Tuesday 25 October 2011

Flaws in Toronto's Shark Fin Ban

The banning of shark fin today in Toronto has been met with mixed reviews.  Toronto city council has voted to ban the sale of shark fin on a proposal that passed  by 38 to 4.

If some of you are unaware of the delicacy of shark fins, they are often used in a thick, gooey soup often served at Chinese weddings.   If you don't live in the Greater Toronto Area or was just unaware of the issue, the banning of shark fins have been an ongoing debate between Torontonians because while the soup is a traditional dish, supporters of the ban say sharks are killed inhumanely and often thrown into the ocean alive after their fins are cut off.
As a Chinese Canadian, I would first of all like to say that I am not a big fan of shark meat.  I've tried shark fin soup a couple of times at weddings and celebrations, but it is honestly nothing special to me.  In fact, I have choosen to refuse the soup at risk of supporting the way sharks are slaughtered in the process.

  While I do not support the inhumane killing of sharks, I see some flaws in this new ban. According to news sources such as CBCToronto Star and Globe & Mail, they all clearly state that shark fin is banned.

However, there is no word on shark meat being banned.  So does this mean eating shark is still allowed?

On another note, I'd like to make it clear that only Toronto's city council voted for a ban on shark fins.  What about other parts of the GTA?

 As a resident living on the border of Scarborough and Markham, it's no secret that that area is filled with Chinese immigrants.  If not Richmond Hill (which is also in the GTA), Markham probably has the biggest population of Chinese people in Ontario.

Considering this fact, it won't make a HUGE difference to Chinese people living in Toronto as they'll just flock to Markham and Richmond Hill for shark fin anyway.

So, what's the point now?

Now I know it may sound contradictory for saying that I am happy the ban is officially passed in my city, I still  feel there should be clearer guidelines with this law.

Here's the way I see it.  If such a ban is proposed, there should probably be a ban on shark meat as a whole to prevent people from killing sharks.

And in terms of accessibility, people are still going to find ways to eat shark fin soup.  If there's only a ban in Toronto and not other regions in the GTA, why not make this a provincial or national issue?

What do you think?  Are there flaws in this issue or not?  Discuss.

Images taken from: here, and here.  

Monday 24 October 2011

Things through my mind at the moment.

1.  Decent mark on my broadcast assignment.  We stayed at school until 11:30 pm...because we are boss.  Nonetheless, I honestly and sincerely thought it was horrible.  But my teacher thought the edited version was not the issue despite the piece being flawed.  I would post an example right on this post, but I figured it would be embarrassment to my two other members.  Unless...they think otherwise...

2.  Frustrated with the fact at how immersed in commercialism I have become ever since going to university.  I feel that I will divulge on this topic a little more in a later post but lately, I have found myself lamenting more over clothes than boys. Never homework though. The geek in me will cry if I ever fail.

3.  Currently wondering who I like better.  Ryan Gosling or Patrick Chan. RIGHT? I KNOW RIGHT?  Never have I thought I would have to decide between this because I am equally unqualified for both of them.  Sigh...Awkward Girl Problems...

  I remember last year was all about PChiddy. And while I still love PChiddy, there's something about Ryan Gosling that I makes me love him so!!!  Maybe it's because Ryan dresses so much like what I envision my ideal man to dress like. You see this?! All this shallowness!!!   I dunno. The way he just carries himself! UGH. I really cannot handle myself. But it's not just that!! Ryan is so charming and funny in person and in interviews that I just want to know him!! Be friends. Have tea together. Hang out together. He can even drive me in the Chevy he drives in his new movie Drive!!

LOOK AT THIS! FLAWLESS HUMAN BEING.

Okay, getting carried away.  I promise to update more.

Yay for stupid blog posts. 4evah!!

Sunday 16 October 2011

PLAID. HOMEWORK. BRAIDED HAIR. AND...A&C WORLD


While I wait for my news video to encode, I resorted to my Gr. 9 days and decided to take pictures of myself on my horrible webcam and do a terrible photoshopping job. 

Thus, it the above picture is the result.  I really have no idea why I'm even posting this...but I guess you could say I like my new plaid shirt and my braided hair.  MY HAIR IS LONG ENOUGH TO BRAID!!!! 

Wow. SO irrelevant. 

On another note,  I went to A & C World yesterday for a Super Smash Brothers Melee tournament so I could complete interviews for my place profile.  I felt like I was experiencing high school again or something because I ran into at least three people I recognized from school.  It was kind of an odd experience, but hey...it's nice to catch up. 

The world is honestly so small.  

Anyways, I ended up shadowing a player named Kyle...who goes by the name Idea when he plays Super Smash Brothers.  His main character is Jigglypuff, a round, pink pokemon with massive eyes you can swim in.  At first, I laughed...because I thought Jigglypuff was the most annoying character on Super Smash.  But it turns out that Kyle is an excellent player!! 


That's Jigglypuff...

 I'm really glad I chose to follow him around. He was extremely nice and he didn't think I was annoying for tagging behind him all the time!!  I guess he thought it was pretty cool to be part of an article.  

Overall, the whole tournament experience was interesting yet exhausting.  I don't know if I'll ever be competing in a video game tournie, but I can see why people keep coming.  The gaming community is incredibly tight and welcoming...and everyone in the room yesterday made me feel like one of them.  Gamers and self-proclaimed nerds....I LOVE YOU!!!!!!



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Friday 14 October 2011

School = Stress.

I am currently typing this while I wait for an interview.

School has been incredibly stressful with midterms and assignments that I have neglected this blog once again.   And of course, there really is nothing interesting going on in my life.

Somehow, I get the feeling I say something like this in every blog post, so you might as well just skip on through to the bottom.

Anyways, I'm currently working on a news segment about midterm exams and I am put into a group with two other people.  My job for this week, is the editor.  Now I don't have a problem with that, but things have not gone accordingly because of  terrible camera shots, and last minute interviews.  Therefore, I am skipping class as we speak just so I can wait for an interview and edit this piece.

I dislike ranting about boring things, but this project has been incredibly stressful for me.

On another note, I ended up getting new glasses! And it's about time I got a pair too!  My old ones lasted me six years. If anyone's counting, that's since Grade 8.

So...that's really about it!  Here is a picture of my new glasses.

Saturday 1 October 2011

Movie Review: Drive

And while I spent so much time volunteering and hanging around TIFF, I even wrote a movie review published on andPOP!


CLICKIE...only if you want to...

Rating: 4.5/5

If you’re looking for another heartthrob-worthy performance from Ryan Gosling, you won’t be getting much of that in Drive.
But nevertheless, you won’t be able to keep your eyes off him.
In Drive, Gosling is mysterious and riveting and the only name available for his character is Driver.
A Hollywood stunt driver and mechanic by day, Driver serves as a wheelman for night time heists.
In early scenes of the movie, he’s helped by his boss and mentor Shannon (played by Malcolm in the Middle’s Bryan Cranston) who gives him a Chevy Impala to  drive his clientele around to do their dirty deeds.
All goes well until he gets involved with his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son Benicio. When her  husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison, Irene and Benicio’s safety is at risk.
Gosling’s ‘Driver’ tries to save the situation by helping Standard steal money from a pawn shop.  But when the heist goes awry, it’s up to ‘Driver’ to take things in his own hands.
Fresh from Nicolas Winding Refn’s Best Director win at the Cannes Film Festival, Drive is an excellent action-drama thriller packed with violence and exciting car chases. Much like the style of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Pulp Fiction, the film is filled with blood and gore.  Though the movie lacks dialogue,  Refn somehow makes it work through the film’s characters’ actions and expressions.
While Gosling is supported by a talented cast that includes the likes of Christina Hendricks, Albert Brooks, Mulligan and Cranston, he holds his own playing the violent and badass Driver. And while there isn’t much that can be learned about the Driver, you’ll somehow still be swooning over him as he tries to save the day in order to protect the girl he’s fallen for.
Drive may not be for everyone due to its violence and gore, but it’s definitely a film worth watching. With a retro ’80s-inspired score and beautiful shots of the Los Angeles streets and skylines, it will keep the audience  jumping in their seats from all the adrenaline and tension that arises from the film.


(Photo courtesy of andPOP) 

Late Update: TIFF

Holy moley. It's probably been three weeks since I last posted on this thing?

Well, apologies x 1 million!  School has been really busy...and I never expected it to be this stressful!!!

First of all, I would like to say that after seeing Drive at TIFF, I ended up seeing three more movies for free
From what I saw, my recommendations would be From the Sky Down, Damsels in Distress (surprisingly!), and Where do We Go Now?

DO NOT, I TELL YOU, waste your time watching Wuthering Heights.

The film was boring, lacked dialogue, was too long, and the acting was horrible.  Maybe I'm just being overly-dramatic and critical, but what I did know was that I should have watched something else with my volunteer voucher. I guess you could say the good that came out of the film was taking someone's second-hand popcorn they left (probably because the movie was a hot mess) and joking with my friend Beth.

By the way, when I mean second hand popcorn, it technically was not taking someone's trash and eating it when they left more than half of their box full of popcorn...but make your judgments.

On the other hand, the People's Choice movie, Where do We Go Now?, was a pleasant surprise. Directed by Lebanese actor/writer and director Nadine Labaki, the film touches on the sensitive issue of religious conflicts while adding in a little heart and humour.

Overall, TIFF was an incredible experience. I am definitely going to rush line films again!  Rushing is probably the most exhausting and best part of TIFF.  Not to mention, seeing the beautiful face of Ryan Gosling here and there.

Alas, I will end off with a couple of pictures I shot from the red carpet of 50/50.  Which of course, I need to see!!

P.S.  I was a little bit disappointed when Joseph Gordon-Levitt didn't stop by for photos or autographs.  I'd just like to say that half the people waiting were there just for him.  He made a lot of people angry that day.  But on another note, Seth Rogen signed my  poster!

Goes to show Canadians keep it classy.

 JGL why you lookin'so smug?!

 High fives all around with Seth Rogen!

 "AHUHEHEHE."That's how he laughs. 


Keepin it classy Rogen. Keepin' it classy.