Let's Spoil Ourselves
By Judy Zhu, Zayana Garcia, Gabriel Robles, Josue Peralta
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If you are the kind of person who loves nature and enjoy looking at a great skyline, Columbia Lake is a perfect place to visit.
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Do you ever feel tired? Do you feel exhausted by the same daily routine? Or you need a short time break, however you do not want to go so far. We would like to invite you to Columbia Lake, which is the perfect place for you to relax, forget about your troubles, and interact with nature. When you're there, I promise you, you will have a wonderful time.
Columbia Lake is located at 100 Columbia St. West, which is only two miles from UWaterloo. You can enjoy various activities at the park, such as fishing, hiking, swimming, and picnicking.
- Judy Zhu
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Walking around Columbia Lake
There is a lot of work to do during the week at the University. As students, we need to give ourselves time to relax and enjoy the small things in life, such as hanging out with friends or take part in community events. Personally, I enjoyed each single step walking with my friends around the frozen Columbia Lake while feeling the crunch of wet soil under my feet, and listening to the geese honking at each other.
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The fields around the lake were perfect to sit on and look at the skyline. Closing my eyes and listening to the birds singing made me feel as if I was back at home. Reminiscing about family was a great relaxing experience and it doesn’t even take long to settle into the ambience of the lake. I recommend you to take a relaxing break at least once a week. Always remember that you are here in the world to work hard for your dreams, but do not forget to spoil yourself enjoying the simple and beautiful nature.
- Zayana Garcia
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Not to mention that getting in touch with nature has various benefits for you. Feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Take a walk, breathe, and listen to the voice of nature. Feeling stuck in an assignment? Go out, clear your mind, and take a break. When you come back you will find the search for an answer easier. Moreover, you can do some exercise to take care of yourself.
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Winter is giving its farewell as the days become warmer, so take your jogging suit or a hoodie and go for a walk or a run. You will feel more recharged and ready to tackle those assignments. Additionally, exercising will benefit your mental health. If you are feeling sad, angry, or homesick, go out and enjoy the beauty that the Columbia Lake has to offer.
- Gabriel Robles
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As with the others, my visit to Columbia Lake was an amazing experience. Ever since I came to university, I never thought that visiting the lake would be a relaxing experience that would allow me to forget about stress. The environment at the lake is very inviting, encouraging you to take a walk around, which is exactly what I did. There weren’t many people at the park, maybe since it’s still Winter and cold outside. The few people present were walking, jogging, or just taking their pets out for a stroll.
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If you aren’t in the mood for walking, the lake invites you to lie on the small slopes that are in front of the lake and observe its beautiful landscape. However, there weren’t as many seats to sit on this site as one would expect. Adding more seats would definitely allow more people to enjoy the beauty of the park and lake. This place is also perfect for picnicking with your friends as there are enough areas where you can do this activity. I recommend that you visit the lake if you want to distract your mind or explore nature.
- Josue Peralta
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Photo Credits: Zayana Garcia & Gabriel Robles
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Saint Patrick's Day: The Green Day
By Alejandro Haro, Kevin Jimenez, Bryan Guilcamaigua, Geisson Velasco Arteaga, Josue Peralta, Ronny Paredes
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Saint Patrick’s day is a Catholic religious celebration that originated in Ireland. It is celebrated annually on March 17, commemorating the death of Saint Patrick, the patron of the Irish.
How did this celebration begin?
Saint Patrick, who is the national apostle of Ireland, lived in the fifth century. He was born in Roman Britain. When he was just 16 years old, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave. Managing to escape and return to Ireland some time after, he spread Christianity among its inhabitants. After his death (believed to be on March 17, 1461), some myths about his life and feats became more ingrained in the Irish culture. One example of the legends surrounding him is the well-known event when he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) to the Irish with the three leaves of the native Irish clover.
The first parade
Since the end of the ninth century and beginning of the tenth, Irish people have considered the Roman Catholic feast day of Saint Patrick to be on March 17. Surprisingly, the first parade held in honour of Saint Patrick did not take place in Ireland, but in the United States. This parade was carried on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers who served in the English army marched across the streets of New York City. The parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots and fellow Irishmen serving with them.
Although Saint Patrick’s Day started as a religious celebration to commemorate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, it has acquired popularity among young people. What at the beginning was a feast day in the 17th century has turned into a variety of festivals all around the world celebrating the Irish culture with dancing, food, music and, especially, parades full of green.
Symbols and tokens related to St. Patrick’s Day
Shamrock
Small-three leafed herb which appears on the British coat of arms. A legend states that Saint Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish Pagans.
Irish flag
Green stands for Catholics, orange for Protestants, and white for harmony.
Leprechauns
A leprechaun is a mythological creature described as a little old man who will reveal the location of a hidden crock of gold to anyone who catches him.
Shillelagh
A shillelagh is basically a stick cut from a tree. There is evidence that shillelaghs were widely used in Ireland up to the early 20th century.
Saint Patrick’s Day at UWaterloo
The student community at the University of Waterloo also celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day. This celebration usually takes place at Ezra Street. The past Friday, March the 17, over 15,000 people joined the wild street party. Historically, several individual house parties used to take place on this street but over time it turned into a tradition of taking over a whole street and hosting one large party for thousands of people.
Since early in the morning, a massive crowd of students, mainly from the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University, started to show up with their green clothing and cheerful spirits.
The fact that this tradition has become more popular encouraged the police to guard the area in order to avoid problems with people damaging private property. The police officers were encouraging students to drink, but strictly on private property because it is prohibited to have open containers of alcohol in the streets. By 6pm, the party was over and the students were heading back to their homes to continue their days.
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St. Patrick’s Day at The Bomber
The Bombshelter Pub at the University of Waterloo hosted a variety of events during the day and night to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It offered four main events, starting at 10 a.m. with a “Pancake Breakfast”, followed by “All Day Green Beer”. In the afternoon, a Celtic Fire Live Band Performance took place on the patio. The events aimed to praise and show the Irish culture, including musical dances and the “indispensable” green beer.
The final event was a “Green Party”, which was expected to start at 9 p.m. and to end at 2 a.m. As with all popular Bombshelter events, a long line was awaiting latecomers; you had to be there very early if you wanted to get in and party! Despite the considerable amount of staff present, standing in line took at least two hours, such that many students were only able to get in at around 11 p.m. It can be understandable that the staff wanted to keep space at the club to avoid any problems caused by a crowded area.
There was a lot of space to dance, drink and enjoy with friends. The pub was full of green decorations including lights, leprechauns, clovers and rainbows. The bar served all kind of alcoholic drinks as well as non-alcoholic drinks, so if you do not like to consume alcohol, that would be alternatives that you could order. As expected, green beer was the most sold beverage in the event.
However, the event was not suitable for photography since permission was required. Finally, this event is recommended for you if you are a very patient person, as two hours of waiting time can be far too long. If you are eager enough to get admission and party the night away, all the waiting will have been worth it and you will have a great opportunity to experience St. Patrick’s Day in a safe environment where you are able to have a good night along with friends - or meet new friends.
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Experiencing the Soul of Korean cuisine
By Zayana Garcia, Christian Álvarez, Gabriel Robles, Israel Moya
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Healthy and delicious
Seoul Soul BBQ is the kind of place that you will love if and only if you love food. It is a great place to go with friends and share a huge hot pot or huge, delicious pork or chicken.
Talking about the food, it was healthy and delicious because most of the ingredients were vegetables, rice, soup, and of course, some protein. The taste of the food was amazing, the mixture of the pork, veggies, and a strange scrumptious sauce, frying in the middle of the table in a huge pot made the experience exciting. Overall, I can say it was healthy and enjoyable.
- Zayana Garcia
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A cozy environment
If you want to try Korean food in Waterloo or you are just a Korean gastronomy lover, you should definitely go to Seoul Soul in University Plaza and enjoy their huge variety of Korean soups and stews that delighted our group during our visit. The restaurant offers a cozy environment and lots of sharable dishes, which makes it the perfect place to have a good time with your friends while enjoying a healthy delicious meal and improving your chopsticks skills playing with the pieces of meat and the noodles. I will definitely go back to this charming place someday.
But watch out, Korean food can be pretty spicy. ;)
- Christian Álvarez
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Embrace the Korean culture
Seoul Soul is a perfect and complete experience for those wanting to discover new cultures. You can have some delicious Korean dishes while you embrace the Korean culture of sharing food.
Have you ever had to complain in a restaurant because your food was cold? This will never happen in this restaurant since the food is constantly heated at your table as it is served over a mini-stove. Additionally, music videos of Korean Pop are being played, enhancing the Korean-like experience. So, if you want to discover this amazing culture at an affordable price and close to campus, Seoul Soul is the place for you.
- Gabriel Robles
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A high variety of options
Located at University Plaza, Seoul Soul restaurant is a great option to think about when wanting to try a different food style from the ones which are offered in the university residences. Besides, the high variety of options which can be found in this restaurant give the guest the opportunity to go with their family and find what they want.
The restaurant presents such a nice environment that is authentically designed for the clients to feel comfortable. That is why it would be worth visiting the restaurant and try the different options which are offered daily.
- Israel Moya
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Registration still open for International Peer Community
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Are you on campus this summer? Build your English with International Peer Community (IPC).
IPC matches you with upper-year UW student mentors who can answer your questions, take you to events on campus, and practice conversational English with you. By joining the IPC, you can meet other students and try new things together in a supportive environment.
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