Chris Betcher

I'm in Toronto, Canada, at the moment, which is somewhat of a second home for me. My lovely partner Linda is a born and bred Torontonian, and although we both now live in Sydney, Australia, we try to travel back here at least once a year to visit friends and family.   Our current visit was unplanned and not for the usual reasons we like to be here though... Linda's father Ron passed away a few days ago. He'd had a number of health challenges for quite a while, and although he always maintained a positive outlook and a cheery disposition, things had been getting increasingly difficult for him over the last few months. Early on Wednesday morning Toronto time, the day before his 82nd birthday, Ron decided enough was enough and passed away quietly in his sleep. May he rest in peace. Although I never got to spend as much time with Ron as I would have liked, he was a lovely gentle man, and every time I met him he was always smiling, always taking an interest in those around him. ...

I was just doing a tidy-up of my hard drive and I found this video that I'd almost forgotten about, so I thought I'd put it up on YouTube so I know where to find it in future. Back in 2006, I spent a yea r teaching in Oakville, Canada, as part of a teaching exchange.  I really enjoyed the whole experience, which was life-changing in many ways.  In fact, I'm back in Toronto at the moment and despite the -24 degree temperatures this really is like my second home. When you go on a teaching exchange you act as somewhat of an ambassador for your country, taking whatever opportunities you can to share some of the culture of your own country with the locals.  So one day, I decided to let my Grade 9 BTT101 class experience the classic Australian taste of Vegemite .  Most Aussie kids grow up with Vegemite , a yeast based spread that usually goes on toast, crumpets and crackers.  Seeing the reaction of non-Aussies makes me realise that it's somewhat of an acquired taste, but it...