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Volume 149, Issue 7-October 17


The ELI Weekly


Out and About: Horse Farm and the Farmers Moo-ket

By Melina Jimenez, Instructor

Last weekend, while fans celebrated the Gator’s homecoming win, my parents and my nephew came to visit from Orlando. On Saturday, we visited Emma Minaya, a former ELI student, and her 30 horses, where I, in a surprise to no one, fell in love with all of the horses that came over for a chin scratch. The day was gorgeous, the sun preparing to set, I was with my family and Emma, and the horses seemed at peace. I was ready to move to Ocala and take care of horses.

Then on Sunday, I took my family to the Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary‘s monthly “Farmers Moo-ket”. They have food trucks, artists, and animals. My nephew pet the pigs and watched an artist make pottery, but my favorite thing was feeding the cows, their rough tongues feeling funny on my hand and their drool forming spider webs in the wind. If you are still in town for their next Moo-ket, I recommend going. It is a little stinky, but it’s also a great Florida experience!


CIP Weekday Activities


Weekend Event

Saturday, October 22nd – Midterm Welcome Picnic – 12:00-2:45pm

Help us welcome our new B-term students while we enjoy some free picnic food together! Enjoy the sun and outdoors, socialize, play sports, and make new friends and catch up with old ones! Meet in front of Norman Hall on campus.

Please sign up for this event so that we order enough food: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-midterm2


Other CIP Reminders

CIP Passports: Don’t forget to get your CIP Passport Stickers from the activity leaders AT the event (not after).  Redeem your completed passport for a small gift and photo for the ELI Instagram! Remember the CIP Pineapple is hidden in a new place every Monday in the CIP office.  Stop by and find it!

Conversation Partners (CPs): Want to make a friend and speak English? Sign up for a conversation partner! Wait two weeks to be paired and then meet your new partner for one hour a week to practice conversation and make a friend!  If you are a returner and still want a CP, you should still sign up here, even if you had a partner last semester.

 Sign up for a CP here!: https://forms.gle/h5NyWTrkpE331zzS7

Remember, if you sign up, you must meet your partner at least once a week and respond to their messages.  Email conversationpartners@eli.ufl.edu if you have any questions or problems.


Notes from the Office

New Students: B Term is about to begin, and you will see new students coming to the main office, in the hallways, and at activities. Please welcome and help new students as they begin to settle at UF and in Gainesville.

Illness:  If you feel sick for any reason, do not come to campus.  If we see that you appear visibly ill, we will ask you to go home until you feel better. If you need help making an appointment at the SHCC for allergies or other illnesses, email Victoria (vcshelly@ufl.edu). Victoria can also help you schedule a COVID test, if necessary.

Check your I20s: If your I-20 is expiring soon, make an appointment with Daryl in MAT 223 to renew your I-20 before it expires.

Student Voices: Don’t forget to send your original writing to Student Voices so that the ELI can celebrate your writing. You can submit any of your work that you wish to see published. It can be from any class or something you have written on your own, but ask your teachers for help editing! You can email it to Olga Moody (omoody@ufl.edu)  or to your teacher. Please include your name and class on your submission. The deadline for submissions is Friday, November 18th.


ELI students at volleyball

 


Birthdays!

Students:

  • 10/17 – Deymis Soto Sanchez
  • 10/18 – Isabella Avendano Novaro
  • 10/23 Ramiro Grattier

Staff – None


Manners & Culture

Q: How can I politely get a server’s attention in a restaurant?

A: You should get the server’s attention by making eye contact with a nod or raising a hand.

Q: At the restaurant, when I get my bill, can I I leave the money and tip on the table and leave, or do I need to wait for the waiter?

A: It is always safer to hand the money directly to the server.

Q: If a restaurant makes a mistake on my order, what should I do?

A: If a restaurant makes a mistake on your order, tell your server immediately. For example, if the server is putting a burger and fries in front of you (and you ordered fried chicken), then you should immediately say, “I’m sorry. That’s not my order. I ordered the fried chicken.” If they made a mistake on your bill, show it to the server immediately and explain what is wrong, “I think you charged me for the jumbo combo, but I only ordered the sandwich.”


Grammar

Q: I don’t know when to use articles. When do I use a/an, the, or nothing?

A: The most important question is whether it’s singular or plural. Singular count nouns MUST have an article. There are exceptions, but generally this is true. Then you have to decide whether it’s a specific noun or a general noun, and who knows the information. There are more specific guidelines but these rules are a good foundation to go on. What article do you think should go in the
following examples?

  • I want to eat ___ apple.
  • The girl is wearing __ scary costume.
  • Let’s go see ___ movie you suggested.

Notes from the Editor

  • Thanks to RW51 for some great Manners & Culture questions!
  • The ELI Weekly still needs you! Send me your Out and About stories. Send questions for grammar and manners & culture to Maya (mshastri@ufl.edu).

Download the ELI Weekly (PDF)