Floripa, Brazil: my first taste of South America

When I think of Brazil, I imagine beautiful beaches, amazing barbequed meat, rain forests and sunshine. Last year I had the opportunity to stop imagining these things and truly experience them on my first trip to South America. One of my best friends comes from the city of Florianópolis, located in the South of Brazil.…

Finding a multilingual home

This is a multicultural and multi-ethnic haven where people from everywhere intertwine in a safe and peaceful manner. Walking the streets, it is possible to hear languages coming from every country imaginable. Before coming to Vancouver, I lived in Philadelphia, an ethnically and linguistically homogeneous region of the United States. Intermingling between cultures was not…

The glory of the Eternal City – Rome

Rome is known to many as the Eternal City. It has lasted for centuries and continues to stand tall even today. Over the holidays in December/January, I went on a mini-Euro adventure that included Barcelona, Paris and finally ended my trip in Rome. Barcelona was full of lively people, and Paris had delicate beauty around…

Somewhere new is not something I am looking for

I have never had the skin tightening feeling of growing out of a space, of packing a suitcase and finding my somewhere new. Vancouver is my perpetual somewhere new, a community transient, fluid and ever-evolving. It’s my someone new I met in passing on the SkyTrain. It’s my new discovery of an Indian-Chinese fusion place…

Echos from Brazil

The Covid-19 pandemic has required efforts worldwide to contain the increase in the number of cases and death. In Brazil, it has not been different. The largest country from South America has, until March 19, 647 cases, one death and some confirmed cases of local transmission. The scenario is concerning and it is expected a…

A Parisian New Year

Paris – a city that you can find close to the top of most people’s bucket list – is known for its beautiful architecture, its delicious food, and its long history. This past December, I decided it was finally time to see this dreamy city for myself. Over the holidays, I started part one of…

From the Amazon to Canada to find a more sustainable life

I come from Manaus, a hot and rainy city located in the heart of the Amazonian jungle. I decided to move, looking for a more sustainable life. This might sound a little paradoxical at first, but it is not. Since studying in environmental sciences, I’ve known Vancouver to be referred to as a benchmark in…

A love affair with Barcelona

I’m in love! But not with a person, with a country. Over the last few years I have slowly been falling in love with the Spanish language and culture. It started with a flirtation, taking Spanish as an elective in high school instead of French. Later, when I moved to Vancouver, the love grew; one…

My experience with integration in Vancouver

These days, many Canadians are proud to call our country multicultural and diverse. Along with saying ‘eh’ and living in igloos, Canada is also known internationally for being a kind and welcoming place. As a nation, we can look back to Canada’s history and the decades of oppression, negligence and exploitation of minority groups and…

Diversity in Metro Vancouver

I came to this city as an international student from Kenya. Living on campus and going to a university outside the country I grew up in opened my eyes up to a variety of people from an array of cultures and backgrounds. Through living on campus and just generally going to classes, I met some…

The first wave of New Year in Hanoi

The first of January marks the start of a new year, but for many people it is also a prompt for celebration. For Vietnamese people, New Year’s Eve is a rather new concept from the 2000s decade. Vietnamese people usually start their new year according to the lunar calendar and not the Georgian calendar, so…