The Ring That Milk Leaves

I have many pet peeves and lastly to decide which one is worse than the other is a hard thing to do. For the sake of a statement I think I could say I absolutely detest when a person drinks a glass of milk and does not rinse the glass out.

The ring that the milk leaves in the bottom is impossible to wash out. If the milk sits for the night it gets thick and hard. The ring at bottom is hard to reach and therefore is almost impossible to clean. You could let the glass sit with some water in it but then again you still have a dirty glass.

A dirty glass.....to put the wash cloth in there and turn it is a bit of an effort. And depending on the size of glass, well, that could even make it a lot more fun. By the time you get to soaking the glass, turning the wash cloth, and going through all the motions of washing it is the next day.

The next day......to think if the person who drank milk just took the two seconds to rinse the glass out I would not have to take two days to wash the milk out of the glass. What a concept, rinsing the glass out. Two seconds for two days. This is a definite pet peeve.

I hate doing dishes to begin with and then to take two days to wash one glass. It just infuriates me to think that a process so simple can be so hard and time consuming. There is the dishwasher for conveniece but again how well does the dishwasher wash the dishes when they are not rinsed out. I mean, come on, we all have seen the commercials. The ones were the kids loaded the dishwasher and did not rinse the dishes. Food caked on and impossible to get off. Well milk is worse.

I don't know if I developed this peeve at my early age when my cousin brought it up. It seems since then I do notice this little thing and it does irritate me enough that I will go and rinse the glass myself. Rinse the glass out myself......almost compulsive isn't it? I know I am not compulsive but leave a empty glass of milk on counter and don't rinse it out. The ring of milk just sits there almost saying to me........" I got this glass".

Maybe if the person would take that time to rinse the glass, they did take time to pour the milk I could pull myself out of the urge to do it myself. That would be rinsing the glass for them. Or maybe that person should do my dishes. That would be a good thing, nailing all the people in my house that drink milk and make them do my dishes.

You know I think I just solved my problem and pet peeve........I could put a sign up letting all milk drinkers in my home know that they do dishes if they don't take that two seconds to RINSE THE GLASS. I could not buy milk, but I like milk, and I do rinse my glass. Then again I do the dishes too and I don't have a dishwasher. So I can say that this pet peeve of mine will probably be with me till the day I die. I will take this to my grave with many thoughts of " If only that person could have rinsed the glass".

The Ring That Milk Leaves

Sorry for the first post...

I somehow managed to post half of my last post first, Sorry about that and please refer to the post above.

Misinformed

My last pet peeve is similar to Angela's as it is a complaint about SOME of the administration at SFU. This situation, although it does not involve me directly, it does affect me indirectly. My girlfriend was a former student at the University of Victoria and after her first year decided that she missed home and wanted to come back. Her school of choice in the lower mainland was of course SFU, she tells me it's because of the short commute but I like to think its because she can't get enough of me. Anyways, she came up with me one day near the end of spring semester last year to find out some information about applying for Spring semester 07. She was told to come back in the summer. So summer rolls around, and she comes up to find out when to apply. She is told that early November will be fine. During this time she is at Douglas upgrading a Psyc. course. On November she comes up to hand in her application, and this is a rendition of the response she recieved, "We're sorry, but SFU will not be accepting any late applications". I was with her but not in earshot of the discussion but she told me that she told the woman that she informed that November would be fine. "Oh, well we've had to let some people go and I'm very sorry that you were misinformed" was her response. Danielle, or I couldn't believe it and after a few weeks of fighting there was nothing more we could do. Needless to say she was disapointed as well as myself. In the defence of the initial woman who misinformed us of the application date, people make mistakes however, I have learned that as a team or institution such as SFU, we have to own up to our mistakes and try and set things right. There was no effort to do this.

My last pet peeve is similar to Angela's as it is a complaint about SOME of the administration at SFU. This situation, although it does not involve me directly, it does affect me indirectly. My girlfriend was a former student at the University of Victoria and after her first year decided that she missed home and wanted to come back. Her school of choice in the Lower Mainland was of course

Thank-you advisors, I will never come back

I am a second year student at SFU and most of you may know that we need to declare our major by third year. Majority of students know what they are majoring in or know what they are going to do for the rest of their life, however, I’m not one of them. Therefore, I was recommended by a friend to go speak with an advisor. “Great idea!”, I thought. I quickly made an appointment with the first advisor to discuss my major. However, that did not work through because she found out that she made another appointment with another student. “No problem” I thought to myself, I’ll just make another appointment with another advisor. Okay, the next appointment is on Wednesday at 11:00am with another advisor. Wednesday morning 10:00am I receive a call from SFU saying that my advisor is sick and can not meet with me and asked me to reschedule. Funny thing is, they don’t reschedule for you, you have to start from scratch and wait for another week for the next available spot. Most of you may react like me, “what kind of advisors do we have up on SFU? Rather they are unorganized or they are sick!” In any case, I went back to SFU’s advising counter and asked to make another appointment. The receptionist says “Sorry, there won’t be any available spots until 2 weeks later”. Yes! I was upset! I wanted to talk to my advisor before my registration day comes so I won’t be taking anymore random courses, but that won’t be happening anymore. So now I am stuck with taking another 4 random courses for summer. Maybe I can finally see an advisor before winter semester comes around.

Codes of Conduct

Some commuters are so rude I'm talking about these people who take transit ALL THE TIME, and yet still seem to be completely oblivious to those unspoken expectations of common courtesy involved with riding a skytrain or bus.

Every morning I face the exact same problem: I get on the skytrain and take a seat to allow space for others. By the time I arrive at Lougheed, there is no longer any standing room on the train. People are squashing themselves in, pushing others out of their way, with no one in mind but themselves. Production Way rolls around, and now I need to get off! But are others moving to allow me to exit? No! "Excuse me, pardon me, sorry" I say politely, trying to gently push the immobile people out of my way, and yet frantic because of the impending jingle warning of a closing door. People often even get on the skytrain before I can weave my way off!

I, too, have heard stories of the way people are treated by rude others on transit. Like the girl who rode past her stop because no one would let her out, or the man in a wheelchair stranded wthin a sea of stubborn people (really... who is going to take you spot?!?), or the blind woman to whom no one would surrender a seat.

On a similar note, it really peeves me when people don't take their backpacks off on the bus. There are even SIGNS urging you to practice this act of common courtesy! There have been a few times when the backpack of a standing individual has been so big and so close to my face, that there was little room for me to even breathe! I'M not going to let someone's melly carry-all brush the tip of my nose for a grueling 20 minute ride on the bus! "Excuse me? Could you please take off your backpack..?", and I promise I say this in the nicest possible voice. When it has been me with the backpack on, I apologize profusely and also suffer mild mortification at having so blatantly broken a transit 'code of conduct'. But no. These people snarl at me when I ask them, and give me dirty looks for the rest of the ride! Beware of the nasty commuter!!!

Its called um.... Common Decency

It has come to my attention after frequently commuting by bus and skytrain that many people who take public transit have no respect for others. Maybe it is a foreign concept to some that our bags should be placed on our lap or floor and not on a seat when there are people standing around waiting to sit. Then there are those who sit on the inner seat to block others from sitting beside them. Why is that? Are they afraid that someone would stop them from getting of the bus if they were to sit on the window seat? I have never had such an experience where I missed the bus because the person next to me would not let me out. Although there are those who would just shift their body to the side and give you a narrow opening to walk through. Why can’t they just get out of the seat for less than a minute so that the person next to them can leave the bus without having to force their way through. I don’t believe anyone would steal his/her seat if they got up and allowed the person sitting next to them leave. There were quite a few times where the bus was packed full of passengers in the front and the bus driver drove off, leaving the people waiting at the bus stop to stand in the cold for another ten to fifteen minutes wondering why the bus driver drove past them when there were plenty of empty space in the back (I mean completely empty except for the seats). Although I haven’t been one of the unfortunate people who were left standing at the bus stop because some passengers were reluctant to move away from the exit, I still felt sorry for them.

What I can't do today, I can do tomorrow

My next pet-peeve is a characteristic of myself. If you have not noticed, I am a procrastinator. It is human nature to put things off that you do not enjoy, however as of late I feel like everything is being put aside or left for "tomorrow", even things that normally I like doing. Im not sure why this is, but it is beginning to become a problem as exams are coming up, essays are due, and books are waiting to be read. A prime example of this was the essay revision due for english 101. Im not going to go into depth but lets just say I put it off until 11 the night before its due date, and realized I had to rewrite the whole thing. Its frustrating because I have done this time and time again and have got away with it; haven't really been punished with a bad grade but at the same time not performing to my full potential. Another great example of procrastination are these blogs. I have to say, if it wasn't for my group I would probably be leaving this until the last lecture of semester, in fact, a few hours before the last lecture of semester would most definitely suffice. I'm really going to try to improve on this as I think it will help me in all aspects of my life. You may think its just lazyness, or you might just sympathize with me because you to share in procrastination, or you may be thinking, "Get your shit together", but the thing is, I think I'll just do it tomorrow.

Don't H8, Toler8 - Total cliche but do it anyway

My previous blogs have mentioned pet peeves that, admittedly, are really not that bad. Sure, talking during lectures is disrespectful, smoking is hazardous even to non-smokers and celebrity gossip should not exist on any planet but by far, discrimination is something that I can absolutely not tolerate.

Discrimination includes sexism and racism (there are definitely many, many, many more but these are the ones that immediately come to mind).

Let's start off with sexism. Many countries today are still stuck in the mindset that women are inferior to men. Why you may ask? I wish I knew, then I'd be able to try and change those opinions. Maybe it's the smaller muscles or the softer voices but many have the impression that because of anatomy, women are not equal to men. Okay, OBVIOUSLY women are not equal to men in terms of anatomy but I think you know what I'm hinting at. Women are judged by what they look like and because of appearances, they can be easily dismissed as being nothing more than 'what you see is what you get'. Women shouldn't be perceived as anything below the status of men; they deserve the same chances that men get to pursue careers of their choice and to have a voice that people will actually pay attention to. After all, smaller muscles are still muscles in the end that possess the potential to do anything that is desired by the body, and a softer voice is still capable of expressing an opinion. Sexism, I think, is derived from early religions. In Christianity, it just so happens that Eve, a woman, is the one that is tempted to sin and thus, damns humanity. I won't delve too much into religion (since understandably, I could get myself into sticky situations) but it seems to me that it's almost arbitrary that a woman HAPPENED to be the first sinner. I think that's something worth thinking about during the weekend...

Does the name Ku Klux Klan, also known as the KKK, ring a bell? This is one example of how extreme and appalling racism can be due to the fixed opinions or close mindedness that a group of people can have for another. What makes one race think that they are better than another race? As it is the case with sexism, everything goes back to appearances. Just because one group is darker-skinned than another doesn't justify one's motive to brutally murder the other in a horrific way. Sure, some of us may look a little weird, speak in strange dialects or worship things that others may consider to be 'the devil' but that's what makes planet Earth a colorful mosaic. Ecologists and people in the mainstream are always concerned with the loss of diversity in wildlife. What about human diversity? As time goes on and more racially-driven cults like the KKK form, people may eventually be reduced to one culture, one religion, one mindset, and one appearance. And what a shame that would be, to not have the rainbow of diversity that makes the world an exciting place to explore. In another extreme, forming more of these cults could lead to global wars and mass extinctions, pitting countries or even continents against each other, in the attempt for one race to reign supreme. Yes, there's your solution to overpopulation. I am utterly disgusted that groups like the KKK still exist today, extending beyond a mere cult and infecting an entire community. Someday, entire countries or even hemispheres may develop this paranoia to 'unify all races'. This sounds exaggerated, but is it really that far fetched? History is proof that intolerance to difference leads to eradication. Doesn't history exist so that the same mistakes won't be repeated? If so, why does the KKK still persist in certain parts of America? Exactly how much pain and torture must be exerted before people wake up and realise that these actions do not make us the superior creatures that we claim ourselves to be, and that we are behaving worse than animals? Animals kill other species for food and nourishment. Humans kill members of their own species because they can, and that is truly sickening.

Nowadays, there are many efforts that promote tolerance of others. Through media, people are encouraged to embrace diversity. Many days of the year are devoted to celebrating the wide range of cultures and lifestyles that different people define themselves by. Yesterday, March 21, happened to be the United Nation's International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Despite modern attempts to reduce or even eliminate discrimination, I'm still pessimistic that things will ever change permanently. We as humans are the only free-thinking creatures on Earth, giving rise to the freedom to think whatever we want, even in terms of how men are better than women or how Caucasians are holier than African-Americans, and this is our ultimate downfall.

In the end, is there such a thing as equality? Frankly, I sincerely doubt it and there may never will be as long as humans exist. That's the truth and damn, it hurts.

Hey hun, how are you?

I can't handle being called "Hun" or "dear" by anyone younger than I am, my own age or in the proximity of my age by a deviation of atleast 5 years. I don't know what these terms are called as a whole, but in my opinion they are unecessary and if used by someone close to my age it is socially awkward. For some reason unknown to me, this does not apply to the elderly. Maybe because I have a certain respect for them, or maybe just because I've decided that that kind of language is something characteristic of their generation. However, there is this girl where I work that called me "honey" and "hun" constantly. Its not so bad once or twice, but a repetition is the worst. Not to mention, she is younger than I am and began calling me this on my first shift. Now maybe if she was a little older and I knew her for longer than 8 hours I would allow the odd hun or honey, but no. I realize that these terms are perhaps an attempt to make me feel comfortable but instead they worked the opposite. This girl was out of line and had to be stopped before her attempt at kindness drove me insane. Im not sure if this is just me, but when this happens it makes me feel slightly uncomfortable and embarassed for the person using it. Instead, why not use my name. I think this is a reason why we have names. Im comfortable with my name and its unique to me. Problem solved.

Rain Rain Go Away

Every living species on Earth requires water to survive, so it is without a doubt that raining is an essential function to our ecosystem and to the survival of all species on earth. It provides us with our source of water and replenishes the plants and soil so that we don’t have to end up living in a desert; however raining can also be menacing and annoying.

Raining represents depression, sadness, and misery. When it rains in a movie, it usually means something bad is about to happen or somebody gets murdered in the scene – very cliché. The rain causes roads to become slippery and therefore increases the risk of car accidents. The tires could lose traction and cause the car to hydroplane over the wet road. There is sometimes the all-natural free carwash when it rains really hard, but that makes it difficult for the drivers to see the road ahead. Filth and bacteria gather in the puddles during and after rainfall. A tiny splash from the puddles would ruin a perfectly good pair of shoes or pants, not to mention the uncomfortable feeling of the cold wetness on your body; it is even worse if the socks get wet and have to walk around in soggy socks all day. I’m sure many of you have experienced the agony of walking out of a building to find out that it is raining outside without having an umbrella prepared beforehand, having to walk in the pouring rain and getting soaked from head to toe.

The Education System For Immigrants

Even though education is an inseparable part of our life; furthermore, education makes a man perfect, and we can progress in our life through this system. It becomes hard to adjust to new world when you have done already. My main concern is the education system in Canada for immigrants. This system makes me furious and has become one of my pet peeves.

I have done a M.A.(Physical Education) and a teaching degree in India. I was excited when I got my immigration for Canada. I want to continue my teaching profession here, too. In B.C. to get a teaching certificate is not an easy job for immigrants. The institute which issues the teaching certificate is known as the BC College Of Teachers.

W hen I contacted them, they told me about their evaluation fee i.e, $300. Apart from this, I have to do many courses. For example, 6 credits (English), 6 credits (Canadian Studies), 3 credits (Math), 3 credits (Science), and a one year full time course from SFU which is for all immigrant teachers. Moreover, each 3 credits costs $ 600 and 1 year course costs approximately $ 6000. I am doing a part time job, and whatever I am earning, I am spending on my fee. I am disagree with this process.

Next, it is also waste of time and money. BCCT wants all my transcripts from my institute (India), and it takes a long time. Even for these transcripts I have paid lots of money (fee) to my institute in India. I have original mark-sheets with me, but BCCT wanted verification from India.

In addition, in my teaching degree I have already done Math, Science and English for Elementary level. Again I have to repeat all these courses for their requirements.

To conclude, I would like to say that this system has given me too much stress and strain. I want that those who come as permanent immigration ( Qualified Teachers) their degrees should be recognised.


India.

What Is It Good For?

NASCAR. It is hard to imagine how it ever became so popular. After having met some genuine and very serious fans (my boyfriend is a race-a-holic), one really starts to grasp the whole culture craze that surrounds the sport.

Sport.

This is always where I start to have problems with the concept of Nascar. The Merriam-Webster defines a sport as "(1): physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2): a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in". Racing is an activity which involves driving, ie, no physical exertion other than the effort it takes to turn a steering wheel left for 3 hours. What surprises me even more is that racing is stereotypically considered masculine. Rugby is masculine. Hockey is masculine. Driving a fast car is what men do when they are making up for something... like a *cough*cough* insecurity about a *cough*cough* certain body part. Besides, what kind of a pansy man drives (which, may I remind you, is something most of us do everyday because we are too lazy to walk) as a sport? "But racing is very stressful because it is at high speeds" is one defence of the activity. Well, I get stressed at school. "You could crash your car"... and so could I. "But racing requires knowledge and skill".

Knowledge and Skill.

Once again, I find myself questioning racing's logic. It is a fact that racing does not require knowledge OR skill to any great extent. Racing requires MONEY. If you have money, you can buy the good parts car parts and you can pay for the best team of racing engineers to make you car go the fastest. Therefore, racing requires funding. Racing requires a big coompany like Nextel or The Home Depot or Panago Pizza to paste their huge advertisements all over the racetrack, all over your car, all over YOU... and that is what's really sad. Not only are the drivers essentially talentless, but they are a** kissing, corporate puppets who only want to get rich and entertain the (paying) redneck masses.

Entertain.

How can speeding around in circles for 3 hours be considered entertainment? Jeff Gordon passes Dale Jr. in the last lap to take the victory. What a rush. Am I missing something...? Maybe I just find it really hard to watch a 3-hour long advertisement. Or maybe it is my environmental background that causes my severe dislike for Nascar. Needless to say, large, high-performance engines running at top speeds for such a long duration of time causes A LOT of pollution, and not only in terms of CO2 emissions. The energy required to make the car parts, light the stadiums, even broadcast the show, is huge. Racing also creates an enormous amount of waste. Crashing a car is basically throwing it away. Even race fans in the grandstands produce a collosal amount of garbage in the form of hamburger wrappers and plastic beer cups. Rednecks aren't really well-know for being, erm, ecologically aware.

So I say: NASCAR. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!

OH MY GOSH, DID YOU HEAR ABOUT...???

Every once in awhile, we want to be up-to-date with the latest news: how our daily actions affect global warming, when will taxes be lowered, or even what new electronic devices Apple will decide to mass-market next. The only type of 'news' that I can't comprehend in terms of its popularity is celebrity gossip. Why should we care about the problems of people we'll never meet? Shouldn't we put more emphasis and attention to the problems that plague our everyday lives instead of wasting time worrying about the impact that Britney Spears has on the media by sporting a cue-ball head? The answers to these questions are obvious and yet, magazines such as "People" or "Star" are still being emptied off the shelves in supermarket lineups. Frankly, if I ever feel compelled to buy a magazine that documents how Nick Lachey is bouncing back after his divorce from Jessica Simpson, it would only be for the purposes of house training my puppy. Okay, so maybe people pay $6.95 per issue or $25 per month for a 12-month subscription because they enjoy that sort of reading. Hey, nothing wrong with a good reading (even if it is utterly ridiculous). It's the fact that there's so much of it. I tune into my favorite radio station and what do I hear? Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have adopted another orphan! You know, that's great and all but can we get back to some Audioslave or Foo Fighters now? When I turn on the TV (which is a rare occasion nowadays so when I do, it's like Christmas for half an hour), I find that every other channel talks about who's breaking/hooking up with who, who's got what type of emotional dilemma/eating disorder, and who's going to appear at what socialite event. You would think that having access to cable television would allow me to view different kinds of crap but no, of course not. So now, I've developed a sort of phobia of my television; a fear that if I turn to CNN, I will see yet another broadcast on Anna Nicole Smith's 'controversial' death (funny how dead people can be more of a bother than living ones). I suppose this 'telephobia'* in response to the 'ludicrophobia'** will have some benefits; maybe I'll feel more inclined to finish the English paper that's due in 3 hours.


Neologisms of the Day:

*telephobia - fear of television channels that broadcast crap that is irrelevant and ludicrous
**ludicrophobia - fear of the irrelevant and ludicrous

sssslllllllooooowwww workers

Is it just me or are those people who are working at a FAST food restaurant working very SLOW? I get really annoyed at those people. There is a lineup of 20 people waiting to be served and you will see 1-2 workers walking and doing everything is slow motion. It’s like “SOMEONE PRESS THE FAST FORWARD KEY!!” Okay I may be over exaggerating, but there are workers out there that just work way too slow. I mean, aren’t they afraid of losing customers or getting yelled at? I mean, customers are impatient. I know that for a fact because I worked at a food and beverage department and do slow workers every make me mad. I’m not saying that you have to work in a speed of light, but working constantly and to have the resistance to not chat with your buddy would help a lot with the lineup. So, what happen today to remind me of this particular pet peeve? I was at one of SFU’s coffee shop buying a bagel. This time I am not joking but I waited for a good 10 minutes for it to HEAT. Maybe I’m not a professional bagel purchaser but I don’t see why a bagel takes 10 minutes to heat. Then I finally see a worker slowly take the bagel out of the oven that looks brown. Slowly take out the cream cheese, slowly looked for a knife, slowly dipped the knife in the cream cheese, and slowly applied the cream cheese onto the bagel. BOY, did I slowly get frustrated!! As a result, no tips or thank-you from me.

Crappy Sandwiches

Ah, the sandwich... simple, convenient, beautiful.
The sandwich is a marvelous thing. Eating a good sandwich can make a person's day. It is gold in the hungry individual’s hand. It's something to look forward to amidst the ennui and tedium of one's everyday life. Contrary to popular belief, a good sandwich is easy to make. A simple combination of deli meat, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, et voilà! Pure bliss! I must emphasize that these are basic ingredients that are readily available to anyone with the income to purchase them.
This then leads me to a most pertinent question: how come there are so many crappy sandwiches out there?? A particular (Turkey Bacon) wrap at a particular (Renaissance) café really got me peeved about this. How come I can make a delicious sandwich at home for mere pennies and nickels, but can't get a decent lunch for FIVE WHOLE DOLLARS at a restaurant? Now, obviously, the answer to this problem and the end of my annoyance is to give up and just make sandwiches at home, since they are always so much tastier (even though I am not a sandwich-builder extraordinaire). This, however, is not the point. The point is that, with such an extravagant price tag, restaurants and cafes should be able to produce edible food. I believe that it's okay to have crappy food as long as it's extra cheap. Similarly, it's okay to have over-priced food as long as it's really tasty. However, over-priced, crappy food is completely unacceptable! Tolerance for this deep injustice (and highway robbery) must stop!!!
Various crappy sandwich places to avoid (spread the news):

• Starbucks
• Turkey Bacon Wrap at Renaissance
• Paninis at Romeo and Juliet AND at Mackenzie cafeteria
• Quesadillas at Nature's Garden (I hear their other food is also unimpressive)
• also, do NOT eat the chicken teriyaki at Koya (ick)

FAKE!!

So do you remember the times when you're sitting at home watching "So you think you can dance?" and out of no where your phone rings and it's your old friend who has not called you in years? Well, why did she call (in this scenario, it was a girl)? First to tell you that she really missed you, then to tell you she really wanted to hang out with you then she gets to the point, to help her do something. Duh! Did you really think she called because she missed you? Sorry to pop your bubble. Anyways, as a friend you'll say "Yes" because it isn’t a big deal drive her to Metrotown because she is meeting someone very important there. Near the end of the day you receive a "Thank-You so much, I'll give you a call tomorrow. I really appreciate everything you do for me" and then "Bye". So the next morning, though you really do not think she is going to call you back so soon, you would not think that it will be half a year later that she calls you for another favor. Every now and then you will bump into her at parties and not surprisingly you will be welcomed by her fake friendliness. “Oh my gosh, I haven’t seen you for ages!! *hug* How have you been? I miss you so much! We have to hang out sometimes.” Is it me or is she extra friendly when her ‘cool’ friends are around? In any case, I DO NOT LIKE FAKE PEOPLE. BE REAL.

The Little Things

I’m one of those geeky kinds of guys that enjoy sitting around at home and playing online video games. The “role playing” type of games that allow one to gain levels, get items, and learn new skills. Where I am trying to go with this is that I often see players who are playing these games being called “noobs” by those who believe that he or she are better than others. For those who are new to this gaming terminology, the word is an insult to those who are performing poorly or are new to the game. What irritates me about this is that those who are insulting and being rude to others are better in the game just because they are willing to spend countless hours playing in front of the computer (when they should really try to do other things). That and also because I was called a noob before.

To me, it doesn’t seem like anyone should gloat about getting a higher level character or a powerful rare item since those long hours of gaming to receive a high status would mean nothing in the end when the game becomes obsolete. I don’t mean to offend those who play online video games, since I play too. It is just that it seems like a pointless use of time to play day and night to be one of the best in a game that would one day be over.

Believe me when I say that I understand that this is a very bizarre pet peeve. While others are concerned about disruptions during class or a longer life span, I’m annoyed from a little thing like being called a noob.

lung cancer? no thanks...i just ate

No offence to anyone that partakes in this 'activity' but I feel the need to vent my disgust...(apologies in advance!)

I really can't stand people that smoke, particularly cigarettes. Sure, I have no authority over those people that do choose to take a puff every now and then, and I don't intend to scold them for intentionally succumbing to lung cancer in the long run but do they have to leave their remnants littered everywhere? Maybe I'm very nit-picky but the sight of the accumulating pile of cigarette butts on the sidewalk near my house is agitating. My pet peeve of smoking is not restricted merely to the blatant disposal of little orange-colored pieces of nicotine, but it also extends to the smell. I experience a slight case of suffocation and nausea when I'm exposed to a cloud of cancer, and I tend to cough uncontrollably for a few minutes. Especially in confined spaces where sufficient ventilation is not available (ie. an elevator - yes, this did actually happen once), I can't say that I'm in my most comfortable state. As an added bonus to the foul odour, didn't some scientist conduct a research and discovered that second-hand smoking is worse than actual smoking? Yes, if you don't mind I'd like to live up to my maximum lifespan (maybe around 90-something if I'm lucky). [Go ahead and drastically shorten your own lifespan but don't take me down with you.]

My reason to detest this socially-accepted action is derived mainly from my childhood. My mother smoked for 15 years up until I was 8 years old and it hurt me to see her wake up nightly at 4AM to cough up a patch of tar. I used to wonder if she would eventually "cough up a lung" at the rate she was going. One day, I confronted her while I balled my eyes out, exclaiming that I wanted her to live to see me get married, and with determination she eventually kicked the dirty habit.

Maybe I can't speak for everyone when I say that cigarettes are the root of all evil. What I can say is that the earth is already in good supply of garbage, cigarettes literally smell like their "butts", and smoking is one of the leading causes of death. Is this a parallel to 'evil'? Who knows...

Poor Drivers

We are social animals. It is our reponsibility to follow the rules and regulations set by our society. I always keep an eye on all posted laws, whereas some people always try to break these laws. Among my pet peeves are poor drivers.

First, everyone must obey laws, but now a days people love to break laws, I feel very miserable whenever I face them. I always want to say something, but they never pay attention to me. They always ignore me.

In addition, accidents occur due to reckless driving. They cause harm to other drivers and pedestrians. Also, they exceed the posted speed limits in all restricted zones which makes me mad.

Then it's complicated to follow these poor drivers. I can't drive safely when they are around me. They give me a hard time to others. For instance, they don't even care about police. These poor drivers with their poor actions don't take driving seriously. They use driving as fun and entertainment.

Lastly, I get irritated when the poor drivers drive children in their cars without fastening the seat belts. I can't bear parents who allow their children to move back and forth in the car. Sometimes this careless attitude causes harm to both parents' and children's lives.

On the whole, we should concentrate on our driving and try to improve our driving skills. Other drivers should follow the road instructions. These poor drivers are nerve wracking and make me annoyed. My desire is to teach them a good lesson about driving.

Somewhere to sit

My inspiration for writing this blog is due to a recent eviction from a seat in the cafeteria. The incident occurred around 11 a.m last Thursday. I was sitting at a booth studying, my books sprawled across the table when a cafeteria worker asked me to put my books away because there is no studying between 11 and 2. Needless to say, I was choked. I explained to her that I had bought food and a drink and now after everything was gone, I was doing some last minute cramming. The woman had passed, continuing down the row of booths like a spreading plague. All I could hear were a wave of sighs and outrage. So, I did exactly what she had said, I put my books away but instead of leaving to study elsewhere I thought that I should try and prove a point, to spite the system. I sat there for over an hour playing with my phone, my wallet and my phone again. I know that the motive was to get me to leave in order to fill the seat with a paying customer, but instead of asking me to leave, asking me to put away my books so that I cannot study. I however had already paid and I feel that as a paying customer, I deserve enough respect to be allowed to study before being forced out of my seat and into the already crowded halls of the AQ where finding somewhere to sit is harder than it is to find a parking spot up here.

Drunk People

I am a very easy going, calm, happy and relaxed person, but sometimes I do get upset by things around me. Our likes or dislikes vary from individual to individual. There are many things that annoy me, but among them all, drunk people are my pet peeve.
First, these people are always begging for money. However, they look well educated, and they can work for thenselves. They keep on bothering others. For example, when I came from India a few months ago, I was coming from my work one summer day. Then a young, beautiful drunk girl asked me for money, just $1. I was shocked, and she was mad at me when I denied her the money.
Next, drunk people often act in tragic ways. I really get disturbed when I see them without money, but they have money for their drugs. They are people of all ages and both sexes who accustomed to drugs. They keep on wasting their valuable time.
Moreover, these people are a blight who spread a bad smell by vomiting in the streets. They disturb atmosphere with their awkward and disgusting behaviour toward others. For this reason, most of the people including me, don't feel comfortable with their presence, and all of us are afraid of them.
All in all, I am totally against drunk people who stagger and congregate on the streets without doing anything productive. They present a poor role model for youngsters.

Befuddled

The one thing that truly extends beyond my comprehension is people who talk and goof off during lecture. I’m sure everyone has had one of these people in a class, or maybe are one yourself. I can even admit guilt of occasionally “disrupting” a class. I can understand taking a class with one of your friends so as to have someone for a study partner. I can understand quickly and quietly catching up on a weekend’s events with someone you know…a few whispers never hurt anyone. But, then there’s taking it too far. This is the person who completely disregards the otherwise undisturbed silence (or even the hushed murmur) of a room to noisily tell a joke, and laugh the loudest at it. Not only is this disrespectful to the professor, but it disrespects other students. It’s hard to focus when someone else’s chatter keeps interrupting my learning. I really cannot grasp why these people even bother coming to class. No professor takes attendance and most class notes are posted on the Internet. Personally, I go to lecture to get a clearer or more full understanding of course content, or simply because I’m passionate about the subject. This seems to me the only logical reason to go to a class, or to take a class in general. Inattention makes coming to a class pointless, and hating the material makes a class redundant. Why pay to learn self-perceived “boring” facts and ideas, why pay to be indifferent? This is NOT high school! Nobody is required to complete mandatory classes to advance to the next level of education. Nobody is making you take a class you know you won’t like. Or, perhaps you took a class that seemed interesting, but turned out to be monotonous and tedious….still, why would you cheat yourself out of your own money? And if you really can’t contain yourself, stay at home, get some extra sleep, and save the rest of us the trouble.

Road Hazard

As a driver it is important to follow the rules of the road in order to minimize and prevent accidents from occurring, but rules are not always followed by everyone. I find that people tend to forget about the basic procedures of driving after they start driving for a period of time. I know many drivers who don’t shoulder check, do the “hand over hand” turning, and even the turn signal. Yes, the turn signal, a simple and essential task that should be done. When I’m driving, I frequently notice people neglecting to use the turn signal when backing out of a parking space or switching lanes on the road. If you have taken driving lessons or read the driving manual for learners or even seen how most drivers drive on the road, then you would know that drivers are supposed to do so. The worst and most ridiculous scenario I’ve encountered before was when I was waiting to turn left on a green light because the car opposite of me was also waiting to turn left, but without the left turn signal. So there I was just waiting for the car to pass so I could turn. It didn’t take too long before I realized what the driver was up to and turned, but is it really that hard to just tap on the lever for the turn signal? I wouldn’t start criticizing their driving skills or yell at them from the car since it would be pointless because they probably can’t hear me.

shhhh!...do you mind???

When an area is specified as being a 'silent study area', what do you suppose that means? Exactly, it's an area where you study in silence. Apparently, this concept is too hard for some to grasp. It absolutely drives me insane when I attempt to work on my calculus problems in a study carrel at SFU and I get distracted by loud, social conversations beside me. Here I am, trying to prep for my midterm, and a group of girls think their opinions about why Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are perfect for each other should be shared with everyone around them, especially those trying to work in silence. I could politely tell them to carry on their conversations elsewhere, but I shouldn't have to. Silent study areas are there for students that want to retreat to an area where they can read their course-assigned texts and finish their English papers in peaceful tranquility. I find it incredibly rude when some people believe that it is acceptable for one to yammer loudly on his/her cellphone without having any consideration for the person(s) sitting nearby. The number of areas available for social interactions are equal to or even greater than the number of study areas provided by the school, so how can it be that difficult to find somewhere suitable to carry on meaningless conversations?

Another situation where the disruption of silence is an issue is in lectures. There is no greater sign of disrespect towards a professor, or anyone else for that matter, than to have someone speak out of turn. People pay five hundred dollars to sit in a lecture hall, listen to a prof discuss course material, and hopefully to learn something by the end of the day. If people want to talk during class because they think the lecture is boring, then why waste every one's time, including their own by being somewhere where they don't want to be? If someone can't resist the urge to keep quiet, they should at least have the decency to give people that can suppress from talking a chance to get the most out of their tuition.

What is with pre-teens and swearing?

I was waiting at the bus stop this morning for the 135 bus to SFU when I encountered one of my top 5 pet peeves. Beside me waiting at the bus stop were a group of pre-teenagers, who are probably in the age range of 10-14, swearing continuously in Cantonese. For those who did not know, Cantonese swear words are more effective to piss someone off compared with English swear words. Why? Due to the fact that Cantonese swear words are more ruthless, more targeted to an individual’s family and the words usually revolves around harsh sexual content. Also, I think it is because English swear words have become (for some people) their style of speech and therefore is less effective. For example, friends can call each other ‘female dog’ as a way to welcome one another. Well, you can also welcome one another as ‘female dog’ in Cantonese, but it definitely does not sound as smooth and normal as the English sounds. For those who disagree, please let me know. I don’t mind having a whole new perspective in the swearing part of the world. I remember a time when I got really angry and frustrated with the content of language this young boy was using when speaking with his friend. He was able to use at least 3 Cantonese swear words in each of his short sentences. It made me wonder if he even understood what he was saying. Truthfully! Who would wish for their friend’s whole family to die? For whoever’s sake! Leave the families out of the conversations if they’re going to be wished upon to die. Well, I did not do anything about those pre-teens who swore like maniacs because I was taught to mind my own business. However, I let the people around me know how much I dislike Cantonese swear words. I would never allow swear words to become a part of my daily speech.