Christmas

A short Note on Christmas...
Christmas is often referred to as one of the most wonderful times of the year. It's a time spent with families and friends, and with any luck for many people it is a time full of happiness. Christmas is also a time for reflection on the past year, on plans for the future and to share those reflections with others. I think it is also an extremely important time to remember those less fortunate than we who may not have the same opportunity to enjoy the Christmas season. Of Course there are people abroad who can't afford to put enough food on the table or those who are ravaged by poverty related diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. There are also those at home, who may face similar challenges, or face different ones such as loneliness. For many people, Christmas is a particularly difficult time of year, remembering those who could not be with them to celebrate or even those whose' reflections are of more troubling times than good ones. It's important to remember how lucky we are on Christmas, even for the small things, as well as to always keep in mind those less fortunate. So this Christmas reach out to someone whether it be a friend, family member of perfect stranger who might need a helping hand.
Merry Christmas.

An Update you Say? REALLY?

So its been a while, but here I am live and in the flesh. Well, I know I'm in the flesh but maybe you don't cause you haven't been calling. Why haven't you been calling? Anyway, I'm always pleased when my friends tell me they've been reading my blog, so I figured I'd make it worth your while. The last couple of months have been a little bit crazy for me, lots going on with school family and friends. Sadly my grandfather has fallen into ill health and I had an unfortunate incident with a brick and my ankle, which went from a sprain to planter facitis. Also things have been all over the place with my work placement at Care Canada. For the first 4 weeks all I did was read, then my supervisor resigned without giving me any notification whatsoever leaving me thinking "What the hell?" Any long story short I have a supervisor again and things are going better so stuff is working out on that front. School had been kind of rough this semester, I'm not lovin' most of my classes except for Weapons of Mass Destruction and International law which is the best course ever. (It really is)
So that's about it that's new but I'd like to share my most recent moment of Zen. About a year ago in a desperate attempt to find a summer job I filled out an FSWEP application, didn't really think much of it, after all no one ever here's anything from those things right? Well about 4 days ago I got an e-mail saying that I had approved to right a test to become a border services officer with the time date and location of course. I'm not sure if I'm going to right it because well its next weekend but the funny part about it is that the hand book says if I get accepted I may be required to carry a fire-arm. And really I can't imagine anything funnier than me, the peace-loving hippie that I am, standing in the middle of Pearson International Airport with a gun at my side.
See you again sooner than last time.

CARE Canada

My Blog has been dead lately mainly because the months of July and August have been relatively crappy.
But things Are looking uo

I just found out that I'm doing my job placement through Carleton with CARE Canada in the HIV/AIDS project, and I can for the first time in my life say that I cried tears of joy. I'm so excited!!!

My Own Private Tour Of the CBC

In Grade 12 my Drama class went on a tour of the CBC which I missed because I had food poisoning. When I returned to school two days later my teacher seemed surprised to see me and when I asked why he said that he thought that I left because I never missed school (or trips).

Now, 4 years later I finally got a tour of the CBC studios in down town Toronto and a whole lot more!

Last week when being interviewed by Mike Wise from the CBC one of the things we talked about off camera was the fact that I was interested in the CBC and that I had been greatly disappointed when I missed my class trip all those years ago, so Mike suggested that he might give me the grand tour of the studio one night after work. So this afternoon I got a call from Mike on my cell phone proposing that we do the tour after work.
So at 6 o'clock I met Mike at the Security Check point on Front Street and away we went. First he took me into the area where CBC employees write the stories from which we could see the newsroom. We then went up to the control room where I was introduced to the director and technicians of the 6 o'clock news and we watched the news from there untill the first commercial break at which point Mike took me into the newsroom and personally introduced me to the host of the 6 o'clock news Diane Swane (spelling?) which is definitely one of the most memorable moments which has happened in recent times. We then explored the rest of the building peeking into radio news rooms and the larger TV sets for such things as Air Farce and This Hour has 22 Minutes. So basically I got the tour of the CBC which I missed 4 years ago plus some added bonuses. (Peter Mansbridge wasn't there but I saw his office!)

All I can say is that I'm so greatful to Mike Wise. Thanks Mike!

Wish List Finale

So for those of you who don't know already, I created a wish with the great Canadian Wish list on Facebook with CBC which countered the top wish to Abolish Abortion in Canada. My wish simply stating that I wished Canada would remain pro-choice. Here is the news coverage of my wish

How did I get so lucky?

The Hardest part of my volunteer job at the Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Center, was having to leave it...

When people think of the random things that happen to me, they often see it as bad luck and sometimes it is but this time it was more than I could have wanted.
I found the Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Center completely by chance. I had just arrived home from Carleton and I was looking for a summer job. I walked into a building which I knew housed a law firm and I saw on the Directory A sign for the Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Center, I had never heard of it before. Wondering whether they would give me a job a walked into their office and asked if they were hiring for the summer. I was informed that they were not but that they were always accepting volunteers and then directed me to a job board which was two feet behind me. I was intrigued. I went back to the reception and asked what exactly they did at the center, and the lady said that they provided assistance in various ways to knew immigrants. This sounded right up my alley and the next thing I knew I had offered to volunteer for them, knowing nothing about the organization I was given an interview with the volunteer coordinator the following Monday.
So on that Monday I arrived bright eyed at the center having read over the information I had been given. The forms I filled out has asked me what kind of volunteer work I wanted to do and I had decided on settlement. Hazel then interviewed me and welcomed me aboard, I was asked to start volunteering the next day.
When I arrived Tuesday morning, a past intern was asked to show me around and introduce me to people and I soon discovered that the organization was not the one office I had originally thought but three in the same building, plus additional offices which were located all in the general area. I was astounded! How had I not known that this organization existed when it was so large and far reaching?
I was then introduced to Jasbir the Urdu/Punjabi/Hindi settlement worker who I would be volunteering for. She started off by asking me simple questions, about where I went to school and what I liked to do, I learned a little bit about her and realized that we were going to get along grandly, and we did.
Over the past two months I did a lot of work at the DBNC, I researched and prepared informative documents on legal issues, I even gave a presentation to most of the settlement staff about the human rights structures internationally, in Canada and in Ontario. I also had the opportunity to try my hand at some general office jobs, like filing, photocopying and faxing, experiences which I needed.
But the most rewarding part of the experience was not the work that I did or the ways that I helped, it was the people who I met. I have never been part of such a warm and welcoming environment. The people working at the center are tolerant and patient and they always love to talk. Since they're immigrants themselves they have all kinds of stories to share about different parts of the World and it was a really wonderful learning experience.
Today was my last day and all I could do was try my best not to cry. Tomorrow is Jasbir's Birthday and I brought her a cake (which is often the practice at the DBNC for peoples birthdays) to surprise her. After we sang Happy Birthday, I recieved a surprise of my own which included a memento and a touching card by signed by all of the settlement staff. Before I left I recieved at least one hug from almost everyone. I have honestly never felt so appreciated in all of my years of volunteering or even working! But unfortunately I had to leave for a new job... But never fear I've already planned several return visits and sporadic volunteering with the Center so they aren't done with me yet.

It was fate that brought me their, and now all I can ask is how did I get so lucky?

Questions

Anyone who knows me knows that I ask a lot of questions. Questions about other people, questions about me, questions about life. People have this tendency to tell me their life stories, I'm not sure why, maybe its the questions, but ever since I started working at my volunteer job at DBNC I've been hearing a lot more life stories. Just unbelievable stuff that you couldn't imagine would happen in Canada or sometimes even in the whole World. This has raised some more questions inside me, which I think are a little more urgent than the regular ones. I'm not looking for answers, I guess I'm just putting them out there for everyone to think about. They aren't exactly new or creative, just some things I've been thinking about. So I guess with that having been said... here they are:

1. When so many bad things happen in the World, how is it that people are still generally happy?

2. What makes the life of someone in a developed country who is fighting a disease any more important than a person in a developing country fighting that same disease?

3. Why do we assume that Western Doctors are more highly qualified than Doctors from other parts of the World where they have to do more with less?

4. Why do people assume things at all?

5. Why would a person choose to hurt another person?

6. What is it about religion that is so explosive?

7. If people want to be tolerated why don't they tolerate others?

8. Why do some many taxi drivers have Phd.s and why are so many World leaders idiots?

9. How can someone judge someone else based on the colour of their skin?

10. With 6 billion people in the World, how did everyone become so inter-connected?

11. Why do people focus more on what divides us than what binds us?

12. How did the air conditioner on my GO bus manage to catch on fire when the air conditioner was off?

13. Can science and religion co-exist?

14. why don't more people as questions?

15. Why do people always want what they can't have?

16. How can I still have more questions?

Jason Mraz Infomercial

BIRDS!!!

This Might Be Considered Excessively Random







































































But I'm Really Just Bored

A Randomless Month?

Okay, so clearly I cursed myself by making this blog. Strange things happen to me all the time and so now after I make this blog BOOM! Nothing! But this is what is new. When I came home I photocopied about 60 resumes and handed about half of them out. I soon heard from a Deli at my local fruit market who offered to hire me. Eager for an opportunity not to work with Children I took the job. It didn't start out well for me, terrified I was going to lose a finger, it got worse when my back started hurting massively after shifts. To make a long story short meat cutting is not my Forte and I have since quit the job. However, I do recommend that you never go to a deli within a half hour of closing time because there WILL be windex in your food, and always remember the freshest meat and produce are at the bottom of the pile. In other news you can see me performing as one of a variety of characters on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays starting June 1st lasting through July 1st.
One thing that I am quite pleased about is I have found a most wonderful volunteer job. Its with the Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Center and its wonderful because I get to practice my legal skills and human rights knowledge and I feel wholly appreciated. And I really like it. I guess the story of how I got this volunteer job is somewhat random. Basically I was in this building looking for a law office to drop my resume off at and I saw this sign for the center and so I went to the Center hoping they might have a job for me. They briskly informed me they were only looking for volunteers. After considering for a moment, not knowing fully what the organization did I signed up as a volunteer, and needless to say I am one very happy camper. Although don't get me started on summer camps or I might puke...

Anyway that's whats new in the world of Kirsten!

Squirrel v. Groundhog: Title Match

In other news... On Monday I was on campus in front of rez commons going to meet Tim, when I was stopped dead in my tracks by a rather perplexing sight. In front of me ran a squirrel being chased by a very angry groundhog. And when I say angry I mean like running at twice the speed that a human could with the most disgruntled look on its face imaginable, for a groundhog. Eventually the squirrel evaded the groundhog by climbing a tree. As the still disgruntled ground hog walked back the way it came it hissed at me and scurried back into its hole.

People Watching

So recently, mostly out of boredom, I've taken to people watching. I find it interesting to see people enthusiastically going about their daily routines without really reflecting on the other people around them. So anyway, on Thursday, I was watching people out the window on a bus, and we stopped in front of this bar. Out side the bar three men are taking a smoke, and after just a simple glance at one of these fellows he starts making a silly face at me. With his tongue wagging out of his mouth I begin to laugh and so does he. The bus pulls away, I'm sure I'll never see him again, but as completely strangers we shared a humorous moment. So basically this was another random event in the life of Kirsten.

And The Oscar Goes To...

Well I thought this was a good way to start my tales of Randomness: On Friday I received a phone call from the director of the play I was in, Matt, saying that he was around and that he'd like the card he had left at my house back but if I wasn't available right then (which I clearly wasn't since it was a message) That I could go to the Sock n' Buskin party and find him there. However, I nor anyone else who had been in our play had been informed of this party so I didn't think it was of great importance. However, my conscience got the better of me about 2 hours after the party was supposed to start I decided to treck over to school. Arriving to the party very much unfashionably late of course I could not find Matt. However, after stopping to talk to a chum Matt arrived. Matt then informed me that I had been nominated for an award for my acting job in his play, which I did not win. All the same I was quite pleased with the nomination and not disappointed that I had not won because If I had won and I had not been there I would have been embarassed. To think if I hadn't gone I never would have known about the nomination, is just one of the random coincidences I know as life.

Not Quite a First Entry

Hi,

So I'm waiting until something interesting happens to make my inaugural post. You see this one doesn't really count, it's just a figment of your imagination. You see you can tell because it is pink.