Shaolin Rahman

Wouldn’t it be something if we were all just “One?”

One can mean many things. It’s value can be little or big. One-tenth of a second to score a goal. One minute in the microwave. One hour of sleep. One day to live. One week to work. One month to hurdle. One year to love. Multiple souls, multiple minds, intertwined to become One body. One purpose.

What the hell is the point of this? Nothing. If anything, it is that we don’t know the importance of any given event to the same extent as the One who is most impacted by it. What’s little to you may be big to me, and what’s important to me, may be meaningless to you. If I were to put One word to my life, it would be the word “Patience”. If I were to get a tattoo, it would be the word “Patience.”

As mentioned: Multiple souls, multiple minds, intertwined to become One body. One purpose.
There are more things separating us than bringing us together as One. We are separated by the expectations of society, by the technology and gadgets we own, the cars we drive, and the shoes which we trample the world with. Today was Imagine Day at UBC and I’m happy I went. The defining moment of the event for me was the group gathering in the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Arena. I felt like I was at a hockey game. Why did this mean so much? Because today, each student started as an individual and finished with the whole. I’d ponder what the universe would be like if this was the case. I’m a practical person- I don’t believe in Utopia but I do believe in making the people and places around us better all the time.

Now, I’m not going to spoon-feed you my thoughts as I have so many times previous. Instead, I feel that this is something you should think about for yourself.

I warn you though: It may be completely meaningless to you.

Stay Fresh,
Shao

In my prayers of strength, courage, and patience, I have finally reached a conclusion. I’m not as patient as sedimentary rock, but I put up good competition. That wasn’t the conclusion. The conclusion is me holding on to that ambition that has been whispering in my ears for years. The ambition that ignited the dream and stimulated the “grr” in me. The “grr” that gives me the focus to keep driving. The power to keep running. The desire to quench an unquenchable thirst.

I present to you my conclusion in the form of a question: What if I told you I didn’t want to go to UBC? What would you do? Would you be mad, sad, disappointed, shocked, unhappy, or all five? What if I told you I don’t want to hide myself from the world? What if I told you that there is a potentially better option for me? What if I told you that I want a different experience, in a different place, with different people…an adventure? What would you say, think, and do? What if I told you that I want to struggle the first little bit- it’s not like I haven’t struggled the last few years. To put a positive spin on it, what if I told you I want responsibility, liberty, and independence? Here’s a kicker: What if I was accepted into UBC Vancouver, didn’t tell you about it, and declined the offer? What if I told you I feel excitement when I think “Calgary” but restriction when I think “UBC/Lower Mainland”?

Few things. If anything, nothing at all.

We’re talking companies. We’re talking businesses and cars and education. Research In Motion, Audi, and UBC. At the end of the day, they’re selling you a blackberry, a method of transport, and an education. What’s in a name? “So what?” is in a name.

At the end of the day, no magazine will tell one what the right choice is. Nobody else’s stories or experience will tell one what path to take. No number will determine how intelligent one is. No letter is capable of indicating one’s leadership. No price can be put on one’s dreams, ambitions, and reality. These magazines, these stories, experiences, numbers, letters, and dollars are insignificant compared to the drive, the X-factor, the “grrr” that comes with spreading one’s wings and wanting to get out there.

What’s in a name?  Compliance and conformity. What’s in a name? Politics, image, and hype. Depending on where you are, a name might be the most convenient option, but that does not make it the best, right, or most rewarding option. The best option may be the one next door. The right option may be what others say is wrong. The most rewarding option could be the most difficult.

If opportunity were a body of water, it would be untouched and still…making it all the more tempting to disturb!

Stay Fresh,
Shao

Synopsis: A look at the justice system, crime, and punishment based on the anarchy that took to the streets in Vancouver last night. What happened last night was shameful to this city and will leave a dark blemish for a very, very long time.

By now, a fair number of you are aware of the riot that took place in the downtown core of Vancouver last night following the Canucks 4-0 loss to the Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Cars were flipped over and lit on fire, police cars were also burned, people were maced, injured, in panic, and in fear. There was all kinds of garbage everywhere.  Businesses had their windows shattered, HBC, Sears, and other stores were looted. There were fights and vulgarity ringing through the streets and alleys of this city.

I knew as soon as the first period started at the CBC that things would get real ugly, real fast. There were 5 or 6 people pushing the section I was in from the back and kids were crying, people were struggling, it got too hot, and the people in my section were now in desperation to leave the viewing area. I ended up walking down Robson and caught the rest of the game at Waves coffee shop with a great, fun crowd. Post-game, as I left and walked around the city to get to a skytrain, people were just sad and disappointed, but not angry. However, all it took were a couple of clowns to jeopardize the safety of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Those responsible for initiating the riot need to be punished. They must be. A slap on the wrist is simply not good enough. These people were a threat to the general public which was evident as people were screaming and praying to get home safely.  Something like a severe financial penalty should be brought in. This way, more people will think there actions through. They will consider the fact that for example, they are young and that from that moment forward, every penny they earn will be snagged. That when they fill out their taxes, the government says “haha!”. People are not scared of the law, so they try to act above the law and that’s when chaos happens. As mentioned, it was only a handful of people running this riot but other people whether they were drunk or high also got caught up in that adrenalin. What is also shameful that those extensively engaged in the riot were not drunk or high. Clearly, this was a pre-meditated and planned course of action and in my mind, I believe that it would have occurred even if the Canucks had won. What normal, legitimate hockey fan comes to watch a game with lighter fluid?! These were anarchists simply using a loss as an excuse to act out of line. I think the cops needed to be tougher on the crowd, because I have zero sympathy for those who instead of fleeing, were arriving from other parts of the lower mainland to be part of this. Instead of allowing the cops to deal with those responsible, they were merely adding to the problem.

Another aspect to this was simply down right poor planning by the City of Vancouver. The mayor spends $3 million pouring cement downtown for bike lanes, and completely skimps on the cops etc and the safety of the general public! Vancouver has more people now than it did in `94, so the fact this was not planned for is a joke, in my opinion, and should definitely be brought up in the next civil election. The cops did their best with what they had available, and I’m sorry, but burning their cars will only prevent them from trying to protect us. The other side is that even if the cops were tougher, they would be further scrutinized but people need to wake up and smell the roses! They are protective measures and yes, we have our rights, but the moment one starts acting out of line like that, they have lost their rights. Again, no sympathy for those clowns.

This is me trying to digest what I witnessed last night as best as I can. There were so many things wrong and this is not the city that I want to represent to the world. Vancouver has had a lot of negativity surrounding it over the last 24 hours, but on a positive note, kudos to the people who went downtown today to be part of the voluntary clean up crew. The city needs more people like you!

Stay Fresh,
Shao

The person I am today is not the person I always was. I like to think I know myself better than anyone else out there, and reflecting over the last few years, I’m happy with who I’ve become. I give a lot of credit to the people around me, specifically 4 or 5, in no particular order.

I’m going to talk about the fellow who gave me my first job- we’ll call him “Bruce”. When I walked into the Board Room at this community centre in October 2007, I was unsure of what to expect. I walked in, and was greeted with a tall, blonde man with a beaming smile and friendly eyes. This was Bruce. Bruce asked me some typical questions, such as “Why should I hire you?” and also “What leadership/initiative activities are you involved in?” Then we talked about school and why working while going to school sounded appealing to me. I got the job, and from that job, I’ve been able to branch out and try a lot of different fields of employment.  I’ve worked at summer camps, taught cooking classes, and recently I’ve been hired by the City of Richmond. Cool, right?

Even though I’ve been involved in a fair amount of extra curricular activities since I was young, I was still a little shy and sometimes reluctant to open myself up to talk. It wasn’t a confidence thing, I was just more private as a younger person. Everyday that I’d come into work as a “JA”, Bruce would greet me with that same beaming smile, friendly eyes, and excited voice. He is the most out-going person I know, and I really wanted to emulate that. I started chatting up strangers more- whether it be at a hockey game, standing in line at Superstore, or at the weights bench beside me. I realized that technically, we’re all strangers until we’re friends. Bruce was one of the ways I was inspired to be my best day in, and day out. From getting to know him and observing the kind of “universal friend” that he was, it was easy to see that this fellow doesn’t hide himself from the world. Being more open is one of the best changes I’ve gone through, and it was progressive just like many other rewarding changes. I wouldn’t be where I am right now, in the span of time that it has taken, if I hadn’t met my first boss!

So, “to all you kids out there”: there’s a lot of skills and attitudes you can learn in the workplace that can’t be taught in a grad planning course or through another person’s stories. I’m happy to have worked during my high school years, because I’ve been able to learn the value of a dollar. I’m happy that I never got everything I wanted, whether it was an explicit or implicit desire.

Stay Fresh,
Shao

With the thought of potentially going to a new school in a new place in a new part of the country, these words come into my mind: opportunity, adventure, independence, more responsibility, liberty, excitement, growing up, exposure, multi-dimensional, social/mental freshness, openness, and an assured dream that will flower into reality. On the other hand, potentially going to a new school in the same place in the same part of the country, these words come into my mind: repetition, over-hyped, being held on to, confinement, prison, restriction, one dimensional, overly political, frightening, social/mental redundancy, and a life where my dreams are only possibilities.

DISCLAIMER: This is about the high school “system” and is not directed to anyone, nor is it taking education for granted.
I felt for the bulk of my high school career that in many ways, it was corrupt. For the record, I believe there is corruption everywhere, not just in international politics, but also in education, workplace, and even social norms. To clarify more, it is not my school that I am blasting, it is merely the high school system and what I specifically noticed about my school. My school is one of the greatest in the province, we’re proactive and offer our students an array of options compared to other schools. If I hadn’t gone to this school, Fiji wouldn’t have happened. I wouldn’t have gone to the island for research projects. I wouldn’t have gone camping in New Castle and discovered my love of kayaking specifically through PE Leadership.

High school had its moments, absolutely, but that’s not what this is about. I felt that I have been ready, at least, in my mind, to move on and get on with things since about grade 9. I go to a school where IB is offered, and there are many students in the program that have really big egos and put themselves on a pedestal, when really, they’re no more special than anyone else. (The IB rant is another story…) IB creates a ridiculous amount of separation between students, and this is never more evident than at grad events. I often wish my school put more energy into sports like a long long time ago. Sports unifies people, we see it on a national/international level too. You need to be balanced to be a whole person, right? Music, sports, art, hobbies, and interests (real things) need to be better incorporated into the classroom, and I really believe it would enhance the quality of learning. That was the single greatest thing about Global Perspectives- learning by doing.

To me, the politics that go on within the walls of my school are also very noticeable. Favouritism among many teachers is a pure example of this kind of corruption, but like I said, corruption exists everywhere. I don’t know that I was a victim of this, but it was still very, very blatant! What direction are we heading in, if we only provide students with one opportunity, in the form of one exam to prove themselves? And why is it that the “smart” kids are favoured, what about struggling students? There is absolutely no justification, in my opinion, for this black and white discrepancy. Why is it that high school, in many ways is so unrealistic? In the real world, everyone makes mistakes, and making minor mistakes at work will not get you fired. Your boss may speak to you, but chances are, they will identify where you went wrong and guide you with ways to fix it. It’s part of the learning curve, and you take initiative and retain your job. I didn’t like that many teachers didn’t provide feedback- it was only marks based. The feedback is so important, but unfortunately, at my school, it’s all about the numbers. I feel that’s so stupid, and what kind of people are you raising? One dimensional, and once they get out “there” they’ll be hit hard. Real hard. How far will a 95% average take you? Maybe that you can study all night but you’re goading a premature death because you don’t make time to take care of yourself.

Throughout many times in high school, I didn’t really feel like I was on the “same page” with many people, so to speak. I felt like a lot of people over exaggerated things that in reality, are microscopic. It’s because of the system we’re in, not necessarily the people in it, although, depending on the type of person one is, they can distinguish between reality and fiction. If high school is meant to prepare us for life, and university, why are deadlines so soft? It gives people the impression that there are no consequences for their actions, and that, I think, is one of high school’s biggest flaws. Ideally, in the real world, nobody is above the law. With technology now too, a lot, and I mean TOO MANY people are forgetting how to socialize real-time. It’s unfortunate, that so many people feel the need to socialize from behind a screen- what’s there to be ashamed of that you’d hide yourself from the world? I really don’t like how while I’m changing classes, someone bumps into me and its because they’re so absorbed in “texting” their buddy…and then they tell me to watch where I’m going. Unfortunately, that response will have worse consequences on the road than me sighing and thinking “are you serious?”

Stay Fresh,
Shao

I always knew that I liked to take care, be trusted by, and be there for other people. It is one of few reasons why I ever even considered being a doctor. It is also how I figured out that I want to have my own family some day- I want to be counted on by spouse, children, and family. So, what are some things I would tell my kids?

“Imperfection is perfection in itself. The truer you are to yourself, the more realistic and unique you will be to others, and the more you will be trusted by them. Leadership is a quality to strive for, and fight for what you believe and what you value. You can’t fight for everything- you need to pick your battles and prioritize what is most meaningful to you: going shopping by yourself, or getting a job and learning the value of a dollar. No matter what, don’t let another person degrade what is most important to you. Make right decisions more often than not, and it will pay dividends for you. I know its hard to think long term, but making mistakes is how we learn and I will be here to offer you perspective the best way I can. When you are in a rush of happiness, I will share the moment with you and take happiness out of yours. Whether you scream or cry, I will hear you and wipe those tears away. I will take you to another place, with other people, so you can hear their stories and live their lives, even for a moment. Distinguish between a need and a want. Give back to others and enjoy your own luxuries. The point for me, of seeing other people in other places is not to feel bad about what I have, rather, it is to appreciate what I have even more. Here’s a big one: You don’t need a 95% average to be great. Know that there is a difference between being smart and intelligent. You are intelligent because you think in multi-dimensional ways. Because you seek to make your life better by putting your best foot forward day in, day out. Intelligence is qualitative, NOT quantitative. Strive to be your own boss and be an independent thinker. Growing up isn’t always easy but you don’t succeed if you don’t face adversity. Don’t ever compare yourself to others, and don’t get caught in the expectations of others.”

And these are just a few words I would give them, although, it’s valuable self-advice too.

Stay Fresh,
Shao

It’s a crying shame that not enough is done to educate young people about what dangers await them should they act with such naivety. Every action has a consequence- the right one has a positive consequence and the wrong one has a negative consequence. The exception to this is no one.

Last March, when I first read the story of Kimberley Proctor and what happened to her, I felt sickened by the incident and sympathetic towards her. The incident, I still find sickening. The lack of remorse by her killers, I still find sickening. I do not feel as much sympathy for her though- her family yes- but not nearly as much for her. She allowed herself to be lured into the house of two older teenage boys she did not know. She also did not know they were psychopaths. She did not know that she would be harassed, raped, killed, mutilated, and burned. The incident was both her fault and the fault of her killers. This I realize only recently after reading that her killers are being punished.

If families, schools, society, and the nation as a whole do not invest in their young people, we’re headed for turmoil. This I strongly believe. I believe that in this day and age, where technology is often used for the wrong reasons, young people are more at risk than ever before. The onus is also on young people though. At the end of the day, it’s me and people my age who choose one road over the other. It’s young people like me who choose how easily they are influenced by what they hear and see in the media, and by the paths their friends take.

Nobody, not anybody is born to be misled. They choose to be misled.

Stay Fresh,
Shao

Based on the brief class discussion today, I found it interesting to see how sports unite the people of a country- not just this country, which I was aware of- but so many others. Football in Europe, Cricket in India, Rugby in Fiji, Football in America, and Hockey here.

I think that we tend to bond more over sports than other commonalities such as industry because sports are an investment of sorts: financial, physical, and emotional. I thought about the Olympics and how I’ve seen lots and lots of people in downtown during my life in Vancouver, but never so many friendly people, and there lies the difference. We’ve all got characteristics and perspectives that differ us from the person beside us, yet with sports, those differences bring us closer together. They bring about debate, discussion, and emotions. Without our unique differences, I don’t know that people would be able to bond at all- at the end of the day, these differences make us the same. It’s not even like it matters whether you’re a hard core hockey fan or not, but everyone seems to be riding this wave of excitement and it’s a real feel-good moment. One of the reasons I enjoy participating in, and spectating sports is because of the people I’m with. Of course, this goes far beyond sports too…

Take our experience in Fiji: it was a group of young people, a couple of teachers, and some dentists. Though we all had different roles, we all had the same goal. That goal was to make the world that we live in a better place by sharing our resources with others. All great teams are built around just that- they are comprised of a roster, and each roster has its role players. They’re comprised of pure goal scorers, two-way players, defence, checkers, fighters, and pluggers. However, like a great team, we rallied around our goal and lack of sleep and sore muscles were nothing to complain about. It was our pleasure. That is what we worked so hard for. We weren’t the only team in that village either, the village itself was a team even if in our absence, they aren’t. They too, rallied around the project and the problems that they may have had appeared inexistent.

Great teams win and lose together!

Stay Fresh,
Shao