Surviving the Trials and Tribulations of University, Op. 3, No. 3 "Three Epic Things Before the End""
Monday, April 30, 2012
at
11:36 PM
Coming soon...
|
0
comments
|
Diversions in the Last Stretch
Saturday, March 31, 2012
at
3:01 PM
Don't forget... April's Fools is tomorrow!!
|
0
comments
|
Take a leap!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
at
12:45 PM
Today is February 29. Leap Day! I would like to wish an especially happy birthday to all of you who were born on this magical day. For the rest of you, I hope you did something out of the ordinary.
On that note, I have a random anecdote to share:
Despite being born in Canada, my first language was not English. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I didn't really start speaking that language until I was in preschool at age 3. (my linguistic-savvy roommate tells me, however, that learning it at age 3 still qualifies it as a "first language", especially since I speak with a native "Canadian" accent.) I must say, whenever I make stupid mistakes with English grammar or vocabulary, it's really fun to pretend that it's because I learnt English later than most people. That being said, there are a few times where I have genuinely mixed up languages or made mistakes because of my mother tongue... especially when it comes to understanding puns.
Example:
When I was young, I remember seeing these signs in restaurants. (Anyone else remember the days when smoking was allowed in some restaurants?)
I couldn't for the life of me figure out why puffins were being banned specifically from places. Did anyone try to invade Canada with an army of puffins? (Maybe Alaska was feeling lonely) Sadly, I can confirm that it took me at least a decade to realize what the signs were about.
On that note, I have a random anecdote to share:
Despite being born in Canada, my first language was not English. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I didn't really start speaking that language until I was in preschool at age 3. (my linguistic-savvy roommate tells me, however, that learning it at age 3 still qualifies it as a "first language", especially since I speak with a native "Canadian" accent.) I must say, whenever I make stupid mistakes with English grammar or vocabulary, it's really fun to pretend that it's because I learnt English later than most people. That being said, there are a few times where I have genuinely mixed up languages or made mistakes because of my mother tongue... especially when it comes to understanding puns.
Example:
When I was young, I remember seeing these signs in restaurants. (Anyone else remember the days when smoking was allowed in some restaurants?)
I couldn't for the life of me figure out why puffins were being banned specifically from places. Did anyone try to invade Canada with an army of puffins? (Maybe Alaska was feeling lonely) Sadly, I can confirm that it took me at least a decade to realize what the signs were about.
Surviving the Trials and Tribulations of University, Op. 3, No. 2 "A New Year, A Winter Semester"
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
at
10:59 PM
A new year! Usually that is not of much
significance to me. As a student, I operate on the academic calendar; the year
begins in September. However, with the beginning of this winter semester, I
felt compelled to mark it. I’ve never been one to make resolutions, but I
figure it’s worth giving them a try.
So here goes nothing: my resolutions for
the year 2012...or at least the winter semester.
Resolution
1: listen to Beethoven every morning. Start with a movement from his
symphonies, move on from there.
I really don’t have a particular affinity
for mornings. I’m completely capable of waking up every morning at an
appropriate time for my scheduled activities, but I will hit the “sleep” button
on my alarm if I can get away with it and, if not, will look like this for a
good hour after getting up:
Incidentally, I’m writing this in the
morning, just after preparing ingredients for the slow cooker. Note to self: always be fully awake before cooking
with oil. Ow. (pro tip: aloe vera is a great
investment for less-experienced, student cooks) Anyways, I did do one smart thing this morning: start it with Beethoven’s 5th
Symphony, 3rd movement. I listen to Beethoven frequently, but
somehow I’m always astounded at the brilliance of the music. Beethoven = bliss.
Cue the next brilliant idea:
=
If Beethoven = bliss and always puts me in
a good mood, I need to get up early and put on some Beethoven. Maybe if I start
to like my mornings, I can turn myself into more of a morning-person.
Beethoven = smile ;)
Resolution
2: end every evening with Debussy.
My prof likes to say that there are only
two composers with whom you could take any two-bar excerpt from any moment in
any piece of their music...and it would always be absolutely beautiful: Mozart
and Debussy. Yes, I know that I’m not being particularly creative with my
selection of composers, but they are in the standard repertoire for a reason.
As a night owl, I have a hard time winding down at night. Cue Debussy’s
music—also bliss! I may, of course, dip into other composers’ repertoire every
now and then.
Resolution 3: stop wasting time with flash
games. (and video games in general)
Not that I was ever *really* bad at this. My brother
owned and held a monopoly over all the video games growing up, so it’s not like
I was ever able to play them at will. But still, it’s astounding how those
things can suck hours from your day.
“It’ll just be a five minute game!” –Yeah right. I suspect that this would be
harder to do if I had actually bought any of the games I have access to.
Resolution
4: student + low budget =/= bad, unappetizing diet. Make good, interesting
things.
Hence my slow cooker attempt this morning.
*sigh* But it’s winter now, and I’m really prone to the winter blues. Good food
is guaranteed to cheer me up. Plus, there’s something therapeutic about cooking
(with the added bonus of feeling competent at something useful, rather than the
dubious usefulness of my theory homework...). So far, this has included several yummy recipes and a few interesting
experiments.
Rice pudding, bolitas de nuez (this
translates to ‘balls of nuts’, which doesn’t sound as good), spicy peanut
butter pea soup, chilaquiles, French onion soup, bannock, pulled pork, Belgian
chocolate gateau, pasta with spicy Thai tuna...
Resolution
5: Keep beauty in life. Always.
Life is beautiful. Sometimes I forget that.
But I’m going to make a strong effort to keep its wonder present as much as
possible. I’m not sure yet what this is going to encompass. So far this has
included getting flowers for my desk and some Japanese incense. And smiling
more often to people. I’m trying to keep stress and negativity away so that I
don’t project it onto my relationships with others. I would also like to be
more generous... Little things are the trick—they make a big difference. I
hope.
|
2
comments
|
Shenanigans 1.0
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
at
3:01 AM
Posted In
Grieg,
Hall of the Mountain King,
Shenanigans
|
0
comments
|
Oh, Canada: who are you?
Sunday, October 2, 2011
at
12:30 PM
Poor Canada: always struggling with identity. And once again, it looks like efforts to improve matters upon this regard are being renewed under the Harper administration. The uncertainty behind what it means to be Canadian is something akin to going through adolescence. After all, being able to ascertain our identity is incredibly useful for giving us a stable ground from which to act. This is why organizations develop mandates, why politicians and policy-makers take on philosophical approaches, and why teenagers desperately seek to affirm who they are by frequently using labels like prep, hipster, nerd, etc. The insecurities that are caused by not having an established identity can be twofold: first, a personal lack of direction in behaviour and, second, an uncertainty with our peers in not knowing where we fit in the grand scheme of interactions.
Not having an identity is unsettling.
I recognize that what I’ve just said is vague, but such is the nature of identity-seeking. Ask about a long-established and culturally distinct nation, and even those answers will not be definite. What does it mean to be British? Italian? Egyptian? Japanese?
Nationalism was much simpler before the age of globalization and mass movement. Humans tended to live out their lives within a small geographic area, communicating almost exclusively with their neighbours. This means that generations were defined by responding to the same things: the weather, the lay of the land, the sources of food, the spoken language, the habitations, the available entertainment, the challenges of survival, and the legacy of the ancestors. These are very concrete things that could be used to define the identity of groups of people; nations were formed around this.
The problem with “Canada” is that it began with nations attempting to conquer territory, decimating the native populations. In doing so, the legacy of the land and its people was irreversibly distorted and a new “identity” began to be fabricated. The reason it is essential to recognize multiculturalism in Canada is because every single Canadian entered the fabric of its history at a different point. Thus each person has a preceding legacy that, though they may not be aware of it in the case of families who have been here for generations, had a unique and profound impact on how they and their predecessors interacted with other “Canadians”. If anything, this is the basis for the Canadian identity. Instead of many “lifelines” extending from a centralized point, it is many lifelines converging on that remarkable point that is Canada.
It’s funny; the people of Canada are so incredibly complex, and yet they too often consider themselves to be the most boring folks on the planet. I think our historic inability to understand who we are leads us to skim over our fascinating complexity.
How do you create an identity for Canada? What common experiences unite Canadians? I suppose there is a reason why the aforementioned article reminds us of the hockey and Tim Horton’s stereotypes: you will find them everywhere. Oh, and let’s not forget winter. There’s something almost triumphant about how we experience, enjoy, and/or survive the changing of the seasons. But can we go further than this? What should we take into account: the past, the present, or the future? Unfortunately, each of those approaches comes with problems:
- An identity based on the past struggles incessantly with the fact that everyone has a different background.
- An identity with the present struggles with the fact that because Canadians are spread out and divided by a vast and varied geography, the way they interact with their surroundings is never the same.
- And the future? How can you possibly determine a vision to which all Canadians would like to direct themselves?
It’s said that nationalism arises in two ways. First, as a movement that rises from the people, and, second, as a tool the government uses to move the people. It looks like the Harper administration is trying very hard to impose nationalism upon us. Feel free to question the motives. “Mr. Harper, do explain to me why the War of 1812 is essential to my experienceas a Canadian.” I can appreciate it insofar as I appreciate being a citizen of this country and not of the USA. That being said, Canada wasn’t even a country when it happened. I wonder who at the time truly considered themselves to be British subjects or people of the land. Either way, if the culture of this wonderful country and its education system has not embedded a deep sense of pride for the legacy of that war, perhaps that would indicate that we do not see it as essential to our identity. Should the government be spending $11.5 million, not just to commemorate it, but to convince us that it is important to all of us? Or how about the flag? Can you imbue a sense of patriotism and respect for the Canadian flag by threatening the people with penalties should they not treat it appropriately?
What is being achieved through these efforts? Is a national identity truly being solidified? I hardly think so. We need to stop kidding ourselves. Our population is too vast and varied to do that. Certainly, the history of the land must be recognized; you lose far more when you forget it. It’s what you do with history that is important. Instead of using it to manipulate our attitudes towards our country, how about we take it in as a way to accept how each of us got to be where we are? I would like to suggest that this is how we will find our Canadian identity. In such a large and diverse nation only a small idea, a small seed, can unite its collective mind and grow into a more secure identity. We are a growing quilt of many fabrics; let the threads that bind us, the idea that unites us, be acceptance. When we learn to accept our presence, we will become at peace with it.
Let’s stop worrying about our identity. Labels are for teenagers. Only in doing what we do will we become who we are.
Posted In
Canada,
identity,
Maple Leaf,
nationalism,
War of 1812
|
0
comments
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
