#14 IRJE The Midnight Library

In The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig, Nora explores different versions of her life through a magical library that lets her try out alternate realities. She has just returned to the Midnight Library after visiting hundreds of versions of her life and feels like she doesn’t know who she is.

‘I just don’t understand life,’ sulked Nora.

‘You don’t have to understand life. You just have to live it.’

Nora shook her head. This was a bit too much for a Philosophy graduate to take.

(p.293)

Through this journey, she realizes that every life has struggles and good parts. This leaves her extremely confused and lost. Nora has lived much of her life trying to make sense of the world. In the Midnight Library, she finds herself in a  situation that strains her ability to reason.Life itself and herself, challenge Nora to focus on actually living instead of just thinking about living. This path leads her to discover a more meaningful life.

IRJE#14 – The Stone Angel, Margaret Laurence.

The novel The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence is narrated by Hagar Shipley, an independent elderly woman reflecting on her life. Hagar is looking back on her youth, particularly her strained relationship with her father and the emotional walls she built over time. The moment reflects both her inner conflict and her inability to express vulnerability, which defines much of her character throughout the novel.

Pride was my wilderness, and the demon that led me there was fear. I was ever afraid, from childhood on, afraid of disapproval and of my own limitations. I was not so much proud of what I was as I was proud of what I would not be. I would not be weak. I would not be ill. I would never acknowledge defeat. These things I knew, although I never said them, even to myself. My pride was not aggressive—it was merely that I would not allow myself to be vulnerable, not at all. (p. 277)

I chose this quotation because it reveals the central internal struggle that defines Hagar’s character. Her pride, which she long thought was a strength, is revealed to be a mask for fear—particularly fear of emotional exposure and weakness. This admission, marks a moment of clarity for Hagar as she confronts the consequences of her emotional repression. It is significant because it encapsulates the novel’s themes of isolation, aging, and the complexities of personal identity. This self-awareness, though painfully earned, gives the reader insight into Hagar’s lifelong inability to connect deeply with others. The quotation is moving and powerful, illustrating the tragic irony of Hagar’s character: in trying so hard to be strong, she became emotionally unreachable.

IRJE #14 The Stranger Albert Camus

In The Stranger by Albert Camus, it follows the story of Meursault as he learns of his mother’s death and travels to the nursing home where she was living for her funeral. What immediately stood out to me was his emotional detachment as even at his mother’s funeral surrounded by her once-breathing soul he shows no grief and is more concerned with the temperature of the room seeming even annoyed by the funeral itself.

“The sun was beginning to bear down on the earth and it was getting hotter by the minute. I don’t know what time it was. I could feel the blood pounding in my temples.”

“I was conscious only of the cymbals of the sun clashing on my skull, and each time I felt a wave of heat lapping at my back, I clenched my teeth, clenched my fists in the pockets of my jacket, more and more aware of the sun…” (p.g. 15-18)

His lack of grief for his late mother makes me curious to read what happens next as it sets the tone of indifference, almost like he has fully given up on the world. I am only at the very start but I am very impressed by this novel and recommend it to anyone who likes books such as The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

IRJE #14

In The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig, Nora explores different versions of her life through a magical library that lets her try out alternate realities.

“The only way to learn is to live.” (pg. 204)

Through this journey, she realizes that every life has struggles, and no choice guarantees perfect happiness. The quote encapsulates her realization that what matters most is how you live, not what path you take.

RJE #13 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue written by V. E. Schwab, is a beautifully written book about a young woman who makes a deal with the devil to live forever and be forgotten by everyone she meets. Therefore, her extraordinary adventure begins.

“Déjà vu. Déjà su. Déjà vécu. ” (pg. 122)

This quote appears a lot in this book. The feelings are translated to, déjà vu (already seen), déjà su (already known), and déjà vécu (already lived) reflect Addie’s experience of immortality and isolation. Déjà vu mirrors how her endless wandering makes even new places feel familiar. Déjà su captures her deep, instinctive understanding of people and life, gained over centuries. Déjà vécu expresses the weight of reliving similar moments again and again, as her life becomes a loop of forgotten encounters and repeated emotions. These sensations symbolize the emotional repetition and timelessness of her cursed existence.

IRJE#14-The 48 Laws of power by Robert Greene.

In this passage, Robert Greene is discussing Law 6: Court Attention at All Costs. He explains how visibility is a crucial source of power, and that being unnoticed or forgotten is dangerous for anyone who seeks influence. Greene give historical examples of figures who mastered the art of commanding attention and standing out from the crowd.

Burning more brightly than those around you is a skill that no one is born with. You have to learn to attract attention, as surely as the greatest courtesan learned to fascinate. As a young man, P.T. Barnum discovered the power of being a showman. He saw that attracting attention at all costs, even with lies or absurdity, could generate enormous success. What is not seen is as good as dead. Visibility beats truth any day. Every crowd has a face, and the one who stands out is the one remembered. (p. 38)

I chose this quotation because it captures one of the core messages of the book-that power is often rooted in perception rather than reality. I find it eyes opening because it challenges conventional ideas about honesty and modesty. Greene argues that in a competitive world, visibility and attention can matter more than substance. This idea is both fascinating and controversial, and it forces the reader to think critically about how power actually works in politics, business, and even social life. The quotation has stuck with me because it reveals an uncomfortable truth about modern life: sometimes being loud or dramatic gets more results than being good or honest. 

PW #14 – Canada, my second home

I feel like Canada is becoming my second home these days. I’ve only been here for three years, but I don’t feel strange anymore, and I feel rather comfortable. At first, everything was new and awkward, but as time went by, everyday life here became more comfortable and natural. Friends who laugh and spend time together, places I go often, and small daily routines have all become a part of me.

I used to talk to my friends in Korea often, but now I rarely send messages to each other. As I spend more time with people and make memories here, I realized that I am increasingly connected to the Canadian community. Currently, my best friends, my family, my church, and my boyfriend are all staying in Canada. For me, Canada is now more comfortable and better to live in.

Sometimes it feels a little weird how much I’ve changed. But I also know that now I’m growing up and living here with the people around me. Korea is always my first home, but Canada is becoming another place I can call home, another place I belong to.

PW#14 – Laser Tag

On Saturday, Lola invited me, Ryan Blake, and a few others to a birthday party to go and play laser tag. At the time, I hadn’t played laser tag since grade 8, and the last time I played, I did absolutely horrible.  

I’m just going to skip over the boring part because nobody wants to know about that. So basically, once we got into the area we were put into two teams, on my team I had Blake and Gurjas, and the other team was Ryan, and two others who I didn’t know at all. The moment it started, I instantly bolted behind a wall to hide, In all honesty, having finally playing it again after years made me feel like I was in the military. I was constantly trying to be as stealthy as possible to try and avoid getting shot, and it worked most of the time. If it wasn’t for RYAN. Ryan was easily my mortal enemy throughout the entire game. Almost half of the times I ended up encountering Ryan he always ended up getting the first shot in on me. I remember even being across the entire area once, and Ryan somehow managed to get me through like 15 different walls. Later on I was able to give him a taste of his own medicine though. I remember being across the entire area like he was, and I kept shooting him from there. Afterwards he told me he didn’t even know who shot him. If we don’t focus on my mortal enemy, I spent most of the game sneaking around and getting people from where they didn’t see. I remember walking near Lola a bunch of times, and EVERY time she ended up screaming at the top of her lungs, and that scream ended up scaring ME too. 

Once we finished the game and looked at the points, I saw that Ryan had gapped us all by like 1000 points each game, and I came in second with like 1500 for each.  

 

 

PW#14 – Nostalgia draft 2

When I decided to do an exchange year, I knew it could go two ways: either the best school year of my life, or the worst. Luckily, I found my people and started to enjoy every part of the experience. But enjoying every moment comes with a downside, nostalgia.

It’s strange how a random smell or a song can take you all the way back to a Thursday that didn’t even seem special at the time, until you realize you’ll never be able to relive it. There’s this feeling of not knowing when, or if you’ll ever feel like you did in that exact moment again. Being a teenager means being stuck between not being a kid anymore and not quite being an adult. And now that we’re old enough to think deeper, we also start to fear the future more. Nostalgia is a feeling teenagers cant escape. We don’t want to grow up too fast, we don’t want to leave moments behind. It’s like finding an old photo and remembering how good it felt to be there even if we didn’t realize it at the time.

Nostalgia is probably the most bittersweet thing we’ll ever feel. It hurts to miss something, but it’s also beautiful because missing it means it meant something. As my friends say  “Nostalgia will be the death of us,” and sometimes it really does feel that way; because while we live a moment we feel this emptiness of knowing the moment will pass and we wont be able to relieve it. Even while we’re laughing or graduating or taking pictures, part of us knows that this moment will pass. And that thought makes it even more precious. So yeah, nostalgia might hurt, but it also shows how deeply we’ve lived—and that’s something I never want to stop doing. Nostalgia is the deepest emotion I’ve ever felt.

IRJE#14 – The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

Maia, is the oldest of the seven sisters, and the one who decided to never leave their childhood home because she felt safe there. All of her other sisters found their passions everywhere around the world, but Maia was too scared to leave home and leave her father alone. Now that her father recently died she feels lost in what her future will be.

“Never let your fear decide your destiny.” Pg.76

Her deceased father left a statue with coordinates and important words for the six sisters. The words directed to Maia made her realize she should travel the world and explore her place of birth. This an important part of the book because it’s the moment she is inspired to leave the place where she feels safe and explore new locations all around the world.

IRJE#14 – Walking in Two Worlds

In Wab Kinew’s Walking in Two Worlds, we get constant comparisons and contrasts between what Bugz is in the real and Floraverse worlds; The quote, in my opinion, sums it up really well as the booki focuses on personal identity and its values especially in the modern world.

“I am who I am, in every world I walk in” (p.125)

Not only does it outline her acceptance towards herself but it also shows that she doesn’t change based on what reality she is in. It outlines further that she is a person who won’t change her actions, or feelings towards someone based on the status, “Rank”, or otherwise any other forms of classifying one person or the other to a social status. This proves my point as in the real world not only is her ego confident but is dominant, which symbolises her compassion determination she is willing to take for relationships.

IRJE#14-Speak

Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, follows Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman who becomes an outcast after calling the police at a summer party. Her peers, unaware of the trauma she went through, ignored her, leading Melinda to go silent. As the book goes, she stays with the weight of her experiences and the challenge of finding her voice.

“There is no way they can punish me for not speaking. It isn’t fair. What do they know about me? What do they know about the inside of my head? Flashes of lightning, children crying. Caught in an avalanche, pinned by worry, squirming under the weight of doubt, guilt. Fear.” (p. 157)

In this passage, Melinda reflects on her silence as both a shield and a burden. She perceives her internal turmoil—represented by flashes of lightning, crying children, and feelings of being trapped—as too overwhelming to articulate. Her silence is not a choice but a response to the chaos within her, highlighting the profound disconnect between her internal world and the external expectations placed upon her. This moment underscores the novel’s central theme: the struggle to reclaim one’s voice amidst trauma and isolation.

IRJE #14 – The Secret Commonwealth

The Secret Commonwealth is a novel written by Philip Pullman and later published in 2019. It is the second novel of his trilogy, The Book of Dust. The story is set about 20 years later from the first book and Lyra Silvertongue, one of the protagonists, is now an adult. The other main character in this book is Malcolm. During La Belle Sauvage, Malcolm was Lyra’s tutor. Now, he is a professor at the college where Lyra grew up. Much of the novel links to the nature of imagination, reason, and perception which is where I found this quotation.

You won’t understand anything about the imagination until you realise that it’s not about making things up, it’s about perception. (p. 194)

This is said by Malcolm during a conversation with Lyra about her new psychological beliefs about the existence of daemons. Malcolm has known Lyra her entire life asks her about her new perspective. This is an important quotation because much of the book explores reason and imagination. I agree with Malcolm when he states, ‘it’s not about making things up, it’s about perception’. Your imagination develops and is the way it is because of how you, as an individual, perceive things. This is why everyone’s imagination in so unique which makes it so interesting. People’s experiences and beliefs shape their perceptions which ultimately determines how you imagine things.

IRJE #13 – The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty, written by Jenny Han It is about love, growth, and change. Belly, the main character, always spends her summer on beach with her mother, Steven, and Fisher family, Susanna, Conrad, and Jeremiah. Summer is the most special time of the year for Belly. It is a time when everything important in her life happens.

Things are different this summer. Belly is now 16, and the boys notice her in a new way. She is caught between her old feelings for Conrad and her new relationship with Jeremiah. At the same time, she learns that love can be painful and that people can change. But as she grows up, she also learns that it means making choices and understanding how she feels.

“There’s just us. Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this. To now.”

(p. 276)

This quote shows an important moment for Belly. She realizes that everything in the past—summer, love, and pain—has gotten her this far. It’s a moment of truth. “There’s just us” means it’s no longer about the past or anything. It’s about being honest about the present and her feelings.

This quote is important because it shows how much Belly has grown. She is no longer a girl with a summer crush. She is someone who can face up to her feelings and make real choices. The story shows that love is not just about feelings but about being brave and letting go of the past and choosing what matters now.

PW #14 The (other) Bald Man.

I love my papa.

I love my dad, my father, my old man, if you will. My pops, for those who are close. My parental guardian, if we get formal. And yeah, I love my daddy, if you’re a southerner.

But he’s bald.

He has typical Bald Man Syndrome. It’s sad. He’s a little chubby, but like, big man chubby, STRONG man chubby. He’s a little goofy, y’know, he thinks he’s from mars. Well, I wouldn’t doubt it. He’s a very loveable man, a papa I would never trade anything for. The universe could hold a blade to my throat and I’d say “oh well”. My friends love my papa, in fact, I will never meet somebody who doesn’t (because they automatically have a target on their back).

He is truly the greatest man alive, and it’s not far fetched to say I am a carbon copy. My entire personality is from my papa, and so are most of my features. Truly, my papa is such a kind man, he has even bonded with my dear friend Ryan through his love of cars! My papa is truly a beam of joy, yes, how could anyone not like him?

ENTER; Time.

My papa does everything for everyone. He’s the reason everything is still intact within our house (and our hearts). However, his immortal enemy, TIME, is out to get him. He has no time for ANYTHING. No time to do his hobbies, no time to hang out, no time to relax. I witness this and feel so utterly terrible, and that is why I present my new project to demonstrate my love for my papa.

I shall now… give him the best motorcycle ever, with custom designs provided by yours truly.

PW #14: Laziness

Does anyone else ever have that bug in your free time where you start to feel the urge to clean or actually do something productive, where you then become lazy and never end up doing it? This is usually what happens to me, and it’s hard to say that last weekend was any different. As a matter of fact, I even procrastinated on this PW that I’m now writing this during the school day. Late last week, I told myself that I was going to be so incredibly productive, that I was going to clean my room, start my science lab, review some math concepts, and finish up some other work. Guess what I did out of those four things? Nothing. I will pretty much always leave things to the last minute and then do them in a panic, and somehow I’ve still done well overall with this terrible strategy. Procrastination, it’s amazing what it can do. Instead of doing a few things on this Monday afternoon, I’ll instead be doing just about everything at once to make up for the lost time. I’ll probably need to adjust these habits at some point, especially with the Diploma Programme fast approaching.

PW #14 Little Miss Sunshine

A few days ago, I watched Little Miss Sunshine and I can honestly say it’s one of the most touching and meaningful films I’ve seen in a long time. The movie follows a chaotic road trip taken by a “dysfunctional” but lovable family trying to get their youngest member, Olive, to a beauty pageant in California. Along the way, they face many breakdowns – both from their van and from their personal lives – but they stick together through it all.

What I loved most about this film wasn’t just the storyline, but how it was brought to life. The filming had a kind of raw and authentic style that made it feel incredibly personal and real. The acting was also phenomenal (nothing else to be expected from Steve Carell) – each character was so well portrayed, from Olive’s innocence to her uncle’s quiet sadness, to the father’s intense obsession with winning.

The overall message of the movie really stuck with me. Little Miss Sunshine is about embracing your imperfections and understandin that success isn’t about fitting into society’s standards – but, as cliché as it sounds, about being true to yourself and the people you love. The movie shows how messy life can be, but also how beautiful that chaos is when you have people who support you. I thought that message was incredibly moving.

This film reminded me that there’s so much beauty all around us: in honesty, family and simply showing up for one another – no matter what.

PW#14- Debi Tirar Mas Fotos

Bad Bunny’s new album dropped a couple of months ago. The album is called Debí Tirar Más Fotos, which in English translates to “Should Have Taken More Pictures.” In my opinion, this album is one of Bad Bunny’s best. As soon as I heard the album, I got hooked on the unique rhythms and style he used in his songs.

For this album, instead of going “basic” with a normal reggaeton style, he decided to mix traditional Latin music like salsa or bachata, etc. In every song, you can quickly distinguish a traditional rhythm mixed with modern music, creating a unique rhythm made for everyone. Because of this combination, the album is loved by all types of people, from teenagers to grandparents. This likability from part of the elders is not common at all due to this type of music being “explicit” or “aggressive,” which makes this album a big accomplishment.

Also, in this album, most of the songs have a story or heartfelt lyrics and musical factors a lot of people love and can relate to (especially Latins). For example, in one of the songs, Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii (“What Happened to Hawaii”), it explains how the U.S. colonized it and oppressed the people, hinting at a similarity to what’s happening in Puerto Rico currently (the country where he’s from). Like this, the album has more songs which follow a storyline or just have very meaningful meanings. Because of this (and the fact that the songs are very catchy), I believe this has been one of (if not) the best albums Bad Bunny has published.

PW#14 Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola in 2003, is about two very different people who visit Tokyo. they find an odd solace and pensive freedom to be real in each other’s company, away from their lives in America.

Many people think that this is a romantic movie, yet I do not think it it is at all. I believe that this is about platonic love. In reality, the two characters don’t ever have feelings for each other, they just found comfort in one another. They both had a certain attraction, yet it was never physical.

They have a noticiable age gap, he is a married man with a family and an arguably established life. He has done a successful career, and found his “true calling” in life, as a famous actor. He gets praised and stopped in the streets, as he is recognized, but especially seen. Yet, with all this he feels alone, trapped, and lost.

On the other hand, Charlotte is quite young and newly married. She has just started this new chapter of her life, traveling to new places, meeting new people and having a free sense of adventure in her. Yet, she can’t help feeling completely lost and unsure of what will become of her. She says “I am not sure what I am supposed to be, you know? Tried being a writer but, I hate what I write. I tried taking pictures, but they are so mediocre.”

To this Bob responds with three simple words that change everything, “You’ll figure that out.” We can see the guidance and comfort that they found in each other. They’re loneliness and their feeling lost, is what brings them together. They found comfort and  what they were looking for in life in each other. They represented things in their lives they wished they had. They learned and grew together. Hence, the impact that they left on each other being so monumentally important and probably life changing. As they go their separate ways, probably never seeing each other again, they go back to their past lives, yet they are not the same people anymore.

This all happens in a brief moment, showing that you can meet someone and spend two days with them, and that can be just as important as someone you’ve known for years. This film is about those moments in life that are fleeting, but the impression stays with you.

 

PW#14 The Bald Man

Yes the title was very necessary. There’s my dad’s best friend Ed (Or Heavy Eddy; his name in my dad’s phone), he comes here during the summer but he leaves to Japan or something for the rest of the years (usually). And man. I LOVE THIS GUY. Ed has his whole life set out as well, maybe not the nicest living conditions but he’s happy with what he has. He’s practically already retired at a good age too, although yes he still does work here and there. He too just has that way of speaking, his voice and words make him sound so kind and innocent (He has his moments). He’s the charming charismatic guy everyone needs in their life. He literally brightens my day! He’s hilarious too, he said that when my dad walks around he’s like an ape dragging his knuckles across the ground haha! Right now Ed’s back in Victoria and I’m doing all I can to spend time with him and my dad (I think I’m going to try and demolish him in Tennis…). I wish you guys could meet him he’s so much fun! Last year me, Ed, and my dad went paddle boarding out at Thetis Lake in the summer and I was giving him looks like I wanted to try and knock him off and he just knew off the bat that I wanted to. I told him he has the mind of a child in an adult way and an adult body from the way he could sense what I wanted to do. It’s like he has telepathy when it comes to me I swear haha! This year I’m hoping I can send him into the water, I think he’d like that, he seems to be very good with amazing, cool, and really smart kids, so there’s no way he’d be mad hehe. Me. I love him for that too because he just gets me. I can’t wait for me to see him again, and speaking of him, I think I can hear him as I’m writing this!

PW#14 Is it productive?

I read something interesting on a blog recently: ‘Phone addiction is so bad now I think watching movies is productive.’ This is a thought that had been weighing on my mind for some time. I have already recognized that I use my phone more than I ought to, definitely more than is necessary, and certainly more than is healthy or beneficial. I have had long conversations with myself on the subject–but the dopamine overdose began so early, stopping feels like pulling the plug. I’ve started on my media diet at such a young age that, fast forward twelve years, reading a few pages of a fiction book, watching a movie, or even a show seems to be an extremely productive activity. And I can argue that each one is productive in itself as a form of education: fictional books allow you to integrate knowledge and language into your mind: movies and shows–especially movies–can present complex ideas in an easier format than traditional lectures or heavy school books, as well as allow you to learn more about the world (depending on the accuracy of representation). It can be considered productive because unlike “doom scrolling” through mindless media, you actually interact with the movie. It gets you to think and work your mind through analyzing different elements of the movie. But undeniably these are all activities that are considered hobbies, not as productive as, say, learning to cook, talking to people, or going outside and experiencing the world. These (hobbies) are things people have been doing for many years prior to phones as a way to blow off steam. And now, for myself and many other people, it is seen as a way to be productive, not to laze about. I don’t have a grand conclusion on this subject nor a solution for my blatant addiction to the media-dopamine buzz, because frankly, my desire to scroll overpowers the desire to recover and function. So, I will remain sickly, but I will feel guilty when doom scrolling, trying to find productivity in each and every unimportant to semi-important thing I do on a daily basis.

PW#14- I. Will. Self. Destruct. Next year is all war!

Next year will be complete chaos and war AND IT WILL LEAVE ME IN CRUMBS! Or wait actually no. IT WILL EAT ME UP AND LEAVE NO CRUMBS! I. Am. Terrified. For next year. I am going to be honest, MY SELF ESTEEM IS EVEN LOWER THAN MY IRON DEFICIENCY CAN POSSIBLY REACH! I do not think I’m ready. What-so-ever. Like I do not want to let myself down, but I’m sorry this is me LITERALLY TRYING TO BE POSITIVE! I am positively negative, guys trust me it’s a blessing (it’s not). I barely survived this year as it is. I STILL AM PROBABLY FALLING BEHIND IN SCHOOL WORK! I usually trust that everything will work out in the end, but it’s not working this time. I don’t know what I’m going to do and I know a lot of people are stressed for next year, but I am telling you. I AM ACTUALLY DOOMED GUYS! I’M NOT THAT SMART! IN FACT I’M ONE OF THE MOST STUPIDEST AND DUMBEST PEOPLE YOU’LL EVER MEET! I am the literal definition of a clown. I’m trying to stay positive like I usually do, but I… don’t know. It’s confusing and scary. Next year is the most important year of my life. It doesn’t help that my expectations are so high it feels like I’m chasing shadows. I WILL HAVE A MENTAL BREAKDOWN RIGHT AT THIS SPOT I’M COOKED!

PW#13 – Stray Kids dominATE(d) Seattle

I just went to my first-ever concert last weekend, and I seriously couldn’t have asked for a better one — Stray Kids DOMINATE World Tour in Seattle, which was also the first stop in North America! I went with my best friend Isla, and honestly? I think we peaked.

The concert was almost 4 hours long, and they had us on edge with all the fake endings — like, they’d say goodbye and then just pop back out like nothing happened and keep on going. It was so chaotic in the best way.

Jeongin (I.N.), my bias, was only 2–3 meters away from me at one point… and I’m convinced he waved at me. You can’t tell me otherwise. That moment alone has me emotionally unstable.

The energy was unreal, the visuals were insane, and they performed so many songs from across their albums, including some deep cuts I didn’t expect. One of my absolute favorites was “Burning Tires” — Jeongin and Changbin went off. If you haven’t heard it, you’re seriously missing out. Go listen. Now.

Everyone in the crowd was so kind, I got some cute freebies, and my phone is probably going to explode from how many videos I took. Worth it, though.

It was the best first concert I could’ve imagined. The fact that I got to experience it with Isla made it even more unforgettable. I already want to go again.

If you ever get the chance to see Stray Kids live, do it. And in the meantime… maybe give them a listen. Just saying..!

PW#14 – Boarding student.

When I became a boarding student, I knew my life was going to change, but I didn’t imagine how much. Leaving Mexico and my family, my food, my language, and my customs was like jumping into the void knowing I wouldn’t land on solid ground. What I didn’t expect was that in the midst of culture shock, the different language, and the days of nostalgia, I would find a new version of myself. The first shock was silent, almost invisible. I realized that although we spoke English every day, our realities were different. My best friend is from Brazil, and another of my closest friends is from China. At first, our conversations were full of funny misunderstandings, clashes of customs, and a lot of “in my country we don’t do it like this.” But over time, those differences became bridges. With my Brazilian friend, we share a language—because yes, Spanish and Portuguese sometimes understand each other halfway—but beyond that, we share a passion for family, music, and human warmth. With my Chinese friend, I learned to see the world from a different perspective, with different values, with a culture that at first seemed so distant and is now like a part of me. In every conversation and every shared meal, I know I’ve learned to open my mind and understand that diversity is not only interesting, but essential. Although missing someone is part of everyday life, being here has also given me a freedom I didn’t know I was capable of. I’ve learned to take charge of myself and solve problems on my own, to appreciate what I had at home but also the new things I’m building. Being a boarding student isn’t just about living far away: it’s about living differently. It’s about learning to value what’s yours by experiencing what’s foreign. It’s about crying in another language and laughing with people who, not long ago, were complete strangers. And above all, it’s about discovering that home isn’t always a place. Sometimes it’s a mix of accents, shared meals, and friends from three continents who are now part of your story.

PW#14 Sleep

Sleep. I thing I thought I could survive the day without; however, I have now realized the seriousness of the situation I put myself in. As I am fighting to keep my eyes from shutting uncontrollably, and blasting music in ears, I realize maybe I should have not stayed up the whole night talking to my friends. Besides now being unable to form a single sentence without having to read it twice beforehand, I have also become unable to complete simple tasks. The tasks I complete naturally every morning in my daily routine have now become the dreaded pain of my existence. From brushing my teeth for the forever lasting two minutes, to putting my shoes on before leaving the house have all become my forever lastly hell. All I want is to return to the heavenly doors of my bedroom before slipping gently into my cloud like bed. Nonetheless, until then I will be haunted by my actions of yesterday and wish for only one thing in this world. Sleep. 

IRJE# 13 – The seven sisters

The seven sisters by Lucinda Riley, is a book that follows Maia, one of 6 sisters adopted by their millionaire father. Recently in the book Pa salt as they called their dad, died unexpectedly and wished to have a private funeral without any of this daughters present. The unexpected death of their father made the girls realize their father was always very secretive and that they didn’t really know him. Although all the sisters are very different they still found peace in their father, since he always understood everyone of them.

“He was the sun around which all our lives revolved.” Pg. 65

This quote is important because it shows how Pa salt was very important to all the sisters. He was the one that they relied on, not only for support but also to guide them into their sense of purpose. The sisters subtly built their life’s around their father and now that he was gone they had to start fighting in their own.

PW #14 – Violin Recital

I’ve been playing the violin for four and a half years now. I started in the sixth grade when I first enrolled in Brookes Westshore because this school did not offer music classes, unlike my old school. I come from a musical family on my mum’s side and have been playing instruments my whole life which is why it seemed like a must. I needed to find an instrument to play. I had the option between the violin and the piano. I chose the violin. I liked its sound. And this was the start of my ‘violining’ as I like to call it. I practice almost every day. Once a week for an hour I have my lesson with my music teacher. She is a funny but strict old Ukrainian lady, often sharing stories of her everyday chaotic life it seems. Every so often (maybe a few times a year) I have a masterclass. This is basically a session that I have with a few other students directed by a so-called master. I play my piece, and they give feedback and areas for improvement. I had one of these classes a few weeks ago for a tune I had been learning for a couple months now. This was the tune I was going to be playing in my violin recital. On the first Sunday of June every year, my violin teacher organizes a recital for all her students to play their most recently learnt piece in front of a small audience of mostly family members. This year, the first Sunday of June happened to be the 1st. So, as I cleaned the rosin off my violin and packed it up, we went to the recital today for 2pm which was held in a church. I was first on the list to play. Luckily, I was allowed to have my sheet music with me, this time, otherwise I may have been slightly more nervous. I felt I did a good job, but it was not over yet. Near the end, I played again. This time as part of a trio. We played a total of three pieces together before bowing and taking our seats. At the end, there were group photos and snacks before we all departed for the afternoon.

PW#14-Injustice

Well, this is going to be a really short personal writing. I just want to take everything out by now. Well, the last two weekends I was gated for a truly INJUSTICE, you may be wondering, what happened? I just ordered food for the night because I didn’t eat much earlier, by the time it came I went for my order. As you may know, near the entrance to the gym there is a door that goes to the dorms, my room is nearer to that door. Well, I use that door to get as quick as possible to the gate to pick up my order, but before that I left a door a little bit open so I could use it to return to my room. I pick my order up in less than a minute, I came back, and I closed the door. Next thing I knew is that I was gated TWO FREAKING WEEKENDS STRAIGHT. This is just a truly injustice, I have seen a hundred of other guys doing the same and nobody says anything to them. This is the third time something like this happens to me, and I am starting to get piss off.

IRJE#13- New moon

In New Moon, Edward leaves Bella to protect her, leading her into a deep depression that begins to heal through her growing bond with Jacob, until she must race to save Edward from a deadly misunderstanding in Italy. This quote is after they reunite in Italy.

“Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars, points of light and reason. …And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn’t see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason, for anything.”

 

IRJE #13 – “The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.”

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 think there is a lesson we can all learn from this: that violence is impractical and that now, more than ever before, we must pursue the course of nonviolence to achieve a reign of justice and a rule of love in our society, and that hatred and violence must be cast into the unending limbo if we are to survive.” (P.269).

I like this quotation because, like many others I have picked, it is still something that applies to the now. For a long time, and still today, we have resorted to violence to make a change, and it is true, that violence often grabs more attention than a girl in an oversized scarf talking about trees in some random YouTube video that barely any people care about because, for some reason, we really like discarding the one and only planet we live on, but it is also true that violence causes outbursts. Think of it now, and think of it only; that violence has a strong impact, and sometimes is the only way to change, but if it wasn’t, would it be worth risking so many lives instead of taking that chance with the YouTube video? Violence doesn’t only put a target on your back, but also on those associated with you. It is true that many would have a reaction towards your violent decisions, but consider this; when the time comes that those people are standing in front of you, when those opinions matter, instead of behind a screen, will you still pull the trigger? Will you still let that anger cause bigger reactions, but less impact, instead of standing with a suit and tie, talking to a thousand or maybe even millions of people, going through a long monologue, looking professional, and making that impact you’ve dreamed of? Yes it is true; nothing comes without its threats…

What matters is how much you’re willing to risk.

IRJE#13 – Walking in Two Worlds

In Wab Kinew’s Walking in Two Worlds, I was blown aback by the book’s content. Unlike the books most of are used to, this one is surprisingly tuned for modern day and age, going as far as setting the main theme/setting to happen ion Virtual Reality, where we follow the story of a girl named Bugz, seemingly an average Indigenous Girl until she goes into the Floraverse, a game where friends and foes alike describe her as almighty; creator and destroyer of the worlds; one so fierce that not even a squad of players can defeat her. We get to experience her might from the very beginning, as she creeps up to a whole squad of players, who wanted to kill her (in game of course).

She inched closer to the edge of the cedar trees and listened to them shouting below. All five hundred of them. She liked her odds.

“We worked too hard and fought too long for anything less than Victory!”

Bugz stepped farther back behind the cedar tree. She hated Clan:LESS – they harassed women who played the game, shared sexist content, and banned women from joining their ranks. (p. 2-3)

She listened to their chants, and after a while, she attacked; she killed most of the players, making a rapid, impressive, and swift escape from what seemed like a definite end. This proves she is a mighty warrior, especially in the Floraverse. All the things aside I believe this quote is important as it outlines how determined Bugz is, even when facing odds of 500 to 1. She isn’t afraid to stand for what is right, which is a lesson that should be interpreted by us all, and learned from moving forward especially in our reality, in our very own world. It reminds me of Ukraine in 2022, when it faced (and still faces) bad odds and yet came out on top, and this is a true example of what determination can get you through (4th year of war in Ukraine when the west believed it had a month maximum).

IRJE #13 – 1984

1984, Is a spectacular book written by George Orwell. 1984 is a dystopian fiction novel written about a totalitarian regime which controls virtually every single aspect of life in a fictional “superstate” which is named: “Oceania”. The main character of the story is Winston Smith, who hates the government (Led by big brother), whom is overly oppressive.

He, Winston Smith, knew that Oceania had been in alliance with Eurasia as short a time as four years ago. But where did that knowledge exist? Only in his own consciousness, which in any case soon must be annihilated. And if all others accepted the lie which the party imposed – if all records told the same tale – then the lie passed into history and became truth. ‘who controls the past,’ ran the party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.’ And yet the past, though of its nature alterable, never had been altered. (p. 37)

I found that this quotation conveys the sheer power of an oppressive government extremely well, by proving that even without the proper technology, changing the past like in a science fiction novel is still a possibility, which is terrifying. This concept alone shows that when the wrong people are given absolute authority over others, they can become virtually omnipotent, and nobody would be able to speak up about it. Overall, this quotation is a marvelous expression about what kind of power an totalitarian regime like in this story truly has.

IRJE#13 The Catcher in the Rye

Catcher in the Rye is a great book written by J.D. Salinger. For me, it connects with me on a whole different level! It’s nice to now finally actually know the meaning of the book about how he’d be happy to stand in a field of rye and catch kids before they fall of this hidden cliff. To me it seems like a metaphor about how he keeps kids from falling into adulthood because he’s seen how bad it is. Onto the actual quotation that I chose though, it’s at the end of the book, the very end (I really seem to have a thing for the end of books, they’re just amazing!) where Holden reflects on everything he’s done, said, and just how he replayed his story in such great detail that it effected him.

D.B asked me what I thought about this stuff I just finished telling you about. I didn’t know what the hell to say. If you want to know the truth, I don’t know what I think about it. I’m sorry I told so many people about it. About all I know is, I sort of miss everybody I told about. Even old Stradlater and Ackley, for instance. I think I even miss that Goddamn Maurice. It’s funny. Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.

I ADORE this quotation but I don’t know exactly why, could be that I think the same, could be the emotional toll from it, could be that it makes so much sense. I’m not fully sure why I like it but a while ago I found a video on this exact part of the book but through audio and images and I just think that it really hit the spot because it’s so understandable. Like the reason you miss people is because they were there for you or you told them stuff so to avoid those feelings just keep all that important stuff to yourself. I also liked how he spoke throughout the book because it kind of reminded myself of me, “I think I even miss that goddamn Maurice” haha. I think the last reason I really like it is because it’s sad, and I like all those sad stuff. And in the quotation it has him apologizing for telling everybody about stuff that interested him and in this world it’s a little difficult to talk about things you like because even the word itself after a bit will feel horrible to even say. When you find those people that listen, soon enough they go though. So instead, don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.

Personal reponse to poems

Billy Collins’ poem called “Introduction to Poetry” left a lasting impact on me, but not a good one. Although the fact that Collins is a great poet who has a good  reputation on clear speech and engaging imagery from what I have researched this poem strikes me at some points as condescending. Collins describes how he wishes readers would read poetry by “holding it up to the light like a color slide” or “water skiing across the surface of a poem” (Collins, lines 3-5) but his explanation in metaphors confuses some readers and instead of thinking of important questions and connections they are stuck thinking what mistake they are making while reading because they do not understand. This viewpoint seems to take away from the many different ways people can read poetry.

The critical tone of the poem becomes more obvious as we continue to read the poem, particularly in the final few lines when he “attacks” readers for how they read poetry, even though they are just trying to understand the reading, some examples are “tie the poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it” (Collins, lines 13-14). The hyperbolic visions and words in this poem make it seem that readers over analyze, as an attempt understand the poem in the best way that they can and have the enjoyment in the poem such as others. This can cause an issue because it implies that over analyzing or trying to understand a poem is bad and is not right. In my opinion over analyzing texts and reading is a great experience that can make you question new things and can make you imagination grow further. 

In conclusion this poem had a negative meaningful impact on me and I think that it would have a negative effect on other readers too.

 

IRJE #13: The Associate

The Associate, by John Grisham. This book is a legal thriller, focusing on Kyle McAvoy, a promising young graduate out of law school. Kyle finds his life swiftly turned upside down after a dark secret of his was revealed from his time in college, and is blackmailed into joining a massive New York based law firm by a mysterious man.

“Kyle and Dale joined Tim Reynolds at a small table near a vast window with a spectacular view of other tall buildings. Tim appeared to be shell-shocked, glazed eyes, vapid stare, weak voice. They swapped stories of the horrors of Document Review and began joking about their departures from the legal profession” (p. 180)

This quotation captures the pressure and high expectations felt by many different young associates who are working at the Scully & Pershing law firm. Kyle and Dale have just completed a difficult day full of legal document reviews, which is often seen as a rather draining task in larger law firms. In the moment here where Kyle and Dale meet up with Tim who is relatively affected by the heavy workload, the three find pleasure and humor regarding the talks of resignment. This passage reflects on the demanding nature of being a lawyer, and the mental toll that it has to certain individuals.

IRJE #13 – The Book Thief

This is a continuation of my previous IRJE on The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak. Liesel’s and her foster parents are currently living in dangerous times ever since Hitler has risen to power and the beginning of the Holocaust. Liesel’s foster parents are hiding a Jewish man in their basement called Max Vandenburg, and Liesel cannot tell anybody. Otherwise, her new family would be taken away at the least. This is when I found this passage.

Life had altered in the wildest possible way, but it was imperative that they act as if nothing at all happened.

Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day.

That was the business of hiding a Jew. (p. 211)

I find this passage to hold a lot of emotion and resilience because they are ‘hiding a Jew’ which is challenging since he cannot be found. And if he is, then bad things will happen to everyone. It showcases the relationship between different people as Liesel’s family is risking everything to keep this man safe. When it says, ‘Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day’, I found this sentence especially powerful and expressive because it gives the idea of the constant and emotional tension this family must be going through with all the fear as well. This quotation represents the courage and resistance people faced during the Holocaust which makes me think about the cruelty done in the past to innocent people.

PW#13- Surfing in Tofino

Last weekend, I went to Tofino for the weekend with the school. We arrived ilate Friday night for our school trip, all tired but excited. The plan was to go surfing the next day, but honestly, I wasn’t looking forward to it. I thought the water would be freezing, and I pictured myself standing on the beach, cold and miserable.

Saturday morning came, and  as expected it was cold and cloudy. We got into our wetsuits (which are not easy to put on at all) and headed to the beach.Still not convinced this was going to be fun but trying to stay positive.

Once we got in the water, expecting the worse, I noticed the wesuits actually helped alot on maintaing me warm wich made it not bad . The wetsuits helped more than I expected, and after a few minutes, I barely noticed the cold. I fell off my board a lot, but so did everyone else, and we couldn’t stop laughing. It was actually really fun to just mess around and try to catch waves.

At one point, a few of us ditched the boards and just swam in the waves. I didn’t think I’d be swimming in the ocean on a cold day in Tofino, but there I was,soaked, freezing, and having a great time.

By the end of the day, I was exhausted but happy. I thought surfing in cold water would be the worst part of the trip, but it ended up being my favorite.

PW #13 Envy

During my exchange year in Canada, I expected to feel excited, nervous, and maybe even homesick. But one feeling I didn’t expect was envy. As my time here nears its end, I’ve found myself longing for a life that isn’t mine; hoping to stay. To keep walking these streets, to keep laughing with friends who get to live out what I can only dream of – attending Canadian universities, building futures here without needing to say goodbye. But I know that for me, it’s a dream that’s hard to reach.

For my friends and classmates, this life is normal. Their future here is something they don’t even question: they get to stay, keep living here, etc. Sometimes, it feels like they take it all for granted. I recently tried to explain this to a friend, telling her how much I wished I could stay here and make this my life too. She told me I was idealizing things – that I didn’t see the full picture, that maybe my life back home is better than I think. Maybe she’s right. But what struck me most was how casually she spoke about her future here, as if it was ordinary. That made me weirdly sad,  because to me, it’s not ordinary. It’s a dream.

I think a lot of people don’t realize how lucky they are. Everyone’s reality is someone else’s dream. And maybe envy isn’t always bad – sometimes, it’s just the feeling of admiring something you wish you had, and hoping for something that feels just out of reach.

 

PW # 13 – Nostalgia

When I decided I wanted to do an exchange year I knew that it could go 2 ways, either the best school year of my life or the worst. Luckily I was able to find my people and start to enjoy every aspect of this experience, but enjoying every moment has its downside, nostalgia. It’s weird how a smell or a song can take us all the way back to a random Thursday that didn’t even seem special until you realize you cant relieve the moment. The feeling of not knowing when or even if you will feel a moment in the same way. Being a teenager means being stuck in not being a child but also not being an adult yet. As teenagers we now are able to think deeper and feel more scared about the future because we dont want to grow up. Nostalgia is a feeling teenagers cant escape. Like a faded photo you pull out sometimes and remember how good it felt to be right there, even if you didn’t know it. Nostalgia is the most bittersweet thing we will ever feel. It usually sucks to miss something but to know you enjoyed something so much that your craving for it again is beautiful. As my friends say  “Nostalgia will be the death of us” because while we live a moment we feel this emptiness of knowing the moment will pass and we wont be able to relieve it. Every old picture, event ssuch as graduation, each time we laugh, we are reminded we will never have this exact moment back. So Nostalgia is the deepest emotion I’ve ever felt.

IRJE#13-To Kill a Mockingbird

In this scene, Atticus Finch is addressing the jury during his closing argument in the courtroom. He is defending Tom Robinson; a Black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman in the racially segregated American South during the 1930s. This powerful moment captures Atticus’s moral conviction and the central themes of justice and prejudice.

But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal-there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court. It can be the Supreme Court of the United States or the humblest J.P. court in the land. Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal. (p. 233)

I chose this quotation because it captures the central conflict and moral heart of the novel. Atticus’s words are deeply idealistic and hopeful, even though we know the outcome of the trial will not reflect this ideal. This speech reminds us of the principles on which justice should be based and challenges the reader to recognize and address the flaws in the system. It’s moving, eloquent, and it stands as a powerful call for fairness and equality, both in the book and in real life. 

IRJE #13 Perks of Being a Wallflower

In Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, it follows the story of Charlie, a shy and loner high school freshman, as he writes letters to an anonymous friend. Charlie like most teenagers struggles with past trauma, social anxiety, and much more as he tries to navigate high school. Everything seems forever hopeless until he begins to find a sense of belonging after befriending seniors Sam and Patrick. 

“It happens very fast, and things start to slip away. And I just open my eyes, and I see nothing. And then I start to breathe really hard trying to see something, but I can’t. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, it scares me. It almost happened this morning, but I thought of Sam’s kiss, and it went away.” (p.g 74)

Through Sam and Patrick, he experiences new types of friendship, parties, and emotional growth, all while trying to understand himself deeper than ever before. I have loved reading this book especially ever since I’ve watched the very famous film. I encourage anyone who has only ever seen the film to read this wonderful novel as it will reveal certain aspects of Charlie’s character you have never explored before. 

PW#13 – Tofino Part 2 | Ucluelet

On Saturday, in Tofino, we got to go to a small town called Ucluelet, and surprisingly enough, the weather was actually good this time around! It was great, because the weather app predicted it would be raining all week. But it was a pleasant Suprise that it was in fact, not raining.  

The first thing we did in Ucluelet was see the aquarium. It was quite a fun experience overall, and we got to see, (from my knowledge), a cuttlefish. We even got to see it change color slightly as it moved along some rocks. Overall, the aquarium was pretty interesting. 

After we saw the aquarium, we went over to a co-op to buy some snacks from the store. I ended up buying a bag of salt and vinegar chips, which, unlike the last bag, ended up running out completely before we even left to go back. While I was walking with the chips, we ended up attracting a bunch of crows, which kept following us the entire time we were there. I ended up giving a few chips to Blake, and he dropped one. the INSTANT he dropped one a crow swooped in and took it. and by instant, I mean instant. It took at least 3 seconds for the crow to notice and steal it. 

After this, we just ended up walking around for a bit longer, and we decided to go and stop at a nearby park and just sit down for a while before the bus came. 

 Overall, Ucluelet was a decently fun trip.

IRJE#13 – Reminders of him, Colleen Hoover.

There’s a kind of silence that only guilt can create. It’s not the peaceful kind, it’s the type that rings in your ears, follows you everywhere, and grows heavier the longer it is ignored. In Reminders of Him, Colleen Hoover gives that silence a voice. Her character Kenna isn’t asking for sympathy, she’s just asking to be seen. This quote hit me like a punch to the chest because it doesn’t just tell you what she feels. It makes you feel it too.

I’ve spent five years aching to tell my side of the story, but now that I have the chance to write it all down, I wonder if there’s even a point. No amount of time or paper will ever change the fact that I took a life. But maybe if I write this all down, you’ll see that I’m not a monster. I’m just a person who messed up and regrets it so much that sometimes I can’t breathe. (p. 74)

I chose this quotation because it doesn’t wrap pain in pretty words. It’s raw. It’s honest. And it reminds us that people aren’t just the worst thing they’ve done. Kenna is haunted, yes, but she’s also healing. And that’s what makes this story unforgettable. Hoover doesn’t promise a perfect ending, she offers something better: the possibility that even broken people can still be worthy of love.

PW#13-Eurovision

Last week, an annual musical event primarily held in Europe took place, the name of the contest is “Eurovision”. Eurovision is an iconic song contest that has been going on for 69 years now, The contest started as a way to get countries to come together and unite by music are the Second World War. The Eurovision today hosts countries from Europe (and some others), each sends a song to perform live. People from all the countries vote for their favorite songs (but not their own), and the song with the most points wins. It’s known for fun, colorful shows and a mix of music styles. This year’s Eurovision was in Basel, Switzerland, and showcased so much talent and community, this year’s winner being JJ from Austria, who won with his song “Wasted Love” which utilized the genre of “Popera”. This year’s Eurovision was intense and showcased so much vocal and visual talent. The countries I was personally rooting for were Ukraine, Norway, Finland, and Australia (yes, Australia is part of the contest because their broadcasting is part of the European Broadcasting unit, aka the EBU). Now, although you might not have heard of the contest it self you may have heard songs from it, for example, Arcade by Duncan Laurence, who represented the Netherlands in 2019 with that song, and he won. There are many iconic Eurovision songs you could have on your playlist with out even knowing, and who knows maybe your favourite artist went to eurovision?  Now when talking about eurovision I have to pay utmost attention to last years eurovision 2024, hosted in Malmö, Sweden. Last years eurovision was messy to say the least, music felt disconnected and cold after last year, due to the division between some countries and Israel (Israel’s broadcasting unit is also part of the EBU) and of course the most heartbreaking being the Netherlands disqualification. “Europapa” by Joost Klein represented the Netherland in 2024 and was ultimatly disqualified due to unclear reasons, his song was loved by everyone, but although his disqualification sad he has become my favourite artist. Joost has ultimately risen to greater fame due to the contest and his popularity during and after it. Joostice for Joost 2025.

PW #13 – Rosé Jjimdak (I’m hungry)

As everyone knows, I love foods. I enjoy all kinds of foods; Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, EVEN CAFETERIA FOODS (Gurjas hates me for this). Even during breaks or lunch, I’m always watching food ASMR videos, and my Instagram feed is full of food posts. Among all the foods I know and love, there’s one that I like the most. That’s Rosé Jjimdak.

Jjimdak is a Korean dish made by seasoning and steaming chicken. It’s one of the most popular chicken dishes in Korea. It first became popular in the Andong region of Korea in the 1980s, and it was usually made with a soy sauce-based seasoning. Jjimdak includes chicken, various vegetables, and glass noodles, and you can even mix rice into the sauce after, which makes it a really a big dish even it is made with just one chicken. While regular fried chicken is usually for 1–2 people, Jjimdak is enough for about 3–4 people.

In 2021, a Korean Jjimdak brand called “Doojjim” introduced Rosé Jjimdak, which uses a creamy rosé sauce instead of the traditional soy sauce. Since Jjimdak already had a lot of fans, this trendy new twist naturally became a hit in Korea. Rosé Jjimdak usually includes chicken, vegetables, glass noodles, and sausage, and people can customize their toppings however they want. The most popular combo is boneless chicken + Chinese-style glass noodles (which is very flat and wide) + extra spicy sauce, and people often add some fries, cheese balls, or even rosé chicken feet on the side.

I tried this dish during my summer vacation in Korea in 2024, and it was super creamy and thick, so delicious. It was a bit spicy for me, but I had it with fried snacks and cheese balls, which helped balance out the spice, so I couldn’t stop eating (seriously, it’s so good, you HAVE TO try it). Even now, Rosé Jjimdak is one of the most popular delivery foods in Korea, and it’s also a steady best-seller at Doojjim. If you ever visit Korea, I hope you will try this dish. Just trust me and try it. No regrets.

Image source: Instagram – mukit_list (2023)

IRJE #12-Twilight

This scene in the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyer is set in a secluded spring meadow hidden within the forest near Forks, Washington. Surrounded by wildflowers and tall grass, Bella and Edward’s spot, the place where they fell in love.

“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…” he murmured.
I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
“What a stupid lamb,” I sighed.
“What a sick, masochistic lion.”

I picked this quote because in a moment of vulnerable honesty, Edward and Bella confirm the dangerous intensity of their love, thinking of themselves as a lion and a lamb, predator and prey, acknowledging both the beauty and dangerous nature of their connection.

IRJE #12 – To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a youth romance novel written by American author Jenny Han. This book follows around the story of a high school student named Lara Jean Covey. Although Lara Jean has a difficulty expressing her feelings in words, she has organized her feelings by writing letters to boys she liked. However, these letters were not intended to be sent; they were supposed to be kept as secret. After all five of the love letters Lara Jean has written are accidentally passed on to them, she starts to get in trouble, especially when a letter is also sent to her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. To cover this up, Lara Jean decided to have a fake relationship with Peter, who has received another letter. He accepts the offer in order to forget his ex-girlfriend, and the two begin to build their relationship for each other’s purposes. As time goes by, the real feeling began to form between them, and Lara Jean faces her true feelings. Through this process, Lara Jean learned the importance of love, relationships, and expressing her feelings honestly.

Love is scary: it changes; it can go away. That’s part of the risk. I don’t want to be scared anymore. I want to be brave, like Margot. It’s almost a new year, after all.

(p. 354)

This quote came from the last part of the story, which contains Lara Jean’s thoughts. In the beginning of the book, Lara Jean has a deep fear of love. On the other hand, at the end of it, she reveals her feelings honestly with these words. This quote shows how much anxiety has come to Lara Jean about the idea that love may not always be eternal and that it can change or end. But at the same time, this quote represents the change that has happened within her. She is not staying in fear anymore, but the determination to be as brave as her sister Margot means that she is growing emotionally. In particular, the sentence “It’s New Year soon” is a symbolic expression that shows that Lara Jean is expecting a new beginning in her life. The person who used to hide and avoid emotions before is now preparing to face the truth and accept the real love. This quote is a part that shows Lara Jean’s most important growth throughout the work and makes the reader think about how courageous it is to truly face the feeling of love without fear.

PW#13 The worlds most insufferable woman

The other day, I happened to get yelled at by a customer. If it had been my fault I still would not have been happy about the yelling but I would try to be more understanding. But this was just a cruel woman. Her boyfriend orders a variety of things, and lastly, nachos, thinking of his girlfriend. She walks up to the counter with a grim expression, and completely unleashes the powers of her evil wrath. She blows up about how he knows her not at all and that the nachos are absolute trash, she then proceeds to snatch—with exaggerated movement—the two cheese cups sitting in opposite corners of the nacho tray so hard that I thought the tray would flip over. She then looks over at me and starts criticizing the nachos. It feels as if she is trying her hardest to insult me with this, but it is not I who makes the nachos and therefore could not care less. After this fiasco she begins throwing a fit about the seating her boyfriend has chosen, using great phrases like “ if that’s where you want to sit that’s great..” with an ugly grimace overtaking the muscles of her face, “the seats where i always sit, the good ones, how do you not know this!!”, and “ you have glasses now you should be able to see the good spots….”. Truly this woman was attempting to fill up the pages in master manipulator: the guide, with her words. What baffled me the most was that the man was very polite and kind but I couldn’t help but think badly of him, because of his association with this person and his lack of assertiveness. I started speculating on all the reasons such a man could be with such a woman, and I arrived at one conclusion, low self esteem. Could there really be anything else other than gunpoint and threats? It’s insane when people on the receiving end of constant anger can’t recognize the bad rapport they have going with the person fueling negativity.

PW#12 Marina Abromovic

Marina Abromovic is a Serbian artist born November 30, 1946, she is known for her performance art which challenges and brushes boundaries of art and audience interaction. But specifically for her performance art piece called Rhythm 0. In this piece she hung up many instruments, including knives, matches and gasoline, guns and bullets, flowers, bandaids, and more. She allowed the public to use any instrument that they so wished for six hours. This project well demonstrated the cruel nature of some people, as they took advantage of the opportunity to harm a human when they were assured there would be no repercussions. I think this piece is very important and even chose to do a project on her last year where I had to draw a portrait of her and an item that is linked to her. I was reminded of Marina Abromovic recently when watching the show “House”, in which they had an episode where a woman doing the same exact piece comes to the hospital of a mysterious illness killing her, it was very clearly a parody of Marina Abromovic and was the inspiration for this personal writing. Though I think Abromovic is a messed-up individual, it makes her all the more interesting. 

PW#11 Guru Nanak Jahaz

Recently, Eva and I went and saw Guru Nanak Jahaz at the movie theatre. It is an Indian movie that depicts a true incident of the 20th century popularly known as Komagata Maru incident. The way the incident was depicted was a little lacking and felt dragged out but I greatly enjoyed the various dance breaks this movie had. I was unaware that it was a musical but it did not disappoint. I do wish that the movie was not 2 and a half hours long though, it definitely didn’t need to be. It was also very interesting to see a movie so different from the ones I usually watch. The acting from white actors was hilariously bad and their English was clearly voiced over for some reason, and though i didn’t confirm if this is true, it sounded very much like an AI voice cover.  But the acting from the Indian actors was pretty good. I enjoyed seeing a movie so different because it made me feel more connected to people who frequently watch movies like it. Unfortunately, we left the movie forty minutes early because Eva had lost interest. However I do intend to finish the movie myself when I find the time.