What does it mean to be Canadian?

Canada is a diverse nation that is greatly respected and honoured. It's a nation that is filled with nothing but love. Canada is built on a foundation where every individual is given unlimited opportunities to build their own suitable lifestyle. But what does it mean to be Canadian?



To be Canadian is to have the freedom of speech. Every Canadian has a voice and they deserve to be heard. Therefore, they have the ability to stand up for what they believe in. We have the rights to speak what's on our minds so that we can communicate as a nation.

To be Canadian means to accept everything and everyone. Canadians take pride in what they do and believe. Judging others is simply unfair. Everyone has the right to be original and achieve their dreams. Discrimination is not accepted.

To be Canadian means to respect and love one another. No matter where we come from or how we look, we are all Canadian. The diversity found in Canada is like no other. Everyone is accepted for who they are. Everyone is treated equally with love and care.

To be Canadian means to be thankful and grateful for the life that God has given us. For the food that is on our table, the clothes we wear and the comfy beds we sleep in: we are thankful. We are thankful for a wonderful nation that supports one another. As a Canadian, we appreciate everything.

To be Canadian is to always strive towards achieving our goals. Canadians are passionate. Although there may be obstacles along our journey, we must persevere and push through. Following our hopes and dreams is what makes us happy. Canadians are happy.

Canada. "It's a beautiful thing."

Family Reunion by Sylvia Plath

Family Reunion

Jim White at a Mexican Celebration

"Fat always, and out of breath, A greasy smack on every cheek From Aunt Elizabeth; There, that's the pink, pleased squeak Of Cousin Jane, out spinster with The faded eyes And hands like nervous butterflies; While rough as splintered wood Across them all Rasps the jarring baritone of Uncle Paul; The youngest nephew gives a fretful whine And drools at the reception line.


Like a diver on a lofty spar of land Atop the flight of stairs I stand. A whirlpool leers at me, I cast off my identity And make the fatal plunge."

Connection:


In the poem "Family Reunion," Sylvia Plath highlights common stereotypes of certain family members. Many of us can relate to the characters she has described because they exist in our very own families. This poem is identical to one of my favourites scenes from the movie "McFarland." The movie is based off a true story and it involves building a team of young Mexican cross country runners, coached by Jim White. After a great victory, one of the families hold a celebration and invite their coach to their latina dinner. The coach is different from the rest of his athletes because he is a caucasian from New York whereas McFarland consists of strictly Mexican families. In the poem, Sylvia Path says, "Rasps the jarring baritone of Uncle Paul," and "I cast off my identity." In this scenario, Jim White puts his differences aside and joins the celebration of the family. The family welcomes him as the raspy uncle as he takes part in their family dinner. Jim White adapts himself to their culture and he makes himself content by doing so. However, in the poem Sylvia Plath states the line, "I cast off my identity," with a negative connotation. She is forced to hide her personal self so that she can adjust to her family reunion and their typical stereotypes. She emphasizes this verse, making it almost sound like it's the last of her. It's evident that she is hiding herself, but she simply has no choice but to cope with her family. In this connection, Jim White alters his preferences so that he can be a part of the Mexican culture. He enjoys putting his differences aside, however his attitude greatly contrasts to Sylvia Plath's true intentions.

Letter to your Grade 9 Self

Dear Young Blood,             



              So much has passed and you have a lot on your plate. But I’m going to give you a couple of pointers that you can use to ease your way through high school while having the time of your life. First of all, just do your thing. Don’t let anybody get in your way. If you have homework to do but also a friend’s birthday party to attend, prioritize your homework. Don’t slack off because it will come bite you later on. Remember that education is a privilege and you should be thankful for it. Education is your weapon to do great things in this world and don’t let anybody stop you from conquering your goals. Keep your grades up because it will greatly benefit you. I know you’ll stay on top of your game, so just continue doing what you’re doing. I know that you’ve been stressed because of the overload in schoolwork, but trust me there’s way more headed your way. You’ll experience some sleepless, drowsy nights but it will all pay off young blood. Hard work will never fail you. You have my word. Don’t even think of choosing the easy way out because karma does exist. Apart from academics, keep up with your sports and stay active. Finding a balance to your life is essential, so don’t start getting lazy like your grade 12 self. Maintain your fitness and continue doing track and field. Don’t miss out on any sporting activity because of something that may seem important to you. Your athleticism and determination will pay off. Don’t worry about making new friends because it will all just settle on its own. Stick with your Thomas L. Wells boys and get through your high school journey together. You’re going to meet some interesting people in your life. Once you meet these guys you will grow a special bond with them. Cherish the bond you have with your friends because it is truly a blessing. Your friends will help you get through high school and will certainly relieve some of the stress you’ve been carrying. Always aim to make our parents proud and don’t forget to make them smile. Your small actions mean a lot to them so continue being the good young boy that you’ve always been. As your older self, I regret not volunteering as much because I thought I didn’t have the time. Don’t make the same mistake I did because your community involvement will come clutch on your resume and for your grade 12 year. Remember to always lend a helping hand. We are given the privilege to live a stable life so appreciate it and take the time to spread the love. Helping others through volunteer services so that you are somehow giving back to the community. Have strong faith because God will always be by your side when you do the good. Whatever positive path you choose in life, God will always be with you. Just follow your good will and you’ll start to realize the pattern in your life. Just do your thing, and don’t let anybody ruin that.                                                                                                                                                  

Much Love,   Thevagar 

                                                                                                                                                                 

Three Future Goals

3 Future Goals 

1) Satisfy my parents through my success

2) Travel the world and be adventurous

3) Raise two golden retrievers


Satisfying my parents through my achievements is the most important future goal that I have set for myself. In fact, I would categorize this as a lifetime goal. There will never be a day where I will be able to fully repay my parents for all that they have done for our family. Parents put in a great amount of effort into supporting their kids so that they can grow up living a happy life. My parents give it their all so that we don’t experience the struggles that they went through while growing up. They do the most they can so that we can grow onto being successful individuals. The greatest way I can possibly repay them would be making them proud and happy at all times. Simply getting good grades, helping them out or even taking responsibility for ourselves are gestures that would definitely put a smile on their faces. They want us to develop into the best people we could possibly be and I will definitely live up to that and aim to fulfill their wishes. The most interesting part is that they don’t let their hardships leak. They never let us feel their pain because they don’t want us to be distracted. This motivates me to always push myself to do better, so that I can relieve some of their stress by making them fulfilled and happy. At this point in my life, my aim is get into a great university that supports my program of interest and graduate with a degree. From that point on, I will have decided what I truly want to do with my life. The success that is earned and the achievements accomplished would definitely satisfy and please my parents. To tell you the truth, seeing them smile makes my day as well because it pushes me to achieve greater things in this world. It eliminates any barriers allowing me to conquer anything that I put my mind towards.  With that being said, satisfying my parents by achieving success is a goal that I work towards every single day.

Is social media a barrier to meaningful communication? Is it a shallow means of communicating?

To speak the truth, I do not think social media is a barrier to meaningful communication. Social media sometime helps individuals express themselves in their unique way. This allows us to get a taste of everyones personality. Some individuals tend to be more expressive through social media, hence establishing profound means of communication. Through pictures that individuals post or tweets that they tweet, one can identify the message that is being presented or even simple characteristics of that person. Social media also allows individuals to share common interests and thoughts. People who are active on social media can connect to each other  much more faster because they are able to identify their similar interests. In addition, individuals are given the opportunity to step away from their timid side and present what's truly on their mind. It is not a shallow means of communicating because individuals get pretty deep and passionate about what they share on social media. This passion usually spills on to others and potentially causing a movement. I do believe that behind a screen, one would feel more comfortable to express their thoughts because there is less room to be judged. However, social media is not a barrier to meaningful communication because it allows for an individual to bring out what is deeply hidden within themselves.

 

Photos of food I have eaten

Simply Delicious.

Thankful.

Half-Eaten Regino's Pepperoni Slice 

Thanksgiving Waffle 

Spinach Mac n' Cheese 

Banana and Nutella Crepe 

Lamb Shank w/ Zucchini Risotto 

What is the best choice or decision you ever made?

At this particular moment, I think that coming to Saint John Paul II was one of the best decisions that I have ever made.  More specifically, taking part in the pre-IB program. Choosing the correct high school was definitely a decision that I had to be careful about because I knew it would shape me into the young man I would become. I wanted myself to be around the right people and in a safe environment. Getting through my four years of high school with comfort, satisfaction and joy was my goal since the very beginning. I think its safe to say that I have fulfilled my short term goal and I am honestly grateful. Coming to Saint John Paul II, opened many doors for me. Through academics, sports and meeting interesting people I have learned so much more about my true self. I do believe this is one of the best decisions that I have made because it gave me some ease in my grade 12 year. Enrolling in the pre IB program allowed me to take some grade 11 courses in my grade 10 year.  This led me to fast track some grade 12 courses in my junior year, thus giving me more freedom and lenience in my senior year. I was able to choose a variety of courses without worrying about any course overload. I wouldn't of been able to do these course selections without the pre IB program. Apart from academics, Pope gave me the opportunity to make amazing friends, whom I will always cherish. It made me realize that the bond between true brothers can never be broken. I've grown so close to my brothers and I thank God everyday for this wonderful blessing. Ultimately, coming to Saint John Paul II made me into the young man I am today. Although Pope has its wonders, nobody will ever know the secrets that lie within it, unless you are a panther.