Sitting on a Story

Sitting on a Story

           1. Reflection upon my bench

The bench I chose is located in Grad Boulevard Park and the inscription says “In loving memory Dr. Harvey and Mary Armitage.” This bench was dedicated to two people that I assumed passed away and both loved this place. It is an old, rusty bench which means it’s been there for many years. I chose this bench because it was isolated from the rest of the park, looking towards the soccer field and it caught my attention right away.  I found it, in a way, quite fascinating how this bench was not where all the others were but completely apart. The only thing I could think of was that maybe they were kind of solitary people who didn’t spend much time surrounded by big groups of people. This bench was not placed somewhere with an amazing view or where everyone can see it. It is kind of hidden between the bushes and if we don’t pay close attention to where we are going we will most likely miss it.

 2. Description of Bench

From this bench I can see the soccer field at Grand Boulevard Park and all the places for little kids to play and have fun. To the other side all you can see is the houses on the boulevard. On pretty, sunny days you might be able to see all the downtown towers and buildings. Another thing you can admire on days when the weather is clear is the mountains, and if it has snowed it is a beautiful thing to look at. Knowing that this bench was dedicated to two people who have most likely passed away, gives the solitary bench a sad and lonely kind of mood. It made me think of all those people I know or have known that passed away recently and made me more grateful for having found this particular bench. Even though the story behind this bench is unknown to me, being there for a period of time makes whoever sits there and takes the times to read the inscription plate, want to try to find out the story behind it and who were these two people. It made me want to be able to bring them back for a while and talk to them and figure out why this bench was located there for them and if this place meant anything special to them.

3. A Bench for Me

If a bench were dedicated to me I would like it to be somewhere around Stanley Park. Even though I don’t visit Stanley Park very often I think it’s a beautiful park with many different things to do. It is a place that many people also like and somewhere pretty not too far away from North Vancouver. Having a bench in Stanley Park dedicated to me would be something that will help people remember that I am always close to them. When someone passes away neither burying them nor cremating will help you remember them but a bench dedicated to them is a way to keep them close to home in some way.  The idea of a bench will allow my friends and family to both go out and do something different outside of the crowds in the city and have me closer to them. If this bench was to be put in Stanley Park, I would like it to say something like “If you ever feel that you miss me, look in your heart. I will always be there.”

             4. Dedicating a Bench

          If I were to dedicate a bench to anyone it would most likely be my parents. I would put in a place like Ambleside near the beach. The reason I chose this place is, my parents were both born and grew up in Puerto Rico where it is always sunny and there are beaches almost everywhere you go. Ambleside is a place they have both loved and enjoyed since they first came to Vancouver so it would mean a lot to them to have a bench there dedicated to them. I know my siblings will love to be a part of this since they done so much for them too, so the inscription plate would say all of our names.  The inscription plate would say “For all you’ve ever done for us and for being the amazing people that you are, THANK YOU! Love you, Nora, Monica and Juan.” This bench will in some way give back to them for all the things they have done for us throughout our lives and for always supporting us whether they think we’ve made the right decisions or not. This is something that will remain there for years and that we will always have, to reminds us every time we see it of how much they love us and how much they have done and will do for our well-being.

          5. Journal Response

          Going to the park to find a bench was quite a different experience. It is something I had never done and most likely never would’ve thought of doing. I found this bench while my parents were driving by Grand Boulevard Park. While driving down that street I saw this lonely dedicated bench that immediately caught my eye. What was so interesting about this bench was the location and also the fact that it was completely separated from the rest of the park. When I saw the bench I told my parents to stop the car so I could do my bench report about what it said and what I could see and feel and think. They left me there and came back to pick me up when I was done. Being that the bench was dedicated to two people that I believe passed away, made this experience more personal and more serious. It was an amazing experience that made me reflect upon many things and remember those people that have passed away and often forget about. This visit to the park and most importantly the bench, made me realize what an amazing thing is to dedicate someone a bench because no matter what happens the bench will be there and, in a way, the people we dedicate it to will always be there as well. While I was at the park it felt  like everything quiet down, making the entire experience more fantastical and more personal for me. When I first thought of doing this project, I knew it’d be something different but not nearly as special as it was. Overall, I am very grateful for this opportunity because it was truly something new and amazing.

           6. Choosing a Poem

The poem I chose that suits by bench is called “A View from the Park Bench” and it was written by Andrew Blakemore. This poem talks about what he sees around him when he’s sitting on the park bench and many of the things he describes are similar to what I could see from the bench I chose. The poem talks about how he looks at the sky above and the chestnut trees and also about how snow is near. Sitting on this bench I could see the snow on mountain tops and a few days later it did snow where the bench is. Also it talks about the bench being old and worn which mine really is, and how close to his bench there is a park where kids can play just like Grand Boulevard Park. When I read this poem the first time, I could see the resemblance to the bench I chose in so many different ways that I decided this was the poem that best suited my bench. 

A View form the Park Bench

Upon this old familiar bench
From which I've spent a time or two,
Just gazing at the sky above
And watching chestnut trees,
Which change throughout the seasons
Now their copper leaves do fall,
Which gather on this stony path
And tossed upon the breeze.

For scattered far across the field
And through the air with random flee,
From every bough it seems to pluck
Until each one is bare,
Now soon the winter shall be here
With icy chills the frosts and snow,
When I'll not stop but carry on
And find no comfort there.

Upon this bench so old and worn
That's scrawled and etched on every slat,
And smeared with food from yesterday
Yet still to me so kind,
For here within my solitude
Away from all the toil and spite,
I'll take my time to look around
While others seem so blind.

Within this park the children play
Upon the swings the slide and frame,
And run around upon the grass
Just like I used to do,
But now so many years have passed
And older but no wiser I,
And wish I had my youth again
Reliving days I knew.

Upon this bench I sit and wait
And as the people pass me by,
Some of them do speak to me
Some look the other way,
Yet here the grass shall always grow
Beneath my tired and aching feet,
A friendly place I call my own
Where often I do stay.

I long for daffodils of spring
To watch them all come into flower,
When blossom blooms upon the bough
Such beauty there to see,
Then listen to the birds that sing
As if for me their sweet refrains,
And I alone shall hear them all
Each golden melody.

Upon this bench on which I rest
I think how many things have changed,
Yet here it almost seems the same
As times of long ago,
St. Mary's there still proudly stands
And in the morning sun does shine,
As ages passed it's witnessed all
And seen the village grow.

Now as I make my way back home
And walk along this stony path,
Adorned by scattered copper leaves
That through the autumn fell,
I know I shall return again
To lose myself within the view,
And watch the seasons changing
From the bench where I shall dwell.
BY: ANDREW BLAKEMORE

                 7. Personal Philosophy
                  My personal philosophy of life agrees very much with the Carpe Diem Philosophy. I believe that we need to make the most of life and live every day as if it were our last. No matter how hard things can get, at some point down the line everything will most likely pay off. Also, I believe that we need to stay positive no matter what happens and to try to make the best of every situation. The poem “A View form the Park Bench” by Andrew Blakemore, in some small way show this. The speaker talks about how he loved his childhood but the years have gone by and he wishes he could go back to when he was a child. Although this man is unhappy about not being able to relive his childhood he makes the best of it by going to this bench where he used to play as a child and remember all the things he did. Another thing I believe in is being true to ourselves and realizing that we are not perfect at all. The speaker in this poem talks about how he has gotten “older but no wiser” which shows how he likes who he is even though, like everyone else, he has faults.

        8. Purpose of a Park
         Parks are recreational areas where we can all come together as a community and share with one another. It is a place where there are no conflicts and where everyone can leave behind their problems and relax for a while. Parks are the place where age does not matter, where we all act like children and nobody worries about anything else but the present. The good thing about parks is that we can always feel that happy, family friendly atmosphere that invites everyone to join in. Our definitions and purposes of a park change drastically over the years. When we are little kids we see parks as a place full of other kids and many things to do; it is simply a fun place to be. However, growing up we start changing our minds and the way we look at it. Once we reach adulthood, we start looking at parks as a more relaxing place to just walk around, have some quiet time and forget everything that might be giving us a hard time. There is one thing, however, that does not change throughout the years and that is the fact that we still love parks because of its family friendly atmosphere and the many memories we have created from parks

              9. Writing a Poem

This Bench

By: Monica Rivera

This bench so old so bare

At which people don’t bother to stare

So full of memories

That no one shares.

Lonely and quiet

Surrounded by trees,

This old and bare bench

Has made an impression on me.

I know I’ll be back

I’ll sit in this park,

To enjoy its surroundings

                                                And gather my thoughts!

“Nepal Plane Crash Kills All 22 On Board”

“Nepal Plane Crash Kills All 22 On Board”

By: Claire Cozens

PostMedia News, The Vancouver Sun

December 16, 2010

            A small plane of 22 passengers crashes in eastern Nepal killing all 19 passengers and three crew members. According to Bimlesh Lal Karna, the head of the rescue operation, all the bodies have been recovered and mostly all have been identified. This wasn’t due to any mechanical failure, apparently the plane was flying lower than usual and one of the wings clipped a mountain top causing the plane to crash. Out of all these 22 people only one of them was an American citizen and the rest of them were thought to be all from Nepal but seem to be from Bhutan who were just traveling to visit a Buddhist site around that area. This news article is different from the usual plane crashes because it was just the fact that the plane flew lower than usual that the plane crashed. The crashing of an airplane this way will make people think twice before making a decision as to what airline they travel with which might not be good for Tara Air. Tara Air might see a downfall in their flight but the fact that it was such a small plane with that little amount of passengers going through a place with mountains so close to your plane contributes to the plane crash one way or another. 

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Nepal+plane+crash+kills+board/3986199/story.html



“Canadian Resident Faces Death Penalty in Iran”

“Canadian Resident Faces Death Penalty in Iran”

By: Helena Zhu

Epoch Times Staff

December 16, 2010

            An Iranian-born Canadian resident has been sentenced to death in Tehran, Iran due to some “Internet offences.” According to this article, the man was accused of “insulting the sanctity of Islam” and also disrespecting national security by creating adult content websites as we is a web developer and programmer. This man’s supporters say the website which they are talking about used one of his programs with his name on it without this man’s consent. These people also claim that the judge who trialed his case told Saeed Malekpour’s lawyer that it had been Iranian Revolutionary Guards who made the decision to convict him other than the judge himself. If the evidence wasn’t enough, as explained in this article, convicting him was not a wise decision or a fair one. The fact that this man was tortured both physically and psychologically until he confessed to something he is sure he did not do is inhuman and cruel.  Also, this man was on a trip with his wife visiting his father who was sick in 2008 and has been hold in Tehran’s prison ever since. Everyone should have the right to visit another country for family purposes and if they are being convicted of something it’s better if they do it when he’s back home by a minister of foreign affairs.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/47599/



“Cancun Climate Change Summit Offers More Hope Than Expected”

“Cancun Climate Change Summit Offers More Hope Than Expected”

By: Kremena Krumova

Epoch Times Staff

December 12, 2010

            Representatives of the 194 member states at the Cancun climate change summit reached a decision that they’d help poor countries build a sustainable future and convincing them that being eco friendly is a good thing that we should all do. However, places like Canada and larger countries want to stop this because having this means they would have to cut back on their emissions and financially help undeveloped countries to be more conscious of their footprint. Those people that are experts on the situation say this is extremely necessary in order for the world to be able to properly deal with global warming. This is a very good initiative to take because the fact that many countries don’t do much about global warming doesn’t mean it is not our problem. For underdeveloped countries to not do much about it is in a way more understandable because they might not have what’s necessary to help global warming and also because they might not be as informed about it as the bigger countries are. The fact that many big countries don’t want to get involved in this situation is in a way selfish and not a good attitude to take towards the problem since most of the carbon footprint is most likely to come from big, developed countries than from small, undeveloped ones.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/47389/



“Latin American and Caribbean Countries Have Bright Economic Outlook”

“Latin American and Caribbean Countries Have Bright Economic Outlook”

By: Marco’t Hoen

Epoch Times Staff

December 14, 2010 

            According to a report done by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations (ECLAC), Latin American and the Caribbean countries’ economies will recover with the GDP per person increasing 4.8%. Those countries in the Caribbean that are non English or Dutch speaking, are the one who have recovered the most. The only country whose economy has dropped is Haiti and this is due to the plague that just invaded the country. Not only is the economy growing but also the opportunity for jobs and the quality of the jobs are highly increasing.  This increase in the economy of these countries is crucial to the lifestyle of all the families that live in them. We often don’t realize that many of these people have low resources and the increase in jobs will make life easier for families and for the generations to come. This article makes us realize how lucky we are to have everything we do and makes us think about those who are less fortunate. The increase in all of this will help not only the small countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, but it’ll also increase our global economy which is something that will benefit us all.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/47534/



"Teach Your Children To Sometimes go without"

“Teach Your Children to Sometimes go without”

By: Kathy Lynn, Special to North Shore News

December 8, 2010

                Now that Christmas is getting closer, parents are reminded that kids do not need to get everything on their wish list and that maybe one or two items in the list will make it under the tree. The woman who wrote this article believes that a wish list creates a problem because these days, is it not a wish list anymore but more like an “expectation” list. Parents are reminded through this article that kids do not need the latest, newest thing out and that teaching them to go without will help them in the long run. One way she suggests that one way for the kids to not expect everything they put on their list is to make them set priorities and pick only a few things from the list of things they’d like to get for Christmas. The message sent through this article is one that many of us don’t even pay attention to anymore. We don’t really need everything we ask for during Christmas and teaching kids to not ask for as much and only for those things that are truly necessary will help the future of everyone and make the world a better place.  Setting priorities and letting go of things that are not necessary is what every Christmas everywhere should be about which is why this article is great.

http://www.nsnews.com/life/Teach+children+sometimes+without/3945147/story.html



"Volunteerism Study Offers Groups Tips on Keeping Recruits"

Volunteerism Study Offers Groups Tips on Keeping Recruits

By: Tobi Cohen, Postmedia News

December 9, 2010

            According to studies made by Volunteer Canada, many pf the people that do volunteer work have had at least one “negative experience” in the work place. These studies were done with four groups of people: baby-boomers, youth, families and employment-supported volunteers. It has been shown in these studies that what volunteers are looking for and what the work site offers often differ making the people want to volunteer less or not at all. More than 550 volunteers were interviewed as well as over a thousand Canadian households and more than 200 non-profit volunteer organizations. Some people have complained that they are being discriminated against because of their age and others say that many organizations don’t give enough responsibilities and make the volunteers feel like their work doesn’t make a difference at all. Volunteer organizations need to pay attention to these concerns and make it easier and more enjoyable for someone to want to do volunteer work. Volunteers are what keep these organizations running so they need to make volunteerism more inviting. If things don’t change soon as suggested by Volunteer Canada, the number of volunteers will decrease largely and many of these organizations will have to close down due to a lack of volunteers to keep them going. Some ways to get people involved again are giving them more responsibilities so they feel like their time pays off and giving people bigger tasks that motivate them more. If these organizations improve these minor things, the number of volunteers across Canada will largely increase.

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Volunteerism+study+offers+groups+tips+keeping+recruits/3946674/story.html