Youth Are Awesome, commonly referred to as YAA, is a blog written by youth for youth.
YAA provides the youth of Calgary a place to amplify their voices and perspectives on what is happening around them.
Youth Are Awesome is a program of Youth Central.
Any views or opinions expressed on this blog belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people or organizations that the blog may be associated with, unless explicitly stated. All content is for informational purposes only.
Freddie Mercury was a musician whose irresistible charm, his passion and his dedication to music can be attributed to the legendary status of the band Queen. Who would have ever thought that a boy born in Africa to Parsi Indian parents would become one of the biggest music icons the world had ever seen? Yet, it was only a year ago when I found out about Freddie’s heritage, and with his recognition as a British rock star rather than an African or Parsi Indian rockstar, and his name change from Farrokh Bulsara to Freddie, people dispute even today on whether Freddie was trying to downplay his roots in order to pursue his musical dream. As someone who is inspired by Freddie Mercury’s fierce passion and colourful personality, I too have been exploring this debate.
Freddie Mercury, 1975.
As Associate Professor at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Music Jason King notes, Freddie Mercury “operated in at least four closets in his life” – two of those closets were his sexuality and his struggle with AIDs, the other two of his race and nationality, which are much less written about. However, Freddie Mercury was asked about his background in numerous interviews and did not hesitate to talk about his birthplace and who his parents were, showing no sign of wanting to shy away from talking about his identity, albeit at times very briefly.
Freddie Mercury’s name change from Farrokh Bulsara may lead many to suggest that he indeed was trying to forget his roots, but that alone cannot really prove that that was the case. Freddie was a nickname given to him by his peers when he was at school in India as a child, and his new last name Mercury was made in reference to the Greek God, probably meant to better reflect his musical persona.
His family has also taken the time to mention that Freddie was, in fact, proud of his heritage. Roger Cooke, Freddie’s brother in law has said “To an English mind, Asian means Indian. It doesn’t in Freddie’s particular case, he was Persian by ancestry. He was accused of denying his Indian heritage. I don’t think he ever did, but if he did, it would have been because he was Persian.”
His mother has added: “Freddie was a Parsee and he was proud of that, but he wasn’t particularly religious.”
Freddie Mercury was also keen to show the influences of the South Asian and Parsi culture he grew up around in his songs. Aside from the bismillahs in Bohemian Rhapsody, another glaring example would be a Queen song called “Mustapha,” about which King notes that consists of vocalizing similar to a call to prayer, and having grown up in Pakistan around the sound of Adhans myself, I happen to agree.
However, his public exploration of his culture remained brief, and that may very well have to do with the time period Freddie was living in. England was suffering from severe immigrant hostility in the 1960s. Asian representation in music during that period was non-existent and its overt racism was not that uncommon. Hence, what may seem like Freddie’s attempt at masking his identity from the public can very well be a symptom of that time.
Hot Space Tour, Madison Square Garden, July 1982
Another reason for his reservation would be the fact of his sexuality and how that, combined with his Asian roots, may have left him alienated from both the Asian community and the contemporary predominantly white British community. It would not be inaccurate to say that the Indian community during Mercury’s time was embedded with traditional beliefs that would have found Freddie’s extravagant rock-and-roll lifestyle unacceptable as a man of their community. Thus, perhaps Freddie used the passion of his music to liberate himself from all expectations of different communities, to be unapologetically himself, or as one article described, to be “a flame of beautiful and dramatic ambiguity” through his soul-stirring ballads and highly exuberant stage persona.
Budapest, 1986.
From all the evidence compiled, it does not seem fair to suggest that Freddie made a deliberate and strong attempt to mask his identity. It seems more so that the British society avoided exploring and appreciating Freddie’s ethnic background and recognizing him as the East-African, Parsi Indian Queer Rock Opera Star that he was. All in all, we may never Freddie’s true intentions with the way he carried with regards to his identity. All I know that he transcended people’s idea of how a rock star is supposed to look and act. Because of that, he has been able to win over the hearts of so many people around the world even long after his death, a truly legendary feat. Because of that, I am always on the verge of tears when I listen to “Too Much Love Will Kill You,” released by Queen soon after his death from AIDs in 1991.
Taking care of your body and your mental health should be set a priority. Especially with school, it is easy to get stressed and this can affect your health in negative ways. The lack of maintaining your health can lead to reduced performance, unhappiness, and a lack of focus.
Find ways to relax and detox. Self-care should be and is something incredibly personal and unique to every individual. There are things that might work better or worse for some people, but do what makes you happy. If excising makes you happy, then exercise but don’t force yourself to do something that you don’t want to do.
Take care of body
Refresh your body, soothe any pain and aches in your body to help you to feel relaxed. Do something good for your body, it is scientifically proven to work.
Get you mind off things that make you stressed and focus on yourself. This can be anything that makes you feel good but here are a list of things I like to do.
Gratitude list (Write things down that you are grateful for)
Journal (Write about what your feeling or what you’re going through)
Meditate (Do yoga)
Read books (Specifically self-help books)
Write goals you want to achieve
Colour
Clean your room
Spend time with people who make you happy (Family, friends)
Spend time with your pets
Play an instrument
Listen to music
Cook/bake
Garden
Enjoy the outdoors
Reconstruct your digital life
There are many benefits from disconnecting from the virtual world especially if it is affecting you negativity. Do things that serve you positivity. If you’re following social media accounts that makes you feel sad, depressed and not love and light, unfollow them. If they are not serving you good, then eliminate them from your life. Reevaluate the people you’re following because this plays a major role on how you feel and the ability for you to take care of yourself.
Remember to have fun with this, chose what you like to do and take it easy.
It’s the dreaded time of the year: Exam time. Everyone is frantically studying and staying up late to try and succeed. Here are some tips to nail your exams and.
1. Learn as much as you possibly can about the exam beforehand. By asking your teacher about the format of the test and roughly how many multiple choice and long answer questions there are, you won’t be surprised when you flip open the first page.
2. Sleep!!! Resting is crucial during stressful times. Your brain functions much better after it’s rested. You’ll feel 10x more energized and ready. Studies also show that it’s better to not study overnight and sleep instead.
3. Eat healthy. In general, keeping your body functioning well is always beneficial. Also, do not excessively drink beverages with caffeine as too much caffeine may cause more anxiety.
4. Study honestly and efficiently. Choose a quiet place with no distractions to study and also do not forget to take a break. Every hour, you should get out of your chair, get some water, and stretch a little. This might seem insignificant, but your brain will function much more efficiently with little breaks. If you want more tips on how to study better, I have dedicated an entire blog on that topic.
5. Try your best to stay relaxed. Some easy ways to relax include listening to calm music, deep breathing, or yoga. Being relaxed will help you stay on top of your game. However, you should not worry if you are a little nervous. It happens to everyone. In addition, thinking positively will benefit you.
6. Set a realistic goal. Setting a goal puts a clear objective in your mind and motivates you to study and work hard.
The black deaf community is wholly shaped by two marginalized communities: deaf and African-American. For women, the prejudice may reach an intersectionality of three, experiencing sexism, racism, and communication barriers. The history of prejudice and segregation against black folk invented a dialect of American Sign Language (ASL), known simply as Black ASL. The discriminatory practices of the segregation era in the 17th to mid 20th centuries is the root of this fascinating and inherently unique language. Segregation of black deaf schools and white deaf schools diverged into two unrecognizable languages to the other. The professor of linguistics at Gallaudet explains,
Black ASL could be considered the purer of the two forms, closer in some ways to the system that Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet promulgated when he founded the first U.S. school for the deaf — known at the time as the American Asylum for Deaf Mutes — in Hartford, Conn., in 1817.
The first school for the deaf: “The American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb,” 1817
Black deaf individuals unfortunately were not accepted or supported by the deaf community because of their race or the African-American community because of their disability. During the segregation era, organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the National Urban League were exclusively focused on fighting for equal rights and desegregation of non-disabled African-Americans. The profound issues experienced by the black deaf communities were never a focus of national civil rights organizations, and black deaf individuals had no communication access with these national organizations. An important part for deaf individuals is deaf clubs and organizations. However, black deaf individuals were prohibited from joining these clubs in their communities. A crucial American advocacy organization, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), prohibited African-American membership until 1965, on year after the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Gallaudet College (now Gallaudet University) was founded in 1864, but hey did not admit black deaf students until 1950. The first black graduate was Andrew J. Foster in 1954, the same year of the Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education decision, which declared segregation of public schools unconstitutional.
Dr. Andrew J. Foster, creator of Christian Mission for the Deaf
Yet, from the 1870s until the 1970s, at least 15, mostly southern states maintained separate schools for black and white deaf students, and integration of students didn’t occur until much after the Supreme Court decision. In 2011, former black deaf students of the Kentucky School for the Deaf received overdue scholarships, denied to them for 60 years. Considering black deaf students were prohibited from social opportunities with white students and teachers, it makes sense that the separation created an entirely new dialect, distinct from White Deaf students’ signs. According to Andrew Solomon, a deaf activist and writer,
The Deaf club is essentially a Deaf person’s second home, providing a place where the Deaf can come together, exchange ideas, develop friendships, participate in social events, and have the opportunity to attain a leadership position within the Deaf community. After World War II Black Deaf [people] found themselves in need of a place to meet so they began to form their own clubs, congregations, and organizations.
The denied acceptance in deaf organizations and clubs for African-Americans created black deaf organizations during the 1950s and 60s in urban cities where segregation concentrated. Many members reside in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. This further shaped the creation of Black ASL. At the NAD convention in Cincinnati in 1980, a group of Black Deaf leaders presented a list of concerns to the convention’s delegates. The list included NAD’s lack of attentiveness to the concerns of black deaf Americans, as well as the lack of representation as convention delegates. Specifically, they requested that NAD take action to communicate better with the black deaf community, encourage involvement of minorities in national and state organizations, and recruit more black deaf children in the Junior NAD and NAD Youth Leadership Camp, all of which entirely hindered black deaf individual’s goal of achieving equality and utilizing national organizations to reach their full potential.
In 1981, a local committee in Washington, D.C. organized the Eastern Regional Black Deaf Conference at Howard University. In 1982, at a national conference in Cleveland called, “Black Deaf Strength through Awareness,” a new organization, the National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA), was created. The creation of this national organization caused the growth of local chapters in Washington D.C., Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Atlanta, and many other cities. The NBDA currently has 30 local chapters and sponsors various programs such as leadership training programs for high school and college students, a Miss Black Deaf America Pageant, leadership opportunities at the local and national levels, workshops at regional and national conferences, and a scholarship program for black deaf college students.
Even with the improvement of equality for black deaf individuals, the history of racism and segregation has left a lasting impact on modern communication. Carolyn McCaskill is a professor at Gallaudet, highlighted the lasting impact in a 2012 Washington Post article. In 1968, when she was 15 years old, she enrolled with nine other black deaf students to an integrated deaf school in Talledega. As the teacher began to address the entire class, McCaskill along with the transferred students were completely lost. McCaskill explained that the hand movements of her teacher was vaguely like her own sign language she grew up on with her two deaf siblings and at the Alabama School for the Negro Deaf and Blind, only a short while away. It had nothing to do with vocabulary, instead they made hand movements for everyday words that looked foreign to African-American students.
I put my signs aside,
McCaskill explained as she had to learn entirely new signs for words and common nouns like “shoe” and “school.” Previously, she had signed “why” and “don’t know” with two hands, now she only used one. She mimicked the signs of the white students who lowered their hands to their chin for “what for” and “know,” rather than signing at the forehead. She also began mouthing the words as she made the manual sign. When McCaskill went home, she switched back to her old way of communicating.
McCaskill and other experts seem to agree that their is a degree of two distinct signing systems, one for whites and another for black, which continues to coexist, even in common spaces like Gallaudet University, where all students socialize and work together. Nearly ten years ago, McCaskill and three other researchers used grants from the National Science Foundation and the Spencer Foundation to investigate the unique structure and grammar of Black ASL, similarly to how linguists had studied spoken African-American English (AAE or more well known as Ebonics). Their assembly and analysis of data from filmed conversations and interviews with 96 subjects in six states is the first formal attempt to describe Black ASL, resulting in the publication of “The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL.” The researchers found a signing system reflective of the history of segregation and the ongoing influence of spoken Black English. The publication emphasizes that similar to Ebonics, Black ASL is not a slang form of signing. Instead, it can be thought of as the difference between American and British English, which both share many similarities, but have definitive differences regarding individual usage. McCaskill’s co-author, Ceil Lucas, a professor of linguistics at Gallaudet believes Black ASL could be considered the purer form of ASL, as it is closer to the systems introduced by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet when he founded the American Asylum for Deaf Mutes in 1817. Mercedes Hunter, a hearing African American student describes her signing as a from as self-expression,
We make our signs bigger, with more body language.
The researchers refer to this as Black ASL’s larger “signing space.”
There is no universal language for the deaf. Many people believe sign language is a single language that deaf people anywhere around the world can understand. Others believe that sign language is a direct visual translation of spoken languages, meaning that American signers can freely communicate with British or Australian signers. J. Archer Miller, a Baltimore lawyer who specializes in disability rights and has many deaf clients explains that there are many signing systems, and American Sign Language is based on the French system imported by Gallaudet.
I find it easier to understand a French signer [than a British or Australian one] because of the shared history of the American and French systems.
ASL is about 60% the same as French. As well as culture, time has a heavy influence on sign language. Miller explains that the sign for telephone is commonly made by spreading your thumb and pinkie, while holding them up to your ear and mouth. However, to represent the old-fashioned candlestick phone, the sign used to be made by putting a fist to your ear and the other in front of your mouth. It’s hardly surprising that America’s segregated past led to the development of different signs. Contemporary cultural differences continue to influence the signs of African Americans. Schools for black deaf children, the first of which opened 50 years after the Hartford school was founded, mostly resisted integration until well after the Brown vs. Board of Education 1954 decision, and tended to have very few resources. Students were encouraged to focus on vocational careers like repairing shoes or woking in laundries, rather than pursuing academic careers. Many teachers had poor signing skills.
However, a development in the late 19th century led to consistent education in the black deaf community. The oralism movement, based on a notion that spoken language is superior to sign language, placed emphasis on teaching deaf children to lip-read and speak. Oralism was put into practice in predominantly white schools. Black students were continually taught their purely manual form of communication. In the 1970’s and 80’s, oralism fell out of favour, but white signers continued to mouth words, a key difference outlined by McCaskill when she joined the integrated Alabama School for the Deaf. This distinction still exists today.
The cultural differences that exist in America pose a unique challenge for interpreters, described by Candas Barnes, a professional interpreter based at Gallaudet. He describes it as a,
continual decision making process.
It is the same way an African American figure may shift to Ebonics to emphasize a point or work with an audience. The same must be done with interpreters depending on the audience and what form of ASL will represent the interpreted individual. Miller, the disability rights lawyer, also recognizes this challenge. The slight differences could cause an interpreter to inadvertently change the meaning of a deaf’s person statement. For example, the sign for ‘bad’ can mean ‘really good’ in Black ASL; similarly, ‘word’ can mean ‘that’s the truth.’ Mary Henry Lightfoot, a former board member of the National Alliance of Black Interpreters who works at Gallaudet, says the features associated with Black ASL like facial expressions cause some interpreters to misunderstand.
Some differences between ASL and Black ASL
I’ve heard African American signers say, ‘Don’t make assumptions about what I’m saying based on what I look like.’
In the classroom, like at Gallaudet University, there is limited use of Black ASL. In professional settings, students and teacher generally employ the formal norm. However, as students break into smaller discussions in the classroom, the signing shifts. Students refer to regional differences and discuss using different forms of ASL, like Black ASL. Black studnets at Gallaudet explain,
It shows our personality.
Teraca Florence, a former president of the Black Deaf Student Union at the university, where only 8% of the student body is African American says,
Our signing is louder, more expressive. It’s almost poetic.
However, even with recognition of the uniqueness and history of Black ASL, many worry about how their signing is perceived by their white counterparts. Often the language is perceived as aggressive or seen as a less correct, stereotyped, street language, which echoes how the use of Ebonics is treated in society. McCaskill has felt these concerns before. She remember that to fit in with the white kids at her newly integrated school,
I would pick up their signs.
Yet, when she went home, she remembers,
friends and family would say, ‘Wait a minute, you’re signing like the white students. You think you’re smart. You think you’re better than us.’
I felt that highlighting the existence of Black ASL is important because for me, understanding the way the languages diverged pointed towards and confirmed where differences come from. It is easy to look a differences as simple as regional languages and mock it, ignore it, and disrespect it. More likely than not, there is a deep history that formed those differences. By acknowledging that history, which for marginalized communities is often rooted in suffering, these differences can finally be respected. I personally believe that the fact that ASL has a norm disrespects the history and importance that Black ASL has towards the black deaf identity. I hope that in the future the worries of the black deaf who use Black ASL can not only be widely recognized by the deaf community, but the fears can begin to be deconstructed trough national organizations for the deaf. The differences between ASL and Black ASL must be understood in order for the poetic and unique expressiveness of Black ASL to be understood and interpreted properly, supporting the identities of the black deaf. For hearing individuals, specifically those who are attempting to learn ASL, I hope these differences are also recognized, and further, when one is beginning to learn the language, they explore both sides of history and find a way to appropriately use both!
Those who influenced our lives in the greatest way are often forgotten for their work. Today media has advanced so much we don’t remember who helped us create this world we have today. I will be discussing the top three people that impacted media the most!
3. Walt Disney
The man who helped create the number one entertainment enterprise in the world! Mickey Mouse wouldn’t have been here without the help of this brilliant man. Walt Disney is an inspiration to us all from building over a one billion dollar company from scratch. He had helped create the wonderful company that motivates us with fun characters that have morals in each of there stories. It may not seem as if he has changed your life, though in reality he has made entertainment for youth around the world.
2. Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen Hillenburg will never be forgotten, the show Spongebob Squarepants is one to remember, from having humor in every scene, the show was filled with excitement. Stephen played an important role in the development of animation and how his show appealed to all audiences. Hillenburg was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the year of 2017, but stated he would continue to work on his show as long as possible. He proved that he would not let something stop him from what he wanted to do, being an inspiration to people with ALS but in general as a life lesson to never give up. Though he died in the November of 2018 he will live on in the hearts of others for his noble actions.
1. Stan Lee
To the few who don’t know who this man is, there is one word to describe him, “Excelsior“. Excelsior is the catchphrase Stan Lee used, it meant “ever upward” in Latin, and in my belief is the perfect word to describe him. He was always optimistic about the future, and by creating the worlds biggest superheroes that we all know today. From the Fantastic Four to our friendly neighborhood Spiderman, he had inspired youth around the world. Creating a story to each character that relates to all of us, making them have meaning and struggles. Ultimately his own life story motivates us, he made Marvel into what it is at such an old age.
The Academy released their nominations for the 2019 Oscars around a week ago, and as always there was quite a bit of controversy revolving around that list. The film that caused the most discussion, however, is the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther.
There are a lot of people who are angry that Black Panther got a Best Picture nomination instead of Avengers: Infinity War, and a lot of other people arguing that it did not deserve the nomination at all. The people saying the Avenges movie deserved the nomination have a pretty simple argument, they believe it is better, but the arguments of the people who believe Black Panther does not deserve a nomination at all get a bit more interesting.
Their argument is largely based on the fact that they believe Black Panther only got nominated to pander the critics of The Academy who scorn the lack of racial, and overall diversity throughout The Academy. And there is some truth to that claim, at least the part about there being a lack of diversity. In 2016 it was revealed that the members of The Academy were 92% white, and 75% male. The lack of diversity sparked a movement, in the form of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag, to increase the number of people of color within The Academy, and this movement did make some ripples.
In June of 2018, over 900 invitations were sent out to various people in the film industry to join The Academy, among the the new members, 49% are women, and 38% are people of color. This still makes very little impact to the overall numbers, but it is clear that changes have been made, and hopefully more will come.
Some of the new members
However, The Academy’s mission to increase diversity did not stop at its members, The Academy is also trying to increase the number of people of color who are nominated for the award. This is where the controversy of Black Panther begins. Many people are saying the representation is good, but they believe Black Panther is undeserving of an Oscar, and is being nominated because of the primarily black cast. While this might be true, the fact of the matter is that the burden of proof would fall upon the people making these accusations, and there simply is not enough of it. Yes, The Academy does have quiet a bit to gain with regards to publicity for nominating Black Panther. However, every accusation can be dismissed by The Academy as long as they say they felt it was a genuinely good movie that deserved the nomination.
My Thoughts:
So what are my thoughts on the matter? Well, I don’t think it matters whether The Academy nominated Black Panther because of its cast or because of its excellency. If the former, that speaks volumes about The Academy and is a poor representation of what The Academy should be. However, Black Panther did make waves within the film industry, and overall caused quite a bit of change in views. At its very base, Black Panther is an empowering film, and even though it may not be as deep as some of the other nominees, or maybe not as unique, it is just as powerful. Perhaps even more powerful because its popularity; it was able to make more of an impact. So even if Black Panther does not deserve to be nominated because of some of its qualities, it deserves the nomination because of the changes that it has created, and will continue to create. If The Academy did nominate Black Panther to look better in the public eye, they did do something wrong, but even if that’s the case they still did the right thing, even if it was for the wrong reason.
Both my parents are Chinese: so, I am too. However, I was born in Canada, and have lived here my whole life. My sole connection to the Chinese culture is through my parents, in our celebrations and our customs. Although I have traveled to China many times over the course of my life (mostly to visit relatives), I never payed much attention to what was going on around me, and spent much of those trips lamenting the absence of my friends and YouTube (YouTube is banned in China). This time, I went in with the intention of making the most of my time, and I got to experience the places my parents grew up in like never before. This summer has been an insane cultural experience, and this will be the first of many blog posts detailing my travels during this time.
This year, I went to China twice: once for my brother’s wedding in June, and again for a cultural overseas summer camp in July. On the first trip, I traveled with my family; on the second, I traveled alone.
The first trip was an order of business more than anything. My mom and I (who live here, in Calgary), and my brother + his fiancee (who live in the Bay area), were to join my dad and the rest of my extended family in Shanghai for a celebration of my brother’s marriage. Although the event itself was only one evening long, our visit lasted 10 days. This gave me a lot of free time! My family and I spent this time having the most fun we could, and I got to experience the best of Shanghai: sights, food, entertainment, shopping, and family.
Shanghai is the third biggest city in the world, and the largest city in China, with an estimated population of 24 million people (source).By comparison, the ENTIRE COUNTRY OF CANADA has a population of 37 million people (source). Shanghai is located at the east coast of China, at the edge of the Yangtze River and East China Sea. Although Shanghai was always a minor trade city for most of its history, the city began to flourish upon the arrival of Europeans in the 19th century, who recognized the city for its economic and trade potential (due to it’s position at the mouth of the Yangtze River), and began settlements and trade there. From then on, people from all over the world came to Shanghai to live and work, making it increasingly populous and prosperous. It is now China’s most important shipping and trading center, as well as a hub for finance, administration, and culture.
My extended family has lived in Shanghai since the 1940’s, just as the city was hitting it’s “golden age.” Although the city is lavish, most residents lead very ordinary lives, and do not typically visit the touristy, more popular parts of the city. However, having lived there their entire lives, my family members are nonetheless excellent tour guides.
Day 1-2 – June 7-8
Trip #1 began on June 7th. My mom and I, boarding from San Diego (we were there for my mom’s conference), get on flight to Vancouver. There, we stay overnight at a cheap hotel close to the airport, and depart for Shanghai the next morning.
Taken from my window seat, as the plane descends to the YVR airport.
From Vancouver, it’s a 13-hour trip to Shanghai PVG airport. It’s a long flight, and I sleep through most of it.
The smell of food always wakes me up on long flights. Even though it’s not very good food.
I only wake up each time the food comes around (even though its not very good).
And I sleep again. I don’t wake up until an hour before we land (protip: bring earplugs on the flight. Especially if it’s a long one. Babies are going to cry and you’re gonna want to sleep.).
Day 3 – June 9
We land just after noon at Shanghai PVR airport. It’s 15 hours ahead of Vancouver.
At last, at the end of our flight: we arrive in Shanghai, where it’s just past noon. As usual, the sky is smoggy (Shanghai, as well as Beijing, China’s second biggest city, face immense pollution problems), and the air feels wet (especially compared to Calgary).
My dad picks us up from the airport, and we drive to our hotel.
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The drive from airport to our hotel, which is located in the heart of the city (Lujiazui). Shanghai is a VERY big city in terms of area, and the drive takes us well over an hour and a half, due to both distance and traffic.
My brother and his fiancee, who arrived a day earlier, are waiting for us there. The Shanghai Kempinski is a very fancy hotel (5 star!), one of the most expensive in Shanghai to stay at. I guess we’re splurging for my brother’s wedding.
The Kempinski Hotel, located in the Lujiazui district of Shanghai. Lujiazui is the business hub of the city, and the hotel is located close to one of Shanghais most famous landmarks, the Orient Pearl Tower (you can see it on the far left of the picture).We asked a stranger to take a polaroid of us in the main lobby
After throwing our luggage down and changing, we go eat dinner at a mall nearby. (Side note: Shanghai’s malls are AMAZING. More on that in later posts)
This won’t be the last time I say this. but food in China is GOOD (it’s cheaper, too).
After dinner, we call a cab back to the hotel (taxi fares are extremely cheap in Shanghai), but not before taking some pictures outside the mall, which is located on the opposite bank of the Yangtze River. I took a polaroid here.
The Orient Pearl, classic Shanghai landmark, from the opposite bank of the riverGood spot for a polaroid! I’m in the middle, my brother and his fiancee stand next to me.
We return to our hotel, and I’m eager to explore the place. There’s not much time, though. My mom is super tired from the long flight. However, I’m not. While everyone else is discussing the upcoming wedding, I sneak away to go visit the pool+spa of the hotel.
It’s pretty cool. The view is amazing, and my pictures don’t do the place justice.
The pool is located on the top floor, and has a view of the surrounding towersIt’s the perfect place for lounging: there’s even a bar with drinks here. Too bad I don’t get the chance to sit down
View from the pool window
As well, the amenities of these hotels are AMAZING (like you’d expect from a 5-star hotel).
They have refreshments in the change room!Each change room has it’s own sauna and a mini pool…
I return to our room pretty late, and we go to bed at around 11pm, hoping not to be jet-lagged the next morning.We have lots of work to do the next day, as we’ve got to prep my brother’s celebration which is scheduled for June 11!
Stay tuned for Day 4!
*(all pictures/info are my own, unless otherwise specified)
Disclaimer: This is a short piece of creative writing that puts an emphasis on vivid descriptions and imagery. Enjoy!
I cannot take it any longer. Without any further thought, I creep into the dark, musty tunnel beneath my tiny bunk, leaving the depressing, dimly-lit prison cell behind me.
Heavy drops of water drip from above, splashing onto my tangled hair. My dirty, torn sneakers are barely holding together as I step forward carefully, avoiding the many puddles. My stolen flickering flashlight can barely illuminate the gloomy tunnel ahead, but I don’t need to see clearly to know that this tunnel is a sinister place. As I keep going, I run into cold, wet seaweed hanging from the ceiling. I step back, stagger and fall, cursing as the salty yet bitter taste of something splashes into my open mouth. Resisting to urge to spit and cough, I quickly shut my mouth, snuffing out any sound. I cannot be caught here. I must stay quiet. The seaweed dangling from above is like a trap, waiting to ensnare anyone that dares to pass through.
As I try to get up, my hand brushes against something unusually smooth. Using the flashlight, I recoil in horror at the sight of a human skull and scramble to my feet, breathing heavily. I use a jagged outcropping of rock to steady myself. Everything here seems to be covered in some type of algae, cold and wet to the touch, but the smell is even worse. Rotting sewer material and human bones are everywhere, and the stink of the ocean penetrates into every corner of the tunnel. I hate salt water. It brings back harsh thoughts of my capture and subsequent torture – memories that are more scarring than my physical wounds. Focus. I have to focus. Ignoring the disgusting feel of the rusty, discoloured railing, I pull myself up and keep trudging forward. When I look back, I can no longer see the light from where I entered the tunnel.
My flashlight battery dies abruptly and I am left in the dark, alone. My heart races in my chest and sweat trickles down my back, as I start to second-guess my decision. Only one captive has ever escaped from Krucerem and he was found dead a few weeks later, looking as if he’d been through a shredder. Stop thinking. I push that thought away and focus on escaping, step by step.
Wait… did I hear something? Turning swiftly, I snap my head back, but cannot see anything: it is pitch black. I’m sure it’s just my imagination and paranoia getting into my head. Yet a few steps later, I hear the same soft thump, as if someone were following me. Impossible, I tell myself. Nobody even knows I’m here, not even my closest friend in captivity, 2039-1A. I convince myself to ignore the suspicious sound and keep moving. With something resembling a sixth sense, I feel as if I’m now getting very close to the end of the musty tunnel.
I can see a speck of light and feel the glint of freedom when a muscular, burly arm wraps around my neck and squeezes. As I struggle uselessly, the sentinel speaks, in a low threatening voice that echoes through the tunnel.
Did you know that there is a project, a sort of Wikipedia, for sheet music in the public domain? The International Music Score Library Project, also called the Petrucci Music Library, currently owned and run by the company Project Petrucci LLC, was created in 2006 to provide free music scores through the internet. Its goal is to collect all scores in the public domain.
When a work is in the public domain, it is not protected by copyright and is free to be distributed. In Canada, copyright is valid for the duration of the creator’s life (or the last surviving contributor’s life) plus fifty years. Contributors can refer to editors or arrangers who make significant edits to the piece. However, reprinted editions of works in the public domain do not qualify for copyright. If the author is unknown, then the work is copyrighted the time it is published plus fifty years. Modern works not in the public domain can also get a Creative Commons license. This would allow the creator to share their work with the public, with varying conditions depending on the license.
IMSLP offers over 140000 works by over 17000 composers. The database is searchable but also organized by composers, nationality, time period, and instrumentation/genre. From the ancient period to the modern era, from cello suites to vuvuzelas, all sorts of music scores are available only a few clicks away.
In our modern day lives, much of what we do is dependent on our internet access. Whether we’re streaming our favourite shows on Netflix, chatting with our friends through an online service, or studying material posted by our teachers, we rely on our connection to the internet. We use our devices so much that it seems like second nature. As Youth, we often take our connection to the internet for granted and don’t think much about how much it is costing us. However, as exam season comes to a close, and we look towards our future, we start to realize the responsibilities we will have. In addition to paying taxes, paying rent, and managing our education, we will have the responsibility of managing our own internet plan. You might be surprised by how expensive being connected to the internet can be. For some of the most basic plans, the average user can be charged upwards of 100$ monthly by major Internet Service Providers (ISPs). For Youth, who spend much more time on the web than other age groups, internet plans easily exceed 100$! Adding that on top of one’s phone plan, and it’s easy to see how quickly the costs can rise. It is quite common to see people spending thousands of their hard-earned Canadian dollars on an internet plan yearly. Many people just accept that the internet is expensive and always will be. They couldn’t be more wrong.
Here are some ways you can save money on your internet plan!
1. Negotiate with your ISP
An Internet Service Provider is a business. A business wants to keep its customers. So some good ol’ negotiating can help you save 5-15$ on your internet plan. 15$ may not sound like much, but over the course of a year, that 15$ you save monthly turns into 180$! The downside to negotiating with your ISP is that it is quite a hassle. Major Internet Service Providers are overloaded with customers, and often their customer support service is not the best. It will take time and effort to negotiate for a discount. However, if you’re locked into a contract, or don’t want to change internet plans, this might be the best way to go. That being said, here are some tips on how you can negotiate with your ISP:
When negotiating with your Internet Service Provider, make sure to be patient, persistent, and courteous. It may become very frustrating, but patience pays off, the longer you negotiate, the more likely they are to give you a discount. Being courteous is also important. At the end of the day, customer service representatives are people too. If you nicely explain how you’d like a discount, they are more likely to offer one for you.
If asking for a discount does not work, another way to get a discount from your ISP is by threatening to move your business (but nicely). Explain to them how their competitors have a much better price, and ask them to lower theirs. Internet Service Providers often offer short term discounts of 5-15$ monthly as an incentive for their customers to stay with them. You can take advantage of this.
The one big downside to taking this route is that it can become a huge hassle. Furthermore, these short term discounts are not guaranteed. So, if you’re looking for a longer term solution, this will not be the way to go.
2. Change your Internet Service Provider
If you’re tired of having to negotiate all the time to keep your prices the same, consider changing your ISP. This is much easier than it sounds. In 2015, the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) forced the major cable companies (like Bell, Shaw, etc.) to offer internet access to third-party resellers. Because of this ruling, Canadians now have a wide variety of plans to choose from that are often much cheaper than those from the major ISPs. The CRTC even has a helpful tool on their website that helps you find Internet Service Providers for your location. It’s called “Service Providers Near Me” which can be found here. It’s an easy tool to use. Just type in your city, and it will show you all the service providers who provide service in that city. This makes it extremely easy for you to compare and find the best service provider for you.
Here are some tips for comparing service providers:
Many Internet Service Providers require their customers to buy the Modem and/or Router from them if they do not have one that is compatible with their network. Make sure to check if the ISP you are considering requires such.
Make sure to check the internet speeds that they are offering. It’s important to note that Mbps/s is the standard metric used by ISPs to measure internet speeds. Mbps/s is NOT Megabytes per second. One Mbps is equal to 0.125 Megabytes per second.
Check if the ISP you are considering has and Data Caps. Most major ISPs have a cap, it can get extremely expensive if you accidentally go over. Check how much they charge for overage. Best case scenario, they don’t have a cap! Even if you probably won’t go over your data limit, it can be stressful.
READ REVIEWS. This is extremely important. Make sure you read reviews to make sure you aren’t signing up for a sub-par ISP.
Don’t be afraid to talk to their sales representatives. Any unanswered questions about installation, internet speeds, prices, anything, they will tell you. Don’t be afraid to talk to them!
Conclusion
The task of managing your internet service may look daunting. But I promise it is not. Canadian youth do not learn how to find and manage their internet service in school even though it is a vital part of Canadian life. Hopefully, this has helped shine some light into the unknown as well as help save you some money.
The new Calgary Public Library is awesome! There really isn’t another way to put it. The recently opened Central Library is the execution of mastery in many respective fields, which all come together to offer a fantastic environment for reading, studying or meeting with your friends for a cup of coffee on the weekend. Here are some awesome photos I took of the library when I visited it this weekend! (I also included some photos of the St. Louis Hotel because I thought they looked really cool!)
One of the main entrances for the libraryThe Foyer of the LibraryA Look at all of the floors of the library. One spiral staircase goes from the entrance to the topStandard layout of most of the bookshelves throughout the Library. The exposed concrete offers industrial influencesAcross from the Library is the St. Louis Hotel
American novelists and humourist Mark Twain wrote an autobiography called “Life on the Mississippi”. “Two Ways of Seeing a River is an excerpt from this book, and is Twain’s account of learning to be a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River. He delves into the changes in attitude he experiences concerning the river after becoming a steamboat pilot. Essentially, once he gains knowledge and life experiences, he begins to take the beauty of the river for granted and loses his love of it. Mark Twain explains how something beautiful can turn bland or even ugly after seeing it numerous times, from a different perspective, or after gaining new knowledge and experiences.
“Two Ways of Seeing a River”
Mark Twain
Now when I had mastered the language of this water and had come to know every trifling feature that bordered the great river as familiarly as I knew the letters of the alphabet, I had made a valuable acquisition. But I had lost something, too. I had lost something which could never be restored to me while I lived. All the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river! I still keep in mind a certain wonderful sunset which I witnessed when steamboating was new to me. A broad expanse of the river was turned to blood; in the middle distance the red hue brightened into gold, through which a solitary log came floating, black and conspicuous; in one place a long, slanting mark lay sparkling upon the water; in another the surface was broken by boiling, tumbling rings, that were as many-tinted as an opal; where the ruddy flush was faintest, was a smooth spot that was covered with graceful circles and radiating lines, ever so delicately traced; the shore on our left was densely wooded, and the sombre shadow that fell from this forest was broken in one place by a long, ruffled trail that shone like silver; and high above the forest wall a clean-stemmed dead tree waved a single leafy bough that glowed like a flame in the unobstructed splendor that was flowing from the sun.
There were graceful curves, reflected images, woody heights, soft distances; and over the whole scene, far and near, the dissolving lights drifted steadily, enriching it, every passing moment, with new marvels of coloring.
I stood like one bewitched. I drank it in, in a speechless rapture. The world was new to me, and I had never seen anything like this at home. But as I have said, a day came when I began to cease from noting the glories and the charms which the moon and the sun and the twilight wrought upon the river’s face; another day came when I ceased altogether to note them. Then, if that sunset scene had been repeated, I should have looked upon it without rapture, and should have commented upon it, inwardly, in this fashion: “This sun means that we are going to have wind to-morrow; that floating log means that the river is rising, small thanks to it; that slanting mark on the water refers to a bluff reef which is going to kill somebody’s steamboat one of these nights, if it keeps on stretching out like that; those tumbling ‘boils’ show a dissolving bar and a changing channel there; the lines and circles in the slick water over yonder are a warning that that troublesome place is shoaling up dangerously; that silver streak in the shadow of the forest is the ‘break’ from a new snag, and he has located himself in the very best place he could have found to fish for steamboats; that tall dead tree, with a single living branch, is not going to last long, and then how is a body ever going to get through this blind place at night without the friendly old landmark?”
No, the romance and the beauty were all gone from the river. All the value any feature of it had for me now was the amount of usefulness it could furnish toward compassing the safe piloting of a steamboat. Since those days, I have pitied doctors from my heart. What does the lovely flush in a beauty’s cheek mean to a doctor but a “break” that ripples above some deadly disease? Are not all her visible charms sown thick with what are to him the signs and symbols of hidden decay? Does he ever see her beauty at all, or doesn’t he simply view her professionally, and comment upon her unwholesome condition all to himself? And doesn’t he sometimes wonder whether he has gained most or lost most by learning his trade?
The structure of this excerpt is divided into three main ideas: Mark Twain’s initial love of the river, his gradual decline in attention for it, and finally, an inquisition if losing sight of beauty to gain something else is worth it. The first paragraph consists of mainly vivid imagery of the Mississippi River that Mark Twain describes. Twain, with this paragraph, is conveying the fact that a knowledge of the inner-workings of a river and what the features of a river indicate do not heighten the experience of it. In fact, getting to know something too well can make one lose attraction of it, and this is what happened to Twain. In the first sentence, when he says, “…I had mastered the language of this water,” he means that he was well-trained as a steamboat pilot. He describes this acquisition as valuable; however, he also blames it as the cause for him to lose “all the grace, all the beauty” from the river. In the second paragraph, Twain describes the gradual decline in attraction and attention to the river and its surroundings. He notices things not so he can marvel at them, but to use them, such as when he takes the image of a sunset and notes that it means “we are going to have wind tomorrow”. Twain then brings all the vivid details of the river from the first paragraph and introduces them again into the second, but this time, he describes how they indicate something other than beauty to him. This shows that knowledge and experience did, indeed, cause Twain to disregard the awe and magnificence that he saw in the river before. It can be seen that distance creates beauty, when in the first paragraph, “steamboating was new to me [Twain],” he was not acquitted with the workings of the river, and therefore he was more ‘distant’ from it, which created his attraction for it. In fact, he is aware of this, because in the third paragraph, he “pities doctors from my [Twain] heart.” He rhetorically questions whether or not a doctor can see the difference in the beauty of a flush of a woman’s cheeks and a disease. The main question he asks is whether or not gaining knowledge and experience of something worth is losing that initial perspective. More or less, Mark Twain is addressing himself, and possibly making the world aware of the merits to what they are trying to achieve.
In the last paragraph, Twain provides interrogative sentences that invite readers to consider doubt or judgment on their own actions. Twain is referencing doctors in the paragraph; however, in reality, he is addressing himself and the world. One thing to note is that Twain always brings ideas from the last paragraph into the beginning of every new paragraph. This juxtaposition is to enhance his point from the last paragraph and contrast it with what he is going to say next. In the second paragraph, he contrasts his love of the river with the reality of it. In the third paragraph, he contrasts the loss of the “romance and the beauty” of the river with the question if it is worth losing that perspective for something else, such as knowledge. He is trying to make sense of the significance of gaining experience if in the end, it takes away the perception of beauty and love, and if one “has gained most or lost most by learning his trade.”
Overall, in “Two Ways of Seeing a River”, Mark Twain addresses the importance of understanding the extent of the merits of what people have. He questions whether experience and knowledge is more rewarding than the vivid perception of things and the ability to see meaning beyond their surface. Twain emphasizes how he went from a state of mesmerisation to nonchalance in regards to the Mississippi River, all because of his acquisition of experience and knowledge as a steamboat pilot, which he views as valuable but not worth the loss of his romantic and poetic perception of the river.
You’d probably be surprised about how obsessive I am over makeup. I am – very into it. I usually do not wear makeup but, that is because I’m lazy and do not have time for it. I know there are people out there who are motivated to get out of bed in the morning to do their makeup and look fabulous. However, when it comes to me I do not care if I look like a hag, I am going to continue sleeping. On the occasions, I have time to do my makeup, I go all out on my look especially, the eyeshadow bit. I believe that a person’s eyeshadow look gives them the power to express themselves while also pulling their look together. That’s why I feel that spending a lot of money on an eyeshadow palette is worth it. If I were to recommend a palette for you to buy, it would be Norvina by Anastasia Beverly Hills.
Norvina. This palette has a beautiful name and colour scheme. I feel that it has a perfect balance of glitter and matte shadows. With the colours in the palette, you can create both smokey eyes or natural looks. I really love the purple and pink tones because can combine them for a nice romantic look. The shadows are also very pigmented, even the sparkly ones. Although, the glitter shadows can be more intensified if you wet your brush with either water or setting spray. From experience, the eyeshadow lasted about 6 hours without eyelid primer before I needed to reapply it. In comparison to other glittery eyeshadows, the ones in this palette have very little fall-out. The brush that comes with the palette is pretty basic. You can choose to use it or not but, I do say that it isn’t that bad of a brush. One thing that I do dislike about this palette is that not all of the shadows that appear to be matte or actually matte. Base, Soul, and Love appear to be matte, in reality, they have some shimmer to them. I wish that they were matte although, that is my own preference. Lastly, the cost of the pallet was around $60 (Canadian) when I bought it. For some, this may seem way too expensive. I thought so too, then I decided to spend my money on it. Now, I do not regret buying this palette, I have fallen in love with it. Norvina is totally worth its price and I bet that if you get it you will enjoy it just as much as I do.
The moon looks over the white scene, its light reflecting off the soft snow. The grassy hill glows gently, each leaf and twig blanketed in frost. No wind, not even a whisper. The world is silent, muffled by the powdered cover, stilled by the cold.
A lone hare huddles by a bush, ever observant. Its nose twitches, and it shifts forward, stretching out long hind legs. It rises and hops away. The towering spruces are regal in their platinum crowns and shawls of silver. Their stature alone is impressive. They are the monarchs of the forest, quietly reminding of their rule through this display of grandeur.
The sky, deepest of indigos, is an infinite canvas for the gleaming stars. Distant, oh so distant they are. On route for millions of years, their light still travels through space to reach the earth, where it falls faintly through tired eyes and makes an impression on wandering minds. The constellations tell stories, but there is so much more to be said. The tales fill holes in the unknown, but the mysteries are abundant. The more time spent looking up, the more stars are revealed as they shyly make themselves seen from out of the dark curtain. Some things are only noticed when time is spent searching.
An Internet Service Provider is a business. A business wants to keep its customers. So some good ol’ negotiating can help you save 5-15$ on your internet plan. 15$ may not sound like much, but over the course of a year, that 15$ you save monthly turns into 180$! The downside to negotiating with your ISP is that it is quite a hassle. Major Internet Service Providers are overloaded with customers, and often their customer support service is not the best. It will take time and effort to negotiate for a discount. However, if you’re locked into a contract, or don’t want to change internet plans, this might be the best way to go. That being said, here are some tips on how you can negotiate with your ISP:
ery pigmented, even the sparkly ones. Although, the glitter shadows can be more intensified if you wet your brush with either water or setting spray. From experience, the eyeshadow lasted about 6 hours without eyelid primer before I needed to reapply it. In comparison to other glittery eyeshadows, the ones in this palette have very little fall-out. The brush that comes with the palette is pretty basic. You can choose to use it or not but, I do say that it isn’t that bad of a brush. One thing that I do dislike about this palette is that not all of the shadows that appear to be matte or actually matte. Base, Soul, and Love appear to be matte, in reality, they have some shimmer to them. I wish that they were matte although, that is my own preference. Lastly, the cost of the pallet was around $60 (Canadian) when I bought it. For some, this may seem way too expensive. I thought so too, then I decided to spend my money on it. Now, I do not regret buying this palette, I have fallen in love with it. Norvina is totally worth its price and I bet that if you get it you will enjoy it just as much as I do.
