Well here you are, it is the end of the year and you are not sure what to do with your summer. You are tired of school and you want some adventure. So what do you do?

Your summer opportunities are not limited to just what is in your hometown, a whole world is out there, waiting for you to encounter.
Last year I did not know what I wanted to do. I was bored with home and felt like university was something that could wait so I thought of what I could do.

I ultimately decided on doing a working holiday. A working holiday is when you go on a vacation to a foreign place, find a job and have an extended holiday. I decided to live in London, England and after some difficulty finding a job, I ended up working full time at a little photo lab in Fulham, West London. It was great. I would work with some very cool people in the mornings and explore the city in the evenings.

I went to church at Hillsong Church London, a massive church of around 9000 and made loads of friends there and was amazed at the amount of Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans and Americans that I would meet. The sad thing was how few Canadians were around. In spite of the Student Work Abroad Program (SWAP) that is run by the Canadian government, there is still very few of us floating around discovering what life is like in different cultures. I am very proud of where I come from and would not permanently trade the life I have in Vancouver for another city, but there is tons of fun and experience to be gained by living in a different part of the world.

The nicest part about working in a different culture is that people are genuinely interested in learning about what Canada is like and what makes it significant to the world. In our post Olympic world I relish an opportunity to discuss how great the Great White North is with others. Especially when all the rest of the Commonwealth seems to be doing the same thing.

As with every experience and choice to be made, there are negatives to doing a working holiday. One is obviously the fact that you are separating yourself from your bubble. It is nice to live in what we know and it is never an easy thing to jump away from what we already appreciate and go to to something unknown but the reward is definitely worth the risk.

Those are just a few words to describe what went on from April 7th to April 11th, as the fashion scene took over Vancouver.

For its fourteenth season and tenth anniversary, Vancouver Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2010 collection was held at the swanky Empire Landmark Hotel on Robson Street, bringing together designers, media, and fashionistas from around the globe.

Being an intern with VFW is a wonderful experience, but there are many things one should know when attending a fashion show: Listen
and learn.

Do wear something from a favourite designer you’re watching:
It’s supportive and stylish at the same time. If the price tag of the designer’s clothes is unaffordable, take inspiration from their collections and make it your own. Also, many fashion bloggers attend shows. If your outfit catches their eye and they ask what you’re wearing, you’ll look pretty impressive dropping your favourite designer’s name.

Do make friends:
Fashion shows start fashionably late. So while you’re waiting, why not mingle? Most people are there because they love fashion, so at least you’ll have one thing in common with others! It’s also a great way for networking if you want to work in the fashion industry or find out other fashion events.

Don’t sit in the front row:
The front row is always reserved for elite people in the fashion industry. Typically, those people are magazine editors, fashion designers,
or buyers.

If you happen to snag a front row seat without that status, consider yourself lucky. At VFW, I was content with my third row seat, so don’t worry – you still can see and enjoy the show.

Do bring a camera:
At the end of the runway is where all of the photographers crowd together and compete for the best shot. But be your own photographer from your own seat if you see an outfit you love. Just remember to turn the flash off!

Don’t beg the bouncer for free entry:
This may sound weird, but it actually happens. Fashion designers have spent a lot of time on their collections and seeing it firsthand is a privilege. So don’t try, or else you won’t even get in.

Don’t laugh if a model falls:
At VFW, a model wearing a pair of high stilettos was strutting down the runway when she tripped. When a few people started to snicker, it just made the situation worse; it also brought attention to those laughing. Not many of us can balance in six-inch heels, so it’s important not to be rude and let the show go on.

Do attend the after-parties:
It’s fun, everyone is dressed fabulous and you might get to meet the designers!

Do take notes:
Whether a good song is playing down the runway, a name of an up and coming designer is announced, or you find a trend on the runway that you like, jot it down on a notepad before it’s too late. At fashion shows, many things can catch your eye, so take what you can with you, so the experience lasts.

If you fine ladies are anything like me, the last few weeks of the school year mean the onset of two particular happenings. One, I find myself a near-permanent fixture at the closest Starbucks. And two, I slip into a clothing rut, where getting dressed in the morning becomes as repetitive and mundane as the march to and from the oh so familiar library.

It seems that all my creative energy is funnelled into the multitude of assignments and papers and none is left to spare on my wardrobe; it is as if I unintentionally aim to replicate the previous day’s outfit choice until I suck my closet positively dry of all leggings and plaid shirts. In attempts to help you conserve creativity and beckon you away from following in my repetitious, bland footprints I have compiled a list of suggestions that aim to aid you in the end-of-the-year flurry. I may not be able to write that pesky research paper of yours, but I can propose a handful of ways to both brighten up and ease your morning ventures to your dresser.

I would first of all like to give a pat on the back to this year’s trends, for they tend to work sublimely well with the end of the school year bustle. The air of simplicity and nod to low-maintenance is just what the doctor ordered for us busy academics. If you have an appetite for edge, look to channel the queen of rough-and-tumble chic, Kate Moss herself, whose disheveled hair and sleek 90’s grunge ensembles are wholly divine. In the same realm of unkept ease, MK and Ashley Olsen serve as iconic models of hassle-free style. These three leading ladies exemplify how to hone in on care-free without looking drab; gather up billowy, studded or embellished t-shirts, black leather leggings and vests made of denim.

Yet another master of low-maintenance couture, Alexander Wang, brought to the table a different genre of ease characterised by cotton jersey tops and pants that will leave you cooing “take me out to the ball game.” The most valuable concept to grasp from this vamped up take on athletic wear is that sweatpants are not an appropriate synonym for comfortable. Even during exam time, there are numerous options that trump these fleecy faux pas — a pair of leggings, for example, are the perfect substitute. Additionally, a charming item known as the blazer may come quite in handy when attention is put towards your studies. This girls’ best friend slips on as effortlessly as a hoodie, yet will leave you looking instantly put together and exuding that you mean business.

Aside from semester’s end induced wardrobe woes, one’s crowing glory often is left unattended or swept up into a lifeless ponytail. Proposed alternatives to such scholastically typical hair care routines, if I may, include the introduction of a tousled side braid or a chic ballerina bun; both of which appeal to time constraints and address locks that are otherwise in need of a wash.

Whether you have set up camp in the library or are frantically running from classroom to classroom, utilise your closet’s contents as a study slump pick-me-up. What you clothe yourself in can renew fading energy and reroute downcast attitude. Cling to these few simple concepts and above all, uplifting dreams of sweet, sweet summer.

Grade: B-

Canadian pop band Barenaked Ladies have been though some big changes recently, namely the loss of former front-man Steven Page. But the rest of the band has soldiered on and tried to make this record a fresh start. The majority of the songs on All in Good Time find the band in a mature and contemplative mood, yet the songs that shine most brightly are the ones that play to their old strengths.

“Four Seconds” is a fast-talking polka featuring hilarious jazz fills and break-beats. “Summertime” is an extremely catchy ode to everyone’s favourite season, and one of the best songs by anyone so far this year. If nothing else, check out those two songs.

The other tracks are all hummable and enjoyable but a bit bland on the whole. You won’t regret having given them a listen, but it’s the upbeat tracks that will keep you coming back for more. They still have a way to go to get out from underneath the shadow of their work with Steven Page, but they’ve almost got there.

Grade: B-

The Last Song has exactly what we have come to expect from any Nicholas Sparks film adaptation: passionate romance, life-threatening diseases, and picturesque locations.

The rule is that if you leave the theatre in tears, you’ve gotten your money’s worth. Miley Cyrus plays Ronnie, a rebellious teenager forced to spend the summer with her estranged father (Greg Kinnear). While moping along the beautiful beaches of the Georgian coast in her Doc Martens boots, Ronnie quite literally runs into local pretty-boy Will (Liam Hemsworth) and the inevitable teen romance ensues. While this is our first real preview into what Miley is capable of outside of her role as Hannah Montana, she proves little more than to show that even a Disney sweetheart can know what it is like to experience teenage angst and parental resentment. If you ignore its clichéd moments and unnaturally developed relationships, The Last Song is very capable of satisfying the needs of those looking for a mindless homework break, or even just a good cry.

Grade: C+

Having not listened to Cancer Bats before, Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones is reminiscent of the great days of hardcore.

Their sound is simple and driving, with a great blend of solid riffs and melodic rhythms. One thing that holds the Toronto band back is the lead vocals. Liam Cormier has a great vocal style. Sadly most contemporary major bands in his genre have a similar sound, you can’t blame him for what others have done. The draw back to Cancer Bats, is that they only have this one sound. If people like your sound then you are set but when your albums don’t show progression from track to track your audience tends to lose interest. Now not everyone will agree with me but as far as a metalcore bands goes they are well above par.

As a disclaimer, Cancer Bats is not a Christian band, so Lyrics could be a gamble but over all Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones is a decent album and I would say that anyone who enjoys metalcore should give it a listen.

Cancer Bats, are due to put out their new album Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones this week.

Jesus in Beijing by David Aikman
This book gives the reader a sweeping look at the growth of Christianity in the People’s Republic of China and “how Christianity is transforming China and changing the global balance of power.”
 
Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition by Christine Pohl
Pohl give us a classic profound discussion of the Biblical, historical, and contemporary practice of opening hearts and lives to others, making room for others with compassion, especially to the “stranger, the poor, the weak, and those who are different” in Jesus’ name.
 
The Presence of God in the Christian Life:  John Wesley and the Means of Grace by Henry H. Knight
Knight presents a rewrite of his doctoral dissertation at Emory University to give us a deep, profound discussion of our participation in God’s means by which God pours his grace and therefore himself into our lives and occasions the ends he desires: a people whose hearts are transformed in
holy love.

The Power of Servant Leadership, edited by Larry C. Spears
A classic: compiled and edited writings of Robert K. Greenleaf, possibly the most revered and cited thinker on the topic of leadership. Spears gives us a collection of eleven powerful, compelling essays on servant-leadership providing us with refined thinking on servant leadership and the related importance of vision and wholeness. 

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Brother Lawrence’s classic teaches the humble reader how to continually participate in communion with God and to sustain His presence with you despite the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The Goal by Eli Goldratt
Goldratt revolutionized the manufacturing industry by initiating a process of continuous improvement, known as the Theory of Constraints, changing the way North America does business.

The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer
Powerful and simplistic in its challenge and conviction, readers are left uncomfortable as they are pushed to draw into a deep, authentic relationship with Christ.

Barbarians at the Gate by Bryran Burrough and John Helyar
This journalistic masterpiece offers wisdom to emerging business leaders, by delving into the leveraged buyout craze of the 1980s and exposing the ego of Wall Street’s biggest players

Grade: C

Scratch My Back is the first half of a proposed two album song-swap series where Peter Gabriel plays the music of some of his favourite artists, and in return, those artists cover Peter Gabriel songs. It might seem like a novel idea at first, but it is not hard to see that this amounts to nothing more than a covers album followed by a tribute album, neither of which is anything new.

Gabriel has chosen some big names to cover here–David Bowie, Arcade Fire, and Radiohead are only a few of the artists you might recognize. But unfortunately while you might be familiar with these songs, you probably won’t recognize the tracks themselves, as Gabriel has turned nearly all of them into lethargic dirges from
Boringsville.

Most of the songs are driven by strings and piano, but Gabriel’s idea of a good string arrangement seems to be to “get louder at the emotional parts” and nothing else, leaving the songs to be driven solely by his deteriorating voice.

Moments of beauty occasionally jump out, tricking you into thinking that the album might actually be okay, but they quickly dissipate as you fall asleep waiting for
it to end.

Grade: A

“I can’t believe it’s still light out?” Jack White exclaims at 11:15 p.m. after a show in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.

Wait a minute, Whitehorse? Why are the White Stripes in the Yukon, let alone Canada? During the summer of 2007, Jack and Meg White decided for the band’s tenth anniversary, to go on a tour of Canada hitting every province and territory. They played shows not only in major concert venues but small spots like in a Saskatoon bowling alley, on the back of a boat in Prince Edward Island and in a Winnipeg public transit bus. The video has the feel of a cross between a concert DVD, a documentary and a Canada tourism video.

As a Canadian, on the conclusion of the film I felt a sense of pride and patriotism for my country. In our post-Olympic landscape, any opportunity to feel that way is welcome to me.

Under Great White Northern Lights is suddenly the way I show my international friends what Canada is like, and how varied our landscape truly is, set with the stunning music of the White Stripes. Be sure to check out the live album that accompanies
the film.