Yesterday was quite the exciting day!

I got a phone call from the European Commission in Ottawa telling me that I was one of three winners of the EU-Canada Young Journalist Award.

The European Union-Canada Young Journalist Award recognizes outstanding journalistic merit or potential among Canadian students. This competition aims to reinforce links between the people of the European Union and Canada, and to promote awareness of the European Union among a new generation of Canadian students and journalists.

I applied for the award in January by recording a story on Canada-EU relations.

The story I submitted was on the trade relations between Canada and the E-U. It focused on whether increased Canadian trade with Asia meant a potential decrease in trade with the European Union, despite the imminent trade agreement between the two nations (Canada and the EU). I spoke to Stockwell Day, then Minister of International Trade and currently still the Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Richard Brander, an expert on international trade.

The fruits of my efforts include a ceremony with the two other winners and several dignitaries in Ottawa in May, followed by a study trip to Brussels, Belgium. The trip will focus on reporting internationally specifically through the observation of the E-U press crops, one of the world’s largest, and trips to the NATO building and Canadian Embassy.

I’m quite proud and can’t wait for the trip!

Here is the story I submitted: Canada-EU Trade Relations

But the less I’m reminded of the Olympics the better it gets. And the BCIT parking lot opening up again is double appreciated because now I don’t have park 20mins away from class.

Studying at BCIT is a perfect place for networking for several reasons.  First, you are studying with people who have the same interest as you, and they may become your future co-workers or supervisors.  So get to know your fellow classmates, you won’t find this kind of networking opportunity elsewhere.  Second, BCIT offers many opportunities, such as co-op position, for you to network with employers.  Doing co-op is the perfect opportunity not only to experience what is like to work in your field of interest, but it is also an opportunity for you to secure a potential future career even before your graduation.  Last but not the least, BCIT has many professional organizations for students to join.  Join these professional organizations provide you with more opportunities to network and connect with successful people within your field.  For instance, I am going to join the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the following pictures just showed one of the many events the organization hold to allow member network with each other.

Like an article on how the Oscars influence Google search keywords. By the big G itself; looking at the statistics is surprisingly interesting. Especially when I don’t have to analyze it myself to make sense of it in a math class.

In other news, I hear it’s been snowing in Victoria. That’s some bizarre timing, Mother Nature.

But now it’s March. What a cruel way to start school after the spectacular break. Projects due, assignments to hand in, quizzes, midterms, and finals; all packed like sardines in a can for March. I’m beginning to feel a growing resentment towards the month of March.

Meanwhile, the weather continues to taunt me with its brilliant sunshine and warm(-ish) weather, making me seriously consider moving my bike here as well. Not that I have any place to put it. In fact, I don’t have any storage for anything at the moment except for a closet organizer and the built in cupboards in the bathroom and it’s wreaking havoc on my desk (as opposed to the floor whereupon it would become destroyed as a bunny toy). Stereotypically, a lot of the junk is stuffed into the closet, but being as it’s closed off and I can’t see it (out of sight, out of mind) I’m not really counting that.

With the Paralympics on its way here to start on Friday, I’m hoping that their games get a lot more coverage than they have in the past. Then again, seeing as we are the host country, Canadians might see more than usual of what’s involved in the Paralympics – which to me, exemplify the true nature of the Olympics.

Just when you think you’re down and out, you find another way – just as two bronze medallists this year showed the world – and were awarded accordingly with the Terry Fox award.

The Olympics were truly such a great experience. So great that the day after they were over – despite all the nostalgia – was the probably the most depressing day for me in quite a while.

It actually started the night before.

After all the excitement of the Gold medal men’s hockey final had kind of settled down and the closing ceremonies were over Brian Williams officially closed the Games for CTV with a monologue. It was heartfelt and thoughtful and I couldn’t help but think that this could be the last time Brian Williams signs off from Olympics. I know he’ll probably be around in London. Sochi becomes a question. But it will surely be the last Olympic Games in Canada for Mr. Olympics. That was a sad moment in itself but what followed was even more difficult.

CTV had prepared a video montage of all Canada’s great moments during the Games as well as all the heartfelt ones. And I’m sure you’ll BELIEVE (hint hint) me when I say that the song playing behind it made it even more dramatic.

They had done it every night of the Olympics: play the highlights of the day with the theme song running in the background. It really was an emotional experience to see all the ups and down, the triumphs and tribulations, the smiles and tears of each day. So as you can imagine, as soon as the “Believe” song began to play on that last night of the Games in the last few minutes of the CTV broadcast my heart completely sank.

The song itself brought me to tears immediately and seeing all the happiness and sadness from the last 17 days all in a few minutes even strengthened that emotion. But it was a different emotion than that which I felt each night when CTV played its highlights.

My theory is that since we were on such during the Games we built up all this emotions from what we were seeing. The wins, the losses, the deaths, the spurring love all in a span of 17 days takes a toll on us but we don’t necessarily feel it to the fullest because of all the adrenaline that the Olympics bring.

On that last night it hit me that the Games – the once in a lifetime, hometown Olympic Winter Games – were over. Not only that but all those pent up emotions which I had unknowingly suppressed during the Games came right out when I saw all the moments all over again.

It was a bittersweet feeling but when I was sharing my Olympic experiences with my classmates upon returning to BCIT, it was one that – with being in the building for the Gold medal goal at Canada Hockey Place, and interviewing Sidney Crosby twice – topped the ranks of my favourite Olympic moments.

Love you, Canada!

It’s hard to believe that term 2A is coming to a close – it’s probably even more of a shock after coming back from a two week break. It’s even harder to motivate myself to get back in gear and start cracking at the books again. But of course, if that’s what needs to be done… That’s what needs to be done.

Since moving downtown, I’ve been able to make use of the public transit which is a bit of a surreal dream for me right now (as odd as that sounds). I never realised how tiring it was to have to wake up and keep my eyes peeled the minute I headed out the door before. It’s nice to gradually get my brain functioning (and eat breakfast – I’m such a lazy ass) while on the Skytrain over to school in the mornings.

Today was a really spectacular day for Canada at the Olympic Games.

Earlier this week the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced that based on performance to that point and projected performance in the Games, as well as the unexpected medal haul from Germany and the United States, Canada would not be able to reach its goal of Owning the Podium. In fact it was conceded that Canada may not even be able to equal it’s count of 24 from the Turin Games in 2006. It was a sad and maybe somewhat embarrassing announcement for the COC because of how proud and certain they were heading into the Games that they were going to win the medal count.

But let’s be honest here.

Who really thought that after one cycle of funding that that was actually going to happen? Especially with the population per capita discrepancy between Canada and the United States and the sheer power and long time dominance of Germany, let alone the pressure that was to be felt by the Canadian athletes at home. The goal of owning the podium by winning the most medals may have been doomed from the start.

That was until the last 24 hours.

Yesterday Canada won four medals including two Gold and one Bronze in men’s short track speed skating, which until that point had had a disappointing performance. After yesterday, I really began to believe that the goal that I had really hoped would come true – which truly began in earnest a couple days ago – started to seem very possible.

I wanted Canada to own the Gold podium. I wanted us, by the IOC’s definition, to win the Olympic Games. After all the talk that Canada couldn’t win a Gold medal on home soil, I wanted us to win the most Gold medals out of any country on our soil. And after yesterday we may have been en route to do that. But after today, we have done it.

There were three more – count it, three more – Gold medals won by Canada today which brought us up to a total of 13 Gold medals for these Games. That number ties a record for the most Gold medals won by any country in ANY Olympic Games. That’s truly an accomplishment. In addition, the number 13 also sets a new record for a host country winning Gold medals. Canada has become the host country to win the most Gold medals in its own Games. We broke the record from 2002 in Salt Lake City by the United States, which was 10 Gold medals.

Today the Gold medals were won in the the men’ long track team pursuit, men’s parallel giant slalom snowboarding and men’s curling. The first two were extremely exciting races which came down the last second. I was on my couch and then off it, jumping up and down screaming, first urging the competitors on and then celebrating the Golds. Then I sat through 10 ends of curling all for that throwing of the last rock, which capped off a truly golden day for Canada.

And it may not be over. In fact, Canada is guaranteed another medal tomorrow: either Gold or Silver in men’s ice hockey when there is a game to be played between Canada and the United States. If it’s Gold, Canada will set the record for Gold medals in an Olympic Games. And we won’t be sharing it.

But regardless of which medal it is, the medal will bring our total to 26. A new Canadian record in an Olympic Winter Games. Talk about success. Even if we – and I’ve said it a few times, but I’m totally OK with saying ‘we’ because I AM CANADIAN – didn’t win the most medals in the Games, winning the most Gold – which seems likely now – as well as setting a new Canadian medal high makes for a successful Games.

The most successful ever. And it was done on home soil. In Vancouver. It truly has been Canada’s Games.