Currently listening to: “Margaret and Pauline” – Neko Case
So there’s just the last few days left to go; crammed into these few days are the following: Arts One paper to write, poems to acquire in order to write aforementioned paper, a French test, and a French in-class essay. What glee! What larks! What splendiferous joy! Okay, I’m just bitter because procrastination is my best friend and I’m feeling horribly guilty for having abandoned my essay in favour of watching The West Wing all the way from the beginning of Season One. Now my essay is like a poor orphan child begging for attention and not getting any because it is neither as interesting nor as addictive as well-scripted dramas.
End-of-semester also brings me to my extremely worried state whereby I realize that 1. incredibly short of money for next year, and 2. am in typical Mary fashion, taking the money I do have to go backpacking. In fact, I get my bus tickets tomorrow, and I’ve got my travel schedule mostly worked out, for those interested. This, of course, will result in me needing to get another job when I get back. I am increasingly finding money more and more stressful to deal with (or well, the concept of having to pay for university); the thought of dropping out of uni (for now) to indulge in any and all bizarre whimsy and backpack everywhere for a few years is becoming more and more tempting by the day.
Now allow me to rant belatedly about the World Water Forum’s conclusion, on March 22, that water was to be deemed a “human need” and not a “human right”. Canada, with all our fresh water, should be held a lot more responsible for dealing with water and its status in the world. But no, we choose to stand in opposition to the most fundemental human right -the right to drink clean water – and for what purpose? So that we can profit from our abundance while other water sources are rapidly drying up and being stretched to their maximum capacity? So that we can blissfully and guiltlessly pick corporate greed over human life by lying to ourselves and saying that it’s not their right as much as ours? Waiting, biding our time till we sell out to the bottled-water industry and make people pay in water, in blue gold? (amazing book, by the way, do read it if you get a chance.) Here is my basic stance on this issue. The right to live is a fundemental human right. Water is needed for life. As is oxygen. If we start privatizing water and making water a commodity like any other, where is the line one draws? Paying to breathe? Paying to stay alive? We are so privileged, and so unworthy.
Tags: Arts One · finances · social justice5 Comments
5 responses so far ↓
Ooh, bus tickets! Where you headed to?
And IMHO, taking a year off of school to see the world = not a bad idea at all. The likelihood of that happening post-graduation is significantly smaller. Have you thought about volunteering abroad? It can give a definite purpose to being overseas and allows you to experience the culture in a way beyond how is generally possible as a backpacker.
@Lizzy – I’m doing a backpacking trip around Canada in May. Re: volunteering, I’ve been thinking about doing that definitely in third or fourth year, perhaps something associated with Engineers Without Borders or something of the sort. If not, maybe one of the Go Global overseas work/volunteer positions.
Yay — new look! –> where’s the header from?
@Eastwood – Hahah yes! Change is good! The header is part of a picture I took last year. The full image is here: http://mah-rie.deviantart.com/art/Party-Like-A-Rockstar-86172380
:D
Where has my favourite Arts One blogger gone?