The ELI Weekly
Out and About: Timor-Leste
by Jake Lasi, RW 43
Timor-Leste or East Timor is also known as known as ILHA LAFAEK, which means the crocodile island. There is a legend of Timor-Leste that says the island WAS MADE FROM A CROCODILE. Those myths were famous within the island, where some of the ancestors remain in a belief system that any crocs or gators are not to be harmed. Timor-Leste is a new country located in southeast Asia. It was the second newest country on the planet, we were a Portuguese colony for 450 years. We declared our first independence on November 28th, 1975. Following 10 days of Independence, Indonesia invaded the island on December 10th, 1975, and led the country for 24 years. Then on August 30th, 1999, we decided our destiny through a referendum assisted by United Nations Missions in East Timor. It gave much hope and energy with the final result of 94,388 people (21.50%) saying “Accept ” and 344,580 people (78.50%) saying “Reject”. On May 20th, 2002, we restored our independence as a second independence where officially participated by late UN secretary Mr. Kofi Annan. Our official languages were Tetum and Portuguese. Our currency is still used in US dollar notes except the coins. The two coolest things about Timor-Leste are the Blue whale migration (you can see from the shoreline) and coffee.
Where in the World?
This semester, the ELI has 142 students from 32 countries. Ask your classmates where they are from!
CIP Weekday Activities
Volunteer Weekend
Help the Gainesville community by volunteering to serve others! Choose from ONE of our four volunteering events. You must sign up to attend and only for one: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-47447050-volunteer
Other CIP Reminders
Gator basketball tickets are on sale
We are selling basketball tickets for the game happening on February 10th at 3:00pm! Tickets can be bought by Tate in the CIP Office (Matherly 211) for 20 dollars exact cash and your Gator1 ID card between 9:00am and 12:30pm. Tickets are limited. For the first week of sales, you can purchase a ticket for you and your immediate family, like a spouse or child. On the second week of sales, if there are tickets left, you can buy for any friends wish!
Conversation Partners
Want to meet with a fluent English speaker and make a new friend? Sign up for a CP! If you choose to sign up, you must meet with your partner for one hour a week. It can take up to two weeks to get a partner from when you sign up. Please sign up at this link: https://forms.gle/Vs8dgX3R8qGvT1Ed7
Please email Will at conversationpartners@eli.ufl.edu for any issues, questions or concerns or visit him in the CIP Office during office hours.
CIP Passports
Don’t forget to get your CIP Passport hole punched from the activity leaders AT the event (not after). We don’t hole punch passports after the event. Redeem your completed passport for a small gift a photo for the ELI Instagram, and your name published in the ELI weekly!
Need a new CIP Passport? Stop by the CIP Office!
Remember the CIP Pineapple is hidden in a new place every Monday in the CIP office. Stop by and find it for hole punches!
Notes from the Office
Class Attendance: Your attendance is important. Your teachers are taking note of both your absences and your tardies in every class every day. Please remember that this also includes time spent in the hallway instead of the classroom.
Lost and Found: Have you lost your car keys, student ID card, driver’s license, wallet, or some other important item? Many times, when people find an item, they bring it to the office for safe keeping. When you lose something, please come by the ELI Main Office (MAT223) and see if it is in the lost and found.
Hallways: Many UF faculty and staff have offices in classroom buildings, just like Matherly Hall and Norman. Please remember to speak softly in the buildings. Please do not block the hallways or staircases by sitting in them.
Photo of the Week
Birthdays!
Manners & Culture
Q: Americans ask ‘How are you’ whenever (like in the hallway), but they just walk on without waiting for an answer. Why?
A: “How are you” means the same as “hello” when people, even strangers, are passing each other in the hallway or on the sidewalk and they make eye contact. In this situation, “how are you” is just a general greeting and not a chance to chat. The person is not really expecting a long answer, so you can reply with “fine” or “hi” and walk on!
Grammar
Q: If “plan” doubles the “n” in past tense (planned), why doesn’t “open” (openned)?
A: Actually, you’ve found one crazy spelling point in English that does have a pattern. In verbs of more than one syllable, we only double that last consonant when the stress falls on the last syllable. In “open” the stress falls on the “o” so we do not double the “n”.
Joke of the Week
Q: What do you call a factory that makes okay products?
A: A satisfactory!
Notes from the Editor
The ELI Weekly needs you! You can participate in several ways:
- Email grammar questions for me to put in the Weekly.
- Email manners and culture questions for me to put in the Weekly.
- Write a paragraph about your experiences this semester. You could write about an ELI activity, a Gainesville event, a fabulous local restaurant, or tell us about a place or event in your country that we should visit!
Send your questions and paragraphs to Maya (mshastri@ufl.edu) Use the subject heading: the ELI Weekly.