IRJE #5 – Beyond the Trees by Adam Shoalts

Beyond the Trees is a nonfiction story Adam Shoalts tells of his journey alone across Canada’s arctic. He wrote it after the documentary that was made which tells the same story which I watched before reading the book. I discovered that he had written books about his adventures after watching the documentary, so I decided to get his most famous book and give it a read. After finishing it, I have concluded that it is one of my favourite books I have read. I found it very captivating, interesting, and full of adventure. Some parts even made me chuckle. The story goes through his mission of travelling on foot and canoe across Canada’s arctic. He starts in Whitehorse, Yukon, and finishes at Baker Lake, Nunavut. It took him nearly 4 months to complete. He weaved through ice floes, faced bears and muskox, and portaged across rough terrain. As the title suggests, he is above treeline, in the arctic tundra. Parts of his journey actually crosses north of the arctic circle line. With little human interaction throughout his journey, he keeps himself company by talking to his canoe and the amazing wildlife. Some of which had never seen a human being. There were many hard times such as inclement winds, treacherous terrain, and ice blocks. I came across the following quotation in the book which is an example of how he overcomes difficult times.

My pants and socks were drenched, but there wasn’t time to dry things out. I just wrung out the socks, put them back on, and kept going. Discouraging as having your waders flood with frigid waters can be, I always found that there was some little thing to cheer me up: the sight of robins hopping along the banks, or a lone wolf wandering the shoreline, or an eagle soaring overhead. Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference. (p. 201 – p. 202)

I agree. Sometimes it is “the little things that make all the difference.” I found this passage meaningful because it highlights his perseverance and ability to enjoy the little things, that are often overlooked, by changing his point of view. Instead of focusing on the negative, like his soaked clothes, he chooses to focus on the positives by finding joy in the small things and natural world around him. This shows great mental strength, and I think everyone should try more to find things to be grateful about, even if they’re small. It’s our outlook on life and the situation that shapes our experience more than the circumstance itself.

IRJE #5: The Litigators

The Litigators, by John Grisham. This book is a legal thriller that focuses on 31-year-old David Zinc, a lawyer at a high-stress corporate job who quits his job for employment at a small, dubious law firm called Finley & Figg in Chicago. The book is based around a large class-action lawsuit against Varrick Labs who has developed a cholesterol-reducing drug. However, with further research into the drug, it became known that it was a propellant for heart-attacks in individuals who may take the drug.

Lyle took his hand off the casket and looked square into the shifty eyes of Wally Figg. “You know what killed my father, Mr. Figg?”

“You said it was a heart attack.”

“Right. You know what caused the heart attack?”

“Well, no.”

Lyle glanced around the door to make sure that they were still alone. He glanced around to make sure no one could be possibly listening.

“Ever heard of a drug called Krayoxx? (p. 37)”

In this quote, two important individuals are coversing, Lyle Marino and Wally Figg. This is the part of the book where these two individuals start to investigate this new Krayoxx drug, as Lyle was remarking upon how his father died of a heart attack. This part of the book is the moment where Lyle and Wally start to put this picture together as to why this heart attack may have happened in the first place. The culprit? So far, it appears to be Krayoxx. These two characters are onto Varrick Labs.

PW#5 – Mr. Macknight personal writing prompt thing

“What’s more important: being healthy or having lots of money? Explain why you think so”

From my perspective, having lots of money is a much better alternative to being healthy because, well, put simply: you can buy stuff to make you healthy. But that is likely not the main focus of the question, I believe the question is saying: “you can only choose one”. So, in that case, I believe that being healthy is more important than having lots of money.

One example of this in history was Henry the VIII. Who was the king of England. He had a large amount of money, obviously being a king, but he was extremely unhealthy. He was severely overweight, and although this was preventable. He is an example of how money cant make you healthy. Being unhealthy also causes risks of having an illness which is not preventable. Which even money cant fix.

Along with the the risk of severe illness, happiness is also something that money cant buy. A common counter to this argument is: “You can just buy something that makes you happy”, although this is a true argument, that happiness is always going to be temporary, which is not something that is associated with being healthy. Being healthy means you are consistently happy due to a good mental state, which will always prevail in the face of temporary happiness.

To conclude, being healthy is better than having a lot of money, because being healthy means you are less likely to get a severe illness, and being healthy means you are happier overall.

 

PW#4 Wisdom teeth

I think at this moment in time I’m experiencing the worst physical pain ever, I’ve been through many kinds of painful things like for example, I broke my arm when I was a kid. But I would never wish the pain of wisdom teeth aches on my worst enemy. Starting this month it has become clear to me that my wisdom teeth are growing in and are forming roots which is insanely painful, what started off as a simple earache slowly developed into a fever. During this fever and earache combo, I began feeling pain at the back of my mouth specifically my back teeth, my mom took one look at my teeth and let me know she was calling the dentist. At the dentist, I got x-rayed and the dentist smiled and said “Yep you’re gonna probably have to get all 4 removed under general anesthesia”, in that moment I think I died inside. Have you ever seen those videos of people getting all 4 of their wisdom teeth removed, if you haven’t then I’ll describe it to you, under anesthesia you don’t have absolute control over what you do or say, and don’t even get me started on how swollen your face is going to get. Am I very nervous? Yes! But is this a common and non-dangerous experience, also yes so I think I’ll be fine if rather get them out than keep them in with the pain I’m going through.

PR Brave New World

¨Brave New World¨ by Aldous Huxley was an exceptional read that left me with a deep sense of reflection on the nature of society, technology, and individuality. One of the aspects I truly appreciated about the book was its ability to combine a gripping narrative with though-provoking themes. Huxley’s exploration of a dystopian future, where conformity is prioritized over personal freedom, made me think about the dangers of overreliance on technology and the potential loss of individuality.

The world Huxley created is chilling, fascinating, yet unstable. The idea of society where people are conditioned from birth to fit predefined roles and where emotions are suppressed to maintain social stability felt both eerily possible and alarmingly relevant. The novel made me question the balance between societal order and personal autonomy-something that is increasingly significant in our own world, where technology and societal pressures continue to shape individual lives on similar ways.

What I also found compelling was Huxley’s critique of consumerism. The citizens of this future society are constantly pacified by pleasure and material goods, yet they lack any real sense of fulfillment or purpose. This commentary on the emptiness of a consumer-driven existence resonated with me. It made me realize how easy it is to become caught up in a cycle of superficial satisfaction, which can prevent people from pursuing meaningful, authentic experiences.

The characters, especially Bernard Marx and John the Savage, were complex and engaging, serving as vehicles for Huxley’s philosophical ideas. I found myself empathizing with them, particularly John, who was caught between two worlds, one that values freedom and individual thought, and the other that thrives on conformity and control. His struggle highlighted the profound consequences of living in a society that suppresses true emotion and thought.

Overall, ¨Brave New World¨ is a timeless work work that challenged my perceptions and made me reflect on the path our own society is heading. Huxley’s vision of a future dominated by technology, pleasure, and control felt both cautionary and eye-opening, and I truly appreciated the book’s ability to push the reader to think critically about the values we hold dear.

IRJE#5 – The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene, 2019.

In The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene, the author delves deep into the complexities of human behavior. He tell us how people are often driven by hidden emotions and subconscious impulses. One of the central themes in the book is the idea that understanding the emotions behind people’s actions rather than taking their words at face value gives you a powerful advantage in social interactions. Greene argues that human beings are far more complex than they appear with many layers that are not visible and that by learning to read these hidden motivations you can better navigate any relationship or situation. This idea is particularly relevant in a world where much of what people say and do is shaped by their emotional drives even if they are not consciously aware of it. I chose the following quote because it sums up this key lesson in the book and highlights the impact that understanding emotions can have on our interactions.

Human beings are complex and driven by a variety of emotions. They have many layers, which makes them difficult to understand. But once you can learn to see beyond the obvious, to the underlying drives, you gain a power that is very difficult to acquire by any other means. The key is to understand the emotions behind the actions. (p. 43).

This quotation really made sense to me because it illustrates the idea that true social power comes from recognizing and understanding the emotional layers in the behaviors which is not always easy to do but can be impactful when mastered. By applying this concept you gain a clearer understanding of people which can change the way you interact with them on a fundamental level.

PW #1 – Ski Trip

I woke up ate 3 AM I was really tired, but I was excited for the ski trip to Mount Washington. We were going to a ski trip planned by the school. I had to get ready quickly, grabbed my ski gear, and met my friends at the bus. The trip was long but I was asleep almost the whole ride. When we arrived, the sunrise incredible full of different colors. The mountain was really good everything was covered in snow and it wasn’t that cold. We spent the day skiing, eating and having fun. Every run was better and really fun. My friends and I tried the hardest sloped, and it was amazing there was some fluffy snow but there was also a lot of ice in the slopes. When we went back, my legs were sore, and I was really tired. On the ride to the school I fell asleep again until we arrived. Even though waking up early wasn’t easy, the trip was worth it.

IRJE#4

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval is the story of Scarlett Dragna, who was always under the harsh control of her father. She always wanted freedom from it, but she stays under his control to protect her younger sister Donatella. Scarlett is invited to Caraval, a magical game where players use clues to win the competition. But after arriving, she cant find Donatella anywhere. Scarlett discovers founding her sister is the center of the game and Scarlett wants to save her more than anything, she has to solve the clues and win to find her, but Caraval is full of illusions and Scarlett isn’t sure of who she can trust. In this scene, Scarlett realizes she hasn’t taken action because of her fear. She’s been trying to avoid taking risks, but now she knows she needs to take them to save Donatella.

Every story has four parts: the begging, the middle, the almost- ending, and the true ending. It wasn’t until now Scarlett realized she’d been stuck in the almost-ending for too long. If she wanted a true ending, she would have to fight for it. (P.201)

I chose this quotation because it shows Scarlett’s growth and how she realizes she’s been trying to be safe for too long. It shows us how we need to take action and get out of our comfort zone to accomplish our goals.

 

 

IRJE#5 – Brave New World

In Aldous Huxley Brave New World, we explore the story of a controlled society where people are made to choose confort and prioritize social order above all else. In this quote Mustapha Mond is having a conversation with John the savage, where John shows his state of mind with superficial happiness and Mustapha explains how people choose to loose their humanity over being able to feel.

“And being contented has none of the glamour
of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle
with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never
grand.”(pg. 152)

This quote captures one of the central themes of the book: the superficial happiness and the nature of human life. Mustapha talks about how without emotions like pain and the need to resist temptation, people loose their ability to grow and develop a self image. The author wants to contrast what it means to be human and the need to feel unconfortable, pain, and other disconforting feelings to remain human.

Brave New World (Luciana)

In this novel by Aldous Huxley, we are submerged to a futuristic society called the World State. This revolves around science, pleasure and efficiency. While reading this novel, something that I found very interesting was the constant theme of happiness. Throughout this novel we can see how the stability of society is dependent on the happiness of the people. For Mustapha Mond, a Controller, happiness is one of his top priorities. Therefore if there is unhappiness, the system would come to a crash. They achieve this by doing three things that are crucial. First, physiological conditioning. Meaning that people are made to be suited to their jobs and not aim for anything else than what they are given. Second, through the promotion of sex and the termination of families and relationships, ensuring that no one will ever face unreciprocated emotions. Third, whatever minor inconvenience can be solved by just taking some Soma, which is a drug that makes everything go away. These three methods are widely successful in the World State. Everything seems fine and everyone is more importantly, happy. However, I still can’t shake the question, at what cost does this happiness come? This is something that is explored throughout the story, and we can see how it greatly affects society as we see that not everyone is exactly happy.

IRJE #5 Brave New World Luciana

In Aldous Huxley Brave New World, we are submerged to a futuristic society called the World State. This revolves around science and efficiency. The director is giving a tour, and Henry is explaining the process of heat conditioning for embryos that are destined to become steel workers and miners in the tropics.

 

“And that”, put the director sententiously ,”that is the secret of happiness and virtue-liking what you’ve got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their unescapable social destiny”. (pg.12)

According to the Director and to the principles of Fordist society, happiness is conditioned acceptance of your circumstances. However, he fails to mention the fact that each persons “unescapable social destiny” is chosen by an authority figure. This quote can help us understand that at the end of the day his world view discounts the possibility of human choice.

IRJE#5 – The Autobiography of Martin Luther King

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr edited (and partially? written) by Clayborne Carson, is a book that focuses on various periods of King’s life. This book is more than half King’s own words, as the author has tried to keep the book mostly written by King’s own words via his books, letters, etc.

“I realized that there would be difficulties. Whenever you have a transition, whenever you are moving from one system to another there will be definite difficulties, but I thought that there was enough brainpower, enough determination, enough courage and faith to meet the difficulties as they developed.” (pg. 115)

I like this quote because Martin Luther King Jr is a man I always (and still do) look up to. He was so willing to fight, to step forward despite the risks and consequences, to put in his self not knowing how it would be received. This quote really gives lots of power to your soul if you read it the right way, if you hold onto it with nice hands, and if you can find it in yourself to feel it. Really feel it. Because, it’s true, there will always be difficulties, no matter who you are, no matter where you are, there are no exceptions. You have to keep moving, but finding the will to keep moving is what’s worth it, what’s important.

IRJE#5 The Fever Code

The Fever Code, a book written by James Dashner, is a sequel to The Kill Order and is about the overall production, format, and past about the maze itself. As you can see, I’m a huge fan of the series. I’ve watched the movies, I’ve read the books, this is the last one before I move onto something different and I’m thinking probably a sequel to the book You by Caroline Kepnes. This book got my attention at the start because it was where Ms. Mcvoy, Dr. Paige, and Mr. Ramirez recruited Thomas and Teresa to help them on a project, THE MAZE.

The cavern had to be at least a few miles square and as tall as a skyscraper. Building materials-wood and steel and stone-were scattered in piles across the floor… A huge wall was under construction, its skeletal frame almost reaching the ceiling… “You’re going to know a lot more, and you’re going to be very, very busy… You’re going to help us build this place.” (p. 68)

For anyone who hasn’t read the books or seen the movies, this quotation wouldn’t have much meaning but I find this quote the main source of guilt and death because in the future books/movies, Thomas gets put in the maze and everyone there, are people that he and others threw in, basically to die. So I like to think about this part as foreshadowing to a devastating end.

 

PW #06 – A Warm Moment in a Cup

There’s something magical about the first sip of coffee in the morning. It’s not just the caffeine—it’s the ritual, the comfort, the way the steam rises like a gentle wake-up call. For me, that first sip is a small, quiet moment of peace before the day rushes in.

I’ve always loved how coffee feels like a bridge between moments. It’s there when I’m starting a busy day, sitting in silence before the chaos begins. It’s also there during the slow, lazy afternoons, paired with a good book or a long conversation with a friend. There’s a rhythm to it, like a pause button I can press whenever life feels too overwhelming.

My favorite part, though, is how coffee connects people. There’s something about sharing a cup with someone that makes conversations flow easier, laughter feel lighter, and even silence feel comfortable. It’s like a universal language—a small, simple thing that brings us together.

Maybe that’s why I love it so much. It’s not just a drink; it’s a feeling. Warmth in a cup, a little reminder to slow down, breathe, and enjoy the moment before it slips away.

PW #5 Marathons

Today marks the beginning of the third week of my marathon training block. With just 15 weeks left until the Vancouver Marathon in May, the reality is starting to set in fully. These past few weeks I have been running and excercising every day and I don’t think I remember the last time, were I didn’t feel sore. The weeks have been filled with highs and lows: I can feel myself getting stronger and faster but at the same time I feel myself getting frustrated over the slow progress. There are days were I feel like I could run the marathon tomorrow and then there are days were even running the smallest distances feels impossible. Running has been a very important part of my life for a while now, but training for a full marathon is a whole new level of commitment to me.

Looking back, my running journey started in June of 2023 when I had set myself the goal of running 10km in September. The only way that I can describe those first few months is: painful. But apparently that didn’t scare me off enough, because right after finishing my first race, I signed up for the Prague Half Marathon in April. That winter and spring I spent countless hours on streets and trails, trying to get as much time on my feet as possible. In April I crushed the 21.1km with a new PB and it was one of the best days of my life. After that training block I decided to take some time off and just enjoy the beauty of running without any race pressure, but the goal of running a marathon was always in the back of my head. Before moving to Canada for a year, I subconsciously knew that I wanted to challenge myself. So after countless hours of thinking this whole project and seemigly unachievable goal over, I finally signed up for the Vancouver Marathon in May. I know that running a full marathon is an incredible achievement, so I’m trying to go into this experience open-minded and with a positive mindset (with the hopes of making it to the finish line!).

PW#5- Ski Trip

Since I was little, my family and I have gone skiing at least once a year. Every year I anxiously waited for winter for the sole reason of going skiing. On these trips, I would normally go with my family to someplace in the U.S.A. Yet, even though I enjoyed them, I’ve always wanted something else: skiing with friends. I always saw videos of people skiing with friends or heard stories of my parents when they used to ski with their friends, which made me crave it for so long. Part of the reason why I came to Canada was so I could go skiing with my peers.

Therefore, when I heard we would be having a ski trip, I got excited. I rushed to sign myself up and told my friends to do so as well. That was about a month ago, so I forgot the date of the trip. But now, as the date gets closer, I can’t contain my excitement.Next week I Ill be on the top of Mt. Washington, not just for skiing but enjoying the adventure with my friends.

PW#5 – Boot Polishing – Another Idea?

As you may (or may not) remember from my last pw post, I had trouble with polishing my boots; This was because I intended to use polish in spots of the boot that were always under physical stress (bending) and this is why it quickly cracked and fell off (a process known as Flaking polish). I have been stuck with this problem for a long time, as my other boot was all polished up and shiny in the areas where the other boot’s polish just fell off. Last week, however, everything changed, when I looked t one of my senior’s boots and got an idea. The solution to my problem was so obvious I even laughed at myself for not coming up with it sooner; It turns out that if the polish doesn’t stick there, I shouldn’t force it to! simple as that! This meant I could remove the polish from those areas and focus on the areas which are more prone to be seen (the front of the boot, heels). I am currently in the process of building up more polish layers to catch up to my other boot, and after that I may start to build up the layers more and more to make an even shinier surface on the both of them. This is not the end of the Boot Polish Series, so, if you are interested in how to polish your boots you may always use my previous PW posts as a guide and if you have any questions please comment down below, I will answer them in the next blog post.

IRJE#5

In this scene of the book powerless by Lauren Roberts. The main character Paedyn Gray is in the Purging Trails, surrounded by Elites that would kill Paedyn if they found out she’s and Ordinary, Paedyn has to hide the fact that she doesn’t possess power all throughout the trials.

A flicker of doubt crossed my mind, a whisper that I didn’t belong here, that I wasn’t strong enough to survive this. But I shoved it down, burying it beneath layers of resolve. I had to win- not for glory, not for fame, but because losing wasn’t an option. Not for me. Not for my family. Not for anyone else who had ever been told they weren’t enough (p.134)

I chose this quote because its shows paedyn’s bravery and determination. It shows she wont give up even when everything is against her, like she being powerless and having to hide it to be safe from the powerful people that want to get rid of people like her. She’s fighting for people that feel powerless. I like this book because it teaches us to keep pushing and trying even if it seems impossible.

 

IRJE #5 Your Name By: Makoto Shinkai

As I am beginning to read Your Name by Makoto Shinkai, a popular Japanese book turned into a cartoon, I have loved reading an outside perspective on teenage love outside the North American view. The book follows the story of Mitsuha, a quiet teenage girl living in a small Japanese town, and Taki, a city boy living in the heart of Tokyo. Both characters long for each other but as the distance between them grows stronger, is their love really meant to be?

“I’m in love. We’re in love.
That means we’ll meet again. I’m sure of it.
And so I’ll live.
I’ll survive this. No matter what happens, even if the stars fall, I will live.” (pg. 80)

This book, however, does not only follow the story of the two star-crossed lovers unable to be forever with each other but also explores different topics such as finding one’s true self. Unlike many other romance books I have read beforehand, this book has kept me wanting more and more each second I turn the page, which has helped me start and finish this book quicker than I had expected. I love reading how the two main characters grow alongside one another, and I hope when I am fully finished reading this book and can watch the cartoon it will be just as good as what I have read.

PW #5: Puerto Vallarta, MX

Just like that, my 12-day-long vacation has come to an end, and it’s back to reality. After almost 2 weeks of lounging, eating as much as I can, and having my feet in the sand, I’m back home at my desk writing this PW. This is my third year going to the same city, at the same time, to the same resort. It may sound a bit repetitive, but it’s actually made some of the most memorable trips for me. Once you visit the same place for the third time (at least in Puerto Vallarta), I’ve noticed that the people who are still there are always so happy to see me and my family come along.

The shopkeepers, the staff at the resort, and really anyone who we had talked to the year before lit up when we came over and said hello. There was this one server, who had talked to me and my family quite a bit, who saw us back at the pool on the second day of our trip. The minute he saw us, he looked so happy and excited that we decided to come back. The hospitality in the city is something I really adore. Yesterday, when me and my family were getting on the shuttle to the airport, one of the staff members came over to us to say goodbye, and she said “Same time next year?” It’s hard to not want to come back after how amazing everyone has been over the last couple weeks. Then there’s the miracle of air travel, which somehow gets me over half of Mexico and the entire continental United States in just under five hours. It’s crazy to think about. Puerto Vallarta, you have everything I want.

Brave New World: PR

To be totally honest, it’s hard for me to say that I really enjoyed this book. As a reader, a lot of things about this book were just really odd to me, and I don’t really see the appeal to the book, at least for myself. I didn’t really understand how the society that everyone lived in was a ‘utopia’, due to a number of large factors. The first one would be that no one has any family members. To me especially, it seems crazy that a society where no one has any family would be considered a ‘utopia’ by any stretch, mainly because a lot of my world revolves around my family. I do know that this depends for a lot of people, as everyone has different relationships with those people. However, for me, most of what I do is with my family. If I’m going skiing, it’s with my family. If I’m going on a vacation, it’s with my family. If I’m going on a road trip, it’s going to be with my family. You get the point. A lot of what I do is with my family, and I like it that way. If I had no family like in the society of BNW, I’d be left not really knowing what to do next.

The second factor would be the amount of sexual elements in their society. While I understand that since no one has any family members and that sex is only for recreation, the whole concept is disgusting. Little children who are just starting to put a picture together of the world playing sexual games with each other is literal insanity at best, but this being part of a utopia is just on another level for me. Flipping through the pages of this book I would be thinking to myself: “Could this be any worse?” I’d then flip to the next page and I would go “Actually yes, somehow they made this even worse!” The final factor would be the genetic modification of humans in this society. I wasn’t really a fan of the fact that people were artificially bred into specific classes of society. The fact that people are predetermined to be in a certain class before they even get started just doesn’t sit right with me. What happened to working your way up to becoming a manager of a massive corporation through hard work ethics and determination? While Epsilons might be just content being janitors and street cleaners, it seems wrong to predetermine a newborn to be one for the rest of their life. Despite the fact that I wasn’t really a fan of the book, I did find the societies’ usage of hypnopedia interesting. It would be cool to see some sort of technology arise using this practice. Overall, Brave New World wasn’t my favourite book in the world, and I personally didn’t enjoy it that much.

”Brave New World”: Reflection

Reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley I had many conflicting emotions, both fascinating and unsettling. As this book raises countless important issues around being yourself, having personal freedom, and what we give up to make life more simple and enjoyable, it’s a type of book that will stick with you forever. The story’s discussion on human training, as people are unaware they lost their freedom and have been conditioned to accept their lifestyles, unsettlingly, compared to our own real world it is greatly similar to countless people in media or in our daily lives. Huxley’s universe although extreme from the very first chapter, is yet also quite realistic on how our environment can shape our thoughts and desires so easily. Nonetheless, my attention was most drawn to the way Huxley’s protraits how moral ideals are placed onto children and if parents if fully witnessed their own children being programmed would beginn to doubt the system or countine as normal. I have learned to value the messy parts of real life and how different my personal world be if it was more like in Brave New World. Lastly, this book premotes people to explore investigation into thier lives and systems they may or may not know they are in themselves which I loved reading.

PW#5-Everything turned Upside-down

Well, let´s just start saying and everything lately has been a mess on my life, is like somebody was making a joke on me to drive crazy slowly, and I must admit is achieving it, indeed, I´m driving crazy, and I do not know how to recover the control of my own life. You must well remember that just a few weeks ago we returned to school, well in the exact moment that I got here I literally see and felt how everything just suddenly started to accumulate, I have a lot of work, and it feels endless, I’m actually so tired to be making work after work. Worst of all is that I’ve been falling behind without being able to catch up with all my work, I even got sick and that obviously did not help at all, I just have more work than before.

PW #5 Roberta’s Abstract Self

As it goes for for anyone who has met Roberta, our wonderful, dear classmate and friend among sorts, we have all witness your abstract ways of life. Through the way she intracts, to the way she smiles with all her teeth, Roberta is a type of person no one shall ever forget. The type of person who will always be able to cheer you up from any troubles in your life, while still being able to be there for you and more in a caring, loving way. Without the help of her and her almost unbelievable humor, Brookes Westshore this year would not have been anything sort of depressing for many in the dorms and for the ones willing to come to this school. I am so greatful to have met this sort of person, I wouldn’t have been unable to find anywhere else in the world besides the heart of Mexico where this weirdo is from. Roberta and all the rest of my wonderful new friends this year have been able to show me how truly special Brookes Westshore is and I’m so exitced to be spending the rest of the term with all of them inculding Roberta’s not noticeable aura.

PW – #05 Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians is a story that follows the main character, Rachel Chu. Rachel is a professor at NYU, who lives a normal middle-class life. Rachel’s boyfriend, Nick, is from Singapore and is invited to go back to Singapore to attend his best friend’s wedding along with Rachel. What Rachel doesn’t know is that Nick belongs to one of the wealthiest families in Singapore. When they arrive, Rachel is submerged in a life of luxury and elegance. Rachel has to fight the expectations of high society and the judgments of Nick’s family, especially his mother, Eleanor, who does not approve of Rachel and Nick’s relationship. As the movie goes on, we can explore the expectations of high society and the pressure that is put on different people. We can even see Rachel creating her own insecurities based on society’s standards and questioning her position in her boyfriend’s life. Rachel, as an outsider, faces judgment because of her background as a Chinese-American who is not as connected with her culture. As a woman, we can see Rachel is considered an unfit woman for the luxury life and unable to meet expectations, while Nick, as a man, gets to live life as a wealthy, successful man free of judgment. This movie can help us understand the pressure society puts on us. We can analyze more deeply the double standards we are expected to meet as a part of society. We can understand the importance of being ourselves and finding out who we are, so when we are faced with the occasion of someone having high standards, we won’t be affected by it or have thoughts that may create insecurities.

PW #5 – My Crazy Dog

I have a dog called Bobo who is very energetic but sometimes annoying. She has brought stress and fun into our lives since the day we got her which was a few years ago. She was a street dog who was rescued from the streets of Mexico. She is a pure black, slender, medium sized dog with pointy ears. She looks a lot like a Formosan Mountain Dog, but we decided to do a DNA test on her since we were curious, and the results were mainly a mix of Doberman, German Shepard, and Pitbull. Anyhow, I am going to write about one of her many adventures. My mum and I were finishing a camping trip a couple summers ago and we decided to spend the last couple hours at the top of a mountain somewhere in BC (on the mainland) to have late breakfast and a hike. Later that day we were catching the ferry back to Victoria. We were preparing breakfast and had tied Bobo to a nearby tree a couple metres away. I was surprised she was so well behaved and went over to give her a carrot (which she loves). She was gone. I picked up the end of the lead and dangling from it was her harness. But no dog. She had obviously managed to get out and was now somewhere in the wilderness in this deserted place with nothing on her with bears and squirrels around. You may be wondering how we will get her back. We know she will come back because she does this sometimes when we let her off the lead, but we had a ferry to catch which was a few hours drive away. She’s a pretty smart and independent dog but her recall is horrendous when she is on the hunt. It’s as if her listening skills switch off as soon as she’s unclipped. Plus, she has the attention span of a fly. We spent the next 2 hours looking for her and pacing about. We couldn’t go far because we knew she would come back to the last spot her saw us. Eventually, I saw her racing towards me (she was not paying any interest to me though) and my mum was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes fixed on another ground squirrel. This was my only chance of getting her as my patience was wearing off. Just as she was sprinting past me, I leaped forwards landing on her and we both fell to the ground. Don’t worry, she’s a strong dog and was completely fine. After that we leashed her up and drove to the ferry. Something over-the-top like this (not always an off-lead scenario) seems to happen almost every week but this was the most memorable one for me I think.

PR “Brave New World” (Oliver)

Brave new world is a book about a dystopia where people are all happy, but no-one is free. The story centers around three or four characters. One of them, Bernard, is very unhappy with his current situation and is quickly losing his station amongst society because of how much time he spends alone. he is unhappy because people keep talking about how short he is. this makes him increasing angry at people, in general. I think I like Berend the best because of how he doesn’t like the system. At the end of the book, I wondered about the other people on the island and how they got there. What are their stories? Who are they? It feels like this book should have a sequel.

PW#5 About time

This is a film about a boy navigating through life, until he finds out that he can travel through time. What a marvelous thing to have right? Or so we thought. This ability consists of going back through time, wherever or whenever he wants, except there is catch, what you do can alter the future. Allegedly this sounds great. For example, you had a bad grade? You can go back and modify it. You said something foolish? You can go back and say something different. You have any regrets? You can change it. Even living a moment again. How great is that? Yet this becomes troubling for our main character, as he realizes the secret in life. Well truly, as this movie is quite literally about time, it’s all about enjoying life fleeting moments. So, the secret is actually living life. Every single moment, good or bad, and enjoying every second as it passes, seeing the beauty in it.  This teaches our main characters perspective in life, as he learns that in reality it’s not about what happens, but how you approach it. At the end of the day, you are the one living your life, no one else, wich leaves it entirely up to you how you live it. For me, this was more than a movie, but a life lesson, reminding me how to live my life. For weeks I charged myself with paying attention to details, always finding great moments with my day. It changed everything for me, and for that I am truly grateful, so now I try to enjoy my life and live it to the fullest.

PW#05 – Gold or Silver: The Endless Debate

Sometimes I stare at my reflection, holding a piece of gold jewelry in one hand and silver in the other, and I feel completely torn. Gold has this warm, timeless glow that makes me feel elegant and bold. But then there’s silver-cool, understated, and effortlessly classic. They both have their charm, and yet, I can never seem to pick one that truly feels me.

I’ve tried to settle the debate, Some people say it’s about skin tone, warm or cool undertones, but honestly, I think my undertones are just indecisive as i am. One day, gold seems to complement me perfectly, like sunshine on my skin. The next day, it feels too flashy, and I find myself drawn to the subtle shimmer of silver instead.

It’s not just about aesthetics either-it feels symbolic, like I’m trying to decide between two parts of my personality. Gold feels daring, confident, maybe even a little bold. Silver feels calm, graceful, and steady. The truth is, I probably have a bit of both in me, which is why choosing between them feels impossible.

So, I switch back and forth, letting my mood or the occasion decide for me. Some days, I’ll mix them together because, honestly, why not? Maybe it’s less about picking one and more about embracing the fact that I don’t have to.

PR#02 – Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

Reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley was a strange and thought-provoking experience. On the surface, it has elements of a love story-Lenina and John’s connection could’ve been romantic- but it’s clear their relationship was never really about love in the traditional sense. Lenina, conditioned by the World State, doesn’t truly understand love or individuality, while John, raised outside of it, sees love as something more profound and sacred. Their clashing worldviews made their “relationship” feel more like a tragic misunderstanding than a genuine romance.

The Shakespeare references, especially John’s constant quoting near the end, added so much depth to the story. The Tempest‘s “brave new world” quote perfectly captures the irony of the society-what seems like utopia is actually a nightmare. Shakespeare’s works are filled with themes of love, tragedy, and human complexity, which are absent in the sterile, controlled society of the World State. John’s obsession with Shakespeare felt like his desperate attempt to hold on to a world that valued passion and individuality, but it also made him painfully incompatible with Lenina and the society around him.

In the end, the story left me wondering if true love and deep emotion can exist in a world that prioritizes stability and conformity over humanity. Brave New World is both chilling and heartbreakingly relevant even if I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wished, not exactly being my cup of tea.

Personal Response – Brave New World

At first, I didn’t really like Brave New World. Honestly, I found it overly sexual and hard to connect with and I couldn’t quite understand why this was Huxleys idea of a “futuristic/dystopian society”. But as I kept reading, I started to see how much of it reflects issues and actual topics in our own society and I couldn’t help but unsee the parallels made. The characters in BNW keep talking about the problems and stress caused by interpersonal relationships and families and even though I don’t agree with this negative view (because I believe that family, friends and love are necessary), I do think that personal relations cause many problems (fights, domestic violence, divorce, etc.). So it got me thinking: What if everybody belonged to everybody and there was no such thing as relationships between people? Would our world be more peaceful or would we all feel lonely? What is it even that we crave from relationships and love? Is it the feeling of being loved or just lust? Sometimes I found myself confused and almost scared by the possibilities of a certain future that Huxley describes. Even though everything that happens in BNW is made up, I believe that there is some truth to it.

A passage that really stood out to me was Mustapha Mond’s speech to the Savage towards the end of the book. It honestly made me rethink my first impression of Brave New World and left me with a lot to think about. The plot twist, that “the most important” world leader in the story is a rebel and actually opposed to the governement, truly surprised me. I had thought that nobody in the new world (especially not the leader) would acknowledge or even study different types of literature, governments, religions, societies and science, because they were all illicit or simply forgotten. And this conversation connected the society of the World State, which seems incredibly dystopian, with our ‘normal’ world and society, which made me question the impossibility of a society like the World State. What if we actually aren’t that far from collapsing into such a regime?

Mond’s speech about giving up science, art and freedom for stability hit me hard. Especially because he talks about his love and passion for science, which he decided to give up for the good of the World State. That idea felt hearbreaking to me. Science is supposed to be about curiosity and pushing bounderies, but in the World State, it’s just another thing they control to keep everyone “safe”. It made me think about how much of our individuality and creativity we might already be sacrificing for the sake of comfort today. Aren’t we all already victims of it? As small kids we learn how to suppress our creativity and ideas in order to follow a set of rules and this carries on with us through our lives.

As I have mentioned, what surprised me the most was how much of what Mond said felt true, not just in the book’s dystopia but in real life. The World State prioritises happiness over freedom and while I don’t completely agree with that, I could see the parallels to our modern society. So many people, myself included, sometimes choose distractions – like scrolling through social media or binge-watchng shows – over dealing with uncomfortable truths or emotions. We will always choose momentary happiness over long-term comfort and freedom. It’s scary to think how easy it is to fall into a version of that shallow and controlled happiness.

 

Personal Response- “Brave New World”

In the book “Brave New World” (by Aldous Huxley), we are introduced to a concept/theoretical future society, which brings up many questions and feelings along the way, for example, the feeling of unease, especially towards the end of the book. I have personally got this feeling because at the end of the book the “Savage” breaks the laws of this society; Everybody lives without knowing what pain, reality, or freedom is (at least not in its full extent) and when the news spread to London about the Savage I was even afraid that he was going to be captured, held in some sort of institution and forcefully treated so that he would forget about his wills (drugged). Along with the feeling of unease came the feeling of empathy, as the people didn’t understand the full concept of reality, they came to his house on the hill, bothering him, and leading him to commit suicide in his home; that last part especially gave me chills as not only was I not expecting him to commit suicide, but I thought he was going to move to another place, so seeing him do that to himself was rather disturbing. Going back to the beginning of the book, I was disgusted at society’s standards, but also I was pretty interested in the structure of the aforementioned society and how it worked on the inside. To avoid a society like this I believe it is right for us to balance our life between controlled and democratic governments; this means that while the people have power and may always vote out/ kick out the Leaders who become to controlling, and make sure that the government always supports their ideas, but it is also important for us to understand that the labour that the lower classes did may be done by robots, meaning we may have a good society – with all of the freedom and will – while being modern and efficient. Moving forward, I have personally had a couple of questions circle my mind throughout this book, for example; Why are all of the main characters named with russian names or names that correlate to russian people? (for example: Lenina, Bernard Marx), how did society become like this? Why was the use of drugs condoned and perhaps even encouraged by the government? This book turned out to be a roller coaster of feelings for me as I believe it not only proposes insane ideas, however it also plays out a whole melo-drama at the end which was sad to read about. I want to say that although the book had some disgusting moments its overall motive was understood by me and it makes sense on how it is relevant to us today; that is just one example of a modern world, and who knows if the future will be worse.

Brave New World personal response

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley presented an interesting take on a vision of the future. However, despite the interesting ideas, and world-building, I did not enjoy the book very much. The author’s writing style did not resonate with me. In addition, I did not enjoy the sexual aspect of the world. It was understandable that the sexual aspect was a very crucial part of the story, and that by the author emphasizing sexual themes to create a dystopian society drastically different from our own, It would make it much more dystopian and faraway from our society. This shock value added to the dystopian feel of the story. However, I did not care for it. Though I must admit, it is a thought provoking book, It raised many questions for me, such as: if society reached this state, would it be reversible in any amount? Could it be possible to revert back into viviparous days? Or would society continue to spiral further into dystopia? I also think it’s interesting to consider how much our upbringing and environment determine our eventual outcomes. 

There were aspects I enjoyed. I rather liked the ending. I liked the thought that there was only one man who did not fit anywhere. He had been outcast and observed as if an animal in a cage at the zoo. He belonged to no place and lived in a grey area. I imagine three stripes, the left one being the savage reservation, the right one being the “civilized” society, and then John in the middle. All by himself. Perhaps the line has bars that act as the windows for people to glare through and make a mockery out of him. That’s how I visualized it.

 It could be said that John fell into the power of the World State’s conditioning. He participated in the orgy, ingested soma, and subsequently commited suicide, demonstrating the struggle to overcome the World State’s conditioning. That in particular, made me consider our reality and the conditioning we receive at schools that will affect us till the end. How is it any different? The values and behaviours of the people in the Brave New World seemed completely normal to them, they were considered to be civilized. What’s the difference between us and them? The values and beliefs that school reinforces, society also calls us civilized when we follow those values. If a John did come into our reality would he meet the same fate?

I did enjoy the aspect of soma as well, that drugs were necessary for the upkeep of happiness and it was one of the only times I could make a connection between their world and ours. But overall, The book left me wanting more. I think the book was an interesting experience, that I have learnt something from. And I am happy to have ventured out of my reading comfort zone. 

 

A Brave New World

Aldous Huxley book, Brave New World, left me with mixed feelings; it was both interesting and uncomfortable. It’s one of the books that stays in your mind because it asks big questions about being yourself, having freedom, and what we give up to make life easier.

One of the most interesting parts of the story is how people are trained. They have been socialized to accept their lives and therefore, for the most part, do not even know that they have lost their freedom. It made me reflect on how our world influences us: ads, schools, and traditions mold the way we think and what we want. Huxley’s world is extreme in a way, yet close to reality somehow.

The other thing that caught my attention is how they used to teach the kids moral values through hypnopedia.  I belive this wouldn’t have worked in real life because these running nurses would have eventually found out that all those values taught are not real. They may have even questioned the system themselves and lost faith in it if they saw kids being programmed instead of learning naturally.

I also felt sorry for John, the “Savage.” He wants a life with deeper meaning, but in the end, he feels hopeless. His story shows that people need challenges and purpose to feel alive. A life with no problems might seem nice, but it can feel empty. This reminded me of times when I’ve grown the most by facing hard things instead of avoiding them.

Eventually, Brave New World taught me to appreciate those aspects of real life-that were imperfect and disorderly. The world in this novel is frightening because it does not seem impossible. It was a call for the preservation of our freedom to think and feel and decide-even to decide things which are not easy. This book doesn’t ask only “What if?” but “Is it worth it?” and gives food for finding your own answer.

PW #5- Projects.

If anyone else is stressing out about school project due dates coming up, just know you’re not alone. I am so scared about my I&S essay coming up. I’m especially afraid of personal project. My past self had big expectations for myself. My present self is just telling me to survive at this point (I got no expectations). My personal project is actually quite interesting and I’m enjoying what I’m doing, but I have no motivation when it comes to the reports themself (the most important part about the whole damn thing). I finished part A by completely forcing myself to do it. Part C was completed in one day because I actually found it fun to reflect my work for once because I actually had to go through a lot to get the product that I wanted. My part B though, IT IS NOT COMPLETE! It’s not like I don’t know what to write for Part B, I got many ideas, but I just find it stupid that we have to talk about the ATL skills and how we’re going to use them. LIKE WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! I’M JUST GOING TO USE THEM! THERE IS NO NEED TO DEDICATE AN ENTIRE SECTION FOR THAT THING! You’re probably thinking, “but Gurjas Part B was due a while ago and if you finished part C in one day you can finish Part B, too.” To that I’ll say that my brain refuses to do work if I don’t want to do it. That’s why I like Personal Writing. I get to talk about anything I want freely and get to shut off my brain for a bit. Plus, I don’t honestly think anybody will read this. Except Mr. MacKnight because this is pretty much his job. Well, I got to work on personal project because I procrastinated ’til last minute and I’m going to end up in trouble if I don’t finish my work. Side Note: This is shockingly smaller than most of my PW’s (I tend to write A LOT).

PR- Brave New World

If I were to rate this book from 1-10, I would rate it -13/10 (I’m being generous). This book was DEFINETLY not for me. The reason why I didn’t like the book ‘All Quiet On The Western Front’ was because I just didn’t find it interesting. When it comes to ‘Brave New World’ I’m just left dumbfounded and wondering WHO THE HELL COULD ACTUALLY ENJOY A BOOK LIKE THIS?! WHO WOULD EVEN WRITE THIS THING AND BRING IT TO LIFE?! So, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to do my research. Oh my, my, my the things I have discovered. This book is a popular book… to be banned. I’ll just end with that because I’m supposed to talk about my personal opinion and not mention anything from google (I broke that rule. Whoops!), so allow me to get back on track. I found this book stupid and if it weren’t for being forced into reading this book, I would’ve never touched it, never looked at it, not know about it’s existence, and I would’ve been happy… living my nice innocent life. At the moment, I dnf this book, but I’m getting there. Even when I will finish it, I don’t think my opinion will change.

If this book had a different story, different characters, different author, different cover, different name, and ENTIRELY different events, then I would’ve loved this book and maybe even read it twice. I don’t want to say everything bad about this book, but it left me no choice I COMPLETELY LOATHE THIS BOOK! It should’ve come with a warning. In my opinion, Aldous really wasted such a good title on such a terrible piece. I don’t want to say everything bad about the author, so I won’t. He’s creative. I’ll give him that. Not really in a good way, but still. I mean, his writing style wasn’t bad. It could be more clear, but I’d say I understood it well and the way it was written made it interesting. Especially how the text painted a picture in my head (most of the scenes in the book made this a bad thing). I would love for Aldous to write a book about literally anything else. For my sake and everyone else’s. If I were to recommend the book ‘Brave New World,’ I would recommend it to no one because it would make me sound insane. Right after someone asks me, “What is this book even about?” I can already see myself making a ‘I’m screwed face.’

If you want to keep your psyche protected, listen to my advice and DO NOT READ BRAVE NEW WORLD!

PW #5

So, recently, I heard a grandfather clock. Here’s a fact: I really hate grandfather clocks. It is not because the height: tall clocks are fine, I do not hate mall clocks. It is not because the old design: I don’t pay attention to it much. Nor is it because of the loudness: I am fine with my grandma’s cuckoo clock. It’s simply because of the type of noise it makes: that low, menacing, repeating ding. It sounds like doom, it sounds like inevitability. If anything, it sounds exactly like the first time I heard it: in a game. In a game where your entire goal is don’t die. The first time I heard that, it scared me to death, because the way it chimed was like death mocking you. Doom. It’s like it’s reminding you of your eventual fate: ‘Hey, you’re running out of time,’ or ‘It’s only 3:00, you’re not done yet.’ The worst part, is that you couldn’t even see it. The game was deathly silent (except for the singular occurrence where there would be a distant sound of barking: save yourself, dog!), it relied on sound more than anything, so when the grandfather clock chimed it always sent chills down my spine. At first it scared me, but the second ding was more haunting though it never changed. You could go through all the levels and still hear it chime, down the hallway, in the darkness. It only gets more menacing: it kind of makes me want to cry. You can’t see it, only hear it. And even if you beat death once, twice, six times! You’d still die at the end of the game. I guess that clock was always telling you that (you’d run out of time), but you disregarded it as an attempted distraction from your survival, or even just ambience. I used to have nightmares of that clock: of the complete feeling, doom. Complete doom, until the end, because technically, clocks do represent time in every way.

PW #4 – Arizona Part 4 – Grand Canyon

Here we are for the fourth time, on the same story.

On day 5, my mom took me to the grand canyon. The drive to the grand canyon from pheonix was around 2 hours long, I should’ve been able to sleep, but as I have discovered, it is extremely difficult for me to fall asleep on something that is not a bed. So the 2 hours of the drive were spent of me attempting to fall asleep and failing.

Once I was able to see the grand canyon, its size was completely overwhelming; the same could be said about its height. As I walked along the edge, it was quite confusing to look to the right and see nothing moving, the grand canyon looked as if it was painted across the sky. An incredible scene of red, orange, and yellow paints splashed across a colossal sized canvas. It was the quintessence of “nature”, an incredible canyon formed over millions of years through erosion. Being there was an honor in of itself, it was easy to see why it was considered one of the “wonders of the world”. The only thing taking away a partial amount from how incredible this scene was, was the intense heat. The sun felt like a laser beam shining all of its power directly on me, but it was probably only because I’m Canadian and it never gets hot in Canada.

Overall, seeing the grand canyon was one of the most memorable moments of my life. if I had to option to see it again, i would say yes, and for anyone who wants to go to see it, but is hesitant. I say take the opportunity.

PW#5 Metro Awakening!!!

I’m very proud to talk about this game because it won the Steam VR Awards. I highly recommend people to go check it out because it has the best story I’ve ever seen on VR. The story goes as told: Moscow was bombed or nuked and it sent radiation all around the surface along with some demonic monsters. Everyone retreated to a massive shelter, the metro, although there are monsters in there as well, Nosalises. You play as Serdar, a doctor that begins to experience… darkness, when he gets lost in the metro looking for his wife. This game practically gets to show you what it’s like being schizophrenic. It spikes so much emotions within an individual. As for me, I felt empathy and literal protectiveness or happiness from the characters within the game. When people died it actually hurt, when a child came out, I was talking to him like he could actually respond, and they had great humor as well. Serdar’s wife went a little crazy and broke this mushroom farm, soon, Serdar was asking Max, the chief of the station what happened, “Is she (the wife) alright?” “Yes, yes, she’s fine, unlike our mushrooms!” The quotes are the best thing you would have ever heard. Like one of them at the start of the game is “Do we rely on our eyes too much? Are we too convinced that what we can see is real, and what we can’t see, is not?” This quote alone makes me love it because throughout the story, it gives you reasons to trust ourselves rather than our eyes. to that game, I’m proud to say I’m an addict/in love with it. I don’t want to spoil it too much though so watch it or something because this game makes me fall on my knees!

PR to “Brave new World”

Brave New World By Aldous Huxley, is an “intriguing” book, to say the least, and this is not in a good way. Personally, I did not enjoy brave new world. I felt like it went overboard in the overall themes of sex, and this made the author seem controversial and “strange”. Starting off, this book went “overboard” with the ideas of sex, The whole point of the book right from the get-go was that it took place in a society where sexual thoughts and sex in general were frowned upon, considered bad, and reproduction was automated. But throughout the book we see several moments that disprove this, For example, early on in the book, we hear some people say that nurse Linda is “charming”, in a sexual way. Yet this should never have happened due to the whole idea that sexual thoughts and ideas are considered bad. This pattern is seen consistently throughout the book. This makes the reader think that Aldous Huxley is a man with consistent “sexual urges” that cant seem to control them in his writing. To add on to this pattern of going overboard with sex in the story, at one moment, the author visualizes children “playing with each other”, in a sexual way. This is a detail that none of us needed to see, and makes us think that the author may be rather controversial. I don’t know if this has changed in the “future” of this story, but I don’t think children are usually able to feel sexual pleasure until they are 10 at minimum, and in this story it is suggested they are much younger than 10. I will leave it up to the reader of this personal response to take away from that what they can. In my opinion, this book would have been more enjoyable if the author included less sexual themes, but didn’t omit them fully from the story. I think the saying: “Less is more”, is something that the author could’ve taken into account, and I believe it would’ve drastically improved his book.

Overall, I did not enjoy this book, and it could have been better if Aldous Huxley included less “sexual” themes, because this work of literature made by him makes Huxley seem like a man who cant control his sexual urges.

 

Personal Response to Brave New World

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley got me feeling a little bit of discomfort but it also got me thinking about the modern path of society. This society is Huxleys vision of a extremely controlled, technologically higher world where the elimination of individuality instead of group unity is both unsettling and strange. This novel made me think and reflect on ways which our own world and society relies on technology to control and make our lives, from using social media platforms to using AI to do our work for us, and how these inventions could impact the real connections and values from a true person.

The differences between Benard, Lenina, and Johns personalities fascinated me. The fact that in the novel Benard felt lonely in a town and society where everyone is supposed and expected to fit in made me think of how many of us in different way these days most of the time feel that we don’t fit in with what and how the society expects. Lenina stands for the risks of seeking happiness without thinking or emotional detail. Her life is consistently pleasant although it is quite obvious that she doesnt feel fulfilled with her life. John although his exposure to a higher “natural” life is destroyed by the society he becomes apart of. Johns situation seemed to be example of the impossible issue between independence and social pressure.

Huxleys study of how learning and technology potentially could influence some human behaviour was very confusing. There are some worries about the trade off between freedom and happiness because of the way that the government uses soma to keep all the people full of happiness and to remain calm while preventing them from ever having and experiencing a genuine sad emotion. it made me question wether if we actually live in a better society where effectiveness and comfort are are valued more than personal freedom and emotional detail.

Overall, Brave New World is a cautionary story emphasizing the risks of disregarding independence, critical thinking, and personal independence, instead of social peace and temporary happiness. Although I thought this book was good I think that it is not something I would read on my own because it is not the type of style of reading I like but I would recommend this book to those who are interested in science and books about mystery.

PR – “Brave New World”

‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley is a strange and controversial book revolving around two characters; Bernard and John. This book is not only banned in many countries, but it is also banned in Canada. Personally, I did not like ‘Brave New World’ for a variety of reasons, most of which can be backed up by the fact that in order to move along, very bad topics and scenes are brought up for what reason? The problem is, I do not see the author putting them in for the sake of addressing them or for the character to overcome it, maybe not even for the sake of bringing awareness. I see why people (and many) were triggered by this book, and reasonably as well. Huxley kind of normalizes the use of these bad topics in his book, and it worries me.

My main problem is this: the book is (reasonably) banned in Canada, but not only do we have access to it, we are reading a book that contains a sense of normalization of slight CP, SA, drugs, and etc. I find myself wondering, was this even allowed? And also, the end is very disturbing, it moved very fast and, well… that happened. If we absolutely had to read this book, I’d rather it be in the older grades. I’d also like to understand why Huxley wrote the book like this, and what gave him the thought it would be so immature? The characters in this book feel like they’re written like children, or maybe that’s just because this is such a controversial book.

On a positive note, it does give us an idea that people during Huxley’s time really were dreaming of flying cars, or helicopters, or… whatever it is they drive. I honestly don’t know. But, truthfully, this book makes me question a lot: why did Huxley feel the need to put such topics in? And how, if anything, did their society come up with the though that there is no use for old things? Why do we change POV? Why was the book overall written like this, and why did Huxley choose to go down the path he did? Is there even any reasoning behind the book? It’s hard for me to believe so, but it’s also hard for me to believe that the work was written just to fulfill a twisted thought or fantasy. It’s hard to come to terms with anything in this book, let alone the book itself.

As a side note, shouldn’t we be reading Romeo and Juliet? And I wonder why this book was even allowed to be shown to grade 10’s. It’s just adds to the unappealing-ness of this book, when you realize we’re reading this at 15… reading about a book thought to be the future, a future where drug abuse, child… stuff, and other disgusting things are normalized and accepted into society. Where everyone, in a sense, is brainwashed.

PR to Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1932

I thought the book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley was an interesting book and I had never read a utopia/dystopia before. It makes me think about whether the world Huxley describes will be our future and what the positives and negatives about that could be. I personally think that I would not want to be in a world where nothing bad ever happens and where people can not express their feelings how they should be expressed. Just like John, I would want real danger, and books, and other suppressed items. Brave New World is like the quintessence of perfect, but I do not agree with the system. Children in the book are taught to hate books and nature by hypnopaedia and infant conditioning meaning that they will never (not like get a choice though) learn about the past. I did not like that the females in the book were being treated as if they were objects which makes me think that their world is not advancing in that way, but degrading. The Savage, as John is called in the book, also holds some rudeness since he does things that the new society disapproves of, such as reading, which seems absurd. For being someone different, you are considered a weirdo or as Huxley puts it, a savage. I think the World State seems to be built upon lies but it is unclear what the lies and truths are. I think Huxley makes us sympathise with some character, such as John, but not with others. He writes about John in an empathetic way in a way we can understand because John is most like us which allows readers to understand him better than the other characters. The last few chapters in the book were focused on John living by himself and trying to become a better person again, but unfortunately people from the World State find him and bother and tease John to the extent that he lynched himself. These last couple chapters built more empathy towards John for the readers because we got to know him better, even though he was committing self-harm during the process.

Overall, Brave New World was an interesting book about a future society that I do not agree with, and I found parts of the book that I was not comfortable reading about which I think should not be mandatory to read in school.

PR Brave New World

Reading Brave New World made me feel curious and worried. In brave new world the society is ruled by technology and rules. People in this book are happy because they are basically forced to be. This make me think about the amount of dependency we have for technology this days and that it could go that far. The book made me think that we could be losing our individuality and even maybe our freedom without noticing.

Something that stood out to me all through the story is how the people use the drug “soma” in this story. It reminded me of how people use drugs and social media like an escape from their problems kinda how the characters used soma. This helped me reflect on the importance of not avoiding our problems and challenges and confront them instead of finding an escape in things like social media and drugs like some people do in real life. Another thing that had an impact on me was how relationships in the book were really superficial and shallow. How strange it is to me that families don’t exist and that the characters shouldn’t have deep connections with other characters. This made me reflect on the importance of taking care of our loved ones and paying more attention to them rather than to technology and work. It made me remember how important connections with other people are.The character I liked most was John the savage, because his character felt the most human to me, because he didn’t fit into the rules and the controlling of his world and wanted a life the truly meant something rather than a shallow one with no connections and true feelings. His final made me sad.

I think brave new world is a good book to reflect on changed our world in facing, although is not the type of book I like to read, it pushed on my boundaries and talked about many topics I’m not comfortable with.

PR to “Brave New World”

Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley, provoked controversial thoughts within me. Standing at one side, I liked the book for its futuristic palette including the Greek alphabet to characterize humans (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon). But on the other hand, I really despised the constant sex throughout the book. it was a bit much, although I understand that sex throughout movies, shows, books, and games, can be used to show a strengthened relationship, this just seemed overused and I really hated it, especially the children in chapter three learning about it and running around naked. I can never get that out of my head. I would be fine reading a book that had hints of it and light sprinkles of intimacy but having a book revolving around sex seems overwhelming. Apart from all this, I liked the format of everything about the book. The way Aldous Huxley changed the year from ACE (After Common Era), to AF (After Ford) really shows his growth in imagination. His indifferent idea of happiness also reflects on his wide imagination, instead of superpowers or being a kid getting whatever you want, he drifted towards something a little more… personal. The book really struck the thought of what the future could be like as well. Technically, Aldous Huxley did write about a Utopia with happiness through physical intimacy, and it strikes the thought, what if the government actually allowed this? Would Huxley be right or would this provoke other dangers within a couple? Mainly what scares me is the control others would have over us, people in power would literally have the control to manufacture humans as they like, and if one of them decides to sabotage it, the world goes to hell. A BIG thing that I think about though is truly, is this a utopia or a dystopia? Because the only reason for it being a utopia is the pleasures of society, literally, but it could be characterized as a dystopia due to the separation of old and new society, freedom, and some old knowledge is suppressed to keep order, and soma is used to basically stop you from having an intimate relationship with someone (some might call it mind-control or something). Overall I would say that this book is like a 5-10, I like the format of society, and the intense thoughts it can heighten about the world today, BUT, the repetitive mention and acts of physical intimacy is really irritating.

PW #4 Winter break in the Alps

This winter break felt like a dream. Just four days after I had arrived back home in Switzerland, I was on my way to the Alps with my family. Sitting in the car, passing through snow covered villages in the mountains filled me with an immense sense of joy: this was a feeling I had been missing so deeply in Canada. Back in our cottage in the middle of Rueras (a tiny town in the middle of the Alps, with more cows then inhabitants), I put on my snow clothes, grabbed my snowboard and headed to the mountain without even unpacking my suitcase first. The feeling of snowboarding down the slopes for the first time after a whole year is (in my opinion) one of the best feelings in the world. After a couple of runs on the slopes, my brother and I decided to head to our favourite off-piste spot. Hidden behind the slopes on the top of the mountain, barely visible from the skilift is a steep crevice that we love to ski down. The snow was deep since it had been snowing for multiple days in a row now, so we effortlessly slid through it, all the way to the bottom of the mountain just to do it again. This is how we spent the next two weeks of winter break: wake up bright and early, head to the mountain, ski for a few hours, eat a traditional ‘Älplermagronen’ in the only restaurant in the resort, ski more, go home at 5pm and do it all again the following day. Even Christmas Eve was celebrated on the mountain with a celebratory fondue chinois and some night-skiing.

I honestly can’t imagine a better winter break and I am so happy that I was able to spend it back home in Switzerland with my family. I’m very glad to be back in Canada but I already miss the endless days spent in the Alps.

IRJE#04 – Twisted Games

The book I’m currently reading is Twisted Games, the third installment in the Twisted series. It’s a romance novel, and so far, it’s my favourite in the series. I’ve really enjoyed this book because of how deeply the characters grow and evolve through their relationships. The way the author writes makes the story feel incredibly real, and the emotions of the characters are described so vividly that it’s easy to connect with them.

One quote that stood out the most to me is when Rhys Larsen, one of the main characters, says to his girlfriend Bridget:

“You filled a part of my souls I always thought would be empty, and you healed scars I never knew existed. And I realized… it’s not that I didn’t believe in love before. It’s that I was saving it all for you.” (pg.410)

I chose this quote because it’s a beautiful reminder that love has the power to heal and transform. Rhys, who starts off as a guarded and cold character, gradually opens up and finds strength in vulnerability. To me, this quote resonates because it shows how love can give people the courage to confront the parts of themselves they’ve kept hidden, allowing them to become better, not just for someone else, but for themselves. It’s a sentiment that feels deeply personal and inspiring.

PW #4 – Winter Break

This time I’m going to talk about my winter break, which, I believe most of us was expecting. During my holidays I was able to finally meet my family again, I was so happy to see them. But the best of my holidays wasn’t the gifts, was the time that I spent having fun with my family, especially with my brother and friends. If I’m being honest, I didn’t do a thing of schoolwork. I didn’t even take up a pencil or see a screen.

PW#04 – Awake in the Quiet Hours

It’s funny how the night seems endless when you’re lying awake, yet morning comes too soon. Sleep and I haven’t been on good terms lately. It’s not for the lack of trying- I’ve closed my eyes, quieted my thoughts, and even played those “soothing ocean wave” sounds on my phone. But no matter what I do, rest feels just out of reach.

Now, the days blur together in a haze of yawns and half-finished thoughts. My body moves on autopilot, but my mind feels like it’s wading through quicksand. Conversations slip away mid-sentence, and even the simplest tasks seem monumental.

Still, there’s something strangely poetic about these sleepless hours. The world is so quiet at 3 a.m., like it’s holding it’s breath. My thoughts are loudest then- sometimes they spiral, but other times they find clarity. Maybe it’s exhaustion lowering my defenses, or maybe it’s just the rawness of the hour.

I know this can’t go on forever, eventually, sleep will catch me, and I’ll wake up feeling whole again. But until then, I’m learning to find beauty in the stillness of the sleepless nights and the blurry softness of the days that follow.

IRJE #2 The Bell Jar

Before the winter break, I found myself in a reading slump. I was struggling to find and pick up a book that interested me, and then I found a recommandation on the internet that moved me, so I decided to give it a try. Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar tells the story of Esther Greenwood, a young woman that moves to New York City in the 1960s after winning a presigious internship but finds herself struggling with her identity and mental health while feeling trapped by society’s expectations. Even though she seems to have everything – talent, opportunities and a promising future – she feels disconnected and lost. Esther struggles to ‘find herself and her identity’ and she feels society pressuring her, which all leads to her falling into a depression. Through Esther’s journey, Sylvia Plath leads us through themes of identity, mental health and societal expectations placed on women in the 1960s, which I find very interesting. One of the book’s most famous metaphors, the fig tree, illustrates Esther’s fear of making life-defining choices and their consequences.

I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story.
From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out.
I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.

The fig tree metaphor really stuck with me because I believe that it perfectly captures and explains the fear of making decisions and the weight and responsibility of having so many options. Esther’s vision of the figs, each representing a different future is such a relatabe image, especially for anyone who feels pressured to make the ”right” choices. But what even are ”right” choices? I think that especially young people feel so overwhelmed by the amount of choices waiting to be made by them, that could completely alter their future. Me and many others find ourselves at the point in life where every day, we decide something which slightly changes our paths. There’s so much to do, see and explore and every single decision in our lives leads up to these moments. There is so much that I want to experience and do, but I know that I can’t and this thought paralyzes me. Sometimes this feeling of paralyzation drives me so far, that I end up undecided and see the opportunities ‘wither away’ infront of me. That is why I always like to remind myself of how important it is to make choices, even when they feel slightly daunting, rather then letting fear stop me entirely.