Archive for December 2013
Homemade Holiday Treats!
Hi Everyone! Christmas is fast approaching!
I found some Christmas themed videos from YouTube and I think that they're really cute and awesome, so I wanted to share one with you guys!
I know a lot of you are planning to cook or make some homemade foods over the holidays, so I'm sharing Bethany Mota's "Easy & Yummy DIY Holiday Treat Recipes"!
-Bam
I know a lot of you are planning to cook or make some homemade foods over the holidays, so I'm sharing Bethany Mota's "Easy & Yummy DIY Holiday Treat Recipes"!
-Bam
My Christmas Jam
Hello fellow Homo sapiens! I, a self-proclaimed person who has a good taste in music, want to share my Christmas playlist!
These are
the songs that I play when it’s December or at the Christmas dinner (That’s
right, I’m the DJ in the house). It is a
mixture of different genres: from up-beat to classic and of course to blues
#foreveralone
Did I just
use a hash tag? Anyways, let’s get to the playlist. In no particular order of
favoritism, here it goes:
10. Rockin’
around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee
No one can
resist this classic song. And thanks to the commercial of JOE, this song is
stuck in my head. It is catchy and we know what catchy songs do to us...
ROCKIN’ around the Christmas tree...the bathroom, the kitchen and even on the
sidewalk.
9. The
Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) by Nat King Cole
Aaah ... Nat
King Cole. His Christmas songs are the ones that make you want to sit on a sofa
with all lights dimmed, have a coffee and be nostalgic about life. Play this
song if you have your grandparents in the house...they’ll love it.
8. Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas by Frank Sinatra
Like fellow
Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra is one of the best crooners of not just Christmas
but of all time. Can you imagine how sad this song really sounds? Just read the
title. Anyways, there are covers of this song which I really like such as
Christina Aguilera’s and Judy Garland’s
7. All I
Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey
I’m pretty
sure that this is one of the songs that never get old during Christmas. It will
be impossible not to hear this song in December, whether in the mall or in your
own house. I memorized the lyrics not
because I intended to but, because it’s ridiculously overplayed (Admit it. It goes
the same for you). Nevertheless, this up-beat song surely brings out the merry
in Christmas.
6. Silent
Night by Boyz II Men
The definition of acapella. The classic
Silent night is covered by many artists but one thing that remains is its
solemn essence. I like this song a lot because it just shuts up all the noise
in the world (Pun not intended) you know, when you play it, it lurks in the air
and turn everything into a melody to soothe your ear.
5. Baby It’s
Cold Outside by Joseph Gordon Levitt and Lady Gaga
WHAT? This
exists? Yes! I just found out today as well. I was looking for Zoey and Will’s
version but this showed up. After I played it, sorry folks, but this is now my
favourite version. It is adorable how they switching the role making the boy
who wants to go because of fear his parents might scold him!
4. Little
Drummer Boy by Harry Simeone Chorale
Let’s admit
it, we don’t really know the other lyrics to this song aside from the RA-PU-PUM-PUM
bit. No? Okay it’s just me then. This one is probably one of my favourite
Christmas songs sung by a chorale. And thanks to Peter Griffin for staining the
memory of this song (If you don’t know what I’m saying google Family Guy’s
version of this song)
3. Santa
Claus Is Coming To Town by Bruce Springsteen
OH you
better watch out you better not cry! You better not pout I’m telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town. 1) You sang this while reading it and 2) This is
mostly the part where you know the lyrics. I LOVE this song. It has the u-beat rhythm that makes you sing
along no matter where you are or even if you’re sad. (‘Cause Santa is coming
;))
2. Ave Maria
I did not
put any artist because there are a lot of varieties of Ave Maria (Personally, I
like Pavarotti’s) This song is played in a lot of occasions Christmas, funerals
or even weddings. Nevertheless, Hail the Holy Mother Mary.
1. O Holy
Night by Christina Aguilera
I know I
said this list is in no order of favoritism but, this one has to occupy the
first place. Fall on your knees indeed, this song gives goose bumps. Regardless of who the singer is, I love this
song or should I say poem. This truly captures the soul of Christmas. Everyone
is united and adores the Holy Night.
So that’s
it! I tried to make it even with blues, classic and up-beat! Hope you enjoyed
the list!
Happy
Holidays everybody!
-Anonymeh
“Geronimo”
- The Doctor
Slowly Floating Snow Flakes
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| (Photo by David Joyce) |
Back home in the Philippines,
there are only two seasons: the sunny and the rainy season. Here in Canada,
there are four: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. As of December 21, seasons
change from fall to winter. And let me tell you, winter could go good or bad.
Only here in Canada have I
experienced snow. When I first encountered it, I felt like a little kid opening
presents during Christmas day. I rejoiced for many days. I built snowmen and
igloos, and even fought friends during snowball fights. (Gosh, I miss those
days.) For those who have not been drizzled with yet, falling snow is
delightful. When it slowly floats around, it is enlightening. The skies turn
brown, and everything is illuminated. Sometimes, snow precipitation gets really
strong- that’s when I enjoy it the most because it gets powerful.
During the winter season, it is
fun to go up in the mountains and experience the winter sports. There are
activities for funsies such as snow-tubing and snow shoeing. There are also
other activities that require more effort and practice: skiing and
snowboarding. Make sure to try them out while the snow is fresh!
Although the snowfall could be
fascinating, it also brings hazards to the people. Of course when the snow goes
down, it piles up in the ground. When there’s a lot of snow in the roads, it
gets pretty slippery and dangerous (especially when added with rain). When the
snow precipitation is mixed with rain, it is called “slush” which is the most
annoying and dangerous. However unlike other Canadian cities, Vancouver’s
snowfall is not a whole lot. The most consecutive days that it would snow is
probably around three days.
Winter is just around the corner,
so you better be ready for it. Wear a good amount of clothing to protect
yourself from the cold and the rain. Vancouver weather is unpredictable, so
bring an umbrella around. Enjoy the snow as much as you can, but take extra care!
Stay toasty,
friend.
- Jose
Being a 'CS'
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| (Source) |
Have you heard about the
term CS in your school before?
You might notice that sometimes there’s a
student in your class who just sits at your teacher’s desk, marking some
papers, doing something on the computer or just organizing some of your
teacher’s files. When I was still new in Canada, I was really curious why
he/she didn’t do any work or project that the teacher assigned, so I asked my
friend and she said, “Oh! That’s a CS.” Since
then, the idea of a CS has made me curious. So I tried being a CS this year. I
have a free block (which means I have a period on a day where I do not have any
class), so many people advised me to take CS. I think it is a very good
opportunity for me.
What is a CS?
CS stands for Community
Service. In some schools, it might be called a “service block”. In high school,
it is usually associated with two meanings. CS can refer to the Community
Service class itself, which is a period in your timetable that requires you to
help or give “service” to someone. CS is also the term used to refer to people
who are in taking that class, volunteering to help a teacher or any staff at
the school.
What does a CS have to do?
A CS has to help teacher
from what she/he assigns. Sometimes, CS might have to find information from the
internet, check student’s homework, or type the assignments. (depends on who is
the teacher you are CS for)
Benefit of being a CS?
You will have free blocks!!
Yeahh!… just kidding. It actually depends on the teacher. For me, it is not
actually a free block. My teacher usually gives me some work to do. However, she
is really nice and she assigns easy tasks, which is why I regularly have free
time during that period. Another beneficial thing is that you can receive
credits for being a CS, too. The credits are the same as the ones you get for your electives. Being a CS is really worth it because you get to help others, get graduation credits for yourself, and do something interesting outside of your own home works/projects/quizzes!
How can you become a CS?
Well… My friend told me that
you have to be in grade 11 or 12 first. For the international students, you
have to be in grade 12, so you can take CS. I am not pretty sure about this, it
might depend on the rules of your school. Also, you have to have a free block
so that you have time allotted for helping someone (usually a teacher).
Probably the hardest step to becoming a CS is finding a teacher that you want
to help. This is really hard because usually, the teacher that you want to help
is going to be chosen by other students who are taking Community Service.
Chances are your favorite teacher has already been chosen by somebody else. But
after you select a teacher that you want to help out, you have to get the form
from the counselor’s room and fill in the form.
I definitely recommend
signing up for Community Service!
-Bam
A Teenager Finally Finds His Voice
As youth, it is important to let the world hear our voice. Oftentimes, however, finding our voice is not that easy. Many factors may hinder us from speaking out. In the case of Musharaf "Mushy" Asghar, his impairment prevented him from speaking out. His impairment not only made the process of speaking out difficult for him, but it also gave bullies a chance to tease him. In this video, we learn how important it is to recognize that everybody experiences different types of difficulty, and that bullying will not make anyone's difficulty easier. Thankfully, Mushy's teachers never stopped supporting and encouraging him. Watch him bring his classmates to tears as he find his voice:
Because of his strong will, determination, and the support of his teachers, Mushy was able to overcome his impairment, and his classmates were able to hear him speak out for the first time. This video reminds all of us, youth immigrants, that even though there may be factors (such as language issues and/or an environment that's entirely different from our country of origin) that make it difficult for us to speak out, it is never impossible to find our voice.
- Sean
