Fears for our world...

 Fear of Water Shortage

     As a resource, water is vital in the world; people need water in various ways everyday. However, it seems to me that most people have not appreciated about the present that we receive from nature. It is weird since the treatment of an important resource looks like rubbish to people

     Why do people still waste water even though they already know that water might be exhausted in the recent year? In my case, I had had an aware experience about the poverty of water before I came to Vancouver. Several years ago, I have been to Southwestern China once. When we went to the washroom in countryside, I found there was no water for cleaning. It’s impossible to happen in Taiwan; I thought it might be a special case, but unfortunately, we faced the problem again and again in China. In that time, I realized that water was not always plenty in everywhere and, suddenly, I was extremely shock though I already knew the fact for a long time. Being in that situation, I felt guilty because sometimes I wasted water, too. 

     Therefore, I do really worry about the water shortage issue now. I saw a lot of research and newspaper which discuss about the water pollution and shortage. In addition, some information shows that many countries have not had enough water in both livelihood and the development of economic and country. At the same time, people in those powerful countries have tons of water and they don’t really care about resource wasting.

     It’s high time we saved water. It’s the responsibility that we can’t avoid to bear for all human who living in the earth. Considering the justice and ethics, we must do something to save water. Otherwise, we will lose the beautiful world and made more and more people stay in a poor and sad situation.

 By Selena Chen

Fear for the Environment

    One day, the wind won’t be able to blow air, life won’t be able to breathe, and the water will stop flowing. Every thing might standstill. Our appetite will destroy us. Any awareness will go back to nothing again. It is an unfair world but also it is a fair universe. Those who break the balance of life must pay for it in the future forever. 

    In my photograph; the sun represents chaos, but it’s also a powerful magnate. The tree represents a lawman but it’s also a laborer. The color represents the environment. Most humans always think about themselves and forget who the creator is. But now the water, the trees, the sun, everything little by little will disappear and become doomed. The humans want to use petty tricks to become God, they want to control everything, but they don’t know how, they can't see tomorrow. Finally, they will discover their own small power. However, the damage will be irreparable. 
     My fear is for the environment because we are always taking everything from the Earth, we are also pretending to be good Samaritans, who want to help the earth. We are shrimp fighting the whale. It’s a battle we’ll never win. No one can stop destruction from coming. Compared with the ecological environment; humans are so small.

by Roger Chen

Fear; Biological Clock Ticking

     One of the women’s fear is the biological clock. When you’re 30 years old or a little more, the clock is ticking. This is a way to remind us that our time for becoming a mother is almost over. Sometimes people might drive us crazy with this subject. Society imposes that we must be better than we are. Everybody starts challenging us every time. The list of questions is extremely big; “How is your career?”, “Do you have a boyfriend?”, “When will you get married?” Who is your partner?”, “When will you want to have a baby?”, “When will you have your own apartment?” etc. All these questions sent shivers up in our spines. But, how about ourselves? What do we think? Personally, I believe this is just a social pressure. In my opinion, women shouldn’t worry about this. They should just take their time and think about what they really want to do in the future.

By Tais Gomes

The Fear of Women’s Position

     Because of my masters, I have always been concerned with the issue of gender and sexuality, and I really appreciate that I have the chance to learn and know more about it. Unfortunately, not every woman is as lucky as me. I heard that in some countries, women don’t have the opportunity to educate themselves about their rights, or think about gender equality. What I said is not just about education, sometimes woman have no human rights, too. Women are claimed to be the secondary gender and the property of their male counterparts.

     Looking back on my life, I don’t have to worry too much about that since our government requires everything to be fair for both female and male in my country, and so on in other modern countries. However, sometimes I still confuse women’s positions and their future even though things are already different if we compare them to traditional society in Chinese culture. Nowadays, women can find a job, and might have the same salary as man; moreover, babies can also use their mother’s last name not just their father’s. In addition, more and more men would like to share the responsibility in the family such as housework and taking care of children and the elderly. Doesn't it sound perfect?

     Nevertheless, something is still hidden under the peaceful surface in modern society. There are several various discrimination of woman there. Of course it might not be as serious as some cases which happened in other male-lead societies, but people are still judged by gender and sexuality. For example, you can’t be a perfect wife and mother if you can’t do very well in both work and family. The other case is, if you can’t have a son, your in-laws might suggest your husband divorces you and marries another woman, because Chinese culture prefers having male members in the family. People still believe that there are some limitations for women; when born, women are claimed to be bad in science and logic, that’s why people believe that women are useless in rational society.

     Frankly, the worst thing for me is, sometimes not only are men chauvinistic, but women are as well. They, as some men do, try to limit and regulate women as they were in the past-- sometimes they ask more than men. It sounds ridiculous but it’s true. It’s an absolute tragedy.

     It’s seems to me that women are hard to have their own position if people keep discriminating against gender. Basically, while they have many challenges in work and family, they are hardly rewarded. Where should women go? Personally, as a modern woman, I’m afraid of being limited by society and culture. To be honest, I don’t want someone to tell me what I can and can’t do based on my gender. If I can’t avoid being judged, I wish I could be judged in something I can change.

By Selena Chen

 Canadian Visa Approved or Not?

      My fear about the past was not getting my visa approved. This is a big problem for most students who want to travel abroad. Because it is not easy to enter into a foreign nation. You have to prove to the Canadian Consulate all your ties with your original country. If you are young, you probably don’t have sufficient ties, such as a job, a career, your own house, etc. The Embassies needs to know if you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your trip. Moreover, the most important thing is to prove that you will return to your home country after this trip is complete. Other student’s concern is what will happened in this new challenge, and what will change when this trip starts. For sure, everything will change inside of you. All the moments will be unforgettable.

 By Tais Gomes

Our Colourful Highlights...

Meet two more members of the Photography and Blogging class:

Selena Chen 

     Ting-Yun Chen, also known as Selena or Sunset, was born in Tainan, an ancient and cultural city in Southern Taiwan. She moved to Northern Taiwan in 2005, where she received a B.A. in Chinese Cultural Studies from National Centre University in 2009. That year she returned to the South and started her Masters degree from National Cheng Kung University which she completed in 2012. Here, she was a research assistant who focused on gender and sexuality.
     Selena loves everything about Art and the sense of beauty. That's why she’s interested in film, reading, writing, music, ballroom dancing and video games. In her life, she has paid all her attention to the art of ‘play’ -- Life for her is a big game, what she wants to do is enjoy her golden years, make things interesting, do her best, and keep working hard. Usually, she is a rational person and sometimes she can be romantic -- she quit her job to come to Vancouver and started an extremely different life studying English at International House Language School in 2013, all because she missed her boyfriend.

Now, she is taking a photography and blogging course, where she is learning how to express stories and feelings through the camera. By using cell phones, she understands how easy it is to take pictures and how difficult it is to take good pictures!
     She loves how her life has changed. Life can never be predicted and the only thing you can do is find happiness and positivity, like Selena.

Tais Gomes 

     Tais Gomes is a journalist who was born in the most popular city of Brazil: Sao Paulo, in 1986. Her city never sleeps, but she doesn’t mind that. She is used to this crazy atmosphere. She is always busy studying, working, driving, helping people or meeting friends and sometimes doing all things at the same time. She is curious, talkative and loves to know about different cultures. Her big passions are spending time with her family and traveling to new places.

     Tais received a B.A. degree in Social Communications from Estacio University, and two diplomas in TV Broadcasting and Speaking from SENAC. She spent the last three years as a TV reporter for TV Record Group. As a journalist, she loves interviewing people, because it’s a way to discover interesting things.

   Her current challenge is living independently in Canada for eight months to study English at International House Language School. This is very important for her personal growth. Here, she is taking a photography and blogging course, because it’s a perfect way to express what she sees and feels.What she appreciates most in her life is Faith; Faith in dreams, in life and mainly in God.

Abstract Objects

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way. -Edward de Bono

Shoe-lace holes

Cup of tea

This assignment helped me to see more carefully everyday objects, especially to think more about lines, shadows, texture and everything that could make a real object into an abstract one. Details are really important and this exercise helped me to look at them more closely. The photos I've selected make me feel relaxed, I love black and white pictures and I think they are so stylish and fascinating.These photos remind me of my first photo class experience. 

- Manuel Musoni

Lots of chairs put together

Eye Shadows

Heating Bottom

This project helped me to know how different it could be if we change the way that we used to see. Interestingly, when the colours were taken away, the lines, shapes and patterns were clearer. We could focus on the structure and the construct more. Moreover, in a close-up, things become unrecognizable and  deformed. It's tricky because we were used to recognizing object by shapes, which we might have seen as a kind of clue, but now we are cheated by it. However, it's still charming, especially through a camera lens, and as dramatic as the black and white movie in my mind.

The first picture makes me feel sad. It's sorrowful for me when something or someone is waiting somewhere but no one noticed them. They piled up and faced the sunshine, like many abandoned pets gathered or the elderly sitting in front of homes. They are waiting for someone special who will never come back.

The second picture looks like a nebula. It's a small and magical universe around me. When you see it, you would find some secret inside which might make you become beautiful.

The third picture is similar to a timer or clock. Most people might be confused when they see a circle with some numbers. For me, it's more like a sundial, and that's why I always make the picture associate with ancient cultures such as Maya and Egypt whenever I have seen. Therefore, I reckon that it's an eternal exist in the world as the time.

-  Selena Chen

Dish scrubber

Toilet Tissue Roll

After capturing this photo, I know that all kinds of objects which exist all over the world hide different kinds of beauty, although we can’t recognize them. It makes me feel miraculous. 

Before taking this photo, I knew a dish scrubber is a dirty object. However, I realized that this object has beauty on the other side. Next picture is toilet tissue.  But  no one can think it is just toilet tissue.  It looks like a tunnel or tube.  I think it is really abstract.

- Bob (Woo Seok Kim)

The assignment helped me to see everyday objects differently. For example there is a table; a table is normal, but when you see it from a different angle you can see another object. It is interesting when you change the angle and perspective. It is possible and easy for everyone. So you should try it!!!

My selected photo is a part of a cooking stove. This photo has a beautiful curve and pattern. I like this curve. It makes me relax and calm down. 

- Ayumi

The shadow of a tree on the wall

Top of the bottle

You just need to change your angle a little bit and you can make a normal thing you see everyday become art. That is the magic of photography. My pictures remind me of images in fairy tales. They’re mysterious, dramatic and fantastical. Theres a feeling like something will happen next, but you don't know what it is. 

- Kitty Wu

Regret

Feeling: Glass

Regret is almost like a bad memory about something. This picture can show us a simple, but good example, because when you talk about feelings, some feelings hurt you and you can’t forget this, and this changes all your thoughts or the way you view your actions. It’s impossible to fix broken glass, and the same time, you can hurt yourself with these shards of glass, and with feelings it’s the same. In Brazil we say “alguem vai sair ferido” about this, which means “someone will leave injured” So, take care of your feelings.                                               

- Carlos Ferreira 

 King of Gossip: Cell Phone

The Devil lives in cell phones! Many people are using cell phones to talk everywhere, everyday. Just like talkative girls. Even serious men become gossipers with cell phones. And sometimes, we make rumors with cell phones. It isn’t illegal , but always somebody gets hurt from rumors. It’s a bad situation. We can’t find the person who starts gossip because so many people are uploading and reading the internet, like Face book. So we need to silence rumors from the world of internet. However, if you can’t take my advice, you will regret it. All people will blame you and go away from you then you will be alone. So we must use cell phones carefully.

- Boyoung Kim

Back to the Future

This weeks post is based on the artist Jamie Jessett's photo project :

"Back to the Future".  http://vimeo.com/28051776

Its so interesting to go back and reflect on your childhood and compare it to the person you are today. We recommend everybody tries this. It's so much fun! Enjoy!

Evandro Hoepers

   Our childhood is awesome, the best time of our life, the time which our most concern is what kind of play I will do now. When I was a kid I used to play all day long in the backyard with my friends or alone, my imagination could take me everywhere at any time and I could feel every thing. I could change my name and be the Bruce Willis in Die Hard driving my little cars between gorges, jump rivers and blast every thing and it was so good. Each play and each imagination I have done I grow and develop my mind.THE BACK TO THE FUTURE made I feel my childhood again, sometimes we need to see some pictures from the past and back to our roots.

Carlos Ferreira 

It’s funny, because today you have a lot of things to do, and these things ‘steal’ all your time, and you forget or don’t have time to remember about your childhood, or how that time was happy and important to you, and all the history behind your life. When you find some old pictures or photographs, sometimes you stop your present life and start thinking about that picture, that moment and how those moments were good, bad, sad or happy. In this case, my old photograph can tell me a lot of ‘information’, because always I was a happy, hungry and destructive child. In my teenage years I continued the same with the ‘little boy’ inside, but taller outside. Today, I’m 25 years old, a lot of things changed, I grew up and now I can't be a child all the time, or play jokes like one, but I don't miss my child 'inside' me. This project was good, because I can revive some 'forgotten memories', and play with these moments, and today I know how these moments have been amazing and helped me to be who I am and try to make a good future for me.

Kitty Wu

When I recalled the memory of my childhood, it seems that I never focused on the reality. I had a lot of imagination in my mind and I lived in that.

 

    I think I was every teacher's problem. I seldom handed out the homework and listened to the class. I was late for school almost everyday. My score of tests was always terrible. No matter how many times teachers warned me or punished me, I never changed. But that doesn’t mean I was a bad girl. I was a quiet, shy and sweet girl. I was just stubborn. I questioned the order and refused to do the thing I didn’t totally understand. Because there were too many things I didn’t understand when I was a child, I chose to do things in my own way, the way I could understand but not for others.

  

     Fortunately, I have a great mom who always trusts me, even though she couldn’t understand what I was doing. For example, she helped me skipping the class if I didn’t want to go. She let me use markers to draw on every furniture and wall. She let me play outside all day without curfew. Because of that, I am not afraid of making mistake. I like challenge, solving problems and creating new idea. I think that is the important part causes the person who I am now.  

Claire Ji Su Son

 My childhood was full of happiness. My parents are really generous, kind and nice. We weren’t rich but I feel happiness is more than being rich. I was a little tomboy girl, and always received full parent’s love. However, when my brother was born, many things changed. I was five years old at that time, and I needed more love and attention from my parents. They still gave me love and attention but I didn’t know how, so I hated my brother a lot, and my parents were worried about that.

 In Korea, there’s a notion of preferring a son to a daughter and my parents didn’t prefer son to daughter, but my grandparents did prefer son. They discriminated against daughters, and it was really hurtful for me. I hated my brother more than before when my grandparents acted like that. It was really terrible because I always felt like I’m not one of my family. I was childish and immature. I had my own room, separated from my parents very fast. So I’m a more independent person. Now, I can do everything own myself. It’s really good for me I think. 

Later, I knew that was just my stereotype. My grandparents also love me a lot and they just hope me to be more independent. That’s why they were very strict to me. Now, they are very soft and warm, and my brother and I also have a good relationship. I was immature but I am not immature anymore. I hated my brother, not anymore. I love my brother, my family so much. It was so nice time. We spent lovely time and I thought about my past, my childhood. I feel many things … beautiful time. Thank you.

John Kim

Actually, I can’t remember my childhood. According to my mother’s explanation, I was an active child. It’s my good memories. As I see my past picture, I can remember. So, my past affects me in the present. I have been changing, naturally, so I can guess that. As a result, my character hasn’t changed since. Of course, my appearance has changed a little. I made this project as concept of naked body. In This picture, I was eight months. I was in a bath. I looked clam. At that time I might have prepared a shower. My father took the picture of me. It was so interesting because, I could go back to the past even if it was not real. I would try to take off my clothing but, I couldn’t take off my pants because that would be terrible. This picture was taken by my friend, Faton. We were so tired trying to get it, because my bathroom was so small. On the other hand, I grew too much compared with when I was a baby. To make the position and composition was so difficult. I felt I have been changing many things of me. When I was in the bath, it seemed like going back to the baby, who was innocent. Obviously, It must have been great challenge for me.

 Raquel Komura

 

I can start describing my childhood with three words: home, books and church. Since I was a kid, I haven’t paid much attention to the world outside my door. I used to live in a dangerous neighborhood, so my parents wouldn’t allow me to go very far. I didn’t have permission to go out and explore the streets by myself, so, as a result, I became an introspective child. While the other kids spent their afternoon playing outside the house, I stayed at home, reading wonderful stories from all over the world. On Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, me and my family used to go to church, even though I didn’t know exactly why. My parent’s religion had an important impact in my life, because I was taught how to distinguish right from wrong in a very extreme one-sided way (only to learn how to deconstruct it a few years later, through a lot of reading) and that was a part of me for a long time.

I guess I started to grow up in the moment I figured out how to think by myself. Parents will always want the best for their children, but it doesn’t mean that they actually know what that is. It’s up to me to choose my own way.

This project reminded me of that. I had a very sweet, dreamy and secure childhood. Maybe I have been living in an imaginary protective bubble. It’s time to get out.

Andrey Moreira

Let’s say I was an active child. A very small kid that was always jumping around with his bike, paying soccer with no shoes at all, getting into house constructions with his cousin and messing up with everything inside, trying to build bridges with rocks over the little muddy streams at the farm and climbing the saddle of the horses, because his height just didn’t help and the damn horses were very big! Of course, doing all this things means coming back home with a lot of bruises, and facing an angry mother. Besides that, childhood was full of inside activities too. Man, I could build everything with a box of LEGO! And how exciting was watching the heroes in the TV cartoons and I really helped Goku to do the Genkidama (Dragon Ball’s fans will understand it). A lot of things in my childhood made me what I am now. The weekends spent with my father in the farm made me crazy about the country side. The nights when my father used to gather with his best friends and play their guitars developed in me a deep interest in music. Most the best friends of my childhood are still the people some of the people I’m closest today. Certainly a lot of things have changed, but the delightful memories of a time without worries are still clear in my mind, and that still makes me feel good.

Hyongku Kang

I was a very good boy, our family was not rich in my childhood, but I was happy. My brother and I played mini basketball in the house.At that time, I liked tae kwon do so I learned it and liked soccer too. I ate food that I wanted when I was young so my mother worried about me .Sometimes I fought with my brother. As brother and I wanted to use computer but there was no computer in my house My mother always said. “you are a good boy”, “I love you”, so  I was proud of myself; I think this affected me now , as I am positive , and well grown , so I thank my mother very much. Now my appearance has changed and mow I know many more things in the world than when I was young and I have to have responsibility now that I am an adult.

Boyoung Kim

 I remember my childhood was both happy and terrible. When I was a baby, my parents didn’t have a lot of money. But I was happy. I think that real happiness isn’t about money, but people’s feelings and experiences. My family was happy. Though we only had one room in my house, we didn’t feel hungry and cold. Because we shared everything, food, money, etc. Also, we slept together in a room. But, it caused one mistake. I became shy and weak. So my father told me “you should learn some sports or exercises”. After, I learned Tae-kwon-do for 2 years. Now, we are living in an apartment which has three rooms and we are warm in the house. Also, I’m not shy and weak anymore. I became a strong man for sports. I have more confidence than before. Although I am far away from my family now, I still have strong feelings from my parents’ love.  

Passions:

"The heart of human excellence often begins to beat when you discover something you love that absorbs you, frees you, challenges you, and gives you a sense of meaning, joy and passion."

"Learning to play an instrument"

Learning to play an instrument is an experience that every person should try at least once in their lives. Some say that playing an instrument is like therapy, makes you feel relaxed, and makes you forget your problems. Yes, it is true, but this definition makes the whole experience too simple. An instrument is a challenge. Learning how to play it is definitely not easy, and it is not meant to be. Playing is actually a mind game, a game that requires time, patience, feeling as well as thinking. If you don’t want this, play Guitar hero.  Playing my guitar is to challenge myself. I have to dare. Every time before playing I keep telling myself things like “I bet I can play that song better this time” or “Can I make this sound on my guitar?”. Of course I fail, but that is just part of the game. The failure is actually one of the main reasons I keep pushing myself to try again, try different things, different sounds and rhythms. And that is the fun of it. 

By Andrey Moreira 

 "Glorious labour; A merchant of the market"

My passion is journalism. Also, I’m interested in photojournalism. I studied journalism and photography, that’s why I am doing this project with photos. Moreover, I wish to continue this for the rest of my life. In my opinion, the most important thing I want to express is the labor in markets. If we want to live, we have to do something like make money and overcome frustration. I believe I can find the meaning of life by taking pictures of merchants labouring in the market. In the market, many merchants are labouring very hard. They could be someone’s mother and father. They are so glorious and must be beautiful people who sweat to make valuable things, so I will take pictures of their working life. I’d like to show my passion to the masses by photography. What a glorious sacrifice. On Sunday I went to Steveston Fish Market. There are many fishermen. Among the people who work in the market, I saw one special family. They were fisherman, wife, and son. Carefully, I took a picture of them from far. Father and son were working at that moment.

By John Kim

"Lightist"

My Passion

Members of Lightist

My passion is taking pictures. When I was a freshman, one of my friends introduced me to the club named ‘Lightist’, which is a photography club. ‘Lightist’ is a combination of the words ‘Light’ and ‘Artist’, so it means “Artist who uses Light”. I think it’s really cool. The members of ‘Lightist’ are very generous and kind, I really like them. They are the most passionate people I know. In Korea, we usually travel around and take pictures in famous places. When we plan to take a picture, we have a plan to take pictures of something like the place, the time, the cost ...etc and then just go! It couldn’t be better! I feel free when I go to take pictures with them. Before I joined this club, I was really stressed and it was really annoying. I was depressed everyday and I needed something special. Taking pictures is a special thing for me! I feel better than before, and also I’m getting brighter. If someone who is very close to me feels depressed, I always recommend them to take pictures and your feelings will get better. That’s why it’s my passion, and I hope everyone feels like me when they take pictures.

By Ji Su Son (Claire)

"Traveling"

Traveling. I like traveling because it gives me not only good feelings but also new experiences. More specific, if I go traveling, I can get rid of my stress. It helps me to forget all of my worries. It helps me to feel free. For example, I went to Cebu 4 months ago. At that time, I tried scuba diving for the first time. When I saw everything under the sea, it was awesome and it made me more comfortable. I have always gotten good feelings from traveling. Secondly, I can get many kinds of different experiences through traveling. I usually make a plan to go on trips. But sometimes, if I make a wrong plan, it causes problems. For instance, when I went to Las Vegas, I was supposed to use a travel agency going to the Grand Canyon. But the information about finding the agency was wrong. So I made the decision to rent a car. I was able to control time and places to take pictures or rest. As a result, I think that the situation was better than it would have been. Finally, even though, sometimes, traveling causes situations that I don't expect, it always makes me happy. And I think that the wrong plans were also valuable experiences for me. I am getting to learn about the world from my trip. That's why I'm passionate about traveling.

By Jayden Lee

"Snowboarding"

In Whistler  ~ December, 8th, 2013 ~

  My passion is snowboarding. I learned about snowboarding  for the first time from my older brother in 2009. He lives in Nagano which is a snowy city. Therefore, he has gone snowboarding every winter for seven years. Every winter, I go to my brother's house with my friends and we enjoy snowboarding together. Snowboarding requires concentration in my mind and if I have unpleasant things I am able to escape all of my stress. I like trying new techniques even when new techniques are scary, I like the feeling of accomplishment when I can do new techniques. It makes me feel awesome!!

By Misato Mito

"How do you enjoy the winter in Vancouver?"

 I hate cold but I like outside activities sports because I like to play winter sports which are skiing, snow boarding and ice skating. For me, winter sports are thrilling, exciting and dangerous. When I ride a snow board or ski, I feel alive and thrilled. I love exercises but I hate cold and don’t like to go a fitness club. It’s boring. You can exercise in the gym. Inside exercise is that yoga, stretching of body, barbell that is good sport making heath. So I like to play outside sports which are winter sports

By Boyoung Kim

"A passion for photography"

When I was young, my mom always took pictures of me even when I was crying. After that she gathered every picture to make an album. I think it's amazing.Nobody remembers when they're a baby and it's difficult to remember everything in our life. But if we make an album, we can see what happened in the past. That is attractive to me. So I became interested in photography naturally.My mom gave me a camera as my birthday present. That  was my first camera.I always brought it with me and took pictures daily. I began to make albums when I was 11years old. I print pictures and attach them to the album and include  a short memo.The memo is very helpful to remind me of the situation in the past.So I have 5albums and they make me proud of my photography efforts.

By Marie Jung

"Scuba diving"

Do you know scuba diving? The feeling of floating in the water? Imagine yourself floating in a large aquarium on the inside, fish surrounding you.. The sea is quiet, comfortable; I can listen to the sound of my own breath, floating in the water just like a baby in the mother's womb… No more pressure. That’s why I enjoy blending with the sea. Do you want to learn how to scuba dive? The most important thing is to apply to a diving program, learn more knowledge about the sea and equipment, continue practicing, and then I think, day by day, you will do better and love scuba diving.

By Hanna Chen

"Poetry"

My passion is related to the poetry we can find in the awesome random things that surrounds us every once in a while.

Warm and starry nights

In one hand, a beer

On another, your skin

And in my mind,

That smile on the corner of your cheek

Which suddenly disappears, sometimes

Gold is

Getting home after a

Rainy day

To find a boy with his guitar under a lamplight

Or sitting at the dinner table

After a day full of tears

So I can get full of old songs with John

While there’s still the smell of hot meal

Love to find a place in the world

(When there was no room for me)

In your arms, that

As usual

Were my shelter.

By Raquel Komura

"World Cup in Brazil"

In the next year the FIFA World Cup is going to happen in Brazil, it’s the best competition the world, the event which every soccer fan is expecting, it will quicken the heart of everybody in the world and all eyes of the world are looking to Brazil.    Every week many people around the world write about all the things that will happen in Brazil and many of them are concerned with our preparation and what kinds of problems the millions of soccer fans will find. Today we are facing delays with the deadline of three stadiums, the worst one is the stadium where the opening match will happen, in Sao Paulo, because an accident in its building, it will not be ready until April. Another problem is with infrastructure in the host cities, some of the builds planed in the beginning will not be executed and the fans will not have the comfort promised.
    Beyond some problems with the World Cup’s planning and its execution, we have the well know Brazilian issues. In our Hospitals there are many people in the aisles, our transport system doesn’t work so well, our airports are always facing traffic jams and the violence is a big problem, but although all kinds of problems, we are experts in big and wonderful events, every year we have lots of international events that get together millions of people, and the host cities will be prepared.
    So as a Brazilian guy I am concerned too, because I know all the hidden problems of my country, but I also know the ability of Brazilians to manage the problems and to find alternative ways, so I can say: “Don`t worry, every things gonna be all right and we will have the best world cup of all time”.

By Evandro Hoepers

"Fitness"

When I was a middle school student, I went to a fitness club with my older brother. That was the first time in my life and I was very excited. At that time, I always exercised with my brother. There are several reasons why I like my fitness time and why my passion is positive.  First, fitness time is only for myself. No one disturbs me. Second when I feel physical fatigue, I feel alive. Last, I can escape from all of my stress. In my country, I tried to go to the fitness club, if I had time. In Vancouver, I always go Steve Nash fitness after dinner every day. Sometimes, it’s very tiring and difficult, but it always makes me smile.

By Dong Joon Kim

"The Meaning of Travel "

  I love traveling not because of the beautiful views or different locations but because surprising things happen on the way and the mind becomes more open. Doesn't matter where I go, every travel change me more or less. Such as I've traveled around Taiwan by motorcycle for a week. Although Taiwan is just a little island, I could still feel the different cultures between every city. I found a lot of problems on the trip, but every trouble became an interesting story after I got through it. For example, my partners and I were riding in the mountain, and we found out that a tire of our motorcycle had become flat. It would be dangerous if we kept going. So we stopped by the side of the road and tried to fix it before the sky turned dark. Out of our surprise, we fixed it by ourselves. We feel so proud of that. And that is an interesting experience to share with others. After that trip, Taiwan has had different meaning for me from then on. I love my country more. Even though that  trip wasn't far away from my home, that changed my view more than my trip to England. The distance of travel is not the important thing. I  wish I could keep traveling all my life, no matter how old am I. Even if I spend a lot of money, it makes my life and soul rich. It's a good investment I think. 

By Kitty Wu

                                                                               

                                                                                                                            

"Plays make me a passionate person." 

When I was a first-year student of university, my uncle said I should join drama club. So I decided to join drama club. The first time, I didn’t have interest in plays. I only enjoyed meeting people and drinking lots of alcohol with my friends. But after I finished military service and came back to drama club, I got a role in the play “A Streetcar Named Desire.” That role awoke passion in me. When I acted my role, I was wondering about human emotion because humans have lots of emotions and sometimes I asked myself, “Who am I? What kind of human being am I? Why do I do what I do?” I enjoyed my role when I acted in the play. Fortunately, I participated in the national convention of plays, and I won’t forget this experience. That is why I have passion for plays.

By Darren Kim