Hotashi

Jack and I had bought beerfest tickets a few months back and we were really looking forward to going. My sister and her friends had gotten tickets for the Friday and we got tickets for the Saturday. Well it was this past weekend and it was not as great as I was expecting. It was at the Historic Fort York, which is overlooked by the Gardner Expressway. The weather wasn’t so bad on Friday but Saturday was horrible and Jack and didn’t end up going. I did go on the Friday with my sister and her friends since she couldn’t fill one ticket. Here is my pro/con list. (I’ve been watching too much Gilmore Girls)

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I’ve spent the last time with Jack, which has been very satisfying. Sometimes I get surprised at how much I still like him after being together for four and a half years. I hope the feeling lasts =P. Jack just got a place of his own so I’ve been helping him pick out some furniture from IKEA and then assemble it. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned how much I like assembling furniture. Jack didn’t know about this secret love and I think he was a little scared. Well…he was probably also happy since he doesn’t have the patience for such things. Haha. I’m looking forward to being able to hang out somewhere that is 1) not located in the suburbs, and 2) not our parent’s house or scream student living. Plus we can use the starter furniture when we move in together after we get married. =)

Speaking of marriage, we started to plan the wedding and reception. All I can say is UGH! Receptions are hella expensive! If anyone knows me they know that I rationalize my spending and I don’t care much for useless crap. Well…most things about a wedding and reception are useless crap. I really don’t care about place settings, delicate invitations, dressed up chairs, coordinated colour schemes, guest favours (the most stupid, useless crap invented!!!), etc. Most of the things are a waste of money and I won’t even remember it all at the end of the day. But I also don’t want to look tasteless by neglecting all of these useless things…so I feel peer pressured into abiding to such things. Right now we are working through a guest list that is WAY TOO LONG and then we can book a place. Once that is done I’m hoping all the smaller things won’t be as big of a deal…here’s hoping. This wedding planning might make me dependent on some type of stimulant…like mini m&m’s. They are quite delicious. =P

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Jack and I just bought our tickets to Beerfest 2008. It’s an annual beer festival that is held in Toronto that celebrates beer in Canada. There are more than 200 beers featured and some other junk like prizes and stuff. It runs from Friday August 7 to Sunday August 10. We’re going for the Saturday one. I’m really looking forward to it. Since Jack and I haven’t done much during undergrad, it’s nice to go to festivals and stuff together and with our friends. For those who are interested in going, get your tickets early by buying them online. =)

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I haven’t been following the whole debate (some would call it a controversy) over the recent approval of an Africentric school in Toronto very closely, but it really intrigues me that this is such a huge issue. Why are people so against a school that recognizes the need to recognize how prevalent and important issues of race and ethnicity are to education and the current curriculum? Especially with regards to the inherent racism and Eurocentracism that is embedded in the Ontario curriculum. I mean most, or at least a good portion of people, have quite strong opinions on the approval of this school. Some of the arguments made against this school is that it is segregating and that it should not be publicly funded.

Personally, I think the first argument is pretty weak considering that we already have schools segregated by class, gender and religion. We have private schools for those who can afford it [class]. We have all-girls and all-boys schools [gender]. And we have religious schools [publicly funded Catholic schools and numerous privately funded schools]. So why is race and ethnicity such a touchy subject? Well, publicly funding religious schools was an issue in the last provincial election, but I believe it was more of a race issue than anything else. Sorry, I digress. So if we have all these other forms of educational spaces, then why is a racial/ethnic social space so threatening? Could it be that the embedded racism that exists in the curriculum also exists, and is perpetuated by, the racism held by a good portion of Ontario residents? And just to clarify, the school is not only for Black students. It is open to everyone. So how exactly is is segregating?

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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.

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