oils and they even have a sampling table. Some great looking pizza, we picked up a big slice of pizza and some wonderful Calabrese bread. If I had to go to the Manulife Centre for something then I may stop in at the pizza place, it’s expensive but it is a great pizza and very close in style and taste to what I enjoyed in Italy.
2. I worked this week at one of the community centres, a special strike camp. York region teachers are doing rotating strikes. The local community centres are offering free camps for the children. I had seven eager children take part in my karate class, they were in the ten year old age range. I taught them the basics of karate, punching, kicking and fun. I also gave them a couple of self defence techniques, a single hand wrist escape and a two hand wrist escape. Before my class started I checked out the adjoining library. I met the librarian and received some great information on getting my book Samba on a Snowy Day into the library. More information to follow, after I speak with the children’s book librarian, who was absent at the time.
3. Black History Month takes place in February and I have been following a jazz program on the early jazz artists who were instrumental in the civil rights arena. Jazz superstars who gave voice to freedom – I revisit some special music by Oscar Peterson, “Hymn to Freedom” (from Night Train, 1962), which became the anthem of the US civil rights movement during the 1960s. John Coltrane, “Alabama”, Charles Mingus, “The Original Fables of Faubus”, Sonny Rollins, Freedom Suite 1958 and Max Roach, We Insist, Freedom Now Suite.
I was listening to an interview Sonny Rollins gave recently it was very inspiring. I couldn’t find a copy of that but I have found a great published interview: Sonny Rollins, jazz saxophonist 2019 interview.
4. I watched a very funny movie starring the wonderfully talented Meryl Streep entitled, Florence Foster Jenkins.
What I am reading this week, a new book by Alexander McCall Smith, The Department of Sensitive Crimes. Both of these entertaining items are guaranteed to lift one from the February Blahs.
5. Reading is important and writing as well. Encourage children to do both and the more the better. “You are your child’s first and most important teacher. When you help your child learn to read, write, and think critically, you are opening the door to the rich world of learning. For your child, learning to read can begin with listening to you reading stories and newspaper articles aloud. Before long, your child will show interest in reading stories and other materials on his or her own. It is very important to talk about the ideas in a book or magazine, to ask questions that encourage your child to think, and to let your child talk to you about his or her responses to what has been read. Your child can learn how to read and write more easily with your help. With regular practice, your child will develop fluency in both reading and writing.” Excerpt from Ontario’s “Helping Your Child With Reading and Writing: A Guide for Parents”.
Thanks for reading. If you like what you’ve read forward this to someone you think will enjoy it. Remember to check out my book, Samba on a Snowy Day available at your favourite book store. A fun children’s book for children to read to adults or the other way around. Check out my blog, follow the link, sign in. Get the weekly newsletter in your inbox, no spam I promise. Copyright © 2020 Paul Yanuziello, All rights reserved.