Category: Personal Writing

When winter break finally began I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I would have never guessed that I would be stuck at home with parental control (logs you off the wifi), doing chores, and listening to the torturing sounds coming from the TV which we all know as cocomelon. If you don’t know what cocomelon is, I will not be telling you because you will forever be traumatized with the sounds of ‘singing’ nursery rhymes and they will be trapped in your head. Like at this very moment, ‘Wheels On The Bus’ is playing in my head! I advise you to NEVER search it up. My 2 year old cousin came over and he is definitely an ipad kid. I always found cocomelon being stupid and despised those animated characters. I LOVE animations and I’m pretty sure I made that very clear, but whoever created cocomelon has put an eternity of pain upon many parents. I have never heard anyone saying, “I love cocomelon it’s awesome! It teaches my kid so much and is very entertaining!” Do you know why? BECAUSE IT SUCKS! It is so stupid. The worst part about it is definitely when my 2 year old cousin drags me to the couch and forces me to watch cocomelon and if I don’t obey, then he will throw a big tantrum until I listen. I am pretty sure that I am officially mentally insane and the only one to blame is cocomelon. Cocomelon owns me a new brain! One day, I was sleeping in because I don’t have to wake up for anything. I was having the best dream ever where I was saving the world and suddenly-
MY TWO YEAR OLD COUSIN IS SLAPPING ME ON THE FACE AND TELLING ME TO WAKE UP! Why is he up so early (it was 9:00)! I can’t forget the random beef he has with my glasses. When I least expect it or when he wants my attention, he takes my glasses and slams them on the ground. My glasses have been through more than many people in this world. Surprisingly, they’re not broken… yet. They do have a lot of scratch marks and I can barely see, but it’s fine! Even after all of the torture this kid put me through, he is still one of my favourite people and I love him to bits. Don’t ask why, I just do. I love this kid.

With school finally over for the holidays comes my favourite time of year; ski season! The moment school was over, off I was to the mountain. The best part was being blessed with 39 centimeters of fresh powder over Friday night last weekend. Saturday started off nice, especially with all of the new snow. The wind was gusting quite a bit over the top of the mountain so unfortunately the peak chair stayed closed through all of Saturday. Nonetheless, I was still able to make some amazing runs through a bunch of glades between some of the runs. It was quite low visibility, but it was still a great day to say the least.

Sunday was discouraging at first, but it ended up being unbelievable in the end. My first run was a little bumpy. All of the snow that had been skied out on the front side from Friday’s snow had thawed out near the bottom of the mountain from the sun and had gotten a bit icy. However, it was quite a cold morning for the hill, and the top of the mountain that hadn’t been skied out yet ended up being some of the best snow I had skied. I ended up dropping in off of the side of the peak into this chute and then into a large patch of glades. Good thing it wasn’t icy! I’m sure the run would’ve been treacherous without the sheer abundance of powder everywhere. The drops off the peak seemed to have the best snow out of the whole mountain, and I must’ve made four or five of the same run. It really was amazing. Along with the awesome powder, it was a total bluebird day too which made this day super fun. December seems to always provide some of the best skiing days out of the whole season up at Mount Washington, so I always try and soak them up. Even just the feeling of being out there up in the mountains in so relaxing. I’ll just plant my poles in the ground, go sit down for a minute, and just take these days in while I look out at the Coast Mountains and the valley below. This weekend I better bring along a drink!

OMG guys can you believe it? CORY CAME BACK!!! I’m so hyped man I’ve missed him so much I’ve been a fan since like… FOREVER. Anyways, his new manga? BOMB. I bought it ASAP. it’s totally getting me out of artblock like THANK YOU KING!!! SAMURAI STAND UP?! Also, I didn’t get the chance to write about this before but I am SO sad that Jujutsu Kaisen ended and the end was so rushed too, like? BUT, to be fair, Gege was kinda being forced to write it anyways. He wasn’t allowed to stick to his original plot which, WHY??? Everyone also kind of moved on too, like… was that not a generational manga? That was bomb. BOMB. NEVER moving on from that manga. At least Miu knows what I’m talking about, she my blood. Also, Arcane ended… Jinx and Ekko deserved better. The ending was (°Д°). Also IDC what ANYONE says, Jayce defender 4 life. Also Viktor, him too (he was cool, DON’T play with me cause (👁ˋ _ ˊ 👁)). Also, Ryan and Blake know (also Sydney) that I’m a Tyler, The Creator fan (big time), but I doubt anyone else knows. Fav song on the new track? I Killed You (or Rah Tah Tah). But fr fr, Tyler should put Pigs Fly on spotify cause that’s my ALL TIME FAVOURITE. If y’all follow me on insta (MmmmWatermelon) you’ll be seeing some SICK artworks soon I promise (I might even make a separate account for art ∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ?).

Reflecting on all the amazing memories I have created with classmates who have already flown back to their original homes, I have no recollection of how fast the time has passed besides the lingering feeling of longing. I will still of course try to keep in touch with as many possible friends as I am able to with busy home lives, tedious school schedules, and more. However, I have found a new unfamiliar form of understanding. Knowing I had already gone through this process twice more in my first years at Brookes, I had never expected myself to find new feelings I had never felt before. Previously I felt I needed to reach out and constantly try to reconnect with every friend I had made to no avail. Fighting to keep the once-present memories alive which I hoped could stay in my daily routine forever. It kept me back from truly appreciating the small amount of time I was able to have with them. By not fully understanding as I do now, how most great things do not last forever, I could never understand how special each moment you have with someone truly means. Life moves fast and I am so grateful I was even lucky enough to have met everyone I have met this first term. I hope this following term brings as many new beginnings as these first months have and I hope everyone who has sadly left Brookes will be able to remember fondly everyone who will be forever missing their presence

Deep in the snow-clad wilderness of Norway’s Jotunheimen mountains, where the wind howled like the laments of lost souls, whispered an ancient creature—a Wendigo. While the Wendigo is commonly associated with North American folklore, Norwegian elders said that such a monster once roamed their cold heights, cursed by hunger and loneliness.

Years ago, a hunter named Stian entered into Jotunheimen on his own. The villagers warned him of the cursed fjell, where lengthy winters capture travelers and force them to commit desperate things to survive. Stian laughed at their tales. He was proud of his resilience, knowing that his expertise and provisions would get him through.

The first week passed without incident. Stian discovered deer and rabbit trails, but the air became colder and thicker. Storms devastated the peaks by the second week, forcing him to seek safety in a small, abandoned hytte. Snow piled heavy, keeping him inside. His resources diminished. Hunger gnawed at his gut, and his thinking deteriorated with each passing day.

On the tenth evening, he heard a knock. Stian, weak and shivering, opened the door, expecting to find another stranded soul. Instead, a figure stood there, strangely tall and shrouded in darkness. Its eyes flashed a strange blue, and its voice was as frigid as the winter wind.

“You called me,” it murmured.

Stian staggered back. He hadn’t called anyone, but his thoughts were filled with truth. In his desperation, he cursed the gods for leaving him and his agonizing hunger.

The skeletal hand of the creature brushed Stian’s face as it entered. It said, “I can make your pain go away.” “But hunger comes at a cost.”

Desperation tainted Stian’s thoughts. He agreed. With a smile that resembled ice shards, the Wendigo put its hand over his chest. He felt a terrible, never-ending craving as an intolerable cold ran through him.

The following day, a gaunt and hollow-eyed Stian was discovered wandering the mountains. His once-steady voice had become a raspy whisper as he described an insatiable desire for human flesh. It was too late, but the villagers ran away in fear. Stian had lost his humanity. Stalking the peaks in perpetual agony, he had transformed into Jotunheimen’s Wendigo.

Hikers still report hearing his wailing cries on stormy nights. Furthermore, anyone who goes too far might spot a shadow among the trees, waiting and watching—always hungry.

 

As my time in Victoria comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on the importance of gratitude in my life. Through meditation, I’ve learned to appreciate the people and experiences that have changed me, and one of the things I’m most grateful for is the friendships I’ve made, especially with people from all over the world.

One friendship that stands out is with Emma, a kind and sweet girl from Switzerland. It’s incredible how quickly we bonded, and I know it might sound a bit cheesy, but it feels almost as though we’ve known each other forever. We’ve talked about recent vacations we have had, and to me, it’s funny to think how, some years, my winter breaks spent skiing in the U.S. started to feel repetitive and forgettable. But now, thanks to Emma, things might change. She lives in Switzerland, and we’ve already talked about visiting each other, which excites me beyond words. She has shown me photos of Zurich and Zermatt, which are breathtaking, and I can’t wait to ski with her there.

It’s truly amazing how new friendships can make me look at travel and holidays completely differently. I now fantasize about future trips and visiting all my friends from around the world. As my time in Canada ends, I feel deeply thankful for the people I’ve met. These friendships, long-distance or not, will always be a part of me, and they’ve made my time here unforgettable. Though I’ll miss this place, I’m excited about the new memories and adventures.

Today was the last day of school week, so i woke up early for breakfast, and get ready for school day. My first class was relaxed so I took the chance to read some more of my new book Fourth Wing. I spent most of the class reading it. Next I had science, I worked in my energy evidence that I’m almost finished with. After that I headed to advisor where i got some more reading time before lunch. In PE we had basketball self assessments, which was fun to do. Then i moved to Individuals and Society, where I worked on my essay The Consequences of World War 1. Once classes were over I went back to my room, after sometime of being there I decided I wanted to read some more. After a while I went down to the dining hall for dinner, then ready my self for a good night sleep, to have a productive day tomorrow.

I had to push a car with my dad on the way back from the library. Let me explain. After school, my parents were running late (30 minutes), so I decided to go to Tim Hortons like any normal person would in that situation. Once my mom finally came, we went home. The moment I arrived I didn’t have time to rest or sit down, I had to deliver newspapers. My dad decided he would help me out and we both quickly got that over with. I asked hi if we could go to the library since we were done and I was looking for a new book to read. My dad said that we could, but first he had to give some money to one of his workers and he needed it instantly since he was buying a new car (he got a REALLY good deal that my dad helped him get). The thing is, this car, was a bit run down, but I didn’t care because it wasn’t my car.

Once we were FINALLY done with that my dad and I immediately headed for the library. We got there only to realize it was closed. We were heading back when my dad’s worker called him and asked my dad if we could give him a ride. My dad asked if it was ok and I didn’t want to be be rude, so I told him it’s ok. It was only going to take 10 extra minutes anyways. We go there and my dad drops him off. My dad’s worker gets into his brand-new-run-down car and my dad was following him because they were going to park the car in a different lot (and after that my dad was going to drop him to his house). We are turning right and it was a bit inclined, but that shouldn’t be a problem… or so I thought. I hear a loud noise. I didn’t think much of it until I see my dad’s worker’s car, start rolling in reverse. Is it weird that before thinking about my safety, I thought about my dad’s truck getting a huge dent? I cared more about the truck then anything else. I had the sudden urge to get out and try to stop the car from hitting my dad’s truck (I love that truck). Thankfully, my dad’s worker was smart enough to actually know what a break is used for and realized what was going on in time. If my tru- my dad’s truck got a single scratch, I would never let this man get away with it. HE WOULDN’T HEAR THE LAST FROM ME!

My dad and his worker were trying to figure out what to do, while I just mindlessly watched them, too tired to understand what the hell was going on. My dad had to park his car in a nearby parking lot and he made his way to help his worker. I personally would not even offer it and respond with, “Yeah, you got yourself caught in quite the pickle. Anyways, I wish you the best buddy, but I have to go do… uhm… something more important than this. So, bye!” My dad is too nice to do that and felt bad for the poor man (I felt bad for our truck, but sure). There was another parking lot nearby and in order to get there we had to PUSH THE CAR BACK! Can I mention that the last thing I had wad was half a bagel from Tims and it was 4 hours ago? Our plan managed to succeed and my dad tried figuring out the problem. It wasn’t working because it was still rolling back. I hate scammers even more now… they really do ruin lives…. After a bit of my dad and his worker going back and forth, taking turns to try driving this thing and figuring out what the hell is wrong with it, I was silently waiting for my dad to tell me get in the driver’s seat. I mean, it made more sense that two grown men would push the car instead of one grown man and a weak teenager who… wants to drive.

“Gurjas, get in the drivers seat.”
“LET’S GO!!! I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO SAY THAT!!!”

Safe to say I was the life of the party. I was so happy imagining myself driving this on the actual road. Don’t worry… this is DEFINETLY NOT illegal. definitely. I did not complain about the incident after that- WE GOT HOME AT 8:26 PM! I HAVE HOMEWORK, I NEED TO SHOWER, I AM STARVING, AND I CAN BARELY OPEN MY EYES! I showered. I ate. I check the time. It’s 8:42 pm. That gives me enough time to finish my homew- I slept. I woke up at 4:00 am feeling restless and my legs are barely keeping me up right now. I would not be writing this in my uniform all ready for school if it weren’t for the fact that we are playing soccer today for PE. “Guess I’ll just do my homework,” I thought to myself, “as much as I can… and try to keep my eyes open for the rest of the day, but its not guaranteed. Man, I’m never asking to go to the library again. Except today. I want to go today.”

Moral of the story: Don’t ask your dad to go to the library because then your dad’s worker’s car will stop working and you’ll have to deal with that by pushing it up a small hill and arrive home very late. AND YOU WON’T EVEN MAKE IT TO THE LIBRARY!

These past month I have been feeling very down, all of that feeling is mostly because I do not want to go back to my old school. I don’t want to loose my friends that I made here, those friends mean a lot to me in a way I thought no one could in this short period of time.

I am trying to assure I spend all mine time with them, and I want to have a last good time with every single one of the those that matter a lot to me, I want to keep contact to mostly of them or I will just follow their social media to see how their lives are going. But one thing I am sure this time was really nice to me and I will not ever forget these 4 Incredibles months I spend in Canada.

I liked the school and the ambient so much that I want to come back next September and stay here till the end of high school, since I will have people that already mean a lot to me here I will have a good welcome back ( I hope). I will make sure that these last 23 days in the best way possible, I will miss here a lot!

As the United States election sweeps the nation and puts many Canadians into a state of panic, fearing the countless effects it can have on our public society, all I can think about is the recently viral clip of Barron Trump. In this clip, you can see how the Trump family acts with one another, especially how Barron Trump and his mom speak to each other. Before packing his things to get going for school Barron speaks in the thickest Slavic accent, which has severely reminded me of myself when I was the same age. The now famous quote reminds me of a time that seemed long ago when I spoke barely any English, had to go to special speaking counseling, and even had to work extra hard just to make the sound of the letter r. I struggled a lot in elementary school speaking let alone writing, and even though I find this extremely funny looking back on past videos of myself reflecting on my growth through a simple video has been a refreshing way of clearing my head. So what I am trying to say is thank you to whoever has published this clip into the world as it has brought a new sense of clarity and humor into my life.

a few weeks ago I watched Good Will Hunting for the first time, yes, I am well aware I’m a few centuries late to watching it. Mostly on the weekends (because I don’t have time on school days), I watch movies with my dad, Interstellar is next, I can’t wait! If you are like me and have been living under a rock for a while and you don’t know the movie, it’s about a guy named Will, he’s a really smart kid but he doesn’t exactly have anything exciting going on. He’s a janitor at this school and this really difficult problem gets put up in the halls on a board, when Will solves it, the teachers try to get through to him but can’t so they try to get a therapist to help him loosen up and help him (The 4th and last therapist was Robin Williams!). Each session goes on and they get more and more in depth with talk about romance, relationships, deaths, weird stuff like that, maybe I’m into light romance type movies? Not too sure… One thing I really like about movies though is when they bring a quote or action from the start of the movie and reintroduce it at the end. Good Will Hunting did EXACTLY that. Will’s therapist is telling him that he missed out on a great baseball game to “go see about a girl”. Then at the end of the movie, Will decided to go chase this girl he recently had a fight with, he missed the therapy lesson but left a note saying, “I gotta go see about a girl”. Sweet things like that, that I like. Also the way the therapist worded a lot of things, it had deep meanings it was a great movie, awesome movie (I might watch more like that, I’ll be in touch!).

It’s time to write my personal writing and I want to talk about how in the last couple of days my work had piled up and I got sick. Right now, I’m trying to catch up with my tasks. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish soon, I just want to recover from this illness.

We are now not so far from returning home for the winter break and I can’t believe that after this I won’t see some of my friends again. I’ll keep texting them and remain in contact but despite all this I’ll miss them. On the other hand, I’m happy that finally we will have a break from school, but even if I decide to rest and relax on the holidays, I’ll have to do my personal proyect.

I love Christmas so much. Theres so much to enjoy about it, the decorations, gifts and food and being around people to celebrate it. My family celebrates it because of the birth of Jesus. I think Christmas is the best holiday ever, especially if you get to spend it in a country that snows so that you can get the white Christmas experience. Everything about Christmas has such a homely feeling. This year I’m going to stay in Canada for Christmas and Im going to celebrate with My mom, Stepdad and my siblings and my Russian friend Polina because she has been begging for a Christmas sleepover. Polina is good at baking so I am going to make her bake me something Christmassy like a gingerbread man. So I am so excited for Christmas.

Just yesterday the island was affected by something called a “bomb cyclone” It’s not too serious, I mean we aren’t going to get flooded or anything but we will get strong winds, heavy rain, and the tide will be up. As someone who lives smack dab right next to the ocean my house and neighborhood often suffer from power outages, for instance, remember that power outage that happened 2 weeks ago? Well, while the school and other dwellings in sed area got power back at around 8 pm my house did not get power back until 8 am the next day! Now back to the present day with our friend who is the bomb cyclone, our friend is seriously affecting the houses in my neighborhood whether it be; trees, fences, and my gazebo that nearly flew away due to the wind that was whistling through the night. Due to the storm, my house lost power last night, it all started when the lights started flickering which of course I thought was odd until the power went out leaving me completely in the dark, this is a common occurrence in my household so all you can do is light candles and wait out the inevitable time the power gets turned back on. I texted Ely, Eva, Polina, and Roberta asking if their power had gone off as well, but to my surprise, everyone had power except me! I then waited out until we had power and of course power had majestically turned on at the crack of dawn at 5 am in the morning. Now I understand BC hydro is busy and is constantly working around the clock but I mean shouldn’t BC hydro have some kind of back up generator to power the city without having to sit in the dark for hours, and this is me speaking as a resident of a neighbourhood that always gets power last. BC Hydro, shouldn’t you atleast have a plan especially in the rainy season when we have bomb cyclones coming at us? I mean I used to live in Winnipeg where there would be at least 7 different blizzards in a year and our power was on all year round and we had a power outage once every two years, I understand Winnipeg has different whether conditions but why cant BC hydro just adapt better solutions to harsh whether?

I hate power outages and I hate BC Hydro.

Whatsaheart is an emerging artist in the alternative and electronic music scene, known for blending introspective themes with atmospheric sounds. His music is often put with “zoomergaze” genre, characterized by a dreamy aesthetic. I deeply admire his ability to blend raw emotion with ethereal, and experimental soundscapes. His tracks like “Snakelike (The Stars Collide)” and “For Her” feel like windows into a deeply personal, introspective world, yet they resonate universally with themes of love, loss, and resilience.

His latest song, “Taking Over Me” and “Ferris Wheel (Back to You),” continue to explore himself longing, personal struggles, and self-reflection. Whatsaheart has been growing his fanbase on Spotify and Amazon Music!

I find his music incredibly inspiring, and it’s often my go-to playlist. Tracks like “Taking Over Me” and “Lovesick” remind me of how art can connect us to emotions we sometimes struggle to express. What sets Whatsaheart apart for me is his authenticity and ability to create a sonic universe that’s as haunting as it is beautiful.

 

Please be sure to check out his profile on Spotify, Amazon or whatever else you use to listen to music!

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Ry6DudE0QFcXoUdXsCQfV

Since I was young, people around me, like my family or friends have always listened to Spanish music. I, on the other hand, had always preferred English music. The main reason for that is that as a kid learning to speak English as a second language, I was encouraged to practice it by singing along to music in English. Subsequently, I developed a taste for American music, hearing it most of the time to the point that my non-English speaking mom memorized some of my favourite songs in English. However, since I’ve been here, I’ve realized how much I miss Mexican music. I miss hearing my mom sing her favourite songs on our way to school or my friends singing them on our car rides trying to make me join them. This sense of nostalgia made me realize what I was missing and made me appreciate the beautiful songs my first language can create. Now, whenever I hear music in Spanish, I feel a comforting connection to home, a reminder of where I come from and the colourful culture that shaped me. Now, I’ve started listening to more music in Spanish, and I’m sure that when I go back to Mexico, I’ll be able to sing along with my mom and friends.

Little Miss Sunshine is a movie that has been on my mind for a long time. I watched it for the first time in March of this year, a second time in June, and now I’m seriously considering a rewatch. In my relatively short life, I’ve had the privilege of watching many movies. This year alone, I have watched enough movies to be called a movie buff (one hundred and thirty three movies to be exact) but no movie entranced me as much as Little Miss Sunshine. The portrayal of intricate and dysfunctional family dynamics possessed an unmatched level of realism. In just one hour and forty one minutes, the actors and crew were able to capture profound emotions, comedy, meaningful one liners, and delightful moments in a naturally cohesive manner. It is beyond human comprehension how everyone involved in the creation of the film had been able to come together, collaborate, and sync on such a profound level to produce a film as flawless as this masterpiece. Little Miss Sunshine is a cinematic gem that follows the Hoovers family as they try to get to a children’s beauty pageant. On the way they face numerous challenges and learn how to work together and overcome obstacles. The film has a heartwarming message of self-acceptance and reminds those watching that happiness can be found in the most unexpected places, even amidst chaos and shattered aspirations.

To stay in my little scheme of writing about Canada, I would like to reflect on one of my most memorable trips I have ever taken. About five years ago, my parents and I took a big, 2-week Trip to Quebec, Toronto and Montreal. It was rather a big deal for my family, since it was the first time they “showed” me Canada, the place where my mom grew up and where my parents got married. I remember little me being incredibly exited, I only knew Canada as the country of bears, snow and maple syrup. A very present memory I have still have is when we visited the ice hotel in Quebec. I was very impressed, a whole building build out of ice! I recall the highlight being drinking apple juice out of ice glasses, and I remember feeling like Elsa from Frozen. My parents told me all about their marriage in that hotel. I also still hold very lovely memories from Quebecs old town, where we walked in the snow for hours. The snow was like nothing I had ever seen before, and I was so in awe of the meters of white cotton candy that I suddenly found before me. Thinking back, I realise I most of my memories from Canada took place in the snow. A thing that I still dream about today, is a beautiful husky sleigh ride that we took in some lost forest, a couple of hours outside of the city. The landscapes that we admired from our cozy seats were spectacular. Even though it was almost  a near death experience for me, since I spent 3 hours in -28 degrees not moving, I have never done anything alike since then. The whole trip was an amazing experience and I promised to myself I would come back to that awesome country as soon as I could – and look where I am now!

Going to an international school and being surrounded by people from such diverse backgrounds and cultures has made me realize how important and valuable languages are. Growing up, I never realized what a gift and privilege it was, to be able to communicate in such a variety of languages. I’m very grateful for my parents, to whom I owe my ability of speaking Czech. Being born in Switzerland meant that German immediately became my second language, helping me communicate with everybody on a daily basis. And while I must admit that German is definitely not my favourite language (considering my personal preference for French, Italian and English), mainly because of how complex it is, I still believe that it should be admired for it’s beauty. Its literature, poetry, and rich history reflect a depth of thought and emotion that deserves greater appreciation.

One of my favorite aspects of German is its ability to capture complex emotions in unique ways. A great example is the word Vorfreude. This word, which translates to the joyful anticipation of something yet to come, has no direct English equivalent. It perfectly describes the spark of excitement and happiness before an anticipated event. Vorfreude is something we all experience daily, whether it’s the thrill of planning a trip, the anticipation of a celebration, or the joy of knowing you’ll see a friend after a long day at school. Vorfreude can always be found in the simple moments.

The word ‘Vorfreude’ always reminds me to savor the build-up and not just focus on the outcome. These layers of excitement to ordinary moments have made me look for joy in the everyday.

My big achievements this school year are my grades and my courage to make new friends. It was difficult to begin the school year without my best friends, Regina and Fernanda, since they returned to Mexico. Even though that was difficult, I still ended up making some amazing friends. This year, my marks in school have improved a lot because I am putting more effort into getting good grades, focusing better and learning from mistakes I had in the past. Overall, I think I made a lot of good achievements so far and hope to make many more.

There’s something about the world around me that’s… nostalgic almost. If you’ve lived around the Colwood/Langford area for a large part of your life you probably know what I mean. Like when you take a walk up the street you grew up you have the realization that everything has completely changed since you were a small child. Maybe it’s that park near your house that’s been bulldozed, or that store that’s closed its doors that you used to go to all the time when you were younger, or maybe it’s that field that you used to walk around in that got developed into a neighbourhood. Whatever it may be, it represents the passage of time.

Seeing the changes happening around your world is a feeling that nothing else can really match, and it feels so odd looking back to how everything was when nothing you see looks the same. You’re almost a stranger to the place that you’ve been living your entire life when you compare how everything was. Maybe it’s something that you notice every so often with places you used to visit all the time, or maybe it’s something that you’ve never really noticed. Taking a walk through the same place just a decade later shows the effect that time has on the world around us.

Last week, I was away in Taiwan with my dad. We went for nine days (seven full days) as an attempt to see all 31 endemic bird species. We left for the ferry on Thursday evening and flew from Vancouver at 15 minutes past midnight to Taipei, Taiwan. It was a 12.5-hour flight, and we arrived early morning. Once we landed, got out of the airport, and got our rental car, we immediately hopped in and started birding. It was a warm, humid day as we travelled from park to park. The following day we got our first endemic, Taiwan Liocichla. As the days were going by, we saw some amazing scenery, stayed at some weird hotels, and ate and saw some peculiar food. I remember one of the menus advertising snails, large intestines, and pig snouts. A few times you must cook your food. You have a bowl of boiling water on a flame, and a bowl of raw mystery meat, lots of different kinds of mushrooms and veggies. We threw them in and hoped for the best. On one of our days, we had a long drive to chase an endemic, Styan’s Bulbul. In order to get it, we had to drive to the east coast along a dangerous, narrow, wet, one-lane road on the side of a mountain. There were avalanches everywhere, holes in the road, places where half the road was down the cliff. Lots of tunnels as well. While we were waiting for the next road opening in a part, we had an hour to waste where we saw the bulbul on a telephone pull. When we walked back to the car, there was a monkey (Formosan Rock Macaque) who was climbing up the car towards my open window I forgot to close. If they get in the car, they will ruin and take everything. We tried to scare it off and it climbed on top of the car and stood its ground, showing its teeth the finally climbing down. We saw lots of monkeys and street dogs as far as the mammals go. A few squirrels and a serow as well. Unfortunately, on the last couple days, the park where we had planned to get the last tricky endemics was closed due to a Typhoon coming so we were unable to get all the endemics. The last endemic we got a few hours before heading to the airport was a Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler. A skulker but we managed to see it thanks to a group of photographers in a huddle desperate to get a glimpse at this hard bird. This made the final count of endemics, 26/31. The flight home left at midnight and landed in Vancouver at 6:30pm. We got the 9pm ferry and got home at 11:45pm.

As you all know, I am a Sea Cadet, and keeping uniform up to it’s best standards is one of the major responsibilities, especially when you are a senior like me. The boots I have are from the late 1950s; this means that there is organic leather which makes the boot easier to shine than it’s new counterparts. This leather allowed me to polish the boots up super fast and make them ready for cadet nights in 1 to 2 and a half hours. However, I was faced with a constant problem; the polish would flake, creating uneven surfaces on the boot, also known as boot cancer. To fix this, there are two routes; you may either strip the boot (take off the layers) which will take you a long time to rebuild the layers, or polish over and smooth out the surfaces. From my 6+ years of experience in Cadets, it is best to strip the boots and to build them up from the ground again. This however, didn’t help the issue, and the polish kept on flaking and falling off. I decided to try the other method out as well, where I build polish on top of the cancerous areas. This too didn’t work, in fact it only worsened as the dried out polish didn’t stick well to the more humid polish.

This brought me back to the drawing board, as I wasn’t sure of what to do at this point. I was ver desperate at this point, even thinking about leaving my question on Reddit when I remembered about something; My Friends! Being very desperate I shot them all a message, hoping for the best. They went with me to the Summer’s Military camp, making them a reliable source especially since I knew all of them personally. I have showed them pictures of my boots and asked about their opinion, and sure enough they pointed out one detail that I failed to notice. The boot was dry! They joked around saying “how about you offer it a drink or two” and even “ain’t you a sea man?”, “ain’t they supposed to be hydrated 24/7?”.

They were right; I was too concentrated to look good which caused me to not pay attention to the minor details. Using their help as a guide I stripped the boots (it took ~20 minutes for each boot) and applied the one thing the boot needed; The Moisturizer. After that, I buffed (term for building up layers of polish, in this case I have built up the first the 3 layers with a buffing brush) the boots and left them out to dry. This will create a so called steady base layer on which the whole polish relies on. This process is currently in the making and I can’t wait to share any future results/personal experience with what happens next.

It was day 4 in Arizona. On day 4 out of 6 of being in Arizona, me and my friend had plans to go to a go karting place. Once we arrived, it took quite a while before it was our turn. To pass the time we ate some of the food there. I can’t quite recall what I ate, but I think it was pretzel sticks. After we ate, it was our turn to do go karting. I had never done it before, and we had three rounds to do it. The moment I started driving the kart I thought it was kind of fast, but after about 10 seconds I realized it was much slower than I imagined. To me it felt like a speed of around 20 – 40 km/h, I was unsure. In the first round, I ended up placing 4th for fastest lap time, while my friend on the other hand ended up placing first. At the time, I thought it was because I was stuck behind a bunch of slow drivers, which could’ve been the case, but after reviewing some photos that my parents took, I realized it was because my foot was on the brake the entire time, which similarly happened to my friend the first time he went go-karting. My friend placed 1st, and I placed 4th for every single round after that. I blamed the result on the fact that I had my foot on the brake the whole time. After the go-karting was over, my friend and I decided to play some of the arcade games, where I destroyed him 10 – 2 in air hockey. After this, my mom had plans to take me to the Grand Canyon the next day, not with my friend because he had stuff to do.   

Life as a boarding student on weekends

As a boarding student my weekend mornings are usually slow and relaxed. I woke up at 11:00 and head down to the dinning hall for brunch. This weekend, my friends and I decided to try a restaurant in downtown called The cactus Cafe Club.

After brunch we spend the afternoon talking and getting ready for dinner on downtown. In the restaurant I decided to order a salmon dish, while my friends ordered stake.

After dinner, we wanted to try out the new winter menu in Starbucks, and then went back to school and called it a night.

2 weeks ago I went on a road trip through Oregon and California, to go to Disneyland and Universal Studios. The road trip to California was excruciatingly long, we stayed in Portland, San Francisco, and finally, Anaheim where Disney is located. On our first day in Anaheim, we went to Universal Studios, when you enter Universal there is a red carpet entrance a huge fountain, and many shops with souvenirs, my favorite store was the Hello Kitty store! Universal is split up into 2 sections: 1. Shops, Minion land, and Springfield (the Simpsons) 2. Jurassic Park, Mario World, and other rides with their own separate sets. I had two separate days in Universal Studios so I was able to explore the whole park and even took photos with King Julian and Hello Kitty! Universal Studios was huge so we decided to take a tour of the film lot, we hopped on to a car called a tram and looked at different film sets and filming locations, we were able to see the sets of; The Good Place, Ted, Jurassic park, Jaws, Big Fat liar, Psycho Bates mansion, Nope, and fast and furious. The tour was so cool because I was able to look at the real stage where some of my favorite films and actors were. Overall Universal Studios was so magical and seeing all the sets, rides, and actors was such a fun experience.

Our second day in Anaheim was filled with Disney from 10 am to 9 pm almost a whopping 12 hours at the park and boy were my feet soar. The day started with going off to the right side of Disney Land called Disney Park, Disney Park features things like Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars, Sleeping Beauty’s castle, New Orleans Square, Toon Town, and Adventure Land. Disney Park was more of a viewing side of the park; you were able to see gorgeous builds of structures from some of your favorite movies. Star Wars was recreated so well whether it be the rides or the actual Star Wars sets everything was detailed beautifully down to the last speck of dust, the rides were so immersive and interactive that sometimes I thought a 3D dark Vader was coming after me on a ride called “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance”. Later in the day at 2 pm, I went to the left side of the park called Disney California Adventure, this side of the park was made more for intense rides with rides like; the incredicoaster, guardians of the Galaxy, Mickey Swinging Ferris wheel, and Space Mountain. If you know me, I’m a sucker for intense and “scary” rides so the incredicoaster which is a fast roller coaster that flips you into a loop was one of my top 3 rides along with Guardians of the Galaxy which is a ride that drops you up and down from very high heights. Both sides of the park were incredibly gorgeous and the second I stepped into Disney land I felt like a kid again getting excited over taking a photo with Mickey and Minnie at the Disney Halloween parade. Both parks were spot on and realistic to all the movies and shows I grew up with and still watch, the parks made me relive my childhood and it was so fun especially since I went with one of my best friends Eva who made it 10 times better to experience.

I had a dream. The dream wasn’t pleasant. The dream was not a nightmare, I wasn’t scared. The dream was not a place or time, it was a dream. The dream was a version of myself in twisted ways, either physically, or maybe that represented the space around. Maybe it was the lighting, but I had a feeling it was more than that. There was a sense of dread, whether with or without the fear, and the absence of danger. There was no dread, only peace in a broken illusion fragmented by woe. Woe is not my friend, she is not yours, nor does she exist either both or neither. Woe had a smile, and Woe was when she existed. Woe was not sad, nor distressed, she was simply there to exist in a circle that defies your mind and your logic. She resides within me.

Woe had long hair, unkempt and messy, but due to her own self because she could not care. Woe had distress, from the first touch and the first thought, and then from the raindrops that littered a clear glass pane. Woe could be the sun, for as much as she is the moon, she should not be seen as such. She wasn’t sad, nor was she happy, but she drowned all the same in a bottomless pit that was not water or air. She knew all the lyrics to nine songs that ring a bell like the grandfather clock that haunts her from the corner of her world. She knows the sound of a dog. She is a dog, there for all, there for nothing.

Agustina Bazterrica’s eerie dystopian novel Tender Is the Flesh explores the extremes of social desensitization and dehumanization. The book centers on Marcos, a worker at a meat processing plant, in a world where human flesh is grown and eaten and animal meat is tainted. Readers are drawn into a terrifying world where morality and ethics are forsaken in order to survive thanks to Bazterrica’s unnerving and compelling prose. She implores readers to consider difficult issues regarding humanity, empathy, and the limitations of moral compromise through vivid, disturbing images.

With a detached prose that reflects the numbness of its surroundings, the novel is expertly unnerving. Because it graphically explores violent themes, it is not for the fainthearted, but for those who are prepared to endure its horrors, Tender Is the Flesh is a profoundly impactful and unforgettable book. It is a potent critique of the perils of extreme commercialization and the detached nature of modern society.

The Vancouver trip was a trip where only dorm students that had 15 years or more could go and we had a limited amount of spaces. Since I knew about this trip I was really exited about it because i never went to Vancouver before and I really wanted to go because it would be the first big city that I would visit here in Canada and I didn’t know if it would be like the experiences I had before.

In the first day we gone to the Halloween fair that was really fun and there was many different attractions, my favorite one was the wooden roller coaster that was really fun because of the speed of it and the sharp turns it had, but the extra is that many of my friends were there with me what was really fun.

In the second day I went shopping through Vancouver with my friends and later in the day we went to the Hockey game what was super fun and I discovered a new sport that I liked. The last day was calmer because we did not have that many time left so we went to a shopping mall and that was our last day basically. I loved the trip a lot and I had really nice memories of me and my friends there.

I didn’t exactly have a straight idea on what to write about, so instead I thought why not share my experience on the Remembrance Day Ceremony? To start it off though I was already really damn scared about it because probably like most people, I hate going up and speaking in front of multiple people, it makes me feel my heart in my throat and feel a heartbeat in my head. From the beginning one of my partners weren’t showing and I needed them for a slide and since I was already a bit vulnerable it gave me a heart attack (not actually), and then math marks got brought up, checked my grade and in the moment I thought I got low grades for a test I was confident, later I found out he put the marks on the wrong test (thank GOD), but in the moment that made my day even worse, panicking more.

Then around came the ceremony, my partners were there, all I had to do was walk up there and read but I was so nervous, practically shaking! when I walked up on that stage I was shocked to see how many people were actually there, how many people were staring dead blank at me, how many people were there to see every little mistake, it scared me so much I kind of found it funny how many minion sized people there were. After doing my part I came to the realization that it wasn’t too hard to do but that doesn’t suppress the mass anxiety haha. Once we finished, my god you can not imagine the happiness of being done with that, god it felt GREAT!

I can’t believe that already have been 3 months since I got here from Mexico. Time have past so fast that I didn’t realize how much memories and fun I had until now. Lately the days feel much colder than before, so I have to buy more clothes to not freeze outside. Sincerely I don’t have much to say because everything has been so relaxed and anything interesting have happened right now.

Mushu is a creature of pure leisure. With his rich sandy coloured beard and regal presence, he carries himself like royalty— but with none of the effort. While other bearded dragons run around, chasing crickets or explore new territories, Mushu prefers to lounge in his favourite sunbeam, basking like he’s auditioning for a portrait.

He’s the definition of lazy. But I guess he gets that from his owner..! There are days when I’ll check on him and he’s stretched out on his rock, not a care in the world as crickets jump on his head, as if the concept of movement is beneath him. His most ambitious activity is occasionally shifting to a slightly more comfortable spot or lazily extending a leg when the warmth hits just right. Food? He’ll get there eventually– if it happens to wander by, he might show mild interest unless its a blue hornworm then he’s everywhere. If not, he’s more content to stare off into space.

Mushu’s laziness is almost an art form. He has mastered the art of doing absolutely nothing with such grace, I can’t help but admire it. While the world whizzes by, Mushu remains still, basking in his own quiet, slow-motion kingdom. And really, who could blame him? He’s found the secret to a perfectly spoiled, relaxed life– and he’s in no rush to share it with anyone.

 

(I read this out to him and he gave me such a dirty glare I thought he might try to come for me)

If you’ve ever been to Surrey, you’re going to be so confused why I’m writing about it (unless you know me). I know every little corner of Surrey by heart, probably even better than Victoria since the last time I lived here was when I was 11. I already explained that in my introduction.

I honestly I had no idea why I missed Surrey so much until I finally caved in and decided to visit my cousins after four horrible-dredged-tormenting months of not being able to see them (the longest time I’ve been away from them), I understood why. I realized that I missed the chaos of the screaming of my little cousins running around and being forced to take care of them (so no, I wasn’t talking about the shootings). I’m closer to some of my cousins then I am with my siblings. I only say that because I think I know a few of them better than my own brothers since I can connect with them on the same level (while my my age gap with my brothers’ cause some barriers). I am in Surrey right now, and this first visit after moving away, was very… eventful… At the least.

After getting off the most boring and normal ferry ride I’ve been on, we arrived at my cousins’ house. Scratch that. That place is basically mine. We arrived at my house in Surrey (because I’m definitely rich). The moment I came I hugged everyone except my LEAST favourite cousin (she knows very well she is my most favourite person in the world. I WOULD TAKE A MILLION BULLETS FOR HER IF I EVER HAVE TO (let’s pray that’s never the case)! I mean she saved my life a million times, but we’re not going to get on that topic much because she is going to sound like a hero, which she is for my dumb head). Both of us had been arguing with each other for the last 4 months to the point we don’t know what we were arguing about. All I know is that I’m not wrong. Both of us then looked at each other and knew what it meant. We both went to an empty room and kicked everybody out. We talked for hours like I never left, just catching up. Talking about how much we missed each other. Honestly, we could not see each other for 3 years and pick up the conversation right where we left it. Well, if I somehow survive that long without her, but I highly doubt that. Then, my brothers, cousins, and I watched a movie up ’til VERY late. The next day we went to their farm (they’re building a new house so they wanted to show us the progress that has been made). I also got my caramel ice cap after that (I’ve been craving that thing for such a long time). One thing I didn’t miss was the plaza near my Surrey house. They’re are a lot of homeless people and let’s just say your doing your lungs a favour if you avoid that place.

Now it is Monday, and I don’t want to come back because I don’t want to. Also, my cousins have a extra two weeks off (I used to get an extra break) and I deserve it more. Well, see you all tomorrow!

As you may be shocked to read the title of this blog post, in my freshly October mind it is already time for Christmas to arrive! The holiday for laughter and cheer, Christmas is coming fast with no sight of a tear! I love Christmas with its pretty fairy lights, delicious food, and most of all it’s over-the-top celebration. This among other things makes this season the best for showing love and appreciation to everyone you love most or even the people you wish would get out of your life forever. No matter the difference in personality, appearance, or amount of money a person has, everyone can celebrate Christmas with any simple thanks or smile they can give. Christmas however, has not always been a celebratory holiday for me as you may come to find out. Before this year I absolutely hated Christmas with all my might. I hated everything about it even the parts I love and can not image Christmas without. Besides not wanting Christmas to appear it was a consent reminder I didn’t have anyone close to seriously celebrate with. Nonetheless, as this year has already brought me so much new love and joy I am very excited to finally celebrate Christmas this year, as I know full heartly it’s gonna be one I’ll never forget.

the hailstone numbers are so called because they go to very big heights before coming down. I like the hailstone numbers because they are so different. they are very different.

Today I realized that I have already spend so much time in Canada without noticing, it’s been already 2 months. I have already made so many friends and I’m so thankful for that because I had met so great people and makes me sad thinking that some of them will be gone in some time.

My time here has also been remembering to appreciate those how are far away. That it doesn’t matter if they are not exactly at our side, they are on our hearts always. To appreciate the moment because someday they will by only memories.

Of course, I’ve been having a ball here with the incredible people that I have met so far until now. I also been going around the city. Living along people of my age, younger and older people had been great. It had been a challenge to get along with somethings, but I finally did it. All I have left to say is that I’ve been enjoying being an exchange student.

Today I am officially celebrating half of my time here. While it feels surreal that I have already spend so much time in Canada, I am equally as exited to go home again. I already know that these months will change me – since I came here I realised a lot, and I reflected a lot about my life. I have talked to many students here who told me about their homes they are trying to escape, about their worlds they just wanted to get away from, and how they simply couldn´t endure anything anymore and had to get away. Even though I also have my reasons for being here, I have, probably for the first time in my life, realised how incredibly lucky and fortunate I am to have people who miss me, and a safe and loving home I cannot wait to get back to.

My time here has also been a reminder to celebrate and appreciate the little things in life. I’ve tried to see as much of the area as possible, and the beauty of BC overwhelms me every day anew. The magic energy of the massive forests, the deep blue water of the ocean right next to where I live and the fresh, clean air – it shocks me how my local friends think all of this is natural and normal. I can say with confidence that, even though I have travelled a lot, I have rarely seen nature as breathtaking as this one. I am more than exited to share it with my family when they come here.

And of course, nothing would be the same without my amazing friends that I have met along the way. I am so grateful to have met so many kind people who I can be myself around with and who are there for me. I have never been in a place for this long with this many cultures, and I can see how it has been an eye-opening experience for me. Some of my best friends that I have made here are from the other side of the world of where I live from, and it has been nothing but extraordinary to live alongside these people.  Even though I almost can´t imagine how it can get any better, I am looking forward to the second half of my stay and to all the memories we will create.

Through this period of my exchange year, I have experienced many different things like using public transportation daily what is not a normal thing for a teenager to do because of the danger and risks of using a bus or a train, many bad things could happen like getting robbed or kidnaped. Another thing that I’ve been doing that is making me learn is having to spend my own money and know how to manage it, what makes me more conscious about the prices of things and how we need to have a budget when going shopping and while doing groceries.

Another thing that for me has being really amazing for me its having neighbors of my age living close to me and we have to make one community that has harmony and we have to help ourselves doing daily tasks and respecting each other privacy and spaces, that is very important because I am living with a roommate what is a really nice experience because we are learning how to be respectful and organized in your own room because the space is not only yours now.

In general my time in Canada as an exchange student was great till now and I hope it will not stop being a nice experience that, I will remember forever that thought me many things like how to live in harmony with someone else, how to get a bus, how to get my own groceries and many more things.

Last night I watched Mid90s, an A24 movie. It was released in 2018 and directed by Jonah Hill. The story takes place in 1990’s Los Angeles and follows thirteen year old Stevie. Stevie is a decently pure and well mannered child who navigates his troubled home life with his boundary-lacking mother and his older brother who beats him. Stevie joins a new friend group he meets at a skate shop. The group consists of 4 boys not including Stevie. The story shows how the boys have their own ambitions and dreams but they are doomed to live little lives in poor neighbourhoods. The group acts very gang like, breaks many rules, rebels together, and runs from cops together. But they still care for one another and speak of the future and ambitions very often. This movie has been on my mind since I watched it. I really liked how realistically they portrayed teenage conversations. The way the movie captured acting out, living in complicated conditions and longing for a better reality simultaneously was realistic. The art direction for the movie was amazing and each scene was very well shot. The music chosen consisted of some great bands and their less popular songs, many of my favourites were included. Morrissey (from the smiths), The Pixies, and The Misfits for example. This movie definitely made its way up to my favourites. 

 

For this personal writing piece I have decided to write about the trip that I am going on Monday morning. On Monday at 3 in the morning my brother dad and I are going to meet my mom in Montreal and we are all staying there for a week. We are staying in Montreal for a couple days than going to old Quebec city. I am very excited for this †rip because i can learn more french than i already know and go to the ice palace. I think the thing i am most excited for is to go on a trip with my family and go to la grande roue de Montreal. My parents and I like to travel a lot and the reason we are going on this trip is because my mom leaves on Friday for a meeting in Montreal and so we decided to take a family vacation after her meeting. I think that this trip will be educational for me because I will learn a lot of history about old Quebec city. I am also excited to go to the airport and travel to a new place where I have never been before.

Do you recall my last PW? The one in Which I talked about my Summer PC Build? Well, over the few months of usage I have my own feedback and whether I recommend a PC like that (PC Specs Below)

As I mentioned above, I have had time to experiment on this Budget System; This was a tremendous upgrade from my old computer, which had a Core 2 Quad, a 17 year old CPU. Despite me not doing any serious intensive tasks, the age of the hardware was felt by me, as the computer had micro stutters, and ran at an average of 60 degrees Celsius. With the new Computer, I am rarely able to load it above 50% CPU Usage, and under load it barely hits 30 Degrees Celsius. Another thing I have noticed, is that Linux is a way lighter Operating System compared to Windows, meaning that an actual “Stress Test” would never cause any stutter. Considering the Applications and my PC usage in general, I am not able to use it to the fullest potential, unlike Windows Users. My computer is surely a bang for the buck, I mean; Custom built (By myself), has modern parts (GTX 1650 Super), and it came at a low cost (instead of $500 I had a trick that put the price down to ~$150). This, however, doesn’t mean that I can’t find a good use to this computer; The Xeon I use is clocked at a slow 2.2 GHz, however, its 6 Cores and 12 Threads make up for it, allowing me to watch 4K Videos without stutters and a comfortable 60 – 180 Frames per second in Benchmark Runs.

There are also some setbacks, as this Xeon has a low Clock speed, it causes stutters sometimes as it is not able to catch up to the GPU, however this is partly my fault, as Overclocking will cause instability of the CPU, and it won’t work as long as it will in stock. I also found that the Cooler can be a bit loud, considering it has 2 fans it is not surprising, however un-plugging 1 is not an option, as it may get toasty quick (underload). Turning down the RPM is impossible through BIOS as well; it seems like this one is kind of on me, however it should be mentioned any ways.

Lastly, I would like to reflect on my overall thoughts on ” The BEAST” (name given to it by me do to it’s loud roar when the fans spin). “The BEAST” is a wonderful computer, which I craved to have since I was little; Powerful to run any task thrown at it, and the inability to overload the system, I mean, it’s a true dream! However, this Computer’s CPU is meant to be a server CPU, so in the next couple of years, with the coming of newer and more recourse-taking applications and websites this machine may need a full upgrade. Using Linux on this machine has proven to be a smart choice, as it fills up only 1.5 GB of ram on the Desktop, leaving an additional 14.5 GB at my disposal. Unlike the basic Version of DDR3, ECC Ram finds and fixes mistakes in code, allowing for a more secured file transfer (essential safety measure in Servers). I should clarify, this RAM is a little slow compared to its successor, DDR4, which goes up to 3000 MHz (in comparison to its predecessor’s 1899 MHz). This setback is only clear when you use a DDR4 system under load and come back to DDR3.

In the end, I believe “The BEAST” is a computer which I theoretically do not need (as I do not use it fully), however, it is a nice space heater and and a good Multimedia station for movies/shows (perfect combo for Christmas Eve!). If I had Windows, I would be able to find out it’s limits in a day, however, it’s ability to surprise me every day allows for intrigue and expectation rise. To conclude this PW, I may not need this computer, but it is a great addition to my room, being a so called artifact which stands out (due to its roar).

(PC Specs:

Intel Xeon E5-2420v2, GTX 1650 Super, 16 GB DDR3 ECC (Error Correcting Code Memory), 500 W PSU, 256 GB SSD (I have a storage server, 256 GB for apps is plenty), X79 Chipset Motherboard, and Cooler Master double Fan Cooler; This computer runs Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon Edition: Total PC Cost: $150 (instead of the planned 500))

A few days ago, I decided to rewatch one of my all-time favorite movies: ‘The Dead Poets Society’ and rediscovered a quote that has stuck with me since. ‘Carpe diem’ which translates to ‘’seize the day’’, is a quote which plays an important role in the storyline and represents one of the main messages and central themes that the movie wants to deliver.

The Dead Poets Society is a story which follows a group of boys at a strict, elite boarding school, who, under the guidance of their ‘unorthodox’ English Teacher Mr. Keating, learn how to think for themselves. The phrase that Mr. Keating repeats throughout the movie ‘carpe diem’ had a big impact on me as well as the group of the boys in the movie. They began to learn how to break free from expectations, follow their true passions and most importantly, how to make the most of their lives. This made me think about my own life and how often I hesitate to take risks. Do I do what makes me happy or do I hold back because I’m scared? I strongly believe in ‘’living in the moment’’ even though it often gets lost or forgotten in the busyness and chaos of life. ‘Carpe diem’ or ‘living in the moment’ aren’t about being reckless but more about doing what makes you happy with confidence. I wish that more people could hear this and begin embracing each moment and memory they get to experience. Life is beautiful.

As I experience life living in Canada away from home, I find myself more grateful than ever for the support of my parents. Every day, they check on me to see how I’m doing, reminding me that I’m never truly alone, no matter the distance. The daily FaceTime calls with my dad have become something I treasure deeply. He’s truly my best friend. We spend hours talking about everything, laughing about anything, and having long talks that help me and motivate me in so many ways.

It’s deeply comforting and sweet to know that if I ever feel sad, my parents are the first people I can always reach out to. No matter what I’m going through, they’re there for me. I believe that this experience has made our communication even stronger. We talk more openly now, and I feel even closer to them despite the physical distance.

Being here is about making the most of this experience, not just for myself but for them as well. I know that my happiness is their happiness. I want them to see that I’m thriving and enjoying every moment so they never have to worry. They’ve done so much for me, and I want them to feel the love and appreciation they deserve. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their help, advice, and love.

To my mom, who always makes countless sacrifices for my well-being, and to my dad, who never fails to make me feel cherished. Thank you. I love you more than words can express.

Today Im writing about one of my closest friends I’ve made in Canada. If you’re reading this blog then you know her, therefore I’m keeping her name a secret (even though you could probably guess who I’m talking about). Even though I’ve only known her for a month or two, I feel a really close connection with her. I don’t know if its because we basically see each other the whole day or because we are really similar but I really enjoy spending time with her. She’s 15, about 5’4 and has red-brown hair.

Together we share a lot of laughs, even though I consider her jokes to be more like “dad jokes”, she’s still has a fun humour. She’s really like to style and braid people’s hair but I don’t let her touch main unless its to give me a massage. Her magic hands are truly one in a million!

As the year goes by, I hope we become even closer and wish to make more memory’s together.

It’s coming to an end for bird migration this season. A few weeks ago, was the biggest movement for species so, my parents and I went to East Sooke Park and hiked to the hawk watch spot. We arrived at the lookout around 8:00am and began scanning for songbirds and seabirds with our binoculars and scope. There were hundreds of California Gulls on the rocks and flying around the fishing boats, and hundreds Common Murres on the water. After a few hours, it had warmed a bit up, so we redirected our focus to the treeline. And fair enough, the raptors started appearing over the ridge. It was a calm day, and they showed beautifully against the white clouds. In the first hour we managed to see 63 Red-tailed Hawks, 44 Turkey Vultures, 16 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 14 Cooper’s Hawk, and the odd Osprey and Bald Eagles. All these raptors are trying to migrate south for the winter, but they must wait for the perfect weather to cross the strait (piece of ocean between Canada and USA). Especially the Turkey Vultures because they will not flap until they have crossed. They must get high enough and wait for the wind to blow in the right direction because attempting to cross as a group. They also travel the furthest. Some flying to southern USA, whilst others go as far as South America where they will spend the next five months before heading back north. As the day carried on, the cloud crept away from us making it more challenging to see the hawks against the blue sky. Over 200 Vaux’s Swifts were also migrating through, as well as over 300 Band-tailed Pigeons. That day, we saw a total of 48 species at that hawk lookout spot.

Earlier last week, me, my Dad, and my two brothers put together a plan to go visit my family in Northern British Columbia for Thanksgiving, and to go hunting as well. With this fourth trip of the year complete, I can happily say that I was able to go up to Smithers through each of the four seasons this year. Fall is really such a beautiful time to be up North, especially seeing all of the trees drop their leaves, along with the beautiful colours to show for it. This 1200km drive would take a total of 16 hours, including a ferry. It was so surreal seeing the sunrise and sunset during a single drive, and it really shows how vast and wide our province is.

With a couple early starts, we did the drive in one day, going both directions. This drive traverses through some of the most rugged and beautiful landscapes British Columbia has to offer, such as the Fraser Canyon, the Cariboo, and the Bulkley-Nechako. The trip went amazing, with lots of highlights, such as getting my first grouse this year, having my first Thanksgiving with my family in Smithers, being treated to a show of dancing Northern Lights the night I arrived, and having the ability to make my second annual fall trip, which I’m incredibly grateful for. We started our drive back home early in the morning, arriving back home late that night. After a full day of travelling, I looked through the photos in my camera roll as I came though the door at home and thought to myself “It all feels like a dream”.

On day 2 of being in Arizona I didn’t actually do that much. The most that happened during that day was me and my mom went over to the waterpark. The waterpark was pretty interesting, when I walked up to go to the waterslide there was a very tall cactus that my mom kept insisting, I take a picture of her next to. On day 3 of being in Arizona; me and my friend went to the mall. The mall there reminded me of Mayfair a little bit. But it was much bigger. There were also many more plants scattered around the mall than at Mayfair. The name of the mall was the Chandler Fashion Center. The first thing me and my friend did was go over to Zumiez to check out the clothes they had there. I tried to use my debit card to pay for it; but it did not work across the countries. And I was about to pay so I did not have time to fix it. I ended up having my mom giving me her credit card and just paying her the money back later. At Zumiez, I bought a shirt with a Mazda Rx-7 on it, and the other one had a Nissan. My friend did not buy anything because he did not want to spend too much money. After this, me and my friend went over to a diecast car shop, and we looked at some of the cars there. I saw one that said “1 in 5”, and mistakenly thought that it meant it was a 1 in 5 in the whole world. I only realized after I got home that it was a 1 in 5 in the set. The mall was honestly one of my favorite parts of the trip. But it only got better from there. To be continued in part 3…….

   

“Silent Hill: PT” was a video game published in 2014, and was later taken down. “PT” stands for playable teaser, and it was a one of a kind game. Throughout years, many would try to recreate this game, but nothing would ever compare to the original. I had never played it, but I played a very close remake of the game. It features a gameplay where you walk through the hallway of what seems to be a mansion, and you loop over and over again. as you progress, things start to happen, like the phone ringing, or the mannequin would start following you. I had played this remake in VR with my best friend Ryan, and it was a very… interesting experience. Now, he’d never admit it to you, but he was much of a scaredy cat during that game. To be fair, I don’t blame him. We took turns going in front of each other, walking down the hall, and at one point, the bathroom was open. I opened the door… it was dark, and when I looked in the sink, I could not begin to describe what I saw. In a few minutes, I’d leave the bathroom, and we’d continue. The piano would play, and there was a fridge tied to the very high ceiling by a rope. The fridge would swing, and you’d wonder why there was crying. A radio sounded once, about a crime, a husband who had shot his wife or something along those lines.

At one point, we couldn’t keep going down the hall, and we were forced to go upstairs. When we went up, we had gone through that hallway a couple of times, at one point, you could hear the piano being played downstairs. I had gotten very scared, and so had Ryan, so he made me go first down the hallway for the rest of the game. Soon, I began drowning out the noise by singing the Mario theme and dancing down the hallway. We looped again, and the closet door that was at the beginning of the hallway was slightly open, showing a small TV perched on a stool. I couldn’t go in the closet, and Ryan couldn’t care less, so he kept going. I, however, had stayed, and watched the TV. It featured a little cartoon man in 2D, walking down a white hallway, over and over, for a while. The TV glitched, an image flashed of the little cartoon man that was rather disturbing, and a figure came out from the side of the closet door, only to slam it shut in my face. Ryan didn’t believe me, I probably wouldn’t believe me too. We looped again, and the door at the end of the hallway was open, revealing a staircase into what seemed to be some sort of attic or upstairs room. Ryan had told me to go first, I had no objections.

I went upstairs, and he followed behind. There was crying, specifically from an infant, which could be found in a cradle across the room. When we looked into the cradle…

I had hid in the closet, and Ryan couldn’t see, but we eventually made it out of the room. We kept up our pace, and we looped again. As we walked down the hallway, a tree had crashed through the window, and the attic latch opened, a ladder falling down along with a basketball, which we had chased, if I remember correctly. Back to that room, we had to hide from a tall man with a shotgun, then we’d crawl through a boarded crawlspace full of spiderwebs, seeming to replicate a kind of ventilation. In the end that chase wasn’t worth the triumph, because he’d get you anyways, and he’d drag you away with his heavy weapon in hand, and it was at this point I had realized there was something much deeper. There was a rope, and he’d push you against and over the railing, and then something would close on you with the sound of screaming and a muted door slammed shut.

Something about being cold, and the silent sound of swinging.