Home Blog Page 197

A happier lifestyle

Tammy Ma
-
0

Happy

What is happiness? To me, it’s the feeling of my cheeks hurting from smiling too much, it’s the feeling of energy flowing inside of me, it’s the feeling of happy tears falling down my cheeks instead of sad tears. I, personally, have had a hard time finding happiness in my daily life. I wanted to change that. Over the last few years, I have changed bits of me to create a happier me. Today I will be sharing some tips on how to have a happier lifestyle.

Let’s get started!

Tip #1: Start Appreciating

  • Start appreciating and stop complaining. I have stopped complaining so much. I told myself that there will be no more complaining about the gloomy weather and no more complaining about having homework and tests. Instead, I only allowed myself to think of the bright side. When it rains, I think of how happy I am that we get free water, falling from the sky, to water the trees and plants. And, instead of complaining when I get homework, I tell myself how thankful I am for it. Doing my homework will allow me to learn new ideas, plus it’s a great way to keep busy! I flipped everything around and have learned to dance in the rain instead of hiding under an umbrella, getting all grumpy. Once you begin appreciating, you’ll never go back to complaining. It gets easier and easier.

Tip #2: Start Adapting

  • There are some things in the world that just cannot change. I have tried to change certain things that, let’s be honest, can never change. So, I have decided to change myself. Now, understand, that this type of change, according to me, was for the better. The “old” me, shall I use, used to point out every sad thing on the planet. The “old” me could even turn brownies into something horrible! But, now, I only allow myself to see the great and bright things in life. I have changed to become more positive and it works! It turns out that if I wasn’t willing to change, that nothing in my life was willing to change either. Try it out! Change for the better, no matter how cliché that may sound. If you can’t change the world, adapt yourself to the world. In the end, you win because you get to become happier.

Tip #3: Add Excitement

  • “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Eleanor Roosevelt sure knew how to live with excitement! The point of that quote is not to tell you to scare yourself to death every single day, but to add excitement to your life often. I try to do something that scares me once a week. I will talk to someone I don’t know or am scared of. I ‘ll even watch a horror film even though I know that it will give me nightmares. A sprinkle of excitement in a mundane life will make your “mundane” life feel special and extraordinary. Always following the rules and playing it safe and boring may bring down a good mood. Not having any excitement in my life left me unsatisfied, so I started adding bits of excitement and it works! I’m happier, much happier. It seems like I wanted something more in life, and excitement and adventures were able to satisfy my craving  to be a part of something amazing. That fresh feeling I get after an exciting adventure just makes my cheeks hurt even more, from smiling of course!

The picture below was from a couple days ago when my friends and I decided to be spontaneous. It was quite the adventure!

The Jump

 I hope that you would try out these tips. Know that everyone deserves to be happy. They can be the worst person, the meanest person, the nicest person, or it could just be you. To start off your “happiness journey”, please accept my virtual support. Remember to start appreciating, adapting and live with excitement.

Good luck!

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Richard Lee-Thai
-
0

Strengths and Weaknesses

(Original Image)

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.

Both our strengths and weaknesses make up who we are. It would be a mistake to think that that we have no flaws. Conversely, it’s equally detrimental to think that we’re worthless and that we don’t have any redeeming qualities. Recognizing our strengths and weaknesses is part of the ongoing process of bettering ourselves. What areas do I excel at? What are areas for improvement?

An individual’s strengths and weaknesses are like a diamond. They have to undergo significant stress and pressure before they emerge out of the fire as a sturdy jewel. In the same sense, both your strengths and weaknesses have to be put to the test before they can solidify into something valuable. It is only through practice that you realize what you’re good at. On the flip side, it is through embarrassing, painful or sobering experiences that you become aware of your flaws. However, like a diamond, those imperfections can be polished and you can emerge as a stronger, brighter individual.

As one of my close friends would say: There is perfection in imperfection. This is true in both a literal and figurative sense. Your imperfections are a part of who you are, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. To be human is to be flawed. So we should stop trying to chase that nonexistent ideal of “perfection” because we are already perfect when we learn to accept ourselves for who we are, not just the strengths, but also the weaknesses.

Since I think it’s so important to recognize our strengths and weaknesses, I have compiled responses to the following questions:

What are your greatest strengths? What are your greatest weaknesses? How can you go about improving your weaknesses? And optionally, are you happy with who you are? 

I would encourage you as a reader to reflect on those questions yourself, especially if you’ve never done so before. Hopefully you’re able to relate to some of the responses below:

Quotation-Ella-Frank-heart-potential-vulnerable-Meetville-Quotes-172656(Image Source)

“Personally I believe anyone’s greatest strength tends to be their greatest weakness. For me my greatest strength is my ability to open-heartedly connect with anyone I come across, however my greatest weakness is trusting too easily and getting hurt too frequently. Now I allow myself to be open and connect with people however I am not living to please them or cater to their needs, I have learned to love and respect myself.

Currently I am happy with who I am because I am confident and trust myself. This being said I am always looking for ways to improve who I am as a person and learn more about who I am.”

– Malika (YAA)

“To put it simply, my strength is having/showing compassion to others, my weakness is my lack of ability to have that same compassion for myself. Until I learn to love myself and trust myself and love LIFE, I’m not quite content with myself. Yet.” – Julia (YAA)honesty-inspiration-loyalty-quotes-Favim.com-1054171

(Image Source)

“For my strengths, I consider myself a very loyal person (I’m not one to turn others away when they need to vent or ask for advice) and creative. I use my creativity to benefit myself and others and often it pays off. It allows me to survey things in a different perspective that others cannot and exposes me to new, fun opportunities.

As for weaknesses, I think it would be opening myself too much and ending up hurt. Often I’ll establish relationships with people whom I care about but then we drift apart or they hurt me and I blame my openness for this. I think this is a blessing and a curse as I wouldn’t be able to have all my friends without my openness yet sometimes it costs my happiness.

As for how happy I am with myself, throughout Junior High I’ve tried to figure myself out. I’ve been happy, miserable and everything in between. I think I’ve finally accepted who I am so for the moment, I’ll say I am happy, but I will always want to improve upon myself.”

– Emily (YAA)Quotation-Leighton-Meester-time-success-happy-Meetville-Quotes-20912

(Image Source)

“A great strengths of mine is being able to process information quickly, clearly, and with an open mind. This definitely helps when school and extra-curricular events go by fast! Also, my ability to empathize with people and what they are going through emotionally and mentally bring me back down to earth when life becomes a matter of getting to point A to point B.

With that being said, a weakness of mine is not being to balance my own emotions and aspects such as my social and work life. I can lock myself in my room for days because I’m always thinking about what needs to be done, which stresses and tires me out on a constant basis. This further leads to beating myself up for little things I did or did not do.

To improve this, I need to just breathe and reassure myself that what I’m doing is good enough. It’s tough being my own worst critic, but when I stand back and look at what I have accomplished in life, it’s something to be proud of. And yes, I am happy with myself, but there’s always room for improvement!”

– Kandace (YAA)

 

you-live-you-learn-quote-1

(Image Source)

“My greatest weakness is the white knight syndrome – I feel naturally obligated to help any one of my close friends out of a situation, no matter how dangerous it can be. I am logical and intelligent enough to understand the consequences, yet I put caution into the wind and do it anyways. As a consequence, I’ve faced emotional pain and lost some friendships.

My greatest strengths are my ability to adapt to any situation with ease, my leadership skills as well as my fearlessness. I’ve applied these strengths in sports. For example, coaches often choose me to be the captain or co-captain like in volleyball.

I could have made wiser decisions in the past, but I am young. Live and learn. Sometimes, the heart trumps the brain, tossing rationality out of the picture. However, I haven’t really been focusing on the positives of helping others and that it’s not just a weakness, it’s also a strength. Overall, I am very happy with myself.”

– Peter, a.k.a. “Captain Serious”
e0cbfe6c9e635d9f93bf7570f896461a

(Image Source)

“My greatest strength to focus on is probably my personality! People always tell me that I am friendly, easygoing, funny and caring and that I’m a nice person to be around and to be friends with. I think this is a strength because I take my personality wherever I go and with a likable personality, it is easy to get along with everyone and end up being happy and successful. I also think I’m light-hearted for the most part, I can take jokes and other things in a light manner. Another strength I would say would be that I can express my feelings and thoughts well through writing. Words come easy to me but I also choose my words wisely while talking to others or writing.

My weaknesses are that I trust too easily! Until very recently I thought it was a strength but as I talked to others and my trust was tested, I realized that it’s much easier for me to get hurt if I trust people too much and too quickly. Another weakness is the fact that I cannot say no, or if I do, I kill myself over it. I just find that if someone asks you for help or anything, no is a strong word, and the wrong word since they can confide and trust in you to help them. It is a weakness because I often over commit myself and end up being overwhelmed with everything else, leaving me no time to think and no time for myself and doing things for me!

8ee81f329433e9a9a39a79300dcb7dd3

(Image Source)

I can work on these weaknesses by learning to take time in getting to know people and giving space and time in any relationship. I also learned that sometimes that mystery is necessary between 2 people in order to keep “the magic alive” so to speak. If you know everything about the other person. it’s easier to take those people for granted because they know you or should know you well enough to know how you feel. I also learned and am working on saying no to people who ask me for help too much of the time, or especially when I have a schedule or important things to do such as studying for an exam. Or else if I decide to help them, I limit my time and try to work everything out so I am not stressed by the end of the day!

I can proudly say, I am happy with myself! BUT there are still many changes I have to undergo and many experiences I have to go through in order to be the best person I can be!”

– Nabila

2584ab1a6e3389268a91bc83b64dfdb4

(Image Source)

“My greatest strength is making others happy. Even when I’m at my worst, I have the capability to brighten up others day. My weakness is the opposite, taking of myself. I tend to hide my feelings and deal with stress by myself so that I can spend my time helping others and making others feel better.

I’m very happy with who I am though, even though I’m full of flaws, I’m glad that I can make my parents and my surrounding friends happy.”

– Anonymous

“Well I think one of my greatest weaknesses is how my lack of inspiration affects me. I tend to get it mixed with the negative things in my life and I end up shutting down often for a day or two at a time. This looks like lying in bed avoiding everything, including my phone and anyone trying to reach me. So I suppose that’s a few weaknesses all in one.

How you can improve on your writing(Image Source)

For my strengths, I’m a fighter. I fight for what I want/need. I refuse to settle for less if I don’t have to. I mean unless that course of action is dangerous to me or someone else. I’m very articulate, when needed. Actually I’ve been told that on separate occasions from different people, that I’m “very articulate”. I’ve learned how to take a step back when I’ve done something wrong, and take responsibility, do some damage control if I can. And also, how and where to find inspiration when I’m feeling lost. This has been helpful lately because I’m actually starting to get everything back together after 2 years of utter chaos.

I can work on my weaknesses through life experience and time. I need to find something solid that I can hold on to constantly that will provide me with the inspiration/motivation that I need. I also need to re-learn how to function when I am not feeling up to anything and just push through.”

– Anonymouslife-is-like-photography

(Image Source)

“I am a Grade 11 student and for past the five years I have faced a series of challenges which have tested my emotional, physical and mental strength. There have been good days and there have been bad and sometimes terrible days at which I stop to question the purpose of my life. Every day is a struggle. From early morning trying to pull myself out of bed to restless nights where my thoughts swing wildly. Even through my greatest challenges, I’ve continued to find a reason to keep going even on my worse days. My greatest strength as an individual is my resiliency.

With the school year wrapping up my time as Grade 11 student is reaching its end. The final chapter of my high school career is starting in just a few months and I’m at a loss for words. Growing up I had always imagined and planned for my life to be, finish high school, get accepted into university, graduate from university, find a job and work for the rest of my life. This was the ideal plan and it perfect to me but then, high school happened.
short-quotes-wise-wisdom20

(Image Source)

Prior to entering into high school, I was student who excelled academically I would have considered myself as a competitive student among my peers. When I entered into high school, I was bottom of the chain. The student I was prior high school didn’t reflect who I really was. I was judging myself and comparing myself with others and this two digit percentage that determined my intelligence. I was and am constantly beating myself up for not achieving the grades I want and the goals I had set. My greatest weakness is comparing myself with who I was and with my peers.

I can improve my weaknesses by one understanding that grades don’t mean everything. Yes, they are important but only to a certain extent. I can continue to work hard to improve my marks and I can seek for help from additional resources however, I need to stop taking my marks and comparing them with my peers. I need to force myself to understand that everyone’s strengths and weaknesses are different. I may possess a skill that someone else may look at as their weakness. It comes down to the fact that we are not all the same. We all strive to fulfill different ambitions in our life.”

– Carman

charles-r-swindoll-charles-r-swindoll-the-difference-between

(Image Source)

“I think my greatest strength is that I pay a lot of attention to detail. I know that probably sounds weird as a strength but I’m very analytical so I can pick up a lot of things that I don’t think most people pay attention to. To tie in with that, I’m also a perfectionist so I think the work I produce or jobs I perform are generally of high quality, if that makes sense.

In contradiction though, I also think that my greatness weakness is my analytical mind and attention to detail. I notice minor changes in attitudes and I over-think everything, sometimes creating problems that shouldn’t have even existed in the first place. My mind is always constantly observing and inspecting everything around me that I always find myself feeling stressed. I’m working towards being more laid-back and less in my head but I don’t know if I’ve made much progress.”

– PaulinePositive-Quotes-27

(Image Source)

“I think my greatest strength is my understanding. No matter who the person is and whatever may be going on between us I always try to see where they are coming from as well.

My greatest weakness… there’s a lot. I’ll choose my hypocrisy. It’s like if something happens to someone I almost never blame them for it. But if it happens to me, no matter what it is, I feel like I have done something to deserve it in some way.

Am I happy with who I am? That’s hard to answer. I know that I am a good person, I am pretty funny, smart, kind and overall someone with a lot of potential. BUT, as someone who lives with depression it’s hard for me to completely believe that. Because of this depression I see myself in a very distorted way. But I have an amazing care team at South Health who are helping me work on that.

Yes I have flaws, yes there are things about myself that are obnoxious and annoying, and yes I am sometimes very immature, but I am pretty happy with who I am. I have a lot of great friends in my life and I still try to see the positive in every situation no matter how depressed I am. So overall I’d say that I am happy with myself, but there are still some kinks that I need to work on.”

– Sara
i-learned-that-courage-was-not-the-absence-of-fear

(Image Source)

“I think my greatest weakness is that I think about doing things more than I actually do them. Sometimes I’ll over analyze every outcome of the situation, other times I’ll just have really high expectations. Either way, there’s always some sort of fear holding me back- fear or failure, fear of rejection, fear of getting into trouble. I end up not actually doing anything and then regretting it later.

I think the way for me to deal with this weakness is to realize that the fear only lives in my mind, and stop myself when I catch myself overthinking an action instead of doing it. Then I would slowly get into the habit of just doing whatever it is.”

I think my greatest strength is that I’m always trying to learn. It keeps me humble and it keeps me curious.”

– Naoreen

maxresdefault (1)

Strengths and weaknesses are like a diamond.

That is to say, your strengths and weaknesses are both valuable. They are a part of who you are, and you should embrace that. In order to grow, you have to continually reflect on who you are. Ask yourself questions: What can you be proud of? What can you work on? Formulate a plan and work towards it one step at a time. Eventually you will become confident in your identity, flaws and all. Don’t worry if you don’t feel that way yet, because we’re all still struggling, learning and growing.

Making the most of the music: 5 tips to tackle Sled Island this year

Maddison Zapach
-
0

 

Maybe you love music, but don’t know your way around a music festival; I’m in the same boat! As an overly-organized A-type, I decided to talk to a few experienced Sled Island-goers for the inside scoop on how to make the most of my all-ages pass. Here are the tips they came up with:

resizedimage600351-2015-Breezer-Downtown-EX-W-A-Side

1. Bring a bike

Someone who is not familiar with the unique set-up of Sled Island may hear “music festival” and be instantly transported to a field dotted with tents and hippie vans, where all of the events are laid out neatly in one location. The cool thing about Sled, however, is that its concerts and shows are held at several different downtown venues, each with its own vibe and creative potential- an experience that makes the difficulty of travelling between these concert spots worthwhile.

Cycling is the best way to make the most of your Sled Island pass; it allows you see as many concerts as you would like, without the inconvenience of having to crawl around looking for a parking spot, or to walk for half an hour between venues. Not to mention, part of the Sled experience is travelling in a “bike pack” with friends or fellow music enthusiasts. Sled even encourages biking by providing ample rack space close to their shows.

If you don’t have access to a bicycle, just rent one! Several downtown stores, such as BikeBike on 17th Ave (displayed above), offer daily rentals.

 

Tubby-Doc-004

 

2. Go to Tubby Dog

According to seven-year Sled veteran Shelley Arnusch, concerts at Tubby Dog are known for being the wildest and the most memorable- not to mention, they make great hot dogs. If you want to make the most of your Sled Island experience, a Tubby Dog show may be in order. Check out the all-ages show happening there today! (Wednesday)

 

WreckCity-Web04

 

3. See an art show

Sometimes, a few weeks before a building is scheduled to be demolished, this really cool thing happens; several artists get permission to use the space to create and display their artwork. This space, already destined for destruction, allows them an amazing creative freedom. This year, the exhibition, called “Wreck City”, is taking place at the old Penguin Car Wash in Ramsay, and is part of Sled Island. Personally, I am over the moon excited to experience it for the first time!

church

 

4. Need a break?

Get thee to a nunnery! No, really, some of Sled’s most tranquil, powerful instrumental bands will be performing at Central United Church; sitting in the pews, eyes closed, and listening to bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor for an hour or two could be just what you need to recuperate between rock concerts.

Olympic Plaza Crowd 2011 -Lindsay Stewart

 

5. Don’t miss the main show at Olympic Plaza

Saturday’s show will run from 2-11 pm, and is the “big event” of the festival. Tickets are available online for $50, or at the gate for $55. As Under-18s, we get FAR more value out of an all-ages pass, which we can purchase online for the same amount.

 

 

Check out Sled Island’s website for more information!

 

 

Glenbow Museum : Family Weekend

Didi Moffat
-
0

On Saturday, I went for a volunteer at Glenbow Museum. I expected it to just be a simple job of advising the visitors at the museum but it proved to be much more interesting than that. I’ve lived in Calgary for a while now, and I never even knew about what went on in the museum. The weekend I volunteered happened to be one of the two-day family weekends that happens at Glenbow Museum every three months.  Also, it’s always filled with lovely activities aligned towards the special exhibitions at the museum for that period.

This period, one of the exhibitions is a showcase of the work of John Brocke. It was titled ‘Myth Making: The Art of John Brocke’. John Brocke was a Calgary artist who died about six years ago in 2009. His work had never been viewed by many in numbers, this is the first time where a lot of his work could be viewed at a time. I really liked his art work. I found his works to have a different and original approach to art. Most of his art works, I found, were expressions of common things around him from his own perspective. Here are a few:

thumb-john-brocke-1 thumb-john-brocke-2 thumb-john-brocke-3 thumb-john-brocke-4

Another one of the exhibitions is ‘Hooked: Fish, Water and Angling in Art’. Through many forms of art: sculpture, paintings, prints, photography; the art and culture of fishing is expressed from the lens of Southern Alberta and British Columbia streams. There was also an activity aligned towards this exhibition. Visitors had the opportunity to make a fish artwork using calligraphy art. Before this volunteer, personally, I had never done any calligraphy art and I got a chance to try it. It’s hard to get a hang of it but once you do, you get really good results and there were wonderful art works created. Here are a few artworks from this exhibition:

thumb-hooked-3 thumb-hooked-1 thumb-hooked-4 thumb-hooked-2

I really enjoyed volunteering at the Glenbow Museum. It was nice to see all the different beautiful art works. Having the opportunity to not only learn new skills but create my own mini art work was amazing. I even got a caricature of myself!

It’s very nice to know that every time you visit, there will be at least five new special exhibitions, something new to see. I encourage you all to head out to Glenbow museum for the next family weekend, with your family or even just as a volunteer. It’s a great experience!

 

Second-Class Citizenship from the perspective of a Second-Class Citizen

Hui Wen Zheng
-
0

When I first heard about a newly proposed addition to Bill C-24, which received Royal Assent in June of last year, I wasn’t worried. In a country that is one of the world leaders in tackling human rights issues, how would this provision of the existing bill even stand a chance? Perhaps that was too quick of a conclusion for me to draw, as a change to Bill C-24 was passed quietly.

As of May 29th, millions of Canadians had their citizenship wordlessly downgraded to the so-called “second class” category. This is especially ironic since Canada itself was founded based off of the assimilation and killing of the land’s indigenous peoples. Anyone who was not born in Canada, are eligible to apply for another citizenship (meaning that people born in Canada could be classified as second-class), or currently hold a dual citizenship, could see their citizenship stripped if convicted of serious crimes relating to terrorism, both in Canada and off-shore. The most concerning part is the inability for them to appeal and be tried under the Canadian judicial system. A person who was born in Germany yet holds Canadian citizenship, for example, could be deported for being convicted of the same crime that a “first-class” citizen has committed. The German-born citizen would not be allowed to appeal the decision to a Canadian judge, whereas the first-class citizen doesn’t face deportation and will be tried by the Canadian judicial system.

Chris Alexander (left) and Prime Minister Stephen Harper

For those unaware, Bill C-24 was introduced by the current citizenship and immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, as a response to the heightened terrorist activities that have captured the attention of the government. The original bill made it harder to obtain a Canadian citizenship, and the newest provision makes it easier to lose it. Prior to Bill C-24’s passing, individuals applying for citizenship between the ages of 18-54 had to pass a knowledge test. This age group has been expanded to cover ages 14-64 and adult citizenship applications have seen a $200 increase from $100. This is just to name a few of the major highlights of this bill-turned-law, also known as the “Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act”.  However, the newest addition to this law makes it difficult for me to see it that way.

My family immigrated to Canada in 2007 after almost 9 years of waiting. My parents had applied to immigrate before I was even born. We officially became Canadian citizens in 2010, something that had always been in my parent’s plans since we arrived. With that, my entire family, including a brother born in 2009, were now Canadian citizens with our rights protected under The Charter. Five years later, my family feels well integrated into Canadian society. If you were to ask us about our citizenship, there is no doubt that we would all proudly state we were Canadian, probably with a grin on our faces. It’s definitely no wonder why the passing of the newest provision to Bill C-24 rattled us and challenged all we thought we knew about Canada.

This change has made me wonder whether this was the best way to combat terrorism, or just the most convenient one in the eyes of government bureaucrats.  When will they realize that citizenship holds symbolic value too? How would you like being considered less of a citizen in your own country? I definitely find it degrading to people who have left their homes, families, and all they have known behind to start a new and fulfilling life as a Canadian. In an era that has just begun to accept diversity, the thing that makes Canada so unique from others, this new piece of legislation threatens to create a further social and political divide. I also have a hard time seeing how the bill in itself will end terrorism. Sure, less potential terrorists are likely to become citizens, but that doesn’t stop the reality of the situation; people do not need to be a citizen of a country to commit an act of terrorism against it. The judicial system will probably see less terrorism-related cases, but is that really worth undermining the citizenship of millions?

In order to get a fuller sense of what others had to say about Bill C-24, I also asked some other YAA bloggers what their opinions are on the newest provision. Here’s what they had to say:

 

“I personally believe that the intention of preventing terrorism is done out of sincerity and protection, but to classify citizens by saying some are first-class or second-class citizens starts to cause segregation and may lead to discrimination. People coming from other places in the world are already being acculturated and are sacrificing their culture to live in the modern day society today; by placing more conditions on them and creating clear differentiation between the so called “first class and second class citizens” just adds to the pressure.”

– Malika Daya

 

“It seems to have good intentions in its nature, but the lack of constitutional oversight and the lax interpretation of threats that could present itself lends to the overall fear of the law…. It seems like a scare tactic to keep shady immigrants in check, but it only winds up hurting the Second generation immigrants. Not only that, the language of “second-class” creates a rift in our diverse culture that is built upon the fundamental idea of equality. It would be better if it had narrower definition of “second class”, excluding those who’ve spent a large amount of time living in Canada, or were born here.”

– Eddy Gu

 

“While we’re at it, why don’t we also create racially separated washrooms and increase the wage gap, all in the name of “security”? I personally believe that the government shouldn’t be allowed to pass such an obscene bill. I understand that collective security is important, but segregating people to achieve this security is crazy. Why should one person’s citizenship be worth less than another’s? Canada is one of the most diverse countries in the world, the whole point of this diversity is so that everyone (no matter race, religion, country or origin, etc.) can embrace freedom and equality. In the country that I know and love to be Canada, there’s no first-class or second-class Canadians… Ultimately, this bill will do little for security but serve more as a dividing wedge between the citizens of this country.”

– Davinder Mahli

 

“In my opinion, the passing of Bill C-24 enhances the poor legacies left by imperial powers in the past. Taking the Raj (British sovereignty in India) as an example, the British made Indians second-class citizens in their country, which led to increased poverty after the British left. Although that is only one event, the idea of citizens feeling inferior in the country they made their home resurfaces. Especially for a country that celebrates multiculturalism, the bill does not embrace this aspect.”

– Kandace Peroramas

 

“These “provisions” are simply unconstitutional… the very sentiments of segregating citizenship automatically degrades the worth of those individuals who have provided and sacrificed to and for Canada, as any other citizen has pledged to do. As a member of an immigrant family, I have seen the adversities that my mother has overcome in order to become a citizen of this country. Why should these efforts be forsaken and not be held to the same class of those who were merely born here? The essential problem with Bill C-24 lies within the fact that it creates a second class tier for all non-Canadian born citizens. Thus, causing vulnerabilities for discrimination upon the diverse groups that make up this country. Furthermore, it stigmatizes these “second-class citizens” as being more acclimated to commit terrorist acts… Citizenship is more than just about the nation one was born in. Citizenship is the foundation of the people who work to foster their country. The rights of citizenship should not be denounced to a second-class standard because of the actions of a few individuals. I am not saying that those who have practised illiberal acts of terrorism against our country should not face consequences. However, they should be dealt with by the criminal laws and judicial process in place in this country, instead of at the hands of bureaucrats and politicians.”

– Rebecca Yang

 

“How can the country that stands for freedom, equality, and diversity pass an act that directly discriminates against a majority of the population? My parents and I currently aren’t citizens, but my parents are just now applying for it after 12 years of living in Canada and I’m pretty sure that this act will severely hinder the already too-long and arduous process. Okay, sure, protect us from the terrorists. But is taking away the citizenship rights of those of us who are completely innocent, contributing members of our community going to change anything?… The only word I have to describe this is: ridiculous. Such a shame that the Canadian government has lost sight of what this country stands for. If you haven’t signed the petition yet, here it is: https://www.change.org/…/hon-chris-alexander-pc-mp… and they still need about 50,000 signatures, so please spread the word.“

– Ailin Li

 

The passing of Bill C-24 defied my understanding and certainly left me disillusioned about the work of the government and the value of possessing a Canadian citizenship. The Canada that I grew up in and love is not one where an individual’s citizenship is worth less than someone else’s.

 

All opinions unless otherwise stated are my own. 

Sources:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/what-dual-citizens-need-to-know-about-bill-c-24-the-new-citizenship-law-1.2426968

http://www.sfu.ca/education/cels/bilingual/bilingual-corner/bill-c-24.html

 

Video Of The Day: Scrabble – Anagram Lovers

Ailin Li
-
0

Even though Valentine’s Day is long over, you can still enjoy this adorable video about Anagram Lovers. Yes, it is a clever advertisement from Mattel Games, but the clever anagrams and beautiful shots will make you forget all about that.

FTC: This is not a sponsored post, and all opinions are completely genuine. ♥

YAA Accepts: The Cottonball Challenge

Ailin Li
-
0

I know it’s been a long time, but hopefully you didn’t miss us too much! Rebecca and I are back to do another one of these silly challenge videos for you guys. Yes, I come out victorious this week in the Cottonball Challenge!

This challenge is a lot harder than it looks. Even when you have a ton of cottonballs on your spoon, you can’t tell there’s anything there at all. You also can’t tell when you’re flinging the cottonballs everywhere, so you may end up just scooping from nothing at some point. It was a lot of fun. And it also…tested Rebecca and I’s friendship. But what can I say? Competition gets the best of people.

You can find Youth Are Awesome on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!

If you would like, go check out the blog posts that Rebecca and I (Ailin) write when we’re not torturing ourselves.

Click here to go to the previous video. What challenge will Rebecca and I take on next week? Tune in to find out.

YYC’s Block Party: June 27th, 2015

Rebecca Yang
-
0

10392467_958045820881985_9194549967677282178_n

This Saturday, June 27th, in Eau Claire Festival Market Square from 1pm-10pm, Youth Central will host one of the most epic events of the summer.

Is that doubt I sense?

Sure, this may just seem like any of the larger block parties taking place around Calgary, but there are just certain aspects completely unique to this event. This block party doesn’t just offer some tunes and a hot spot for food trucks and vendors, it is an event catered for youth to get involved in the community. Indicative of its name, YYC’s Block Party will be about engaging youth and the whole community by hosting local agencies and organizations to recruit volunteers and spread knowledge onsite of the event. Youth will get to explore what kind of opportunities their city provides in addition to learning some new skills through workshops, like car maintenance and healthy eating, as well. For some extra inspiration, attendees will also get a chance to hear from speakers making a significant impact in the community, including Sheliza Kassam, Brett Rothery, and Bhagya Ramesh.

Well is this just a volunteer fair?

YYC’s Block Party is so much more. The mission of this event is to get youth involved in implementing change but the spirit of the event is to not just celebrate youth, but to also celebrate the whole of Calgary. This event is meant to cater to youth and the community in a vibrant and entertaining way. Music will be supplied by Beat Drop and some incredible DJs, such as DJ Mystique Beats and Theology. Youth Central has also partnered up with Pulse Studios to bring to the event the Change the Game: Battle Up Series, a fierce Street Dance competition. The remainder of the evening will be open for everyone to dance on the dance floor, to let loose and have fun. Oh, did I also mention that there will be a huge blowup pirate themed obstacle course?

Any which way you see it, this Saturday is going to be a good time. So ignite the beginning of your summer and enjoy all that YYC’s Block Party has to offer. Join your fellow Calgarians for some amazing entertainment and opportunities to inspire and engage in change.

YYC’s Block Party is supported by the Calgary Foundation and the Calgary Youth Foundation.

Making a Difference: Youth Advice on Starting a School Club

Amy Chen
-
0

Do you have a great idea for a club within your school but have had troubles getting it started?

For many people, starting a club at the school seems like an extremely difficult feat, however to break this notion and prove that everyone can make a difference I interviewed youth within Calgary. I plan on doing a series called Making a Difference to share the experiences of youth who have taken initiative within their school community to start a school club, thus making a difference. This is my first story of a three story series, featuring an amazing club for an amazing cause, started by a youth not that much different from you and me.

Knights For Sight

The group below are called Knights For Sight, a school club at Queen Elizabeth’s High School. Their goals is to help Operation Eyesight, a Calgary-based organization whose goal is to raise awareness about avoidable blindness and providing eye care and treatment in developing countries. The youth who started this club is Sonya Soh, and along with her friends their club is making a difference one step at a time.

 

What motivated you to start a club at your school?
Sonya: I wanted to start a school club because I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to develop my leadership skills as well as help Operation Eyesight in their cause.
What were some challenges you encountered when starting this school club?
Sonya: Some issues I had starting a club was gathering enough people to actually call it a club. From the beginning, I only had 6 people and I wondered if we could do anything with such small manpower. However, after a while those 6 people brought their own friends and my club eventually expanded.

What are 3 tips you would give people who are trying to plan an event or start a club?
Sonya: Three tips:

1). Be optimistic. No event/club is too insignificant or too difficult to create, everything we do can make a difference.
2). Be persistent. Ask everyone you know for help, even if you don’t think they would. Don’t be discouraged because something doesn’t work out.
3). Have fun. You can’t achieve success or motivate your peers if you yourself are not enjoying the process.
Above is a picture from their very first bake sale event which was a HUGE hit where they managed to raise over a hundred dollars.
“We had eyeball and glasses cookies. We also did a cataract simulator event where we had people guess an item inside a box while they looked through the cataract simulator glasses. We also did other food sales like hot chocolate and candy bags.” – Sonya
These youths are truly an inspiration. They have gathered together and used their creativity and hard work to contribute to a meaningful cause. Through planning events such as eyesight themed bake sales, they not only raised money to help give the gift of sight, but have also raised awareness for this issue of avoidable blindness.
As you can see, starting a club may not be that difficult as it seems. The first step is to take initiative. You’ll definitely be surprised by where this first step can take you!

 

Sled Island 2015 (June 24-28, 2015)

S
-
0

If you haven’t already heard of Sled Island, you are about to learn about this amazing opportunity here in Calgary that will calm exam stress and turn frowns upside down. Sled Island, a music and arts festival, is not only offering 250+ bands, but it also takes an insight on the visual art and comedy here in Calgary across 30+ venues. That’s right, 30 plus venues! With that you’ll be sure to explore new aspects of Calgary that you never even knew existed. Keep on reading further to see what Sled Island 2015 has to offer during the great days of June 24-28.

 

Visual Art: Atomic Smash

sled island

Atomic smash opens on June 23rd and it utilizes several electronic devices, along with light bulbs and scrap materials. Lane Shordee doesn’t just bring his love for scavenging objects, he also takes into perspective objects, patterns, and unusual spaces in order to shine his uniqueness on Sled Island!

LOCATION: The #1 Legion (Upstairs), 116 7th Ave. SE
DATES: Wednesday, June 24 – Saturday, June 27

 

Visual Art: Night Bloom

sled island

Night Bloom is all about taking you back to a safe and happy place. A place where you can dream endlessly. This can be described further as an orphic wonderland that displays esoteric textures and much more. It also takes into consideration fibres and natural forms. By attending this visual art you will be transported to a state of nostalgia and comfort, where you will be left questioning how and when you got transported to night bloom.

LOCATION: The #1 Legion (Second Floor), 116 7 Avenue SE
DATES: Wednesday, June 23 – Saturday, June 27

 

Comedy: Gina Freeman

pastormentor

Gina has been categorized as an A+ female comedian who has a heart to make people smile. She is all about having fun and spreading good joy. Her comedy is not only full of energetic ideas and freshness; she further hosts a weekly drop in writing group called Night Writer. One of her big successes includes the film Mark Twain in the year 3000, which has just made a debt in the Montreal Fringe festival! What a great accomplishment. Gina is one comedian to look forward to at sled island, as she will be literally rocking the stage.

 

Comedy: Derek Adams

sled island

Derek is a fresh face in the comedy industry, as he is one of the individual’s who has made an amazing breakthrough at a young age. His first gig ever was when he was in grade 9. As a participant of the grade 9 talent show, Derek hit the top! His performance was regarded as being, “too funny for his, or anyone’s age.” With that remark he was off following a three year hiatus. When he was only 18 he returned to stand up comedy, and since then he has been involved in many performances all over Alberta. He has some cool-teen perspectives, and shouldn’t be underestimated for his young age.

 

Special events: Record Label Forum

lovegrowswild

If you didn’t already know Canada is home to loads of independent record labels that work day and night to provide amazing music for us to listen to. Record Label Forum is all about gathering these labels, and any and all people behind these labels that make music happen to offer advice, and insight to this music industry that we adore so very much because not only are these labels many times volunteer run, they are self funded and make a large impact on Canadian music diversity.

LOCATION: Theatre Junction Grand (Studio) – 608 1 St SW
DATE: Thursday, June 25 @ 3:30pm

 

Special events: Shelter from the storm

Calgary SUN

I’m sure many of you have heard of the Calgary drop-in centre and Rehab Centre(DI). These are volunteer, employee aspects to our city that are a NEED, which is why Sled Island has teamed up with these two community services that allow for an opportunity where artists can display their thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Shelter from the storm is a first time performance, and is sure to impress many as it portrays the creation of not only original songs, but poems and stories too!

LOCATION: Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre, 1 Dermot Baldwin Way SE
DATE: Saturday June 27, 7:00 pm

 

All ages: Olympic Plaza

Calgary sun

This easily accessible open space, is key for the full Sled Island 2015 experience. This day will be filled with non-stop talent ranging from all types of artists, and genres. This all ages aspect to the festival is a must. Some of the amazing talents lined up include: King Tuff, Ex Hex, Viet Cong, and much more. You will not only experience some hard rock, sweetness from a local duo, up-beat fun, but a mix of many different emotions that will definitely make you at the very least happy.

Music: Acronyms

linkedin

Don’t let the name of this band confuse, it definitely doesn’t have anything to do with English Class. Instead, Acronyms, a band from Saskatoon, is a solid union of great musicians. They not only have shoegazing guitars, attached to an indie rock backbone, they are also an expert in creating a soothing and engulfing experience. Their sounds are woven and well knit which are sure to please anyone’s music taste.

LOCATION: Ship & Anchor, Tubby Dog
DATES: Wednesday June 24 @ 10pm, & Friday June 26 @ Tubby Dog

 

Music: Body/Head

sled island

What a unique name that is, right? With over 30 years of experience, Kim Gordon makes an impact in new and unexpected ways every time she releases something new. Gordon is not shy, and she is certainly not afraid to take on new challenges, a quality that makes her music a must-hear. Rock is definitely her strength, and has worked on her autobiography called Girl in A Band. If you are looking to explore some new music  from someone who has had plenty of music experience the #1 legion, she is where you’ll have to go see once these festival kicks off.

LOCATION: #1 Legion, Downstairs
DATE: Saturday June 27, 1 AM (Sunday)

 

I hope my little summaries of some of the MANY aspects to Sled Island have put your heart into attending the festival. Since there is still some time to go before the festival kicks off, make sure you buy your tickets at http://www.sledisland.com/. I hope to see everyone there!

 

Women deserve to live freely

Malika Daya
-
0

We live in a society where females are still treated with less importance than men. In some areas of the world more than others, women experience discrimination, segregation, and of course gender in-equality. Some girls are still not allowed to get educated simply because they are women. Others are victims of sexual assault and are being treated as if they are criminals rather than the victims. I’m sorry to say that this is the world we live in today.

Women deserve the right to be treated as equals. Women deserve the right to make choices for themselves and to not be judged based on those choices. Women deserve to be treated with the same amount of respect men do in society today.

I find it quite alarming that this isn’t the case. Over the past few weeks I’ve been coming across evidence proving that women are not given the same respect or importance given to men in many an occasion. Being brought up in a family where there is no differentiation between female and male abilities made this new found knowledge of the world very alarming to me. Who is to say ladies aren’t as intelligent, athletic, or artistic as men? Why are they being suppressed?!

So instead of just pondering about this topic, I have decided to take a step forward and try to make a change or at least challenge the world views of many that believe women are insignificant in comparison to men. From now till the end of August, I will be raising awareness about this issue on Youth Are Awesome for our readers to become aware of and help in starting a movement towards equality for all. It starts from us, the youth, we are the leaders of today. Together we can promote gender equality for the greater good of humanity.

To start off I’d like to introduce you to a video that created stimulus for my project, it is called My Choice directed by Homi Adajania for Vogue Empower. It is a beautiful 2-3 minute video talking about the power of being a women and how the choices we make should be respected. It speaks to how women do have power, and how we are no longer allowing ourselves to be suppressed. It is about taking a chance and being free from societal expectations; escaping the cages men have put us in.

After watching this video I was inspired and gained motivation once again to “strive for the sky and beyond” because women have the capability to do so. We have the ability to make our own choices and stick by them. Being happy and living a life of self-satisifaction comes from the internal choices we make. It also comes from blocking out all the unnecessary judgement placed upon us.

However, we have a right to challenge negative and unjust judgement. We have a right to put a stop to the idiocy in society. A lot of the time when anything outside of the box is introduced to society there is a negative reaction alike to the reaction the My Choice video received. Now I’m not saying people aren’t entitled to their own perspectives, but that being said when individuals are forcing their opinions and views on females that should immediately be stopped.

An example of a reaction that completely took the Vogue Empowerment video out of context was a video response by Rajinish Collins in his “Logical Reply to Deepika Padukone’s ‘My Choice'” Disclaimer: The reason I have chosen to not directly post the video is because it does contain images on nudity and so on, I also do not accept the way he is portraying women in the video.   

He is using what is being said in the My Choice video and turning it into joke by portraying women as sleaze-bags/commodities for male pleasure, which is not and will not be the case! He is focusing on lines such as “Let my body be free” or “Sex before marriage” as weapons talking about a lack of morality, which is completely idiotic because what a women decides to do with her life is her choice not his. The video speaks to letting women’s bodies being free as a set up for men to sexual abuse women, it says it “prevents your body for being raped” but wake up man, a way a woman dresses is not an invitation for men to do what they please! It also speaks about morality but where are his morals?! If men can’t have any self-control then that is their fault, it is a trait they need to learn to obtain, it is their imperfection not ours. 

In the video he basically depicts females as being weak and fragile creatures not humans. There is no humanity in that video, it completely disgusts me. It is the narrow-mindedness of this mindset that trap women’s souls. It is insecurity that tells them that women should not make choices for themselves. It is the insecurity of being over-powered by female intellectuals that makes them put down beautiful and inspirational videos like Homie Adajania’s, My Choice Vogue Empowerment video. Because I am sorry to say but some of the men in this world are cowards, too afraid to admit that if educated, women have the capability and potential of being more intelligent and independent than most men. It is saddening to see how parts of society would rather put down women than inspire them to rise high. Women ARE NOT commodities, nor should they be treated like one. Our choices define who we are, your actions define who you are. 

So sorry man, your logical response to the My Choice video isn’t logical at all. As harsh as this may sound it is very much so an uneducated and unsophisticated view of the world, I sincerely do hope you realize the value of women and stop demoralizing who we are.

However to clarify if I am being misunderstood I am not saying that all men are chauvinistic, a certain population are and it’s becoming apart of many cultures, which is why I find it necessary to take a stand. All of this being said is my first step to creating change in this world, I pray and hope that all the youth reading my blog support me in this new endeavour because I know that we are the generation that is going to create change.

I am definitely interested in hearing your opinions about this blog, the My Choice video, or the not-so logical response to the My Choice video. Please leave your opinion in the comments or tweet me @malika_daya!

Playlist of The Week: Women Who Rock!

Talia Santarossa
-
0

Next up in my series of tunes that are not to be missed, I’d like to direct your attention to eight women who have broken through countless social barriers to bring women into a prominent place in rock and roll. A predominantly male scene, few women managed to break into the genre until the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, the mainstream rock and alt scene features more women than ever before, thanks to those who spearheaded efforts to make women part of rock and those who continue to uphold that legacy.

1. Bad Reputation – Joan Jett and The Blackhearts

Recently inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and recipient of the first Alternative Press Music Awards’ Icon Award, Joan Jett is a musical force to be reckoned with. Her initial success with The Runways followed by a stint with her own band, The Blackhearts, earned her three gold and platinum certified albums and a handful of hit singles.

2. Barracuda – Heart

Active since the early 1970s, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson have made Heart the iconic act that it is today. Heart also has a Canadian connection; the Seattle band was originally based out of Vancouver.

3. Love Bites (So Do I) – Halestorm

Halestorm first gained popular interest when Love Bites (So Do I) won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2013. It was an especially significant win considering that Halestorm became the first female-fronted band to win in that category. Frontwoman Lzzy Hale has also performed with other artists like Lindsey Sterling and Eric Church and shows no sign of slowing down.

4. Rhiannon – Fleetwood Mac

One of Rolling Stones’ 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and 1981 “Reigning Queen of Rock and Roll”, Stevie Nicks has enjoyed an illustrious career, from her time with Fleetwood Mac to a equally successful solo run.

5. Piece of My Heart – Janis Joplin (w/ Big Brother and The Holding Company)

One of rock’s most recognizable voices, Janis Joplin was one of the only female artists to perform at the legendary Woodstock Festival. She rose to fame with her time with psychedelic band Big Brother and The Holding Company in the mid-1960s. Unfortunately, she passed away in 1970 from a heroin overdose and is a member of the “27 Club” alongside other artists including Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse and Jim Morrison.

6. Proof – Paramore

One of today’s most prominent rock/pop-rock acts, Paramore has grown a lot since its inception in 2004. Hayley Williams is the only founding member to have remained with the band for its entire existence (bassist Jeremy Davis departed briefly in in 2005 but returned later). Williams’ vocals are without a doubt some of the best in the industry at present.

7. Heartbreaker – Pat Benatar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy-QmgdUVTI

Active since the late 1970s, Benatar has graced the ears of most modern music listeners of the past 30+ years. Seriously, if you’ve never heard Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Heartbreaker or Love is a Battlefield, you need to crawl out from the rock under which you have been living for your entire life.

8. Fire – PVRIS

PVRIS are a recent breakout band and yet have already found their place in music. Their debut album, White Noise, is very impressive to say the least. With Lynn Gunn’s incredible vocals at the helm, PVRIS is a band to watch moving into the next years of rock.

Image Source

Ed Sheeran in YYC

Emily Donville
-
0

ED-SHEERANSource


On Wednesday June 17th, Ed Sheeran took to the stage at the Saddledome, performing before a sold out crowd of 13,000. I’d been waiting for this day ever since I found out about him, which was the night of the 2012 Brit Awards where he won awards for Best British Male and British Breakthrough Act of the Year. I’d been dying to see him and was disheartened when I was told the show sold out within 1 second (Scalpers! Ugh!) and I had accepted that maybe I wouldn’t see him this time, but I would next time.

It was sometime in early May when I heard my brother hinting to my mother about a “surprise” and if he could tell me what it was. Me, being curious, asked him and he told me. Since my birthday was later that month, he had purchased tickets for me, his girlfriend , and himself to go see Ed Sheeran. I was elated to know that I’d be seeing one of my all time favorite artists in just over a month.

The day finally came and I was so excited. The three of us walked from 11th ave SW down to the Saddledome where many teenage girls were entering the arena. I was a little surprised to see as many guys there as there were, as Ed’s target audience is teenage girls, but then I should’ve suspected that of course there’d be guys bringing their girlfriends to see Sheeran.

Rixton-2014

Source

The opening act was Rixton, a four-piece boy band from the UK. If you’ve never heard of them, you might know their hit single Me and My Broken Heart. They put on a energetic set, including a cover of Bruno Mars’ and Mark Ronson’s hit Uptown Funk, and left the stage after approximately 45 minutes. There was a short, 15 minute break and then the lights dimmed and I could feel my heart beating fast in anticipation of Ed.

Sheeran walked onto the stage and started playing Lego House, a song from his debut album. I was starstruck after dreaming of this moment for years. I was a little skeptical about the show as I don’t typically enjoy shows in big arenas as I believe the intimacy you can have with an artist at smaller venues like MacEwan Hall is lost, but I quite enjoyed the show and would definitely see him again, given the chance.

He stopped to briefly mention a complaint he received in Winnipeg where a couple commented that he played to a backing track, so he explained that the objects a few feet in front of him were looping machines and that everything the fans heard were all him. I had already known this and it’s one of the qualities I love about him. Ed Sheeran performs with an intensity I have never seen before and his music and performances are truly original. I’d seen Rihanna the last time she was in Calgary and was disappointed that she lip synched for much of the performance, but there was no lip synching with Ed. Armed with a loop-machine, his guitar, and his vocals, he gave the 13,000 fans in attendance Wednesday night an experience of a lifetime. I’d give his performance a solid 4 stars out of 5 and would highly recommend seeing him if you ever get the chance.

1297713802520_ORIGINAL

Source

Be sure to watch Ed Sheeran host the MMVA’s this Sunday, June 21st!

Vanessa’s Story: life, anxiety, depression, relationships & everything in between

Mariell Hombrebueno
-
0

 

 

vanessa 1vanessa 2

“Honestly, I’m ok, I’m happy with being the reason why someone is changing their life. Like if I can get people off of drugs, like if I can inspire them, that’s good for me; that’s what I want. I’ve always wanted to motivate people and help those who are going through the life situations I’ve also personally dealt with, because when I was in their position, I had no one to hold my hand and tell me it’s ok. So, if I can do that for someone it would make my day.” -Vanessa

 

Words cannot describe how grateful I am to have met someone like Vanessa in my life. She’s just so full of life, beautiful, spontaneous, and we’re really similar, to the point that it seems that we’re living parallel lives. The magnitude of what we’ve been through, regarding anxiety, depression, toxic relationships and everything in between, is the very thing that connected us in the first place. At our age, we’ve definitely had our fair share when it comes to challenges.

After a year of not seeing each other, we decided to meet up at a local Starbucks. And I’m so glad we did. I’ve always wanted to catch up with her because she’s one of those people who’s really made a big impact on my life.

Flashback to last year’s rugby season: Vanessa was struggling with social anxiety and I was one of the few people she opened up to. I, myself, was struggling with anxiety so I deeply related to her. She couldn’t continue on playing rugby because she would get chronic anxiety just from the thought of playing. Seeing her cry really made me sad. How can someone with so much potential and positive outlook on life suffer from this? It just really didn’t fully make sense to me at the time.

 

How was social anxiety a part of your life?

“With social anxiety, I always knew I had it, you know? As a kid I would be scared to talk to the server and constantly nudged my mom to do it for me. Sometimes when in a big group, I would be scared of speaking up.”

What do you think triggered it most of the time?

“What triggered it is really irrational fears. You know, even when I’m just like 30 seconds or 1 minute late from class, I can’t, I just can’t get through that door, so I end up missing and skipping so many classes because of the anxiety I’m getting. Which is really stupid because I would miss 90 min. classes because of a fear that I just couldn’t understand.”

How did you help yourself get through this?

“Ok, the important thing to know is no matter how scared you are, you have to face it to be able to get through it, especially when it comes to anxiety. After a while, I was just done, I didn’t want anything to hold my life back anymore so even if I was, say, 2 minutes late for class, I would still force myself to go. I usually just dive in to it, but if you’re the type that likes to take baby steps, then do that. Just remember, everything is progress.”

 

Vanessa’s is also a very proactive and experimental human being. Another trait we share in common. She’s built this life that’s centered on travelling and trying new things. She admits that she’s been active on the drug scene – unfortunately, sometimes things got out of hand and the consequences really took a toll on her life.

 

Do you regret anything that you’ve done?

“No, definitely not. I’ve made decisions I’m not proud of but I don’t let it define me. I know that that wasn’t me. You know, I’m still working really hard to become the person I want to be and hopefully help other people in the future that went to the same things I did.”

I’m pretty sure that you’ve already helped a lot of people. Can you recall anyone you’ve helped recently?

“Yeah, definitely. I used to have a very close best friend, we were like family. Unfortunately, she’s not in my life anymore. At the time, she was the type of person who always wanted to go out and have a good time. I got her off drugs and everything. One day I told her that I just wanted to ‘live reality’ and not just escape all the time. One big thing I did for her was I bought her a ticket to Cuba. We had such an amazing time, but you know, that’s that. Her mom also told me that ever since I came to her life she started doing good and actually kept a job for a long time.”

How come she’s not in your life anymore?

“The bottom line is that our friendship just became really toxic. There were many times that she enhanced my depression because she kept lying to me and treating me so badly. I gave her so many chances and forgave her so many times but it really wasn’t working out anymore.”

When do you know when it’s time to end a relationship?

“When you want something, you fight for it because you want resolve. You know it’s time to end it when you have no more fight left in you, you know. You have to keep yourself in priority and do what’s best for you. There are so many times that I would miss her, but that’s just not enough to go back.”

How are you doing now?

“I’m doing great, I mean I still have to deal with stuff, but yeah. Right now, I’m upgrading. I came back to school and with 2 weeks left, so I had to catch up on a LOT. It was a big commitment and I’m just so proud of myself for having the courage to do it. For the 1st week I had to do 4 unit exams, 3 assignments, 3 projects, 3 quizzes and 2 essays. For the 2nd week, I did 8 exams, 1 essay and 1 diploma. I mean these are exact numbers; it was crazy. My true Asian potential really shined. My grades are like 20% higher that last year’s. Hahaha. I mean I was never really smart but I believe that you can change your life now. It’s not always easy but it’s definitely worth it. I’m just happy right now because I feel like myself again after all that happened.”

What are your future plans?

“Well, I’m going to apply for Biology at U of C. And I might go to Europe because I already bought the ticket, but I don’t know if I should go anymore because I was suppose to go with my ex-bestfriend and 2 other girls. I also want to be a motivational speaker as a sideline in the future because somehow I can see myself getting up on that stage and speaking to people.”

 

vanessa 4

This is Vanessa’s 1st tattoo that she got recently. It’s the word “strength” with a heartbeat graph attached at the beginning. I really LOVE this tattoo. She said that it represents everything she’s been through and the fact that she’s pulled through despite of everything.

“Check me out, I’m still here.” -Vanessa

4 Netflix Shows to Entertain You This Summer

Emily Donville
-
0

tumblr_n1iakijEdq1s8na7jo1_1280Source

Often when I scroll through the available choices on Netflix, I’m at a loss regarding what to choose. I’ve seen everything from The Walking Dead to The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (a very enjoyable movie I must add). As I scroll through my list of movies I’d saved under “watch later”, I can’t bring myself to watch some of them . I’m not sure whether I’m genuinely interested in them or maybe I’m not in the mood, but I always scroll through a dozen, perfectly fine options in my list. I thought to myself, “Who else has this problem?” and I figured at least a few people would benefit from reading this, thus this list was born. Fear not, for the days of not knowing what to watch are over.

  • Marvel’s Daredevil

This series follows the life of Matt Murdock: attorney at law by day, crime fighting vigilante by night. What sets this individual apart from other superheroes is the fact that he is blind. Injured in a childhood accident, Matt’s eyesight was taken but the incident managed to heighten his other senses. Through hard work, he became a skilled fighter under the instruction of his mentor, “Stick”. This series is one of my favourite’s and I highly recommend it to anyone who is seeking a good action television show. Though it is very well done, I must warn you that there is a fair bit of violence but if you don’t care about that, go ahead and watch it.

 

  • Freaks and Geeks

Freaks-and-Geeks

Source

Possibly one of the 90’s most entertaining shows was Freaks and Geeks. This show follows the life of Lindsay Weir, who transitions from a proper, mathlete girl into a army-jacket wearing teen who tends to hang around the slackers, whom are also known as the “Freaks”. The other half of the show is centred on Lindsay’s younger brother Sam and his friends (the Geeks). The show focuses on their daily lives and is very addicting. I highly recommend it to anyone who is searching for a cult classic series with drama and comedy.

 

  • Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl is a drama series based on a series written by Cecily von Ziegesar. It follows the lives of a few select teens living in Manhattan’s Upper East Side in New York City. The show involves lots of drama and romance. I watched this show when I was younger when the show aired on TV and I loved every minute of it. I recommend this to lovers of Pretty Little Liars.

 

  • Video Game High School

Video Game High School is a web series set in the near future about a high school (VGHS) which teaches a curriculum of video games from all genres. It follows the life of Brian D, who shoots to fame after defeating “The Law”, an international first-person shooter star, on live television. The show details his life, along with his friend’s lives, at the prestigious Video Game High School. There, he makes many friends and enemies, and tries to succeed despite the roadblocks he faces. I love this show and recommend it to anyone who isn’t looking for a long-term commitment to a show.

1...196197198...517Page 197 of 517