Archives for November 2021

by Glenice Lilje

 

Productivity

If there were more hours in a day, I would probably just use that time to catch up on sleep.  My days off are sometimes lost to neglected house work instead of taking the time to reset and center myself.  Sure, I know I have some bad habits.  I admit to procrastinating and leaving projects or assignments until the 11^th hour.  I’d like to say that I work best under pressure, but that is definitely not the case.  Most of the time, the result ends up being a caffeine fueled evening producing a haphazardly put together paper with hopes of a passing grade and a migraine to top it all off.

Now I’ve tried to remedy this with the intent of starting a project in advance only to get hit with whatever distractions that come my way. I’ve tried setting reminders and hiding my phone to prevent from getting side-tracked. I’ve even tried to change locations and attempt to do work from a nearby library or a coffee shop, only to stop to people-watch or eat copious amounts of croissants.

If you’re like me, then you may need some guidance on increasing productivity and procrastinate less. It could be as easy as finding the right time of day when we perform our best, or learning to prioritize our projects by working on the more time-consuming ones first.  We can also create a task-list each day to keep us on track. Whatever the case may be, I think it is safe to say that we all aspire to have more down-time and to make the most out of our days.

Below are some helpful literature to help understand why we do the things we do and how to help curb our counterproductive habits.

Counterproductive: Time Management in the Knowledge Economy by Melissa Gregg, 2018.

Melissa Gregg is the Principal engineer and Research Director for the Intel Corporation’s Client Computing Group and has worked with many management-consultant gurus. Counterproductive: Time Management in the Knowledge Economy, provides a historical synopsis of how we view time management and productivity in the past century and how these interpretations may have hindered the workforce.  Gregg takes a critical look on what “work” means in today’s world and how the concept and implementation of work will evolve in the years to come. Using race and feminist perspective, the author aims to help the reader rethink the history of time management and challenge the role and value of productivity in a world that is dominated by digital technology.

Get it Done Now! Own Your Time, Take Back Your Life by Brian Tracy, 2020.

Living during the most technologically advanced time, equipped with the tools we need to save time, yet we seem to never have enough. With countless tasks and solutions a mere click away, remaining productivity may still be an obstacle for many. Brian Tracy can explain why in one word: DISTRACTION. Receiving never-ending emails, texts, and notifications that were once a convenience can be now be seen as interruptions seeking to complicate our lives, detering us from accomplishing our goals.  Tracey addresses distractions in its many forms and shows you how to regain your focus.

Available in e-book format from the BCIT Library.

 

Scatterbrain: How the Mind’s Mistakes Make Humans Creative, Innovative, and Successful by Henning Beck, 2019.

Neuroscientist Henning Beck explains why mistakes, missteps and flaws are the keys to success and achieving perfection is pointless. Boredom can spark inspiration. Distractions may be a gateway to creativity.  Misjudging time allows us to make room for valuable memories.  Our brain’s blunders can actually lead to original thinking which computers and artificial intelligence will never be able to replicate. Scatterbrain: How the Mind’s Mistakes Make Humans Creative, Innovative, and Successful offers a refreshing take on the brain’s inner workings and shows us how to appreciate our imperfect brains.

by Glenice Lilje

A Change Has Got to Come

In the last few years, we have seen an uptick of social justice and climate change warriors.  We have witnessed school aged children walk out and strike with Greta Thunberg, pressuring their local politicians for a change.  The Black Lives Matter movement wanting justice and equality for the Black community. We have also witnessed an agricultural crisis in India as farmers unions and leaders fight for unfair laws that do not protect them from private companies seeking to pay them less. At first glance, these protests may not seem to have much in common, but if we get to the crux of them, we can see that they are intrinsically intertwined.

Let’s take a look and one example. Changes in weather impacts water resources which in turn affects the food supply, health, and transportation to name a few.  The inability to access these basic human needs mostly affect vulnerable communities. These communities happen to be primarily made up of people of colour. It’s almost like a domino effect watching as one issue trickles down and branches off affecting many groups and denying them of simple resources that one needs to survive.

Whether or not you follow these causes closely, it’s fair to say that a lot of global citizens are hoping for a change.  The pandemic has opened our eyes to several inequalities resulting in many activists seeking reform from their governments either on the front lines, writing letters to their elected officials or just spreading the word on social media.  We can look to our past and learn from our mistakes or be doomed to repeat them again.  Mahatma Gandhi quotes, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change toward him.”

 Don’t know where to start?  Your nearest library is a great place for helpful resources.  Here are a few to get you started:

These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore, 2018.

In this readable history of the United States, American historian Jill Lepore encompasses most everything from Columbus to Trump. The author narrates major events such as The Revolution, Civil War, both World Wars, the Vietnam War, 9/11, etc.  She also highlights the importance of slavery and women in the roles they played to help shape the nation yet are absent in founding documentation. Lepore’s progressive viewpoint also brings a refreshing take on studying the mistakes of our past to “unlock the prison of the present” while noting the ever continuing debates about guns, abortion and race. Although the author only provides the reader with quick glimpses into the past, Lepore ensures to discuss the ironies and contradictions such as the fact that America was founded on the promise of liberty and independence while practicing slavery and taking over Native American lands.

What Can I Do?  My Path from Climate Despair to Action by Jane Fonda, 2020

“This is the last possible moment in history when changing course can mean saving lives and species on an unimaginable scale.  It’s too late for moderation.” – Jane Fonda

In the fall of 2019, a frustrated Jane Fonda moved to Washington, D.C. to lead thousands of people in weekly climate change protests on Capitol Hill.  In What Can I Do? My Path from Climate Despair to Action, Fonda recounts her personal journey as an activist, shares her conversations with leading climate scientists and inspiring community organizers. Readers will also be presented with data pertaining to other environmental issues such as water, migration and human rights. This book equips the reader with the tools needed to join Fonda in protest with hopes of combating the climate crisis.

Poisoning the Pacific:  The US Military’s Secret Dumping of Plutonium, Chemical Weapons, and Agent Orange by Jon Mitchell, 2020.

Unbeknownst to most, the US Military has been contaminating the Pacific with many toxic substances.  From WW2 to the present, plutonium, dioxin and VX nerve agent, are some of the toxins that have been dumped into the Pacific region causing harmful effects to hundreds of thousands service members, families, residents and of course, the marine population.  Poisoning the Pacific…. reveals the degree of the pollution and mishandling the US Military has caused and the extent to which the Pentagon has gone to conceal it.  Poisoning the Pacific… is a must-read for anyone that is concerned about the impact of US wars, weapon testing, training and daily military training has on the climate and environment.

Available in ebook format.

by Jarrett Seto

I’ve been enamoured by magical realism since first reading One Hundred Years of Solitude on the banks of the Bow River in Alberta. The genre tells a tale in a manner that you’d hear 5 years ago, 50 years ago, or 5000 years ago, sitting around a fire in a dark wood. The fantastical elements are timeless and may be as ancient as the tradition of storytelling itself. Primordial romanticism is the emotion you experience when you’re deeply immersed in a work of magical realism. There’s a sense of wanderlust, of a semi-mythical journey of physical or emotional distance, and a sense of deep rooted familiarity, like we’ve got the stories embedded in our DNA. They’ve been told a thousand times before, but at the same time, they’re completely new and one of a kind.

She Would Be King By Wayétu Moore (2019)

In She Would Be King, experience the formative years of Liberia through the eyes of interesting characters, who happen to discover that they’ve also awoken exceedingly unique powers. Think of them as proto-feminist superheroes, existing in a nation built by former enslaved people from the United States and the Caribbean. Each of the three main characters represent a person from a corner of the transatlantic slave trade. Riveting action and allegory combine in what one could call an elevated intersectional-historical-magical realism masterpiece. Bringing colonial history to life without shying away from its brutalities, Moore manages to captivate you with the strength of her characters.

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto By Mitch Albom (2016)

Six magical blue strings and one guitarist can make a whole lot of change. Frankie is born under a bad sign, escaping Spanish bombs(Oo-ooh child, things are gonna get easier), but he’s the cream of his generation and he’s no pressed rat and warthog about it. One might call him a rambler, or a gambler, a long way from home, or one of the children of the revolution. He makes records, and he might not be playing your song but he changes (turn and face the strange) people’s lives. He carries that weight well, and you’ll enjoy following him on his long and winding road through the Twentieth Century. By the time he gets to Woodstock, he’s been working 9 to 5 as a musician. Whether he’s sittin’ on the dock of the bay or cutting green onions, you’re bound for a magical mystery tour. The way he travels (whether on country roads or Misty Mountain hopping) reminds me of Joni Mitchell’s Coyote, “A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway.” Albom’s love of music resonates through each page, and the writing’s as vivid as a Waterloo Sunset. Frankie’s not one to relax, that’s for sure.

I’ll give you a dollar if you can name all of the musical references above.

Ka: Dar Oakley in the ruin of Ymr By John Crowley (2017)

Meet Dar Oakley, the first crow with a name. Dar’s been around for thousands of years, and has travelled the globe, from Ireland to the land of the dead. He’s acquired knowledge that may be of paramount importance to humanity, and thankfully he’s met a human who’s happened to learn crow (which, in a humourous twist, is said to have regional dialects – check out 12 Fascinating Facts About Crows | Mental Floss). Vivid and graceful writing will entice you to keep reading this book about the finite nature of mortality and the immortality of stories. The concepts are heavy but the writing is the word version of strolling through an orchard lined with tropical plants and colourful wildflowers.

 

 

 

by Glenice Lilje

The Immigrant Experience

My family moved to Canada in the early 1990’s when I was but the wee age of 10.  We stayed with family in the beginning and didn’t know too many people outside of our circle.  Classmates at school had difficulty pointing out the Philippines on the map but had an eagerness to learn more about my heritage and didn’t shy away from asking question. Adjusting to a new country and way of life was difficult at first, even lonely at times.  Slowly, our community grew as well as our social circles and in turn, so did the level of support we received.

Sure, there were times where I still felt like my sister and I stuck out, especially during lunchtime when we would bring dinner leftovers of fried fish and rice while everyone else had PB & J’s. I still remember having to ask friends to take their shoes off when entering my house or explaining the various religious statues on display.  I had different personas where I would be a one person when I was with my family and another when I was at school or around friends. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed of my culture, which was hardly the case, it was just my sister and I wanted so badly to fit in.

Looking back now, I would hardly say that my experience was unique.  Like many other immigrant families who come to Canada, we were in search of more opportunities and for a new way of life. As a newcomer, it made it difficult to realize which cultures I identified with and how my “labels” would fit in with society.  Today, we are fortunate that Canada is a melting pot of many diverse ethnicities and communities where different cultures are welcomed and celebrated. Regardless of the hardships and obstacles we faced when we first moved to Canada, I am forever grateful to my parents for leaving everything they knew so that my sister and I are able to enjoy the life we have built for ourselves today.

Here are some titles of other stories similar to mine:

Chop Suey Nation:  The Legion Café and Other Stories from Canada’s Chinese Restaurants by Ann Hui, 2019.

Ever wonder why there is a Chinese restaurant in every small town? Author Anna Hui took a drive across Canada to find out why and ended up learning so much more.  Hui grew up in Vancouver but had always wondered about small-town Chinese restaurants and the families who run them.  It was only after this book was published that she came to know that her own parents could have been included in her story.  Like many of the owners, her family spent generations living in impoverished areas of China and moved to Canada for more opportunities. By the end of her trip, Hui comes to learn and appreciate the perseverance, entrepreneurialism and deep love of family that drives these owners, her parents included, have to make a better life, the significance of these restaurants in our country’s history and why chop suey cuisine should be recognized as quintessentially Canadian.

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib, 2020.

Samra Habib’s coming of age story recounts her childhood as an Ahmadi Muslim in Pakistan, hiding from Islamic extremists, seeking refuge in Canada where her and family face new and different obstacles. When Samra discovers that her mother has arranged for her to get married, she must hide her identity again until she can’t take in any longer.  So begins her journey to find herself first in Tokyo, where she comes to terms with her sexuality, and then to a queer-friendly mosque in Toronto.  Along the way, she uncovers others with similar life experiences and that she wasn’t as unique as she thought she was: her community had always been there-the world just wasn’t ready for them.

 The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, 2014.

The story of a young Spanish shepherd boy, Santiago, who longs to fulfill his dream to see the world and the many lessons he learns along the way.  Throughout the story, Santiago meets many people who help him achieve his “Personal Legend” and teach him to read the “signs” or “omens” the universe provides to help him on his quest. What starts off as a journey to visit and see new places ends up being a discovery of the powers we hold within. This book provides a charming and inspiration message to follow your heart and with some ambition, everyone has the potential to recognize and achieve their own personal dreams.