Author Archives: Feisal Merali

What does it mean to belong to a fandom today?

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Have you ever felt like you really got into a TV show, a movie, or a series of any kind where you wanted to learn as much as you can, and talk to other people that share the same interests? If so, welcome to a fandom, and if not, welcome to what a fandom is.

If you are new to what a fandom is, the negative connotation tends to lead people away from joining them, or showing interests in shows because of the fanbase that the show has, or the stereotypes of the fans.

In some cases, the stereotypes can be true. For some shows, the majority of the fan base can be negative or toxic and be scary to be around, but in other cases, those people that cause the stereotype are the loud minority, making it hard for others to join them due to a fear of being judged for joining.

If you do decide to join a fandom, it’s like joining a community. One where people care about the same thing that you do. It could be a show or a book, or even a video game for that matter. It’s a place where you are able to share your theories about the story, and the characters involved.

It’s all surrounded by one main interest, so it feels like you all have a common connection, and while this may sound a bit cult-ish, I can promise it’s not. Think of it like a sports fandom. In sports fandoms, you talk about trade rumors, player signings, news from the team, and build narratives with other fans, or just get excited for the next game.

Think of that but with the connotation of a book. Instead of trade rumors, think of leaks for a new chapter or new novel in a series. Player signings are like when a new novel gets announced. News from the team is when the author gives an interview. Building narratives with other fans is theory crafting for the next novel, thinking what’s going to happen next, and getting excited for the next game is when the next novel gets released, getting excited about that.

 

There are also events where you can go and meet up with fans of the same series. Some events like Comic-Con provide a space for fans to join together and experience panels and events around their favorite series. There’s more examples of events like this, and they can get pretty niche depending on the topic.

So it’s not scarry to get involved with a fandom, or show your interest in a piece of media. Feel comfortable with what you are a fan of, and feel free to join a group that shares those same interests. Who knows, you might just make a bunch of friends along the way.

Coachella Has Changed, But Is It For The Better?

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Coachella was not always the social media infused, influencer filled, take out a second mortgage to pay for one ticket music festival that is is today.

Founded back in 1999 by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen, the first Coachella music festival ran from October 9th to October 10th in Indo, California. The first festival featured the headliners of Beck, Tool, and Rage Against The Machine. The goal of the original Coachella was to be a place or a festival for alternative music, music that was artist driven, and a place away from mainstream festivals.

Despite what we would consider a once in a lifetime opportunity to see such big name acts, the first Coachella was originally a failure, selling only around 25,000 tickets despite the big names acts and actually lost around $1 million, with the primary cause for this monumental loss being blamed primarily on the extreme heat.

Since that first weekend in 1999, and returning in 2001, the festival has returned as a mainstay on the music festival scene. Drawing in big artists and even bigger crowds every year, but when you look at it now it feels like a completely different festival compared to the original vision.

Now when you look at Coachella, you see see all the the influencer posts with their outfits of the day, and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to get in and to find an area to camp out for the weekend.

It has turned from a music festival to be a change of pace from the mainstream music and mainstream festivals to being overtaken by the mainstream media and influencers. It has turned from a who’s that playing on stage into a who’s who of media influencers,.

It feels as if the entirety of the festival has turned more into a social media stunt rather than a music festival from the outside looking in, distracting from the original purpose of the festival.

That being said, the meaning of the festival can change over time, and it seemingly has in today’s day and age. It has meant that the festival is profitable and popular in the main stream media, and seen as the crown jewel of festivals to play at.

Maybe it’s time that allowed the festival to change and become the monster that it is now, both in terms of the artists that play it, and the pop culture event that it has become over the couple of years.

Dating Culture Has Changed…

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As a young person, or as some of my friends would say “younger”, if you’re single in today’s day and age, it’s harder to find someone that you would want to get into a relationship with.

The entire dating culture has changed in the era of social media and dating apps. In the past, there was a large focus on a more natural, more human oriented introductions. Meaning that you would meet people at work, or through friends and family, or even at religious events.

This not only made the connections more human, but also more geological limited to where you lived at the time. In today’s digital age, those same limitations and ways of meeting people are not there anymore.

Through the smartphone era, dating has become more gamified. On apps like Tinder or Bumble, it’s more like you’re swiping through a deck of cards rather than swiping through actual people.

It gives a more of a disconnect between the actual people that you’re talking to and looking at rather than remembering that they’re all people with lives, and personalities. The choices also overwhelm you, making it feel like there’s always a better option out there rather than what’s in front of you and that you’re happy with.

A lot of the dating culture now is also around more material matters rather than connection and feelings. The need for stable employment has always been a factor, both in the past and today, but now it seems like how much you make at that stable job makes more of an impact now more than ever.

It also doesn’t help that due to dating apps, looks have also become much more important, due to the fact that you aren’t meeting them in person and only looking at their face and a small biography on their account.

A Digital Representation of the Gamification of Dating Apps. (Credit: Sammy Sander via Pixabay)

This has led to a lot of the younger generations becoming burnt out on dating applications, and steering back towards more human connection. There have been movements to put more earnest and personable biographies and factoids rather than the cool and detached that were the personas that dominated applications in the past.

The question is if this trend in dating culture will continue. Will we continue to see the trend to more in person contact and meets, or will we see the dating culture continue to rely on applications and just a revolving trend of how to write your biography.

I, for one, am hoping that we go back to face to face meetings, and put the apps behind us.

Being A Mixed Child Is A Lot More Different Than You Think

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How many of your friends are from mixed backgrounds and you look at them and think that they are really lucky to be from a mixed background, and the opportunities that it can offer, but that’s not always the case.

Personally, I come from a mixed background. My mother’s family comes from New Zealand and my father’s side of the family comes from India. From a cultural standpoint, both could not be more different.

Growing up, I never really noticed how different that I was from everyone around me on either side of the family. I thought that I was fitting in, just like how every kid plays and grows up. It wasn’t until I grew older that I noticed differences around me and the people on both sides of my family.

After talking to other people that are also from mixed backgrounds, I think it’s fair to make the observation that we never really feel like we fit into either side completely. Sometimes it feels like we stick out like a sore thumb because we’re not engrossed enough in the culture of one side over the other, other times it’s due to prejudice that we aren’t fully accepted.

From a culture standpoint, sometimes that makes it hard to embrace where you come from, and how it makes up who you are as a person. From my experience, I was never able to fully grasp one side of the family versus the other.

I could never fully embrace my dad’s side of the family with my Indian heritage, and I have never actually fully embraced my New Zealand side either, not knowing the cultures and pastimes of my family in the slightest.

Talking to others as well, they have shared the same sentiments. It never feels like we can fully embrace who we are and where we come from, and in my case, it has led me to more embrace who I am as a Canadian rather than where I came from.

Hockey

Hockey, one of Canada’s biggest pastimes (Credit: Mark Mauno via Flickr)

I am more passionate about Canadian topics, pastimes, and cultures rather than my parent’s backgrounds. I tend to lean towards more modern events, like gaming or going out to events rather than what my family would have traditionally done.

Thankfully for me, my parents have seen this and accepted that this is what I want to do, but for others in the same boat, it can be hard to get to that point. The best advice that I can suggest to those that are going through the same struggle to embrace one culture over the other is to embrace what feels right to you, don’t sweat the small things and be true to yourself. Your personal culture will come to you with time.

Canucks Team Awards Announced

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Since the Vancouver Canucks have finished the season, that means that it’s time for the team to announce the awards for the team. This includes awards like most valuable player, best defenseman, and more.

Filip Hronek won two awards at the end of the year. He won both the Cyclone Taylor trophy for most valuable player, and the Walter Pratt trophy for the best defenceman on the team.

Since Quinn Hughes was traded earlier in the year, it has opened the door for Filip to win the Walter Pratt trophy. In fact, this year was the first time that he had received votes for either award, and ended up winning both of them for the team.

He led all Canucks defencemen in points and ice time this year, with 48 points and an average time on ice of twenty four minutes and fifty nine seconds. Both measurements were career highs for Filip. He also represented Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he registered five points in five games.

Zeev Buium won an award as well. In his first season with the Vancouver Canucks, he received the Pavel Bure Award for being the most exciting player on the ice for the team. Though harder to measure in actual metrics, but his time on ice and explosive plays is not to be discounted in the slightest.

As a rookie winning the award, he joins some pretty good company. Some of the other players that have won the same award as a rookie recently are Brock Boeser from the 2017-2018 season, and Elias Pettersson from the 2018-2019 season.

For the Fred J. Hume Award, the winner was Drew O’Connor. Coming off of his first full year with the team, he set a new career-high seventeen goals, and hit the 100-point mark on his career during a game against the Florida Panthers on March 14th, 2026, and that includes two shorthanded goals.

Despite a down season, Elias Pettersson won the Cyrus H. McLean trophy for being the team’s leading scorer. He led the team this year with 49 points through 72 games, including 11 multi-point outings and 10 power play assists on the year. He also hit the 200 goal, 300 assist and 500 point milestones this year to cap everything off.

Finally, Brock Boeser won both the Three Stars Award, and the Daniel & Henrik Sedin Community Award. Brock was selected seven times this season as one of the three stars after a game. He hit the 20-goal plateau this year for the seventh time, joining seven other players from the 2015 draft class.

He also showed community effort and outreach towards the Vancouver community. He had donated tickets to every home game to the BC Children’s Hospital or Parkinson Society BC, as he has done for the past five years through his ticket program Boeser’s Beauties. This isn’t the first time he’s won this award, winning it for the first time after the 2022-2023 season.

2026 NHL Playoffs Update – Western Conference

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The best playoffs in all of professional sports, the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, has kicked off for the 2026 season, and the western conference is in full swing. Each team has played at least two games so far, so let’s take a look and see how each series is going so far.

Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings

Avalanche leads series 2-0

While on paper this series looks like another sweep watch, in reality it is a lot closer than people were expecting. The first game came to an end after a late goal from the Avalanche, and the second game went to overtime, meaning the Avalanche are being pushed to perform by the team from Los Angeles.

Coming into the series, the Colorado Avalanche were heavy favorites, and were expected to out perform the Kings in each game in the series. That being said, the Kings are performing better than anyone could have expected.

It is now time for Los Angeles to defend home ice against the best team in the league. Their next game will be on Thursday, April 23rd at 7:00 PM PST.

Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild

Stars lead series 2-1

After the first game of this series, you would have been in the minority to predict that Dallas would have a lead in the series after three games. The first game was a stomp, where Minnesota came out firing on all cylinders, beating the Stars six to one.

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/2047192299512189105?s=20

The Stars did not take that laying down though. The next two games were wins for Dallas, one on home ice and one in Minnesota, giving them the lead in the series. We could be in for a long series. Game three went to overtime, who knows what else we could be in store for.

The next time we’ll see these two face off will be on Saturday, April 25th at 5:30 PM PST.

Las Vegas Golden Knights vs Utah Mammoth

Series tied 1-1

For a first time team against a Stanley Cup winning team, the Utah Mammoth are holding their ground very well so far. Despite dropping their first playoff game in franchise history, the Mammoth have shown up thanks to playoff star Logan Cooley.

Cooley has scored a goal in both games, and that includes the game winner during game two. For the Las Vegas Golden Knights, both Mark Stone and Nic Dowd were the stars for game one. Both scored less than two minutes apart, securing the win for the Golden Knights.

Now the series goes to Utah, where the Mammoth will host their first ever playoff game. You can watch it live on Friday, April 24th, at 6:30 PM PST.

Anaheim Ducks vs Edmonton Oilers

Series tied 1-1

In a bout between a heavyweight, veteran filled roster with the Edmonton Oilers and the young and feisty Anaheim Ducks who have made it back to the playoffs for the first time for the franchise since 2018.

Despite the final score of four to three in the first game, Edmonton had to come back to win, with the tying goal coming from Jason Dickinson, and then Kasperi Kapanen scoring the winning goal.

Game two was a barn burner, but not for Edmonton. The Ducks came back with a vengeance in game two. Not only did they exploit weaknesses in the Oiler’s defense, they scored on a ton of opportunities, finishing the game with a score of six to two, on hostile ice no less.

Will the young team be able to repeat this showing on home ice, or will the veterans on Edmonton show up and teach the younger players what the playoffs is about? You’ll have to find out on Friday, April 24th at 7:00 PM PST.

2026 NHL Playoffs Update – Eastern Conference

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The NHL playoffs are in full swing, with every team playing at least two games so far in their respective series. Let’s take a look and check in on the Eastern Conference.

Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins

Series Tied 1-1

In their first series back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011, the Buffalo Sabres are back in the playoffs and started their journey towards the Stanley Cup finals against the Boston Bruins.

The first game of the series, the Sabres went down two to nothing all the way into the third period, and with eight minutes left, that’s when the fireworks started. In the span of eight minutes, the Sabres scored four goals to take the game with a final score of four to three.

Game two, however, was a different tale. Boston jumped out to an early four to nothing lead, and withstood another late surge from Buffalo to finish the game with a final score of four to two.

The series is now tied at one apiece, and the next two games will be held in Boston, with game three scheduled to happen on Thursday, April 23rd at 4:00 PM PDT.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs MontrĂŠal Canadiens

Series Tied 1-1

The Canadiens are back in the playoffs, and they are starting their playoff journey against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In both games played so far, both games have gone into overtime, but each time a different team has come out the winner.

In the first game of the series, it was the young star Juraj Slafkovsky that made his statement on the series early, scoring a hattrick against the Lightning, and gave the Canadiens an early series lead.

Game two, however, was the Lightning’s turn to avoid a deficit in the series heading into MontrĂŠal. Defenseman J.J. Moser scored the game winning overtime goal, tying the series up as the series now moves to MontrĂŠal for the next two games to be played.

Game three of the series will be played on Friday, April 24th at 4:00 PM PST.

 

Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators

Carolina Leads 2-0

In the first of three sweep watches of the playoffs so far, we have the Carolina Hurricanes taking on the Ottawa Senators. The series has been only close in one game, and that was the second game of the series, where the game went into double overtime.

To push the series to a two to zero lead, Jordan Martinook scored the game winning goal over ninety minutes after the game started. After defending home ice, the series now moves to Ottawa, Senators will hope to get more out of the rest of the roster after getting a stand out performance from their goalies in the last two games.

The next game of the series will be on Thursday, April 23rd at 4:30 PM PST.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers lead 3-0

The battle for Pennsylvania has turned into a potential sweep watch, with the Flyers currently holding a three to nothing series lead against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Not only have the Flyers completely neutralized the star player of the Penguins, Sidney Crosby, they have also held him scoreless through two games.

After taking two games in Pittsburgh, and one game at home in Philadelphia, the Flyers can look to eliminate the Penguins on Saturday, April 25th when the puck drops at 5:00 PM PST.

Rave Culture, Does It Actually Exist?

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When you think of a rave, typically you think of loud music, drinking, dancing, and a whole host of other activities, but you don’t think of the culture surrounding it, and the people that attend these events.

Contrary to popular belief, there is a strong sense of community among people who regularly go to raves. It should also be mentioned that raving is different from going to a night club. There is a difference between the people that attend the events as well as the general atmosphere and attitude of those who attend.

The overarching acronym that surrounds the rave community and rave culture is the acronym PLUR. It means Peace, Love, Unity and Respect. The whole idea of PLUR is an idea of creating a safe space for people to be who they want to be without the fear of judgment or fear of being treated poorly because they are different.

The main idea started in the 1990’s but has evolved and looks different today. The main idea of PLUR is still around and strong today, but is also seen as a way to prevent harm. If you go to a rave, or even a music festival, you will see people with water handing it out to complete strangers, picking someone up when they fall down, and making sure that no matter what, everyone is safe.

Another thing that is a big part of the culture and community is something called Kandi trading. Something that you’ve probably noticed is that people will walk around with lots of colorful jewelry on their wrists, or around their necks. This is what is known in the community as kandi.

Kandi

An example of kandi that could be handed out at a rave (Credit: Mikayla Fitzgerald via Flickr)

A lot, if not all, of kandi is home made. Usually it’ll involve some kind of icon or imagery that incorporates the event that is going on or where it’s being traded. If you’re going to a specific event, usually the artist’s logo will be on at least one piece or their colours will be included. This means that Kandi is not only a combination of individual artistic expression, but also identifiable with what event it came from.

Kandi is not just given out either, it is traded, or a specific handshake is done before kandi is exchanged. The two people touch peace signs, form a heart, touch palms, and then slide the bracelet over. Each step represents a part of PLUR, meaning it’s engrained in everything, big and small.

The Nat Celebrates 75 Years

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Nat Bailey Stadium, or more fondly known as “The Nat” is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and this means promotions and celebrations all year long this year.

Originally known as Capilano Stadium when it opened in 1951, the Nat Bailey Stadium has seemingly been around Vancouver for as long as anyone can remember.

Named after the founder of iconic BC restaurant chain White Spot, the stadium has become a fixture in the Vancouver Sports scene. With the backdrop of the North Shore mountains, the stadium is one that is worth visiting for anyone that is a sports fan in Vancouver, or anyone that hasn’t been before.

This year is an even better year to visit, purely because of the celebrations going on this year at the stadium. For the Vancouver Canadians, they have celebrated the anniversary by debuting their throwback jerseys that pay homage to the original jerseys that were worn when the stadium was brand new.

On the team side, there’s going to be promotions going on during select home games at Nat Bailey stadium. For example, every Tuesday is going to be the home game where they wear the special celebration jerseys that were mentioned before.

On top of that, this season will always be the debut of Filipino Celebration Day on April 11th, and the return of South Asian Heritage Day on May 16th. Both will be tributes and celebrations of the communities that make up Vancouver and the surrounding areas, and the impact that they’ve had on the area.

There will also be guest appearances during the season. On July 11th, the Vancouver Canadians will host Kevin Pillar on July 11th, and James Paxton on August 29th. If you’re a fan of baseball or the Blue Jays, these two former players are legends in their own right and the amount of space needed to give them justice will not be enough.

While those are all weekly and special promotions, the daily promotions are still here as well as is part of the Vancouver Canadians tradition. the RBC We Care Wednesdays return this year, as well as the FortisBC ‘Nooners, and White Spot Family Fun on Saturdays.

There will be fireworks set off five times this year, as well as the debut of the Nat Bailey Tuesdays, where a different era of The Nat will be highlighted, as part of the season-long festivities.

If you want to find out more about the schedule, the team, or where to find tickets, you can click right here.

The Vancouver Canadians Are Back In Action

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The Vancouver Canadians are back in action at the Nat Bailey Stadium, on top of celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Nat Bailey Stadium.

The Vancouver Canadians, the High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, have been on a hot streak so far this year, despite their record so far this season being six wins and nine losses.

The excitement comes with the arrival of new prospects to the team. Three of those new standouts include Arjun Nimmala, Tucker Toman, and Carter Cunningham.

The biggest stand out would have to be Arjun Nimmala, who was the #3 prospect for the Toronto Blue Jays. The highest drafted first generation Indian-American ever taken in any of the four major North American sports has finally bounced out of his sophomore slump.

During the game against Spokane, he led the team to their first series win this season, with a three hit game to round it out. For a player with thin frame, he has become known for his vicious power with his hitting. He’s hit a single clocked at 111 miles per hour. The average exit velocity for players in the MLB is only 88 or 89 miles per hour. Keep in mind he is only in his 20’s right now, and only has space to grow.

The second standout for the Vancouver Canadians, Tucker Toman, has been refining his play in with the team during his tenure. Prior to his time on the team, he was struggling with the Blue Jays affiliate in the lower leagues, but now has seemed to find his stride as of late.

Being the son of Jim Toman, the legendary baseball coach of South Carolina, he didn’t just grow up playing baseball, he lived it. He is a grinder, and has seen it pay off in recent games. In a game against the Spokane Indians on April 16th, he hit the first grand slam of his career, leading the team to a comeback victory 9-7.

The Canadians are definitely one the upswing right now, and it’s also a perfect chance to see the next generation of Blue Jays players take the field in our own back yard.

If you want to find out how to see the players talked about today, and  even more that are on the roster, or even to join in the Nat Bailey’s festivities to celebrate the anniversary of the stadium, you can click here to find out more!