Forever Vancouver

My father first spoke of immigration in the mid-90s. I was barely a teenager at the time. The approval was granted to my family when I was in the 10th grade. We took a trip to Vancouver Island to confirm our acceptance of the immigration status. We became permanent residents of Canada. In January 2000, most of the city of Victoria was covered with snow. Nanaimo appeared to be a wet place. I felt like my entire body was being frostbitten on the ferry, but I would never forget the view. I had never seen anything so beautiful. Our stay was short. In less than a week, we flew back, and I continued my education. I was going to wait till I finished high school in Taipei, but one day, it hit me, so sudden, so unexpected. Why wait? Only a fool would hold back from such opportunity. A month or two after I allowed my impulse to get the better of me, i left everything behind and settled in greater Vancouver, Canada.

Before I moved, I was aware that Vancouver was known as the most liveable city in the world. After I arrived, my fantasy was no longer just a fantasy. It became reality. This year, just like every other year, Vancouver is once again ranked as the most liveable city in the world. During the past seven years, i have taken the beauty of this city for granted, or at least i am afraid so. My ungratefulness will be put to a stop as of this moment. No grass on any other side is greener than mine.

According to business week, the global ranking is based on 39 key quality-of-life issues, including political stability, currency-exchange regulations, political and media censorship, school quality, housing, the environment and public safety. As one of the greenest city in North America, Vancouver definitely offers the most comfortable, highest-quality living condition. Despite the petty crimes that exist in only certain parts of the city, Vancouver is generally very safe and peaceful. We boast highly accessible public education and some of the most respected universities. The gorgeous scenery and fantastic natural resources are the most iconic features of Vancouver. I can go on and on.

What I would like to investigate more is the media censorship. I don't know too much about it. I didn't focus on this area too much when i studied communication in school. As far as I know, Canada's media coverage is not perfectly democratic, but it's as balanced as it could be. My favourite example is Michael Moore's movie 'Sicko'. The American government would not let him shoot and produce the movie in the States, so he had to move the crew to Canada. Also, there are many well-supported alternative media all over Canada - NCRA, Adbuster, Canadian Diemension, The Tyee, and my very own beloved CJSF - just to name a few. I don't think media censorship is an issue anywhere in Canada. Rather, I find that the problems lie in media concentration and ownership. Has anyone noticed that Rogers seems to own everything and anything you can conjure up nowadays? Exactly.

According to other statistics, top five most lovable cities in North America are all Canadian: Vancouver -> Toronto -> Ottawa -> Montréal -> Calgary. I can't be any more proud to be Canadian, especially Vancourite. Go, Canucks Go!

Be Pink and Think Pink

October is breast cancer awareness month and a totally legitimate time to shop the 'Think Pink' line. Home Outfitters (at metropolis) has quite a few lovely products that have caught my eyes. How wonderful shopping is! Especially when some of the money goes to the support of this great cause!

David and I attended a breast cancer research foundation fundraising fashion show back in May. The proceeds of all tickets went to the foundation. I must say that we British Columbians are lucky to have a well-funded cancer foundation that will come in real handy when we age and our bodies stop listening to our demands. Guys or gals, be pink and think pink! Go make your contributions today!