Fanciful February

I am feeling creative today, so I am back here on my blog! Today's post is going to have a mishmosh of fun things. I will start with a little reflection on my academic year so far, and then I want to jump in to my current favorites i.e. ideas, websites, books, foods, subject matters I have been interested in this past month. Let's go!

I was digging through old files on my computer and found a file titled: "Blog post" from a few months ago. Curious, I double clicked it and found this snippet: 

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" Je suis ici … in Chicago O’Hare International Airport waiting to board my delayed flight to Pearson. It seems like I was just leaving Toronto for the summer two days ago. Watching my friends’ snapchat stories of Freshmen Orientation week takes me back to that first week of Freshman year at U of T—oh, what a fun time that was!

Every time I have to go back to Toronto I feel anxious about the logistics of traveling, but then as I remember all that awaits me across the border, I cannot help but feel gratitude and excitement. In Canada I have amazing friends, 'free' healthcare, access to an amazing education and resources on campus, and tons of exciting things going on in the beautiful city.

This upcoming week I have plenty of goings-on to get me re-oriented, from dinner parties to setting up my room to purchasing textbooks. I looked at the syllabi for two of my courses: Psychology of Religion and Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, and let me tell you, these classes are going to be great! I was a bit apprehensive about signing up for classes I had never even heard of before, but I think they will be more engaging than what I took last year.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is especially intriguing to me because it entails representing data visually. I looked at a few examples of cool maps, and one I came across was one that showed the drought situation in the US. The live demo of the maps had vivid colors and textural overlays to show areas where the droughts are especially concentrated. I loved how the curator of this project presented the data, too, because they showed how they built out the map chronologically, starting with their basic map of the US and ending with an interactive, visually-enticing model. The presentation also inspired me because it made me realize that I can integrate my coding/web dev knowledge with my soon-to-be-adopted ArcGIS skills and curate my projects on a unique site. I will link it here so you can check it out for yourself: http://www.esri.com/products/maps-we-love/five-year-drought .

As I looked into the ArcGIS technology we will be using in the course, I realized that there will probably be lots of technical roadblocks in the course, similar to the UC Berkeley Web Development course I took this past summer. This is somewhat of a relief because I have been working through these kinds of technical issues all summer, so I have developed good habits around getting help from the professor/TAs along with troubleshooting on my own."

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As you can see, I was quite optimistic. Let me start by saying, I dropped GIS (haha). It ended up using an outdated, PC-optimal (aka bad for MacBooks) ArcGIS technology, and was focused heavily on stuff I found quite boring. I did develop a newfound appreciation for all of the work that goes into geography, mapping, digitizing maps, and the multitude of uses for digital maps. Still, after about a month in the class, I decided it just was not for me.

As for psychology of religion (which was a class I took only in the first semester): it ended up being great! The professor was extremely intelligent and highly esteemed within the faculty, and she ultimately forced me to question my own faith. One of my best friends, Oriana, sat with me in class each week, and we would spend hours after class debating and discussing the material. Who knew that there was so much contention and so much to discover in such a niche subject area?

Applying a social science outlook to supernatural concepts led me to ask questions not only about the legitimacy of God and faith and Western religion in general, but it led me for the first time to question the legitimacy of science. Of course, my faith in science was reaffirmed, but it was interesting to evaluate empiricism, reality, facts, morals and ethics through a philosophical lens.

I still have not solidified my religious beliefs, because I really enjoy continually questioning them. I am almost afraid of settling on something, only to change my mind the next month when I come to a new conclusion.

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Now I would like to talk about things I have been indulging in lately! This "favorites" list is inspired by the Belletrist babes' interviews with their authors of the month. They send out a monthly briefing, including the author's photograph, their favorite book from the past year, a book they are looking forward to reading, their favorite bookstore, their top three recommended articles, their favorite "things", and sometimes a fun accompanying playlist.

I think for neatness purposes, I will present my favorites in a numbered list.

1. The History Chicks Podcast on Spotify:

 I listened to their episodes 101 and 102 on Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and I was enthralled. They present intimate details from their subject's life in a humorous way, and the podcast is overall enjoyable to listen to. Podcasts are great because you can listen to them while you are walking around the city to classes, while you are cooking or cleaning, or even in the car if you drive or on a bus/train/tram/subway.

2. Smoothie bowls

While my roommate was gone over Reading Week (the Canadian version of spring break), I could loudly blend up smoothies at 9am without worrying about disturbing my roommate!

I went to Bulk Barn, too, and found some fun superfood toppings I have been trying out. The best part of smoothie bowls is dressing them with pretty "accessories" on top like berries, granola and nuts, but I have taken it to the next level. I love topping them with goji berries, chia seeds, cacao nibs, shredded coconut, almond butter, pumpkin seeds, or hemp hearts.

(taken from Pinterest.com)

3. Decaf coffee and herbal tea

Because too much caffeine can trigger stress and anxiety in me, I have been opting for decaffeinated beveraged lately. I love jasmine white tea, lavendar tea, chamomile (a classic) and even green tea sometimes. I have also been trying decaf lattes at my favorite (covenient) coffee places like Jimmy's Coffee and Starbucks. Yum!

4. A non-school read: Everybody's Son by Thrity Umrigar

After spending hours at different bookstores and wanting to buy literally every book on the shelf, I picked up this book and am loving it. Reading fiction is a nice way to unwind at the end of the day. This book is quite enjoyable because it comments on racial stratification in America in a touching and relatable way. The story is essentially about a young boy from the projects who is adopted by an affluent white couple, and the struggles the boy faces with his development and missing his roots, as well as the struggles of the couple and their attempts at understanding him, providing for him, dealing with selfishness, love, and remorse. I think every American should read it, because it gives a realistic picture into different lives and presents racial tensions in a new light.

5. Listening to my body

This is not a new favorite per say, but I have done a great job this month of doing exercises based on how I am feeling and eating healthy foods that I am craving. If I am hungry, I eat. If I am full, I stop eating. If I am energetic, I do a fun, high-energy workout. If I am lethargic, I do a nice, gentle walk and listen to a podcast. If I am sore, I stretch. If I am sad or mad, I vent. If I am happy, I embrace it. If I am stressed, I take a step back and reflect. Bringing myself and my mental health into balance has been really beneficial and I am seeing great results.

(taken from Pinterest.com)

6. Broadening political perspectives and staying informed

I won't divulge too much, but I have been considering new viewpoints, weighing ones I generally accept, and trying to stay open-minded yet critical. This past month I have been much more in tune with false news that spreads with the mass media, and I have been applying a lot of the critical thinking skills I have learned in my Political Science course. I have developed a newfound passion for political discourse!

7. No alcohol

The drinking age in Toronto is 19, so I have legally been able to purchase alcohol since my first year of university. This past month, I decided I would cut out all alcohol consumption. I did not have a casual glass of wine with dinner or anything of that nature. I can't say I feel radically different, but I am glad I followed through on this goal! I want to continue to refrain from drinking alcohol for as long as possible, just to challenge myself and see how long I can go!

That is all I can think of for now!

Thank you so much for reading this post. I hope you are having a great day!

Au revoir!