The Earth isn’t the only thing on fire…

(Affordable) housing in Toronto is a complete joke.

With rent and housing prices flaming higher every day, the icebergs in Antartica aren’t the only thing that are melting.

Renters are having breakdowns over the housing market crisis that has overtaken the city.

Toronto’s housing market prices are skyrocketing, creating problems for middle-class income families to find housing, residents told the city’s committee of affordable rental housing Wednesday evening.   

About 100 tenants and staff members were present at Toronto City Hall to discuss the problems and solutions to affordable housing within the city. 

The biggest problem that arose from this meeting was the lack of affordable housing alternatives, said several renters.

“A recent research from McGill University showed how short-term rentals are escalating the housing crisis,” said Tanya Neumeyer, 37, a Toronto-based poet who was forced to move out twice.

“Many people are being evicted so that their homes can be renovated for non-residential purposes and change them to short-term rentals,” said Neumeyer.     

Out of the 100 residents, 30 said they were illegally evicted by landlords and had to retain legal services, making money even tighter than it had already been.

“Paying for legal services is making it difficult to meet our other life expenses,” said Barbara Erochina, a wellness coach and wife of Neumeyer.

With a city as expensive as Toronto, owning a house is next to impossible, said many tenants.

“We do not rent because we consider renting temporary. Like so many others, we rent because we cannot afford to own,” Erochina told the committee.

If they are forced to leave again, “we do not know how we will afford to stay in Toronto,” she said.

“Affordable housing alternatives isn’t an option, because that’s only available outside of Toronto and that would affect our working lives.”

Many are just looking for apartments to rent, as they do not qualify for a down payment or mortgage, said Benjamin James Pullia, an auto mechanic.

“The state does not see renters having the same rights to their home as those who happen to have the money to be owners,” said Pullia. 

Many said landlord rights are favoured over renters.

“I’ve rented for nearly two decades in this city. My home is more mine than it is my landlord’s,” said Pullia.

High housing fees aren’t the only problem. Illegal evictions and assaults by landlords also occur said Kira Heineck, a member of the Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness.

“Renovictions and other types of predatory landlord behaviour directly cause homelessness,” said Heineck, who is also executive director of the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association.

Heineck said she found there were about three to four illegal evictions every month in smaller buildings. She also found that annually, about 600 people are illegally evicted. 

This leaves people homeless for quite some time, without any support or services for alternative options she said.

“As we identify and root out bad practices, let’s also draw out (on) what good landlords should be doing,” said Heineck. 

Many believe landlords are targeting lower-income individuals, because there’s no other reason for being illegally evicted, said Bradley Birnie, 47, an actor.

“The only I’ve thing done is belong to a lower socioeconomic group,” said Birnie.

He said he pays his rent on time, does not disturb his neighbours or damage the building.

“The landlords will pay the ineffective fine. That is in no way a deterrent,” he said. “They will keep on doing business, while I and others will be homeless.”

O.K. boomers. We’ll see if the city committee actually does something about this instead of just giving false hope and promises to address the issue with the rest of the staff.

 

 

 

Child Marriages: The Unspoken Reality

Imagine you are pregnant with a baby girl. You carried her for nine months, endorsed through countless painful nights, multiple appointments and ultrasounds, educated yourself on how to provide her with anything and everything, and then finally you gave birth. But she is not yours to take care of anymore. She is not yours to love, to hold in your arms when you want to protect her from the cruel world, to share her happiness and bask in the glow illuminated in her eyes. She is not yours. Why? Because her father had promised her off at birth to a man triple her age in order to settle debts he had accumulated all his life. What price could be offered then, that can settle a debt so big? The price of a child who has barely opened her eyes. Who has not even glanced at her mother. Who has yet to breathe in the new life she has been provided with. Who has yet to live before being forced off with a stranger who will provide her with a life far more devastating than the one her poverty-stricken parents could have provided [for her].

Child Marriage: “Child marriage is any formal marriage or informal union where one or both of the parties are under 18 years of age.” This is the life of various girls all over the world, especially in third-world developing countries. According to a study case, about 12 million girls are married off before the age of 18 every year. 23 girls every minute. 1 in 2 seconds. 12 million mothers, wives, sisters, cousins, aunts, grandmothers. 12 million girls who are wed off to a complete stranger, often ranging double/triple in age. 12 million girls who are robbed of their childhood before it even began. 12 million girls who are victims of rape, abuse, life-threatening diseases, and so forth. And no. This is not just a concept normalized in countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. It is a cultural aspect and it is present everywhere. America, the UK, even Canada (!). For every four girls in the UK, there is one who gets thrown into a forced marriage while being under the age of 18. In the U.S. about 248,000 children under the age of 12 were married between 2000-2010. And out of 50 states, 49 have made child marriage legal. Even though Canada is [still] fighting strong against child marriages, on September 2013, a report was liberated by the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario that about 220 cases of child marriages were documented in Ontario and Quebec from 2010-2012, both confirmed and suspected.

What is the point of all of this you may ask. Who cares? Why does this happen so often? Why are we not speaking up about it? Do parents not care about their children’s’ life? Why are we not implementing more laws and amendments in order to stop this from happening, at least in first-world countries where the laws are followed (mostly). Well, let me just put it into perspective. If it was your child that was forced into this, what would you do? Or if it was you yourself? A lot of the times, parents cannot do much but watch helplessly as they hand their child over to an outsider. Do you think parents want their child to suffer through rape, double the pregnancy troubles, high risks of death during pregnancy (before/after), having higher risks of being infected with STD’S, among many other horrors? No parent wants their child to go through a trauma like that. Sometimes though, circumstances change people in ways that never should have been… Parents will do anything in order to just get rid of the burden of having a daughter in their house that is unwed, or will sacrifice anything in order to uphold the respect and status they may have in society. However, there are many other factors that play a key role as to why child marriages are [still] so prevalent on a global scale.

If education could be just as heavily normalized as rape and child marriages were in countries like India, there would not be such a high number of child marriages. All innocent lives would be saved from being destroyed before even living, many parents would be saved from horrors of watching their daughter go through all of that, just to end up dead or with a divorce, and knowing these cultures, I do not know which one is worse. If cultural and social norms were considered less than lifelines, than we could save the millions of girls whose cases are filed, but are forgotten mere months later. If countries like India, Pakistan, Malaysia, did not rely so heavily on cultural aspects and factors for every driving task and need in their life, marrying off a 10 year old to a 30 year old for the sake of paying off a debt or to escape the never-ending cycle of poverty, would not be such a popular “trend.” If religious beliefs did not call for marrying a girl when she is a virgin in order to keep her family’s honour and dignity, we could save the countless deaths that have occurred just because a 14 year-old gave birth, because she was at double the risk of dying any time before, during, and after her pregnancy. If gender discrimination was simply about gender barriers created by male dominant workplaces, different countries would not be devaluing girls and women, and discriminating them. This discrimination for that matter, which leads to child marriages, domestic violence, rape, deprivation of healthcare, education, and other necessities. If [sex] trafficking was known to more people, that this is what child marriages are results of, then desperate parents would not feel the need to sell their daughter not only into marriage, but prostitution as well.

Child marriage have always and will always be a concern no matter who you are, where it is happening, who it is happening to, why it is happening, whatever it may be. The most terrifying thing is that it can happen to anyone, anywhere. Whether it is because of your impoverished circumstances and lifestyles, or a debt far too big that lays on your parents shoulders like a burden, child marriages are still happening. And they will continue to happen unless we can educate those that need to be. Until we can teach others that a child’s life is not some object or toy to be played around with, child marriages will keep on occurring. Until we as parents, or siblings, or advocates, cannot try to do anything, child marriages will keep on occurring. Until we can speak up and say that our daughters, our sisters, our mothers, our aunts, our cousins, we, deserve better, nothing will be better.

For those whose voices go unheard, for those whose cases that are opened only for a few months but never looked back, for those that had their innocence and youth stolen before they even opened their eyes, your fight will not go down in vain. Your voices will be heard. Your life will be restored back to you. Through our actions, big or small, physical or verbal, we will be just minuscule steps away from [hopefully] making child marriages a thing of the past. For now, do not lose hope and keep [on] fighting.

XO,

Sam♡

Murder, The Only Choice

Police Brutality: “One of several forms of police misconduct which involves undue violence by police members. Although illegal, it can be performed under the colour of law.”  However, it doesn’t happen a lot in Canada right? America is where all the racial discrimination and bias happens right? America is where all the rude, racist, people reside [in] right? America is where all the police officers don’t know how to do their job properly and just start firing off at anyone, especially POC right?  Because Canada is simply too good in the eyes of the entire world. We preach equality, freedom of expression, and we have granted everyone equal rights, whether that be in terms of basic human rights and freedoms, or something else. Canada could just never have something as severe and disturbing as police brutality and wrongful policing exist in the country of multiculturalism and diversity…

Still think it doesn’t exist in Canada? What about the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry report, that was filed in 2012, that stated that authority figured had allowed the serial killing of many Indigenous peoples Vancouver’s Downtown East-side for many years? What about the Ontario police officer that was convicted for posting racial and bigotry comments against the murder of an Indigenous woman? Or better yet, Sammy Yatim’s case, in which his cry for help was answered by 9 bullets to his body fired by those that were meant to protect us from such things?

Sammy Yatim. Say his name. Know his name. Remember his name. He is not just another face on the news nor is he just another number added to a growing daily statistics of those killed when policing goes wrong. He was not just a name, a face, a number, no. He was a person. Who lived a life that fell short, victim to the flawed system that allows for our so-called protectors to allow for such things to happen, and to participate in them. 

For those that do not know of Sammy Yatim’s case, he was an 18 year-old Toronto male that was shot dead on July 27, 2013. He was on an empty streetcar on Dundas Street, high on Ecstasy, with a switchblade/pocketknife after he had exposed himself to the passengers. After seeing that, there was no doubt that they, including the driver, fled out of the streetcar and unto the streets. Now, Sammy was alone (and high) on the streetcar, and about 1 minute later after being called on to the scene, police officer James Forcillo fired 3 shots into Yatim’s body. The first bullet had struck his heart, the second had sundered his spine, paralyzing him, and the last one had fractured his right arm. All it took was a minute and 3 bullets for Yatim to be dead on the spot. But the story doesn’t end here. No. Just to make sure this “dangerous person” didn’t have an ounce of life in him, 6 more shots were fired. In court, Forcillo stated that Yatim had tried to get back up and grab the knife, hence why he had shot again. But then that would raise the question: Was one not enough? Even if Forcillo had thought Yatim was going to attack [again], a blank shot or one to the leg/arm could have been fired as a warning, not an extra six bullets.

Aside from that, in the video footage we can see that what Forcillo had said was a lie. He thought that Yatim was trying to grab his knife and get back up, but as you all can see, he was not and could not do either of those things, and thus why Forcillo had fired off even more bullets. Without any commands or orders from headquarters, without a second thought, without hesitation, Forcillo took it upon himself to murder an innocent teen that was already dead. He was the only officer that had shot his weapon. What was even more shocking was the fact that he did not even wait for any back-up to first come, and then handle the situation. Not to mention the fact they, the regular police officers, were equipped with guns but they were waiting for their sheriff who had a taser. Kind of makes you think about this weird system, no? I mean, one taser against a few guns? As if a taser, one that merely shocks you temporarily, is more dangerous than a weapon that can actually take away your life in three seconds. Forcillo was suspended a few days later, with pay.

As for the court procedures, in July 2014, an $8 million lawsuit was filed against the Toronto Police Service by Yatim’s family. I will not go too much into detail about the procedures, as it was quite a long case. Instead, a timeline is provided during and after Yatim’s death to provide more insight.

Just the shock of this whole incident has shook Toronto to the core. We would have never thought that the day where we would need protection from our own protectors would surface. But it did. And Yatim’s fight for justice will forever live in the hearts of all of us. He will be a legacy that we will carry on, until the system changes itself and it’s ways. Until police officers are better trained to handle situations like this. Our police are trained to deescalate situations verbally, not physically like in Yatim’s case. Maybe instead of blaming Yatim, how he shouldn’t have been high on some drug, or pulled out a switchblade and was presumably “threatening” other passengers, we should be looking towards [our] authority figures. To the legal system which allows regular officers to carry life-threatening weapons right on their hips, but have higher-level officers carry tasers. To the system that allows murderers to get away simply because they said “it was an act of self-defense.” Was it really though? How can you claim it was self-defense if the person you were defending yourself was already dead before you fired the second shots of bullets just to make sure?

Police brutality and wrongful policing may have always been around, but it is becoming a regular and normal thing far too quickly. If our officers can be better trained to respond to such cases in a more effective way, in which neither party is wounded, we can reduce the number of situations like Yatim’s that arise. Maybe if we start questioning our “protectors” rather than trying to blame the opposite side, then we can stop innocent lives from being taken. The public is scared and are voicing their concerns about the lack of restraint that officers show, and if that doesn’t scare you, the fact that people who are trained to protect our society are actually the ones taking innocent lives, well, I don’t know what will. Our [legal] system has become so flawed and unjust that those who [are supposed to] restrict violence are those that are using it themselves. And in this situation, obviously shooting an innocent man 9 times was the answer. Murder was the only choice. A verbal deescalation could not be sought out [after]. Waiting for the taser was not even an option. No. Murder was the only choice.

Well I’m here to say that Sammy Yatim’s fight for justice will not go unheard, nor will it go in vain. Until those responsible are not [properly] accounted for their actions, we will not let this go. Until our system can see the error in it’s way, we will not let Yatim become another name, another face, another number. Until people realize that police brutality is highly prevalent in Canadian society as well, and needs to be taken care of before it escalates even more, no one is safe from our “protectors.” All I will say is this: that no conviction, no fine, and no jail sentence will ever bring back Sammy Yatim. Murder is murder, no matter what, and it is not manslaughter.

XO,

Sam ♡

A Life & A Death Unintended

Rape has always been one of the most degrading and dehumanizing aspect of our society. Though I don’t know quite a lot about the history of where it all began, I do know that it is taking us quite an extensive amount of time implementing certain rape laws/legislation and the necessary consequences to serve such cases, and bringing about justice. Something as severe as this should not take 3+ years in court in order to find enough “evidence” and “support witnesses.” Once such cases come out, action should be taken immediately, instead of further delaying the process and waiting for it to happen to someone else. To some, it may be a light topic, one that does not affect them or they genuinely seem to not understand the various factors of it. For others, like myself, the concept of rape is such a strong and evoking topic I try to not converse in it as much as possible. The numerous negative emotions that I feel when hearing and seeing such things appear on social media and news channel make me just want to break down even thinking about them.

I speak of rape in particular, due to the extremely heartbreaking case that broke every news channel headlines exactly a year ago, on January 2018. Zainab Ansari, a 6-7 year old Pakistani child that was brutally raped and murdered in the nearby city of Kasur, which is located to the South of Pakistan. To just see that first headline right at the beginning of the New Years and hear various anchormen and women talking about, brought forth so many emotions, I found it difficult to comprehend. Exactly what is going through your mind when you decide to rape a child? A child who has yet to grow up, who has yet to see the world, have dreams and aspirations of her own, make memories with her friends and family, laugh, whatever it may be. How can you be so selfish as to take that away from someone who has not even yet lived her life, or properly seen the world for that matter?

For those who have not seen or heard of this case, the facts behind it is that Zainab had went missing on January 4th, and in the midst of trying to find her, about five days later, on January 9th, her body was discovered in the trash near Shahbaz Khan Road. Police later found out that she was on her way back from Quran classes at a tuition center near her house when she was kidnapped. One post-mortem examination actually concluded that she was raped, sodomized (which is any sexual activity between a person and an animal), and strangled to death afterwards. When found, they later organized her burial on the following Thursday, at her ancestral graveyard in Road Kot. Some of you may be wondering, where were her parents during all of this? Now this is where it gets even more heartbreaking. Her parents were in Saudi Arabia, performing Umrah, which is an Islamic pilgrimage and one of the pillars of faith in Islam as well. Think about it: her parents went all the way to the holiest place for Muslims, to ask for blessings in their prayers for the New Years, their family, whatever it may be, and they had to come home to find their only child dead behind a dumpster…

As for the rapist, 24 year old Imran Ali had more to him than meets the eye. While originally everyone thought he was just a “one-time” rapist, turns out, he was a serial killer and a rapist. Zainab’s case was just one of the 11 that were reported in the same neighbourhood in the span of 1-2 years, which police believed to be all linked to one another. Ali was convicted for 6-8 of these, including Zainab’s, in which five were murders, as concluded by a report done by the AFP. He confessed to Zainab’s during her murder investigation. Ali was then convicted in February, given four death penalties, on top of the three other rape/murder cases he confessed to, a $4.1 million rupees fine ($31,000 CAD) for the kidnap, rape, and murder of Zainab, and according to some sites, an additional charges filed under acts of terror. Additionally, he was charged with jail time for an extra six months if he failed to pay his fines. He was to be hanged publicly a few months later.

I will not talk go into detail about the legislation/laws/amendments that were made after this case. Those do not matter. Laws, in the eyes of people who have the audacity to even think of committing such a crime like this, are nothing. The legal system is disregarded in the eyes of people who go out of their way to please them self, and not only ruin the victim’s life, but everyone around them as well. They do not care about a few million rupees fine, a few years in jail, a few death penalties. What is that to them? Nothing. While a beautiful young child is crying and screaming for help, having no idea what is going on with her, a man is out there, fulfilling his “desires.” Rape is not a sexual desire. It is a disease. A mental illness. No sane person, or one with a soul, thinks to them self, “Let me go out and rape this woman,” much less a child who has not even hit puberty. That is not a human being.  That is simply a monster. Someone who has done something that completely strips them of their basic human nature, does not deserve to live their life. An act like rape, dehumanizing on the highest of levels, how can you let them roam free around others? The answer is simple: you do not.

My question to you is, why must laws and amendments only be put in place when the parents of the victims demand justice for their dead child? Why is it that the streets of Kasur were only full after a 7 year old was found dead behind a trash can? Why is that the supreme courts, FBI, whoever it may be, only investigate a case when more are linked to it? Can justice not be served to the first girl whose parents came out? Could the laws not have been amended when Eman Fatima, a 4 year old girl in the same neighbourhood, and the first case to arise of the 12, came out? What about her death? Her justice? Why was there no #JusticeForEman like there was #JusticeForZainab? Why must be wait days, months, years, for something bad to happen around us for us to realize that it is an issue that is only escalating? Why do we wait until the death of a 5 year old hits BBC News for us to realize that it is not the victim’s fault. It is never the victim’s fault. No one “asks” to be raped. When in trial, victims are accused of not denying their rapists. Is a simple ‘no’ not enough? How much more do you need to say to stop a man from ruining your life? Do the tears, the constant begging to stop, the cries for help, mean nothing? Where they just turning someone on?

Until we learn that maybe we should be educating the boys and men of our society instead of blaming it on the girl for being out too late, or her style of clothes, rape cases will keep coming forth with amendments being made that will be forgotten about in a few months. Until we can assure security and safety for the girls and women who have just gained confidence to come forward with their stories, men like Imran Ali will keep destroying [young] lives. Until we can break free from the cultural and social aspects of rape, rape culture will only continue to grow. It will be normalized. In some countries, it already is (India, Pakistan, and so forth). Rape culture will allow these people to get away with, because rapists support other rapists. They do not call each other out, stand up, or speak up, no. They stay silent, and probably mentally congratulate them on a job well done. Rape culture allows the Imran Alis’ of the world to keep committing whatever horrendous things come to mind, and to keep up their “streak” of doing so, until they finally get caught. Rape culture encourages rape victims to stay silent, because that is the only way they can protect their dignity and their family’s from the world. Rape culture allows men like Brock Turner to get away with raping innocent girls, ruining their lives, but simply going on with his.

Because of our society, our mindset, how we are taught, how are girls are singled out, and guys are forgiven because “boys will be boys,” rape culture has reached this extent. We have disregarded the few that have gained to speak up about their case, simply because we can never admit that the boys and men of our society cannot commit such a crime. However, I urge to come out from that toxic mindset. Rape culture must not be normalized [anymore than it already is], but coming forward to testify should be. Instead of waiting on more “evidence” and similar cases, our legal systems and authority figures should learn to take action on the first on that comes up. Rape is a complex concept to change all in once day, or in one step, but the first thing is assuring the safety of victims who speak up. The first step is to make sure that no judgement is put upon the victims who have finally gained the confidence to raise their voices about their own stories. As quoted by a similar aspiring journalist, “when so much of what we are as a society and really, a world is based in the systemic oppression of others there’s very little myself or you, or mere individuals can do to change it.” But there is. There is so much more that we can achieve when we take that first step.

Listen to those that come up to talk about their story. Listen to those that drop hints that they may be going through the same thing. Just please, I urge every single one of you to listen, no judgement, no harsh comments, just listening. We are growing up in a world that is quickly heading into a direction in which society’s oppressive constraints are too much to handle for some. However, the one advantage is that the young generation is becoming more aware and educated about their place in the world and the issues that are going on around them. They know what they believe in, rather than having family and friends influence their beliefs and morals, and stay firm to them. They are socially aware, and use the power of various social media platforms to raise awareness about topics that may not be getting as much coverage on the news. And I urge you to become like one of those people. Do not let the fear of being judged by society stop you from advocating and speaking up for what is right. Your words, your actions, your support, can help and inspire so many others to do the same. We are [the] advocates of our own lives, and no one but ourselves have the right and power to judge our decisions and lifestyles. Do not let the Brock Turners’ and the Imran Alis’ scare you into hiding. Educate yourself on these topics, converse with fellow friends, family, whoever it maybe, and support those that come forward. Today it might just be posting a case on your Instagram story to raise awareness about it, tomorrow it may be that the victim of that case you posted won their trial, and their abuser got the punishment they deserve.

To all those that felt they have been silenced by society and think no one cares, I do and so does the world. We are here for you, every step of the way, and we will make sure that you deserve the peace and respect that you do. We hear you. Please do not be afraid to come forward and speak. And once more to just have it ingrained in your memory for a good while, remember: Don’t be afraid to ask for help, because you are not alone.

XO,

Sam ♡

 

Ten Typical Tips from a Typical Senior

September 13, 2018. 8:40 PM.

So I am sitting here, writing an advice post for seniors and, even though there it still a whole year left, for anyone going into their senior year. I intended to post this the night before the first day of senior year, but alas, I am brown after all, so by nature, I am late to everything. Parties, events, school, work, blog posts. For real though, I am barely late to anything, so this little “mishap” can be excused.

Whether it be posted on the day before the most important year of my life (no pressure), or a week later (6 days to be exact), my intention was to post it, nonetheless. I know, I know, it’s your usual “tips and to do tricks” post, but hey, I needed some relative content to post and this was the first thing that popped into my mind. Notwithstanding the fact that I have some more original content planned, so stay tuned for that.

Senior Year. The dreaded year, in which you either make or break yourself.  It’s either do or die. Construct or destruct. I mean, you get the drift. But, without further adieu, let’s get right into it.

1.Stop over stressing. 

I know everyone and their moms tell you this, but seriously, listen to them and take them seriously! Grade 12 is already stressful enough, with the amount of homework, projects, studying, and what not to be done. Not forgetting the bigger monster ahead: University applications. Trust me, you’ll think you have all the time in the world, but suddenly it’s December 31st, and you’re rushing to finalize your portfolio, add the last couple of touches to your essay, etc, etc, because the program you’re applying to is quite competitive and you just want the burden of applying off your shoulders (my heart rate just skyrocketed typing this because I’m hoping this won’t be me in the next few days). What a wonderful way to start off the new year… But no, seriously. You already have enough to worry about, so just take a deep breath, listen to some music, go out for a run, do some yoga, have a relaxing bath, do whatever it is you need to do in order to clear your mind’s clutter and start fresh. This way, you’ll be calm and collected and confident.

2. Plan, Plan, Plan!

I cannot stress this enough. If you think you can just breeze by or “go with the flow” in the most important year of your life, you’re outta luck bud. Again, grade 12 is stressful enough, but not having some sort of plan will make your life 10x harder than it needs to be. Come up with some sort of small plan to begin with, such as when to do your homework, planning for projects, and so forth. Then move onto the bigger things, like what programs you’re interested in, majors and minors, etc, and you can move on from there.

3. STAY ORGANIZED!!!

Organization is key in grade 12 and it will help you immensely in university/college and further down the lien as well. Don’t think that you can remember all the due dates, test dates, application dates, just by having them stored in your brain. You won’t! There’s only so much our brain can retain, so that will not be helpful. Instead, have some sort of agenda/daily planner in which you write down all school related stuff, as well as your to-do list and tasks. Then, according to that, complete each one. Do the ones that are either due first (obviously) or the hardest, as you would just be wasting your time doing the easy ones first and struggling/leaving the hardest jobs for last minute. Additionally, writing down what you have to do in a neat, orderly fashion can help to relieve tons of stress!

4. START applying for scholarships early and have your research done before! 

Okay, so this is sort of given. You may have seen this tip anywhere on social media, a blog, whatever. TAKE IT SERIOUSLY! You do NOT want to be rushing last minute, applying to universities, then realizing you didn’t have the prerequisite or you don’t qualify for that program! Do your research about the programs you’re interested, the universities you want to go to, the cost, etc, in summer. Better than that actually, do it in the middle of grade 11, when you’re selecting your courses for next year. That way, you can make smart decisions about what courses you need to take in grade 12 in order to qualify to apply. With regards to scholarships, you can start applying for them in the summer, because trust me, they fill up fast. With the stress and load of work in grade 12, you will not have time to be writing essays and fill out information sheets for scholarships. Get started early, so you won’t regret and rush later!

5. Focus on ALL your classes!

I know once you get your first report grade, and you see all those good marks you want to start slacking off. Or thinking you can just “wing it” in your easy/average-booster classes. Think again! Even if you took a similar class last year, or this is your “average-booster” class, or you’re good at it, does not mean you don’t put as much work into it! Trust me, nothing in grade 12 is as easy as you thought it would be. My friends and I went in strong, thinking “We got this,” because we handled grade 11 nicely (oof tough year), and we were hit smack in the face right into reality. Yeah, not going to happen. Grade 12 is tough, but with work, dedication, and effort, you will survive. Do not start slacking off just because you’re taking that class. It gets difficult to try and maintain marks, and every little assignment counts. Try to stay on top of your work as much as possible, and you won’t put yourself through that unnecessary stress.

6. Start saving money [aside] for post-secondary.

University and college are expensive. And if you’re planning to live on res, or move out of Toronto, well, it’s going to cost you quite a fortune. Res alone can cost you a few thousand dollars, plus your meal plans, tuition, books, transport, and all that is added cost. Start saving early (like in summer) and put that money in a savings account that you do NOT touch in any circumstances. Time will fly by suddenly, and you will realize that you should have started saving way earlier in the game. You do not want to be that person. It does get pricey pretty quickly, because each year, universities/colleges raise their tuition/res fees, so again, just start saving ahead of time. Also, applying costs not as much, but a significant amount. Here, for universities, it costs $150 for 3 programs in any university, with an additional $50 for any other programs or if you want to switch from your original choice. College is $95 I believe, with the option of up to 5 programs. There are lots of assistant programs, like OSAP, bursaries, scholarships, loans, etc, but it’s still good to get into the habit of saving.

7. Don’t involve yourself in any drama. 

The first tip you give to a grade 9 would be this one. School is already difficult enough, with the work load, extracurricular, volunteering, etc, etc. Drama is just the gateway to trouble. You do not need to involve yourself in any drama, firstly, because it’s pointless, secondly, sometimes you can actually be the one in trouble/dragged into it, and so forth, and thirdly, it can give you a bad name and reputation (depending on what type it is). The biggest reason why seniors hate juniors is because they try to seek too much attention by involving themselves in everyone’s business, and sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. Stop looking and running for attention, because it only makes YOU look desperate. There are so many other [useful] things you could be doing with your life. And getting involved in useless things such as “Omg, she called you a bitch”, “Did you hear what he said about you at the party on Friday?” is not one of them.

8. Try new and different things.

At some point in life, you will be asked to do things that are out of your comfort zone. That could be for a new project you have to handle at work, getting peer-pressured to drink/smoke with your friends, go skydiving, whatever it may be. You need to learn to gain that confidence early. What better time than now> Grade 12 shouldn’t just be the year of working hard, studying, and applying. As cheesy as it may sound, you need to learn to broaden your horizons. Try joining a new club, inviting that new girl over to your lunch table, try out new subjects, whatever it is, just do it! This way, not only are you boosting your own self-esteem and confidence, but you can say your last year was memorable! People will remember you (hopefully in a good way). You will be considered more out-going, and that can be used an as excuse to meet new people.

9. Make the best of everything.

I know it’s super difficult to have a positive attitude all the time, but hey, fake it till you make it! Again, it’s your last year, and you want it to be as enjoyable as possible. Got a bad grade? Cry for a bit, then suck it up and get back up. Learn from your mistakes, got to your teacher for help, and ace the next one. Don’t like a specific teacher? Take a deep breath and relax. Don’t let your personal feelings and biased opinion get in the way of your learning. You dislike the teacher, so what? You’re not going to get anything out of it, and they’re still going to get paid, regardless of whether you like them or not. Radiate positivity and wake up each day with a bright smile and a happy attitude!

10. Grade 12 should not be ALL about the work!

Last, but not least, I know it’s similar to tip #8 and #9, but if you take anything out of this post, take this tip! Do not overwhelm/scare yourself by thinking it’s just work, work, work! It isn’t! Grade 12 is whatever you make out of it. I am not, in any means, saying you neglect your work and just have fun. Or neglect fun, and just work your butt of. You need to find a [healthy] balance between the two. Give yourself a break here and there. Learn when to study, and when to relax (wish I had learned that earlier). Learn to live!

Well, those are all my tips for those upcoming seniors. I really wish someone had clued me in to any of these before I entered grade 12. It honestly would have saved me a lot of stress and hassle. But alas, even though I am a few months late, I hope you guys enjoyed it and will take something out of it! Until next time my friends.

XO,

Sam ♡

A Second Chance: Stigmatizing Those with Drug Addictions

CP24 covers the latest headlines: “Five overdose deaths in a 24-hour period in Windsor: police”. CTV News Toronto takes credit for the next one: “Police Investigate 4 overdose deaths in 48 hours.” Today, it’s this news channel covering a death, tomorrow it’s the next. Fresh newspapers printed out every morning with the front page revealing a 17 year old whose life was taken by a drug addiction hits every Torontonian’s porch in less than an hour. Twitter blows up with hashtags for #drugaddiction, #substanceabuseprevention, or #recovery.

Every other day there is a new headline about the latest death caused by overdosing on the next “trendy” drug that all the kids seem to magically have their hands on in the instant it hits off.

We raise awareness about the dangers and effects of drug addiction only when various social media platforms blow up with the latest celebrity who died from a drug overdose or addiction. Why is that? Why is it that only the lives of famous people are considered when a conflicting issue of drug abuse is prevalent in all societies? Between all ages? Is substance abuse only a concern when celebrities’ lives are taken because of it? Is it only considered a “troubling topic” because a certain celebrity was found dead due to the high levels of alcohol, cocaine, and powerful opioid fentanyl in his body?

We need to realize that this runs so much deeper than news headlines, social hashtags and the latest celebrity updates. It’s time to stop dwelling over the fact that drug addiction happens to only “criminals,” “disobedient kids,”or “famous people.” This is a common form of substance abuse across different places. Kids turn to something that will take their minds off of whatever hardship they are currently facing and feel good, because something in their life is not allowing them to feel as so. They run, rushing towards their next high, a chance to escape their sad reality.

These people who go through this are not “criminals” or “disobedient.”  They are exactly this: people. They are people who are suffering, who want to feel normal, safe, and happy. They are tired of what life is constantly throwing at them, exhausting their minds, bodies, hearts and souls to fight whatever battle is hurled onto their paths. They are people with illnesses begging for someone to hear their silent cries for help.

It is easy for someone to say that taking drugs was that person’s “choice.” I myself, at one point, thought the same thing. “If they had never taken it in the first place, the problem wouldn’t have escalated as much as it did.” But that’s a common misconception. At one point, taking drugs is not a choice. It becomes a compulsion.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse explained that repeated use of drugs can affect the brain’s “reward circuit,” meaning it creates a sense of euphoria and releases the chemical messenger, dopamine, into the body. We all want to feel happy for a long period of time. So it would make sense as to why people become addicted to drugs. Using them let’s them experience this sudden rush of euphoria, allowing them to relax and break away from reality.

It’s important to understand that those who have this addiction should not be stigmatized. That we should not judge them based on such a thing. Taking that first hit may have been their choice, but that first step was forced by another factor. Whether it be losing your job, falling into depression, suffering from anxiety, growing up in an environment in which drug abuse was common, and so forth. There is always a reason as to why that person ends up being addicted.

What our goal should be is to raise awareness before multiple deaths hit the papers. Before thousands of our kids are taken away from us. Before society realizes that drug addiction is only such a substantial problem only when it concerns so and so. We need to come out of the “Well, it was his fault [anyways],” mindset. Even in many scholarly articles and books, such as Gene Heyman’s Addiction: A Disorder of Choice, he states that “drug addiction is a result of natural processes involving voluntary (i.e., operant) behavior, specifically choice.” Quite ignorant to say the least. Even the National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism state that “Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease…[s]imilar to other chronic, relapsing diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease….” (NIDA, 2008). Drug addiction is a chronic disease because it changes the way our brain thinks, and therefore develops.

Another quick thing that I want to point out is that because we are advancing in our use of technology everyday, and implementing it in our day to day lives, that can also lead to an increase of drug abuse. By that I mean that a case study done by Tarzana Treatment Centers showed that about 75% of teens stated that seeing posts and videos about alcohol and drug usage made them want to do the same. Because this is the era of technology, what we see online has a greater impact on us, and our brains are more likely to become attracted to certain said posts.

Additionally, because many of us are on social media for several hours a day, our brain is quickly rewired to become entranced to things when they keep coming up on our timelines. A survey done by The Recovery Village showed that 196 contestants out of 399 (almost half!) believed that social media was one gateway to drug abuse. Another research case, conducted by Nova Recovery Center, revealed that children also become curious towards such a path because drug dealers post such hashtags and posts in order to create more of a business. They use different methods of communications in order to “seal the deal.” Along with that, many people post pictures with their friends “broadcasting” their lively experiments with various drugs. Others who see such posts may become inclined to do the same thing, in order to live up to the social expectations or be peer-pressured into doing the same.

Society often neglects heavy drug users, because they deem them as “irresponsible,” “criminals” and so forth. They marginalize them, and as a result, they are then treated as less than human. That is where the line should be drawn, as that raises the argument about basic human rights. Like I mentioned before, there is always a reason as to why a person chooses to do something so severe as becoming reliant on drugs. However, we are in no place to judge others of their personal choices.

What I am trying to get at is that people who have any sort of drug addiction, whether it is to the extreme case or not, deserve our support and awareness. They deserve a second chance, as they turned to drugs only because they believed it was their only and last option. But we can help them realize it is not. We lose our connections with the people around us because they have resorted to new methods and turned away from us. But we can help them realize that they are not alone.

There are different methods set in place in order to help such cases. A few examples are of various helplines, listed in an article done by CNN Health. Other treatment or recovery options are rehab centers, support charities, or therapy groups. I too, once thought that heavy drug users were the worst people ever and that they should never be forgiven for what they have done. However, I have come past that, and realized that they too are people who[have] only made some bad choices. We are all human, and it is our tendency to make mistakes. That is how we learn, and move on. However, what matters most is how and what we take from our mistakes, and whether we learn from them or repeat them again. Another quick thing that I want to mention is to stop raising issue about a current topic only when a famous person is involved. Yes, it is truly sad that their life was taken in such a cruel manner, but that does not mean we only become aware and raise awareness about it because our favourite rapper or actor was affected by it. All lives matter, whether they may be considered significant or not.

So, please, if you know someone who is battling a drug addiction, or who just started “experimenting,” become aware of the signs and try to be there for them as much as possible. Do not judge them right off the bat, as that can only make the problem much more worse. Realize that they are only calling out for help because they are at a low point in their life, and they need someone to aid them through it. If we were to move past our ignorant attitudes and judging behaviours, we can help to slow down drug addiction bit by bit.

And once more to just have it ingrained in your memory for a good while, remember: Don’t be afraid to ask for help, because you are not alone. 

XO,

Sam ♡

Helpful Links:

https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/understanding-and-finding-help-for-substance-abuse/

http://www.ccdus.ca/Eng/Pages/Addictions-Treatment-Helplines-Canada.aspx

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/get-help/get-help-with-drug-abuse.html

 

 

 

Ai, Ai, PTI!

Judging by the title, if you are a Pakistani (or a lover of politics for that matter), then you either know of or support Imran Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (and if you do not support them, then kindly exit off this post because you are cancelled ☺). And no, I am not late on the Pakistani Elections that took place on Wednesday 25, 2018 (the results are still popping up on every Pakistani News Channel there is…).

Now, I was NOT a lover of politics before (I honestly had no interest in it whatsoever, not Canadian, Pakistani, American, or any sort of politics), but where and when Imran Khan was/is involved I kind of sort of began to like it… *insert weird face here*

Let’s do a quick recap of the two most major political parties of Pakistan: Imran Ahmad Khan, ex-captain of Pakistan’s national cricket team, that lead them to their first and last victory of the World Cup title in 1992. He founded his party, PTI, on April 25, 1996, and is currently the chairman as well. Then we have PMLN, Pakistan Muslim League Noon, which is Nawaz Sharif’s party. He is a Pakistani businessman and former politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms and Chief Minister of Punjab for two consecutive terms, and he founded his party on October 6, 1993. He is not the current chairman of his party, for reasons that I will get into later, but for those curious (or clueless), his party is now run by his younger brother, Shahbaz Sharif.

Let’s just review the statistics for a quick second to refresh our memories: According to gulfnews.com (the article can be found here), “Provisional results of 260 out of 270 National Assembly seats have been declared by Election Commission of Pakistan. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is leading the tally with 116 seats. Trailing is the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 62 and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 43 seats.”

Now, the statistics are different for every Province in Pakistan (there are four: Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). However, for the first time in all of Pakistan’s history, a party has won, for the second time(!), ALL the seats that were required for majority. And guess who’s party acquired ALL 98 seats? PTI, that’s who! According to an article on nytimes (here), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly is an assembly with 124 seats (that is the elected number of members on the National Assembly), 98 of those seats are being competed in by 1,132 candidates. In the 2013 elections, Imran Khan’s party had for the first time, won all 98 seats, and once again, in the July 2018 elections, they have obtained all the seats again.

A look at the finalized candidates for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Provincial Assembly, procured by The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP): https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/337856-pakistan-election-2018-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-provincial-assembly-candidates-list-for-general-election-2018  

So, we can now confirm that Imran Khan will be Prime Minister, however, the only troublesome problem he faces lies in Punjab. If you are a lover of politics and follow them all around the world, or if you are Pakistani, then you would know that the Province of Punjab is in the hands of Nawaz Sharif’s party, PMLN. Up until now, this is where Khan has almost always lost, as they could never secure enough seats to assemble their own party in that province. There is a higher level assembly, which is the National Assembly, in which you must obtain either the required number of seats to become PM, or secure more than that. There is also a lower level assembly, at the Federal level, in which a party must obtain a required number of seats to assemble their government. Khan had no problem securing seats in the federal level, as he now has his federal government in KPK and Baluchistan. As for the Sindh Province, the PPP party, which is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party, will run their federal government.

As for the PMLN party, mostly everyone knows what happened to it’s chairman, Nawaz Sharif and his tragic (not-so tragic, based on his actions) downfall. On July 6-7 2018, NAB (National Accountability Bureau, Pakistan’s anti-graft court) sentenced Nawaz Sharif to 10 years in jail, followed with his daughter’s, Maryam Nawaz, sentence of 7 years, and lastly, his son-in-law’s sentence, Captain Muhammad Safdar Awan, a retired Pakistan Army Officer, of 1 year. As to why they were all sentenced, I’ll get to that in a second.

Nawaz Sharif, the former Pakistani PM, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for corruption in a verdict likely to influence the general election on July 25, 2018. Money laundering was and is already a huge reason for the corruption that has overtook Pakistan, but, Nawaz Sharif went ahead and ruined it even more (yay to all the leaders of Pakistan, am I right?).

Let’s, however, get to the reason as to why exactly Sharif was sentenced to 10 years. They (Sharif and his entire family) laundered money in the 1990’s to pay for four luxury apartments in Park Lane, central London, drawing on allegations that resurfaced in the Panama Papers (the Papers are 11.5 million leaked documents that detail financial and attorney–client information for more than 214,488 offshore entities) leak, published by the Guardian and others in 2016. Additionally, the court fined the family 10 million pounds (!) and ordered the seizure of the Avenfield properties.

Here, the Pakistan Supreme Court has released their order in the Panama Papers Case.

Despite the evidence and the hearing, Sharif’s younger brother denies the accusation; “The Pakistani nation and the PMLN [Pakistani Muslim League (Nawaz), Sharif’s party] reject this decision,” Sharif’s brother, Shahbaz Sharif, told reporters. “This is a dark chapter in the history of this country. There was no solid legal evidence in the entire case.” I mean, okay, I understand you are siblings, bonded together by blood, but under no circumstances, should you even try to defend your brother, when there is solid evidence against him. No one in their right state of mind would believe Shahbaz over the proof that was submitted in court.

In other shocking news, Nawaz did not attend his hearing, as he was in London beside his sick, hospitalized wife, Kulsoom Nawaz. Even then, the court earlier denied his request for a week-long delay to the verdict while she is on a respirator after treatment for throat cancer. In July last year, the supreme court removed Sharif from office and ordered the NAB trial, before barring him from politics for life. The 68-year-old claims his legal troubles are the result of a military-backed conspiracy; allegedly in revenge for attempts to assert civilian control of foreign policy and put the former military dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf on trial for treason. It is expected that Sharif will launch an appeal.

The punishment of Maryam, who received an additional one-year sentence for presenting forged documents in court, may see control of the party shift to Shahbaz Sharif, who has pursued a more conciliatory approach with the army. Sharif has long struggled to explain how the Avenfield flats came into his family’s possession. Family members initially told different stories. During the NAB trial, his defense claimed that a Qatari investment fund gave the expensive properties to the family to repay a debt owed to Sharif’s father. Commentators last year mocked a letter from a Qatari prince apparently testifying to that deal as a rabbit pulled out of a hat.

Still, analysts point to a variety of events that suggest a campaign by Pakistan’s deep state to hurt the PMLN ahead of the vote. The process has left “little doubt that the system is geared to get Mr Sharif”, said Zaidi. The NAB has arrested several PM-N members in recent weeks and in May its chairman was ridiculed for ordering an investigation into Sharif over spurious claims in a newspaper article that he laundered almost $5bn to India.

Not surprisingly, Imran Khan blames Nawaz Sharif for the four-fold increase in Pakistan’s debts in the past 10 years and also for the depreciating value of Pakistan rupee. “In 10 years, Pakistan’s debts went from Rs 6,000 Arab to Rs 27,000 Arab and the value of the Pakistan rupee as against the US dollar has risen from 60/dollar to 125/dollar. If we want to pull Pakistan out of this, we’ll have to run it on principles on which Medina is run,” ANI quoted the cricketer-turned-politician as saying at a rally in Islamabad.

Claiming that this was the first time in the country’s history that the powerful have been held accountable, Khan said Sharif was accountable for Rs 30,000 crore and the money went into the accounts of his children. Khan, who has been pursuing this case vigorously in courts, further said everyone knew Sharif was lying and he was finally exposed. “I would like to ask the people who stood by Nawaz Sharif, don’t you have to answer Allah? He is accountable for Rs 30,0000 crore, the money which went into the accounts of his children. Everyone knew that he is lying. Everything was exposed in the Court,” Khan said.

But alas, Nawaz is finally paying for his poor and selfish actions not only with his sentence, but also with the fact that he will be facing the wrath of the majority of Pakistan that always supported and voted for him. Now, that does not necessarily mean that all of his so-called supporters will turn against him. Some will (sadly) stick by his side no matter, while the majority head towards Khan’s party (thank God). I do not know what will become of Pakistan now that Imran Khan is PM, but according to his 8 (or eleven point) agenda, every Pakistani will be living a poverty-free, educated life (IA)! All we need to do is support him to the best of our abilities, and change ourselves as well. Someone once said, that a country cannot be changed by one single person, that it’s citizens must change themselves and their actions first, in order to see a result in where they live. And I could not agree more.

Now, what I do know, is that Imran Khan will, InshAllah, lead his country into a better Pakistan, financially and morally. Pakistan will once again, be as it was when Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah (the founder of Pakistan) was the great leader of Pakistan. If the youth, who are the main targets (not in a bad way!) of PTI stay supporting Khan, then there really is no stopping him! Pakistan will most definitely see a better tomorrow, InshAllah.

You cannot change a country and it’s people all at once, or over a night, however, you can hope and take the first step towards a better future for everyone around. Mubarak ho Pakistanio, نئی Pakistan pai!

Taabdeeli aa nahi rahi, tabdeeli aagayi hai!

XO,

Sam ♡

 

 

 

 

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton