Papers, Pals and Pride !
This blog is going to start off a little differently than most of these blogs in that I am going to talk about work first (surprise surprise I am actually in Vancouver to work not to hangout with pals)!
As I mentioned early on in BC in BC a majority of the work that I do with the BCLNGA is confidential. My work has actually become so hush hush that David (the boss man) makes me type "Confidential" on the top of all the papers that I submit to him! With that being said, I unfortunately cannot talk about the fine details of my job but I can mention a bit of what I have been up to lately. Over the past week or so with the Alliance I have submitted 3 papers, a series of research notes and have read a lot of Canadian news. The work I do varies from environmental to economic and is aimed at creating and editing policy that will be submitted to the Government of BC. This internship has been one of the most interesting learning experiences that I have had so far! Being able to write and edit policy has taught me tremendous amounts about how the Canadian government system works and how policy ideas become concrete legislation that impacts society. I unfortunately only have a couple more weeks with the Alliance, but I still have a couple more papers to grind out!
Although the main reason why I am in BC is not to hangout with pals, it definitely has become a major part of my summer experience! This weekend I made the trip down to Victoria (again) to see Katie and for Pride! When looking at the galendar (gay calendar??) I miss the Pride events from all the cities I have lived in (r.i.p Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver Pride) so I decided to go to Vic to celebrate.
On the Saturday Katie and I had coffee with one of my friendos from McGill and then made the journey out to Hatley Park National Historic Site. The park had the most beautiful gardens and majestic castle! We were practically alone in the lovely site and even found some fresh fruit in the gardens! After the park, we headed back to downtown Victoria for a wonderful film screening highlighting Muslim women! The show was put on by Voices of Muslim Women, an organization seeking to unite, celebrate and inspire Muslim women (https://www.voicesofmuslimwomen.com). Although the films were beautiful and gave voice to several Muslim women, the following discussion period was occupied heavily by a older caucasian man who shared stories of his life and the adoption of his two sons. It is great that this man felt safe in this space to share, but I think it is extremely important to remember what spaces like this event are for and be able to recognize when the proper time to share is. After this event, Katie and I met with her brother Chris for a beautiful Middle Eastern meal at Superbaba. The night came to an end with the arrival of our good pal Magnet.
On Sunday we celebrated Pride with the a large portion of the Victoria and BC community! The event was extremely inspiring and uplifting. Hearing people discuss different topics like race, stigma, and policies in regards to the LGBTQ+ community was very eye-opening and forced me to view my own community in a new light. Being surrounded by friends and strangers who are so supportive and open minded fills my heart with overwhelming amounts of joy! After a beautiful day of love and kindness I made the late night journey home to Vancouver.
Today I had the opportunity to FaceTime a few of my dear friends to catch up. Finding a balance between communicating with people from Ontario and living in the moment in BC has been a little tricky but I am always thankful for the conversations that I get to have with my friends and family!
Overall I have been loving work and had a beautiful weekend. As my days in BC dwindle down I am reminded to be thankful for this opportunity and live everyday to the fullest.
A proud and fulfilled,
BC
As I mentioned early on in BC in BC a majority of the work that I do with the BCLNGA is confidential. My work has actually become so hush hush that David (the boss man) makes me type "Confidential" on the top of all the papers that I submit to him! With that being said, I unfortunately cannot talk about the fine details of my job but I can mention a bit of what I have been up to lately. Over the past week or so with the Alliance I have submitted 3 papers, a series of research notes and have read a lot of Canadian news. The work I do varies from environmental to economic and is aimed at creating and editing policy that will be submitted to the Government of BC. This internship has been one of the most interesting learning experiences that I have had so far! Being able to write and edit policy has taught me tremendous amounts about how the Canadian government system works and how policy ideas become concrete legislation that impacts society. I unfortunately only have a couple more weeks with the Alliance, but I still have a couple more papers to grind out!
Although the main reason why I am in BC is not to hangout with pals, it definitely has become a major part of my summer experience! This weekend I made the trip down to Victoria (again) to see Katie and for Pride! When looking at the galendar (gay calendar??) I miss the Pride events from all the cities I have lived in (r.i.p Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver Pride) so I decided to go to Vic to celebrate.
On the Saturday Katie and I had coffee with one of my friendos from McGill and then made the journey out to Hatley Park National Historic Site. The park had the most beautiful gardens and majestic castle! We were practically alone in the lovely site and even found some fresh fruit in the gardens! After the park, we headed back to downtown Victoria for a wonderful film screening highlighting Muslim women! The show was put on by Voices of Muslim Women, an organization seeking to unite, celebrate and inspire Muslim women (https://www.voicesofmuslimwomen.com). Although the films were beautiful and gave voice to several Muslim women, the following discussion period was occupied heavily by a older caucasian man who shared stories of his life and the adoption of his two sons. It is great that this man felt safe in this space to share, but I think it is extremely important to remember what spaces like this event are for and be able to recognize when the proper time to share is. After this event, Katie and I met with her brother Chris for a beautiful Middle Eastern meal at Superbaba. The night came to an end with the arrival of our good pal Magnet.
On Sunday we celebrated Pride with the a large portion of the Victoria and BC community! The event was extremely inspiring and uplifting. Hearing people discuss different topics like race, stigma, and policies in regards to the LGBTQ+ community was very eye-opening and forced me to view my own community in a new light. Being surrounded by friends and strangers who are so supportive and open minded fills my heart with overwhelming amounts of joy! After a beautiful day of love and kindness I made the late night journey home to Vancouver.
Today I had the opportunity to FaceTime a few of my dear friends to catch up. Finding a balance between communicating with people from Ontario and living in the moment in BC has been a little tricky but I am always thankful for the conversations that I get to have with my friends and family!
Overall I have been loving work and had a beautiful weekend. As my days in BC dwindle down I am reminded to be thankful for this opportunity and live everyday to the fullest.
A proud and fulfilled,
BC
The beautiful Hatley Castle (I'm moving in)
A pond in the Japanese Garden
On the other side of that wall was fresh fruit !!
Looking out on my future wedding venue
If you look closely u can see a BC in BC admiring the pretty flowers
a Katie and a tree!
a Superbaba special! (stolen from Kt, sorry)
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