Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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The Branksome Slogan 25 To a Friend in Hungary My dear Kay, — You asked me at our departure to write you about all my experi- ences in Canada and the different customs here. Well, life is very dif- ferent here from ours at: home. My dear, you should see the traffic here! There are hundreds and hundreds of cars in long rows ; my opinion is that there are more cars than inhabitants. Everybody, men and women drive their cars themselves, they do not have drivers. Even girls of our age drive and some of them have their own cars and drive to school. The roads are very regular, quite straight and endlessly long. Blooir Street, where the Hotel is, is fifteen times longer than our longest street. In the Hotel, we put our shoes in front of our room door, as we were used to. But in the morning we did not find them there. We wanted to ring the bell and ask the maid about it, but there was no bell. So we had to phone down and after a long explanation we got to know that if you put your shoes in front of the door, it means you do not want them any more and anybody can take them. If you want them cleaned you have to go to the ' ' shoe shiner . People do ' not have tenement house flats as we do, they stay in apartments, oir most of them in their own houses. The apartments are all very small. There are no bells in the rooms and there is no ser- vice. You have to do everything yourself. Even if you are invited to a party, in the best mood everybody goes into the kitchen. They prepare the food, lay the table, eat and then wash and dry the dishes. Imagine that in Hungary ! In every room you find a telephone, which is the cheapest thing in Oaniada. You just pay a certain amount every month, and then speak as much as you like. All the appointments (which play such a great role in American life) are settled through the phone. You could not visit anybody without making an appointment before, or they would con- sider it a rudeness. Even if you know that the person is free for the whole afternoon and has no other engagement then to restS his legs on the table and smoke his pipe, you have to phone first. Most of the appointments are during lunch. The lunch is very poor, their principal meal is supper. First of all Europeans are de- lighted by the food, it is so light. But it does not take long to realize that it is too light, and the European likes more substantial food. Three hundred and sixty-five times a j ear you get the ' same preserves, steak, ice-cream and pie, and the same sandwiches.

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24 The Branksome Slogan LESBIA ' S SPARROW (Suggested by Catullus) A little bird sat on a limb, And chirped, and chirped, with glee. A lady sat and listened there Her pet, the bird, was gay and free. It hopped about, now here, now there. It sang to her alone. For it was sweet and good, I know. But now its soul has flown. For Orcus came with all his might. A curse upon thy gloomy shades! It hops now, down the road of death, And into darkness fades. The lady mourns but sheds no tear, Her sparrow ' s life is through I hope when I am dead and gone She ' ll say, ' T loved him too. KATHERINE WHITEHEAD (Form IV A) . HERE ' S WHERE QUEBEC BEGINS Here where the snows lie a little deeper, Here where the hills are a little steeper. Here ' s where Quebec begins ; Here where the skating is a real thrill While skiing usually ends in a spill, Where, coming home, you must climb a hill, Here ' s where Quebec begins. Here where the ancient citadel stands Where Champlain came to claim our lands. Here ' s where Quebec begins; Here where the gallant Montcalm fell. Whose valiant soldiers served him well; It was not his fault this thing be- fell, Here ' s where Quebec begins. Here where we ' re willing to help one another, Where nothing ' s too much to do for the other, Here ' s where Quebec begins; Here where there ' s always a little more play. Where, if you came you would want to stay, Where everyone ' s heart is forever gay, Here ' s where Quebec begins. JEAN SEIFERT (Form II A).

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26 The Branksome Slogan Some quaint customs are, that they do not shake hands; men take their hats off in the elevators; at parties ladies take off their coats in the ' bedroom. We ' think at home we know English perfectly well ; if you would come out here you would seei you do not. I ' ll mention some words I learned here and their meanings. Cute — nice, pretty ; closet — wardrobe, here a small room, in which you put your clothes ; date ' — have a rendez- vous with; a boy ; chewing-gum — a tasteless gum, which young and old chew, it is very funny when you sit in a street-car to observe how all the people move their jaivs; guy — chap; show — picture; sorry — they say that from morning to night, whether there is a reason for it or not, if someobdy steps on your foot you have to smile and say ' ' sorry ; hello — isl the general greeting instead of our three kindsi of greeting forms; swell — fine. ' ' Take it easy and Forget it are the two most commonly used sentences. Next time I shall write you about what Canada is famous for, the universities, physicians, hockey, healthy climate, free country, Canada is the most safe country on earth, as far as a country can be safe nowadays. SUZANNE MAGYAR (Form IV S). IN MEMORY OF LORD TWEEDSMUIR Scotland was his native land, England was his home. Why came he to Canada? It was duty to the throne. The very life of Canada He adopted as his own ; To East and West he travelled. And the far Arctic Zone. The heart and mind now stilled by death, That loved God, life, and beauty Have passed on to the King of kings, John Buchan did his duty ! BABETTE CAWTHRA (Form I A).