I've been elected into this crazy, humbling, exciting, scary, wild ride, so this blog is going to pivot a bit into a political blog of sorts.
civic politics
A -post collectionPartisan politics, with less partisan
I want to see less party politics, and more collaboration from all points of view to make the world better. At one point I got asked this bombshell: "Do you think it's possible?"
Power & Politics
Two days ago, with days left in the candidate nomination process, Vision's mayoral candidate Ian Campbell dropped out of the race. Vancouverites have a lot of feelings about it, not unexpectedly—Vision has been a major party in Vancouver, likely most well known for the bike lanes and very tall buildings that have been put in during its tenure. This wild affordability crisis is often pegged on Vision as well, and I don't think the critics are entirely wrong. (I just also think that critics should be, but are often not, equally vocal about the provincial and federal government, who share a lot of responsibility for this mess). Anyway. My point for this entry is an observation about the reactions I got as a progressive candidate:
Why I am Running
I was born in Hong Kong and I moved to Canada with my family when I was 10. I had a tough transition. As an immigrant-settler, I had a hard time fitting in and I did not see myself represented in the media, literature and politics. Fortunately, I found strong mentors in the music and creative writing programs at school—or rather, they found me. I know first-hand how impactful these programs could be for young people. Now I have two little rugrats of my own who are both in the public school system. While there are some great updates in the curriculum on socio-emotional development and reconciliation, music, arts and culture have been pushed to the margins. Outdoor education lags behind compared to even other