Tag Archives: Blog Squad

Intro To Summer 101

I still have a blog, but everything’s different. First year is done and I’m living at home now. It feels weird going from the enclosed personalization of my dorm room to the open, nostalgia-inducing comfort zone of my childhood. But the size is the main difference. I feel like I’ve moved from the vault at a credit union to the vault at Fort Knox. One thing I won’t miss is the hallway. Every time I left my room, I’d stare down the long row of doors that is Nootka’s 4th floor and all I’d think of is The Shining. For some reason, when I walked down that corridor, I could swear that two twins were going appear in blood-stained shirts and torment me, saying such terrifying things as,

“Did you hear that Radiohead broke up?”

or

“Apparently M. Night Shyamalan is going to direct a sequel to The Shawshank Redemption.”

Wow, frightening stuff. One thing I’m very grateful for is that at home I’m given nutrition. A frightening realization I made within my first month in rez was that I was in charge of my own health. I always feared that, left to my own decisions, I’d eat myself into Jabba The Hutt, totally disregarding iron requirements, necessary vitamins, food pyramids, and other colour-coded nutritional information. So it became a chore to identify what was good for me and what was bad. Helpful hint: anything in bright packaging with a grammar-disregarding “z” is usually astonishingly bad for you. For example, I’m pretty sure cheezies, chicken wyngz, and sugar stikz are not part of a balanced meal. Anyway, I had to think of that stuff. And while it was one of many experiences that will prepare me for the rest of my mature life blah blah blah, there’s nothing like having mom there to give me what I need, like a Secret Service slipping the President some avocado because “I need the potassium.” Of course, I do sound a bit conceited relating myself to the President, but, who cares, it’s summer.

Continue reading

An End To A Beginning

With the return of home-cooked meals and the promise of summer approaching, my first year is over. Exams are finished, residences are empty, and I now have no place to get curly fries at 10:30. I’ll think about getting a deep fryer. But it’s truly over. I still remember being stuck in the ramblings of exam crazy brain, with a (not so) healthy dose of bulk juice bottles and cheese-flavoured everything. I still remember a lot of stuff. It’s probably because (and this competes for the most famous cliché) it all went so fast. So without further ado, I present to you my thoughts on first year. Bon appétit.

It was exhilarating, dynamic, and other such words you’d find in eyeliner ads. It was definitely an experience. I began as a Radiohead-obsessed plaid-wearing hipster. But I’ve changed. I’ve gone through a transformation. I’m now a Bon Iver-obsessed plaid-wearing hipster. I know, quite the change. But I don’t feel my first year was about that momentous change everyone thinks of when they look to university. It was more about the fine-tuning. I feel like, going into university, I was an empty house, with walls set up and a roof over my head, but with little in the rooms. Sure, there’ll be some high school passions I’ve retained, but this year was about discovery, about what I’d fill my rooms with, who I am and what I love to do. So let’s get to the fun details.

Continue reading

So Much Done. So Much To Do.

I’ve been off the grid for a while. I’d like to say I was chosen as the new 007 agent and had to recover a priceless diamond/nuclear launch codes/world leader from utter catastrophe, but this, sadly, is not the case. The truth is much less explosive, much less dangerous, much more stirred than shaken. I was simply, in simple terms, referring to my simple actions, busy. I can easily look to the end of classes as validation, and I will. Papers and papers and papers. Seven pages about fascism. Ten pages about the Taliban. Nine pages about my trip to New York. Now, that last one does seem like the odd one out. It even sounds fun to some. But, what if I told you *flashlight under chin, said in spooky voice* THAT IT WAS WRITTEN IN FRENCH!

Yes, French, the bane of my education. Many call it the language of love. I call it the language of required credits. I’ll one day appreciate its beauty, its flow, its bravado (ironically, a Spanish word), but today’s not the day. Neither will the next thousand. This is one of those cases where my education won’t come from school, where it won’t come from a teacher. That reminds me, French teachers always had the best disapproving glares. Beat out Science teachers for sure. English teachers never seemed to glare. Probably because of their love of poetry and happy endings. But that’s beside the point.

Continue reading

Late Night with Evan Brow

A consistent theme, as of late, has been myself scouring the depths of night to complete my work, or even to start my work. There’s just something alluring, and oddly addictive, about the night, like that curry dinner you know you shouldn’t eat, but you eat it anyway, and then an hour later you’re writhing on the ground thinking,

“Well, it’s not like I didn’t see that coming.”

That’s what constantly staying up late is like. I know it’s bad for me, I know I’ll pay the price, but I do it anyway. Why? Well, the internet basically beckons me over, singing,

“♫ Let me show you the world ♫”

“♫ Reddit, Facebook, and YouTube ♫”

I’m disappointed in you if you didn’t get that reference. But it is kind of cool being up late. I feel like Tom Hanks in Cast Away. I don’t know what my “Wilson” would be. Maybe my “The Usual Suspects” poster? Maybe my dining hall sandwich wrappings? We’ll see. That’s for Future Evan to deal with. Geez, that guy sure is going to be stressed. Although, he has become a superhero by this point. Super Evan, wielding the ability to defuse awkward situations, a superpower sought after by all.

Continue reading

Midterms and Papers and Productivity, Oh My!

From the burnt-out, dreadfully lazy, sweatpants-clad ashes of Reading Week emerged the library-going, textbook-reading, caffeine-guzzling phoenix of the past week. Yes, my friends, the week after Reading Week. Ironically one of the most stressful weeks of the year. You’d think a break would settle your nerves, calm your Chi. But I bet many students found themselves at 10:00pm last Sunday saying,

“I have six projects, four papers, two dioramas, a uncooperative dog to train, a sidewalk mural to paint, and an existential interpretive dance piece all due tomorrow! Damn my procrastination!”

So I found myself at IKB most of last week, half trying to find the comfiest chair and half actually doing what I set out for. Seriously though, they have some comfy chairs over there. Much comfier than any of the Koerner chairs. Although, Buchanan has two very snug couches. Geez, this could be a research paper of mine. I’m sure there’s an active academic community willing to discuss UBC furniture comfort. Well, maybe an inactive community, considering their obsession with lounging.

Continue reading

State Of My Life: Reading Week

Reading Week, a title suggesting monocle-clad scholars in the comfort of their dens, analyzing Voltaire and Descartes, occasionally grumbling a

“mmmmmm, yes”

As they nod their heads ever so gently.

Well, I beg to differ. How have I spent the Sunday before Reading Week? Firstly, in pajamas. Secondly…there is no secondly. My whole day has consisted of resisting the urge to dress like a productive member of society. But let me tell you, it was awesome. When you don’t have a Philosophy paper down your neck or a History reading to catch up on, lounging becomes a lot better. But you know, this free time feels weird. I’m constantly thinking,

“I’m relaxing…for no reason whatsoever. Wait, no pressure? No midterm? No paper? What is this sorcery?”

Continue reading

Sasquatch! Music Festival

Last Thursday was the big reveal for this year’s Sasquatch! Music Festival lineup. I went to Sasquatch last year and had the time of my life. Aside from the most gorgeous venue, The Gorge Amphitheatre, the quality of music and vibe of the weekend are the huge draws to attend. It’s the one monumental rhythmic experience a music lover from Vancouver can enjoy, without making the trip to California (i.e. Coachella).

So how was last year? Last year was supercalifrawesome. Headliners were Foo Fighters, Death Cab For Cutie, Modest Mouse, and Wilco. Imagine the festival was a big foo. And right on the first day, the Foo Fighters come in and fight that foo. And they not only fight the foo, they demolish the foo. I mean, I didn’t hear the Foo Fighters, I heard the Foo Destroyers, the Foo Dominators. To summarize, they rocked. Opening Sasquatch with one of the best rock bands around was a great idea. Whoever suggested that should get a mecha-raise.

Continue reading

Ugh.

So, I’m sick again. Anyone have an ice cream sandwich? Ah, a subtle reference to a past post. How “Lost” of me.

I was sick in October, and that was a game changer. First time being sick alone and all. This time’s different though. I know how to operate. I know what to stock up on. I know what curled up position on the bed shields the light the best. That said, it still sucks. It drains my energy into a black hole. Whatever creativity I had been cultivating is now roadkill, crushed by the Hummer of flu season. I even hate the word. Flu. It looks gross. I mean, it ends with a u. Not many nice things end with a u.

But regardless, I have it. Sandwiches don’t taste as crisp as they used to, orange juice stings the throat, and all things salty are chapping my lips like never before. Truly a nightmare for your typical North American student.

Continue reading

Don’t Waste Your Lulls and Don’t Fret In Stress

There’s a lull in the air. It just feels like UBC’s taking it easy this week. I mean, I’m sure somewhere the Klingon Klub is madly organizing their bi-annual Spock-a-thon, but the general vibe is like a surfer at the foot of the ocean: calm, cool, and collected, just waiting for that big wave. My flood of responsibility subsided Tuesday, when after the deadline of a Ubyssey article on Friday, my academic catch-up on the weekend, and a class-filled hailstorm on Monday, I was just left to myself, in my dorm, with no abundant task at hand. I mean, I did have to define the overarching concepts of justice and morality for Philosophy 100, but come on, an amateur philosopher could do that. Someone like Plato. Oh, philosophy burn! I kid the man. He’s a genius. Plus, he’s been dead for over 2000 years. I don’t think he’ll be that offended.

Anyways, I had a personal lull. And do you know what’s the worst thing for me during a productivity lull? Trying out season one of The Wire that I got for Christmas. Why didn’t I just turn down my productivity into negatives, like an anti-Spinal Tap:

“See, most people’s productivity can only go to -10, but mine, see, mine, it goes to -11.”

So, I guess my main report today, developed through tireless research, with selected help from four sign language-trained chimpanzees and one Yahtzee-trained elephant, is that The Wire is a very good show. But that’s just what it’s like in a lull. And maybe I should be rejoicing. The very fact I get to enjoy an HBO show, stuck between two sides of my productivity-laden space-time continuum, is a sign that I’m enjoying the time I’m given, spent idly taking in a well-crafted story or vigourously volunteering around the campus, be it for The Ubyssey, CiTR, or even my comfy home here at Blog Squad. So what I’m saying is, don’t waste your lulls and don’t fret in stress. The two balance out. If you relax, aspire, and produce, well then the world just keeps going ‘round.

A Ubyssey Adventure

One of my big goals this term was to volunteer at The Ubyssey. And it wasn’t just a goal. It was a spin-o-rama, behind the back, bicycle kick kind of goal. Very important to me and very awesome, a fulfilling experience for the news junkie I’ve become. I thought my time at Blog Squad gave me the experience to tackle a real-life story, albeit one that doesn’t include my awkward experience purchasing an ice cream cookie sandwich or my goal to one day gain the ability to fly (still working on that). No disrespect to those tour de force pieces, but I wanted to tackle one of the institutional facets of writing, journalism.

Now I wasn’t expecting people in tweed suits and “Press” hats to be yelling, “Come ‘ere, see. Yeah, see” with that abstract and strangely exciting 1960’s attitude…okay, well I was expecting that, but more in that unique state of unrealistic optimism that improves your day, regardless of the logical fallacies attached. It’s like that glimmer of hope that you’ll one day open the paper and see, “Beatles Back On Tour!” Just our little fantasies. Our impractical, sanguine daydreams.

Continue reading