June 27th/05

For starters, I slept in until 10 am.... ( deja vu....joking!). After this, I got up and had some breakfast ( 2 whole wheat toast slices with peanut butter!) . After that even though I couldn't find mom I got to work on the lawn around 10:30 a.m until 11:30 a.m. Then, I took a break and played halo 2 for 20-30 minutes. Next, I had lunch (2 pizza pops?). Following that, I mowed the sports of the lawn I had missed earlier that day, trimmed the glass around the fences and carried a bag of soil over( I did so until about 2/2:05 p.m). At this point, I reminded mom that I wanted to go to a multicultural event at St.John's City Hall at 3pm. They told me they wouldn't drive me: I was gonna have to find my own way to the event! ( At first, Greg was a bit upset about me going when they would've highly appreciated my help around the house! I talked to Jillian P. about it and ya, I let my frustration go and moved on) At 2:20 p.m, I realized there was no way the metrobus would get me there on time: tenille advised that I take a cab ( so I called up Valley Cabs...). Turns out, the cab driver get me there 10 minutes before the event started and even drove me up to the door!


Before it started, I looked around at some of the booths they had up that gave more information about each respective country: my eyes were drawn to the U.N table they had set up! From this point, I talked to the people who represented India and took a seat to chat ( I told them my name ( this is obvious), the school I went/going to (Bishops College),etc...) Then, the event started: here was the planned run-down (emphasis on planned!):
-Welcome:Donna Jeffrey,Executive Director (RIAC) ---- this is the Refugee Immigrant Advisory council

-Overview of MCAP-- this is the multicultural community awareness program : Lyodetta Quaicoe, Coordinator (MWONL)-- Multicultural Women's Organization of NL

- Greetings: Andy Wells, Mayor, City of St.John's ( He was unable to show up due to a prior commitment!)
Jane Rutherford, Senior Program Manager, National Crime Prevention Strategy
Sgt. Paula Walsh, RNc Training Section, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary

-World Refugee Day : Jose Rivera, Community Representative
Leo Massaquoi, Youth Representatibe

-Country Profiles : Celebrating Canadian Multiculturalism Day

-Book Launch : HuaLin Wong, St. John's Liason, UNAC -- united nations association in canada

-Appreciation and Recognition: MCAP Facilitatord and Participants

-Vote of thanks : Nick Summers, President
Canadian Council for Refugees

Here is my summary of the highlights:

-At the overview of MCAP, we were told how this program came about: from a series of conferences back in Dec./04
- She felt this was necessary because they felt they couldn't have fitted all the information from a one day session
-She told us this program was designed as a celebration of the success of the program

- We were told that the National Crime Prevention Strategy was to try to resolve the issues that often cause crime and that this project was funded by this strategy in part
- This Strategy came into effect a year and a half ago ( I didn't know this before!)

-The RNC officer (Walsh) said how she was glad that the RNC helped fund this project
- she said how its important to de-spell the myth that immigrants have of police that are not always positive due to the fact police in the immigrants ' home countries may have abused their power
- She said how the RNC wants to help make the community a better place and how this project has also helped the RNC

-I learned that today was World Refugee Day ( Sounds like its something YAC at bishops should promote next year!)
- They basically explained that this day was designated by the U.N as a day to focus on refugees: the challenges they face,etc..

-Massaquoi spoke about how he has felt free since he moved to canada ( he remembers exactly how many days he has lived in this country)
-He said how he felt humane again when he moved here and how he didn't feel that way were he had previously lived

Big Highlight: Country Profiles:
-Starting, two young girls in traditional Indian Clothing performed an Indian Dance: it was rather cute and entertaining
- Two groups of people each did a different Colombian dances: they used wide use of props such as roses, hats, scrafs,etc.. It was very humurous since the male was usually circling the female uttering phrases in the Colombian tongue : it was very funny and entertaining ( it produced quite a few laughs!)
- A group of African Women did a Showdown style freestyle in which each girl in different African fashions did their own solo "strut"
,etc...

Book Launch:
- This book according to the display is a must for activists, soon-to-be activits, those involved in immigration,etc.. ( I signed up for it... i'll tell you more about it in time and if you ask!)

It was a wicked show!
Things I did before/afterwards:
-Talked to people of different faith groups, countries,etc..
-Picked up lots and lots of information forms/ packets ( I took the table,eh...(inside joke!))
After the thing:
-Sampled some Indian , African and Belrusian food
-Talked to a fellow from Colombia and a lady from China ( we talked about politics, history, China in general,etc...)
-Looked at all the displays for the respective countries

So ya at around 5:30/5:35 p.m, I called a cab to come pick me up in front of St.John's City Hall to go back home... ( while I waited, I read a pamplet I picked up on the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" ( from the U.N of course!)

Upon getting home, I put all my pamplets away and found out supper wasn't gonna take place for another 10-20 minutes ( In the meantime, I read through the cultural profile on China!)

For supper, me and tenille had Chicken burgers with mustard, mayo and ketchup ( Makes you want one right now,huh?)

So ya afterwards, I got ready to vacuum.Yet in waiting for "orders" from mom, I played halo for 10-20 minutes. Next around 6:15/6:30 p.mish, we headed up to dad's house to drop off the rabbit, its stuff and to get the garbage bags we got filled up with clothes ( we're gonna be both leaving for our respective trips in a matter of days!)

So ya by the time I got home, it was around 7 pmish (maybe 8/9pmish if my memory is failing me?) now I had to get through hanging up my my clothes with the hangars in the closet ( me and sarah c. had been talking ( I had my cellphone on) since I got in the car to head back to mom's from dad's!) I now that the conversation ended around 9:40 p.m.Yet, sarah was told she was only allowed an hour on the phone ( can't recall what i did with the time between the two: mustn't have been that important!) Me and her had a really good chat ( despite her flu and my lack of sleep). I also found out that we both eat our cereal dry yet will sometimes have a glass of milk (this is getting crazy!). So ya, from 10:15- 11:00/11:20 p.m, I played Halo 2 on Campaign ( Yes, I did spend alot of time on Halo 2 today!: I nearly finished 3 or 4 levels today!) After that, I went on msn for a bit, checked out Hi5, canadiansforchrist,etc.. After 12/12:20 p.m, I decided to work on this blog.... I finished at 1:18 a.m!