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...

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?

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?

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.)

From racism to recognition

News stories about racism, or any prejudice really, fill me with disgust. But, ones like this fill me with delight. And the icing on the cake is that this particular story includes hockey and took place in my home region. According to a column by Globe and Mail writer Tom Hawthorn, "Mr. Kwong broke the colour barrier in the NHL as the first player of Asian decent to skate in the league." His story truly has all the makings of a good book – local hero who persevered in the face of obstacles and racism to reach his goal, then endured life hardships and slid into obscurity, is now finally being honoured in his hometown and province. I'd love to write that book...

These are my favourite lines from the article:

"Like so many boys, he spent cold winter evenings during the Depression listening to Foster Hewitt broadcast hockey games on the radio. He played the game himself on borrowed skates with makeshift equipment on the frozen ponds of the Okanagan."