“Holy $*@&, is it Valentine’s day again? I’m so dead” – My friend Ron

The ultimate Role Playing Game of our time, the game of romance – battle of the sexes, is generally deployed once a year upon the noble of day on Valentine’s. The world is our battlefield, we are merely role-playing avatars. I had the good fortune of witnessing one such desperate (and presumably self-respecting) man running down to a convenient store, begging to buy flowers on the eve of the battle, to armour him against which  hell hath no fury– their woman scorned.

Just like Paris Hilton, I’m a self-proclaimed, Twitter-officialized “philanthropist” who likes to “help people”, which is why I’ve conjured virtual weapons for both sexes – things to help you in the battle to defeat the opponent, between you and getting you laid.

 Why you need this strategy guide – boys: did you forget to make dinner reservations for the most romantic (and expensive) day of the year? If so, you’ve entered a dangerous faction of The Scorned Woman. (See Part A) Ladies: as an equal opportunity philanthropist, you can find in Part B of this strategy guide weapons I’ve equipped for your arsenal to battle that scrub. (Scrubs: noun. See: scrub is the guy who bought you budget flowers that he obviously just ran down the street and got from the convenient store.)

Yes, I play for both teams.

Part A:  5 Male Weapons

Use before, during and after V-day, for your sanity. 

1. “You are the funniest girl I’ve ever met!”

Mana Points: 9

Special Power: Disarming

Much like how girls can’t refuse a funny guy, being a funny girl is a coveted throne. This weapon will disarm your enemy instantly. As long as you don’t affiliate her with a clown, telling her she’s funny garners much more attack power than calling her pretty/sexy/beautiful. After which she’ll try to keep the title by doing all she can to make you laugh. Use this weapon when your Health Points need replenishing.

2. “Whoa, you really do know everything!” (“You’re so smart and capable, you do/know it all!”)

Mana Points: 8.5  

Special Power: feeding vanity

If you really have to lie, this is the one lie to tell in order to save your burning ass from her fiery brimstones of scorned doom. The secret to the weapon: always tell a smart woman she’s beautiful, and tell a beautiful woman she’s smart. However, deep inside every woman thinks she looks better than Eva Longoria, so deploy the latter.

3. “You have a really pretty nose.” (hair, eyes, voice, legs…)

Mana Points: 8  

Special Power: sexual suggestiveness

Pick one, any one. Even if your woman looks like Chewbacca, compliment her lush head of hair. You can expect the response of this focused attack to be either: brush it off, or “dawww shuttup!” – both are false shields. Girls, especially pretty ones, often tire of hearing “you’re beautiful”, but pointed observations of her appearance would gain you major Health Points. Also, you’d be inviting yourself to touch the aforementioned body parts to further inspect…

4. “I have so much fun spending time with you, even if we do nothing…”

Mana Points: 8.5

Special Power: low-cost, high reward

The lesser man would be telling her how much you adore her and that her beauty is only matched by that of Scarlett Johanssen… but that lesser man would be kissing obvious ass, which is liable to fart in face. With this weapon, less is more, in the event that you obtusely entered the V-day battlefield ill-prepared is likely the rock-bottom your Health Points. Armour up!

5. “I miss you all the time”

Mana Points: 10  

Special Power: Resonance

The Mana Points of this weapon is far more than it meets the eye. She will not credit you for telling her you love her, but she will admit that she has not deleted this from her text message inbox, even if you never offer her anything else of substance.

Part B:  5 Female Weapons

Like Buckley’s, these weapons leaves an awful taste in your mouth, but it works. Use sparingly.

1. “Are you ever going to make as much money as your brother/best friend/me?”

Mana Points: 8.5  

Damage: Ego

The social construct of gender equality is never going to catch up with the biology of the male ego. Combining that ego with his competitive nature, this double-helix assault weapon aims directly at his precious Health Points.  

2. “Are you going to be bald like your father?”

Mana Points: 8  

Damage: Vanity

Unless he is Bruce Willis, nobody old and bald is ever sexy.  Most men are hypersensitive about even the slightest signs of thinning on top and the prospects of aging. The damage is irreversible.

3. “Your mom is kind of a bitch.”

Mana Points: 9  

Damage: Defence

He can dodge her calls and make fun of his mom’s cheapness all he wants, he has the right to since he climbed out of her vagina. The moment you start insinuating anything about his mother, she may well be a saint.

4. Anything about the penis; other than “It’s too big”

Mana Points: 9.5 Damage: Manhood

The permutations of charging your weapons here are endless – the colour, size, curvature, or shape; compared to others you saw on TV, in real life, etc…. Conceal this weapon in a concerned tone – “maybe we should see a doctor, it’s so abnormally small, could it be a rare clinical condition?” – guaranteed maximum damage.

5. “Not tonight. I have a headache…”

Mana Points: 10  

Damage: Where it hurts

The timeless, ultimate weapon of mass destruction of male ego that sends him straight to the dog house, you can let the dog out once he adjusts his douchebaggery to your liking. Level up!

…

Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody. Here’s to hoping that it’s an epic win.

“Don’t let us get sick, don’t let us get old, don’t let us get stupid, alright?

Just make us be brave, and let us play nice, let us be together tonight.”

GG & Love,

Christy

Related posts:

1. A Single’s Guide to Love Confession
2. Happy Valentines’ Day! (Screw You, Couples)
3. A Single Person’s Mini Recovery Guide

Related posts:

1. INCEPTION: Ken Watanabe—changing the perception of Asians in Hollywood
2. Asians Don’t Have “a” Style
3. Two Asians, One Camera

Press your suits and shine your shoes! It’s time to roll out the red carpet for this year’s Toronto International Film Festival from September 8th-18th.  Once again, we have a wide selection of films from Asia, including Japan, China and Korea.  In addition, a number of North American and European filmmakers investigate various elements of Eastern culture and identity.  To top things off, we have  some big name Asian stars coming to the premieres, including Michelle Yeoh and Shahid Kapoor.

And while we’ve got international stars coming to our humble city, let us not forget about our home-grown talent:  As always, Toronto proudly welcomes Asian-Canadians onto the international stage, such as actor/writer Vinay Virmani in the Canadian/Punjabi comedy, Breakaway.  It’s the perfect time to be Canadian film buff. Without further ado, I give you this year’s Asian film line up: 

11 Flowers- Wang Xiaoshuai, China/France

Afternoon Tea- DJ Parmar, Canada 

Almayer’s Folly- Chantal Akerman, Belgium/France 

Arirang- Kim Ki-Duk, South Korea

Azhagarsamy’s Horse- Suseendran,India

Breakaway- Robert Lieberman, Canada

Bunohan- Dain Said, Malaysia

Century of Birthing- Lav Diaz, The Phillipines

Cut- Amir Naderi, Japan 

Countdown- Huh Jung-ho, South Korea 

Cuchera- Joseph Israel Laban, The Phillipines 

Duch, Master of the Forges of Hell- Rithy Panh, France/Cambodia 

From Up on Poppy Hill- Goro Miyazaki, Japan 

Girl Model- Ashley Sabin & David Redmon, USA 

Hanaan- Rusian Pak, South Korea

Headshot- Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Thailand/France  

Himizu- Sion Soho, Japan 

I Wish- Hirokazu Kore-Eda, Japan

Kotoko- Shinya Tsukamoto, Japan 

The Lady- Luc Besson, France/UK  

A Letter to Momo- Hiroyuki Okiura, Japan 

Life Without Principle- Johnnie To, Hong Kong

Lost in Paradise- Ngoc Dang Vu, Vietnam

Love and Bruises- Lou Ye, China/France 

Mausam- Pankaj Kapoor, India

Monster Club- Toshiaki Toyoda, Japan 

Mr. Tree- Han Jie, China 

Mushrooms- Vimukthi Junyasundara, India/France

Simple Life- Ann Hui, Hong Kong

Smuggler- Katsuhito Ishii, Japan 

Space is the Place- Eriko Sonoda, Japan  

The Sword Identity- Haofeng Zu, China 

UFO in Her Eyes- Xiaolu Guo, Germany 

Young Pines- Ute Aurand, Germany 

With the amount of talent and skill coming from the international and Canadian Asian community this year, the TIFF 2011 is not something you’ll want to miss. Regardless of whether you take in one or many films, this film festival will undoubtedly prove to be entertaining at the least, and enlightening at the most. 

Have you attended TIFF in years past, or are you attending TIFF 2011? If so, let us know what movies you’ve watched and your thoughts on them in the comments!

TIFF logo is the property of the Toronto International Film Festival 

Toronto image taken by Nayu Kim from Flickr (Creative Commons Licensing) 

Related posts:

1. Toronto International Film Festival: Asian Cinema Line Up
2. Taste of Thailand Festival 2011
3. Junko’s Shamisen Mind Blowingly Blends Manga and Live Action Together

With students back in school, I know that they’ll most likely be cooking or eating on a budget. Now I’m not a student anymore, but I still do try to cook or eat on a budget! Plus, I often find that cooking with a limited number of ingredients is quite fun. While I do love to plan ahead and make things according to what I purposely buy at the grocery store, I also enjoy the challenge of having to make do with what I have. 

I’m a regular user of Cookpad, Japan’s most famous user-recipe-generated website. (it’s kind of like allrecipes.com but it’s in Japanese). Last week when I had a pack of minced pork sitting in my fridge, I went through the “minced pork” section and found this recipe of hikiniku (minced pork) no ankake donburi (thick sauce on rice). It took me about 15 minutes to cook it, served it for two people and even had enough for lunch the next day! It’s a great recipe for students/people on a budget. Thanks to Kenkun no mama for the recipe! Here is the English translation: 

Hikiniku no ankake donburi (pork in thick sauce on rice)

Ingredients (makes 2+ servings): 

• Minced pork – 150g 
• Onion – 1
• Garlic – 1 clove
• * Soy sauce – 3 tbsp
• * Sugar – 1 1/2 tbsp
• Water – 100 cc 
• Corn starch – 1 tbsp
• Oil 
• Salt and pepper – to taste 

Related posts:

1. Poutine – the Canadian “Asian bowl”
2. Cook Anything with a Rice Cooker
3. This is…pizza?

Excuse my predisposition to not enjoying an extravagantly boring evening on a perfectly good weekend in exchange for mediocre food and even worse wine, or my disbelief when bearing witness to the most frivolous way to spend $10k– wedding videography. Excuse me while my already-tested patience is further eroded by this season’s hot button issue in a steaming bowl – shark fin soup. Alas, a can of soup ripe for a scintillating dinner conversation or a kerfuffle at banquet dinner between the traditional Asian parents and their vocal and politically correct next-generation.

Source: www.sustainablewaters.com

The most pronounced line of argument comes from the ecological side armed with scientific facts: expanding with the Chinese middle class is the demand for shark fin, causing up to 73 million sharks to be killed a year from the act of finning – when fishermen cut the fin off and throw the shark back into the water to die, and as a result as many as 90 % of sharks in the world’s open oceans have disappeared, with negative externalities rippling across the ocean’s food chain.

Also bombastic and uncannily righteous is the knee-jerk political side (my least favourite side) alluding to human rights abuse and racial discrimination of a ban on shark fin, galvanizing the issue in Chinese communities while juggling a balancing act in scoring votes from the both environmental and the ethnic sides. Way to go, politico.

The most painstaking arguments come from the political bandwagon-side (I recant my earlier statement, they are my least favourite side) – the self-proclaimed “activists” who saw a Discovery documentary and decided that the act in question is the abomination of mankind that will effectively decimate the ocean and humanity thereafter. The axis of evil against sharks must be crucified, hyperbole notwithstanding.

Rhetoric runs thick, octane runs high, and my patience runs thin.

The alleged stigma that racializes shark fin consumption need not to be. When Iron Chef America used shark meat as the Secret Ingredient there was no issue at all; Iron Chef (original one from Japan) cooks shark fin and people get belligerent. If the issue at hand is killing of sharks and decimating the ocean, center the solution on regulating the industry to prevent over-fishing. The demand side will equilibrate itself and substitute away from shark products if the supply becomes prohibitively expensive. While at it, ban shark oil, skin, blue fin tuna, sea bass and all the other industries with sustainability concerns until those concerns are resolved. But don’t go on a shaming crusade for animal cruelty if you have not a clue where the mystery meat in your burger comes from. It is not a prudent juncture to loudly boast sentience for the environment when scarfing down a Big Mac. (True story)

A comprehensive and coherent legislative initiative behind proposing the ban should come from the federal level of the government to ward off politicization from local officials racing to win cheap points with constituency. Taking a national stance on the issue of conservation and preservation through education coupled with policy measures to address affected businesses within the industry (potentially thought tax incentives to ease the switch to alternative products) will better heel the policymakers to satisfy the involved parties alike. Less preachy sound bites also make for affable audience even on the most skeptic of eardrums.

Local grass root groups ought to take on the role of educating from within ethnic groups lest they default to a counterproductive “us against them” sentiment. The appeal of a cultural tradition in ethnic cuisine is close to home, yet even closer is the cultural tradition of family and longevity – sustain the ocean so their grandchildren will not run out of fish to eat. Helping earlier-generation ethnic groups understand the importance of sustainability without shaming or condescension will prove more effectual than perpetuating xenophobia.

Source: Discovery Channel

Indeed, the Chinese do not have an innate desire to consume shark fin, (if you’ve ever tried it, you’ll know it’s tasteless). This prevailing status symbol is neither indispensable nor irreplaceable. Afford the confidence that Chinese cuisine, not unlike its culture, is resilient. In a well-regulated market with socio-economic foresight, consumers and industries will manage to wean off shark fin like they have of bear paws and sea turtles.

As for the rest of us civilians who (as per usual) are caught in the middle of the contention, learn where your food comes from, and heed the sage advice of Tracy Morgan in “30 Rock” – “live every week like it is shark week.”

Credit for featured image on this article goes to: istolethetv

Related posts:

1. The Anti-Feminist Manifesto

"Are we there yet?"

So you and your friends are getting ready to go on a road trip. Probably the first and most important thing you should prepare (other than your choice of poison to get sloshed on once you get to your destination) is your iPod, or whatever listening device you use. You’d want a playlist that is enjoyable to drive to and most importantly, keeps you awake while you’re driving. So here’s my super duper long personal road trip playlists that’ll make the journey awesomer.

This list is divided into “subcategories” for every part of your long drive.

Hitting the Road

You should start your playlist with some songs that’ll get you pumped up so that the ‘butterflies in your stomach’ feeling you feel on the driveway starts feeling more like someone shot some adrenaline you. Here’s some of my faves that get me all giddy for the drive.

•  ”Block Rockin Beats”, Chemical Brothers
•  ”Young Folks”, Peter Bjorn & John
•  ”Around the World” Daft Punk
•  ”Learn to Fly” Foo Fighters
•  ”Suburbs” Arcade Fire (I dislike their music, but this song ain’t bad for driving )
•  ”Blister in the Sun” Violent Femmes
•  ”Bad Medicine” Die Mannequin
•  ”Don’t Walk Away Eileen” Sam Roberts

My Way on the Highway

A study by Canadian scientists “showed playing loud music in the car reduces reaction time by up to 20 per cent, about as bad as 90 kilometres an hour in an 80 zone. And that research showed that music with more than 60 beats per minute made that even worse”

My list only has one of those songs, try and figure out which one. Please, please, PLEASE! Be aware of your speed, I can’t count how many times I had to catch myself from going over the speed limit when listening to these songs. But hey, at least they do the job of keeping you awake!

"If you have a heavy foot and you don't want a speeding ticket..don't listen to these guys.."

•  ”Breathe” – Prodigy
•  ”Firestarter” – Prodigy
•  ”Breed” – Nirvana
•  ”Dragula” – Rob Zombie
•  ”Getting Smaller”- Nine Inch Nails (hell, you might as well get ALL their albums for the trip…soo good)
•  ”My Favorite Game” – The Cardigans
•  ”Panic Switch” – Silversun Pickups
•  ”Long Road to Ruin”- Foo Fighters (same thing, get ALL their songs)
•  ”Bodysnatchers” – Radiohead
•  ”World Wide Suicide” – Pearl Jam
•  ”Sweetness” – Jimmy Eat World
•  ”Anti-Venom” – Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker (*phew!*)
•  ”Song 2″ – Blur
•  ”Vasoline” – Stone Temple Pilots
•  ”Mind Eraser No Chaser” – Them Crooked Vultures
•  ”mOBSCENE” – Marilyn Manson
•  ”Reptile” – The Strokes (ALL their songs again)

Still on the Highway, but on Cruise Control

So usually once I get past all the major cities and hit cottage country, I like to slow things down but not enough to get me sleepy while on cruise control. As well on this list, are some retro songs that are ‘sing-a-long’ worthy. Like Spice Girls.

"Remember this song? La-La-La..."

•  ”When the Night Feels my Song” Bedouin Soundclash
•  ”Scar Tissue” Red Hot Chili Peppers
•  ”Drive” Incubus
•  ”Island in the Sun” Weezer
•  ”No Rain” Blind Melon
•  ”Loser” Beck
•  ”Wheels” Foo Fighters
•  ”The East Wind” Gord Downie
•  ANYTHING FROM THE TRAGICALLY HIP
•  ANYTHING FROM BOB MARLEY
•  ”Cousins” Vampire Weekend
•  ”Hitchin a Ride” Green Day

 Almost There

Wahoo! You guys are almost there but everyone’s either asleep or all that adrenaline burnt from the first two playlists have been spent.  Perk up everyone’s spirits with these lil’ tunes. 

•  ”Electric Avenue” Eddy Grant
•  ”Where have all the good people gone?” Sam Roberts
•  ”Vertigo” U2
•  ”One Man Army” Our Lady Peace
•  ”Hang Ten” Edwin
•  ”Bittersweet Symphony” Verve
•  ”Check my Brain” Alice in Chains
•  ”Jump Around” House of Pain
•  ”That song” Big Wreck
•  ”Skinny Little Bitch” Hole
•  ”Helena Beat” Foster the People
•  ”Pumped up Kicks” Foster the People
•  ”What you Know” 2 Door Cinema

Heading Back Home

Repeat all playlists above…along with these other songs to conclude your adventure

• “Coming Home” City & Colour
• “Kings and Queens” 30 seconds to mars
•  ”Apparition” Matthew Good

So those are some ideas for you guys if you have any extra space in your iDevice. Stay safe during your trip and don’t hit the road if you had a little too much the night before. You don’t wanna end up doing stuff like this:

"I told you not to take a leak at that house..."

What are your essential songs or artists that you need for your road trip?

Related posts:

1. A trip to the Christmas Market
2. Multicultural Japanese artists
3. Pet Peeves: Clubbing (Part 2)

Night It Up! is organized and presented by Power Unit Youth Organization, a youth-driven non-profit organization based in Toronto, striving to promote youth development and empowerment through philanthropy.

The main stage banner at Night It Up! 2011

This was the first time that I’d been to a night market. I saw some really unique things…like a man dissecting pineapples with a power drill.

This will only hurt for a second.

One of the things that made Night It Up! so unique was the night market vendor-style. I guess it’s not all that different from the North American flea market. That is, until you see (or smell, more likely) Wei’s Smelly Tofu.

Turns out the offending smell wasn't my feet.

Wei’s Smelly Tofu made me thankful for experiencing a particularly strong bout of allergies after walking through a field to get to the night market. But, despite a congested nose, the tofu that was being served up (which I know for a fact tastes a billion times better than it smells) made it to my olfactory senses. The smell is similar to sport socks that have been used heavily but gone unwashed for many days.

Of the vendors that I encountered last night, I’d have to say that the best dressed cooks were to be found at the Oyster Omelet tent.

We found Princess Leia.

No, that’s not Princess Leia, but the oyster omelets smelled pretty good.

We also saw squid on the grill.

...and Malaysian food...

...and takoyaki being prepared...

...and takoyaki being cooked.

And yes, there was also bubble tea.

After checking out the food stands, there was much more to be seen in terms of what Asian night markets are known for. Things like…

...fish for sale...

...and the Fishing Game - the way this works is, you try to catch a gold fish from a kiddie pool with a net made of tissue paper. If you catch a fish before the tissue paper net dissolves, you win a prize. And a fish, I think.

Should also mention that Night It Up! is a family event, as seen by the amount of parents who had their children in tow at every vendor.

We also saw entire tables of toys and electronic accessories made overseas.

To round the night off, we watched BananaLoft's very own Christy Luo and the PUYO Rockband perform their rendition of Rebecca Black's "Friday". While that was entertaining, what was more entertaining...

...was when Mayor Frank Scarpitti jumped up on stage and started singing too. How awesome is it to see a local dignitary so involved in a community event?

All things considered, Night It Up! 2011 was a kickass event that brought together a range of Asian cultures, and really showed off Canada's diverse cultural offering. If you plan on going, Night It Up! is still on for tonight!

To view the full set of images, visit my flickr photostream: http://bit.ly/quy7E5

Related posts:

1. 10th Annual “Night it Up” and Paint-a-thon!
2. Taste of Thailand Festival 2011
3. This is…pizza?

So I’m back in Toronto now, after having worked in England for about two years. It feels both amazing and weird to be back! It’s been a blast seeing family and friends again, and I can’t help but notice a lot of changes here in the GTA. For one thing, just how many skyscrapers have been built since 2009 in Toronto?! The city is FULL of them. Especially in the central part of Mississauga, my hometown. And, the number of Asian Guy/White Girl couples have massively increased tenfold. What happened?! No, don’t tell me, I don’t care. Interracial love FTW!

As enthused I am about the changes here in my city, it’s not what I come back for. When you’ve traveled a lot around Europe in the past two years, novelty is something given to you repeatedly on a platter. New sights, new customs, new friends. Enough already. When I’m back home, I don’t want newness. I want familiarity. I want to do, see, think and feel things, accustomed things, that I can’t do/see/think/feel anywhere else. I want to feel… at HOME.

Even though I terribly miss living in London, I’ve missed living here, more. So, as a former Londoner, I now share with you a list of the things I’ve missed MOST about my beautiful city, Toronto.

1. Affordability.
Having a regular bowl of pho in London used to cost me £7 ($10CAD). A sushi bento box is on average £14 ($22CAD). Commuting to work would cost me £160 a month ($246CAD… how I miss my old monthly $109 TTC metropass!), and, a simple wash, cut and style at our Supercuts would cost £40 ($61CAD). Crazy, isn’t it? That dreaded pound really taught me to curve my spending habits in London. But, the downside was that whenever I visited Toronto, I’d be throwing around my pounds like nobody’s business. New clothes at Forever 21? I want. Steak? Lobster? On me. Drinks at a club? Don’t worry, I got this.

2. Evening & late-night conveniences.
Stores, banks, and other services close much earlier in London. Banks at 5 PM, stores at usually 7 or 8, if not sooner. During my first year, I was living in Ealing, a part of London which could be considered the equivalent of suburban Mississauga, and it was frustrating having shops close at 6 on weekdays! Toronto, however, never ceased to fulfill my needs 24/7. Before I left, I could easily do my banking or shopping anytime after work. One time, I had the missing key to my condo replaced by a locksmith right away at midnight. Oh, and late night deliveries? No such thing in London. But here, if I want that pizza or Chinese takeout delivered to me at a ridiculously late time, I could get it, no prob. Toronto, you excessively spoil my need for instant gratification, and I love you for that.

3. Transportation.
Our TTC is also wonderfully convenient. In London, the Tube (the subway) would close at around 12:30 AM, 1 AM at the latest, making it more difficult to have a late night social life. If you didn’t care and wanted to party late anyway, then good luck getting back home at a predictable time. Cabs are near impossible to get if you don’t have their number on hand on your cell, and their night buses don’t come as often. (Our infamous “Vomit Comet” 97 bus along Yonge Street no longer seemed as repulsive the night my roommate and I were stranded in central London, waiting what seemed like forever for a night bus to get back home.) Toronto allowed me to be as spontaneous and unplanned as I wanted to be during my clubbing days long ago, and I could take the subway, the streetcar, or a cab, home at any time I pleased.

4. Multiculturalism.
In my last article, I briefly mentioned that although London is listed as one of the most multicultural cities in the world, the Chinese population stands only at 1.5%. With the exception of South Asians at 13%, all the other Asian minorities are about the same at 2%. Combined. This means that in London, when you set foot on the Tube, your Asianness will seem more apparent, because there’s less of you. And, there’s nothing more refreshing for an Asian to come back to Toronto and easily blend within the beautifully mixed salad of cultures and backgrounds.

5. All-you-can-eat Asian cuisine.
Not including Chinese food, all-you-can-eat delicacies like sushi and Korean BBQ are a rarity in London. There are a few sushi places, but not very many. I’ve only been to one, and had such a bad experience (unfresh salmon sashimi and bad service) that I never went back. And, the limited Korean population & popularity of their food have prevented the KBBQ we all know, love, and pig out on, from becoming even remotely in-demand in London.

And, last but not least….

6. Poutine.
It’s a simple recipe, right? Fries, gravy, and cheese curds. But, the latter is unfortunately unavailable in London. Since moving there, I’ve learned to make it with regular grated cheese, but c’mon. C’MON. You and I both know that it’s not the same.

*******************************

So the next time you’re out having a good time in Toronto, indulging in ANY of these, you better be thankful. We are lucky to have lived or be living in this awesome city, with such conveniences available to us for the taking.

I love you, Toronto!

What do YOU love most about Toronto? Share!

Related posts:

1. Favorite (Mis?)Conceptions About Chinese People
2. Intercultural Religious Love
3. Video Game Love

Located at Nathan Phillips Square, the Taste of Thailand will feature

• Authentic Thai Food
• Thai costume fashion show
• Siam String ensemble
• Muay Thai demonstrations

Looks like it’s going to be a fun cultural experience. It’s a free event so if you’re in the area, drop by and experience a Taste of Thailand!

Related posts:

1. Guu Sakabar: a true taste of home
2. Bananaloft @ Anime North 2011
3. Filipinos Making Waves Festival

For those of you who aren’t familiar with “Night it Up”, it’s a Markham outdoor festival of over 70,000 attendees each year where they transform a street into an Asian night market. There, you’ll find vendors, amazing food and a even main stage featuring dance and music performances.

The event is the first night market of its kind in the GTA and is organized the homegrown youth-run non-profit Power Unit Youth Organization (PUYO). Every year, the proceeds of the event go towards a deserving charity, and this year, the charitable beneficiary is Sleeping Children Around the World - donations provide bedkits to children in underdeveloped countries. Youth-driven, community-conscious and for a charitable cause – it had me at hello.

This year’s “Night it Up” moved to a larger venue over at the Markham Civic Centre and promises even more things to do including:

• 18 hours of  performances featuring singers and dancers and local talents
• Sports events, tennis, soccer and hockey
• Authentic cultural street food
• Asian night-market-style carnival games
• An outdoor movie screening of Ip Man 2

Admission is free all weekend long and the festivities run on Friday, July 15th from 6pm to 12am and Saturday, July 16th from 12pm to 12am and Bananaloft will definitely be there!

Paint-a-Thon

This is a cool and exciting new event as a part of Night it Up! where one of the Markham Civic Centre parking lots gets transformed into an outdoor live art gallery. What do I mean by live art gallery?

Local artists and registered teams will be painting live on four foot by five foot cube canvasses from 1pm to 6pm on July 16th.

Canvas cubes? That is so awesome!

Canvas Cubes!

More Importantly

The proceeds to this fundraising event will go to Free the Children and the Power Unit Youth Organization. If you’d like to be part of something good, you can sponsor a team or register your own team and help this event grow.

Bananaloft’s very own Christy Luo registered a pledge so if you’d like to sponsor to a great cause, why not sponsor hers!

See you there!

Related posts:

1. BananaLoft’s First Sponsor!
2. Celebration Square – A Post Canada Day Reflection
3. Why I left YFC

In this episode, we chronicle The Flash’s adventure as he visits the Bananaloft Offices. Jimmy sees something off about him and decides to investigate.

Let us know what you think about our Office Hours series!

Related posts:

1. Office Hours – New YouTube Series
2. Bananaloft Model Swag Now Available!
3. Starcraft 2 Geeks Wait Almost 12 Hours for Midnight Release

Buckingham Palace: Your classic Chinese bus tour

Europe—the classic destination for fresh university graduates, especially for those like me who had never been there before.  The traditional method would be to grab a map and backpack my way, but my folks were eager for some quality family time so we opted for the traditional Chinese method—the bus tour. 

Yes, the bus tour—an easily recognizable band of thirty something people darting from place to place.  You can spot them all across Europe.  They come in many sizes—grade eights from London, retired folks from Berlin, stay-home moms from Kyoto, but the most infamous of them all are the massive groups of Chinese tourists ready to shop, shop, shop! 

There are many myths surrounding the Chinese bus tour, such as the 6am morning call, the oily Chinatown food, and the jammed-packed schedule.  Being a newbie, I chose a one-week Europe tour, which included Paris, London, Brussels, Luxembourg, Koln, and Amsterdam.  I was greeted by a horrified gasp from friends and relatives, followed by a firm “best of luck” handshake. 

Now that I am back and I’ve still got my head on my shoulders, here’s some advice for those planning to book a Chinese bus tour or a tour of any kind:

Pros and Cons

Pro: A Professional Guide

This can be a hit or miss.  The tour guide can either make or break the tour. For many Chinese travel agencies in Canada, it is standard practice to book a guide from a separate firm that specializes in providing guides.  The guide takes care of everything from getting you accommodations to giving history lessons at attractions. Everyone’s opinion of his guide is subjective. For instance, I appreciated my guide’s thorough knowledge of history and culture; while, others preferred him to shut up and play a DVD. But hey, a responsible guide is all that matters, right?  Speaking of shutting up…

Con: ♪ Annoying People on the bus go “blah, blah, blah” ♪

“Shut up stupid guide! Play me a movie!” No kidding, 10 hours on a coach with people like that and I’ll be more than happy to strap myself to the top of the bus.  I had the pleasure of sitting behind a middle-aged man who complained about everything from “What the hell is a Buckingham Palace?” to “Why is there egg in my soup?”  This is inevitable. No matter what kind of tour you are on, there is bound to be at least one person who you want to chuck out the window.  Best thing to do is to ignore and avoid. 

Pro: Prearranged Accommodations and Transportation

This is the classic debate for bus tour fans.  There’s no thinking involved for the client. Just kick back and relax.  Group prices at hotels and motels are great for the wallet. Just don’t expect 5 star services. Bus tours are infamous for sketchy hotels, but sometimes you may get lucky and stay in a stylish, CLEAN room.

Amsterdam was a real treat for me.

As for transportation, the bus driver saves you trouble from spending money on taxis and getting lost on the subway.  Europe has a fantastic rule where bus drivers and tour guides cannot work more than 12 hours.  That means no late nights for clients! An early wake up call means an early bedtime, but I can’t guarantee that for other places. 

Con: Everything is priced up

There is always a catch to group packages.  When you are on a bus tour, you are bound to get ripped off by the travel agency and the local shops.  Travel agencies bank their big bucks on excursions. Some excursions are included in the official itinerary, while others are optional. Either way, the price you pay is more expensive than the price at the booth. For example on my tour, a ticket to the Louvre is 35 Euros, whereas the museum only charges 10 Euros.  The difference is based on the fact that the bus drives you up to the entrance and the guide takes you in.  As for local shops, bus tours are considered massive dollar signs. Quick tip: Avoid buying souvenirs from the official landmark stores.  Chances are you will find the exact same souvenir on the streets for much less. When eating out in popular areas, beware of “the tourist menu” a.k.a. “the English menu” if you are not in an English-speaking country.  Dishes are priced up for non-locals.  Sometimes, you have no choice unless you look or sound like a local. I still hold a gauge against that 1 Euro charge on a fork I requested.

We are cute, but very expensive!

Con: Walking Target for Pickpockets

For thieves, all tourists are fair-gamed, but the Chinese tourist is their favourite prey.  This isn’t because they don’t like us, but simply because that’s where the money is. Chinese tourists have an unfortunate habit of carrying around a large wad of cash in their bags.  Also, they are infamously big spenders.  If you are an Asian tourist in Europe, there is a 100% chance a pickpocket is eying you. The trick is to look prepared and avoid busy areas, like train stations. Pickpockets are quick and professional.  They can cut off your bag straps without you feeling anything. They can also zoom by on a motorcycle and yank off your bag.  I was lucky to escape a motorcycle attack because my bag strapped closely to the front of my body.  By the time I realized the pickpockets were there, they had already forced their way onto the sidewalk and zoomed past me.  Close call!

Number one hot spot for pickpockets: train/subway stations

Con: A Less Authentic Cultural Experience

It is difficult to say what is “authentic” because “authentic” can mean something different to each person.  Some may consider buying an LV purse in Paris to be authentic; while others prefer to sip champagne in a sidewalk café.  As a Chinese tourist, there was one thing that disturbed my preconceived notion of Europe.  I had imagined locals going about their own business and speaking a bit of English when approached by a tourist. However, everywhere I went, locals would greet me with “Ni hao ma?” (“How are you?” in Mandarin).  It caught me off guard.  There were even vendors who spoke Mandarin to sell their goods.  
I guess it was their way of making us tourists feel more at home, but it only worked for those who spoke Mandarin.  As a Cantonese-speaker, it got a bit awkward for me.  Sometimes, major attractions had signage in Chinese and a Mandarin-speaking staff.  If you want to immerse yourself with European culture, I suggest avoiding bus tour destinations and travelling in a small group.  Ten years ago, Japanese tourists were the number one spenders in Europe, so it was “Konnichiwa”.  Now, it’s “Ni hao ma” until a new high roller emerges. 

Biggest Con: Rush! Rush Rush!

The Chinese bus tour is affectionately known as “the duckee tour” amongst Cantonese speakers. Picture a group of ducklings scurrying behind their mother as she leads them from place to place. That’s the premise of a bus tour.  A lot of ground is covered in a full day.  No time is wasted.  Sometimes a city tour can cover up to five attractions in a day, but that can mean less than 30 minutes is given for each stop.  The client has no say as to what he wants to see or how long he wants to stay.  In fact, there’s not much the tour guide can do either.  All the mandatory items on the itinerary must be fulfilled, but there is more flexibility on optional excursions.  In addition to running about town, clients spend most of their time on the bus hurrying to the next place.  It can be tiring, but how else can you see six countries in one week? If you want to explore a city or a country in depth, the best thing to do is to backpack at your own pace.

Palace of Versailles: Multiple tour groups ready to head in

Biggest Pro: Community bonding

As often as people can annoy you, they can also surprise you. During the many hours spent on the bus, I had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful people, who were eager to help out someone they just met.  As a Canadian-Born-Chinese, I don’t often mingle with large groups of people from the Chinese community.  It was fascinating to hang out with people from different parts of China and get to know their Canadian story.  True, bus tours can get loud and Chinatown food can be boring, but I didn’t mind the squishing at the dinner table and sharing with my newfound friends. 

Final Word

The bus tour is not for everyone.  Weigh out the pros and cons according to your own needs and value.  Some things like priced up tourist goods or pickpockets are inevitably universal to both bus tours and backpackers.  If you want to save money and cover a lot of ground, I say give the bus tour a shot. However, if you want to have a more relaxed, cultural experience, I suggest backpacking.  Either way, be safe, be smart, and enjoy! 

All photos are taken by yours truly. 

Related Articles

Favorite (Mis?)Conceptions About Chinese People, Koi Samui, and a (not so) small secret revealed, “Pacman” Your Way Through Taipei

Related posts:

1. Koh Samui, and a (not so) small secret revealed
2. Favorite (Mis?)Conceptions About Chinese People

Any modern female with a full-time job, who happens to wear a pantsuit to work and/or are opinionated, underwent some-odd years of high education by liberal elites, people will slap you with a label, want it or not, you’re a feminist.

When the said modern female gathers in the conclave of other modern females in discussion of relationship affairs, the expression of wanting to become a full-time mom will often be met with the gasp and interjection “ZOMG YOU DO? That’s so not feminist though!”

Feminism hereby needs clarification for my sanity.

In all their strands and fringes, feminist beliefs fall under one of the following: a) women are absolutely identical to men, and to suggest any differences is inherently patriarchal and oppressive, or b) women are different and superior, and any suggestion that they are not superior is inherently patriarchal and oppressive.

Decidedly, this label sounds like a pigeon-holed and institutionalized paradigm asking to be negated.

With the rise in popularity of the likes of Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann in politics – a field in desperate need of diversity in representation – neo-conservative crown them as the beacons of the feminist success. Why? Because their evangelical God calls on women no less than men to fight His battles against Satan on earth so theses modern-day messiahs and warriors are on a crusade against birth control and the homosexuals?

Photo credit: buzzbox.com

 Side note – Sarah Palin is not stupid (supposedly). She has been putting on a façade (supposedly) to appeal to her base – the under-educated whose voices under normal circumstances would not be heard, for better or for worse. She uses the term “feminist” when it suits her needs while at the same time trashes groups that empowers women and minorities.

 How do these females remotely represent gender equality when their advocacies are decidedly detrimental to women? Do men who rape and abuse women represent the entire male population because they share a chromosome?

 Conclusion: constricting worldviews by gender labeling makes an ‘ASS’ out of ‘U’ and ‘ME’.

 So, no – I am in every which way NOT a feminist. But, I am a humanist.

 Disclaimer: Not being a feminist does not equate to agreement with anti-moral smut spewed by such morons as Rush Limbaugh.

 My very point is this: the issue of gender awareness needs broader underpinning of human awareness:

 Indeed, “men­” have ruled the world since the beginning of humankind – if by “men” you mean the .00000­1% of men who have presided as kings and tyrants through history, and present day preside in the corner offices of Goldman Sachs and Halliburto­n.

 Indeed, oppressed female in Afghanistan points towards women’s rights to education, but in the same breath can it go unmentioned the rights to livelihood are denied gender notwithstanding under oppressed political regimes in the Middle East?  

 Indeed, women are still paid lower wages than men in the workplace– as do racial minorities and youths – but females are currently 60% of enrollment in post-secondary institutions. Gender equality has something to do with it; socio-economics has more to do with it. Employers will no longer be able to afford to discriminate if he puts any value on having a skilled labour force.

Photo credit: CTV.ca

The contemporary refresh of feminist rigor over the “Slutwalk” bandwagon that started here at home in Toronto, which subsequently became a viral sensation worldwide – bravado turned outrage over a police officer advising York University students to “not dress like a slut” to reduce the chance of assault – is based on the simple and mundane truth that women should not be subject to rape. Period. End of discussion. Where’s the controversy? Who’s disputing this? Am I missing something here?

Pro-choice is no longer a debate, nor should it be. Any system that unilaterally restricts choice deserves moral skepticism, bar none.                       

It is another simple, mundane truth that men and women are NOT created equal; the failure to acknowledge that should mean you failed 6^th grade science. Women absolutely cannot do the same things men can do, while women are more capable than men at very different things. The discussion of inequality is beyond gender, but rather on race, class, age, and socioeconomic divide. The challenge in scope lies in the structural view that females are being oppressed by a patriarchy and that it needs to end. Seeking a more egalitarian society is the fundamental goal. As a social paradigm feminism is only salient insofar as it is a part of the broader awareness of inequality.

At the end of the day, my beef is this – I am impatient, I want to see things happen overnight. Feminism as an attitude and a label need not exist.  Because there are certain simple, mundane truths I take as non-negotiable common sense: do not mistreat one another. Be aware of the human injustice around the world. It is a part of being a conscientious human being.  If you need an “–ism” in order to recognize that, then you are simply ill-informed.

It’s really not rocket surgery.

No related posts.

Think about it, rice cookers are just giant steamers aren’t they?

Pros

• Fast (most things steam in about 15 minutes)
• Easy
• Healthy (as opposed to frying things)

Cons

• Healthy (some of you want your fried food don’t you)
• Some people won’t would be embarrassed to admit they use a rice cooker to cook things

I’m sure there are other things you can cook with a Rice Cooker. Steaming veggies with a rice cooker is a great way to get your greens in without having to monitor the stove.

If anybody else can think of things to cook in a Rice Cooker, leave a comment below and we might try it!

Might.

Related posts:

1. The State of the Loft

My answer: Yeah I guess, but it’s pretty kick-ass.

Celebration Square: Surprisingly Fun

During the day, Celebration Square was filled with family events. The main stage had performances from Mississauga’s Japanese sister city, Kariya (yeah we have a sister city in Japan), The Fairly OddParents Live, Sheridan Music Theatre, Seam, These Kids Wear Crowns – pretty much people I’ve never heard of.

Then the crowds really started growing right before Fefe Dobson went on stage.

Wait… Fefe Dobson? I think I’ve heard that name before

Right! She did that song I sometimes hear on the radio.

Now, I have to apologize for this sarcastic banter. But I have a good reason for it: I have no idea what’s going on in pop culture. I’m totally not hip enough to follow current pop culture trends (which is probably why I’m not a pop-culture blogger!). Speaking of pop culture trends.

Then Shawn Desman Took the Stage

First, I was like, “is this guy still relevant?” but when he played a song I sometimes hear on the radio, I was like “oh you did that song. Cool.“

Obviously, I was not the target demographic for that evening’s main event. But, there were thousands upon thousands of people who were!

Thousands Upon Thousands

Enough with the sarcasm: when I took that picture from my mom’s condo I snuck into the adjacent building and ninja’d my way to the balcony to take that picture, I was blown away with what I saw.

I never imagined seeing a crowd of that magnitude celebrating Canada Day. I really had to pause for a moment when I saw that the crowd really did look like a mosaic. I saw the world in my front lawn.

When you see people of different cultures coming together to celebrate a nation’s birth, it really makes you appreciate the country you live in.

In a world where things like racial segregation, apartheid, genocide and where other cultural and racial atrocities still exist, I’m very thankful for living in Canada.

So Happy Birthday Canada – you multicultural, multifaceted, multicoloured nation you.

Related posts:

1. Happy Canada Day!
2. Moving to Canada
3. McDonalds – Japan VS Canada

Sapporo. Mmm.

It’s a typical bar: Dim lights, loud conversations, raucous laughter, clinks of beer mugs, irasshaimase! Nanmeisama deshouka?

Wait, what?

Welcome to Guu Sakabar – a not-so-typical bar that’s probably the most Japanese-salaryman-esque experience you can have in Toronto.

If you’re not familiar with an izakaya-style restaurant, check out my past article on izakayas in Toronto (and in Japan).

As you walk in you’re greeted by a host/hostess with a loud and cheerful irrashaimase (welcome)! She/he’ll ask how many people are in your party, and as soon as you answer with a number (and if you’re Japanese, also with the hand gesture of the number), she/he’ll repeat it to the entire restaurant, which every employee repeats from literally every corner of the restaurant.

Now, if you’re at the Church location, you might not get seated right away and have to wait for a few hours. But if you’re at the Bloor location (the photos are from there), chances are you’ll be seated right away (this was the case for me twice in a row).

The first thing I recommend doing is ordering a huge chilled mug of Japanese beer (my personal weapon of choice is Sapporo). I’ve gotten their 1L mugs a couple of times and let me tell you – there’s nothing more delicious than a huge, cold mug of Sapporo after a long day at work.

Japanese salarymen often visit izakaya restaurants to wind down after a longer-than-average work day. When you’ve been settled into the cafeteria-style seating, it’s time to order some delicious izakaya food and kick back, Japanese style.

Maguro no tataki (tuna) with garlic

Cha-shuu (grilled pork belly)

Niku-yakiudon (beef udon)

Kakimayo (baked oyster with spinach, garlic mayo topped with cheese)

Deepfried okonomiyaki (deepfried pancake with yakisoba noodles, tonkatsu sauce, mayo)

Carbonara udon

Hotate (scallop) butter

These are photos Ann took during one dinner there, but there are a lot more things to choose from on the menu! If you’re not really sure what to order, I would definitely recommend asking the waiter/waitress. Don’t hesitate – they’re all really great people and are eager to help and recommend you dishes. Let them know if you’re more into meat or fish, or if you don’t eat either. The cool thing about izakaya restaurants is that they have a wide selection of dishes that appeal to a variety of tastes and palates. Serving portions are also smaller than those of western-style restaurants, but since izakaya dishes are made for sharing, your tastebuds will have little time to become bored of what you’re eating.

Now, some cool points about the restaurant:

1. During the course of your meal you’ll probably witness a few birthday celebrations. The staff will gather around the party (no pun intended) and sing the birthday song (with their oh-so-delicious tiramisu) with small instruments, in the same key. Yes, they all sing in tune. I’ve noticed that the person leading will actually sing the tune first so that everyone else can follow.

2. The restaurant plays ambiant music like St. Germain on the main floor, but they often play Japanese enka (kind of like an opera) in the bathrooms.

3. There’s a tatami section! But don’t worry, they’ve dug a big hole under the table so that you don’t have to sit on your feet.

4. They have a pretty cool alcohol list! Try a sake you’ve never heard of or do some sake shooters.

As you leave the restaurant stuffed with the array of food and drinks, the server will shout to the entire restaurant, okyakusama okaeridesu! (the customers are leaving!) to which the entire staff responds with arigatougozaimashita! You’ll feel like a celebrity for a second, with everyone looking your way and smiling at you (especially with the alcohol in your system). For the Japanese salaryman and probably also for you, this friendly goodbye may be all it takes to take away the stress of a long day at the office.

Toronto is a city of varied tastes. Restaurants like Guu give foreigners and expat Japanese a true taste of home, in the literal and figurative sense. Until next time, happy eating (and drinking)!

Related posts:

1. Izakayas – there’s more to Japanese food than just sushi joints
2. This is…pizza?
3. Poutine – the Canadian “Asian bowl”

At the author’s request, we’ve kept their identity anonymous and names have been changed.

What you’re about to read is an article about Youth For Christ (YFC), the program for youth that operates under the umbrella of Couples For Christ (CFC) ministries.

If you’re here, my guess is that it’s for one or more of the following reasons:

• You’re in CFC-YFC and don’t want to leave. Chances are you’re here wondering why, exactly, anyone would ever want to leave.
• You’re in CFC-YFC and want to leave. Chances are you’re wondering how, exactly, someone leaves.
• You were in CFC-YFC, and somehow made it out. Chances are you’re surprised that someone’s writing something about YFC in an objective, if perhaps somewhat critical, light.
• You’re not in CFC-YFC, but you’ve heard about it. Chances are you’re wondering why, exactly, anyone would ever want to join.

What is Youth For Christ? Youth For Christ (YFC) is the youth ministry of Couples For Christ (CFC). The parent organization began in the Philippines in 1981, and came to Canada in 1994. Since then it has spread across Canada and has identified itself as a “womb-to-tomb” organization that has ministries for people at all lifestages. (Source) It goes without saying that CFC-YFC has found a strong base with Filipino communities.

In the beginning

I joined YFC exactly one week after I turned 16  (in other words, a really long time ago). I recall sitting around at my friend’s house with a bunch of other pals. My friend, who we’ll call Nick, brought up a question out of nowhere in particular: he asked us to come to a camp that was happening over the weekend, something to do with an organization called Youth For Christ. When we expressed somewhat negative sentiments, Nick’s response ended with: “…and there’ll be girls.”

Dealmaker.

While my intentions as a 16-year old (and Nick’s selling tactics) were less than honourable, we showed up that weekend. Turns out the camp was pretty fun: I made new friends, learned about my faith, was exposed to the gastrointestinal combination of junk food and Filipino cooking (which, to this day, is something I indulge in if I have the chance).

Membership in Youth For Christ brought with it something that filled up my weekends with events and friends. The pillars of the YFC program were Fun, Faith, Friendship and Freedom. True to these, I had fun, grew in my faith, experienced “freedom” (in a Christian sense) and made many friends. I know, this could’ve been done outside the purview of Youth For Christ, but I think the reason YFC succeeds as a social group is because of its structure: there’s always something to do. Every weekend (or every other weekend, according to how things were run), your community would come together, and when you’re around your peers and having a good time, you don’t really notice that you’re building friendships in the process.

To build a house

When I was only a member of CFC-YFC, I didn’t realize that there was an entire structure that was in operation. While I wasn’t aware of it, there were actually people making phone calls to organize the bi-weekly assemblies that I went to. As I spent more time with this organization, I learned that it was actually structured to ensure leaders stayed in contact with those who were below them. Like a corporation, really.

• Sector head (one or more cities)
• Cluster head (grouping of one or more areas in a city)
• Chapter head (one part of a city, or sometimes of a city itself)
• Household head (leads a small grouping of about eight or so people)
• Member (people who’ve just joined).

So as you can see, the leadership of YFC goes to great lengths to make sure that their community is as engaged as possible. Normally, I wouldn’t regard this as a bad thing, and really, it isn’t. For the most part, YFC does a good job of keeping kids out of trouble and allows them to learn more about their faith (if they’re so inclined. And for the record, I’m not so inclined, at least in the YFC sense, and haven’t been for a few years; however, I still appreciate what it does. Some aspects anyway.). In other words, an ideal youth in the context of religion.

For the students of politics and/or history, you’ve probably noted a flaw. Like any system of governance that prides itself on adherence to an ideal, CFC-YFC is a flawed machine.

Now, I’ve been criticized for this line of thought before (because critical thinking isn’t exactly the most desired skill in an organization built upon groupthink), but I’d like to point this out to the YFC community and any potentials who are thinking of joining so you can see both sides of what you are, or what you are about to be, a part of.

Good from far

I remember when I first joined CFC-YFC, I was ecstatic to see that there was a group of people who weren’t afraid to show their faith in the form of prayer, and in a way that could be more intimidating: through evangelism. Evangelism, if you’re not familiar with the term, is preaching of the gospel to those who aren’t aware of it. If you’re wondering how hard it can be do that that, the answer is ‘extremely’. While prayer can be conducted in the privacy of a room, evangelism takes guts because you’re essentially approaching someone who a) is a complete stranger or b) someone who doesn’t practice.

So what’s the problem?

Have you ever dropped glassware (usually a bowl, in my case) on the ground only to be profoundly happy when it doesn’t appear to have broken? And then you pour in your breakfast of cereal and milk, only to have milk leak all over the place? Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that not only has the bowl cracked, but it’s cracked in several places, but you didn’t notice it until you held the bowl up to your eyes and gave it a really good look.

That’s the problem.

Up close: far from good

If my analogy was a little too convoluted, I’ll say it plainly: on the surface, CFC-YFC looks like a good organization, and don’t get me wrong, because as I said before, its ideals are good things to aspire to. However, if you delve a little below the surface, you’ll notice that not only is it an imperfect thing, but its leadership is composed of less than ideal role models. Since I’ve heard rebuttals to this line of reasoning before, I’m going to lay down what type of reasoning I heard that turned me off to CFC-YFC and ultimately lead to me leaving the organization completely. Here, in no particular order, is my list of things that I’d like to call Youth For Christ out on. While we’re familiar with the concept of cyclical history, I’d like to take this opportunity to point out that Couples For Christ, Youth For Christ and its other ministries are not immune to it: different people, same stupid mistakes.

“We’re only human.” For some reason, this blanket statement will shield them from any reprieve that they may be faced with in the event that controversial actions like underage drinking, drug use and pre-marital sex become unearthed.

1) “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” — Albert Einstein

Know what the cool thing about making mistakes is? You can learn from them so you don’t do them again. The reason I say this is because if you make mistakes over and over and over, they cease to be mistakes and start to become intentional. As a former member, I can’t recall the number of times that I’ve sat through talks on being a good leader or something along the lines of that. The formula for sessions like these were as follows:

1. Speaker enters, talks about why being a good leader is important
2. Speaker tears up a little bit or puts on a poker face and admits to making mistakes
3. Speaker apologizes to those who are below and above her (or him) and cries even more
4. Slow music starts to play, rest of crowd cries, groups of friends come together and also apologize to each other for their misgivings
5. Speaker calls everyone together, crying stops, and everyone feels better about themselves
6. Two weeks after talk is given: Speaker posts status updates on Facebook and/or Twitter of debauchery and raucous behaviour with fellow leaders. For the older crowd who was in YFC before the dawn of social media, you’d probably hear of such behaviour through community gossip.

While I didn’t realize it when I was a member of this community, I started to pick up on the formulaic nature of these talks after becoming a leader. After hearing the same content rehashed a few times, you start to ask yourself: why are you saying sorry if you’re just going to go out and make the same mistake again? Here is where you’ll invoke the mistakes made by biblical figures: yes, I know the disciples had their share of screw-ups, and yes, I’m also aware that Paul made it his personal business to go out and jail as many Christians as he could before being converted, and yes, I know Peter denied Christ three times before he was crucified. But you know what they didn’t do? They didn’t make the same mistake twice. They apologized and went about their merry way evangelizing and…poping, in Peter’s case. I don’t recall reading about Peter denying Christ after he became pope, nor do I remember anything about Paul jailing any more Christians once he converted.

In other words, I’m trying to say that, in my experience, CFC-YFC leaders are masters of hiding behind the statement: “but even leaders make mistakes. We’re only human.” For some reason, this blanket statement will shield them from any reprieve that they may be faced with in the event that controversial actions like underage drinking, drug use and pre-marital sex become unearthed. All of which are, you guessed it, regarded as sins. While we’re on the topic of leaders making mistakes, I think that’s a good time to introduce the next thing I’d like to point out, which is…

2) Do as I say, not as I do

I left YFC because of the sheer hypocrisy that went into the practice of its dogma. With lines of thought that I can only describe as Orwellian, a number of CFC-YFC leaders manage to doublethink themselves into blindly preaching wholesome Christian values while thinking about how trashed they’re going to get that night after picking up that sick pair of limited edition Nikes at the mall.

While hypocrisy is an everyday thing, I felt that YFC is a shining example of two-facedness, and this negative quality is only compounded by the fact that it stems from within an organization that encourages Christian practices. Understandably, hypocrisy is present regardless of religion, but that’s not the issue I’m driving at here. Let’s assume for a second that you’re a leader in Youth For Christ: you’re pissed off that I’ve called out something that the community doesn’t seem to address. Actually, you’re pissed off that I’ve called the community out on a problem that is rarely taken seriously, and even makes its way up the chain into the Singles For Christ, and maybe even the Couples For Christ echelons. The cop out to me pointing out this issue would be to say “well hypocrisy happens everywhere.” Yes, of course it does, but don’t think for a second that such a statement will vindicate you or the organization that you’re defending.

Going back to what I mentioned earlier, I can’t mention the number of times I’ve heard a leader denounce the evils of this world — money, sex, drugs, drunkenness and underage alcohol consumption, and [insert vice of the month here] — only to see or hear of the following:

• Drug usage
• Pre-marital sex
• Conspicuous consumption (of consumer goods or otherwise)
• Pictures of leaders drunk (usually via social media. Prior to social media, you’d hear about it through word of mouth)
• Pictures of underage alcohol consumption

Practices like these –however negative– do occur. Indeed, it would be completely naive to assume that drug use, teen pregnancy, over-consumption of consumer goods and underage alcohol consumption don’t occur. In case I’m not making it clear: I left YFC because of the sheer hypocrisy that went into the practice of its dogma. With lines of thought that I can only describe as Orwellian, a number of CFC-YFC leaders manage to doublethink themselves into blindly preaching wholesome Christian values while thinking about how trashed they’re going to get that night after picking up that sick pair of limited edition Nikes at the mall. I didn’t leave YFC because the things that I’ve described were happening. Much the opposite, I left because leaders found it so easy to deviate from, and completely ignore, the path that they encouraged others to follow.

3) Disorganized? No problem.

We’ll just refer to it as “mission ready”. I can’t count the number of instances I’ve seen where a leader will show up to an event, only to be asked to do something they weren’t aware of prior to their arrival. This might be playing for the music ministry because the guy who was going to play suddenly had to cancel, or maybe give a talk because the guitar player was supposed to give one. If this was on the spur of the moment, and the guy who canceled did so for compelling reasons, I’d probably be okay with picking up his slack. Probably.

Unfortunately, the people who coordinate these events may have been given advance notice a day or so before. The leader will balk, just like anyone who has had some kind of work spontaneously dropped on them. But you know what they get to hear from the event coordinators?

“Don’t worry about it. Mission ready.”

Mission ready, in other words, translates to, “I’m shifting accountability for any mistakes that arise from this situation from me to you because I’m too disorganized to take responsibility for my oversight.”

I seem to recall the concept of “mission ready” being presented at one of the CFC-YFC conferences that I attended. Essentially, being “mission ready” mean that you were able to “answer the call of God” (and your leaders. Can’t forget them.) at the drop of a hat, regardless of inconvenience or circumstance.

This is not a bad thing. While adaptability is one of those traits that are highly desired in any organization, I can tell you right now that the CFC-YFC leaders’ seeming pre-disposition to disorganization usually results in textbook examples of how not to plan an event. Again, this goes back to what I said before: mistakes are meant to be learned from. After a while, mistakes go from being ‘mistakes’ to being intentional, and when this happens, the concept of being mission ready no longer applies. There’s actually another term for “mission ready” in this context. It’s called “accountability dodging”.

And did I say “accountability dodging”? You betcha. With this, I think I can make a good segue to my next segment that I’ll call…

4) “Because God told me so.”

Imagine that you’re working in a small group at school. You put your best ideas forward, and most of your groupmates agree with them. Except one of the people you’re working with has another idea that’s not as good, and when you think about it, it’s actually pretty awful. You present the most logical reasons to not use their idea (it’s not original, lacks foresight and vision, and generally doesn’t work). But instead of backing down and admitting that, “you know what? My idea was actually pretty bad. Thanks for setting me straight on that.” you hear this:

“But we have to do it. I feel that God is really speaking to me right now, and this is the right path to take.”

I can’t count the number of times that I heard this while being a leader in YFC, and it drove me up the wall when we came together as leaders to trade ideas for things like events or community growth, only to have all the good ideas scrapped.

The voice of God is a powerful thing, but somehow I doubt that God would deign to give his two cents on who this year’s DJ for the Christmas Dance should be and what centerpieces should be used. The cool thing about the “God told me so” excuse is that it provided a certain invincibility to even the worst of ideas. From mission camps to event planning, your idea was pretty much cast in stone if you were the first to utter these five magical words.

So how does this contribute to my leaving Youth For Christ? Well, simply put, I didn’t (and still don’t) like the idea of racing to see who could use the word of God as an accountability shield.

5) The chosen; the few

One of the reasons I left CFC-YFC, and one of the reasons that I never really liked it towards the end of my tenure in this organization, is because of the drive to form cliques. If you think highschool is a great example of hierarchies, ingroups and outgroups, you should take a look at YFC.

Despite the fact that CFC-YFC defines itself as a group of God-loving individuals with a community that prides itself on inclusion, it is, in my experience, quite the opposite. I’ll start at the member level: even at the mission camps where new members join, the leaders already take a liking to a specific few. Leaders may spend more time with these new members, or just take more of a general liking to them. On the outside, you’ll notice a few loners or individuals who generally feel like they’re not being welcomed to the community, and with good reason. The reason is because they’re not being welcomed to the community. I don’t know what exactly the cause is, maybe human nature, but it’s usually these loners who are deemed “inactive” after a few months. They stop receiving calls from their Household Heads, never to be seen at an event again.

If you’re somehow lucky enough to be part of the ingroup, you’ll be made a leader. If you do really well, you’ll be moved, over and over again. I guess at this point I can highlight the notion that CFC-YFC’s leadership ranks are similar to that of an Old Boys Club: unless you have the right connections, you’ll never move up.

If you’ve been in CFC-YFC for a really long time, you’ll know what I mean. For some reason or another, the same leaders are used over and over and over again: look at the service team lists for any event. Sure, I guess you can say because they’re the most loyal, they know what they’re doing, there’ll be no need to train new leaders, but in the end, I believe that this is the result of favouritism. Ultimately, this results in what I see as a condescending “OG” attitude to anyone who tries to make their way into the upper echelons of CFC-YFC without first being accepted.

Indeed, to show initiative is to attract the ridicule and mockery of the upper leaders. Of course, this mockery doesn’t occur in front of you. Let’s say I was a new member to YFC who wanted to play in the worship band at an assembly. I guess I’m okay at playing the keyboard, so I let a leader know. I’d go up to them and say, “Hey, I’m really interested in playing. Is it okay if I play at the upcoming assembly?”

At this point, the leader in question usually puts on a fake smile and says something like, “That sounds cool. Let me think about it.” Later on, behind closed doors with their fellow higher-ups, they’ll share a laugh at the expense of the lamer who was showing such strong interest in participating.

Is this a good reason to have left YFC? Before you draw the conclusion that I’m being a sore loser about not being part of an ingroup, ask yourself if you would stay at a job where you clearly know that you have no chances of moving up, only because you’ve been eager to help out and because your manager deems you unfit, not because you’re underqualified, but because he or she doesn’t like you.

To sum it all up

Some groups start with pure intentions and along the way, something goes wrong. At this point, it can happen all at once, or over a gradual period: direction is lost, intentions become diluted and the organization remains in name only. The leaders who began with an idealistic vision in mind become disillusioned or move on.

As a reader, you’re probably asking: well then, are you still affiliated with Youth For Christ? Or any Couples For Christ ministry? The answer (and one I’m proud to give) is no. Why am I proud to answer in the negative? I’m proud because I’m able to escape the routine of false witness to faith and hypocrisy that I encountered so often. I have good memories of YFC, but it ultimately wasn’t for me.

If you’ve made it this far, I’d like to remind you that not all YFC leaders are like this. While there are leaders that attend to their duties and try their best to live by the tenets of their faith, there are the leaders that are leaders in the superficial sense. While they stand in front of the crowds and profess their love for God, their community and doing right, they’re likely, more often than not, to do something completely to the contrary once they’re out of the spotlight.

Keep in mind that this article was not written to indict the ideals that Couples For Christ or Youth For Christ preach. Indeed, the pillars that CFC-YFC were founded upon were found with pure intentions. Fun, Freedom, Friendship and Faith are not bad things. In other words, the idea of YFC is good. This article was written as an indictment of bad leadership, hypocrisy and two-facedness that is an obstacle, and ultimately the downfall of any organization.

If you’re young, Christian and in CFC-YFC or any CFC related ministry, I would encourage you to think critically of the organization of which you are a part. It’s simple to go along and accept what you’re being told as right, and you’re often told that in matters of faith, blind acceptance is better than hard skepticism, but that’s a bunch of crap. It takes real balls to step back and suspend your beliefs and emotions while you objectively observe your environment. Remember this next time you listen to a talk, raise your hand in worship or participate in a discussion group at your next assembly.

I can imagine that the responses will range from “you’re being a bad influence” to “you’ve been mislead by the devil” to “I’m really sorry, but I’m going to pray for you.” To that, I say the following: I’m thinking for myself, and calling out the CFC-YFC community on its shortcomings. I accept that I don’t live up to the YFC ideal, but the difference between me and other leaders is that I’m not afraid to own up to, and take accountability for, my screw-ups. And you know what? I’m not entirely sure I need your prayers either. You’ll denounce and revile me to your fellow YFC peers while you bask in self-congratulatory posturing and pat yourselves on the back for rebuking someone who turned their back on the community. A lost sheep. But you know what? I’m fine with that. Instead of praying for me to “see the light”, take a moment to look critically at your surroundings and really question your membership in YFC.

And with that, I’m done.

Related posts:

1. The State of the Loft

Know that not all Asian guys are like this — hell, not all guys in general are like this. In fact, this article can even be applied to girls. Or maybe, none of this applies to you. Some of these points might seem beyond any man’s reality, but I strongly encourage you to reconsider. You may be that confident person that would never let yourself fall into the friendzone, but this article isn’t about that type of person. This is about that quiet coworker you don’t know too well, or the guy that’s always sitting alone, or that “nice guy” friend of yours with no luck in relationships.

This is about the average guy.

As much as I want to write about how to get out of the Friendzone, I won’t (google it yourself — there are many different  theories and methods out there). Rather, this article will be about actions you may want to avoid with alternative suggestions. This is something I’ve always wanted to share because I find it surprising that these things actually happen, and maybe you will too.

5. Stalking

Literal stalking, yes.

As cute and romantic it may seem in the photos above, it’s not so pretty in real life. Not only will you be caught eventually, but it’s just creepy. Some women seem to have this notion that it’s romantic because of their favourite drama series, but real life stalkers look nothing like the celebrities on television.

As for intensive facebook stalking, it can become an emotional rollercoaster to many. Perhaps this has happened to you? Finding yourself ridiculously jealous over the girl’s mysterious new friend on facebook? Beginning to monitor their interactions obsessively?

• Is he better looking than me? Why can’t I click their pictures?! Why can’t I see their friendship!?
• When did they meet? Where did they meet? Are they meeting again?
• Is he trying to date her?

A jealous man’s imaginations run wild and he starts wondering if it’s all over. To the very extreme, he will exhaust himself convinced that every man that posts on their crush’s wall or photos is going to ‘steal his girl’. Is this how you want to become?

Instead of stalking, how about deleting that bookmark of your crush’s facebook page and…

• saying hello when you see them and talk to them — create an excuse!
• leaving a comment if they have uploaded something of interest to you — create reason to see them if possible, or
• invite them to an event that may be of interest to them — use it as a reason to ask them to hang out, whether in a group or a twosome, it’s a start!

4. Preparing a Big Public Event

What do I mean by “big public event”?

a confession in class…

with flowers? and…

…balloons?

You get the idea.

What’s he thinking? Creating a big event in public is romantic, and thoughtful! I put my heart and soul into it! I prepared where to go, what to bring, what to say at the right moment. All my friends will think it’s amazing and she’s going to love it! It will be like a scene from the movies.

What’s actually going to happen. The female (who is your friend) will be shocked. She might feel a lot of unwanted pressure, and since she wasn’t expecting it– especially not in public, she will feel under a spotlight. With no emotional ties to you, it’s much easier for her to choose to reject you. This type of set up also has a high chance of embarrassing yourself in front of strangers or friends, with possible ridicule for the rest of your life if it doesn’t go well.

Preparing a day of activities is a great idea but it’s excessive when cards, flowers, balloons, etc are involved. If you are uncertain that the feelings are mutual then doing such events will naturally come as a shock to your crush. The surprise will convey you as a “needy”, “pressuring” or “too serious too fast” kinda guy instead of that romantic image you were going for. Instead, plan a date out without the speeches and props. Do things that stand out from what regular friends do, without being excessively pressuring. Surprise her with a balloon that you got “for free” on your way to meet her.

3. Writing a Love Letter

Oh come on.

Ramblings of nothingness are not cute anymore. Penning down how they make you feel, or observations of their quirky behaviour, or what you were thinking or doing  at the time is not cute to someone who is not interested in you. Do not do it. They might find you “needy” or “pressuring” or “too serious”. It also puts them on the spotlight and requires for them to respond right away after reading it.

Why do love letters exist if they don’t work? Love letters might have worked in stories or movies, but in reality — they have a positive response if the recipient’s feelings are mutual. A love letter does not begin a relationship, rather they are used to maintain a relationship.

If there is a reason why you want to write a letter then may I suggest writing about something else. Write your crush a personal invitation to a special event that you are both interested in! Draw a funny cartoon, tell a joke, let them know you are an interesting person. Pique their interest enough so they would write you back! It might hint to your crush that you are interested without asking for too much commitment and it’s not pressuring.

2. Crying

WHY?! OTL

I think most men who might do this have been rejected and probably “can’t help it” and feels “overwhelmed” or “shocked” and “sad”. Whatever the case may be, DO NOT CRY. If you can’t help it, immediately get yourself out of the situation. Just say you need to go, and get out of there!

If you can’t “help it”, think about it in foresight. This might be the last normal conversation you have with her for a while… Is this how you want to be remembered? Crying?

What will she think if she sees you cry? It will be awkward at first. She might think you’re serious or emotional. She might feel really sorry for you and try to comfort you. She might end up saying something she doesn’t mean in an attempt to make you feel better. You don’t want any of this, so try to avoid it at all costs.

Some girls do have a soft spot for men who cry, while the rest are just disgusted by it. Regardless of  the which category they might identify themselves in, almost all women will not react well knowing that they were the reason why their friend is crying. Similar to a guy making a girl cry —  he feels really guilty even if he wasn’t the cause.

1. Saying those three words

Ideally you are thinking…

But in reality…

Those three words are special and hold a lot of meaning, by logic, if you tell them, it’s a good thing right? Wrong. Instead of thinking that they are special, they will wonder:

• We haven’t even dated. This is way too serious. Is he for real?
• Has he even dated before? How many times has this guy fallen in love?
• Is it really that easy for him to be in love?
• What does love even mean to him?

This is the ultimate disaster. Once again, this often happens in movies, but your life isn’t a movie! Your crush isn’t an actress and you are no actor. It’s only received well if that other person is expecting it (like if you guys have already been dating for a while). Remember who you are. You are just a friend. Friends don’t tell each other they have been secretly in love with one another.

What can you say then? Anything but that. Casually tell them you think they are really funny, or flirt with them. Casually compliment the way they look or dress. Say things that will get them to think of you as someone who is different from everyone else, and hopefully they will start noticing you too.

So… What now?

The point all along has been, telling someone you like them doesn’t make them like you in return (and don’t be creepy).

Don’t think about how to tell them, think about how to get them interested in you. Work on yourself, and show them what you have to offer. Also, think carefully about why you like them. Can you actually see yourself with them? If your answers are yes, then go for it! Be proactive, ask them out, take some of the pointers from this article. Just save the ‘confession’ for the end when you know they are interested in you.

Final Words.

This article is admittedly written towards going for a more safer approach. If you are confident that a certain heading that was mentioned above would work in your favour, that’s great, I wish you the best of luck.

As for the average guys that have lesser reasons than an inkling to believe they stand a good chance, they might just risk a great friendship. If that person you have in mind is an amazing person you want to be with — take your time and win her over! They’re worth it, right?

Good luck!

No related posts.

As always, Anime North was full of discussion panels, shows, raves, a marketplace and an artist alley. But what attracts a lot of people to come out to this event is the cosplay! We spent most of our time outdoors snapping pictures of the colourful people. Check out our gallery below!

You can also check out our pics over at our Facebook fan page

Related posts:

1. Anime and Cartoons Produce Some Ugly Babies
2. An Interview with a Cosplayer
3. AOTI: Month of May Cosplay Blog #1

Hey guys, I have three things I would like to share with you! Hope you enjoy.

Beware of Scam Artists Posing as Agents

Do all your research before signing on with an agent. Some agents ask you to pay them to represent you. This may be a scam! If you’d like more information, visit ACTRA Toronto.

As a side note:

• I’ll be the MC for the Beauties of Asia pageant over at highway 7 and Leslie on May 29th
• One of my scripts has been picked up by a production company and we are casting actors to play my parents. More details to come!

I hope you guys had a wonderful victoria day!

Love from,

Jimmy

Related posts:

1. Jimmy answers your question!
2. Fresh Off the Spotlight #1 – Jimmy!

(Disclaimer: As with most of my Pet Peeve articles, this is meant to be completely satirical)

For most students, the final exam period of the university/college experience can be one of the most stressful, depressing and overwhelming times of their lives. For others, it can be a breeze and not as troublesome – just a stepping stone to enjoying summer vacation! With enough writing throughout the year, why would exam time be stressful? Should be simple, should you get all your readings done, right?

Heck, I guess that means I don’t have anything negative to write about then, right….?

Like many of my exam answers; WRONG. Let’s be clear: I am NOT one those people that can breeze through exams. I struggle with the rest of you sleep-deprived, hopped-up-on-redbull-#3, cranky-as-hell, not-confident-that-all-I-read-stuck-in-my-mind people. Believe me, I feel your collective pain. Here are my biggest pet peeves about exams.

“Students, you have 30 seconds remaining…”

My biggest gripe with exams are the time limits. I’m not necessarily opposed to them if the content I need to submit or write about is appropriate for the time given (Although, I still have a complaint – more on that later).

No, I’m talking about the “You guys have 30 minutes to write me a quick 6 paragraph essay on what the meaning of life is” kind of exam. The kind of exam where you find yourself struggling to write your answers out in their entirety without breaking your hand to write it in time to submit. The kind of exam that requires a LOT of thinking and not enough time to reach your personal epiphany. You can’t possibly expect me to explain the concept of life in under an hour and expect my answer to be coherent and sensible. Oh, and what’s that? That isn’t the only question? Greeeeeat.

“If I tap the desk once, that means the answer is ‘A’, got it?”

Let me pose you a hypothetical: A manager in a respectable firm forgets what formula he has to use in order to figure out a certain ratio or something as equally boring important sounding. What’s the first thing he/she should do? Stare at the ceiling until it’s remembered? Guess and hope for the best? Cry?

Please, don't sue me, Mr. Former President, but you look stumped as hell.

If you said none of the above, congratulations, you should now be able to figure out where I’m going with this example.

9 times out of 10, the manager would consult some sort of guideline/handbook/co-worker-smarter-than-them to find out the answer. Why then, are we forced into a room with no resources, no communication, and no visual access to the smarter persons answer sheet? I can understand the idea of wanting to drive all the information into our heads during class so that it will never be forgotten, but we’re only human! We will blank out from time to time – and the time limit doesn’t help either. Think about it, how many times in a week do you walk into a room and suddenly forget why you were there in the first place? (except when in the bathroom – you need a pretty damn good excuse to forget why you’re in there) Yet I’m expected to remember an equation that has more than 5 different variables with God knows how many different things to do to them without assistance of some sort (other than my poor, exhausted brain)? I think not.

“Goodbye difficult subject one, Hello difficult subject two!”

While this may not happen to you during your time at your educational institution of choice, odds are, you will have one or two exams scheduled within the same three days – and in extreme cases, on the very same day. While I understand the need to cater to insert gratuitous number of students here, there is no excuse for ever scheduling two exams on the same day, especially if the exam locations are more than a 15 minute walk away.

I fondly remember during my second year in university, the sheer disbelief that I had knowing that I  had two exams on the same day, and that the distance between said exams forced me to taxi from one location to the other. No, there was no one hour break in between, or even time to use the washroom for that matter – it was on to the next one right after the last one. It’s true that I could’ve petitioned or appealed the time and asked for a make-up test, but from what I had heard from people who had taken the exam before me, the make-up was usually harder.

Ask any student what they’d rather do: two (easier) exams in one day, or one easy exam one day, then a harder one a couple hours/days later. I’d like to believe that most would choose to do the two easy exams. (Then again, since when have exams ever been easy?)

“Class Dismissed, See you next semester, and for some of you, this Summer!”

Oh, if only this is where I could be now, instead of right back in class.

Feel free to share any exam related horror stories down below. Until next time – hope all is well and that you’re making the best of the summer!

(And for those of you in Spring/Summer school like I am, best of luck to you!)

All images are copyright of their respective owners. The author claims no ownership of these images, except for the first title image.

Related posts:

1. Pet Peeves: Clubbing (Part 2)
2. Pet Peeves: Clubbing (Part 1)
3. Pet Peeves: The TTC

Change was nigh?

The Federal election on May 2, 2011 sent the bloggosphere to a buzzing spin, #elxn41 remained one the hottest of topics for the weeks followed. “What happens now?” is the million dollar question after commotions somewhat subsided from what was surely an epic episode in the conventionally inundating Canadian political landscape. Before and after ELXN41, gangs of literati tirelessly sowed the land of social media with their election-induced anger, elation, and anguish. Deep in the woods of joy and despair that surrounds me I attempted at being a sober wolf pack of one, in receipt of a golden shower of emotions and trying not to get any on me.

Change was nigh, indeed. After the dust settled, the electoral map was re-drawn. A new era on Canadian politics welcomes its new contenders after nearly a decade of political stalemate.

(In a Dwight Shrute voice-over):

Fact: Idealists have won the battle, Conservatives have won the war. Ignore this bleak double-edged sword at your own peril after the celebration of your first-time voter achievement of putting in the Official Opposition office a leader who stood for what Sarah Palin referred to as “that hope-y, change-y stuff”. I’m in no reluctance to make public of the fact that I voted for NDP my entire student career and it was irreverent to deny its appeal until the concept of strategic voting draws a clearer winner – a centrist and effective government appealed more thereafter. Call it a “monumental victory” or whatever you like but the Majority reign that made this official opposition possible leaves little room for opposition policy influence or manoeuvre. That’s the thing about politics – we don’t care (or rather, I don’t care) about orange or red but only your policies and convictions. (And I suppose in Harper’s case, your integrity, honesty, fairness, respect for democratic process… and all the other things that were presumably implied but need rehashing in our case for the next four years).

Fact: Strategic voting is the weapon of the masses. And the casualties were heavy: Vote-splitting caused the demise of Liberals, credits to smear campaigns from the red and blue, disappointing debates, creating a gap that the NDP filled, which will no doubt be scrutinized and assessed for the years to come. I was silent about my political advocacy near the end of the campaigns on social media and beyond other than “Go vote!”, attributed entirely to NDP surges because I feared it would come down to what we witnessed on the eve of May 2 and what we will have to live with for the next four years. So, let us social progressives celebrate the glass half full, but if you choose to ignore the casualty, you are then instrumentalizing the Canadian people to your own narrow interests in exactly the same way as the Conservatives, who have moulded this offence into a morbid art form. The fundamental reality is that 60% of Canadians do not support the Harper Conservatives. In essence, so long as the NDP and Liberals split the majority of that centre-left vote, they are allowing the Conservatives to come up the middle and win far more seats than the popular vote warrants.

False: Democracy decided for us liberals and the majority of Canadians have spoken. We’ve inherited this first-past-the-post system that is old (*insert old joke*) and the fault of inaction to reform credits all of us. While this is not necessarily my endorsement to the Proportional Representation system, I simply refuse to buy into the floating sentiment that this is Canada – “Really primarily white, old rich (/stupid), racist, sexist, homophobic and Christian. Fooled ya!” – like I refuse to believe that everyone who voted for the Harper Conservatives was misled, perhaps just the lower-middle class ones. The Tories wants to buy fighter jets, build prisons, reward the rich and not the mass. If you are of lower-middle class (and a heck of a lot of Canadians are) and you still voted for them, then, yes, you were misled

Fact: A society needs social democrats, REAL ones. Layton’s NDP win must be coined in the same breath as him losing social democratic base and becoming a left-centrist party that which would be unrecognizable by even Layton himself years ago. This is particularly irreconcilable to me. His supporters are young and impassioned, generally typecast as lacking pragmatism, but instead of offering “how to get there” he shifted the definition of “there”. A Tory-supporting friend gently reminded me that these youths (as I) will get older, opinions will shift, and therefore left-to-center politics will gradually lose its place. To this, I reminded him that mere centuries ago, women couldn’t vote, gays couldn’t marry, and social securities were nonexistent. Perhaps Canadians needed a replacement to the Liberal’s ineptitude in campaign execution and uninspiring leadership – and if Layton uses the next four years to win the West, the Prairies and retains the hold on to Quebec, the idea of Prime Minister Layton may not be the joke it used to be – but a society also needs real social democrats fighting the good fight, standing up for the masses and influencing politics for social progressivism. That, to wit, was not NDP in 2011.

Fact: “Divided be our country’s political opinions, but blessed be our privilege to engage in actual political discourse, unlike our counterparts in the US.”

After the chants have silenced and the dust have settled, I walk away with sheer gratitude for the political aficionados deluging me with their informed opinions, discourses, and making their ideas and ideals heard over and above all the campaign noise, as I am reminded that sitting by in idle discontent is not an option for those of us who care even a little about our society. Let this be courage to my discontenting peers who practice what Noam Chomsky preached and continually resonates that in a democracy, in a real democracy, you don’t “rally to the leader”, you don’t blindly worship the state. If we believe in freedom then we question power structures and their authority over us, and we reject them if they’re not legitimate.

And please don’t fault me for going on this rant, Nietzsche compelled me to do so in “We Scholars” the acts to “kindly patronage and defence of whatever is misunderstood and calumniated.” So I attempt to do just that. But take it with a grain of salt, that miserable bastard died penniless and alone.

No related posts.

Cost

If you ask ANY foreigner (especially from North America) about ordering pizza in Japan, they’ll tell you that they’re SUPER SUPER EXPENSIVE. It’s true. I shouldn’t turn anyway away from ordering because they are quite delicious, but they ARE expensive compared to pizzas you can buy/order over here.

But it’s also ironic because pizza ads are always in newspapers and on TV (more on this later)…yet it’s something too expensive for ordinary blue-collar families can’t afford to eat that frequently. As for me, I’ve probably had Japanese pizza about twice or something like that.

How it’s perceived

Pizza in Japan is not perceived as a “lets-get-a-few-and-have-it-with-beer-during-a-big-game” kind of food. I’d say it’s more for lunches between moms and the kids, or at a friend’s place for a girly sleepover kind of food (from experience). I don’t think guys would ever get together to watch a baseball game and order pizza together.

So because of these two points (or maybe more because of the first point), pizza isn’t everyday food like it could be over here. I think it’s close to impossible to just “get a slice or two” from a pizza joint and eat it, either. I’m pretty sure you have to order it and get it delivered (please tell me if you know of any places otherwise).

These are…pizzas?

Pizza in Japan is very very interesting and needless to say, a bit different. Of course they have your standards – peperoni, cheese, supreme, etc – but the pizza places get creative and make cultural hybrids. Like these.

Kalbi pizza from Domino's Pizza

Mayonnaise chicken pizza from Pizza Hut

Tuna-mayo with curry sauce from Pizza-La

Potato and bacon pizza from Chicago Pizza

Bulgogi pizza from Pizza Hut

Seafood with basil sauce from Pizza-La

Yeah, these photos do look a little plastic-y but they are good! …unless you’re desperately craving for a normal peperoni pizza from Cora’s or something. Then it might be a little hard to satisfy your craving.

Advertising

Japanese pizza places also like to do a lot of advertising, with celebrities.

Like these:

AKB48 + Pizza Hut commercial:

Sekine Mari + Pizza-la commercial:

Some Japanese chicks + Pizza-la commercial:

So now that you’re probably hungry and singing camam camam camam camam camambert, which pizza do you want to try?