In the many posts on Biolyrics I've made over the years and the many political stances I've made on U.S. and world politics, it occurs to me that I've never spoken about my own past. The events in the Gaza Strip and some people I met today have motivated me to share a bit about myself and to propose my own ideas about the issues surrounding the Middle East.
Of
the many great experiences I had in Syria, some of my favourites were
at family gatherings and parties. Of course, the sort of reunions
that happen in the "Old Country" are far more lively than the
usual Christmas get-togethers that North Americans participate in.
For one thing, because I was the only one from my household in Utah
to visit family in Syria, I was constantly taken from relative to
relative, meeting people aged from less than a month to 80+ years.
Family in Syria means not just one's aunts and uncles, but also their
children's relatives. It means that I not only met people distantly
related to me by 2nd
or 3rd
generational gaps, but also be met every friend, distant relative,
and acquaintance of everyone else's friends, relatives, and
acquaintances. I probably met 100+ different people from a wide array
of backgrounds and professions: from business to dentistry. The
family dynamic in Syria is broad, to say the least.
Today is a big beginning for me. I'm moving to Vancouver. Though I do so for school right now, who knows? I may live there if I enjoy the city. I certainly won't be moving back to Utah.
I hope to keep everyone updated on this blog; it will be one of the many ways to keep in touch.
I've been in Montréal for the last week for a family reunion, and even now have been startled by many new, wonderful things.
In moving from the United States to Canada, an outside observer may note little to no difference, but in living it personally I've noticed that there are some significant changes I'm making.
Firstly, I have always been a Canadian citizen, but I only lived in Canada during the gulf war. My dad's work forced us to stay in Utah. Utah has many issues that I may never come to terms with, the least of which being the general ignorance and lack of culture that turns that society into a state full of "white-breaded zombies": lacking personal thought and having to append full utility to all of their actions; i.e. art and philosophy are considered past-times and not pursuits of knowledge.
Some other observations I've noted are in the different societal norms between these two countries. Health care is considered a human right, not a privilege; indeed, humanity is far more respected here. Also, sexual topics are not as taboo in Canadian society. Alcohol is consumed responsibly, and in British Columbia, one only has to be 19 to purchase it (though I still disagree with that age).
Being in Quebec for the last week has made me regret not learning French, though I have resolved to learn it; I've signed up for a beginning French class in Vancouver.
Another difference of note is technology, mainly communications. Internet access is difficult and often expensive, many internet providers do only allocate limited amounts of data; i.e. 20 megabytes a day; 10 gigs a month. I find this ridiculous, but I hope it will be resolved by the time I move out of the dorms. Also, I had to purchase a cellular phone, in the U.S. all calls in the U.S. are considered "local" and do not add extra to the bill, but in Canada, I have to purchase an extra plan just to call Winnipeg from Vancouver with a limited amount of minutes.
In general though, I'm finding I enjoy Canada's environment more and more. I will continue to write more and more about my experiences here.
