Hi, everyone! Welcome to my Canadian Literature page! This is the second time I have used a blog for a class so for convenience sakes I just decided to categorize my posts so I don’t have to make a completely new one and fumble through again. Feel free to browse around!
My name is Cherie, and I am a third-year English Lit. major and Management student here at UBC. Many people have asked me why I’m pursuing a major in English and they always ask “what are you going to do with that? Are you going to be a teacher?” to which the answer is a resounding “no” because I, sadly, just do not have enough patience. In response to those inquiries, I’ve decided to do something about it by enrolling in the dual degree program offered here in order to quell the “what are you going to do with your life” questions, because I honestly don’t know and giving the “I’m in management” answer somehow seems to satisfy them better than “I’m in English Lit.”.
Moving on! I’m an international student from Hong Kong, and I have lived there all my life so the big move to Vancouver was an entirely new experience for me. Most of the time I’m just struggling with how cold it is here (it was 24˚C in HK when I went back this Christmas break. Yay… Global warming..!)
Being from a small city, my holidays generally consisted of traveling and exploring the South East Asia area with family and friends. Needless to say, I really like to travel, and have even visited Tokyo to see a friend there on exchange this past Christmas break.
Tokyo from Roppongi Hills, looking at Tokyo Tower
It was really fun because I got to do things I wouldn’t normally do with my parents–– really getting into the local and small, out of the way shops to try their food or look at their crafts. I would say my dream is to travel the world, but who doesn’t dream of that? (:
My interest in this course mainly comes from the fact that I am a Canadian (I was born in Toronto then moved back to Hong Kong when I was 3 months old) and that I attended a Canadian International School growing up. Though I have some Canadian knowledge, it’s not all too in depth and there are still some large gaps left to fill, and I hope by participating in this course and by reading the literature of Canadians, my understanding of what being “Canadian” means will deepen and broaden.
I look forward to getting to know you all!!
Cherie.
Hi Cherie,
I enjoyed reading your first post! I’m also an English Lit major and constantly have a similar experience with the dreaded “what are you going to do with THAT degree” question. Since I’m a horseback riding instructor, people always assume that I want to be a teacher (which, like with you, is very much not the case). Nobody seems satisfied when I say that I’m in English Lit and don’t have a solid career path in mind; this means that I get a lot of unsolicited advice. I’ve recently decided that I’d like to go to law school, and though I don’t have my heart set on being a lawyer, there are so many other careers I could pursue with a law degree. I’m met with a lot of disapproval when I try to explain this to people, so my token answer to any question about my life goals is that I’m going to law school and can’t wait to practice law. It’s frustrating how so few people see the potential value in an English degree, and I always find it encouraging to hear stories like yours that are similar to my own experience!
Cheers,
Emma
Hi Emma,
Thank you! I haven’t been horseback riding in forever since I last tried it maybe six years ago, but it’s so cool that you’re an instructor! (:
I completely know what you’re talking about! I feel like many people think it’s our obligation to immediately have a contribution to society once we graduate, or at least have some sort of idea of what we want to do when that isn’t the case most of the time. I actually have also considered taking a law degree because of the exact same reason as yours (in that it opens up a lot of career paths), also it wouldn’t hurt to learn about the laws of our society either. Now I just tell people that I study English Lit. because it is essentially a form of communication and it helps in understanding the meanings of different people. Glad to know someone has the same struggle as me! (:
Thanks for your comment!
Cherie.
Hi Cherie,
I hope you’re liking Vancouver so far! Like you, I travel a lot and I realized that although the other countries I go to are very beautiful, Vancouver will always be my home. I think Vancouver has the freshest air out of all the places I’ve been to. So whenever I get out of the airport, the first thing I do is appreciate how unpolluted and clean our air is. When I was deciding my major, I’ve also got a lot of questions about what I would do with my major. It can be frustrating as people put your major down, but I think it’s great that you’re studying something you truly love.
I hope this class will help deepen your knowledge of Canada! So far, what do you like about being in Vancouver? Do you think you’ll move back to Hong Kong or stay here?
Cheers,
Althea
Hi Althea,
I am enjoying Vancouver very much! I think what I like most is that I’m away from my parents and actually living on my own, because I’ve always been reliant on them one way or another. Now that I am on my own, I’m being constantly reminded of my responsibilities (whether I want to or not) and I think that’s a really good opportunity for me to learn about myself, and what I’m familiar with and what I’m not so familiar with (like taxes??? how do I even calculate it???). But other than that, I really like the summers in Vancouver! On clear days it makes me appreciate the nice air (as you’ve said), and when I’m back in HK it’s like I’m slowly being suffocated because of the pollution. I’m not sure what I want to do when I graduate, but my parents assume I’ll go straight back to HK though they might have another thing coming… xP
Thanks for commenting!
Cherie.