Hey everyone! It’s great to virtually meet you. I’m excited to take this class and learn about writing and Culture in Canada, as I have never taken any course like this one. I’m a 4th year business student here at UBC and I’m specializing in Marketing with a focus in brand management. This past summer I interned with a real estate software company and am continuing to work for them throughout the school year. Writing blogs is one of my tasks at work which I have greatly enjoyed,so I look forward to channelling my experience into this course. I returned three weeks ago from a semester abroad in Paris and although I had an incredible time, I am very happy to be back. I would strongly encourage anyone who is interested in studying in France to check out Sciences Po. I’m originally from a small town called Mill Bay on Vancouver Island but my family moved over to Vancouver in September.
I am particularly excited to learn about indegenous traditions of literature and orature as the University of British Columbia is situated on indegenous land and is a very historical location. I believe storytelling to be one of the most essential and valuable methods of communication amongst every culture and civilization. People from a variety of different backgrounds are able to relate to each other through sharing stories and I hope that we can create stories for future generations to share with pride. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to study Canadian literature from the unique and historical perspective that this course will provide. I have taken very few online courses so I am interested to see how this compares to an in-class learning experience. My background in business makes me particularly interested in business relations with indigenous communities which my Business Communications course has touched on as well.
I appreciate that you have taken the time to read my blog and I am looking forward to collaborating with my peers over the duration of this semester!
Hi Alexandra, It’s great to virtually meet you as well!
Your post really intrigued me, especially since you’re majoring in something other than English literature! What led you to take an online English course?
I have always wanted to visit Paris, but I was unaware that there were opportunities to study abroad there. I can’t imagine how drastic of a change it must’ve been, but regardless I’m sure it was an unforgettable experience. I think it’s important to place yourself in new and foreign situations to help broaden your perspectives and challenge your comfort zone. Something I need to do more of! I am also from a small town called Squamish, but I moved to Vancouver right after high school with my parents and sisters.
I have taken many online courses previously, and I must say I find I learn faster and excel in this sort of environment.
I’ll admit I know very little about brand management, let alone business and marketing, but I’d love to get to know more about your specialization!
I’m looking forward to getting to know you better:)
-Samantha Kearley-Renfro
Hi Alex, It is very nice to read your first blog post! I studied in Paris as well, but I studied at the Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris III. It was an all French school, which made it quite interesting!
Question for you – does Sciences Po teach in both English and French, or just French? I am glad you are happy to be back in Vancouver, I am also extremely happy to be back! No where like home.
I am also interested in learning about Indigenous traditions of literature and orature since it hits so close to home as you mentioned. Another question for you – have any of your previous classes in Business touched on any of these topics before? Or will this be a completely new experience in a course like this?
Very excited to read the rest of your blog posts this coming semester!
Maya 🙂
Hi Alexandra,
I completely agree with your statement that storytelling is a valuable communication tool between cultures and civilizations. Oral traditions are so important in understanding the different cultures around the world. Indigenous people have been exploited and mistreated since the Europeans arrived on their soil. Their existence has been rewritten both in text and by territorial borders. Do you think the stories that we create and the stories that we were told can help build lasting relationships between a group that has been excluded from mainstream society? I am interested in knowing if you think that understanding the oral traditions of indigenous people will make an impact on our relationships with indigenous people, especially from a business point of view.
-Steph