Kristina's Journey to Life

Currently I am studying Spanish, a little bit each day. I started learning Spanish in middle school, and then also in high school - four years in total. I had a very small foundation of the language, but I enjoyed using it here and there throughout the years. The last few months, I wanted to study another language again. I initially considered french, due to me living in Canada now, though after a few days of that, I realized why not work with the foundation I already have, so Spanish it was. The consideration to study a new language was in part from my co-workers who were learning English. Living in Whistler, there are many people from all over the world that come to work, and live here. I work in Japanese Steakhouse, and so majority of the staff is from Japan. There are many different levels of their English ability, but what I find within all of them is the willingness to put themselves into a new country, with a new language and just learn. One of my co-workers in particula...

(From Aug 8th, 2012) Today, my brother, his girlfriend and I went into Canada. While we were there, I saw myself comparing a lot of it to America – and had this “my country is better’ character as me. Where I was like, “fuck Canada, this is lame, let’s go home ” – so Identifying myself as an “American” and within that comparing America to Canada as being better, and so seeing myself as better being an American. This sense of feeling more comfortable within the US – obviously it’s what I am familiar with. Yet – seeing the illusory lines that separate countries and people from people – I was participating in this ‘role’ as playing the character of “American” I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to define myself as an American, where I believe “my country” is better then others I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to judge Canada based on the city I saw, and within that defining America as ‘better’ I forgive myself that I have accepted a...