Life is a game in which you never started but must complete

I'd do a 2015 year in review, but that basically can be summed up in my experiences in Russia more or less since half of 2015 was mostly spent there.

Anyhow ...

Life is like a platformer game. You have to move forward to go to the next level. While some platformer games allow you to go back to earlier parts of the level life is sometimes not like that.

Life and platformer games share obstacles. The obstacles in a platformer are usually jumping from one platform to the next while avoiding getting hit by things like projectiles and monsters. The one thing that they don't share is that if you die you don't come back to life.

Or maybe there is a bit of something in common as well. Platformer games may offer chances to start over again. You get 3 lives at the start and if you make a misstep such as missing a jump, touching the monster without the proper protection, or get hit by a projectile you get to start over at a save point or from the beginning. Life can offer second chances but they're not always readily available.

Now here's where I feel anxiety likes to come into play. I worry that I won't make the jump to the next platform and the monsters and projectiles move too fast for me to dodge them. Both platformers and life can have time limits to complete goals. If the timer runs out you lose a life and have to replay the level over again. So many things in life can cause frustration that it's easier to quit while you're ahead. Quitting while you're ahead is a good strategy if you know the outcome will turn out bad, but quitting while there's a shred of a chance that things will turn out better is pretty much the same was waiting out the timer in the platformer game.

Then again, some people move at a slower pace. I like to believe that I move at a slower pace. I like to make sure everything I need is with me before I move on so I know I'm safe (and believe me, if I'm rushing through things I'll leave behind or overlook things that could be important). The problem with moving at a slower pace is that someone who is faster than you can jump at the opportunity and therefore get the job or the post that you've wanted. I don't think it's a good idea to go into things head first but at the same time I wish I could have that type of brain that didn't think too much. Caution is good but being overly cautious can hinder.

But there are good things about second chances though. Especially if you've been through the stage the first time but missed out on completing it. You know where to go to return to the point where you've left off (depending on what point the game returns you to) and you have some idea of knowing how to handle the game and where to go next. You know what monsters you'll have to face and how to defeat them. There are others who have played the same game before and know how to help you fight the final boss. Maybe they have failed too but if they can help others in defeating that boss you know that they've succeeded and they want you to succeed too.

Which leads to asking for help. I know I can be hard headed at times and I do want to do things on my own (well, certain things, there are moments when I want others to do things for me) but asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Why? Because when you get the help you need you can become stronger. Anxiety would laugh and say "Ha ha, you are weak! They will never help you after what happened the last time." Well maybe the last time you interacted with the person that can potentially help you might've forgotten about what happened the last time or deemed it as not affecting your relationship with them whatsoever (for example you told a joke and no one found it funny but at the same time no one thought it was bad). If it's a person that tells you that you're weak for asking for help all the time, they don't really want to help you and pretty much see it as an opportunity for them to succeed. If there are those lessons that repeat themselves over so many times, one of them has got to be that there will be people who will take advantage of your weakness whether you choose to be open about it or not. If the platformer has a multiplayer mode these people will attack other players in the game as well as the monsters or wait for you to mess up.

And this leads back to the waiting for the timer to run out situation. If others can drag you down, so can you. Sitting and waiting for the timer to run out won't get you anywhere other than where you've stopped (yes, even if the game has started and you haven't played it yet). The best thing one can do is move. Move forward in the figurative sense. It can be either by tiny steps such as admitting you have a problem and need help, crying and rocking in the foetal position to release some of the bottled up emotions or it may be that the game has a wall that's scrolling from the left which forces you to only move forward and jump through obstacles. In a real life situation it may be taking the hard pill to swallow, eating your vegetables and doing the thing you hate just for who knows how long (like waking up early in the morning when you prefer to be a night owl).

From this I see life is suited for the person who can handle the platformer game. This person is not afraid of the obstacles such as jumping platforms, fighting monsters and dodging projectiles. Not everyone can handle those situations. Some people like puzzles, other like simulations, and you got people who prefer RPG's and whatever other game time is out there (board games too). I think the way life should be viewed is a multi-genre game. You have elements of the side-scrolling platformer with puzzles that puzzle-loving people can solve mixed with the strategies involved in RPG's and certain board games as well as fighting challenges. You can try to complete the game on your own or you can complete it with the help from others (walkthroughs to get through certain levels when actual people aren't around or if dealing with actual people isn't your thing). Essentially it's working as a team with certain aspects that you can figure out solo is how the game is played.

In retrospect on image and life: the roller coaster project

Considering my previous parable post on image and a Facebook post from a page I follow, I am reminded of an event that happened to me in my final year of high school (grade 12 for me). In physics class there was this group project in which we had to build a marble track roller coaster. The maximum group size was 4 and the person I wanted to work with was already in a group. Groups were pick your own people and were based on people who are friends and people who were the strongest in the class. I wasn't particularly strong and I wanted to be with someone who was smart enough to get my grades up. Luckily there was one person in the group who fit, but just because the person really smart doesn't mean they're, well, smart. (Fun fact, in the end one of the groups kicked out a member because they didn't contribute at all to the group :p)

So I'm in the group that had 3 who were good friends. All were doing better than me in the class so I had high hopes that my mark for the class (not counting the individual marks from the written portion) with help from the project would go up a bit (because averages. Getting 80% on something while you're hanging around the 60% area would make that go up a tiny bit). Main meeting place was at high average group member's house. I should note that said member got a school week-long suspension for something. During the course of the group project we only met twice: First time was to plan and discuss, second was to assemble the roller coaster almost the night before it was due. In my mind I was thinking said member had the most time to work on the project since they were at home all day/not in school.
         Ideally the way to do some project is to build the thing early on so if something goes wrong then there's plenty of time to fix it. Most of us had after school activities such as martial arts, soccer, dance, and music lessons so of course that cuts into available time. When it came to the second time we met there was a frame for the track of the roller coaster and a large blown-up photo for the background. Part of the track was built but there was a problem with the material for the track as it was plastic tubing that liked to coil back up. In the end what was build was something that looked similar to a picture found on the internet (where the idea for the roller coaster came from) and it was decorated well enough in hopes that those marks will suffice.

The day came for evaluation and it ended up that the roller coaster my group made, well, sucked except for how it looked. I'd say about a large portion of the marks were for applying physics concepts learned in class and for the roller coaster to actually work. The ones from the other groups worked (and looked good too). While the smart person in terms of high marks brushed off the mark as nothing I apparently suffered because, as I've mentioned before, my marks were bad and this greatly upset me at the time. My way of getting back at the person? I refused to pay my share for the materials.

So what lessons are to be learned about this? Just because something looks good doesn't mean that it will work. If you put time and effort into something you'll have something good. If you work as a team you can pull both something flashy and something that works off (and by as a team I mean every single member of your team).
            Then there's also just because the person knows their shit (the theory and stuff) doesn't mean they're a person who enjoys doing work or committed to projects. Well, maybe they are but there could be things that are going on in their life that can hinder their willingness to work on something (maybe things like anxiety and depression, being pissed off,  I have no idea). Go ahead and express your frustration that said group member brought everyone down but not to the point where you hold a grudge against the person or harm them further. If you're still alive, have a job that's earning you money, something like this shouldn't bother you too much. That grade in high school is no longer important.

While I personally haven't always been the best person at group projects (and I have one story in particular for that but not really keen on telling) I just felt this fits in with the whole focusing on how things appear to people vs. what people actually need. Ah well.

Doughnuts (a parable)

Two doughnut shops stood across from each other on the same street in the same town. Both shops made the same kind of doughnut: a cake with no hole. The owner of the store on the south side didn't like the store on the north side because they were attracting more customers. The owner tried different things to make people come come to her shop. She tried making a bigger sign but that didn't make people come to her shop. She tried offering a discount on a dozen (12 for the price of 10) but that still didn't make more people come over. She then tried to change the interior of her shop and still that didn't make more people come over. One day she decided to visit the store across the street and when she looked through the window she saw that their doughnuts have sugar coating. It was then she decided that she needed to coat her doughnuts with sugar. It worked for a bit but she still wasn't matching the sales that the north had. Her employees offer her advice but she doesn't listen to them because she is Queen and she is God and thus is in control of everything. Anyone who opposed her got fired.

One day the owner of the north side store visited the south. She knows that the south owner doesn't like her but she still wanted to help her. South owner then asked, "What is it that you do to make customers come to you?"
"It's quite simple," North's owner answered. "It's not about how fancy the store or the doughnuts look but the quality of the service and quality of the doughnuts. My store may not be as attractive as yours but customers like my doughnuts because I'm always making something new. Customers have different tastes so I offer many different flavours of my product. I also seek to create new recipes to match my customer's needs whether they are allergic to something or not. I saw that you go by my shop every day to see what I do and I noticed that you got some ideas. Let me tell you this: there is no right way to eat a doughnut. You can just eat it straight away or lick the sugar off and eat the rest of the doughnut after. With your doughnuts you use the sugar coating to hide how bland your doughnuts are. With my doughnuts I add in something extra. I add in filling because after the sugar is gone there is surely a sweet surprise waiting for them." After sharing her secret the north owner left to return to her shop.

Now there are two possible endings to this story. First is South owner takes the advice and puts in effort to change the quality and her store's sales increase a lot. The second is she doesn't take the advice and her store continues to suffer to the point where she goes bankrupt.

The moral of this is quality trumps over quantity. You can have both quality and quantity but don't sacrifice quality for quantity. Oh yeah if you're a boss or some big head of something, your underlings may have good ideas even if they haven't been in the business long enough so listen to them as well.

"Angels/Losing/Sleep" and the struggle of faith

If video is not visible click here. Hopefully that works.

On the way home from Toronto one weekend I was listening to the radio and one of the songs that was playing was "Angels/Losing/Sleep" by Our Lady Peace. The song came out in 2005 and even then and after I didn't really pay much attention to the lyrics (I usually don't most of the time but it's been a while since I've heard the song) but after hearing the first couple of lines I began to wonder if this was about someone going through a crisis of faith such as thinking about changing or leaving religion. There is another song that deals with loss of faith on the same album, "Where Are You?", I am aware of so maybe, if I'm up to it, might comment on that on a separate post. Wikipedia and Songmeanings do bring the loss of faith meaning up in "A/L/S" but here's my take on it.

The song opens up with the following lines:

"Looks like the holy ghost is gone

Now your afraid of yourself"

The holy ghost or holy spirit comes from Christianity with God being 3 persons and the holy ghost/holy spirit is one of them. With the holy ghost gone (and essentially the belief in a higher power) the person going through a crisis of faith probably thinking "What do I do now? Who or what do I turn to when I need answers? Am I a bad person for thinking thoughts that are against my current/prior religion/beliefs?" Pretty much a lot of doubt going through one's mind.

"Over your shoulder you have to watch 
Heaven fall into hell"

The person is still in pretty much doubt but after learning that what they used to believe was more or less of a lie the perfect world that was created comes falling apart. The way I see it is religion can give a sense of peace (more or less "You don't need to worry about anything as long as you put your faith in a higher power") but when something faith shattering hits things come spiraling down the drain.

"Looks like your boat's about to sink
So it's time to prepare"

The person now is on the verge of losing their faith completely and has a big decision to make regarding leaving or not. There may be some backlash from the family and friends of the person who aren't too open with someone leaving the faith so the person pretty much has to prepare for the aftermath of their decision.

"Even the angels are losing sleep
And the sidewalks are bare"

I'm not sure if the angels are actual angels or represent certain people. If this is supposed to to represent actual angels it could be the person's guardian angel or that angel on the shoulder working overtime in helping the person rationalize their decision. Bare sidewalks give the person the sense that they're alone.

"It's like the calm before the storm 
You better swim 
Just like it's cold before it's warm 
You'll get back here again"

The calm before the storm is the grace period before things get worse and in the person's case it's returning to safer shores such as returning to the comforts of having faith or the prior belief. There's also the decision to move forward and lose faith/change beliefs and it's now or never to make the decision. The person makes a decision and whatever they choose they can end up back in their crisis of faith again. For example the person wants to leave Christianity but still has some insecurities and decides to still practice the religion. Something comes up like an issue in the news or something bad happening to someone close and the person ends up back where they were before.

"I'll wait I'll wait till you fall from grace"

So apparently there's someone observing the person go through this struggle. The friend I'll refer to this other person. This friend is either religious or someone who has left the faith of the person. The friend to me is supportive of whatever decision the person makes. The "fall from grace" could either be leaving the religion behind or coming back to the state in which the person again goes through another crisis of faith.

"It's the calm before the storm 
It's there then it's gone"

Again with the grace period. The friend (or maybe the angel on the shoulder) is reminding the person it's now or never to make the decision.

"Oh it looks like the war was in your head 
Not your heart"

The decision to leave is more of a logical decision than something based on feelings. Or possibly the person is going through some depression and the struggle of faith is part of it. The war could be the decision itself and the battle is to make the decision.

"Just when you think it's figured out 
Well it all falls apart"

The person finally comes to a decision. Whatever the choice is the person seems to be going through a bad time. Person chooses to leave and loses friends and family. Person chooses to stay with the faith/prior belief and continues to suffer mentally.

Overall it has to do with someone watching from the sidelines as their friend is going through a struggle. It could be any struggle but for me the struggle in the song deals with changing or losing one's faith. Whether this has been discussed before or not (mostly leaning to the discussed before) maybe you see the same or similar. Maybe you see it a bit differently. Maybe I can look at "Where Are You?" in the same way.

Thoughts on the recent Eurovision Song Contest

This past weekend on May the 10th was the Eurovision Song Contest and it took place in Denmark. Although I have made posts about it here before a short summary of it is a song contest to determine who hosts it next year. Besides the song there the campy dance numbers and politics attached to it (even though politics should not be involved in something like this). The winner of this year's contest is Austria and as the winner they are hosting it next year in 2015.

So the representative to this year's contest's winner is drag queen Conchita Wurst. Maybe at first when you think drag queen you might not think of this:



That's right, a drag queen with a beard (and I pretty much just spoiled the video but I do recommend a watch at least). While it may appear odd and hard to take in at first I find it unique compared to the common or stereotypical drag queen look (which anyone can pretty much google). From news sites I've heard that there were 3, one of those Russia (if you've been living under a rock they have a law regarding showing LGBT related stuff to minors) calling for things like boycotts and editing broadcasts because of her. While this wasn't my favourite of all the acts that were in Eurovision this year I do think she deserved the win as it shows no matter who or what you are you can achieve your goals. As for those who don't want to expose their kids to this then don't let your kids watch. There's no need to ban everyone from watching because her appearance offends a few people. Just turn off your TV or whatever device and let other people who want to watch Eurovision in full watch it.

Conchita Wurst wasn't the only performer in drag in Eurovision. Slovenia sent an entry in 2002 and Ukraine sent in one in 2007 to name a couple. The participant for Ukraine that year even met up with Conchita Wurst.

Another thing that may have come up in international news regarding Russia and Ukraine. Both had their songs in the final and when Russia was announced that its song was moving into the final it got booed. Russia also got booed whenever they got 8/10/12 points (equivalent of the top 3 the top 10 acts by each countries combined jury and televotes) and they were mostly from countries such as Azerbaijan and Belarus. There was booing as well when Russia was giving out their points. These were the songs for both Ukraine and Russia respectively:





Given what has been happening with Russia in the past year (Annexation of Crimea, can't show LGBT related stuff to minors) My thoughts were that Russia wouldn't make it to the final and when they did I though Russia would place near the bottom. In the end Russia placed 7th behind Ukraine who place 6th. As for booing Russia I understand that Russia's actions were uncalled for but they shouldn't have been taken out on the artists.
While I didn't like their songs I liked both of their acts. Ukraine had a guy running in a giant hamster wheel and twins from Russia had their ponytails tangled in the beginning of their act (again this may be spoiling the vids a bit)

Overall congrats to Austria on their win in the contest.

As for my favourite acts from that night: Switzerland, Spain, Belarus (bit cheesy but it's a guilty please)
Though it didn't make it to the final I wish Albania's song made it.

Your religion shouldn't speak for everyone who does not follow it

On advice of my doctor I should be sleeping by now as I'm typing this but I just recently heard about this woman in Ireland who died of a miscarriage. While still alive and in agony she wanted to terminate her pregnancy but was denied that because according to some law (at least I think it's a law from my understanding) the pregnancy could not be terminated because the foetus' heart was still beating and it can only be done if the woman's life is at risk. Clearly this woman's life was at risk but it didn't seem like it to the doctors.

Some thing to note: In Roman Catholicism, which happens to be the major religion in Ireland, there is the belief that life begins when Mr. Sperm comes into contact with Ms. Ovum. Yes, a bunch of cells that haven't developed into actual organs is considered to have a soul (cue 'Every Sperm Is Sacred'). I went to a RC high school growing up and no one was allowed to abortion in grade 11 and 12 biology for their presentations. I assume it has to do with that the topic is not in line with RC beliefs but on the other hand there's a lot of ethical mumbo-jumbo to deal with at the high school level. (On a side note evolution is taught because it's part of the province-wide curriculum but they remind students that creationism is what started it all.)

So basically my stance lies between "you run your own body so let me run mine" and "you're giving it up because you decided you don't want the baby anymore? Are you crazy?" Let me make this simpler: If the woman is in agony from the pregnancy or becomes pregnant from a rape it is the woman's choice whether or not she wants to go to full term or however long the foetus lasts in the womb (I had this belief even when I was still a practising Catholic). As for someone who wants to terminate her pregnancy because it's the wrong gender/has imperfections or has no real reason and just wants to end it, the decision is still hers whether or not to terminate the pregnancy as it is not my body and I cannot make the decision for her but I would offer to take in the child (provided that I am mentally sane to raise one) or at least suggest helping out couples who cannot bear children. If in the end she does not want to go through the pregnancy, it's her choice, not mine.

I'm pretty sure people have seen anti-abortion supporters (the reason behind my choice of words will be explained later) with their signs telling people to "choose life" along with a bible quote and pictures of aborted  foetuses. Quoting my friend (who happens to have a blog @ http://tseretniw.blogspot.ca/)

How can these people hold up signs saying "protect life" when they clearly don't care about the mother's

My thoughts exactly. If you say that you are protecting human life, and the multi-celled blob is considered human, then isn't the life of the mother just as important?

Also my friend's question happened to remind me of something that happened not too long ago. My parents had people over for dinner as they were helping out with cleaning up my grandmother's house (which she's selling by the way). They happen to be a couple with a 7-year-old boy who was a fountain of knowledge when it comes to telling about what he recently learned at school. At one point he asked what abortion is. It was either my mom or his mom that gave the answer. Can't really remember how they explained to him but one of the key words used to explain was "baby". If I were 7 years old again "baby" would signify something like Maggie Simpson and neither the multi-celled blob nor a foetus and this is what made him ask something along the lines of "why would the mom do that?" I think I tried to explain that foetuses do get killed in the womb in nature but that didn't turn out so well. Long story short: be careful when discussing or describing abortion to a kid. Even for a fountain of knowledge their world view is still quite limited.

Also for word choice using "baby" vs. "foetus" makes something easier to understand but at the same time generates images of someone of Maggie Simpson's age. Why I chose "anti-abortion" vs. "pro-life" comes from a quote from Penn Jillette:

Ethical means moral or proper which differs for every person, it's something to discuss. It's not an absolute. It just sounds nice, it's like 'pro-choice' and 'pro-life', I mean- c'mon! Everyone is pro-choice and pro-life. It's for or against abortion that your group is about -- Season 2, Episode 1 of "Penn & Teller: Bullshit"

 I am certain it's not just Roman Catholicism that advocates life begins when sperm and ovum and whatever their beliefs are should not mix with legal matters. Sure there are those who would stay true to their religion even if they die in the process of something like pregnancy but by allowing women to choose to have their pregnancy terminated or not, a woman can still choose not to terminate. By not allowing a woman to choose is pretty much saying "okay you have one choice and that is keep on going and it does not matter if you die in the process as long as the baby lives."

I'd ramble on a bit more but I need some rest.

Here are some articles:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/1114/1224326575203.html
http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/world/abortion-debate-reignited-in-ireland-after-woman-is-denied-an-abortion-in-hospital-and-dies.html?p=home&s=home

Oh yay more schooling (going for the TESL certificate)

For anyone who pays attention to this blog (*cough*adbots*cough*) I have finished my undergrad and got my bachelor's degree in Linguistics (minored in Russian language) and I summarized my year looking back at textbooks. Starting in September I will be going for the certificate in teaching English as a second language (TESL) at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Teaching English as a second language huh? So you like to go to Korea or Japan to teach?

I am aware that place like South Korea and Japan are popular places for teaching English but as far as my interest in teaching English there are quite low. My dream places to teach abroad would be Russia but I'll take any place in Europe.

Also some things to point out: when teach abroad in a place like South Korea or Japan, you're teaching these people English as a foreign language (EFL) as English is not widely spoken or an official language in these places. To call it ESL teaching would have learners come to places like Canada, USA, Australia and UK where English is widely spoken and is an official language.

You got a university degree already, why not go to work immediately?

By going for certification I can cover more ground. There are places that require that someone have some sort of certification such as TESL/TEFL, TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages which I hear is the same as TESL/TEFL but used more in the USA than Canada) or maybe a masters degree in the teaching ESL/EFL field. Don't believe me? Take a look at the ads on Dave's ESL Cafe. If it's not possible for me to teach abroad at least I will be qualified to teach here in Canada. Best to build up some street cred before others abroad can take you in.

The story

Not a lot of people have heard of the field of linguistics and somehow the idea that comes up when either I mention this or my parents do to other people, the other people seem to think I'm studying to become a polyglot. Since I did a general degree and not an honours degree chances for me to do a masters degree are pretty low. Another career choice path would be dealing with speech problems and I wasn't too interested in the field. My main reason for doing a TESL certification is that I would like to work abroad and as I have mentioned earlier would like to work in Russia. Around campus I've seen advertisements for oxford seminars in which certification can be done in a month but I ended up applying to universities on the advice from someone who actually is a teacher of ESL. She said that courses like oxford seminars don't really prepare students as well as a university course since university courses offer the teaching experience (called a practicum).

Ontario, being my home province, I looked for universities there that have the program as well as outside of Ontario such as Quebec and Saskatchewan. Memorial University did have a program at one point but suspended that due to some necessary courses being infrequently offered (so I heard). If I were to apply to Concordia University (in Montreal, Quebec) it would have been starting in the winter semester as their written component for the application had to be done there (the times given for it was during the semester break but the round trip fare plus accommodation at the time (February 2012) wasn't worth doing it for a fall semester start). Also with the recent Quebec student protests who knows if I would have even gone there.

From this list I looked at some places that I could go to for certification and I applied to two places (I could have applied to more but I got lazy): Woodsworth College's TESOL program in Toronto and CTESL at Carleton university. Applying to these places was not easy as I had to "jump through hoops" as my dad puts it (written components).  Both Carleton and Woodsworth have one year programs which should make me prepared much more than taking a one month course.

Woodsworth College got back to me first. I would have gone there if Carleton did not accept me but Woodsworth College is affiliated with the University of Toronto so since I got an offer from them I was for certain going to get one from Carleton. If I had gone to Woodsworth I would have had 4 courses per semester (not counting tutorials) but the majority of them were from 6pm to 9pm, even if I got Mondays off I am not too fond of night classes. Also Woodsworth's program costs a wee bit more as I also have to factor in residence expenses.

Now with Carleton comes the interesting bit. The application date was before Woodsworth's. I of course had to send them multiple transcripts because of this and I wouldn't receive an offer until they knew I have convocated. I was told I got accepted much later, two weeks I guess, after Woodsworth offered me something. I was hoping I would get something in the mail but all I got was a guide to first year package (doing a certificate course is weird, it's techncally an undergrad program but you're not really an undergrad when you do it as a post-grad). I was hoping the package would include my student number but I was able to recover it after talking to some people. The funny thing is the reason why I didn't get a student number sent to my mailbox was that it was the same student number Carleton gave me when I first registered with them back in 2006/2007 in case I didn't get into MUN. I thought by dropping the courses for the European Studies program I initially signed up for would cancel my account. My account did expire but my information was still on their database.

So in the end I chose to accept the offer from Carleton. How will this experience be for me? Unlike when I was at MUN when campus was just a 10 minute walk from where I lived I will be making friends with OCtranspo and travelling each direction for about 40-60 minutes (which should be good enough time to catch up on sleep or reading assignments but the fall schedule's not out by this time so it may be less time that what I have guessed). I won't have the chance of taking a nap in between classes but who knows, I might find a bench somewhere. The best part is I don't have to save coins for laundry, budget my bank account for groceries, or fight with someone for the tv. Yes I'll be living with my parents during this period but I had my chance out on my own. As for my future courses I just hope there's not a lot of paper writing but at the same time I'm curious to how the practicum's going to be. The upcoming year should be interesting.

Now tell me who the loser is now?

So I gave in getting a twitter account. I probably still don't get the point of it but I did come across something this  morning. This news article here from my hometown.

Stuntman Stu is a local celebrity in Ottawa. He's a radio host, sports announcer/emcee at Ottawa Senators games, and has made his own wine. Now motivation speaker against bullying.

So if there is someone that's been calling you a loser and other names, or if you are that person calling others losers and doing the name calling take a moment to think about who is the real loser.

If this about fame and popularity, take a look at Stu's story in the article and where he is now. Who knows where those bullies are? Did they ever think he'd become famous?
Or take a look at someone who has committed suicide or ended up dead as the result of bullying. Chances are if you're involved the someone's death you will be recognized but not as a hero and, who knows, end up in jail. (I guess an example would the Tyler Clementi case)

Now bullying doesn't just occur in the real world. The cyber world is the new playground. In the cyber world you can hide yourself behind a fake identity and probably mask your IP address too. You have the positive outlook saying like "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me" but in fact they do if you know what these words means. Ugly is the opposite of beautiful/pretty. Loser is the opposite of winner.  With society's molasses-in-January acceptance of different gender orientations you have terms, whether they are derogatory or not, that enter people's vocabulary related to that. From there one can attack someone they  know from school or aide in attacking others that they don't know. Also what can seem like a harmless joke can be interpreted as insulting to another so take that into consideration.

Though I have not seen Stu's talks (since I no longer attend high school) the article mentions a great analogy with a piece of paper (he does this with his morning show co-host by the way). How it works is you take a clean piece of paper (by clean as in no folds or tears) and you do things like crumpling it, stomping on it, throwing it on the floor . . . pretty much abuse the hell out of this one piece of paper then try to smooth it out. Now imagine that piece of paper is a person. As much as you try to straighten out that piece of paper the creases will remain. Even if the person lives another day they will still carry the scars, physical or emotional, caused by bulling.

I do have personal stories of being bullied during my school days but they do drag on if I post them here. From those experiences I've learned (and I probably will pass on those lessons if I do decide to have kids in the future) I've learned that one needs to take action but not aggression. Take action by saying you are being bullied. If you have a friend who is in that position, act as their witness. Aggression, such as punching someone or in my case throwing a rock in a non-vital area, can and will turn the tables around. Instead of getting justice for your cause the bully will end up as the victim. If it takes place on cyberspace report the e-mail/image/group. There is a reason why keyboards have the "prt sc" or "print screen" button and sites have moderators.

As for who the winner or loser is in these situations? If you are still alive today when after being told "the world would be better without you", you've won. If you stood up to the bully (depending on the action you took), you've won. If you've been told that you'll never succeed but end up as a celebrity, you've won.

We are all equals regardless of social status, orientation, ability, skin colour or creed. We are all human beings. If only those tiny differences between us didn't seem so big . . .

Postal Service?

For weeks now postal workers in Canada have been on strike and it's been over a week since Canada Post has locked out its workers. The postal workers have been holding rotational strikes which post offices in at least one or two cities (maybe more) would go on strike for 1 or 2 days then go back to work and after than another two cities would do the same. Mail would still be delivered and sorted out but would be delayed if let's say the package you've ordered from the other side of the country is at a station that's on strike. Canada Post locked out its workers a week ago so nothing comes in or out except for welfare cheques which are distributed by volunteer postal workers.

The union representing the postal workers (and pretty much anyone associated with working at a postal office, not including the ones found in greeting card stores and pharmacies I guess) of course want a safe and secure environment for their workers (and what is mentioned here). From Canada Post's angle, they're giving the workers a generous offer that doesn't harm the corporation itself (Canada Post offers this to its workers).

Recently the government is in talks with back-to-work legislation for these guys. At first there was one for striking Air Canada workers in which the union representing the workers reached a tentative agreement before a back-to-work legislation was made for them. Maybe Canada Post should do the same? Who knows for them the legislation could be worse for the workers than what Canada Post is offering in terms of wages. (info on the bill here).

In this day and age is the postal system really outdated? The argument for this is that with e-mail and text messaging on cell phones it is as bills can be sent to one's e-mail inbox and most of the mail that ends up in the mailbox is junk mail. Having things done electronically saves paper and it's faster (also no wasting money on postage stamps). I say it's not totally outdated. Not everyone in the world has access to a cell phone or a computer. I guess I can add digital camera and scanner to this too. Regular mail is necessary for those who don't have access to modern technology. I personally am one of those people who like opening the mailbox to see what comes in.

Anyways, hopefully an agreement can be reached soon.

edit June 25, 2011: the bill passed through the house of commons and is on its way to the senate.
edit June 27, 2011: and the strike is officially over and the workers have been legislated back to work

Holiday Stuff

Yes I said holiday and not Christmas. I'm not sure who is still sensitive to saying of "Happy Holiday" and "Seasons Greetings" versus "Merry/Happy Christmas" (depends of what English speaking country you come from) and possibly writing down the holiday as Xmas or saying it as "eks-mas" versus the whole word but it's not something to fuss about whether one is religious or not.

a little look at some of these words:

First: holiday. The word originally means "holy day" as in a day to celebrate religious festivities and nowadays it also applies to taking time of to either rest or when people are given some time off from school or work.

Christmas I believe is "Christ's mass" with the Old English suffix -mas meaning "a holy, sacred day"

Xmas is a shortening of Christmas and I can't remember where I've heard this but there's this idea of taking the "Christ" out of "Christ"mas with some people. First of all this is useful when one doesn't have a lost of space to write out Christmas and with texting messages to one another takes less time to punch in those letters. Secondly don't think of X as being said as X in English. You have Χριστός (Christos) in Greek and Христос (Xristos) in Cyrillic. Think of the X as coming from those (the X in Cyrillic makes a "kh" sound more or less) so if anyone really cares about this wrap your minds around this idea.


As for saying Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas: Happy Holidays speaks out to everyone while Merry Christmas seems to speak to a few. It's a personal choice whether to say one or the other (or whatever greeting one chooses) so don't take too much offence if you're religious and someone says Happy Holiday instead of Merry Christmas (same goes for a non-religious person when someone greets Merry Christmas or whatever).


Anyways so whatever you do around this time of the year stay safe and Merry/Happy <insert holiday here>


because I'm to lazy:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/holiday
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Christmas
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Xmas

edited on December 23, 2010

Just because I'm a girl do I have to be told that I look like my mom?

I'm not sure if anyone out there has had this said to them (most likely someone who has known you or knows of you for a long time) that you look like your mom if you're a girl or your dad if you are a guy (unless you don't know who your biological parents are then this may or may not apply to you).

When I was little I didn't mind it (more or less was okay with it) being told how much I looked like my mom. Before I delve into this my background consists of Croatian and Polish on my dad's side while I have Spanish and Filipino on my mom's side. I'm quite the interesting mix. Now that I'm older I'm slightly annoyed by being told that I look like my mom. Why is it that I'm not told that I look like my dad (there was one point I was but it's a totally different story)? Is it because of my gender?

In terms of identity I see myself as Canadian as I was born and raised here. Secondly with being part Asian I don't really see myself neither as "white" nor Asian. I guess I could see myself as Eurasian in the sense that I'm a mix of European and Asian, but that's not the point I'm trying to make. There was a point in time I'd think that I would look like my dad because I do share the same hands and feet and hairline whereas I took my mom's eyes, nose, and recessive brown hair gene. Sure I have traits from my parents but just because I'm biologically their kid does not mean I have to take on the fact that I look like one of them. I personally see myself as an individual. My image is my own: it does not reflect either my mother or my father so why do I need to be told that I look like mom?

Looks aren't the only thing but there's behaviour as well. That I do notice as I have picked up something from both of them whether they be good habits or bad. I'm not sure if my extended family thinks that I share a lot of things with my parents but here's how I differ:
Both of my parents are Catholics and naturally I was raised in that religion. I was about 14 when my religion textbook (I kid you not) introduced the concepts of atheism, agnosticism and individualism. I'm pretty sure the book is explaining why one should embrace religion instead of these ideas but that's not the point I'm trying to make (and my fallout with religion is a whole different story). I don't think my parents have told any of their friends about my beliefs (of if they did they probably say something else) but for those who don't know probably assume I share the same religious beliefs and values as they do (this happens to come from an e-mail from a relative who believes that I have grown up to a God-fearing woman). A habit I picked up from my dad is his quietness and keep-to-oneself-ness. From my mom it's probably her talkativeness. How does that work out? See Newton's first law or if I feel that it's too eerily quiet I'll try to start up a conversation.

So anyways anyone who reads this: do you find that because of your gender you're appearance tends to look a lot like your mom (girls) or your dad (guys)? Or is it the opposite for you?

Just because it's a first year course doesn't mean it's going to be easy

It's been over a week since I started my fourth year so I'm somewhat settled in now. So one of the courses I'm taking this semester is a first year level history course (courses at my university are usually listed as 1XXX, 2XXX, etc.). The reason I need one is because in order for me to get my BA degree I need some electives in research/writing and a humanities type course. With the rest of my courses being third year level I'm hoping this would be one of the easiest but I'm no so sure on that.

The majority of people taking first year level courses are either fresh out of high school or fresh out of their long break out taking the year off before starting post-secondary education. Then you have people like me who have been in university for some time (at least a year or two) who need some sort of elective or finally have the time to take the course because the other needed courses got in the way. There are also some grad students and adults way into their late 40's and early 50's there two depending on what class you take.

There are three types of first year courses: the first one is no experience required, the second one is hoping that you've done related courses in high school but still okay if you didn't do them, and the third one is you needed to have done theses courses or else you're screwed.

Type one I would put in there the foreign language courses. If someone has taken it in high school before hand it may pose as an advantage but the majority of people taking the course either need it for a language other than English requirement or majoring in it so there shouldn't be anything too hard. Depending on what language you take you will already know some words as they are loaned or mean the same in English (for example кот in Russian means cat, компьютер is computer) or borrowed from the language itself (like apparatchik, vodka). I'm not sure if psychology, sociology, anthropology and archaeology would fit in there two as I haven't taken those courses. Religious studies would go in here too.

Type two would be anything that requires you to write an essay and some science courses. There are science courses that are designed for those who couldn't get into the advanced level first year courses (which are usually required if you're going into the heavy stuff like engineering or physics or chemistry) and for those that need a science credit. Something like history if you have taken it in high school would be very helpful as you can understand what's going on otherwise you have some serious catching up to do.

Type three would be math, sciences, computer programming and music. Though there may be some music courses that don't require you to know anything about music it goes in this category as majors are most likely doing a degree in vocals or an instrument. Math like calculus would require that you've taken a course in it before in high school or a prerequisite university course. I think there usually is a math course specific for those who don't need calculus or some form of advanced trigonometry.  Science courses like chemistry and physics if they are the advanced first year level ones.

So anyways I mentioned that one of the courses I'm taking this semester is a first year history. It's been almost 4 years since I did a history course. Though not much has been going on except for being slapped with an essay due in 2 months I'm starting to think that this course will not be as easy as it looks. Advice/lesson learned from this:

• Try completing your electives not related to your course early or find an elective that fits the categories you need but hopefully it doesn't require knowledge you gave up 4 years ago.

Villain Song (or songs that I think that would be playing if the antagonist was the protagonist)

Before reading, not sure who does read this exactly, I found these videos on Youtube that allowed embedding. Not sure if some of these will be taken down from there in the near future but I'm placing videos for convenience finding the song and listening without opening another window. This is just for enjoyment purpose so if there is an issue with these appearing here let me know.

I was listening to the song "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who and recently found out that the song was intended to be part of a rock opera that was in the works by band member Pete Townshend. This got me thinking of what songs could be played as the main antagonist's theme song or if a movie or story followed a day in the life of an antagonist (maybe anti-heroes too). The comments may or may not match up with the literal meaning of the songs as this is for entertainment purposes.

Behind Blue Eyes
 Artist: The Who
Lyrics

I feel this is a bit of a walk a mile in my shoes type of song ("No ones knows what it's like to be hated, to be hated, to telling only lies). I also find that this would give human characteristics to a villain ("If I shiver, please give me a blanket keep me warm, let me wear your coat"). The villain (or villainess) I see this would follow would be someone that is connected to the hero ("No one knows what it's like to feel these feelings like I do and I blame you").

A Criminal Mind
Artist: Lawrence Gowan
Lyrics

I believe would be befitting for an antagonist who is looking to repent. He (or she) tries to be good many times but has failed ("They tried to reform me but I'm made of cold stone"). I also see this as something that would show the human side.

Monster
Artist: Skillet
Lyrics

I could see this be a bit more for an anti-hero than an antagonist. Probably this would befit a Jekyll/Hyde character with the protagonist struggling with himself or maybe even a werewolf (human side is good and caring, animal side runs around killing everything in its path). I am aware that Skillet is a Christian band (I mean it in the sense of their religious affiliation) so the lyrics could be allegorical and carry a religious meaning but who says that someone who listens to bands like Skillet are or have to be Christian?

Lay Down
Artist: Priestess
Lyrics should appear in the video

I would find this befitting for a male serial killer that preys on women. Another one this would fit could be a guy who just murdered some girl he had feelings for whether it may be illicit or not. I haven't seen the movie or read the book "The Lovely Bones" but if anyone has would it fit the guy who killed the girl? ("Lay down, sleep my little darling I'll be nothing when you're gone")

Monster in Me
Artist: Blind Dog Circus
Can't find any lyrics.

I find this a cross between "Lay Down" and "Monster". I would put this for the antagonist that doesn't reveal him or herself until the very end. This can be that serial killer that everyone is searching for who has been right under the protagonist's nose. At the same time it could be one of those anti-hero vampires or werewolves or one of those antagonists that is looking to reform.

Walking In My Shoes
Artist: Depeche Mode
Lyrics


This is something I wouldn't restrict to an antagonist or an anti-hero but can also be tied to the protagonist. Here I would find the antagonist again looking for some redemption but at the same time it could carry the same meaning as "Behind Blue Eyes" saying that "in order to understand me try to be me for a day" ("I'm not looking for absolution, forgiveness for the things I do, but before you come to any conclusion, try walking in my shoes"). The antagonist here could also be luring the protagonist to the "dark side". Which leads us to . . .

LiesArtist: Evanescence
Lyrics

The antagonist for this song is the kinds that would like to lure the protagonist to join him or her at his or her side as they take over the world or something ("Rest in me and I'll comfort you I have lived and I died for you Abide in me and I vow to you I will never forsake you.") Though the quote from the song I provided most likely refers to Jesus (I'm not religious but anyone who has studied Christianity can figure it out) but in a nutshell it's "I can offer you everything or anything if you join me" kinda thing.

How Can Heaven Love MeArtist: Sarah Brightman
Lyrics

Whereas "Lies" seemed fitting for an antagonist wanting to be with the protagonist in terms of taking over the world this song would sort of be the opposite where the protagonist has feelings for the antagonist. The antagonist here could be some sort of fallen angel or some heavenly creature that strayed from the righteous path or something of that sort.

Well that's all I can say at the moment. Note that this is for entertainment purposes only.

Why I have a dislike for extremists, synecdoche and metonymy -- Florida Pastor and the Quran

Well I'm sort of taking a big risk in doing this post (depending on who comes to this baby of a blog) but this issue kind of irks me.




and more info here

So this guy, Terry Jones (who happens to bear the same first and last name of a Monty Python cast member) wants to hold a day (I think it's September 11) to burn copies of the Quran (there's more than 1 spelling for this and I'll stick with this one) in return for the World Trade Center which was destroyed by suicide bombers who happen to be Muslims. Basically I see this as one of those "eye for an eye" kind of things.

University is one of those places where you get to see people from all over the world and different religions. I have met people (mainly girls though) who are Muslim and they are nice people. The ones that appear on television/hear in the news tend to be the extremist groups and it is the extremist I find to be vocal about their causes. Also the media will put a spin on things to show what they want their audience to see and hear. If the media is backed by a political organization or someone who supports some political organization the news coming out of the tube or read in the paper will carry their ideas and views as well. So with people over in the countries who have a majority of Muslims hear about something that is offensive, more or less harshly criticizing their beliefs and what is held sacred, it is natural to say "I don't like what you're doing, that's not very nice." Same goes for those living abroad. Doing something radical like this after what that Danish cartoonist did will give the impression that people outside of <insert name of country here> don't have tolerance for Islam.

Here is where I would like to bring in synecdoche and metonymy. Apparently Jones's congregation is very small compared to the rest of the population of the United States. Yes there are people in the there who are anti-Islam but still that doesn't represent the whole of the population. Not entirely sure how large the Taliban is compared to Jones's congregation and any other group that shares similar views but again any small group or one person doesn't necessarily represent the view of everyone (the same goes for a majority as it reflects the views of most but still not all).

I may not be religious but I do believe it is a bad idea to destroy any religious text. I don't really believe that the content in any of the holy books is propaganda (more or less guidelines, following them being an option) but the people who use it as a tool for propaganda make it propaganda. The reaction I see to this seems to me like taking something irreplaceable and destroy it right in their faces. Sure holy books can be produced in mass production but I'm going to take a stand on the golden rule here. Don't mess with them and they in return won't mess with you.

Not sure if I have anything else to say on this topic but I quote Homer Simpson here:

"Because in the end, aren't all religions the same? They tell us what to eat, when to pray, that this lump of clay called Man can somehow shape himself to resemble the divine. But we can't learn to live together if we have hatred in our hearts . . . We all have our differences. Some of us don't eat pork. Some of us don't eat shellfish. But we all eat chicken . . . So spread the word: peace and chicken" 

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- Dorm Life

Introduction and Roommates
Connecting with others
Campus life and textbooks 

Every University should have on-campus student residences. Some may choose to live off-campus or have someone they know living in the city providing a room for them, others, like me, chose to live in the student residences. The university I attend has two different types of student residences: dormitory and apartment. I'll mention those when I go through some things. Some student residences have single gendered housing while some are co-ed but all usually participate in the same activities.

Each student residence has proctors and resident assistants (R.A.'s). Proctors are like the landlord/landlady of the residence. The only time I've ever seen the proctor for proctor related business was for room arrangements (whether I was getting a new roommate or have to change rooms or whether I was returning to the residence next year) or if I was having some problems with a roommate or people on the floor. R.A. are just like their title says, they're there to assist you. Both share the same roles in a way. Houses have certain hours when you can blast your stereo and make sorts of loud noises but once quiet hours settle in they are wandering the halls warning you or slapping a fine that you have to pay. Other than providing a sense of security they sometimes organize various activities.

Each residence has an academic don (A.D.) or some sort of advisor that deals with academic stuff. Say you're failing your courses or need to know something like dropping out of a course the A.D. is one to turn to when the campus offices are closed. The A.D. also organizes some various activities as well.

The various activities organized can range from trips to a museum, bowling, bingo and trivia, pub crawls, scavenger hunts, some sort of party to some sort of movie night. Not all of the activities mentioned are organized by the house staff but also other people living in the house too. This is one way you can meet the others in your house as well at the same time score some free food.

• If you are planning to return to the same residence next year participate in some of these activities

Some residences not only require that you have a certain grade point average (GPA) to remain but also how much you are involved in school/residence life. Usually the dry events, the ones that don't include alcohol, count towards your involvement.

Another thing to add to that involvement is intramural sports. The sports I have encountered are soccer, basketball, t-ball/baseball, volleyball, Ultimate Frisbees, badminton, water polo, hockey, road race/some running activity and bowling. Depending on how many people sign up your house might have either a single gendered team or a co-ed team.

• You don't have to be good at any of these sports in order to participate

I am not very athletic and I wasn't into sports when I was a kid but if you do sign up for, let's say soccer, but aren't very good at it or haven't played before you will be placed in a team of people with the same experience. Eventually you will have to play against the more experienced teams but whether or not you win the games at least you will be scoring points for your house. If you can't play due to injury or not really interested in playing sports you can show up for support and that may count towards participation points. Want to join in on the action but not sure if it fits into your schedule? You can be a back-up team player so if someone decides to go home on the weekend his or her team is playing a game you know what to do, or someone can find you.

Now that you're all sweaty from playing a game it's time to hit the showers. Living in the apartment style residence it's usually one bathroom per 2-4 people living there while in the dorms if the one on your floor is full or broken you can go to another floor. Some may have the stalls, some may have the one attached to a bathtub, and some may have both. Whether you use the stalls or the bathtub:

• Wear some foot protection
• Don't leave anything behind

Who knows when was the last time the floors have been cleaned and sometimes you might encounter sharp objects, people might have spat in there, gum, and probably some gross unmentionables.

The last thing I'll mention is initiation. Usually this is planned by the senior students as they have (unless someone went home for the weekend) gone through it. I'm not going to say what exactly happens but it can involve some silly crazy things, but nothing too defiling but if it something that makes you feel uncomfortable or for some medical reason can't do whatever activity it is they'll probably won't let you do it or find some sort of alternative. At the end you get a "Congratulations! You are now a member of <insert house name here>"

That's all for now. Next up: clubs, societies and meeting people.

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- Intro & Roommates

So starting in September it will be my fourth year attending university. Four years is what it takes to obtain a degree? Not for everyone and not for me.

University may be a big step for some. I have seen people drop out halfway through the first year because they feel unprepared or it's not right for them. Another reason may be that they're not fitting in. Later on they either resurface whether it is the same university they attended or switch to another university, even take things down a notch by going to college, or eventually they found a job somewhere and are on the road to becoming a manager of something of that sort. Others are okay with the transition and still continue with everyday life.

Whether people read this or not here will be some advice from my experiences dealing with:

1. Roommates
2. Dorm Life
3. Connecting with others
4. Campus stuff (includes info on textbooks)
5. Mid-Terms and Exams

Everyone experiences university or the college life differently. For me I chose to attend a university that is not in my hometown so this will be based on one who traveled to another part of the country to get an education. I guess I can put it halfway between the experience of someone who has stayed in their hometown as I haven't left the country and an international student as I have sort of entered a strange new world.

I haven't watched a lot of TV shows or movies that revolve around the university lifestyle but as you know a lot of things on TV are exaggerations of real life, except for Harry Potter which I can make a comparison to in terms of the houses. Though there is no magic involved the houses on campus compete in intramural sports and various activities that win the house either free pizza or money that goes towards purchasing furniture for the TV room. The dining hall even has separate tables for the houses.

So if you chose the path of living in the on-campus residences, chances are you're stuck in one room with another boy or girl who is around the same age as you are, or you may have your own little room and have to share a bathroom. In this days and age of e-mail and Facebook you can get to know your future roommate(s) or you can wait until you meet for the first time. Will you get along the first time? It's hit and miss. Some advice:

• If you have a sick roommate who is non-stop coughing, understand that they're just as annoyed as you, possibly even more because he/she has the bug.

From personal experience, at the start my first year I had a really bad cold. I was given penicillin before I started my first year and that wasn't working. I eventually got better meds and still I was coughing but getting better. The coughing was not only keeping me awake but my roommate too. She complained the whole time I was sick and every time I coughed violently she would think I was getting sick. My advice to you is to wait it out and sooner or later (provided that the meds are working) you may get some peace and quiet.

• If possible, take your phone calls elsewhere

This mostly applies to the roommate that communicates by cell phone, and possibly webcam. If your buddy says to take it outside, then take it outside. Unless your roommate's family is halfway around the world, if you have to talk to someone at 2 in the morning and your roommate wants to get some sleep take your phone call out of the room. Speaking of activity at 2 in the morning . . .

• Earphones are your best friends

Even if you and your roommate(s) like it loud you may want some quiet time. If you want to listen to music or watch a movie on the laptop at 2 in the morning while your roommate wants some shut-eye just plug in some earphones, whether they're from your mp3 player or the cheap ones from the airplane. If for some reason your earphone jack is busted, you can always go for the USB headsets. They may cost more but at least you can live it loud while the others around you can get some sleep.

• Do your share of cleaning the room.

You may have requested the roommate that doesn't really care about cleanliness and ended up with one that does, do your share of sweeping the floor every . . . well often. Maybe then your roommate(s) won't complain that they're always doing the work.

• Make sure that your roommate(s) are okay with you bringing in people and certain items

You may not be sexually active but if you feel uncomfortable with your roommate bringing in someone, tell him or her that you feel uncomfortable. Chances are they probably won't be screwing each other while you're in the room but if it gets too far and the roommate goes "it's my room too you know", take it to the proctor, saying that you have problems with your roommate. Same goes with bringing in items that you may not want in the room.

• Respect your roommate(s)' religious views and cultural stuff

Disclosing your religious beliefs can help you match up with someone who has the same religious beliefs. Again with the cleanliness point there could be the chance that you may be matched up with someone who may hold different beliefs. Also if you're with someone from another part of the world, whether English is their first or second (maybe even third) don't disrespect them. So what if they're different than you, you can probably learn a lot of what you don't know from them, just don't shove your beliefs down their throats.


My third and most recent year I moved to the apartment style residences where instead of having 2 people in 1 room it is 4 individual rooms in 1 room sharing bathroom and kitchen. All 4 of us got along well and I am looking forward to seeing 2 of them and a new roommate this coming September.

Next up: What's it like in a dorm

Miss Universe 2010

Last night was the Miss Universe beauty pageant where 83 (the amount of competitors this year) women from all across the globe compete for the title. The reason I would watch these beauty pageants is for what the models wear, especially the cultural costumes and evening gowns.

One thing I want to know is who pre-selects the top 15. All those women are beautiful I must say but the top 15 was composed of 7 Europeans, 1 African, 1 from Oceania, 3 North Americans, 1 South American, 1 Central American, and 1 Asian (Russia spans over 2 continents but I'm grouping it in the Europe category). I'm sure the proportions change each year but it would be interesting to see a country that has never placed in the top 15 place there at least once instead of having some of the same countries that have been in the top 15 for many years.

The issue I want to bring up is Miss Philippines, Venus Raj. She made it all the way to the top 5 and finished in fifth place. She probably would have placed higher if she either had a different question that what she was asked (which makes me wonder what Criss Angel's question was) or if she gave a better answer.

Here is what she was asked and what she answered:

"One big mistake that you made in your life and what did you do to make it right?"

We all have made mistakes in our lives. If a big mistake is too personal to say on live television just say that it's too personal. I'd probably say something like, "I have made many big mistakes in my life and even though I do not want to talk about any of them I have learned from them. Anyone involved I have made amends with them." I think the contestant is only given like a minute and a half to answer (if I'm wrong I know it's a short amount of time). The purpose of the question I believe is to show humility and that the next Miss Universe is human. After all, besides being a supermodel the titleholder is also a humanitarian role model.

On the other hand I am just a spectator. With the question round the top 5 must be under a lot of pressure as how they answer affects who gets the prize. They're up there not knowing what question they're going to get. I'm also thinking that these women have been in smaller competitions which follow the same format so the pressure may not be as much but are prepared.

Not sure if I have anything more to say. Other than that though you can sit around and criticize how someone looks and what someone says, but one experienced one gains an understanding.