Apna (Our) Punjab Has Turned Into A Drug State

For many years, the state of Punjab has been in the midst of a drug addiction crisis. According to a documentary titled “Glut-The Untold Story of Punjab,” 73.5 per cent of Punjab’s youth are addicted to drugs. The documentary goes on to talk about those individuals who are addicted to heroin, even those who inject various alternatives to satisfy their cravings. The population demographic influenced by these drugs also include farmers who are escaping debt worries, by using the dangers of these drugs to potentially end their lives, and Punjab’s rich, who turn to drugs as a mere passtime.

The current crisis in Punjab is the shocking reality that many are facing, occuring in one of the world’s most culturally preserved places. Drug trafficking, and high rates of youth addiction is happening under the nose of the government and authorities, despite their efforts to ban these drugs.

As I tell this sad story, I can’t help but think how ironic the situation is. For youth like myself who have been accustomed to western society, the reality is our culture has already been diluted. Although our parents do their utmost best to teach us the morals and values that reflect our heritage, the country they once idolized is now the one suffering, and in need of some kind of rescue.

The desire for people living in India to look and act more “westernized” has taken a turn for the worse. If citizens don’t realize that they are slowly losing their culture and values, Punjab will definitely lose its status as one of the most reputable states in India.

All hail Adele!!

She’s absolutely stunning and has the soulful voice of an angel. Adele has made quite a name for herself, both in the UK and internationally! Every performance delivered by Adele expresses passion and sincerity. She gets the lyrics of her songs through to her audience in an emotional yet uplifting way. People all around the world adore her down-to-earth personality, and the fact that she doesn’t let media pressure get to her.
Adele recently said in an interview “My life is full of drama and I won’t have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like.” In a society where beauty is based on one’s physical features and weight, to have a slightly overweight, yet incredibly talented singer come out and say that is quite refreshing.
People are so concerned with the Hollywood image and how to present themselves in an “attractive” way, that they forget where true beauty lies. Cheesy as it sounds, but just think about the number of people in this world who are physically attractive, but once they open their mouth, in a matter of seconds their looks go from 10 to 1. Suddenly they’re not so good looking after all. We need to remind ourselves that it’s what comes out of our mouth that determines the rest.

Point exactly: We need more Adeles in this world! Here’s a song that sums up her incredible talent!

Multimedia Project!

A sneak peak into where Diana Duong will be travelling this summer! Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos- here she comes!
Photos obtained from Creative Commons and music from the video game Earthbound.

Nicole Clark’s trip to the Netherlands! Photos taken by Nicole, and music obtained from Creative Commons Jamendo.

Last summer, Priyanka Jain went back home. Home being London, England. She was born and raised in London, and moved to Toronto at the age of ten. Although Jain goes back often, she gets so preoccupied with family and friends, that she forgets about London’s beauty and history. She would pass the Big Ben every day in the car without acknowledging it. She would pass the London Eye every weekend without saying a word. She would forget about the pigeons at Trafalgar Square, and ignore them completely. This past summer, Jain made a point to revisit London’s tourist attractions, and gained more of an appreciation for her home and its history. She realized that her holiday was a lot more than watching Big Brother UK every night, whilst pigging out on her favourite English cereal, chips and chocolate she had missed out on for months.

Is the Grand Canyon on YOUR bucket list?

The lady who works at the Phantom Ranch, located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, said that every year over a billion people visit the Grand Canyon, but less than one-percent make it to the bottom. Not implying that it is overly dangerous and has resulted in deaths in the past, but because people tend to go solely for the breathtaking view. If one was to make the decision of hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon however, it would go something like this :

1. 9 :00A.M.-Begin hike down.
2. 2 :00P.M.-Arrive at Phantom Ranch and sign in.
3. 2 :00P.M.- 6 :00P.M.-Relax, sit in the dining room, nap etc.
4. 6 :00P.M.-Dinner is served at the Phantom Ranch
5. 5 :30 A.M.- Breakfast is served this early, so hikers can begin their journey back up in the cool weather. (takes two hours more on the way up)
6. 7 :00 A.M.- By the time breakfast is finished and everything is packed up, hikers set off.
7. 2 :00 P.M.- Hikers are back at the top! After seven tiring hours, it was all worth it!

*DON’T FORGET:
1. Plenty of water
2. Dry snacks for the hike
3. Crampons (shoe grips for the snow)…you will need them!
4. Enjoy every moment! Remember: one billion people show up, but less then a percent actually hike to the bottom!!

Waitey Katey waits no more!!

On April.29th, the world will celebrate the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William. It will be a joyous occasion for all, and Kate Middleton will have her fairytale wedding. There has been a lot of hype around wedding preparation, as everything is being done in privacy and will be revealed the day of. This includes the guest list, the kind of cutlery that will be used, the hymns that will be sung, the famous performers, and most notably, Middleton’s wedding dress. Will they go as far as having a back up wedding dress in case the original gets stolen, like they did for Princess Diana? She even had two security guards guarding the dress! It really is a matter of “Go big or go home” for the couple. April 29th has even been made a public holiday. Not many people can say a national holiday was made in honor of their wedding day. Then again, we are talking about the future King and his wife. One begins to wonder though, how daunting this all must be for Middleton. She was an average girl, who fell in love with a prince while studying at university. And now eight years later, she’s accustomed to the aristocratic lifestyle, and is expected to present herself to perfection. She must watch her language, maintain proper etiquette, and of course, adopt the traditional conservative dress sense. Hmmm, do you think she has the option of opting out of those oversized feathery hats?

http://society.ezinemark.com/prince-william-and-kate-middleton-kick-off-a-summer-of-royal-marriages-7736b0699cc6.html

Ellie Goulding takes on Elton John!

Elton John’s song “Your song” is a classic. The words are beautiful and intimate, and make for the perfect wedding song. Twenty-four-year-old British singer Ellie Goulding recently covered her own version of the song, and it has definitely done the original justice. Goulding was recently nominated for the “British female solo artist” and “British breakthrough artist” award at the 2011 Brit Awards. The singer has an original video to “Your song”, and also did a promo video for British department store John Lewis. Her version will immediately warm hearts, especially after watching her sing on BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, a show where various artists sing unplugged and oh natural. Goulding’s voice is the exact same; flawless! So here it is; enjoy the amazing talent of Ellie Goulding! Let’s hope she tours Canada soon!

http://coverlandia.net/?p=30555

“Lies In July”

Sixteen-year-old a suspect in school shooting

On March.15, 2011 at 3:15pm, police answered to a report of shots being fired outside a Halifax high school.

The investigation led to the search of a nearby residence just after 10 p.m. last night. Two women were taken into custody but later released without charges.

Today, a male youth has been identified as a suspect in this case. Due to the seriousness of this incident and risk to the public, investigators have received permission to release the youth’s name.

An arrest warrant has been issued to Morgan Patrick Harrington, 16, from Halifax. Harrington is a black male, 5’7” tall, with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with further information must contact police immediately.

Home Sweet Home!

This is my wonderful Brampton home!

Dirty Dancing Soundslides!

Check out clips from my favourite movie Dirty Dancing!