Tuesday, September 28, 2010

College choice

Hmmm, maybe I should have gone to UBC instead...

On second read, those were graduate students. Therefore, maybe I should go to graduate school. And pick UBC as my school of choice...

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Allergies

Allergies have always fascinated me. This might seem strange since I have several allergies and have had some not-so-fun experiences with allergic reactions. But it just seems so strange that a food or other allergen that triggers a reaction in one person will have no effect on another. I'm baffled by it, actually. What's even more baffling, though, is that allergies are more and more prevalent. How is that possible? According to a Globe and Mail article, one in 13 Canadians has a serious food allergy. I wonder which part of the ratio I come under?

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Injustice

Imagine not being able to go to school because you didn't have a birth certificate. Imagine being afraid to walk freely around your village because of the colour of your skin.

Do things ever really change?

Thursday, September 09, 2010

World Giving Index

Canada ranked second in the world on the recent World Giving Index 2010. Australia and New Zealand are tied for first while Canada shares second place position with Ireland. Below are some of the results from the 153-country survey:

Click for interactive map

The Top 10 rankings for the most charitable countries in the world, and their score out of 100 on the Giving Index
1. Australia, New Zealand, 57
2. Canada, Ireland, 56
3. Switzerland, USA, 55
4. Netherlands, 54
5. United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, 53
6. Austria, 52
7. Laos, Sierra Leone, 50
8. Malta, 48
9. Iceland, Turkmenistan, 47
10. Guyana, Qatar, 45

And the bottom 5
149. Cambodia, Pakistan, Romania, Rwanda, 16
150. Bangladesh, 15
151. China, Lithuania, Greece, 14
152 Serbia, Ukraine, 13
153. Burundi, Madagascar, 12

I find these things so fascinating! Hope you did, too.
(For more interesting interactive charts and maps relating to world studies, click here.)