Ahh... the final post

We just finished the writers’ panel and it was far more intimate than I anticipated. All our guests had wonderful insights and seemed genuinely interested in our thoughts as well.

As the school year comes to an end, I find myself, as I usually do, reflecting on what has happened and what I have achieved. I’ll focus on our English class right now. It was unlike any other classes I have taken and definitely gave me a new outlook on my city and on locations in general. Before English 380, I simply could never be bothered to seriously consider what my city meant to me and the effect it has on my life. Now after each class, I want to just walk around and breathe in the city and go explore a place we had discussed that day. Prior to this class, I was one of those people who just couldn’t see any exciting or distinguishing features about the city (other than the obvious few). But I am happy to say this view has changed or perhaps not changed entirely but has taken on a new meaning to me. I still think Edmonton is a mediocre city in many ways but now, I can appreciate it for just simply being a great city. Sometimes interesting things occur, sometimes it feels as though nothing at all is happening, sometimes everyone I meet is endlessly amusing and friendly while other times I feel as though Edmontonians can be cold and judgemental. It is a city with many sides to its personality and just as many opportunities and for that, I will appreciate it.

And to end this final blog post, I want to set a few academic goals for myself for next year (so feel free not to read). Next year, I hope to:
· Do all my reading thoroughly and punctually (something I nearly achieved with this class)
· Start my assignments prior to just before the due date, make time to edit them and then edit them some more.
· Try to be more vocal in class and just let go of all insecurities about my views
· Go see the instructor even if I’m not failing or desperately in need of help

The Final Book...

I have not finished The Garneau Block as of yet but I am enjoying it thus far. The writing is intelligent but unpretentious. The only real problem I have with the novel so far is that because it is soooo descriptive and much of it refers to parts of the city I’m familiar with, I have trouble creating an emotional tie to the book and “seeing” myself in the story. I think we may have discussed this in class today but mostly I think people were saying that because it’s set in Edmonton it is easier to identify with the story and characters. I cannot do this because the world Babiuk has created is so complete and without any room for interpretation and use of imagination (in my opinion) that I can’t fit into it. It’s hard to see aspects of my life in the novel despite the story taking place where I live. Maybe this view will change as I continue reading but so far, this is a story about strangers in unfamiliar places doing things I cannot entirely relate to.

Seeing Clearly

I’m at a bit of a loss for what to write this week but I think it might be a nice opportunity to revisit a memory I haven’t given much thought to lately... My memory of how Edmonton appeared when I first visited the city and when I moved here.

My father got a job here in Edmonton in 2003 and he came to live here while my sister, mother and I remained in Manitoba where we had been living for ten years. We all drove to come see him and I distinctly remember disliking Edmonton when I got my first impression of it. Maybe I sub-consciously saw that my parents were eventually going to move the family here despite the protests of my sister and I or maybe it was the fact that my dad was living in one of the shadier parts of town (can’t recall the name now) and I allowed the slummy nature of his apartment and the dirtiness of his street to influence me a little too much.

Well the move came quickly after that and I tried to keep an open mind as we moved to Alberta (St. Albert to be exact). It’s interesting that after St. Albert became my home, Edmonton became a place I went to for fun, relaxation and an escape. School, work and family were all in St. Albert which meant all my stresses remained there while I was able to acquaint myself with Edmonton and realize that it may not all be perfect and modern but it certainly has its charms.

The City...

After our little “pod” activity in class today, I want to explore the third question (personifying Edmonton) a little further. It seemed to be fairly common throughout our class to disagree with Cashmans claim that Edmonton has maintained a “civic personality”. A person in one of my groups brought up the point that it is probably a reality for Cashman because as seen in his book, he might choose to overlook certain aspects of our community and focus on certain things that resonate with him. To me, it seems that the dominating traits and facets of our city constantly change. I cannot picture just one single person to represent Edmonton and I feel it would not be doing the city justice to simplify it in such a way. Edmonton has proven to be an artistic hot spot, an important area of economic growth and many other things.

I wanted to prove to myself that Edmonton truly is fairly unique and it is possible to characterize (in at least some manner) other cities. When I think about one person who could represent Vancouver, I think about a young person, who could be of any ethnicity, friendly and exploring the many different possibilities such a city holds. When I consider Toronto, a more cosmopolitan man or woman in their thirties comes to mind, successful and independent.

Edmonton is a city full of personality and just as we as humans evolve and gather experiences, it changes before we can make up our mind on what Edmonton really is.

Edmonton: in MY own words :)

I am thrilled to be in a class where people are unafraid to give their opinion and do not shy away from disagreement. The discussion on Tuesday focused a great deal on interpretation of people from the past and the different ways we viewed their actions and words. I did not give my opinion but thoroughly enjoyed everyone else’s and half the time when someone finished speaking, I found myself agreeing with them so either I am pretty easily swayed or there were some very convincing arguments put forth.

After thinking about Frank Oliver and exploring Goyette’s book a little more, I tend to lean more towards the view that Oliver was somewhat racist, though in a more uneducated than malicious way. I agree with those in class who put forth the argument that though he was attempting to avoid a conflict with the aboriginal people, he also made it more of an ultimatum than a mutually respectful agreement. I also agree that it seems as though the majority or at least many of the people from that time had biases against certain races due to many misunderstandings in society and how it was culturally acceptable to be racist during that time period.

The Different Kinds of Disasters

Our class discussion on Tuesday got me thinking about disasters and how we view them. It’s interesting that the disasters chosen for each group was flooding, blizzard, virus and economic crisis I believe. The most recent disasters that the world has seen are such things as tsunami, terrorist attack, plane crashes and other events, things that do not happen every day but have proven to be capable of striking when society least expects. It is interesting to me that the disasters we all choose are things fairly unlikely to occur anytime in the near future. Though global warming has shown us all that extreme weather may occur in the future, we can all be fairly certain an ice age or heat wave will not suddenly occur tomorrow. A plane crash? I don’t know. I definitely am a little uneasy every time I board a plane, unable to keep that little fear of engine failure or something along those lines from entering my mind. Perhaps when one is asked to examine and unfold the details of a disaster, it is easier to choose one that needn’t cause any alarm for the time being.

One more day till reading week!

A parade is a spectacle. It is intended to bedazzle its audience and create a sense of unity for those who are involved.

The Solnit chapter we read was interesting because once again, we were given the opportunity to examine something that although is a definite part of life, is rarely looked at for the underlying effect and symbolism it has(in my case anyway). I have been really sick this week so unfortunately I missed out on our class discussions but this article was an enjoyable read despite not being able to dissect with the many opinions of our class as I would of enjoyed I’m sure.

One of my only and most recent memories of a parade is when I went to Calgary with my family and saw the zombie parade. I thought it was so awesome! I definitely wanted to join in but was thrilled to learn that they do something like that here in Edmonton every year. I will definitely have to look into that. I distinctly remember feeling jealous that I wasn’t a part of the parade. It didn’t matter that they were dressed up as the “weirdos.” Their spirit of fun and carefree attitude was infectious.

I hope everyone has a great reading week! :)

Walking...

It is always an interesting thing when you are asked to dissect something that you do every day without thought. Our discussion in class on Tuesday has left me thinking about walking and how it has affected my life. Today, I thought about how I would love love love to walk. But every time I try lately, seems like I end up on my behind (stupid ice). So it’s been the bare minimum in outdoor walking activity lately. This past summer I walked and biked a great deal. It’s just more fun than sitting on the bus in my opinion and I didn’t have a car to take places. Relying on yourself and your two legs to get to places is a great thing, though only if time permits.
I wish I had something more insightful to add but...I don’t.

Or I'll just sit on my butt as usual...

Wow! I really enjoyed the Edmonton Queen. It was one of those books that I literally could not put down. Something I have never experienced with any of the school books I’ve been assigned over the years.

Reading about Gloria and the ladies really made me want to get out and do something extraordinary. Maybe not in the form of doing a bunch of drugs and partying extravagantly, maybe not by dressing up as the opposite sex but by doing something that shakes my mundane life to the core. Stories such as this always have the effect of making me self-reflect a great deal. I begin to wonder if I somehow was in the same situation as Darrin Hagen at the beginning of the novel, would I have the courage and strength to step into the unknown and take on a new world? If I had gone through the same experiences and felt the pain that Darrin has, would I still be as merry and creative as he seems to be today?

The Edmonton Queen is a fantastic story and play. I especially enjoyed when my straight male friend who accompanied me to the play finally admitted that yes, Gloria is one hell of an attractive lady. :)

First Post! Slightly off topic but oh well...

As a fairly new resident to Alberta and a new driver, I tend to mostly stay within the familiar borders of St. Albert unless I have a chauffeur and as a result, I really have no clue how to get to anywhere in Edmonton.

That point brings about something I really appreciated in the Jane Jacobs excerpt we read. It wasn’t merely about Edmonton and landmarks which sometimes I’m ashamed to admit I have no clue where they are or why they are of interest (this class is already helping a lot with that). Her writing made me think about the confusion I felt regarding travelling within Edmonton but also sympathize with the frustration she felt with the poorly designed road system in Toronto. I know someone in class mentioned that Winnipeg was really bad in regards to driving and I wholeheartedly agree! This summer I was there and I managed to not only start driving the wrong way down a one way street (got out just in time to avoid causing any major collisions) but then because I was so on edge and panicky, I drove rather slowly into the side of a building while in a parking lot. Needless to say, I will not be driving around the ‘Peg by myself anytime soon.