To Ride An Elephant

I should be studying at the moment since finals are approaching, but amidst procrastination, I stumbled upon a list of goals that I had made when I was in Grade 9 while cleaning my room (I would rather clean than study, that’s saying something…).

Funny thing is, it felt so odd to read through my to-do list. It was as if I was looking at a nugget of history, or rather, a reflection of my 15-year-old self. I was such a reserved teenager, and weird too. One of the things I put down was “to ride an elephant”.

Thinking back, I don’t think I even seriously considered that I would accomplish some of them. It was more of a list of goals which would be nice to accomplish, but I did not think I actually will.

Here I am now, well in my twenties. And I am so proud to say that I have accomplished many of my goals. Here are 5 of them:

1. Hike up a mountain.

2. Sew a dress.

3. Join a choir.

4. Learn a new language.

5. Travel all over the world. (Well… a good portion of it.)

Comparing myself between now and then, I feel that I have gained so much more exposure to the world. More confident, more aware of the opportunities out there.

Of course, there is always more to discover. I am very excited to see what is in store for the future!

As for that elephant ride – somehow, someway, I will make it happen!

Distraction

It’s going to be a bit difficult studying with a humongous travel book and a bottle of icewine in front of me.

Thank you for the birthday wishes, everyone! It makes having a birthday during the final season so much better.

Photo 12

I visited my high school last week to see my photography teacher, Mr. Fruhling, one last time before he officially retired. It was early in the morning, since I had to head to UBC for classes later in the day, so the class was empty when I walked in. Seeing the tiny television, his ancient boom box, and especially the back board entirely covered with black and white photographs made me really… well, nostalgic.

Mr. Fruhling walked in wearing the silliest and brightest yellow hawaiian shirt, catching me by surprise almost as much as I surprised him by my visit. Obviously, he couldn’t wait to retire! Not much has changed with him, I thought. He’s still the same kooky and restless fine arts teacher, but one that genuinely cared for his students and hugely influenced my love for photography and my perspective of viewing the world.

And to think, it all began with that ironing board…

Lola

Mother and grandmother, tottering together.

World Cities Night

World Cities Night, one of the signature events hosted by the International Business Club, is coming up on Thursday, January 2oth!

This networking event is an excellent opportunity to connect with a variety of professionals who are working in a field that is internationally oriented. Highlights of the event include discussions of similarities and differences between major cities, and how to engage with cultures around the world. Look forward to light refreshments, finger foods, and keynote speaker featuring George Moen, President of Blenz Coffee.

Tickets are available Online (http://bit.ly/onlinetickets) and in the CA Hall in the Henry Angus Building from January 7th to 20th between 11 and 3PM.

Crap

Winter break should last longer. The first day of second semester already begins tomorrow, and I have a full day with three commerce classes. Slightly eager (okay, not really) to see what marketing, stats, and finance have in store, but I’m more so excited to delve into intermediate german. Wunderbar! No textbooks in my bag yet, but I have my book list printed out in preparation for my textbook hunt.

Global Village

The UBC International Business Club recently held one of their signature events, Global Village, a cultural food fair and fashion show on October 7, 2010. I want share the video that I made of the event, and with that, I encourage you to check out the other awesome events that the International Business Club have to offer!

It was an amazing night, the food looked good (I use the word “looked” only because I actually didn’t get a chance to try any of them…) and the outfits were spectacular! I wish I could keep one of them as my halloween costume. A couple of years ago, out of desperation and out of time, I went to a halloween party dressed up as a ketchup bottle. Good thing nobody came as fries, because that would just be awkward. This year, hopefully I’ll find a better outfit.

Come, sit with me.

We were working through a grammar exercise in my German class, where we had to match a sentence to the appropriate picture. There was one peculiar picture of an elder man sitting on a table with his legs crossed and a perverse smile on his face. Oddly enough, the sentence which matches it reads, “Komm, setz dich zu mir!”, which in English translates to “Come, sit with me”.  I know, a bit immature of us, but the whole class got a laugh out of that! The professor even chuckled with an, “Oh dear…”

Question six is a bit creepy.

Golden Ears

Often, the last minute trips are the ones that work out. Last week, I went on a camping trip to Golden Ears which I reserved only 2 days prior. It was my first time there, and I loved it!  Despite being just being an hour away from downtown Vancouver, Golden Ears feels distant enough to get away from thoughts of work and school. Or maybe it has something to do with having no cell phone reception there.

It cost $40 to rent a canoe for an hour. Being the poor students we were, Leah and I made do with what was available on the lake. Here’s a clip of us paddling on our very awesome canoe (ie. a log). If I ever needed to abandon ship, I obviously know where my interests lie (sorry Leah)!

More MOA

I went to the Museum of Anthropology at UBC today with Michelle. I admit, it’s a bit geeky of me, but I absolutely loved it! I can’t believe I spent a whole year studying going to campus without ever visiting it. I hope to visit it some more during my breaks in the winter session. Ah, I can picture it already… reading a book in an absolutely silent room surrounded by cultural and ornate collections. Perfect.

Photos by Michelle W.