Archive for April, 2007
Update On Trip
Author: Ams
I can’t believe that in one week I will be flying to Paris. It seems so unreal. All this planning and all that money will finally see its result. I can’t wait. I still have to do a few more things before I leave. I decided to take €500 in cash with me and to increase my credit card and bank account withdrawal limit. I also informed my bank and credit card company that I will be going to Europe so that they don’t freeze my account. How much would that have sucked if I couldn’t access my money. @_@
Anyway, to answer some of your questions:
1. I’m leaving on May 7 and arriving on May 8 (losing one day..boo hoo T_T)
2. My budget is to spend between $3,000-$4,000 (Canadian dollars)
So far the plane ticket, eurorail pass, backpack, walking shoes, travel insurance, hostel card and ISIC came to just under $2,000. So I have a budget of $2,000 max to spend for other expenses in Europe. Hostels should come to about $1,000 and the rest is for internal transportation, food, extrance fees and other expenses. I really hope I don’t go over budget because that would SUCK!!! But I will try to be as stingy as possible. I will definately post pics and give some reviews when I get back. I don’t plan on doing any blogging while I’m there, but you never know =_o. Tee hee! Alright, I’m off to get all these things on my to-do list done. Cya!
read comments (1)Details About My Europe Trip
Author: Ams
Sorry that it’s been so long. I finished up exams last Thursday and then had to catch up with friends and move back home. Anyway, since so many people have been asking me about my Europe trip, I figured I might as well make an entire post dedicated to it. So here is some up-to-date information about it.
Details about the trip:
- backpacking through Europe in May
- visiting France, Italy & Austria (for sure) & possibly others if we have time
- staying in hostels & possibly hotels (if they’re cheaper)
- going for 3 1/2 weeks
Things I have done:
- booked tickets
- bought Eurorail pass
- bought ISIC (International Student Identity Card)
- bought traven insurance
- got my backpack & some travel stuff
I think that is all I can think of and want to mention. Leave any questions if you so desire. =)
I loved reading this post on Racialicious, so I’m posting it here.
Celebrity Big Brother teaches us how to deflect accusations of racism in 3 easy steps
by Carmen Van Kerckhove
The UK’s Celebrity Big Brother reality show has made international headlines because of the racism endured by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at the hands of her housemates, particularly a woman named Jade Goody, who has since been evicted. (Thanks to Rochelle, Vandia, Rob and Rachel for the tips!)
From Wikipedia:
As of 16 January 2007 this series has attracted the largest ever number of public complaints to the UK broadcasting watchdog Ofcom about a Big Brother series. The complaints received detailed concerns that housemate Shilpa Shetty had been subjected to bullying, allegedly with undertones of racism. As an example, one English woman even called a fellow Indian participant “a dog” and that she should “fuck off home”. This sparked widespread anger and demonstrations in India, where the alleged racism was reported on the news, and led Big Brother’s main sponsor Carphone Warehouse to sever ties with the show.
It’s been interesting to see some of the similarities between US racism scandals and this one in the UK. It appears that there’s a set of rules that people follow when accused of racism. Now obviously these are not the only three techniques for deflecting accusations of racism or suppressing conversations about race. Be sure to check out How to Suppress Discussions of Racism and Jeff Yang’s terrific breakdown of the typical non-apology, or what he calls the Rosie Carolla defense. But these are three tactics that seem to come up most frequently.
Hillsongs Are Coming To My Church!
Author: Ams
Well, not exactly. There is a Unite In Worship conference at my church on May 5, and then they’re having a concert in Toronto on June 2, which I REALLY want to go to. I hope I can get/ afford tickets. By the time I get back from Europe I will be dead broke. Anyway, you can find out more info about it here.
I went to look at backpacking backpacks today with my roomies. The one I liked was $275. T______T So expensive! But by the way it is built, you can use it as a duffel bag too. I think it’s a good investment but everyone I’ve told seem to think it’s too much to pay. *sigh* Anyway, we will see what happens.
Wind vs. Ams = Death For Ams
Author: Ams
I’m currently stranded at Jack’s place because of the stupid wind. For the past three days I have gotten about 8 hours of sleep here and there, so I was dead tired this morning. I was up all night (minus a one hour nap at 2am) because I was working on a take-home exam. After handing it in this afternoon I head over to Jack’s place to sleep. It would have probably been the last time I saw him for a couple of weeks since we have crazy schedules for the week and a half. So being passed out in the same room with him while he studies is better than nothing. Well…i slept for a few hours just to wake up and realize that I would be stranded at his place. The wind is REALLY BAD. We went to pick up a pizza from across the street and I not only almost got blown away, but I also tried running against the wind and I didn’t make any progress! I was running on the spot with almost all my force. CRAZY! So yeah…I’m stuck here for the night and I didn’t bring anything to do. So my only source for entertainment is the internet! I guess it could be worse. I could be stuck reading. XD
So I’ve been reading a really awesome site called Racialicious. It posts articles and entries about “race” and racial issues in contemporary society, especially the media. I love reading it. Some other articles that I would recommend reading are:
- Racial slur on sofa label stuns family: This happened in my home town. At least now I know where I should avoid buying furniture. I can’t believe that people can tolerate such blatant racism by claiming that it’s not their responsibility to take blame for racial slurs on packaging.
- Woman, 30, posed as teenage boy in sex case: I found it really interesting how the media presented this story. I wonder if anyone else picked up on the fact that the parents charged the woman with abusing their daughter AFTER they found out that Mark was actually Lorelei. Seems to me this is more about saving face than it is about justice. Also, there wasn’t any mention of whether Mark was actually a transsexual and not merely just a con artist. The idea that those who cross dress and bend gender norms are somehow a threat to public safety really disturbs me. It’s not that I advocate fraud, but it I feel we take for granted the ways in which people are demonized.