New Bloggity Bits!

Hello fine feathered fowl and fishy friends!

I have transposed my online presence to DREAMSPINDLE. Find poetry, essays, short stories, and other such stuff there.

My personal blog can be found at BREATHS & IMPRESSIONS. (I know, what a pretentious title, right? It's vainglorious.) Find--hopefully--insightful reflections upon my day-to-day life there. I know it sounds boring but I'll post some recpies and pictures of food! That's worth it, right?

Thank you for stumbling upon this little niche. I hope you've enjoyed your stay and I hope to see you in my other homes.

Good day!

-M

City Streets at Night

Laid slick with the stink of liquor-licked stomachs,

sallow streets lie steeped in stony sepia,

Belly-up to blazing bursts: fluorescent

cigarettes prick yellow the sickly night sky.

Lank against my last dregs of architecture, I

shuck bright eyes till aged whites fill my husk.

As the carnal colonies crawl my slim stems, I

steep my buds in fairy dust, lace my leaves with snow.

Dark stark pupils, gutted and stuffed, seek skyward

stars where lewd gas lanterns sputter and burn.

--Maggie Cheung

For CCR199Y1: Reading and Writing Poetry, first year seminar course at the University of Toronto.

Factory

It has been what seems like eaons since my last post... I've been distracted by school, various ambition-driven activities, getting into school, and now keeping up with school.

Oh yes, first year Life Sciences at U of T St. George will leave your GPA crippled and possibly crush your dreams. But the intensity does make things more interesting.

More importantly: since I've had to give up drama, art, and English in pursuit of higher education, I took a first year poetry course. Essentially, every person in this course should have a portfolio with 8 rough poems, 3 critiques of others' poems, 3 critiques of their own poems, 8 revised poems, and a 1000-word response on a poem by the end of the year. It's fascinating because you're put in a room with 22 peers who were just as tickled pink by the Poetry Unit in high school as you were. They are an endangered species.

I completed draft one of Poem #4 a week late two nights ago. (Of course, when I say "night" I mean early morning--you don't get much sleep after leaving the warm nest of high school.) It was inspired by a moment on a subway platform. Between this course and Latin, my writing has definitely changed; perhaps once I post the first three poems, one would be able to compare and discern a more obvious difference. Anywho, here it is:

Poem 4: Factory
The red eye of the sky flows down our backs

and pools on the sides of silver vessels.

We drip gray-green dread onto the dead day.

We let wasted breath collect our thoughts.

We collect dust.

Out of the darkness       

a voiceless cry climbs the silence.

It worms its way

                                between

       screeching steel     &    the hiss of hydraulics.

                        It plucks at our hairs

                   even as it falters in its flight.

                      What mournful notes.

But we do not falter. We sway. We stand.

The young are entranced.

They find themselves caught in that web

                                       of feelings they do not know

                          (except what they catch in their elders’ eyes).

Thus they cling,

                                   tenacious,

to the ground before the sound.

Beneath it all

are countless black cords,

one for each steadfast sentinel.

Once:

Each had snaked to a spring-green skull,

   punctured:

        fed live.

Swimming with unseen things,

their misty orbs had flickered.

                                         --

Our vapour eyes open.

Speak:

               “Mama.”

-------------------------------------------------------------

I hope the almighty Tulmber (Hulme+Tumber) would approve of that one.

I promised myself sleep 19 minutes ago... it's too easy to break promises to yourself. Ah, well.

My next post will contain more personality. Scientific writing and a complete lack of all the boisterous good fun Gifties exude has contaminated me. I should stop using big words.

GOODNIGHT.

SBI4U6-01: Chapter 8 Notes + Endocrine System Chart

It seems like the only thing I use this blog for anymore is homework...

Regardless, voila! Bio notes! Now with diagrams copied out of the textbook!
Including a correct version of the gland-hormone-target-action chart! With highlighted things!

NOTE: My apologies for any lack of detail in the the notes about the female reproductive system. And for any weird abbreviations. I have weird shorthand. .... And for misspelling "mineralocorticoids" in the first image. I blame lack of sleep. (Which is a lie because I had plenty of sleep and a two-hour nap today.)

Family Studies Survey

Download, Print & Fill:

DOCX | DOC | PDF

You can print just your answers to save ink/paper. 

Please bring me your completed survey by Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011. I will be in the Music Hall afterschool on both Monday and Tuesday.

Interracial Families:

The Meaning of “Mixed-Race” in Contemporary Society

Introduction

This survey is part of an ongoing research project to discover more about the issues faced by interracial individuals and families in modern-day society. Participants of this survey will not be required to reveal their identities—this survey is conducted with a guarantee of complete anonymity.

Definitions

For the purposes of this survey, the definition of “interracial” will be limited to individuals/families who were (or whose parents were) conceived by couples of different racial backgrounds. Similarly, “interracial couples” will be limited to couples whose racial backgrounds can be physically and socially distinguished from one another’s by the average Canadian.

Individuals of “non-interracial descent” or who are “not interracial” will include all individuals who do not fall into the above categories, including those whose parents and grandparents are of the same or physically and socially very similar racial background(s).

How will it work?

For analysis, a basis of comparison will be drawn between the answers of participants of interracial and non-interracial descent. In combination with secondary research, the results from this survey will be incorporated in a research report that aims to ascertain what issues interracial individuals and families face and how different their interactions with contemporary society are compared to individuals who are not interracial.

---

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION

Age: ____                   Gender (circle one):      M          F         Prefer not to say

Race:  (  ) Non-Mixed            (  ) Mixed

Please specify*: ___________________________________________________

SURVEY QUESTIONS

Part A: Your Family

1.      How would you describe the way you were raised?

a.       My parents were too strict

b.      My parents were reasonable but I have some bad memories

c.       I think they did a good job

d.      I could duck out of a few things but they didn’t turn a blind eye all the time

e.       I sometimes feel they were too lenient

2.      Have you witnessed conflict within your family (i.e. immediate vs. extended family OR just between immediate family)?

a.       Yes, sometimes it really got to me

b.      Yes, but it wasn’t a big deal

c.       Sometimes.

d.      No, we got along pretty well.

3.      If yes to the above: What were the fights most often about?

¨  The Children (e.g. disciplining them, raising them, keeping them in touch with their roots, dealing with discrimination, etc.)

¨  Culture, Religion (e.g. customs/traditions, etc.)

¨  Clothing (e.g. modesty, traditions, etc.)

¨  Entertainment (e.g. appropriateness, culture, etc.)

¨  Finances

¨  Other, please specify: ____________________________________________

4.      Have you witnessed conflict between your parents?

a.       Yes, sometimes it really got to me

b.      Yes, but it wasn’t a big deal

c.       Sometimes.

d.      No, they got along pretty well.

5.      If yes to the above: What were the fights most often about?

¨  The Children (e.g. disciplining them, raising them, keeping them in touch with their roots, dealing with discrimination, etc.)

¨  Culture, Religion (e.g. customs/traditions, etc.)

¨  Clothing (e.g. modesty, traditions, etc.)

¨  Entertainment (e.g. age-appropriateness, sensitivity, culture, etc.)

¨  Finances

¨  Other, please specify: ____________________________________________

Part B: Your Surroundings

6.      Were you or anyone you knew ever provoked, targeted, or teased in relation to your racial background or appearance?

a.       Yes                        b.   No

7.      Please select all that most closely describe what occurred:

¨  Physical Contact (e.g., pushing, shoving, kicking, poking, hip-checking, unauthorized touching, etc.)

¨  Physical Mocking (e.g., making faces, rude gestures, mimicry, etc.)

¨  Verbal Abuse (e.g., name-calling, inappropriate jokes or comments, allusions, mockery of speech, etc.)

¨  Exclusion/Avoidance (e.g., from social activities, choosing the victim last, ignoring the victim, etc.)

¨  Other, please describe: ____________________________________________

8.      Have you ever felt you were treated differently because of your race?

a.       Yes, mostly positively.

b.      Yes, mostly negatively.

c.       No.

9.      Are most of your peers from one race (or a few similar races)?

a.       Yes                        b.   No

10.  How does the way you were raised compare with how your peers were raised?

a.       My parents were too strict

b.      My parents were too lenient

c.       My parents were more or less the same as my peers’

d.      There were some differences, but it wasn’t a big deal

e.       I wish I were raised the way my friends were

Part C: Your Self

11.  Have you ever felt disconnected from your family roots?

a.       Often

b.      Sometimes

c.       No

12.  Why or why not?

     __________________________________________________________________

     __________________________________________________________________

13.  Do you ever feel like you have to do something to “fit in”?

     a.   Yes                         b.   No

If yes, what do you do?

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

14.  Is there a particular celebrity of similar race to you that you look up to? 

     a.   Yes                         b.   No

If yes, who is it?

    ___________________________________________________________________

15.  Is there a particular celebrity of a different race from you that you look up to? 

     a.   Yes                         b.   No

If yes, who is it?

    ___________________________________________________________________

Part D: Your Opinions

16.  Do you feel that interracial relationships should be celebrated? Why or why not?

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

17.  Do you feel that people of mixed race are more likely to be successful than the average populace? Why or why not?

g

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________

2011 Grade Twelve English Midterm Notes!

Poetry 'n' stuffs.
Note: Zoom in to feel the full force of this fine formatting fantasia.

Notes condensed from handouts, some parts confirmed/found through research online, etc.

But mostly handouts.

Enjoy & good luck!

It's Not "Procrastination"...

It's creative, connective, jubilant collaboration!

So, after a one-hour break from studying Biology, I present thee with a playlist of songs that cheer me up, no matter what!

Hopefully, these songs (and videos--some of them are pretty nice) will get you hopping, tapping, drumming, swaying, nodding, and, most importantly, SMILING along too! :)

Happy Early Chinese New Year, Early/Belated Birthday, Anniversary; Good Morning, Afternoon, Evening; and Good luck to you all!





Thanks for dropping by!

-M