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Folk U: Kenna Burima and The Life of a Musician

Elene Otte
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On February 25, I had the incredible opportunity to go to ‘Folk U’, an event held in Festival Hall with the aim of bringing youth into music and expanding their potential in a variety of genres. Entering the small front room, I immediately noticed a wide variety of instruments adding to the warm and friendly atmosphere. Upon nervously entering, I was quickly greeted by a vibrant, dark-haired woman with an infectious smile. Kenna Burima, standing approximately 5’7” filled the room with her outgoing personality and warm voice.

Festival HallFestival Hall

After getting to know each other, all of us with diverse musical experience and background, it became more and more apparent how much we all remained in the same boat. Music production is tough, if it wasn’t (as my band teacher has often said) everyone would do it. My upbringing music-wise began in the boring hours that filled my waiting during my sister’s piano lessons. MYC, or Music for Young Children, was my first exposure to piano and I quickly grew very interested. I was never the musical one in the family so it is ironic that I became absorbed with piano for the next five years, consuming the classical songs one after the other, yet always feeling a certain gravitation towards the slow, ‘pretty’ pieces. Having regrettably taken a hiatus from piano, I find myself another five years later, having dabbled in flute and voice. “Peace to All”, a song Elvin and I made this past winter [click here to take a look] was what really brought me back to music. Having released a song made me realize that no matter what age you are, you can make music and that music never really leaves you.

“Believe in your music, it doesn’t really matter what anyone else thinks,” Kenna said part way through her presentation. Some of the best advice I think. Music is all about taking risks and putting yourself out there, the moment you make any music though, you are a musician. It’s all about improving and becoming better while having fun with another language and arguably, another world. Admitting when you’re not good at something is the first step to becoming better and not just in music.

So practicing…unfortunately that is the key. While practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect, it certainly doesn’t hurt. Discipline and commitment to what you value in life, be it music or something else is what will make you successful in that area. So if you’re just a dedicated listener thinking about maybe what it could be like to cover a song or even make one or if you’re releasing your fourth album tomorrow (congrats!), just know that you can only become a better musician.

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Not only did the ‘Folk U’ event provide the awesome experience to meet Kenna and musical youth from around the city, it gave me an opportunity to hear from others and even perform. The menacing ‘open mic’ from a newbie perspective is quite a frightening prospect. Going up in front of people and performing live for the first time? No way, was my first thought. Probably my second thought too but the open mic was an incredible opportunity not only for the performers, but also for me as the listener.

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So learning from success and failure is the moral of this story. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, especially in your own music. Music isn’t about how many likes your Facebook page has, or how many Twitter followers you have (Twitter is frustrating on the best of days) but about where it takes you. So plan out your first album and stick to it. Your songs, your story.

The next Folk U event will be held March 27 at 7:30pm (the open mic), so bring yourself and your instrument of choice and show us what you got!

Youth of YYC: Ahmed, 16, and Max, almost 18

Wentao
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“I was hanging out with this girl and we realized that we could just buy scrubs, so we bought some. Then we’re talking to the janitor and he didn’t ask to see ID or anything, and we’re like, hey, can you open the janitorial closet? We need something. So he opened it, and just left. In the closet there was a ladder that went up to the roof and we climbed up there and just hung out. And that’s how I ended up on the roof of the Children’s Hospital.”

– Ahmed, 16 & Max (almost 18)

Rainbow Cupcake Recipe

Courtney Mel
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With Easter coming up, I’m going to show you how to make Rainbow Cupcakes!

What You Need:

Betty Crocker White Cake Mix
Food colouring
1 1/4 water or milk
1/3 Vegetable oil
3 eggs
Frosting

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Instructions:

First get all the ingredients you need. Preheat the oven to 350° F
Get a bowl and put in the cake mix, milk, oil and eggs together.
Beat for about 2 minutes on a medium speed.

Get 6 disposable cups and evenly pour the batter into the cups. Once they are in the cups, make the colours of the rainbow with food colouring in each of the cups.
So red in one cup, yellow in another cup, orange in another cup, blue in another, green in another and purple in the last!

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Put cupcake liners into a cupcake pan and slowly put the mix into the liners, so all the colours are stacked a quarter way! You can be creative and do random colours too!

Bake for 18-23 minutes. Remove from the oven, and once they have completely cooled off decorate them how you feel! I used vanilla frosting.

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Natural ways to brighten your smile

Zoey Liu
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Recently, I have been interested in whitening strips that are supposed to give you perfectly white teeth and a gorgeous smile. However, after a few strips, I discovered that even though my teeth were whitened, my gums and teeth became very sensitive. Also, I always feel the need to swallow, which is a terrible habit if your have chemical whitener in your mouth. Therefore, I looked into all-natural recipes and tried out a couple. In comparison to the whitening strips, the natural recipes take much longer to see the whitening results but the gums and teeth don’t seem to be negatively affected.

 

Method 1:

Bananas are not only excellent sources of potassium and a tasty snack, the peel of the banana can also whiten teeth as it contains certain fatty acids. Rubbing the white mushy inside of the banana peel on your teeth and just letting it sit for approximately 10-15 minutes will remove the stains on your teeth. However, do not expect immediate results, as the treatment is very mild and it will take weeks even months for the results to show even with everyday use.

Banana Peel

 

 

Method 2:

Baking soda is known to have miraculous cleaning and soothing results. In a small bowl, mix a tablespoon of baking soda with 3 tablespoons of water into a thin paste. Taking a cotton swab, dry the surface of your teeth so the paste can be better applied.  Taking another cotton swab, dip the head of one side in the paste and apply the paste onto your teeth in circular motion, letting it dry and do its magic. After around 10-15 minutes, gently clean the baking soda off your teeth as it isn’t the most tasty thing you can have sitting on your teeth. For better results, repeat everyday for at least 2 weeks.

Brush your teeth with baking soda for a whitened affect!

 

 

Method 3:

If the two methods mentioned above are too mild for you, try some lemon juice. Apply the lemon juice on your teeth using the same technique as the baking soda. Since the lemon is extremely sour, try adding a teaspoon of honey to your lemon juice for a sweeter taste.

Lemon juice!

 

 

Caution: Even if hydrogen peroxide is a great bleaching agent and will whiten your teeth, DO NOT rub it on your teeth as it is a poisonous substance that is harmful for your body!

Don’t put hydrogen peroxide in your mouth!!!

 

*Always consult with a dentist before using these remedies on your teeth

Favourite quotes: Appreciation

Ailin Li
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Appreciation Quotes

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At this point in my high school career, the topics of my discussions have boiled down to one thing: the future. What university did I get into? What am I studying in university? What am I going to do after university? What type of job am I going to get? Where am I planning to live? You get the idea…

While I am fortunate enough to be one of the people who can answer those questions, there are many overwhelmed teenagers around me who can’t. While it’s important to have your life figured out to some extent, it’s so easy to get lost in society’s expectations of you. In fact, it’s even easier to get lost in your expectations of yourself. So let me tell you right now: stop, take a breath, and just be for a minute.

Listen to the quiet around you, or the noise. Appreciate the sunny sky, or the rolling storm clouds. Learn to understand that where you are right now is amazing. The fact that you are alive right now is amazing, and you should never forget that. Today, I am going to share a compilation of my favourite quotes about appreciating your life as it is right now.

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“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.”–Alphonse Karr

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”–Oscar Wilde

“To be content with what we possess is the greatest and most secure of riches.”–Marcus Tullius Cicero 

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”–John F. Kennedy 

“I would rather be able to appreciate things I cannot have than to have things I am not able to appreciate.”–Elbert Hubbard

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“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”–William Ward

“Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.”–Ernest Hemingway

“Life is not made up of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years, but of moments. You must experience each one before you can appreciate it.”–Sarah Ban Breathnach

“This a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.”–Maya Angelou

“The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.”–John E. Southard

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“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”–Oprah Winfrey

“Stop thinking of gratitude as a by-product of your circumstances and start thinking of it as a world view.”–Bryan Robles

“You won’t be happy with more until you’re happy with what you’ve got.”–Viki King

“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.”–William Faulkner

“There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.”–Jo Walton

Indie goes mainstream

Carol Zhang
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I’m sure you’ve heard Milky Chance’s “Stolen Dance” or Tove Lo’s “Habits” blaring on a radio station or in a clothing store sometime over the course of the last year. You probably listened to Lana Del Ray and Grouplove for the first time in the past year or two, even though they’re veterans of the industry.

Beginning in the mid 2000s, the line between indie and mainstream music has become progressively blurred, and these last three years in particular have seen the rise of many lesser known artists to the spotlight. This shift in focus of current audiences has introduced a variety of new flavours to the world of popular music and is extremely encouraging for increasing the diversity of genres considered appealing to the masses.

Calgary’s own Tegan and Sara are an example of a duo that made it big with the releases of 2009’s “Feel It In My Bones” and 2012’s “Closer”, the latter of which debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 2012. Heartthrob, the “Closer” album, went on to win top awards at the Junos.

Here’s a very brief exploration of a few indie songs loved by mainstream audiences through the past few years:

Vampire Weekend’s 2008 “Oxford Comma” is a great example of the bridging of the gap between the musical styles of indie and mainstream rock. “Oxford Comma” remains the band’s highest charting single.

Through the Internet, Canadian band Arcade Fire had massive exposure to mainstream audiences during the release of “Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)”. Their debut album, Funeral, is still considered among the indie rock greats. However, 2011’s The Suburbs album marks a turning point in Arcade Fire’s history as their first Best Album win at the Grammys in a year where they garnered five nominations.

Tegan and Sara are essential additions to this list as two of the most significant trailblazers that brought indie music to the masses. “Closer” is easily the most successful of their singles and one of Calgary’s most well-known contributions to the music world.

Lana Del Ray has famously gone through many trials as a vulnerable young woman in an oversaturated, extremely competitive industry. Though always hugely popular on sites such as Tumblr, it’s only been very recently that her music began to receive more attention from the general public. Haunting vocals and deeply relatable lyrics makes her a staple on any playlist. 

Kodaline made history as 21 Demands in 2007 when they released “Give Me A Minute” and it became the first independently released track to top the Irish Singles Chart. Last year, “All I Want” was included in the soundtrack of the movie adaptation of The Fault In Our Stars, and received much love from American audiences as well.

 

 

2 teas helping me fight this weather

Jessica Mai
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Hi everybody!

So in an awful turn of events I like to call Calgary’s weather, there has been a horrible cold going around. Friends, family, countrymen, lend me your ears, for I have found the ultimate cure! Not only is it cheap and delicious, it’s also great for your body.

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David’s Tea has two teas called Detox and Cold 911 – both of which have been helping me regain my sense of smell and taste. Both have amazing ingredients that help to make you feel better and fight off the snow-heat-snow Calgary weather combination. I like to put it in my pretty red thermos (also from David’s Tea) to keep it hot because if you are anything like a regular tea drinker, the tea making and drinking process goes:

1. Make tea

2. Tea too hot

3. Let tea cool down

4. Forget about tea

5. Tea too cold

It’s an agonizing process that I have been spared since my thermos keeps it hot for about 24 hours – just warm enough to fog up my glasses and blind me but not hot enough that I burn my tongue and question every bad decision I’ve ever made.

Go give those two teas a try if you’re feeling particularly ill or even want to prevent it from happening!

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Fitness for Students

Hui Wen Zheng
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Being an IB student with a crazy cramped schedule, I know firsthand how hard it can be to keep a regimented exercise routine, especially when phys ed is not a course I am taking. However, after enjoying both mental and physical benefits from working out at my local Y last summer, exercise has become invaluable to me. Since being active on a regular basis, I’ve become more alert in school, been more successful in many aspects of my life, and am overall happier. The problem is both about motivation and about finding the time to exercise now that school is in full-swing. After periods of starting and stopping my exercise regime, I feel that I’ve finally been able to stay consistent with it thanks to these tips for staying fit whilst still maintaining my grades.

 

Create an inspiration board

Inspiration Board
Your Tea’s Fitness Inspiration board on Pinterest

Inspiration can be hard to come by, but by having a place where you can showcase the pictures or quotes that inspire you will make it so much easier to become and stay inspired to be healthy and fit. Inspiration boards can be online or physical.

 

Do short high-intensity workouts

wake-up workout

Last semester during a science class, I found myself discussing the issue of finding the time to workout with my teacher, who attended boot camp classes in the mornings before work. Being a mother and busy teacher, she totally understood the trials and tribulations of students wanting to make time for exercise. She suggested to try small but intensive cardio workouts that you can find by a simple Google or YouTube search. Pinterest and Blogilaties on YouTube are good sources!

 

Taking the stairs, walking to places

I’m the type of person who likes to walk fast. Being blessed with longer-than-average legs and a mind that can’t seem to lose sight of its destination, I’ve often had friends complain about my fast gait. Even when I go for a walk, I just end up speeding through it all. Though there is a time and place for walking fast or slow, speed-walking, as well as taking the stairs (there’s a reason why they have Stairmasters at gyms – it’s effective!), is a great way to raise your heart rate and is super easy to incorporate into your daily routine.

 

Utilize weekends and breaks

Though I try my best to workout every weekday, sometimes time is tight and priporities may be set elsewhere. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I skip days if my school workload is particularly stressful, but thankfully, weekends and breaks are a thing and are great make-up days! They are great for doing the longer and more strenous excerises that weekdays don’t neccesarily allow for. It’s also a great time to hit up the gym!

 

Plan ahead

work out plan

One of the biggest fitness hinderances I have to come realize is the lack of a fitness plan. I’m sure we have all written enough essays about the importance of goals on a individual, but it’s true. By setting fitness goals and having a pre-planned routine, you will feel much more organized and will be more motivated to keep it up.

annnd finally… Have a healthy diet

Crunchy, Spicy Hummus Wrap

The final and most important tip of them all. No one really wants to hear it, but having and maintaining a healthy diet is the most influential thing on your body. If you’ve ever worked out for an extended period of time and seen no significant difference in your body, chances are its time to change up your diet. Eating healthy doesn’t mean becoming a raw vegan, nor does it mean dieting. It is a lifestyle change and you can start just by cutting out processed foods and refined sugar, all the while eating balanced meals that provides all your required nutrients.

 

Disclaimer: I am in no way a health expert, but these are the tips and tricks I have found to be helpful in my personal fitness journey and I hope they will be for you too!

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The science of being embarrassed

Rebecca Yang
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Source: Flickr
Source: Flickr

Embarrassment can be triggered by a variety of things from a clumsy misstep to an exposed secret. The raw foundation of embarrassment is the negative notation we perceive upon ourselves, when we are forced against the adherence to social norms. Bullying or teasing are among the catalysts to the embarrassment that we may feel. What is so menacing about embarrassment is that the sensation is often easily noticed. There are some common factors that most share when embarrassed:

Blushing: 

Embarrassment causes the body to produce adrenaline–anyone connecting the fight or flight response here? This causes the dilation of blood vessels, which pumps blood up into the face, neck or ears.

Excessive Sweat: 

When your body undergoes stimulation of emotions, such as nervousness or embarrassment, the fight or flight system reacts, enlarging the sweat glands of some areas to help thermoregulate the body. More specifically, the hypothalamus in the sympathetic system triggers the Eccrine glands. The Eccrine glands are primarily present in the forehead, palms, and balms of the feet. Thus, when they are overtly stimulated by these sensations, these areas sweat the most. This condition of producing sweaty palms through emotional distress is known as, “Palmar Hyperhidrosis” in the medical world.

Reduced eye contact:

It is a common reaction to divert one’s eyes to any potential eye contact, when embarrassed and is commonly associated with the “shame” that we put upon ourselves. When we talk about something that makes us comfortable, we tend to avoid eye contact, as humans tend to associate it similarly as a defence mechanism.  According to Psychologist World, by not making direct eye contact, people may use the action to be more intrinsic and think about their circumstances further.

We all get embarrassed. Trust me, I am by no means a victor of excessively blushing. But we all have our mechanisms and faults. The more that we focus on them, the more it may prove to be detrimental. Learn to live with them, and perhaps one day, you may learn to embrace the embarrassment.

FORMALITIES: Getting to Know the Girl in Front of the Eiffel Tower

Kandace Peroramas
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Hello! My name is Kandace and I am a new addition to the Youth Are Awesome Bloggers!

It is such an honor to be a part of a group of ambitious youths! After being happily accepted to join this wonderful community, I already had a wide range of blog post ideas I wanted to share. Even after scrambling down everything that popped into my head, I decided to make my first post something simple, yet memorable: an Introduction.

Behind every blog is a unique writer with an intricate past and lively stories. I can assure you that through future posts, you will get the bits and pieces of me that mostly make up my past, my personality, and outlook on life. But before we can get to that, it is never a bad idea to provide you all with some facts about myself. So without further ado, these are some things that make me, me!

1. My family and I immigrated to Canada when I was 6 years old.

With better opportunities for jobs and an education, we got on a plane from Cebu, Philippines and arrived in Calgary, Alberta on Family Day in February 2006. Truth be told, I was both fascinated and apprehensive of the snow that was lightly falling down around me. Having lived in a tropical country for so long, it was not easy to adapt to the chilling cold. But, with supportive friends and a close-knit family, I was able to revel in the unique Canadian way of life fast enough to have had been enrolled into an elementary school just 2 short weeks later!

2. The arts is a HUGE part of my life.

From a young age, ever since I could appreciate music, theater, and literature, I have been involved in many aspects regarding those. Whether it be through my high school choir, dressing up as an angel for Christmas shows in kindergarten, participating in school drama productions, taking up guitar lessons or spending copious hours reading, I absolutely love the arts. I strongly believe that the freedom of expression I am given through the arts is a key component to my identity. Everything I do in my life has somehow been influenced by music, performing or literature.

My friends and I (second to the left) prior to performing with our high school choir at Knox United Church in Downtown Calgary!
My friends and I (second to the left) prior to performing with our high school choir at Knox United Church in Downtown Calgary!

3. Travelling and the idea of being in new places over a certain extent of time is thrilling.

4 years after our big move to Canada, my family and I went back to the Philippines for vacation! During our trip, my mom, dad, aunt, grandma, and I went to the Underground River, which is 8.2 km long. With its lush greenery, turquoise waters, and stunning natural limestone formations, it is easily the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. It’s safe to say that here is where my wanderlust began and would continually grow. After that experience, my family has made it a key point in our lives to see what the world has to offer. I have been to fabulous countries like South Korea, Hong Kong, France, England, and Italy. In addition, we love to go hiking and see beautiful views that people would not normally see. Life is a huge adventure that never stops. No matter how big or small, local or global, there is something out there to admire.

The Underground River in Palawan, Philippines - truly remarkable!
The Underground River in Palawan, Philippines – truly remarkable.

4. My passion to volunteer and advocate for social causes began in grade 7.

In my first year of junior high, I had made a friend who was new to the school. Her confidence and outgoing personality was refreshing to me, but people often mistook it as arrogance. This was the catalyst that “justified” them to bully her by spreading rumors both online and offline. It was difficult to see my friend struggle, so along with my other friends, we knew we had to put an end to it. With our heads held high, we spoke to the principal about a proposition to dedicate one day to bullying awareness and prevention.

After much dedication and time put into our idea, our school celebrated both “Starve a Bully Day” and Pink Shirt Day on Wednesday, February 29, 2012. With my 3 best friends (including the one bullied), we spent the day presenting a PowerPoint on the causes, effects, and prevention of bullying. We distributed “Stop Bullying” bracelets and asked the students to sign petitions to stop bullying. With the great recognition given to our cause, my friend was never bullied again. Looking back at what my friends and I had done, I was inspired to help social causes and to start dedicating time to volunteering. Having had helped at the Mustard Seed, my church’s Vacation Bible School, and signing up to volunteer at Alberta Health Services and Partners for Mental Health, is the most rewarding feeling in the world. I will always tie back my volunteer experience and advocacy to the cause in grade 7.

My friends and I standing beside the bulletin board we made to promote Stare a Bully Day!
My friends and I standing beside the bulletin board we made to promote Stare a Bully Day!

5. I am an aspiring Psychologist and English teacher.

Stemming from my love for social causes and literature, I have made it a goal to succeed in my future university studies to become a Clinical Psychologist and English teacher. Mental health is such an important aspect, since I believe that the mental well-being of an individual is just as valuable as their physical one. Assisting others on their road to recovery from severe inner turmoil is a job that I would spend my whole life loving to its fullest potential. With the increasing need of English teachers in foreign countries to help children with their writing and reading skills, it would also make sense for me to choose this profession. The personal benefits and chance to travel makes it all the better!

I hope you were able to learn more about me through this introduction! I strive to connect with the youth of Calgary through my posts because we all have voices that need to be heard and appreciated.

“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don’t be sorry.” – Jack Kerouac

Best wishes,

Kandace  🙂

An afternoon of Popera!

Carol Zhang
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As an admitted music snob, I was skeptical when I first heard that the Calgary Civic Symphony was performing a combination of opera and musical theatre greats in their Popera! show. Certainly, doing justice to timeless pieces from operas and musical theatre classics is already challenging individually, but attempting both together in the same performance seemed almost unattainable. I am happy to say that Popera! certainly rose to the challenge.

Calgary’s music scene has been steadily growing in the past few years, and with the coming opening of the National Music Centre, it is doubtless that fantastic opportunities for concerts and shows like Popera! will increase in number. While the Calgary Civic Symphony isn’t as well known as their Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra counterparts, they certainly are also an extremely accomplished group of musicians. Host to the C3 concerto competitions annually, among their events this season were The Mighty Cathy Organ and Bach for the Holidays. In partnership with Cowtown Opera and some of the best vocal talents in the city, they have produced a performance that this city should be very, very proud of.

Hearing familiar pieces – from Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, and various other Puccini works among others – was very refreshing, and especially so right here at home in Calgary. I was also pleasantly surprised by many operatic pieces I was wholly unfamiliar with, such as numbers from Puccini’s Turandot.

In the latter half of the show, classic musical theatre hits were brought to the stage, and it was very interesting to hear Johann Strauss back to back with the music from The Sound of Music. It was also here at Popera! that I was introduced to the work of Canadian composer David Foster, whose music I will certainly be looking out for in the future.

Andrea Gedrasik gave a tasteful, nuanced performance as the titular character in Giuditta, and her “My lips, they kiss so hot” was indisputably one of the best pieces of the night. The orchestra also demonstrated impressive control and mastery of a diverse repertoire of Viennese works.

A fantastic encore performance of the Anvil Chorus rounded out a powerful Sunday afternoon. Overall, a wonderful, eye-opening show that I look forward to attending again next year. The Calgary Civic Symphony and Cowtown Opera have successfully brought together two genres in a very ambitious work, and if they aren’t already, every music lover in Calgary should be putting them on their radar. Bravo for a job well done!

 

What to see in YYC: Weekend Preview March 13-15, 2015

Jessica Liu
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MARKET COLLECTIVE

When: March 14 & 15: 10am – 6pm

Where: Chinese Cultural Centre (197 1st street SW)

Price: $5 for the entire weekend

Description: Market Collective is independently based in Calgary to promote local arts and culture and to engage and empower our community towards positive growth. The MC has grown into a community-building event that showcases hundreds of local artists, artisans, designers and  musicians. Come check out the talent and craftsmanship of Calgary, and buy unique items that can’t be found anywhere else. Perfect for Mother’s Day!

PI OPEN HOUSE

When: March 14 8pm – 11pm

Where: Rothney Astrophysical Observatory (Priddis, AB T0L 1W0, Canada)

Price: $20 per car or $10 per person

Description: Dr. Rachid Ouyed will  discuss what is Pi and the wonder of a mathematical constant, as well as how relativity effects our everyday life in a fun and informative talk. There will be free pie sampling.The open house event will feature access to an array of telescopes, where attendees will have the opportunity to look through the telescopes and Astronomers will be on hand to answer questions.

CALGARY BOY’S CHOIR

When: March 15 3pm

Where:  St. Laurence Anglican (5940 Lakeview Dr. SW)

Price: Free

Description: The Calgary Boys’ Choir presents a FREE Spring Preview concert, which will feature music about the living world and the exciting energy of boys. The boys’ choir from Masters Academy will also join them.

AN IMPROV MACBETH

When: March 14 8pm

Where:  Engineered Art Theatre, Arts Common, Calgary (formerly EPCOR Centre)

Price: $10 for students & seniors, $20 for adults

Description: True to the great Shakespearean story, twisted by improvisation into a fun, understandable and yet tragic tale of the demise of an usurping couple. It’s Shakespeare like you have never seen.

 

Steps to spring cleaning your bedroom

Courtney Mel
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With spring coming (or already here with this beautiful weather) we are getting into the spring cleaning mood! If you want to clean your bedroom but aren’t completely sure where to start, I am here to help you! So let’s not procrastinate and let’s get into the spring cleaning fever!

Step One: Put your hair up, change into comfy clothes and put on some awesome music! So first start off with putting your hair up – it just keeps your hair out of your face if you have long hair, do a messy bun or a top knot bun! Next, change into some comfy clothes. Comfy clothes for me would just be some shorts and a tank top. Then put your on your favourite upbeat playlist if you feel like listening to music!

Step Two: Make your bed. Making your bed will get you to keep going and wanting to clean the rest of your room! So start by changing sheets your sheets, putting current sheets and blankets into the washer! It’s crazy what a difference making your bed makes.. your room will instantly look cleaner!

Step Three: Pick the clothes up off your floor. If you have clothes on your floor, pick them up and sort them into a dirty and clean pile. If clothes are still clean, hang them up right away.

Step Four: Garbage and dishes! If you have any garbage, put it into a bag to go into the trash. If you have dishes, move them into the kitchen so they can get ready to be washed.

Step Five: Dusting. Take a duster and start dusting where it needs to be dusted! Like shelves, don’t forget the shelves up top too!

Step Six: Vacuum. Once everything is off your floor, start vacuuming. Or, if you have hardwood floors then now is the time to give them a sweep.

Step Seven: Laundry. End it off with doing that laundry that you put into the dirty pile earlier. Once everything is dusted, vacuumed/swept, put away and clean, you will feel a lot better!

ORGANIZATION TIP: Get cute boxes from the dollar store to store some things and decrease your clutter, like nail polish or hair things if you are a girl!

Those were my steps to cleaning! I hope you liked it! If you are procrastinating, why not start now? Good luck and happy spring cleaning! ~

 

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This Blank Page – An exploration into the evaluation of an idea

Elene Otte
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Stumbling upon an interesting Wattpad essay, I wanted to pose some discussion questions regarding the thoughts expanded upon within. “This Blank Page” written by Elvin Limpin draws attention to the power of an idea, the difficulty in both evaluating writing and using it as a medium for thought communication. By conveying a struggle to write, readers get a beautiful picture of this dreaded ‘writer’s block’ and (at least in my perspective) the sense that no matter what frustrations revolve around communication you’re not alone in this.

I write a lot. Like a lot a lot. And although I wouldn’t say I’m particularly any good at it, I do well enough in school in that regard, teachers seeming to appreciate how I string together boring sentences into something supposedly deep and meaningful. I don’t find what I do particularly difficult and I am under the opinion that anyone can write. Writing isn’t some secret code to be discovered and unlocked, instead there are basic premises that (if followed) typically make a piece of writing ‘good’.

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The key to writing is organization and knowing oneself. Knowing how you write best and never losing an idea. For someone as scatterbrained as myself (even on good days) this can prove to be quite the challenge. Personally, I never throw out an idea. You may see words scratched our or added in margins but no crumpled pages exist in my world. Every idea has equal potential to be successful but it’s what is predetermined to be a ‘success’ that will decide it’s ability to earn you that English mark or get your point across. Writing is such an individual task that, being someone whose writing is deemed to be ‘not bad’ or even ‘good’, I can say that it’s not fair. How we evaluate an individuals’ thoughts to a singular standard when beauty, especially in language is near impossible. Of course there are small things like sentence structure and grammar but can you really evaluate an idea?

An idea has the power to both mold and shape shift our thoughts and determine our actions. Every good action is backed by a good idea or thought and the same is true of any bad action. It’s the way in which we qualify ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in these cases that says a lot about either a society or an individual. Perspectives are molded by our thoughts and our interactions and interpretations, our ideas are what makes us unique individuals. Your choices are the only action thing you have any control over and only you determine them. As someone once told me, “You can only control yourself.” Influence others? Maybe, likely, but change is an individual decision purely based upon ideas and understanding.

This is by no means a complete thought but like my friend, I hope to contribute to the ‘pool of ideas’ as you will as well. May the best ideas live to shape lives.

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#BigTasteYYC: Anejo

Julia
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BigTasteYYC, March 6-15, 2015, is a magical time in Calgary. Foodies and non-foodies alike can indulge in some of the city’s greatest culinary experiences. If your budget is wide, there’s $65 gourmet menus at select downtown restaurants, but for those of us who aren’t ready to spend $65 per person on a feast, there’s dinner menus at premier downtown restaurants for $35 and lunch menus for $25 or even $15!

Keen to indulge without hurting my pocket, I headed to Anejo for a 3-course lunch for $15.

Even before the food came, I was intrigued by the environment of the Mexican restaurant itself: a wall covered in shelves of tequila, skeleton dolls, hip seating arrangements, and a delightful contrast of a darker area and an open, bright area.

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The first course was a choice between guacamole or salsa, an accompaniment to a bowl ofIMG_0774 wonderful tortilla chips. Since I went with another person, he got guacamole and I got salsa so we could have the best of both worlds. The guacamole was a perfect combination of creamy and flavourful and refreshing, and (most importantly) was perfect dipping consistency (not too solid, not too runny). Although I generally am against anything at all spicy, the salsa still delighted me: yes it had a kick to it, but the freshness of it made me keep on dipping.

Tacos were the focus of the meal, with the option of either corn or flour tortillas, and the filling IMG_0780choices of lamb, pork, beef, chicken, fish, or vegetarian. I’m horrible at decisions, so I opted for one chicken and one beef. As we waited for our main course, I was tortured by the sight of others’ tacos being brought to their tables (pleasingly plated of course). Alas, I was able to bite into that flavourful, warm goodness. The meat was shredded and tender, the corn tortillas were the perfect flavour. Since I’m not a fan of hot stuff, I took off the spicy red peppers (I accidentally ate one by itself and learned their heat the hard way). It was only lunch, so 2 tacos was the perfect serving.

IMG_0783Dessert is always exciting in my eyes. Some would say “oh it’s just ice cream”. But no. It’s
gourmet gelato from Fiasco Gelato. There were so many choices, but in reality I’m quite sure any selection would have been amazing. I ended up getting the apple pie/crumble flavour, and oh my god I wish I had been given a never-ending bowl. The flavour was fresh and natural, and there were chunks of pie/crumble that took the scoop to a whole new level.

The waiters were very friendly and engaged, the dips and ice cream came in trendy wooden bowls… Really, the whole experience was wonderful. Sure, the meal wasn’t as complex as other Big Taste offerings, but overall I enjoyed both the food and the experience.

I highly suggest you participate in Big Taste YYC, and furthermore, I suggest you make a stop at Anejo, whether for the Big Taste or for any other time you crave a bright food experience.

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