Showing posts with label life of an immigrant youth. Show all posts
Summer: A Period of Bliss
I prefer the chilling winter wind, but I should not overlook Vancouver’s
beautiful summer season, as well as the events that complement sunshine. Summer
might as well just be the best season of the year, it hosts many activities
that cater to everyone while giving extra time for students to spend on their
interests or with their relations. One might spend the summer with their
family, by learning something, or with fellow Vancouverites by attending events
during the two short months; while another might just finish Breaking Bad, and
compose academic essays during the two long months. In spite of personality
chasms, most will find themselves enjoying the two versatile months.
Vancouver is a small, densely populated city, but it keeps a noteworthy
collection of recreational facilities, cultural facilities, leisure sites, and
a perpetual cycle of cultural events, attaining everything from the city’s
diversity and its being the densest city in Canada, thus making the large range
of activities possible. The two months are reserved for fun along with personal
betterment, focusing only on one aspect… like all fun without work, or vice
versa… would deprive one of the Vancouver summer experience, which is quite
popular among tourists looking for outdoor activities and special events.
Moving on from the conjectures… I present my favorite
Vancouver events:
Canada Day (July 1, All Around Vancouver)
Bard on the Beach (June 11-July), Vanier Park
The Fair at PNE (August 22 - September 7, excluding August 24-31)
Vancouver Jazz Festival (June - July, concerts all throughout Vancouver)
Canada Day (July 1, All Around Vancouver)
- Join Vancouverites at Canada Place
- Richmond and Surrey also have fun festivities lined up on Canada Day!
 |
| Via Dennis S Hurd / “Many say that the building looks like the Sydney
Opera House (left). Also, it’s nearby Vancouver’s World Trade Centre (middle)” |
Bard on the Beach (June 11-July), Vanier Park
- A Shakespeare festival where one can watch live theatre
 |
| Via Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival / "For 2015, they will perform The Comedy of
Errors, King Lear, Love's Labour's Lost, and the world stage premiere of
Shakespeare's Rebel" |
The Fair at PNE (August 22 - September 7, excluding August 24-31)
- An annual tradition for most friends and families, the Fair offers: amusement park rides, summer night concerts, circus performances, live music, art exhibits, and much more!
 |
| via Mark Faviell / "The PNE played a vital role in Vancouver's military
involvement during WWII" |
- To celebrate jazz music, around half of the events are free!
 | ||
| via Vancouver 125 / "The festival attracts 565,000 fans over
two weeks. This May, Lady Gaga performed two jazz concerts with Tony
Bennett"
Vancouver Pride Parade (August 2, West End)
Honda Celebration of Light (musical fireworks competition)
|
Tips For High School New Immigrants
I’ve been writing advice articles for years, but every now and then new realizations hit me. Since I’m now older and wiser, I think and believe these new ideas of mine could help you guys and save you some time.
1. There is no shame in summer school
This shame in summer school belief may not be shared by everyone. From where I came from, summer school is somehow apprehended with a little bit of reluctance. Everybody knows that you’re there because you’re in remedial or repeating a class you failed. No one is there to do advance class. When I first got here, I almost cried when I found out I’m going to summer school. Then I realized, it was for the better. I was there to catch up with my credits so I could graduate in time. Moreover, no one should be ashamed in school during the summer. You’re doing it to better yourself, and, aside from that, you get to make new friends from different schools!
2. Eating alone in the hallway is not recommended
I know this may not sound true to introverts, but as a fellow introvert and an immigrant, it would only make you feel sad to eat alone during lunch break. When I was in high school, I never ate in the cafeteria. I never got the chance to meet someone new during lunch breaks. I remember once I was eating by myself in the stairwell. A sad background music is the only thing that’s missing to make a depressing emo music video. I thought to myself, "this has to stop". So I begged my high school counsellor to find me friends. Best decision I did in high school (and taking planning 10 online :P)
3. Decreasing your credit/term load is not always a good thing
When I got into grade 12, I finally got the chance to have free blocks. I thought I didn’t have to take classes that were not necessary. I thought all I needed really was English 12, the rest were electives. Boy, I was wrong. I wish I took an Accounting 12 or Pre-Calculus 12 then I would probably have something to write on my résumé as experience or have prerequisites for college courses. Although, spending all those hours reading in the library is a joy too. The caveat is know what credits or classes you need to take before embarking on a schedule with lots of free blocks.
4. Make friends outside your circle
For us immigrants, we tend to be friends with the same people like we are. How can that be wrong? We know that birds of the same feather flock together. I was content with the friends that I have in school that I never bothered making new ones in my classes. Now, I can literally say I only have six friends. I don’t have anyone to talk to when they’re busy. I didn’t have friends or even acquaintance in my classes that they weren’t in. Learn from my mistake and step out of your comfort zone and make new friends that are not immigrants like you. You’ll have more connections and more strings to pull when you need it in the future. I know that sounded like a crude business person advice, but we have to accept that connections are important in the adult world, especially when you’re an immigrant.
5. Your GPA does not define you
Like any other parents, mine want me to get good grades. B+ is not good enough. I get sad when I’m not in the honour roll even though I knew I worked hard. I got so obsessed with getting good grades that I was not learning anymore. Being in school should mean that we are learning life lessons that we can use when we’re done schooling. I got so fed up with only wanting high grades that I can’t even remember what I learned about last term. And when I finally got into the honour roll, it wasn’t much that gratifying. What’s a grade on a paper going to do when you’re finally out of school and have to do everything on your own? Besides, there are a lot of factors that determine your grades, and your intelligence is not the sole predictor of it.
I’m sure that sometime in the future, I will find some new realizations and I’ll be glad to share it with you again. For now, I encourage you guys to take these suggestions into consideration and keep your head high! High school is not a place to dread for! Good luck.
- Anonymeh
The Anti-Bucket List
(An anti-bucket list is a list of things that
one hopes to never do before s/he dies)
Summer is
coming and most of us are already making plans to make the most out of it. Usually, we want
to try new things; we intend to do things that we haven’t done yet. Some stick
to what they have done last year and just revisit it, while others pull out
ideas from their bucket list.
A bucket
list is a list of things that a person wants to do before s/he dies. Summer is the
perfect time to do things we have been wanting to do. However, I want to change things up. Instead of doing things
from our bucket list this summer, how about we list some things we wish to
avoid doing while we are alive? Here are some things from my own anti-bucket
list:
1. Do drugs
or smoke
I don’t know
about you, but I firmly believe in saying no to (routinely consuming highly
addicting illegal) drugs. Your stance on
drugs might be completely different from mine, but I’ve done my research and I
know its negative health side effects. I know there are various types of drugs
and some of them are harmless. I would love to further explain my side to those
who believe otherwise, but it’s hard to shake someone’s belief especially when
they formed that since childhood. Additionally, just like what high school or
college cliché movies show, there are peer pressures everywhere. It might not
be from your peers but we can’t deny that we currently live in an era where the
line on drugs is blurred. One second, I’m antagonistic about it, the next
second I’m rationalising using it. Thanks, philosophy lecture class.
Nevertheless, I wish to never do drugs until I die. That would be quite an
achievement for a person like me who changes her mind every 15 seconds.
2. Skydiving
Skydiving is
one of the popular things we see on a bucket list. But for me, I would never
take the leap of faith simply because I don’t have faith. Kidding aside, I know
I have faith, but it’s just not that strong. Every person has their weakness,
and I think this is mine. Even if you offer me a million dollars to do a stunt
with safety and harness and all, I would not have the courage to do so. This is
unfortunate for me because every time someone asks me between having the
ability to fly or be invisible, I always choose flying!
3. Be stuck
in a deserted place
This is
probably because I have watched a lot of horror movies where people get stuck
in a deserted place and one by one they die because of psycho-killers. Maybe
it’s also the fact that I don’t trust people in this kind of situation. I feel
like when this happens, people easily forget being “human” and a war of “all
against all” begins. Or maybe, it’s just that I don’t trust my survival
skills.
4. Wake up before 3am
I know my
schedule and I know I never set things to do earlier than 7 am. Normally my
wake up time is around 6:40 am. Waking up earlier than that mostly gives me the
“sad”. A bit irrational, but the only time I have to wake around that hour is
when something bad has happened. I remember being woken up at 2 in the morning
knowing that my grandma died, traveling
at 4 in the morning to get in time for a relative’s funeral, being at the airport before 5 to send off my
mom to the airport. My sister also told
me this story that 3am is the hour of the devil and it’s bad to be up at that
hour or you’ll see ghosts staring at you (If you’re reading this at night, be
careful not to look at the closet. That’s where they hide). It’s probably the
last one that I don’t like waking up at 3 in the morning.
5. Choose
between two people that are important to you
I think it’s
fair to say that this is one of the things that a lot of people dread. I only see this happen in the movies, but
I’ll be wrecked if this happen to me. You just can’t choose one between two
people who are important to you. That’s like asking, "if you have to choose
between your hands, which one do you keep?" But you know what, I think what’s worse than this dilemma is to be one
of the two people who are being chosen, then not get picked. #gentlyapplywatertothatburn
These things
are from my own anti-bucket list. Yours may be very different from mine, but
that’s okay. Just remember that sometimes we need to avoid certain things in
order to make space for better, greater things. What’s in your anti-bucket list?
- Anonymeh
What's Up, Vancouver? (May 2015)
 |
| Photo by: Kenny Louie |
Commercial Drive Street Party 2015
May 1, 2015
Grandview Park
1657 Charles Street (@ Commercial Drive)
Vancouver, British Columbia
More information
Eat! Vancouver at BC Place
May 1 - May 3, 2015
BC Place
777 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6B 4Y8
More information
One Republic (Concert) at Rogers Arena
May 2, 2015
Rogers Arena
800 Griffiths Way, Vancouver, BC V6B 6G1
More information
Free Comic Book Day 2015
May 2, 2015
Various locations
More information
Vancouver Bird Week 2015
May 2 - May 9, 2015
453 W 12th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4
More information
BMO Vancouver Marathon 2015
May 3, 2015
More information
Mucho Burrito's Plinko De Mayo (A Cinco de Mayo Celebration)
May 5, 2015
Various locations across Vancouver
More information
Anne Frank Exhibition at Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House
May 6, 2015 - May 29, 1015
Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House
More information
IGNITE! Youth Driven Arts Festival
May 12 - May 16, 2015
The York Theatre
639 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 3W3
More information
Vancouver Public Library Central Branch Architectural Tour
May 16 and May 26, 2015
VPL Central Branch
350 West Georgia, Vancouver, BC
More information
May 17, 2015
Massey Theatre
735 Eighth Avenue, New Westminster, British Columbia
More information
Cirque du Soleil: Varekai
May 20 - May 24, 2015
Pacific Coliseum
100 North Renfrew Street, Vancouver, BC V5K 4A5
More information
May 22 - May 24, 2015
Emily Carr University
More information
TEDxStanleyPark
May 23, 2015
1585 Johnston Street, Granville Island
More information
Vancouver International Children's Festival
May 25 - May 31, 2015
Granville Island
More information
TEDxGastownWomen
May 29, 2015
Segal Building, 500 Granville Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
More information
Vancouver's Prestige
This city is one of the best places to be
in. It has everything any person could ever want. The environment, culture,
climate, and the location are all conveniently compatible to my tastes, as well
as anyone I’ve ever talked to about Vancouver. For instance, the climate that
does not become too hot or too cold, but still changes enough to justify a
genuine winter and summer. The drawbacks, ranging from the minute to the
serious, are altogether outweighed by the Vancouver perks. Anyone can argue
against the livability, the quality of living, of Vancouver, but they will
eventually run out of reasons. Not surprisingly, Vancouver is always included
within the lists of the best cities to live in, and at the rate we’re going, we
can expect a more attractive Vancouver, problems transformed to treasures
unique to the city.
For now, I’ll only show the things I like
about the revered metropolis, the ostensible problems won’t have a significant
effect on you if you’re reading this. So, to begin with, one can experience a
perfect blend of temperatures even in the coldest winters and the hottest
summers. It never becomes too cold to hibernate in the home for half of winter.
It never becomes too hot to drink 8 liters of water during the summer.
Vancouver also has an attractive pattern in its weather. Rain doesn’t disparage
the beauty of the city, but it highlights the nature found inside the area. In
spite of this, on very rare occasions, Vancouver still gets affected by one in
a hundred storms. On the other hand, there is a lot of time and good days to do
something outdoors in Vancouver. So it’s generally fine to consider Vancouver’s
atmosphere, also its favorable air quality, as a wonder of nature.
 |
| "ANIREVO 2014, Vancouver" by roaming-the-planet |
An obvious reason for our good air is the
vast amounts of nature found everywhere. The mountains, rivers, lakes, and forests
make great activity places. There is a plethora of possibilities—winter
activities, summer hikes, calm boat rides, anything else that makes us feel
nature every once in a while. While budget could be detrimental to my points,
many people in Vancouver usually do these things for cheap or even free. Stanley
Park, as an example, is one of the things I absolutely hold in high regard. It
is a charming place, the inside is wonderfully natural, it is a place that
serves many people throughout the seasons, and the best part about it is that
it’s a park, so it’s free.
 |
| Aerial shot of Vancouver, courtesy of Evan Leeson
*Just beside Downtown Vancouver is Stanley Park…
which is consistently recognized as one of the best parks in the world.
|
Any rational person would agree that cultural integration is a problem for the old, not the young. It has also been stated, by many experts and TV figures, that racism would die with older generations. I would even assert this myself, I never notice anyone young projecting offensive behavior to others. This means that schools and their students are in good shape, the youth population will just add to Vancouver’s praises. A huge reason for this is the immigrant groups, the foreign transfers, and the location of the city. There are many newcomers here, barely any of them would feel alienated, they always have groups during their first moments, then they join the mainstream after they feel comfortable enough. Another reason is Vancouver’s location—it is at the bottom of Canada, beside the shoreline, and above another cultural hub, the US. It’s plausible to say that Vancouver has the stereotypical Canadian values and beliefs but devoid of the countryside-ignorance an isolated place could have. The high amounts of technological development is a reason, as well as the government of Canada itself, and again, debunking preset stereotypes, and behaviors, by fusing multiple cultures into one city.
Overall, I’d like to live in Vancouver, it would also be the most logical choice. However, personally, I just don’t want to settle in the place forever. Adults, especially those who are “easily bored,” won’t really like the perceived boredom in the city. A lack of infrastructure, perhaps as a result of a lack of population, might be the cause, besides the job problems. Anyway, this won’t be Vancouver’s conclusion, this is just the present. I won’t consider myself as part of the adults for around 10 more years. So, if Vancouver transmutes rocks to gold by then, I might just stay in here forever. A truly rare combination of simplicities.
Overall, I’d like to live in Vancouver, it would also be the most logical choice. However, personally, I just don’t want to settle in the place forever. Adults, especially those who are “easily bored,” won’t really like the perceived boredom in the city. A lack of infrastructure, perhaps as a result of a lack of population, might be the cause, besides the job problems. Anyway, this won’t be Vancouver’s conclusion, this is just the present. I won’t consider myself as part of the adults for around 10 more years. So, if Vancouver transmutes rocks to gold by then, I might just stay in here forever. A truly rare combination of simplicities.
 |
| "Telus World of Science" by Jason Mrachina
Rogers
Arena (left) and Science World (right; sparkling dome)
We lack many things, from
zoos to respectable financial districts… Vancouver is still a budding city
compared to other metropolises, it is quite young, but we have enough, like Science World,
for young thinkers; and Roger’s Arena, for sporty youths. Despite all the
shortages, our infusion of nature with a diverse society (more than 40%
have an Asian heritage)… offering us an influx of Asian restaurants,
yum… altogether makes Vancouver one of the most livable cities in the world.
|
- Angelo
All the World's a Stage
Shakespeare quoted one of the most important things shared
to mankind. Your life is a story and you’re the main character.
In movies, when someone is about to die, they usually don’t
go without a fight. Think of humans against a horde of zombies. No matter how
futile their efforts are, they still fight to survive, they try hard to live,
they work together to make the battle easier. Your life is just like that,
everyone’s life is.
Would you believe it if I tell you that your life is just
like a video game, a book, or a film? You’re the player, the main character,
the protagonist. Everyone else are just supporting characters, antagonists, and
stock characters. Think about it for a second, you don’t want to call yourself
the minor character in your life story, it is your life, not someone else’s.
Life is a game, your character is either strong at first or
strong at the end. In the real world, we call them prodigies and late bloomers.
A prodigy is just extremely gifted, born with the skills and talent, gets
special attention while young. A late bloomer is the opposite, a random nobody
until the day the late bloomer begins a series of hard work (quests) to improve
itself. Both, of course, can reach the same pinnacles of the game, the finales
(the boss levels), the best moments in life once achieved. Leaving a mark on
civilization, just like Mozart, Einstein, Disney, Socrates, Lincoln, Da Vinci,
and many others, whether child prodigies or late bloomers, they all reached the
same heights of success. Game is not over, work hard from now on, make a
plan—they all did, successful people owe their success to their hard work.
 |
| Courtesy of: Matthew Paulson |
Life is a storybook, you’re the main character. The story
can be set in a millionaire’s house, an impoverished country, or the
middle-class neighborhood. A good story requires a great conflict, something
the protagonist needs a lot of effort to beat. There’s going to be drama,
horror, psychological dilemmas, hardships, and sadness as the story goes on.
Also, there will be times of happiness, love, excitement, sentimentality, and
friendship. Your story continues chapter after every chapter, some long and
some short. The story revolves around you and the conflict: could be your
school, peers, family, society, and even yourself. The story only ends when one
force prevails, you must overcome the antagonist, do not try to escape it. Work
hard to achieve success, don’t procrastinate, a good story has no chapter where
the main character does nothing important.
Life is a film, a movie without a specific genre, not just
action, not just adventure, not just drama. Life is a mix of many different
genres, there’s adventure, romance, suspense, comedy, drama. You either aspire
for a movie (life) you want that’s full of satisfaction, or you can aim low and
reduce the amount of possible genre mixings. You may not have control of
everyone, thus you can’t be the writer of your life, but you’re the director,
the one who chooses a vision to follow. Oh, and make sure it’s a cool movie,
you’d be able to leave a mark on society.
Dream for a nice life, but don’t forget that a lot of effort
goes a long way, studying an hour a day amounts to more than 350 hours in a
year. Learning 5 foreign words a day amounts to more than 1800 words a year,
enough for language eloquence. I’ve seen a lot of people get the supermodel
body after exercising daily, within months. Working hard can get you anywhere,
just like when Michael Jordan was in high school, the only thing extraordinary
about him, at that time, was that he played as if every game was his last.
Just remember this: dream then start, then you fail, then
you succeed… and then you improve.
- Angelo
Preparing for University
Changes in life
can seem scary sometimes. Changes can be quick and unnoticeable; while other
times, it’s so sudden and we weren't even prepared for it. That’s why some people describe changes as tornados: they hit without any sign of warning and can turn
your house upside down completely. I usually don’t like changes because I will
have to adapt to the new environment and I’m usually not good at it.
The biggest change
I’m facing this year is to graduate from high school. It will be one of my most
important life events. I think it will take me awhile to get used to my new
life. So I want to prepare early. I asked my friends attending universities and
got some tips that will be useful to adapt to changes in your life such as
moving, changing school and going to university.
Tip#1: Make friends
Engage with
people, converse, ask questions. When you have friends, you won’t feel lonely.
You can have someone to talk to and hang out with. It’s the best to start
during the first week, while everyone is in the same boat. It is hard to make
the first move, but it will benefit you later on. Be nice and just be you. It’s
simple!
Tip#2: Join clubs
There are lots of
activities to do on campus. Take a look at the clubs list and join in. It’s the
fastest way to make new friends. You get to meet many people with same
interests as you do. Don’t be scared.
Learning how to use the library resources is always important because you will be spending lots of time here researching. It will be painful learning how to research because it’s boring. But it will pay off later in the year.
Tip#4: Choose courses you enjoy
You can always go to the first class and see how it goes. If you were bored and didn’t find it interesting, then drop it and find a new year. By choosing a course you enjoy, you will be motivated and willing to learn.
Tip#5: Don’t over commit
Start with a couple classes. Add more if you have the time for it. Do not start your year with 10 courses and a job. It will stress you out! Slow down and take time to learn.
Tip#6: Don’t Wait
If you feel yourself falling behind, do something about it immediately. Reread lecture notes and textbooks, ask a friend, do extra practice or ask your professor. Don't wait till right before the midterm/exam to deal with it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Tip#7: Ways to save money
Work! Working during school can reduce your debt upon graduation. Most
of the schools offer on campus jobs. You can work part-time and save it up.
Universities can be expensive! Also, buy used textbooks! Ask around for used textbooks or buy them online (craigslist
etc.) It can save you A LOT of money. If you don’t write on it, you can re-sale
it next year!
Hopefully these short and basic tips will be handy once you are in university!
- Lu
New is Always Better 2.0
In my first year here in VANITY I wrote a blog about the advantages of newness, may it be technology, traditions or just plain new ideologies in life. However, that blog was too general. So for this New Year, I am writing about few specific changes that have made my life better since I’ve moved here in Canada.
I guess the first thing that has changed in me is being
quieter. Though any people that know me well will say otherwise, I think that
I’ve gotten quieter. Usually, I will be the one who keeps a conversation from
dying, because dear God I can’t stand awkward silence, but now, I seem to be
quite comfortable with it. It gives me peace. Quite antisocial though. I also have
a problem of not thinking before talking which often gets me into icky
situations even though I did not mean any offense or make myself look stupid,
and so being quiet just saves me from this. Being quieter also taught me how to
listen. You
know that moment when a friend tells you something and you tell him/her
something the same from your experiences and you ended up shifting the tide of
conversation and you feel like you are not “empathising” anymore and you just
look like a big ball of narcissism? (or at least, that’s how I feel) Welp,
being quiet once again saves me from doing this. Like I said, as someone who is
talkative and uncomfortable of awkward silences, being quiet has finally given
me the opportunity to just shut up and realize that not
talking isn’t the worst thing in the world and just to drink in what others are
saying and being observant is probably one of the greatest pleasures
that one should experience.
New things in our life can always be seen in a different angle. Sometimes they can be “bumps”, but as I have previously said, try to see the silver lining. New is always better. .. better in some ways we haven’t seen yet!
- Anonymeh
“Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself
from the unacceptable” - Denis Waitley
