I just cut 6 inches of hair to celebrate the coming of summer!

Hello world, and thanks for stumbling onto this blog!

My name is Fidelia Lam and I’m a fourth year at the University of British Columbia completing a double major in Music (before you ask–I play piano) and English Literature, as well as a Minor in Applied Music Technology. In my spare time, I enjoy indulging my love of reading, playing video games, binge watching movies and TV and hanging out with friends!

This summer, I’m enrolled in ENGL470A, which addresses Canadian literature, particularly in regards to the intersection of European literary culture, the First Nations oratory tradition and how we today tell our stories. The most interesting aspect about this course is that it is purely online; we will engage in discussion and discourse through various methods of social media, including this blog! I’m very much looking forward to this new form of learning and discussion, as I find that it allows me to articulate and expand my thoughts better than in a traditional classroom setting. I’ve always enjoyed political and social discussion on blogs and forums, so I’m happily anticipating being able to apply this new discussion form to my schoolwork. Lastly, the course will cumulate in an online research project and discussion that will address and anticipate the state of literature in Canada and how we can share Canada’s stories moving forward.

I haven’t had much exposure to Canadian literature aside from what I have been required to read in class, and to be honest, I have often been reluctant to read Canadian literature. It is only recently (the past year or so) that I’ve enjoyed reading Canadian literature. In September, all UBC students received a day of to attend the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). At one of the events, there was a panel discussion not only of First Nations history in Canada and stories from Indigenous persons, but also from Asian Canadian descendants and their stories as immigrants to Canada. As an avid user of the internet and participant of social discourse, something that has been growing on my mind is how to reconcile my identity as Chinese Canadian and the daughter of immigrants. There is a whole new generation of kids (including myself) who struggle to find their identity within North America. We don’t fit into the stereotypical image of an Asian, and the more I feel myself lose my heritage within myself, the guiltier I feel for not honoring my roots. It also doesn’t help that there is little to none media representation of this emerging generation of Asian Canadians/Americans. One of my daily blogs is called “Angry Asian Man” who blogs about everything Asian American (which is as good as it gets as a Canadian), and the continual struggle with racism and misrepresentation. I guess then, that I’m not only looking forward to this course to discuss Canadian/First Nations literature, but also to discover my place within Canadian literature and how to shape the future of Canadian literature with my own story as a member of this growing group who continually questions their identity.

Paterson, Erika. ENGL 470A Canadian Studies: Canadian Literary Genres. University of British Columbia, 2013. Web. 15 May 2014. <http://ctlt.ubc.ca/distance-learning/courses/engl/engl470a/>.

“Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.” TRC. TRC Commission of Canada, n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.

Yu, Phil. Angry Asian Man: About. Web. 15 May 2014. <http://blog.angryasianman.com/p/about.html>.