je voudrais être un yeti

Mirrored from Oh Clementine. You can leave any comments there.

Today I was walking home from a job interview¹, and by "today" I mean "a few minutes ago". Here I am, minding my own business and walking down the street carrying a huge case of contact solution that I picked up at the mall, when a woman walks into me. From behind. Know why? Because she's texting.

Now, when people walk into me because they're texting, or when cars don't slow down at the crosswalk, I tend to give them a dirty look. That's justified, right? I mean, this woman walked into me. From behind! Because she was texting! So, of course, I shoot her a glare. And you know what she does? She shoots me a glare right back.

Yep, because I should have known that she was behind me, about to walk into me, all because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Clearly it's my fault. God, Clem, why on Earth would you be pissed off at her? Seriously now.

People text too much.

There, I said it. It's true. I read an article about a girl who sends and receives 500 texts a day. Since I got my first phone 3 years ago, I don't know if I've even sent 500 texts total. And, yes, I realise I'm weird. I know people my age text a lot. But you know what? I don't like it.

I don't like walking down the street with my friend while she responds to the 85 billion incoming texts she has and trying to hold a conversation. I'll say something while she's texting, she'll look up and go "Huh?", I'll say, "Never mind," and she'll say, "No, no, really! I really want to know! What did you say?" Uh, if you really want to know, why don't you pay attention the first time? Why don't you NOT respond to texts for the ten minutes that it takes to walk home from the subway station? It can't be that urgent.

And texting during class? Please. Okay, maybe the occasional "oh my god I am dying of boredom in this stupid class", but if you text throughout the whole class and then complain to the teacher that you need another week before the test because you really, really, really don't get it, too bad for you. Some of us actually pay attention and do well on the test. (Okay, maybe I didn't do really, really, really well, but I genuinely do not understand many aspects of chemistry. I also have little desire to understand it.)

One last item in this little rant – texting during the Remembrance Day ceremony.

I'll just give you a little time to let that sink in.

Yes. It happened. Here we are, 2000 students², listening to poems and speeches, when somebody's cell phone starts to ring. Their ring tone? My Humps, by the Black Eyed Peas. Really now. To top this off, my friend, standing next to me, was indeed texting. Now, I don't care if you hate war. I don't care if you don't think that the soldiers died for our freedom. They did die, and this is the time to respect them. You can't turn off your phone for fifteen minutes? Because, yeah, the ceremony was literally fifteen minutes long.

Honestly. I'm not saying nobody should ever text, but it seems like people are becoming incredibly dependent on their phones. Texting is an easy, convenient way to reach people, but it takes you away from the real world. Is it really necessary to be in contact with them all day long? Maybe it's just me, but I feel like sometimes it's nice to turn of your cell phone and live in the real world.

ETA: I did mean to add this to the original post as an aside, but I forgot. ANYWAY! Jem just had her daughter Isabel today, so YAAAAAY, CONGRATS!!

1. I did get the job [↩]
2. my tiny school and the larger one that we share the building with [↩]

Mirrored from Oh Clementine. You can leave any comments there.

In my Civics class, we recently watched a documentary called Sticks and Stones, which is mainly about how polarised left- and right-wing politics in the US are becoming. A lot of the students in my class found the documentary – and politics, in general – boring, but I really enjoyed watching it.

The documentary featured people like Ann Coulter ("We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity") and Bill "SHUT UP!" O'Reilly. I found the things Ann Coulter said to to the interviewer (CBC's Bob McKeown) pretty shocking, but I was completely unprepared for the things concerning Bill O'Reilly.

One man who had lost his father in 9/11 but who didn't support the war was on The O'Reilly Factor¹. O'Reilly told him that the Afghans killed his father, which was bad enough – but when he told the man that his father wouldn't have agreed with him, that was just too much. I may or may not have shouted out, "Do you know his father? No? Then shut up, [expletive]."² Then, they showed him having an argument with Toronto's Heather Mallick, telling her that they (the US) had destroyed France's economy (citing a financial journal that is, in fact, non-existent) and that he would do the same thing to Canada's economy… and that it would be her fault. He asked her if she was prepared to take the responsibility for the total collapse of our economy. (Funny, actually, considering the fact that they're still in a recession and we're doing just fine.)

I don't know precisely how to describe it, but seeing the exchange between Bill O'Reilly and Heather Mallick somehow fired me up. I've been considering journalism as a possible career for awhile now, and watching this documentary almost cemented this idea. And I know I don't want to be the kind of journalist who sits in a news room and talks about an art fair at a high school, or even the kind of journalist who sits in a news room and talks about war and violence. I want to be the kind of journalist who challenges people like Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter. I want to go out there and have my voice heard. I want to change the way the media works. I want to make it truly fair and balanced, so that people like Bill O'Reilly can't just yell at people to shut up when they say something he doesn't like and still claim to be the "no spin zone". I want to make a difference in the world.

Although I know there's a possibility that I will change my mind, but I don't think I've ever been so sure of what I want to do with my life (and I've changed my mind a lot of times). I guess this could be called a crucial point in my life.

Do you know what you want to do with your life? If you do, when and how did you know for sure?

1. supposedly the "no spin zone" – yeah, just like Fox is "fair and balanced" [↩]
2. My Civics teacher didn't mind – in fact, I think she agreed [↩]

Mirrored from Oh Clementine. You can leave any comments there.

I've complained about it before, but yesterday I finally did something about it. There were a few reasons, but once Facebook launched the news feed, I was over it. I do not need to know every person my friend adds. I don't need to know that someone in my English class is a fan of ice cream or that they joined the group "1,000,000 PEOPLE AGAINST THE NEW NEWS FEED!!!" (Like that ever works anyway.) I don't need to see every picture my friends are tagged in and I definitely do not need Facebook telling me to reconnect with people who went to my middle school and who I have never even connected with in the first place. Stop micromanaging me, plzkthx.

This has actually been easier than I expected. I deleted my shortcut link and now I'm not really tempted to go on. There are lots of ways to contact me should anyone have the need; my school has its own virtual bulletin board, so my peers can easily contact me through that. I don't need Facebook and I'm looking forward to seeing how long I can go without it.

(Oh, and I also had a job interview. Just so you all know.)

Mirrored from Oh Clementine. You can leave any comments there.

I'm still not feeling 100% great, but I think the worst of my cold is over. Now it's time to answer all of your questions!

Alice asked: If you could change one thing about Canada, what would it be?
Honestly, I'd change our leader, Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He's part of the Conservative party, which is an automatic strike against him in my mind. He's cut funding for arts and is not huge on gay rights – in fact, even after same-sex marriage was allowed here (yay!), he tried to get rid of it! Not cool. Other than that, maybe the winter. I'm not really a huge fan of the cold weather, especially since I now have a bit of a walk from the subway stop to my school – not fun in November through March!

Krissy asked: What was your very first e-mail address? (I still remember mine, and I LOL every time I think about it. It was laaaame.)
I'm not sure what the website was (maybe sympatico.ca?), but the username was klemee. Yep. I was seven, and I thought it would be super cool and edgy to spell "Clemmie" in a ~kreativ~ way. That's actually kind of embarrassing!

You've decided to run away and join the circus. What would your act be? Tight-rope walking? Training tigers to jump through flaming hoops? Something awesomer?
Oh, man, this is a hard one. So many of the acts would be fun! I don't have the ability to do most of them, but if that wasn't an issue, I think I'd be a trapeze artist. I've always wanted to fly, and that seems like the next best thing.

An evil witch has put a spell on you and is turning you into an animal. You get to pick which animal you want to be for the rest of your life. What animal would you choose?
My first instinct is to say "a cat". My cats have such a sweet life. They sleep for most of the day, get tonnes of love and affection from my family, and always have more than enough food. What's not to love about that?

Amanda asked: If you were a nineties pop queen, which would you be? Options: Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore, Billie Piper.
I've spent a good chunk of my week thinking about this. (You know you're cool when…) In the end, I think I'd be Mandy Moore. I have a hard time identifying with the others (though I kind of love Britney – shh, don't tell anyone!), I guess because they're less ~wholesome~. I hate to use that word, but it's the only way I can think to put it!

Meg asked: What brands of toothpaste/shampoo/perfume do you use?
I use Colegate toothpaste, but I'm not picky; anything minty is fine by me! My brother uses watermelon flavoured toothpaste, which I find disgusting, and I've had to use my cousin's Disney princess bubblegum toothpaste on occasion – also pretty gross. Plus, minty toothpaste makes my mouth feel fresh and clean. My shampoo is Herbal Essences. I don't use anything from their specialty lines, because I don't have really dry hair or anything like that; I just use Drama Clean. As for perfume, Josh can attest to the fact that I hate perfume/cologne!

Who's your favorite celebrity? Least favorite?
Ahhh, this is hard! There are so many people to choose from! Least favourite is pretty easy – I'd probably say Miley Cyrus. I know that's a pretty cliche answer, but she really bugs me. She's not a horrible person or anything, just really annoying. As for favourite… hmm… I'm not really a superfan of any huge celebrities! I think I'll go with Ellen Page, because she's talented, adorable, and Canadian.

What are some things you would never do?
Another hard question! You suck, Meg. Honestly, I'd be willing to give most things a try. I'd definitely never run for president¹, for one thing. (Although I'm Canadian, I could run for president since I meet the requirements of being a natural-born citizen.) The pressures and responsibilities are way too scary. I wouldn't get a tattoo on my neck or face – or anywhere that I couldn't easily cover up, really. In fact, I would be hesitant about getting a tattoo at all in case I changed my mind about it later. Unless something really amazing happens, I will never convert to any religion. I will never pay to watch the Leafs live – they lose 99% of their games², yet people will pay hundreds of dollars to see them. I would, however, pay to see the Flames. I will never be a Twilight fan. And… I'm finding it really hard to think of more things to add to this list!

Regina asked: Ninjas or Pirates, who would win?
Hmm… pirates have the weapons, but ninjas have the stealth. I'm going to say the ninjas.

Cherlynn asked: if you were given the power to create a utopia, what would you create?
I'd say that the most important things are political and personal freedom. Everyone should have the right to vote, voice their opinions, run for office, or otherwise get involved. Just as importantly, nobody should be discriminated against based on religion, sexual orientation, race, gender identity, or anything else. Also, free health care for everyone! Of course, I'd make sure there were enough cats to go around, as well as unicorns and rainbows and a pot bellied pig named Jeremy. *nod*

Dayna asked: If you have $100,000, how would you use it?
I would definitely donate some to charity – probably to Animal Services (not the SPCA; the one in my city has ridiculous rules for adoption eligibility and actually doesn't treat the animals very well!), but I could see myself donating to a number of charities. I would buy myself an amazing camera and computer, too, as well as go on a shopping spree. I would also use it to pay for my university education in a few years. I also have a few trips I'd love to go on – London to see the 2012 Olympics as well as a road trip across the US with my friends.

Lucy asked: Pepsi or Coke?
This is a funny question, since I haven't had either in over 10 years. I'm not a pop person – carbonated drinks make my stomach hurt and my throat burn. The last time I had Coke was at a party when I was about 5; it made me throw up, and I haven't had it since then. I don't think I've ever had Pepsi! I guess my answer is "neither".

If you knew you could not fail, what would be one thing you would do?
Another hard question – or maybe I'm just indecisive. Honestly, I'd be up for doing pretty much anything if I couldn't fail! I'd love to go bungee jumping; I'll probably end up doing it some day anyway, but knowing that I couldn't fail would motivate me to do it right away.

Lastly, if you were to be given the choice between invisibility, the ability to fly, or telepathic powers, what would you choose?
I'd love to have all of those powers, but I'd definitely pick the ability to fly. It would make getting to school so much simpler!

Kaylee asked: If you could design the uniform for your school, what would all the students wear? (Or would you choose to go with no uniforms?)
Firstly, for anyone who doesn't know, my uniform is very relaxed and is made up of a lot of pieces that can be mixed and matched. Without exception, I wear a white oxford shirt, unbuttoned to reveal a t-shirt underneath it (almost always blue, green, or red), along with a pair of navy blue skinny jeans³.

I don't think I'd get rid of the uniform. Lots of people at my school complain about it, but I actually like it. I don't have to think about what to wear in the morning, and it makes me feel less judged, since we all have to wear the same few pieces. I would make a few changes, though. Firstly, the logo on the shirts! It's hideous and not at all subtle. I'd shrink it and make it prettier and far less obvious. Secondly, the colour of the pants! It's such a pain to try to find navy blue pants that aren't denim. I've only managed to find two pairs of suitable pants, both at H&M. My mom goes in there a few times a week and buys whatever size 4-6 navy blue pants she can find, then brings them home for me to try on. I would allow students to wear either black pants or dark wash denim jeans without anything on the back pockets. I'd also like to change the rule that the shirt underneath your oxford shirt has to be a uniform colour; navy blue, hunter green, and burgundy aren't the prettiest colours in the world! Luckily, only my vice principal and about three or four teachers care about the shirt underneath.

If you could change one thing you've done in the past, what would it be (if anything)?
This is interesting. I would consider changing certain things about my past, but not things that I've done.

Was there ever a time when you addressed your teachers by last name? If you talk to adults outside of school, does it feel different/weird to address them by something other than their first name?
When I first read this question, it seriously made me smile. You and your fixation, Kaylee. I did indeed address my teachers the regular way from kindergarten to grade 8. There are alternative schools from grades 4-8⁴ that operate the same way my high school does, but I attended ~normal~ schools. As for the last question, I don't really have contact with adults who I'm not allowed to call by their first name! They're all close family friends or family; even my friends' parents ask me to call them by their first names.

Manda asked: Cake or ice cream?
Ice cream, no contest. I can't even eat cake without ice cream! Cake is too rich for my liking, and I have to have a small piece or I start to feel sick.

1. or prime minister [↩]
2. okay, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little here [↩]
3. not denim [↩]
4. I don't think any younger than that? [↩]

Mirrored from Oh Clementine. You can leave any comments there.

School started on Tuesday for lots of people. I guess this is the obligatory "here are my classes" post. I'm going to try to be brief about this, because I don't want to bore you guys with the descriptions of my courses!

Period A: English. This class seems pretty cool so far. We already had to write one essay for it – "Should Canada join the United States?" The teacher is laid-back, and he allows you to rewrite and resubmit assignments if you get a bad mark.

Period B: Science. As you may know, I despise science. I know it's important, and it *can* be fascinating, but they way the curriculum is set out, I really don't find it enjoyable. My science teacher is a really cool person, though, so hopefully he'll make it somewhat interesting!

Period C: Anthropology. This is definitely an exciting course. The teacher is funny and nice (she can't believe she gets paid for teaching, and she hates holidays because she misses her students), and the material is really interesting so far. Today we did a quick introduction to Anthropology, Psychology, an Sociology. We had to read an article about the École Polytechnique Massacre and read different opinions about what made Marc Lépine murder all those women.

Period D: Civics. This is a mandatory course here, and it's half a year (and half a credit). The other half is Careers. Basically, we're learning about the government. Today we talked about Congressman Joe Wilson's outburst yesterday during President Obama's speech. (In case you didn't know, he yelled out "YOU LIE!" during the middle of the speech.) It was a pretty interesting discussion.

Period E: Canadian History. Let me tell you something: I don't like history very much. I am not a huge fan of ancient history, and Canadian History is generally SUPER SUPER boring. But this is from WWI to present times, which is a general time period that I'm very interested in. I'm definitely looking forward to WWII, and I really hope we manage to squeeze in the unit on 9/11.

Period F: World Religions. I was really excited to have this class, but it's taught by a teacher who I had last year for two classes and hated. I'm trying to enjoy the course, but he doesn't really know what he's talking about and it's a bit hard to get into.

Period G: Photography. I attended photography camp for two summers and got to develop my own film, so of course I jumped at the chance to do this all year! Our first assignment is to go to TIFF (whenever we want) and take pictures of celebrities. So, basically, we're seeing what it's like to be a Paparazzo. It's a pretty cool assignment. My friends and I are going to go there before the screening of Jennifer's Body to try to get pictures of Megan Fox.

Period H: I have the same class and teacher that I had last year, so it's still awesome. My teacher still has her awesome sign up, too! Today was my first math class and I already have a huge packet of math questions, but I kind of like algebra, so I'm not upset.

My vice principal is still an annoying uniform Nazi, too. Today she yelled at me for having navy blue skinny jeans. She said I HAVE TO wear the dress pants, even though the uniform code clearly says that any navy bottoms that aren't denim are acceptable. I just rolled my eyes at her.

Despite the fact that I dislike my vice principal quite intensely, I'm really enjoying school so far. I'm sure my opinion will change in a few months, but I'm having a good time now.

If you're going to school, are you enjoying it too, or is it not so great?

Mirrored from Oh Clementine. You can leave any comments there.

The other night I realised that I haven't had a proper dream in months. I used to have the regular "wow that was random" dreams every night; now I generally don't have dreams¹. When I do, they're nightmares.

About a year ago, I had a dream that made me wake up in tears. This was the first time that had ever happened to me. In the dream, I was in a car with two of my friends and one mysterious person. My friend was driving, and she crashed the car. Our faces were all bloody and shredded, and we were crying and begging the driver to tell us something. Apparently she knew something about the accident that we didn't. When I woke up, I really was crying!

I had another dream a few weeks ago that had the same effect. I don't really remember the details, but one of my friends kept shaking me and telling me she was sorry. Apparently it really disturbed me, because I wasn't able to calm down very easily even after I woke up! Two nights ago, I had a dream about attending a funeral. I really don't know what brought that on, but it was apparently upsetting to me, since I woke up crying.

I also occasionally have recurring dreams. When I was around 6-10, I would have dreams every few months about a dragon in my school's library. Everyone was scared, but I would always go up and talk to it, and I would end up climbing on it and sliding down its back.

Now my recurring dreams are without fail very unpleasant. They always have to do with being unable to open my combination lock. I think this is because I was unable to open it on the first day of middle school², and it's just transferred over to my subconscious mind. In these dreams, I end up spending so long trying to open my lock that I miss at least one class, and generally a chunk of another. As school gets closer, I find myself having these dreams more often³.

Do you also have recurring dreams? Do you ever wake up crying after having a bad dream? Do you even remember your dreams?

1. or don't remember them [↩]
2. because I suck [↩]
3. which is weird because I'm excited for school! [↩]