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.