Easy as 1, 2, 3

Writing for Mac News (Macdonald, that is) has been a wonderful experience. Here is my last submission, as an alumni writer for the September issue. Best of luck this year! Note: I am posting up my original version. I think it was more grammatically correct before the editing process (no offence to the wonderful editors, who have made beautiful edits over the course of the year).

 

Walking through the doors of the school this morning… for many of you, this has become pure routine. To some, this will become pure routine. To all of you – I want to share with you the words of a wise friend, and former Mac News executive, Joey Yu:

"Some say that the 4 years of high school are the most difficult time in a teen's life. I am relieved to say that I have never truly felt this way. This 4 year journey has been a breeze and I credit this to all my friends who were always there to give me those several extra pushes along the way. I could always count on you to make all the stress of the day melt away and to have it be replaced by inside jokes and side-splitting, tears-flowing laughter. Thank You and Good Luck. TNT Always."

I hope that all of you can share this wind as you fly off to new destinations.

Throughout your years, you will hear the word "countdown" quite often. The countdown for the next dance, the days left till Christmas; a couple more days until your first titration, dissection; the countdown for prom; and of course – 5, 4, 3, 2… 1 more year until you are out of here. But one day, someday, you realize – the counting down is all over. You're on the bus, in a car, on a plane – heading towards a new school, a new place. Yes, again we can ready ourselves to "let the countdowns begin" – but moreover, I've realized that high school is everything but a countdown.

Since the day you walked through those doors for your very first time until your goals bring you to the end of this chapter – we all count up. Every day, every test, every class, and every party – we build up on new skills and new friends, discover more experiences and more opportunities, and live through endless laughs and endless accomplishments. Looking back, you realize not only how far you have travelled, but how high you have climbed.

I wish you all the best – of luck, of laughs, and of triumph – to try your best, save the tigers, and always reach for the top – because that's where you'll go! "Let the countups begin!"

Wanderings

We begin our journey of moving on. But in our busy lifestyles of living a directional life – towards our schools, our degrees, and our goals – I took this Thursday to wander across Toronto.

It is a beautiful day today. I'm writing this at the Toronto Music Garden – a truly wonderful blessing for our city. The paths twist, curl, and dance across the garden and flowery landscape. If there's any place to be lost, there's nothing better than being lost in music (hmmm… so ideally either here or on the fifth floor stacks of the TRL).

More and more people gather here; about five times more people than when I first sat down, at this nice lawn awaiting a short but anticipated solo cello performance. The sun is still up, but soon, it will set across the Toronto skyline.

I listen around. I "unplugged' my earphones quite a while ago. I don't want to miss out on any part of the experience of the music garden. All around I hear murmuring; the cellist has just started her warm-ups. Twice I've heard the zooms of the airplanes touching down at the Island airport; often I hear the streetcars moving about. The dog to my right occasionally barks, and every five minutes or so I hear cheers sounding not too far away. UT Frosh students, my guess. Another reminder that we are moving on. And yet, I allow myself to wander.

Early this afternoon, I left my house. I took the Huntingwood bus. I remember a time before the Huntingwood bus was in service. 15 minutes later, I was on the Sheppard subway. That's not so old either. 18 years in Toronto – so many events have happened – visiting the CBC museum this afternoon surely showed that. World events, famous people – coming and going. This is paralleled on a personal level; friends and relatives, who have made their mark on Toronto, but later moved on. I guess now it's my turn.

I got off the Sheppard line, transferred, and soon enough, my head was back above the ground. At Mel Lastman Square, there was a Farmer's market. I bought a colourful basket of plums. The place brought memories of Taiwanese festivals that had taken place there; the busy Yonge Street serving as a main artery of Toronto life, my church just a few kilometers to the North. The clock chimes startle me and inform me that the clock doesn't stop.

At 2:46 on Day 246 I meet a friend at the gate of 5050 Yonge Street. It is the TDSB building. Oh the years spent in this "education" "system" – but I give my bow taps to Timberbank, North Bridlewood, Tyrrell, and Mac – speaking of bow taps, the concert is about to begin.

Wow that was amazing – a beautiful six movement cello suite played by Winona Zelenka, principle cellist of the TSO, presenting the series of "Bach at Dusk". 40 minutes after I left off the last paragraph, people are now leaving. People come and people go.

After I left the TDSB – we headed downtown. We visited the CBC museum, as I mentioned earlier, but more or less wandered across Toronto. It was a great departure from my email/detail self, and a joy to just walk around; the highlight being this vibrant city that I will miss, and an engaging conversation. We parted ways at the Eaton centre, and there I soon found myself in a bookstore =P. Naturally.

I left about a quarter hour later, carrying a copy of Darwin's Origin of Species. A beautiful illustrated hardcover edition – for less than two and a half hours worth of work at the zoo! It reminds of the knowledge that is out there in the world, the knowledge for us to find, to discover. "The World is our Classroom", I say – and every day I learn how true that is.

We are moving ahead, moving towards new heights, and many of us take different paths. Though it now seems divergent, roads may soon by convergent; a species becomes a population, with more talent, variety, and colour; roads intertwine, and that's where we'll meet again.

I'm heading back home, writing in my faithful Moleskine notebook (thanks again, Doris). Walking back from the music garden, I decided that buying a basket of plums early in the afternoon, followed by a large heavy hardcover book, and lugging them across Toronto was not the smartest thing to do.

The sun sets over in the West. I will be heading there in less than 48 hours. Hamilton's not that far, of course, but I will grow to love it as I already love Mac (BigMac that is, and I still love little mac) – and the Artscis are awesome!; but today, I continue to wander across Toronto.

I near the Rogers Centre. The Yankees are at Toronto today – though I have lost faith in the jays, and now with Wang entrenched with injuries, I don't care for the Yankees much either – but the game and the smell of hotdogs remind of games watched as a kid. The Yankees also remind me of trips to New York, to the States; it is a small world, but also so immense, filled always with places to go, things to see.

I pass by the CN Tower. It looks pretty in the sunset, and commanding in our skyline. I will visit it tomorrow (hmmm when will I pack?). But today has been a wonderful day. I will keep this day, this city, this world, in mind – as I continue to wander into the world ahead. I want to say wander aimlessly, but we've gotta be realistic, eh?

 

Sunrise, Sunset

My bus transfer reminds me that today is Day 244 in this unforgettable year of '09. A glance at my cell reminds me that already it is September. With all the back to school sales, we are all reminded that school is almost here.

The returning autumn chills remind me that fall is soon approaching; chloroplasts about to fade as the chromoplasts will finally begin to boast their colours and brighten our world – briefly – before white snow once again blankets our country, from coast to coast to coast. And the cycle will continue, once again.

With Staples reminding us that school is just around the corner (but with lined paper at 24 cents per pack, who am I to argue?)*, the commercials pronounce – "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year". The excitement of the new world of university catches up with me (as well as the agony of assignments ahead, but hey, let's stay optimistic =D); new courses, new peers, new professors; soon enough, Christmas will be here, and we'll be hearing this song again. The cycle continues.

I once again log onto CBC. Reports and articles speak of new gains, recent losses; new election polls, predictions; updates on the Canadian dollar, strengthening gas prices; and the announcement of the end of our 08/09 recession, the 5 year deficit, and the road to recovery. Politics, economics – the cycle continues.

Down the hall I hear the background music of… Restaurant City; my sister recently joined… Facebook. As I move onto university, she will be starting her first year at JB Tyrrell next year. I start to pay tuition, she begins to buy her locker equipment. We grow, and the cycle continues.

Though I started writing this in broad daylight, it is now already dark. The sun goes up and it goes down. Sunset creeps earlier each day; in a couple months, it'll be creeping later. The cycle continues.

I think about the Grade 12's, the victory lappers; the grade 9's and the little ones; the preschoolers, the infants; soon enough, they'll be making the important decisions in their lives. And they're look to the ever-spinning world, and think to themselves – The Cycle Continues.

"They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know; and I think to myself – What a Wonderful World" – Louis Armstrong

*sorry for the advertisement, it was unintended and used for allusion purposes; the only company I'm supporting at the moment is google… yay Google!