Author Archives: Kamryn Hamagami-Postill

Creature Of Habit

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One thing about me is that I’m a massive movie re-watcher. To be honest, I don’t even really care about any of the new stuff. I mean sure I’m looking forward to Happy Gilmore 2 but probably only because I’ve seen the OG Happy Gilmore probably over 10 times.

Harper Theatre in Detroit

And this isn’t just something that started recently. Back when Frozen came out I was hooked. For some reason I couldn’t  get enough of” Let It Go” and the whole Elsa thing. I guess I’m just a creature of habit. 

My friends are over it. Every movie night when it comes down to finally picking the movie and you have all your snacks ready my answer is the same every time. “The Hangover! Any of them! You guys pick 1,2,or 3” they usually just straight up ignore me, or shoot me a dirty look and continue flipping through Netflix. I can’t blame them though, they entertained me for awhile with the re-watches but now they are just over my antics. 

Popcorn

I think I just like the fact that I can guarantee that when I go to relax and watch a movie, I can just sit down and I know I’m going to love it. But what’s the fun in that? I mean I think it’s fun. It would be worse if I put something on that I didn’t like right? I’d rather put my eggs all into one basket knowing I’m going to love it rather than hate it. There’s nothing better than your favourite comfort classic. 

I guess you could view me as someone who doesn’t like to step out of their comfort zone. You’re not completely wrong, but not completely right either, I can be spontaneous! Just not with my movie taste.. 

Don’t get me started on TV shows either, this may come as a surprise (or not) but I rarely watch a new TV show. I just cycle through my favourites. Start to end and then onto the next. Some of my go-tos are Gilmore Girls, Dead to Me, Greys Anatomy, and of course, The Bachelor. I know, I know judge me all you want, I can take it. I got my system down and no judgement will change my mind.

So what side are you on? Team re-watchers, or team try something new? 

 

Caffeine Craze

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Everything that goes up must go down. It’s a simple law of gravity. But this law doesn;t just apply to gravity, it applies to you too. The high then the crash, the buzz to the zzz, and the energy to exhaustion. It’s a hidden drug we all feel like we can’t live without. Our body craves it and we feel like we need it to get through the day. Caffeine. 

Monster, energy drink!

Studying till 3am, getting to class for 8:30, repeating it day in and day out, fuelling yourself with whatever you can get in between and of course, caffeine. A situation almost every college student has experienced at one point or another. Finals week or just a project, you know it can be fueled by just putting some gas in the tank (caffeine).

It used to be starting your day with a nice cup of coffee and making sure to not have any more caffeine past 3pm, but now the culture of caffeine and how we consume it has changed drastically. Dry scooping pre workout before leg day, pounding a Celcius first thing in the morning, or even a vodka Redbull on a night out to keep you going the whole night (I guess the whole no caffeine after 3pm flew out the window hey?). 

College students (me included) are abusing caffeine but it’s just seen as normal. Even on the side of the energy drink I’m drinking right now says you shouldn’t have more than one of these a day but what they don’t know is I’ve already had my morning coffee, now this, and then probably something more to keep me going into the late afternoon. 

Mini One Redbull

It’s all just a vicious cycle that is way too easy to get trapped in. Stayed up too late studying then you woke up early for class? Energy drink to power through the day. But guess what? Now you can’t sleep, so you’re going to toss and turn the whole night wishing you didn’t have that drink. Then you’re going to wake up tired and groggy from not sleeping and then I bet you can guess the next move, cracking another one right open. You’re stuck in the cycle. 

And the only way to get out? Breaking the cycle. Feeling the feeling of being tired, having the struggle of making it through the day, and hitting the pillow for a good night’s rest. But to be honest, I don’t plan on quitting caffeine any time soon, so you do you.

Beautiful BC

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Beautiful British Columbia. The great outdoors. From sea to shining sky, we have it all. British Columbians are known for their strong outdoor culture and active stereotype. Hiking the trails on the North Shore, running the seawalls, or biking around town, if you’re from Vancouver, I can bet my bottom dollar you’ve done one of these things once or twice.

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I have to say the BC culture and stereotype that comes along with it rocks. Like imagine we were stereotyped how some of our friends are just south of us? Ya, not cool. We have it good, the reputation that we’re all into health and wellness is something I wanna be known for. I’m also a big advocate for leaning into the culture. Yes, you will see me strolling on the seawall with an overpriced coffee in hand. Or yes, I do spend my free time on the slopes. 

I honestly think BC and Vancouver in general can be taken for granted. Try to name somewhere else where you can take a dip in the ocean and go skiing all in one day? I mean I guess you could say California, but in Canada, I don’t think so. I don’t think enough people take advantage of our backyard in BC. Stunning gorgeous mountain trails? Ocean walks? Sign me up! On my days off you’re certain to catch me somewhere in the mountains. I think it’s so wholesome seeing everyone enjoying it as well. It honestly makes me really happy.

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Some of the stereotypes Vancouverites have are pretty funny, and while most of them are true they are still fun to laugh about. My favourite one is that everyone in Vancouver owns an Arcteryx jacket. Really you think I can just go drop $600+ on one raincoat? I’m flattered! Every little area has its own vibe as well which makes Vancouver culture so versatile. If you’re from Deep Cove I guarantee you’re into kayaking and paddle boarding. I mean how couldn’t you be, the beach is minutes from your door! If you hang around the Yaletown area then I bet your ideal Saturday is pilates then brunch then heading out for a night on the town. 

Vancouverites are all so similar yet different, it’s what makes our culture so rich, everyone has something to add and hobbies that they like more than others, it’s what makes Vancouver and BC all together, so special.

 

Needs Vs. Wants

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Whether it’s the one is never enough mentality, or always wanting to be on top of the latest trends, overconsumption culture has gotten too far out of hand. 

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The other day I was scrolling through TikTok when I saw a girl talk about “project pan”. What the heck can this be now? Well I’ll tell you what it is. It’s a bunch of beauty influencers coming up with the idea to use up all their products before buying new ones. Isn’t that just a normal thing we all do? Well that’s what I thought until I deep dived into the comments and saw how this “project pan” is an actual trend people are taking part of this year. I even saw this one girl comment “Can’t wait to hit pan on my blush so I can try a new one out”. And I guess I took this comment 2 ways. 1 being that at least she’s using up her blush (that’s where the pan comes from, hitting the pan of the product). And 2 why is this even a thing.

Overconsumption culture has taken over the human thought process. Like honestly. It’s flooding your feeds and your mind. Try this new thing, buy this thing you can’t live without, new formula, make your life better, these are all statements used to trick us into thinking we really can’t live without the product they are trying to sell.

And I’m not innocent, and one thing I’m guilty of over consuming is water bottles. At least I’m aware of this now and have learned it’s really not necessary to buy the new trendiest water bottle, but before, wow, it was like I was hypnotized. This one has a straw, I need it. this one’s leak proof, I need it. And now I have a drawer filled with water bottles and I use the same one everyday, pointless. 

So I guess overconsumption culture affects people in different ways cause personally I don’t find the need to have more than the one blush I use but if you ask me about water bottles that’s a whole other ball game. 

Overconsumption can be sneaky. It’s like being tricked and the seller is wearing a mask trying to fool you into the next big thing. Or it can be like an angel and a devil on your shoulder, the angel is telling you to save your money and you don’t need it while the devil is trying to say this new product will change your life. 

Don’t get me wrong a good shopping spree can be fun but to be honest besides the new outfit all it’s doing is harming the environment and your bank account. My hack is to narrow it down to needs vs. wants. Is this something you need? Or just a want? 

 

Why Is January So Awful?

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For a month that’s practically built up around new beginnings, fresh starts, habits, and being the best version of yourself, January kinda sucks. And it isn’t just me who feels this way, I talked to 3 separate friends and my mom and we all came to the same conclusion – January sucks. 

Fireworks

“January is just one of those months you feel every day of” my friend told me this today and I’ve never resonated harder with something in my life. I mean it;s so true. I have felt every day. Something has happened every day. Most months I just feel it slip away before I can even blink twice, but January is feeling like all the months in one and I’m starting to be done with it. 

There’s even a “blue Monday” in January. As if Monday’s aren’t the worst already! Now we need to title a monday “blue Monday” like cmon! Give me a break! It’s literally known as the most depressing Monday of the whole year and duhhhhh of course it falls in January. For those of you who skipped over it without noticing, I’m envious, but I certainly did it, it was one week ago today where I bought a lovely vanilla latte, put it on the roof of my car to put my back in, and drove off. And on top of that. My window was down. At least the bright side was that my freshly washed hair smelt like vanilla … hip hip hurray. 

For there to be such a huge culture around having January be the beginning of turning your life around, I sure feel like my life is just heading in a backwards direction. The days are still short, it’s freezing, and let’s be honest, going right back into the swing of things after a gorgeous holiday off just sucks. I’m beginning to think I’d rather just have no holiday then I wouldn’t get a taste for that freedom and crave it in the months after. 

Without Snow You'd Never Know People Were Here

I think a big reason January can be such a let down is because everyone usually has such high expectations for it. Like “I’m going to run 5k everyday and drink so much water and only eat kale!” no kidding you only lasted a day, that’s just setting yourself up for failure which will lead to the January blues. Mix those emotions with all the dry Januaryers (me) and you got the recipe for disaster. But don’t worry, the countdown is on only 4 days left till February.  

Big Schools VS. Small Schools

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When you think of the typical university experience I bet you imagine frat parties, sororities, wine Wednesday’s, partying almost every night of the week, roommates, dorms, and of course getting an education. When I was in high school and starting to apply to schools I couldn’t wait to get to university. So much freedom to do whatever, whenever, it all sounded great. 

University of Illinois Autumn

Skip forward a couple years and I am definitely not getting that full university life experience but honestly I’m not regretting it. I did go to a bigger university for my first year of school but I transferred out, took a gap year and ended up at BCIT. I can definitely say from getting to experience both opposite post secondary lifes, I prefer the culture of a small school.

First of all, my teachers actually know my names. Sitting in lectures of 200 kids is just overwhelming, and honestly, I don’t even think half the teachers really liked teaching. They just stood up and started yapping, knew nobody’s name, taught the class, and then ended us the final. But at a small school I’m on more than just a first name basis with my teachers, they actually know what I’m working on and what’s going on in the other classes. 

BCIT Burnaby

Having a small class is also awesome. Getting to be close with the same people everyday is something I didn’t expect to like but I actually ended up really appreciating. Before starting at BCIT I was worried about being with the same group for every class, but now I can’t imagine it any other way. 

One of the downsides I find is that with any commuter school the drive does wear it out of you over time. I’m super lucky my commute takes me 45 minutes tops but for some of my classmates it can take up to 2.5 hours… yikes. I know for me the last thing I want to do after a day’s classes is get in my car and sit in traffic, it was super nice to be able to go from the classroom to my dorm in under a 10 minute walk. 

The social life on a big university campus is obviously a lot more present. But in my opinion non-stop partying is overrated. Like really tequila Tuesday, wine Wednesday, and thirsty Thursday? What happened to just good ol’ Friday. 

Small schools and big universities have massively different cultures to them and overall vibes but it’s honestly all subjective. I mean you could definitely find a way to get the party started at a small school, or even force your friends for a night in at a big school. 

The Runners Guide: Getting Started

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A couple years ago if you asked me my thoughts on running I’d say I hate it. Like I really didn’t like running. I felt like I was dying the whole time. I’d start a run, it would feel like an eternity, my cheeks would be bright red, my legs numb, feet sore, and heart pounding, I’d look down at my apple watch, 1km. At a 13 minute pace. So ya, running wasn’t always my thing, but I say always cause now I’m completely obsessed. 

New Year's Day 2018

Some time between 2 years ago and now something changed and I became hooked with running. Now I look forward to my runs, the fresh air runs in the forest, running the seawall with the ocean glistening right in front of you, or even just those days where it’s too rainy or the cold, the good ol’ treadmill runs. 

The feeling I get after running is insane. I feel so accomplished and so tired but it’s a good tired. Like I really did something in my day. But the main event is around the middle of the good run, when you feel on top of the world, you feel like your running clouds, and nothing can stop you. The runner’s high. 

When I started running I honestly thought the whole runner’s high thing was fake. Like common? Really? How can you get that feeling from running? Running the worst! These are all the thoughts I had before I got runners high but once you experience it it keeps you hooked and wanting to run longer. I guess it’s just the huge endorphin release and all the dopamine from exercise running through your body. But it sure is a good feeling that either sets your day up for success or if you’re having a not so good day, can turn your whole day around. 

AMAGER PARKRUN NO. 413 179

The hardest part about starting a run is getting and just going, so if you can just tell yourself get out there and run for 5 minutes I can also guarantee you will be out there for more than 5 minutes and if not, you can pat yourself on the back for even getting out there! 

Once you get into the habit try running for 30 seconds and then walking for 30 seconds and see how far you can go. Then step it up a notch and see if you can do 1km running, 1km walking. Running is a sport that anyone can do. Practice makes perfect and I promise you if you stick with it, you can become a runner in no time.

The Power Of Coffee

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The other day I was talking to my friend about the power of coffee shops.

Flat White

I mean a coffee date/meeting can work for just about anything. Blind date, grab a coffee and go for a walk. Seeing an old friend, meet at a coffee shop. Hanging out with a coworker on lunch break? you guessed it, coffee shop. And that’s only naming a few! I mean think of it, any scenario works for a coffee shop date. 

The coffee shop culture really does stretch worldwide. No matter where you are in the world, coffee shops all have the same universal vibe that make them a familiar safe space. Whether you’re out and about in downtown Vancouver or even walking the streets of Paris, you can expect the exact same thing – coffee! But this is the best part no matter where you are, you can have a little piece of home because unless you are a coffee freak, it all tastes the same, and the language is practically universal as well! Your favourite chain may be in different countries too! Like look at Starbucks, it’s everywhere so you have that little piece of home as soon as you step into a Starbucks, pretty great right. 

Sometimes it can be awkward meeting new people, especially if you aren’t a super social butterfly and outgoing like me, but you know what can save you in those times? Coffee. I don’t know the amount of times I’ve used a coffee shop as a place to meet up with unfamiliar people or even start that group project that’s due soon. It’s just the best place to break the ice. 

Coffee shop #Covid

The one thing that doesn’t maintain to be too similar in the coffee world is prices. I’ve seen some pretty outrageous prices for one simple cup of coffee. I mean yea, I do get the whole thing for paying for a fun holiday drink like a pumpkin spice latte or a peppermint mocha, but really $10? That’s pretty steep for a cup of joe. 

At the end of the day, coffee shops are just the best.  It doesn’t matter where you are or who you’re meeting—it’s the one thing that can turn an awkward situation into something comfortable and familiar and that all people can agree on. 

Don’t Count The Days….

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As the weekend comes to a close and Sunday night is getting closer I can’t help but get this feeling of dread. The week can be a lot, and 5 full days of the grind can be overwhelming. If you’re anything like me then I bet once you go to bed on a Sunday night you’re already counting down the days till Friday.

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When I was younger there was a little coffee shop near my house that had a sign “don’t count the days, make the days”. I don’t think I’ve ever had something stuck with me so much as this statement. 

There’s this huge culture around the whole TGIF thing and just living for the weekend. I’m even guilty of it too, but now and again I think of that message and it really puts things into perspective for me. I’m counting down and wanting to get past 5 days just so I can live for 2? And on the last day of the weekend I’m already feeling anxious for the next week? Kinda sad. And I know a lot of the world feels this way too? So why do we all just collectively carry the TGIF attitude with us?

And I know not everyone is going to loveeee their job and sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do to put food on your plate and a roof over your head but there has to be some kind of cheat code to living your life to the fullest 7 days a week right? The average human if lucky lives around 27,000 days (wow right) and guess how many days of those are weekends? 3910. So if we’re just living for the weekend we are dreading around 23,000 of those days. 23,000 days where you’re just passing time to the weekend.

I’ve always just waited around for the weekend, passing time throughout the weekdays just to get to Friday. But I realized that I am doing it all wrong, life is about balance, and if I only have 27,000 days to live I’m making the most of every second. 

Ya I know it can be hard with the 9-5 grind and finding time to do things but hey, even something as small as an afterwork walk with a coworker, or going out for a quick bite to eat? Maybe even trying out a workout class before work? Just adding something to your day other than the work grind makes a huge difference. Get out there and don’t just count the days, make them count. 

Underrated Sports: Part 2

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Time and time again, I find myself turning to the same three leagues for my sports fix: the NFL, NHL, and NBA. I mean, can you blame me? That’s where the action is, and during the season, there’s always something exciting to watch. But when your team has a day off, or you need a break and want to switch it up, I have some underrated sports that are worth the watch and filled with excitement and action. 

  • Gymnastics

I mean I do carry a bit of bias with this one because growing up I was a gymnast but even if you are a retired gymnast or just a fan of watching sports gymnastics will definitely put you on the edge of your seat all the way from the warm ups to the podium. And it’s not like you’re just watching the same thing the whole time. Gymnastics has 4 main events: the bars, beam, floor, and vault. So that’s 4 different events to keep you entertained the whole time. Gymnastics is a mesmerizing sport that balances strength and endurance with grace and beauty. So if you’re looking for something a bit different then your usual go-tos, gymnastics is for sure one you don’t want to miss. 

Lori Gillan 2019-02-19- Gymnastics Ladies-8

  • Synchronized Swimming

This is one that I’ve recently caught on to, and again it balances the whole strength and endurance with grace and beauty like gymnastics does. I mean really, these athletes are holding their breath for long periods of time while doing movements that take some serious strength, while being synchronized, andddd while looking graceful! Insane! I also love their outfits that they wear and their mannerisms before they even get into the pool. 

syncronized swimming

  • Waterpolo

Sticking to sports in the pool, waterpolo. Even if I wanted to try water polo I couldn’t. The reason I love watching waterpolo is because I can’t get over how physically demanding of a sport it is. Imagine swimming back and forth in a pool for nearly an hour while battling it out with six other players, trying to score goals. Now add the fact that there’s no standing—you’re constantly treading water or swimming at full speed. And on top of that? The players are tough. Grabbing, pulling, and kicking, kinda like underwater MMA. I would not even stand a chance. 

Water Polo-Masculino

 

These are just some sports I believe deserve a bit more of the spotlight in the world of sports. They are all so different and fun and I never want to take my eyes off the TV! So if you’re looking for a new sport to keep you on the edge of your seat, check these guys out.