Category: Personal Writing

                 For years people have been asking age old questions, like what came first the chicken or the egg, what would happen if Pinocchio said “my nose will now grow”, and one of the most important (and the topic of this investigation) which is better Microsoft Word or Google Docs. This seems like a simple question at first but to really be able to give a definitive answer we must look at the pros and the cons of each of the platforms.

                 For starters i began to look at google docs’ strengths and I found out that peoples primary reason for preferring Google Docs is it’s user friendliness. To quote Reddit user Sambhavi-For-Writing “For me, Google Doc just seems simpler to work with. For some weird reason, even finding basic things like the option to format the document (change line spacing, etc.) becomes difficult in Microsoft Word. I’m pretty sure it’s just a ‘me’ thing. Sharing also feels a lot easier, not to mention everything gets backed up in Drive (does that happen with Microsoft OneDrive? I don’t know since I’ve never used it)”  or Reddit user MrTalkingmonkey  “I don’t think that G docs are superior quite yet. But they don’t really have to be for most document creation, and Google knows that. They are certainly a no brainer to work with though. And since pretty much everyone already has a Google account, they’re are much easier to share and use for in-doc collaboration. The Comment and Suggestion tools are really easy to use. Just make sure to archive an original before letting the hounds loose to make edits or comments.”. It is clear that part of the glamour of Google Docs is that anyone can figure it out in a couple minutes. I have also come to the conclusion that it is easier to collaborate with others in the Doc platform because it can sometimes be annoying to share documents with people who do not have an office subscription, which brings me to Google Docs largest edge, it is free while Word is not. Google docs is certainly not without it’s downsides. One said downside has been brought up by numerous people, when working on a 50+ page document, Docs’ loading and update time is terrible. But this only happens to select people who make 50+ page documents, unlike Docs’ biggest issue that affects everyone who uses it, your data is not as private, meaning your trading privacy for convenience.

                   Word on the other hand can be more daunting towards a brand new user, and can be confusing especially if you are used to the simplicity of Docs. Word’s strength comes from it’s software and if you are willing to pay for Office and spend some time learning how to use it, there are more complex things you can accomplish. This advanced software gives users a smoother experience especially in large documents which is something that Docs’ lacks in. It definitely has more options if you use these type of platforms as a living, which is one of the reasons it leaves more amateur writers confused. Docs’ loading speed does have the edge on Word since it opens 10x faster.

                   In conclusion, both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses and it really depends on what you are aiming to accomplish to decide which you should use. But, if you are looking for a definitive answer, Docs’ universal usability triumphs over Word’s computing power.

 

 

Today i went to a career fair at Camosun Collage.  It was interesting to go to see all the different paths that my life could go down, going to an IB school such as brookes gives me so many options and the possibilities honestly are overwhelming. Just a couple years ago i wanted to be a marine biologist, a year ago i wanted to get into aviation, this year i want to do pediatrics. All these wildly different topics and yet i feel the same passion for everyone of them. Who knows what i will want to do next year? or the year after that? and if i cant decide on what i want to do for more then a year then how am i supposed to choose a career to do for my whole life? I find it hard to grapple with these questions, especially as my childhood comes to a close and grades in school start to really matter i wonder how i will live my life, what i will chase and what i will leave behind.

I am sure we all have a favorite pair of socks that we want to wear all the time and everywhere. Some people also call them their lucky pair. I too have one of those and will tell you about it.

Recently, my sister visited us during winter break and brought presents for my mom, dad, and me. When I opened the box, there were candies, a book, a bunch of small things, and three pairs of socks. Of course, the first thing I picked up was a book and candies. I did not pay much attention to the socks. The next day, all of us went to show my sister around the city, and I decided to pick one pair to wear. They were red and white and had Ukrainian letters all over them. My God, those socks were so comfortable! After that day, I could not go somewhere without them (unless they were in the wash), but…something horrible happened…I LOST THEM! I looked everywhere. Closet, the deepest corners under my bed, the washing machine, and even the kitchen. They were gone…No sight of them.

Days passed and I forgot about them. I bought a new pair of socks not so long ago and then, guess what? Today is the day! I found them! One sock was lying behind a huge plant in my room, and another one was in the closet under all the boxes and clothes. I was so happy to finally find them. Now I will put them only in visible places where they won’t get lost again.

 

John William had spent years with his crew searching for physical evidence of a certain subspecies. They had visited site after site, all based off of their hypothesized migration pattern of the herd. Their funds were slowly bleeding out of them, and the universities that originally supported them such as Oxford, Harvard, and the University of Toronto, all began to criticize their work. The desperation of the crew was obvious the moment you stepped foot into the dig site.

The day was June 4th, 2005, and morale was lower than it had ever been. The heat was overwhelming, and Texas was going through one of their worst droughts of the year. The ground was parched and difficult to break through, but their team persisted. At 2:47pm, just before John was about to call it a day, a cry of shock was let out by William John, an intern who had been working at the site for only a month and was completely unrelated to John William. He had uncovered a leg bone. Painstakingly, the team chipped away at the ground, brushing away particles as the rest of the skeleton was slowly revealed. They had found it. The long feet, the slouched back, and even the characteristic large nose bulge that would have been coloured a bright red when the specimen was alive were all indisputable evidence.  It was a perfectly preserved Homo Asinius, also known as a paleolithic clown.

Bob was an ordinary person in a lonely town in Houston, Texas. Bob was a lonely kid since he had a square head but other Bobs have oval face shapes. And you guessed it everyone here names it ‘Bob’. Bob is so crazy in love with Bobberly. She is a pretty girl with a long hair and slim body. That is every Bob’s type. She the most precious Bob anyone can find. Bob have to try to find a way to get Bobberly attention during school. He try to give her chocolate, flowers, love letter. Everything he tried it seem like it didn’t get Bobberly attention at all. But little did he know she have her eyes on Bob all along.

Sitting upstairs in her room a young girl is sitting on her bed a duvet gently wrapping around her body. There was a chair in the corner of the room where her older brother sat. The chair was antique and worn, squeaking every time the boy moved. Their mother sat on the edge of the girl’s bed reading The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien written in small print on the spine. A version of the novel that wore a drawing of all the round hobbit doors in the Shire on the cover.

Her mother began describing Rivendell with its giant cliff-sides adorned by waterfalls and lush vegetation. She continued to describe the stone buildings created with great mastery. The moon shone brightly through the girl’s window illuminating the room coldly attracting her eyes. As she stared at the moon her mind began to muse about how she would explore Rivendell, she would climb onto the pine trees and attempt to drink from the flowing water. The girl would play with her family by the Bruinen River, splashing her brother and skipping rocks along the surface.

The arduous journey through the Misty Mountains began, their mother described the foggy and unfriendly cold. The protagonist finds himself in a maze of caves with jagged edges leaving the children with shivers of fear. Becoming increasingly uncomfortable by himself in the corner the boy jumps onto the bed when the novel describes the disfigured nature of the slimy creature named Gollum. The mother finishes the chapter early seeing the children’s fear. After saying their goodnights the mother and young boy left. The young girl being left in a dark room with eyes wide open in fear. She was terrified that Gollum had been living in her closet and fell asleep, motionless. From then on, whenever she The Hobbit read to her, she believed that Gollum was listening from her wardrobe.

𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑,
𝚞𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚊 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚜 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚣𝚎𝚗 𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚜 𝚜𝚠𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚍 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚘𝚘𝚗’𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜.
𝙴𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎, 𝚊 𝚓𝚘𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑,
𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚣𝚎𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜 𝚙𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚐𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚖.

𝙾𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚊 𝚙𝚜𝚢𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚌 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚜𝚑𝚎’𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚞𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝.
𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝, 𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚖 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚘𝚝𝚜.
𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚏𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜,
𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍, 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚍, 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝.

𝚂𝚘𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗.
𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚞𝚒𝚕𝚍 𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚜𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚎,
𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗.
𝙲𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚎’𝚜.

𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚍,
𝙰𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚗𝚍.

Politicians, parents, etc. always say that people who play computer games are more violent, but is it actually true? Video games can affect the persons mood, it can affect it in both positive and negative way. For example, if a person completes a mission that he was stuck on, or just enjoys game’s beauty, or mechanics, or story, It can make the person happy, energized, it can even motivate him to do something, on the other hand a person can feel sad and devestated after playing a game going back to the boring world, where nothing interesting is happening in their life, that’s when they start to get rude and aggressive. Little kids are especially vulnerable to this, that’s why parents should controll how much time their children spend on games, the mistake a lot of parents make is that they forbid their children from playing the games completely, but that isn’t the right response, parents should set the limitations for how much time can their kids can spend playing video games. Another problem is parents think that characters from computer games will become a role model for their kids and their kids will attempt to do something they saw on screen, but it just doesn’t work that way, if someone plays games about mafia, it doesn’t mean that they will go on the streets and start smashing people with a bat. Video games are made to be able to do something you can’t in real life, it’s like movies, or books, nobody bans them because they have scenes of violence, they just put the age category on them, so what’s the difference between movies and video games, why is one accepted and admired by society and other is thrown rocks at?

Have you ever looked at a human-looking doll or robot and felt uneasy? This may be caused by something that is called “The Uncanny Valley” phenomenon. This term is used to describe the relationship between the human-like appearance of an object and the emotional reaction it creates. Phenomenon makes people feel a sense of unease and repulsive sensations in response to humanoid figures that are highly realistic. In the modern world its quite easy to stumble across a human-like object, since their creators aim to make them as realistic as possible. But upon examination of them, people tend to notice those objects are not human enough, something is off about them. Scientists even made a graph that shows this so-called “valley”, and if the object lies in that “valley”, object’s observer may feel a sense of creepiness, disgust or unease. Everyone must’ve felt this feeling while watching some CGI scene or playing a video game or maybe even seeing it in reality – like a mannequin. They might be realistic, but if its not realistic enough u will get this uneasy feeling.
The phenomenon was first described by the Japanese robotics engineer Masahiro Mori in an article published in 1970. Mori identified the phenomenon as “bukimi no tani gensho”, meaning “valley of eeriness.” In 1978, author Jasia Reichardt translated the term to “uncanny valley” in the book “Robots: Fact, Fiction, and Prediction.” Mori noticed that people found his robots pretty cool and realistic, but this only worked to the certain point.
There has been a number of proposed explanations for why people experience the phenomenon, but no clear explanation has been found. Some theories suggest that the phenomenon is biological, while others suggest that there are cultural explanations as well.
Mori suggests that it might be a survival response humans developed long time ago. It might mean that at some point humans needed this type of response to avoid human-like objects like, maybe, baits. As we know some animals have developed special patterns on their skin to resemble something for protection or baiting other species. So, maybe, long-long time ago there was a creature that hunted humans with its human-like looks, thats why we developed this reaction in order to avoid this type of objects.

The influence of books on teenagers transcends mere entertainment; it serves as a cornerstone for their holistic development. Books are not just repositories of knowledge; they are veritable treasure troves of wisdom, insight, and inspiration. Through the pages of a book, teenagers embark on profound intellectual and emotional journeys, exploring the depths of the human experience and gaining invaluable insights into themselves and the world around them.

One of the most remarkable aspects of reading books is its ability to nurture empathy and compassion. As teenagers immerse themselves in the lives of diverse characters, they develop a profound sense of empathy, learning to appreciate the nuances of human emotions and the complexities of interpersonal relationships. This empathy extends beyond the realm of fiction, shaping their interactions with others and fostering a deep sense of connection and understanding.

Furthermore, books serve as powerful catalysts for critical thinking and intellectual growth. As teenagers engage with complex narratives, they are compelled to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information, honing their analytical skills and expanding their cognitive capacities. This critical engagement with literature encourages them to question assumptions, challenge established norms, and develop their own unique perspectives on the world.

Moreover, reading books has a transformative impact on teenagers’ emotional well-being and mental health. In a world fraught with stress and uncertainty, books offer a sanctuary—a refuge where they can escape the pressures of daily life and find solace in the company of compelling characters and captivating stories. Through literature, teenagers learn to navigate the complexities of their own emotions, gaining resilience, insight, and a sense of inner peace.

In essence, the influence of books on teenagers is profound and far-reaching. It shapes their values, beliefs, and aspirations, instilling in them a lifelong love of learning and a thirst for knowledge. As they turn the pages of a book, teenagers discover not only the power of words but also the boundless potential of their own minds.

A fresh, calm afternoon. Sunlight trickles through gaps in the branches, leaving stains of golden light on the ground. On the side of the wooden house’s steep driveway, a patch of trees filters out the sun. Their leaves shine as they attempt to stand guard against the glow. Birds converse in short chirps all around, and ever so often one of them breaks out into a trilling song.

It is the perfect day to be fairies.

Through a delicate deer path, a girl slips through the tall glowing sentinels. She hears her sister already in the hideout and quickens her pace to go by the fir decorated with a small red wooden fairy door. After a moment, she passes through the trees and reaches the top of the hill, where the path inclines downward, carpeted in plush moss. Below is a flat rock outcropping, a meter or two wide, before the rock suddenly falls away vertically to the road.

The girl pauses at the bottom of the hill, at an empty stump where the incline flattens. With a dramatic gesture, she drops a crumpled brown leaf into its hollow. Having paid her fairy toll for entry, she ducks under the lazy branch of an arbutus tree into the fairy hideout and greets her sister.

In their sanctuary, there are several flat areas of rock cleared of damp moss on which to sit. Weeds inch over the ring of rocks for cooking dinners on the right. They soon section off tasks, with the girl assigned to breaking off dead twigs of broom bushes to cook for spaghetti while her sister swiftly makes a fire by arranging fallen orange maple leaves in the firepit. After barely a minute, the spaghetti is ready and seasoned with small herbs and flowers.

While cooking meals is certainly entertaining, what calls them to the hideout most is the sense of excitement as a car passes on the road below. Being fairies, they cannot be seen by anyone, so the drone of a passing engine spurs them into action. Quickly, they must duck to the side, behind a tree, to avoid human recognition. After the vehicle’s departure, they slowly sneak out of their places to resume their activities.

Above where they sit, in the branches of a thin sapling, a bird resumes its song.

Recently I discovered a designer brand that  has a very unique name called “20471120”. It was founded by in by Lica and Masahiro Nakagawa in 1992. Masahiro had an interview and in this interview he told about why he called his brand by this weird and kind of crazy name, he had a dream where he was in the future, in 2047 20th November, “I thought that there will be a world where diversity and individualism are advancing as fast as computers and mobile progress”, brand’s name literally represents future of diversity and individualism.
Brand’s main point was to recreate an old clothes and give it a new life, they could combine it different types of other clothes and that was their uniqueness. Their collections were inspired by popular brands like Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Vivienne Westwood and Chanel. Also brand has interesting character called Hyoma, it is a small human wearing a futuristic clothes, eventually it became like a logotype, Masahiro told that Hyoma was born from the graffiti that he was writing as a student around 1986-1987.
Sadly but 20471120 was a very peculiar brand with interesting storywas closed in 2003 by Masahiro, but he still was working with fashion very actively and in 2007 he and Lica created their last label called “ZECHIA” which exists even today.

During spring break, I took a trip to Mexico with my cousin. We stayed in Punta Mita, which was stunning, warm, and beautiful. My favourite part of the trip was visiting the breathtakingly beautiful beaches. While in Mexico, I went surfing almost every day and saw turtles popping their heads out of the water quite often. The food was amazing, especially the tacos, which were always fresh and delicious. We also visited a few towns near Punta Mita, including Bucerias, Sayulita, and La Cruz. I enjoyed browsing the local markets and buying some cool bracelets and T-shirts. my favourite part at night was watching the sunset from the place we were staying every night. It was incredibly stunning and soothing.

Old people wear glasses, need hearing aids, and walk with canes. However, old people also see clearest, do the most listening, and have no trouble supporting others. I have had a few special moments with some of our elders recently and wanted to share one of them here.

I was driving home from school one day, basking in the hot sun from what seems to be hotter after coming through the windshield. Enjoying the warmth of the leather seats on my legs, we stop at a traffic light. I look over to my right to see a bus drop off one, two, three and four people at the stop. The first three scurry and bustle off with their bags, phones, jackets and keys, while the older lady slowly makes her way off the bus. As the bus drives away she notices a majestic and fully bloomed cherry blossom. I myself have noticed the beauty of the cherry blossoms this time of year. She stops, and stares at its branches. Then its leaves. And finally, its flowers. She smiles. I smile too. I have never felt such radiating innocence before. She did not know I was watching her. She was able to enjoy this slow and peaceful moment, while I was blessed with admiring it.

Innocence is one of my favourite words. By definition, it is known (as a noun) as “a pure, guileless, or naive person”.  To me, innocence most comes to mind when you are experiencing a peaceful moment in which you feel a connection to something. A connection that seems so meaningless. Seemingly meaningless connections, this is innocence.

Have you even been in a situation where being too kind ends up betraying you? Well, all my life, my mom has taught me to help others anywhere, everywhere, and at any time. Throughout my life, this has become more present because I have learned that helping others makes me really happy because I enjoy seeing others happy. However, I have also learned that by being too kind and exposing myself too much, my actions have consequences. Since I arrived at Brookes Westshore, I have placed helping others as my priority, and it has come incredibly well. Ive become a great and helpful person; however, recently I got in trouble with a school work. Some friends needed my help in a class, so with all their trust, they came to me, and of course I helped them. They did not understand a single question, so I gave them my response and also explained it to them for them to at least understand the question and be ready for the test. I at first did not understand the question either, so I used Google, which I consider a great friend because it makes things way clearer when the topic is too hard or when you don’t completely understand your teacher. After giving them my response, I felt like a good friend because I knew they would do amazing with my help. However, I got into trouble for sharing my responses and using Google, which, even though I understand the point of view of the teacher, maybe understanding the situation and having compassion for their students could have been a better response than immediately placing me at 0 with no way of fixing it. Finally, I have understood that maybe some teachers understand kindness in school to a certain level when others do not, and that’s totally acceptable.

Have you ever thought about what the single most important organism on the planet could be? Grass, trees, cows? Wrong. According to the scientific literature, bees are the most vital organism on the planet.

Bees provide humans with medicinal products and sweeteners, such as honey, royal jelly, and bee pollen. These products are greatly beneficial to one’s brain, digestive, and immune health, as they contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are essential for one’s body to function properly, and antioxidants, polyphenols, and phytonutrients found in honey have many antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, bees provide humans with wax, which is used as an emulsifier and provides fragrance to soaps and shampoos; propolis, which also has a host of immune benefits, and can be used to treat allergies and skin conditions; and venom, which is used to treat inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatism. Bees also play a key role in the farming and production. One third of the world’s food production depends on bees (Food and Agricultural Organization). When animals and insects pick up pollen from flowers and spread it, they allow many plants, including agricultural crops, to reproduce (UN Environment Program). Thus, bees play a significant role in shaping the environment as we know it. Without them, there would be negative implications for the agricultural industry as a whole. In turn, effecting millions of people globally.

“Cyane… Is that you?” Persephone’s soft and drowsy voice whispered making Cyane blush harder as a shiver rose up from her back. Too afraid to respond Cyane turned her head towards the shadowed forest ahead of her, the cold shadow of the trees keeping her grounded. “Cyane” she heard Persephone breath again with a hint or relief in her voice; Persephone’s muscles relaxing in Cyane’s arms. Suddenly Cyane felt Persephone’s soft hand on her cheek and reacting impulsively, Cyane threw Persephone on the floor. “What the Hel?!” Cyane yelled at Persephone as she looked hopelessly back at her, reminding her of when they use to fight. “What?!’ Persephone whined from the floor of the forest as she gripped the grass below in frustration. “You- You-…. Why did you?!” Cyane sputtered in a rage of confusion, not even knowing why she was mad. “You almost got me killed!” She yelled exasperated after a moment of fumbling with her words. Persephone shot her a wounded look, her lip quivering in the corner for her mouth making Cyane’s heart melt. “Sorry” Persephone quivered “I just thought-“. “You just thought what?!” Cyane cut in, her frustration getting the best of her. “That you could just expect me to forget what you did to me! How you left me with nothing but what you didn’t care to bring! How you made me think you died!”. Cyane sighed, collecting herself and her seething temper. “You know what never mind” Cyane grumbled, her already broken heart chipping away as she glanced up at Persephone’s saddened amber eyes.

“Wait!” Persephone called out, her voice quivering as she choked on a sob. “Don’t leave me here… Please”. Cyane didn’t respond afraid she might say something she would regret. “I’m afraid he might come back- Thanatos. He’ll know that I lied and-“. “What could you have possibly lied about?” Cyane interrupted still facing the other way. Persephone paused but then she quivered out: “About my Mom. I told Thanatos that I wanted to find her first but she was already the first one I went see, ok?”. Cyane looked back to see Persephone quietly crying on the forest floor. “What are things not alright in lovers paradise?” Cyane retorted heavyheartedly, clenching her jaw. Suddenly Persephone bust out crying, covering her reddened eyes with her arms and Cyane suddenly felt super bad about brining it up. A pit of guilt welled up in her chest. “He Kidnapped me” Persephone burst out.

There was the soothing song of the welcoming breeze caressing an effortless touch of warmth and tenderness on my skin and soul.

There was the intoxicating robust scent of earthy wildflowers encrusted in tenuous fragrances of pineapple and coconut with notes of the sea whispering in the wind.

There was the oozing impression of nauseating sapid saltwater, immersing my tongue with a tingling briny taste that tickled my tongue in an oddly yearning sensation.

There was the alarm of regal dance I saw in the serenity of the wavering pale sky-burst orange twilight glare of the setting sun’s silhouette echoing in the moonlight.

There was the lingering residue of the rich aroma of ardent pine and floral guaiac wood layering the muted night with a fragrant nostalgia of luau woodsmoke.

There was the explosion of colours in the traditional drink, the guava fruit performing an intimate tango with passionfruit in an effervescent dance of finesse.

There was the deafening yet enhancing susurration of the colossal ocean waves striking the sand shore, pulsing rhythmically, and breathing with a tempo of an unyielding passion for violence, causing chaos in the luminous night.

There was the distinguished putrid odour encapsulated within the sails of seaweed billows, releasing the oddly desirable crisp briny whiff from the seashore.

There was the tantalizing orchestra of spirited symphonies performed by diverse tropical bird vocalizations, melodious to the human ear.

There was the effortless leisure of relief by colliding with the dampened gelidly grains of sand against my exposed skin, the diverse, granular textures cascading through my fingertips, illuminating a clandestine collection of unspoken memories.

The nostalgia of summer.

Just make up your mind! Decisiveness is a strange thing. We live in a society where we are constantly encouraged to make hard choices and understand the impact of those decisions despite our ignorance. Yet still, it comes as a surprise when we realize how difficult it proves to be. I would label myself as someone capable of making hard choices and constantly challenging myself to make up my mind regarding important matters. I know what I like, what I don’t like, my goals and who I want to be at a surface level. But now, standing at an impasse and pushed to make decisions that will forever alter my future, I realize I know very little. It is not just me deciding what I want to do and who I want to be. I am a mosaic of every person I’ve ever known, loved, and been. I like mangos because the little girl in me loved it when my mother brought them home as a surprise. I wanted to be an actress because my childhood best friend promised we would be famous together. I love to read because the dragons and magic didn’t seem too farfetched as a child. I began playing volleyball because I wanted to be like my inspiring friends. I try to understand everyone because that’s what my father taught me. I am loud and extraverted, because my mother taught me to never be someone untrue to myself. I am a collection of memories, a mosaic of different people arranged together to create my unique identity. When I make a decision now, I carry those memories with me; I carry the little girl in me, desperately trying to make her proud. Moving forward, growing up, means adding more pieces to my ever-growing mosaic. I still don’t know what I want to do, or who I want to be, but I don’t need to. I can change my mind and make mistakes. I can be indecisive. So no, I can’t just make up my mind. 

The nameless protagonist, who wears a red poncho that goes up to his knees and has a hood, walks to a huge cave entrance. This isn’t just an adventure. It is a trial for the young in his village to prove they are adults.

The protagonist enters the cave and sees a corridor with spikes and tall walls in front of him. He jumps and runs with skill over the dangerous obstacles and before he knows it he is over with this area of the Cave. He takes a break to recuperate and in the meantime, he looks around. It seems he is in a mace and in the distance he sees something, but he can’t recognize what it is. His curiosity takes over him and he walks to it. A few steps away from the “ting”. He can see it. It looks like an arrow that is floating. His instincts are telling him that it isn’t friendly. His instincts are correct, the creature lunches at him with force. At the last moment, he dodges the attack and tries to counterattack. The only thing he causes is to enrage his opponent more. to make it more unfair for him, ten more appear from the corner. He knows at least now that he can not beat them, so he turns to the second-best option, to run away. They follow him. Unfortunately for him after running a while he gets fatigued but the arrows don’t show any sign of it. He knows it. If he follows his plan of running, he will die soon. So, he looks around and finds a Holl in the ground. He does not think twice and jumps into it. Luckily the monsters do not see him and pass by. He is relieved but waits a few minutes to check if it is saved. He jumps out of the hole and goes quietly away. He is walking almost half an hour.
A Big, heavy old Door appears in front of him. He tries to open it but struggles at first, but he doesn’t quit so easily and tries again. He finally opens the door and sees the Stone. He is relieved to have completed the trial and takes it. In the corner of the room is a tube. He enters it and it leaves him outside of the cave. And goes back to his village.

“November 9” by Colleen Hoover,In this part one of the main characters was having a hard situation with his family and she finally went with him and told him her thoughts.p.217

The only thing not going right in my life is the fact that you aren’t part of it every day.

In this quote of the book that I am reading I understand, that when you are in love with someone, you are going to do until the impossible to have the person with you and be happy together.

I just returned back from Mexico from my spring break vacations and I am feeling a lot of nostalgia because something for what I waited so long has come to a very fast end.

Before spring break I was really excited for it because I was going to see my family and friends again and I was going to be back home but now that it’s over I just feel anxious for the school year to finish and I can finally go home permanently. It’s not that I don’t like being here, its just that I really miss everything about Mexico. The warm weather, the cozy family saturdays, the familiar atmosphere, the people, and going back to my routine.

During this spring break I remembered what it feels like to be back in home and with the people you love. I remembered the feeling of waking up and knowing that your family is right on the other side of the door. I remembered what is like to feel bad, have a headache, stomachache, etc, and having my mom right there to take care of me. I just can’t wait to be back.

𝙸𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚖𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚛.
𝙲𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛.
𝙱𝚎𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚜, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚎𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚛𝚜,
𝙰 𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗? 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎? 𝚘𝚑, 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚞𝚛𝚜.

𝙳𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍, 𝙾𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚜 𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚙𝚜𝚎𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚝.
𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗?  𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝, 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚊 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝚜𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚖𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚗? 𝚃𝚘 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚌𝚞𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚏𝚎, 𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍.
𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍, 𝚙𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗,  𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍?

𝙸𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎, 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢, 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚞𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎.
𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚜, 𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝.
𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚣𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚍𝚢𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚌, 𝚗𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚍.
𝙸𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍, 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎,
𝙰 “𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍, 𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚒𝚝” 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚛.

Once upon a time, three happy birds lived in a warm, peaceful forest. The birds didn’t have names, the creatures of the forest would call them Big Bird, Long Bird, and Small Bird. Everyone lived happily in the forest. The birds wanted the forest to be safe more than anyone else since it was almost a paradise.
One day, a stranger showed up in the forest. He was a traveler and a prophet, but three birds found him suspicious, so they didn’t let him in the forest.
The stranger felt angry and decided to tell the birds something. “Soon terrible things will happen in the forest. There will be no peace, only conflicts and evil deeds. All of it will eventually stop when a beast will come and devourer everything there. The forest will never be the same as it was before.”
The birds became worried about the travelers words. What if he didn’t lie and the beast will come and destroy the forest. They loved the forest more than anyone, so they decided to protect it at all costs.
Long Bird was a fair judge of the forest with scales that it used to weigh sins of creatures. It also had eyes that were able to see far and see what noone else could. Eventually, Long Bird decided to give the eyes to the Big Bird, since it was weak.
Long Bird, with its scales, weighed the sins of creatures that entered the forest to keep it safe from evil creatures. Long Bird’s scales could measure every sin, and were always fair.
Then somebody said, “But what if the scale doesn’t tip in either direction someday?”
Worried, Long Bird made a scale that always tipped to one side. That way every judgement would have a clear verdict.
Big Bird, now with its many eyes, decided to watch over the forest for intruders.
Then somebody said, “But what if the beast shows up in the middle of the night, when the sky is dark and everyone is asleep?”
Worried, Big Bird made the everlasting lamp out of its feathers. Now the creatures of the forest were under Big Bird’s constant watch, day and night.
Small Bird decided to punish the creatures’ bad deeds with its beak.
Then somebody said, “But your beak is so small, no one would think its dangerous.”
Worried, Small Bird tore its mouth wide so it could swallow any creature in one bite.
No one could visit the forest anymore, and bad rumors began to spread.
“I heard that terrible things will happen to any creature that enters the forest.”
“The Big Bird is always watching the creatures of the forest, there’s no freedom.”
“The Long Bird’s scale isn’t fair at all.”
“The Small Bird’s everything-devouring beak is so scary.”
Three birds got upset.
They worked so hard to protect the forest, but less visitors came to the forest, more and more creatures were complaining, fights broke out daily, but the birds continued to work even harder to make the forest peaceful again.
Birds thought that the forest was too big for them to protect, and they decided to combine their power to become stronger.
The day when Big Bird’s eyes that could see hundreds of kilometers away, Long Bird who could judge any sin, and Small Bird’s mouth that could devour everything became one, darkness fell upon the forest. Creatures screamed in fear when saw the bird, and the forest soon fell into chaos.
Then, in the middle of all the chaotic cries, someone shouted: “It’s the monster! Big, terrible monster that lives in the dark, black forest!”
Monster? The three birds, now as one, looked around but there was no one to be seen. The bird began to prowl the forest, looking for the monster.
But there was nothing. There were no creatures, no sun and moon, and no beast. All that was left was just a bird and the black forest. Only cold, dark night continued from then.

The dawn crests behind a tall cluster of hemlocks: spraying the sky with its light, it creates a gradient from a cold yellow to a delicate blue. The clouds are thin strips of cotton, laid lovingly on in front of the increasing blue backdrop, and fade away as the morning deepens.

Above me, I can hear birds swoop and dive in the frosty air; they exalt in the quiet, the freedom, they have before their kingdom is overtaken by human visitors. The sea laps at the rocky beach in front of me, tickling pebbles down into its depths, and ducks paddle lazily across the lagoon, uttering an occasional ‘quack’ at my presence.

The air is crisp: it hardens my face and chills my movements. As I inhale, it ices my throat. Nevertheless, it’s my favorite time of day: a time where the world is subdued, welcoming; there are no screeches and honks of passing cars, nor patches of scorching sunlight: rather, there are the chirps of birds making their nests, and waves of gold stretching toward me, gradually encapsulating me in its gilded light. It’s a time to rest, to catch up, where time may not stand still for you but will certainly slow down.

Behind the trees are clouds in shades of indigo and violet: they peek through their branches, glinting off of the water in sparkles of purple. As I sit here on a frosted log, the purple is turning to gray.

I sigh as my sister pulls me into the crowd of people slowly making our way through the streets. People branching out at every market set up that caught their eye. Jolene tugs at my sleeve, trying to lead me towards the group dances and games. I am not much of a dancer, nor do I particularly enjoy participating in such activities. Pouting at my lack of compliance, I compromise by telling her to dance without me. She swiftly ran to a group as soon as the words left my mouth. The dances could have been better structured, like small wiggles and random foot patterns.

Nonetheless, it was rather charming. The dirty hood of the cloaks we were wearing fell off, and her long brown hair was exposed, ticking from left to right as she danced. I watched her small smile contort into a large burst of laughter as a man approached her and followed her unpredictable movement as best he could. Her joy seemed to light up the whole market, leaving everyone who glimpsed at her with a playful smile. 

Suddenly, I felt a wallowing darkness behind me. The hairs on my neck stood up, and my body shivered. The light from the markets seemed to be enveloped in unknown darkness. Jolene was the only light shining through, dancing as if nothing was wrong. In less than a second, everything in my vision went pitch black, except for a small glowing light. 

 

Recently, a lot has happened I’ve been feeling ups and downs. And ups have been the majority of course. Just because of how things were going these couple weeks. I would like to share my experience being at Provincials. Being at provincials for basketball is what I had dreamt always, despite of not being in Canada before we had something similar in Hong Kong which each school compete for their grade all around Hong Kong. It was fun back then I enjoyed it the tensity was definitely not as high and not as skillful. So I was really thankful to have the chance to be able to play in the tournament and be a starter even though I am in grade 10. The most rememberable thing was how we had played well against a team that we had lost by 1 point and won them back by 11. This experience that we had as a team would be special for everyone I’m sure. Being a small team, the underdog team we had our ranking at the bottom of the list but at the end we are a top 10 team in the BC province for the single A division.

 

In the quiet of dusk, when shadows play, Whispers thread over dreamscapes.
A lonely heart finds solace in the soft murmur of streams illuminated by the moon.

Every scar left by hardships overcome and tears shed reveals a story left unsaid.
However, a seed may germinate in the shadows,
a brave, resilient flower of optimism.

Bittersweet memories linger in the still places where echoes reside.
However, the gentle embrace of love, an ageless enchantment, leads tired souls to full comfort.

And when the stars said their final goodbyes,
And dawn’s embrace covers the world in light,
Recognize that love, which endures forever, will bind us together even on the darkest nights.

The so Opium fit was founded by Playboi Carti in 2019. The so Opium fit is in my opinion, the best fashion trend in this century. You have likely seen someone in your life that embodies the so Opium fit like Ms.Olivia. The classic so Opium fit consists of all-black pieces of clothing which are meant to express the wearer’s individuality. Though this aetshetic rose to fame in 2020 following the release of Playboi Carti’s album Whole Lotta Red, the real catalyst for the Opium aesthetic kicking of was the leak of Destroy Lonely’s “If Looks Could kill”. The reason for this is that fans began posting themselves with Opium fits and that inspired others to do the same, at the same time the leaked track hit number one on the charts. The true power of a community and living out of the ordinary will always lie in the eccentric so Opium fit.

In lands unknown, my heart takes flight,
An exchange year, a wondrous sight.
New faces, cultures, colors blend,
Each day a tale, a journey to mend.

From cobblestone streets to bustling squares,
I weave through dreams, shedding old layers.
In every smile, a universe unfurled,
A tapestry of stories, pearls in this world.

Yet, amidst the joy, a tinge of ache,
For time is fleeting, moments we partake.
But memories carved in hearts shall stay,
In the echoes of laughter, along the way.

So, let me cherish, let me roam,
In this exchange year, my soul finds home.

Returning to Guadalajara, Mexico, my hometown, fills me with a sense of joy and comfort that’s hard to put into words. I’m missing the sights, sounds, and smells that make me feel at home. The colorful streets, the bustling markets, and the lively atmosphere all contribute to the unique charm of Guadalajara.

Reconnecting with loved ones is always the highlight of my return. There’s something special about sitting around the table, sharing stories and laughter with family and friends while enjoying delicious homemade meals that unite us all!

Exploring the city never gets old. Whether it’s wandering through the historic neighborhoods, admiring the beautiful architecture, or going out to get togethers, there’s always something new and exciting to experience in Guadalajara.

But beyond the tangible attractions, it’s the intangible sense of belonging that makes coming back so meaningful. The warmth and hospitality of the people here remind me that no matter where life takes me, Guadalajara will always be my home, a place where I’m welcomed with open arms and where memories are made to last a lifetime.

Travel had always been a form of escapism for her, a way to find a new life beyond the confines of routine. Despite the grogginess hazing her mind, she was able to appreciate the humid air and bustling noise of the city around her when she first stepped foot onto the streets of France. This is life, she thought. With its rustic beauty, France was the quintessence of timeless charm. The cozy cobblestone homes tucked into the countryside and rolling hills brought life to Avignon. The language, although new to her, sounded melodic and beautiful, much like the sound of the birds in the early morning. The people, with their kind yet raucous behaviour, swarmed the streets, rushing to their separate lives. It made her pause in the crowd and wonder where they were headed – whether they had families, jobs, thoughts or large aspirations. She often found herself making personalities for each stranger she passed – the word for it, she believed, was sonder. Sonder refers to the “realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness.” A sprawling anthill of complex stories surrounding her that she might never know. After-all, she was but a background extra – a woman sipping coffee, a blur of traffic passing on the highway, or a lighted window at dusk. In their narrative, she would most likely never appear again. After a moment of reflection, she continued her steps unhurriedly. There was nothing she could do but let their lives wash over her, along with the language, culture, and stories she would later collect in her memory. She would never know why the woman she passed was in such a rush, or why her driver was in such a good mood that day, but that was how it was – how it would be. C’est la vie. 

As I sit at my bed in Canada, surrounded by my small bedroom, with tight walls and the cool breeze coming through the window, my thoughts wander to a place filled with sunshine, laughter, and the aroma of delicious food – Mexico. Growing up in Canada has been an exciting experience, but as the days pass, I find myself eagerly anticipating my return to the vibrant streets of my home city.

I’ve been exposed to a world of opportunity and diversity since moving to Canada. Every day is an adventure, from the beautiful surroundings to the diversity in the city. By making friends with people from every aspect of life, I’ve been able to learn about their traditions and customs, which has greatly expanded my perspective.

But even with all of Canada’s natural beauty and diversity, there’s a part of me that misses the cozy comforts of Mexico. It’s not just about the food, even though I can almost taste the delicious tacos and cool agua fresca; rather, it’s about the feeling of community that comes from being with loved ones.

The longer the days get and the colder it gets, the more excited I get about my next trip. I’m looking forward to the happy reunions, the exciting get-togethers, and, of course, the opportunity to savor the tastes of home. Mexico has a unique way of using food to unite people; it’s more than just a meal; it’s a celebration of community and culture.

Not to mention the weather—I miss the sun’s warmth on my skin! I get excited at the idea of changing my winter coat for shorts and flip-flops. I’m excited to enjoy every second of being able to go outside without being weighed down by multiple layers of clothing.

I can’t help but think about how my identity has been shaped by the distinct mixture of cultures as I get ready to return to Mexico. Although living in Canada has extended my perspectives and provided invaluable knowledge, my Mexican heritage serves as a source of pride and stability.

So, as I eagerly count down the days until my departure, I find myself enjoying the contrast of my cultural identity. Canada may be my home away from home, but there’s a special place in my heart for Mexico – a place where the warmth of the sun is matched only by the warmth of its people.

“Well well Thanatos you have some nerve to talk to a lady like that” the eerie voice slithered out of Cyane. Persephone’s eyes darted to Cyane and back to Thanatos who’s dark black was glaring wildly at her. “I don’t remember asking for the opinion of a nymph river girl, so why don’t you slither back into whatever hole you came from” he glowered at Cyane, snatching Persephone’s arm. Persephone violently resisted but his arm remained unmoved. “Its quite cute of you to think I give a damn about what you want Thanatos so why don’t you go flying back to your precious king like the DOG you are.” Cyane was mortified about what she was saying, the words were just tumbling out of her mouth. Words that she would never say. Out of nowhere her body slammed into a tree, the air in her lungs violently being thrown out as the pattern on the bark pressed into her back. “What did you just call me!?” Thanatos yelled at Cyane, his hand shoving her neck to the tree. Persephone passed out in the corner of Cyane’s vision. “Say that to me one more time I might not be able to promise your safety river girl!” Thanatos spat in her face, as she shivered with fear about what he was going to do to her. “You heard me” the voice slithered out of her, leaving a dreaded feeling in her stomach ” I told you flying back to your precious king like the DOG you are” Thanatos’s grip tightened on her neck, almost suffocating her. “It’s almost to bad, I mean what’s a dog without its owner right?” Cyane’s voice slithered on as Thanatos’ grip faltered. “What are you playing at” Thanatos glowered, this time his gaze piercing hers in a long hated gaze. “Oh please” Cyane’s voice laughed eerily. “Why would Hade’s keep you around when you’ve been sleeping with people he shouldn’t be. Minthe? does that ring a bell to you or am I just pulling at your tail right now?” Cyane’s voice chuckled “Oh but of course, that’s one of Hades’ favourite mistresses, looks like someone’s been a bad boy”. Thanatos’ hands loosened on Cyane’s neck and she fell to the floor. “No one knows about that” Thanatos insisted, his face looking pale with fear and rage. “And no one will” Cyane said coolly, smirking at Thanatos as she swept her hair to the side. “But if you come back here again and killing me will only bring me closer to this master of yours, I might just remember this little chat we had. M’kay pretty boy? Thanatos shot her one last look of rage before he eventually scrambled off into the sky leaving her and a passed out Persephone in the shades of the trees.

As soon as Thanatos’ faded figure vanished into the trees above, the eerie voice and the surge of confidence dropped out of her body. She fell to the grassy floor below her, her whole body quivering with fear and shock. It felt as if her should left her body when it left. What was that voice and what does it want with me? Suddenly a Persephone groaned, her eyes were still closed and her body still lay helplessly where she fainted. Still spooked from the recent events, she quivered even harder in her body. This is exactly what happens whenever I try to help her. Her head spat as she glanced a Persephone, relucent to leave. “This is why you left?” Cyane whispered to Persephone’s lifeless body “For this.” She said as she crawled away from her lifeless body.

Needless to say, Cyane continued on away from the scene, brave and on her feet. Persephone in arms, after much back and forth crawling. Cyane’s face was flushed red as Persephone’s warmth radiated on her arms. What could go wrong. “Cyane is that you?”.

My time is precious, yet I waste it,
I dwell too much on what can not be changed,
But still, I sit and think
While the hands of time move forward in a blink.

Years that seem like minutes
In but a twinkle of an eye.
Enjoy every moment
As the time goes gently by.

Time is no friend.
Never stopping, never caring.
Because there is no amount
of time it takes to heal. Only doubt.

No matter if you live with care,
there is little time to stand and stare.
As weeks and months bleed into one.
Live as though life has just begun.

Embrace the years as they come to you
As if in each one, there lies within a hidden gift.
And you will see that in your puzzle of life
That one piece placed thought not to fit.

The fear of loosing what’s not gone just yet.
There is no time, just fear and regret.
Of life lost not forever, like leaves that are cast,
Running from the present, through future and the past.

As one raises the question and asks,
For we are simply on borrowed time of the past.
What happens to the living when they die?
Death is not understood by death. Nor you, nor I.

My motivation for school has always been the next vacation.  Don’t blame me, it’s not that I hate school, I just that I don’t like it. I was talking to my sister Ines the other day about this, and we both feel the same about this matter. See, most of the people that like school, it’s because they are encouraged to meet their friends and talk to them, we don’t. I love my friends. To be completely honest, my besties are the most incredible and amazing people I know, but I don’t need to come to school to see them. Maybe it is due to the fact that my sisters and I have been in multiple schools throughout our life, and that both of my parents have shown us that the friends you care about, it doesn’t matter the distance or the time separated, the friendship it’s still there. School for me it’s just work, someone behind you telling you what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, and I simply don’t enjoy it. I had always been independent, and preferably enjoyed working by myself, without someone telling me what to do. However, I understand that sadly I can’t change right now the education system, or how school could improve. I just have to finish these years with the motivation of the next vacation or holiday coming around. 

Family is love,
Together through thick and thin,
Forever we stand.

In joy and sorrow,
Supporting each others dreams,
A bond that's unbreakable.

Through the ups and downs,
We cherish every moment,
Family is home.

In hugs and laughter,
Our hearts beat as one,
Family, our anchor.

Spring break is very soon, I have to package but I am so excited about this spring break because I am going to have unforgettable experiences, My grandparents are coming to pick me up so they going to know the school and then we are going on a trip for Canada, to know new places, have fun and of course eat deliciously, and the next step will have come back to Mexico to visit my parents, my brother, friends and people that I love, and I have a lot of plans to do in Mazatlán because it is hot, so I want to go to the beach, to Pilates class, to have fun with my friends, and the most important part to have fun and enjoy with my family and then I come back to Victoria for the last two months that I am going to have here and to enjoy everything.

In Guadalajara’s lively streets,

Where Mariachi melodies meet.

Underneath the Mexican sun,

A city’s tales have just begun.

On cobblestone paths, we stroll,

Where vibrant hues take control.

Tacos sizzle, tempting bites,

Filling streets with foodie delights.

Marketplaces with colors ablaze,

Crafts and spices, a vibrant maze.

Laughter echoing, oh so clear,

Guadalajara, hold it dear.

Chapels whisper stories old,

In the bricks, history unfolds.

Colonial charm, a timeless grace,

Capturing hearts in this warm embrace.

Tequila’s warmth in crystal glasses,

Echoes of joy, as time passes.

Plazas bustling with vibrant life,

Music and rhythm, erasing strife.

Hillsides adorned with scenic views,

A city that never quite snoozes.

Sunset hues paint the sky,

In Guadalajara, time slips by.

From Tlaquepaque’s artistic flair,

To the secrets the cathedrals share.

Guadalajara, in your embrace,

A lively dance, a warm embrace.

George was his name. No one really knew why, but the king of the Evil Plant Empire fancied the language of the old two-legged ones. There had never been a George before him, so there was no need to use all those fancy numerals and titles. None the less, George liked to model the two-legs by being a tyrant who took pleasure in watching his subjects suffer. He was especially infamous for using the techniques of the two-legs to torture his subjects, and word spread quickly about how he would stuff peppers and have a daisy’s petals slowly plucked one by one, while an ominous chant was repeated: “eh-loes-mah, eh-loes-mah-knot”.

It was interesting, George thought as he skimmed through his favourite book of torture, “Larousse Gastronomique”, how plants always stopped at the most conventional methods of causing pain. Sure, it was fun to boil your subjects in hot water, but using the hum-boxes that the two-legs had left behind was far more effective. Watching the plants inside the box slowly spin round and round as they wilted and shrivelled was always entertaining. As George would argue, the plants that were sent to the hum-box would never even get the satisfaction of knowing they would taste good at the end of it all. Nothing ever came out tasting good from the hum-box.

Today however, George was not doing some light reading. He needed a solution to the uprising occurring in the East, where he had pressed a few too many grapes and recently the entire regional cabbage population had gone missing (although George had nothing to do with that). Ah yes, he had found what he was looking for. George carefully put the book aside and began rummaging through his cupboard, eventually finding a bottle full of transparent liquid with a pungent odour. It was time to do some pickling.

 

Thanks to my family for giving me the prompt “evil plants” and “George”.

Playboi Carti is one of the most influential rappers of this decade. From his flashy ‘opium fits’ to his record label Opium, Carti does not cease to entertain his fans. Here, I will be critiquing him as a rapper based on his most recent album, Whole Lotta Red. 

Although his lyrics do not carry much meaning, usually depicting hedonistic activities performed by rappers of the like, they are certainly very impressionable and effective at communicating his ideas and emotions. 

With this album, he introduces his unique ‘baby voice,’ in which he uses high pitched shrieks and intonations to express himself.

Carti uses a variety of frenzied synth-led beats which pair up quite nicely with his brash vocals and tie the album together cohesively. 

Overall, this album gets an 8/10 for its distinctive sound and consistency. It is an experimental and strikingly refreshing contrast to the mainstream melodies of the contemporary music scene.

Why are we here? How am I here, looking the way I do, talking the way I speak, dreaming the way I dream? What do Orca’s eat? Why do they prefer seals? How do seals know to run away? What makes a predator scary? Teeth? Why teeth? How do we know to run away? What did we wear as homo erectus? How long did it take to get how we are now? Why are we here? Ah, now this, THIS, is the circle of life.

A large splash of salty water prys me into consciousnesses. The first thing I see is my bright orange kayak. For a moment, I shock myself when I realize I am at the mercy of the water of the Gulf Islands. Right now, I can see she is calm. A few fun bumps every now and then, but mostly tame. I look around to see my group, broken land and rock, kelp, the odd otter, and trees. Lots, and lots, of trees. Beautiful, tall, old, and wise with the years it’s endured on these shores. The water’s attitude is not yet the most frightening thing out here. It’s the ferries. From them, we are named “speed bumps”. Something our guide so care-freely, matter-of-factly, remarked. For us, they are giant metal tanks driving at a fast pace on a route that does not change, kayakers, or no kayakers. Knowing this, we are in constant anxiety of the next ferry crossing. One comes up close. Upon starting it our guide makes a quick speech. Keep in mind, the six of us are fourteen to sixteen year-olds.

“Alright. I need y’all to paddle as fast as your little chicken arms can take you. When you feel like you can’t, keep going. It doesn’t matter because we have to cross anyways otherwise you’ll die. And I don’t want anyone dying because that is a lot of paperwork for me when I get home. Sound good?”

No, not good. We all line up and wait for the OK. He shouts go and it is literally a race for life and death. I feel the sweat building up underneath my jaw, behind my ears, under my legs. The constant splashes of extremely salty water demand entry into my kayak and, mouth. I can feel the build-up dragging me down, sloshing around inside the boat and mixing with the sand of our last stop. I choke on the water for a little while but it does not matter, keep paddling. Keep paddling I tell myself. It feels like I’ve been paddling for hours. It takes what feels like an eternity before he shouts “We’re halfway there!”. The only sign of support he’s shown since the start of the trip. I feel my arms burning and bruising and going lactic. No, no, no. That can’t happen. I take a three second break before my guide yells at me to keep paddling. Seeing the next island I get a burst of energy. Finding the stored energy within me, deep inside me, I paddle on and find the rest of the group at the end of the ferry crossing. Knowing I am in the middle of the ocean’s islands and have just defeated death, I feel free. Completely and utterly alive and free. I reached down and dip my fingertips to the water. It’s cold, really cold. Losing this enchanting feeling and connection I’m having with the ocean, our guide tells us to move on. I can tell he is also in a way, satisfied. Despite one’s love or hate, soft or hard attitude, the serene feeling of presence and zen within nature heals all and brings out our innate calling to not just be in nature, but to be natural. 

Once upon a time, in the depths of the ocean, there was a little green tomato named Tommy. He had a vibrant green colour and a friendly smile. Tommy lived in a cozy little house made entirely out of seaweed with other creatures village. He had a best friend named Sandy the Starfish, who lived right next door. They would spend their days exploring the colourful coral reefs, playing hide-and-seek with the mischievous seahorses, and having underwater picnics. Tommy loved making seaweed sandwiches, and Sandy always brought her famous sea cucumber salad. They would laugh and have a great time together. The ocean was their playground, and they cherished every moment of their underwater life. The little Tommy loves to sing! He started to sing “Under the Sea” by The Little Mermaid. 

“Under the sea darling, it’s better down where it’s wetter Take it from me..”

Since he felt like he didn’t belong there, Sandy always tried to make Tommy feel like he belonged there. After a while, Sandy decided to join Tommy in a little singing session. They both believed that friendship and fun could be found in the most unexpected places, even in a green tomato Tommy living under the sea with Sandy.

In my opinion, “Brave New World” and “Amusing Ourselves to Death” are like my wise grandparents who tell me stories about how the world works and how we should take advantage and enjoy our time. They’re not like other books or novels I’ve read; they’re like cautionary tales, warning us about where our society might be heading if we’re not careful with what we do, and how everything is evolving and not necessarily in a good way.

In “Brave New World,” it’s like we’re peeking into a future where everyone’s supposed to be happy all the time, but there’s a catch: people have to give up being themselves. It’s like trading freedom for comfort. It’s like the book is saying to us, “Hey, watch out! If we only chase pleasure and avoid thinking deeply, we might lose sight of what really makes life meaningful.” Nowadays, with all the social media and endless distractions, it’s easy to get swept away and forget about the things that truly matter, and I say this from my own experience.

Then there’s “Amusing Ourselves to Death.” For me, this one feels like sitting down with a favorite teacher telling us how TV and entertainment can shape and change our minds and opinions. It’s like saying, “Hey, pay attention! When we’re always chasing the next big thing to entertain us, we might forget to think critically and have real conversations.” With all the memes and news updates today, it’s easy to see how we might get caught up in the excitement without pausing to think about what it all means, and again, this comes from my own experiences.

Both books, in their own unique way, remind us to be mindful and careful of the choices we make. They encourage us to embrace our individuality and uniqueness, cherish deep thinking, and have meaningful connections. I think life isn’t just about the flash and fun; it’s about the depth and richness that comes from truly engaging with the world around us.

 

In “Amusing Ourselves To Death” Postman has written an essay and in “Brave New World” Huxley has written a story but do I see any connection from these 2? Yes I do! In Huxley’s “Brave New World” he had written a story type of book to talk about the situation or what he sees in the future. As for Postman he had just reflected what he sees now and in a near future on television, the period of time that Postman is writing this book television seemed to be a positive development in the United States. Audiences could access global news and experience spectacular entertainment. Later on, the television channels faced pressure to turn into show business to get audiences’ attentions and to make more money.  Postman suggests that television is an enemy, not a friend, to alert the public.

In these two books there are a very obvious similarity where citizens are so absorbed by fascinating technologies, they do not notice their freedom disappearing. Amusing Ourselves to Death urges readers to take all forms of media seriously, revealing the media’s ability to transform politics, education, culture, and history. So basically to me both of the books are alerting others to beware of the power of technology and TV.

“Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley and “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman are both powerful critiques of modern society, especially how technology and entertainment affect our lives and the way society works. In Huxley’s dystopian world, pleasure and distraction are the most important things. Postman’s analysis, on the other hand, looks at how too much meaningless information from sources like TV makes it harder for us to think critically about the world around us. Even though they are set in very different times and places, both works have a lot to do with how hard it is for people today to find a balance between technological progress and keeping meaningful human connections and intellectual engagement.

In fact, Postman’s claim that “Brave New World” has something to do with the present is very moving. There are a lot of similarities between Huxley’s made-up society, where people are constantly entertained, and our own, where a lot of digital distractions keep people from having serious conversations. Both works warn us about the risks of being lazy and uninterested in technological progress. They also remind us how important it is to keep our independence, critical thinking skills, and ability to connect with others in a world full of distractions. Therefore, reading these texts makes us think deeply about the direction our society is going and the values we hold most dear as we shape our shared future.

Over the winter break, I went on a three-week trip to Thailand where I got to learn about the culture and participate in activities I never imagined. One of those activities was going to see elephants and being about to feed and brush them. This was an amazing experience, it’s something I never thought would happen. I got to learn all about elephants how they eat how they live and so much more! Over the three weeks, I travelled all over Thailand, I first stayed out in Chang Mai for 1 night and early morning we took a road trip to Pai which was amazing I loved Pai it was more of the countryside of Thailand and it was so pretty. We went to Chang Dao, Phuket, Koh Samui and Phi Phi Island. my favourite place out of the whole trip was Koh Samui Pig Island. Pig Island is a small island owned by a couple where around 50 pigs roam including babies! there were also about 25 puppies that were so cute you could just pick them up and snuggle with them. The beaches in Thailand were unimaginable whenever we were at the resort I was always at the beach snorkelling, sun tanning, or reading I never wanted to leave. I loved the clear blue water and all the tropical fish you could see. My grandpa, my stepdad and I went on a private fishing tour and I caught a pink fish! I was so overjoyed, I’ve never seen such a pretty fish it looked unreal. I loved the night markets it was such an experience ti see the culture, to see all the different types of jewelry, fashion and the amazing food! everyone in the markets would sent up their station in the middle of the day and would sell their stuff from 6 pm -around 3 am. The people there were seriously the sweetest always smiling at you saying สวัสดี which means hello. I’m so beyond grateful I got to have such an experience!

Baking is something I’ve always loved doing since I was little. Ever since I first stepped into the kitchen, I’ve been hooked on experimenting with different recipes and things by immersing myself in the world of baking different things. It’s become a significant part of my routine, measuring ingredients, looking up different recipes, and trying out new ways to bake and cook.

I remember when the quarantine started I started to bake lots of things by myself and with my sister and it was a good hobby when I wanted to do something entertaining.

 

Snow light frozen unique,

Bringing cold joy to everyone around,

Some prefer the warm,

Sitting down reading writing,

A nice cup of hot chocolate beside me,

A hot water bottle underneath my blanket,

I cannot wait for summer

In my personal response writing I will talk about ice skating.

When you glide on the ice, it’s like if you were flying. You’re in your own world, and it’s just you, the ice, and the music. It feels so free! And the way you can do all those spins and jumps with a lot of elegance and precision, it’s seriously impressive.

Now we should talk about the outfits because they’re amazing. They’re always so beautiful and sparkly. It’s like you’re a princess on ice. But, it’s not just about the glitter and glam. Ice skating takes a lot of hard work and dedication. You have to be strong, both physically and mentally. Falling is part of the process, but you just have to pick yourself up and keep going. It’s also a great way to hang out with friends. Whether you’re just skating around for fun or practicing for a competition, it’s always more fun when you’re with your friends.