I don’t know about the rest of you, but as I sit at my desk rummaging through my notes and trying to remember the most intricate details for my upcoming exams, I feel that I am constantly badgered by various stores telling me to buy their stuff.

On any given day of this festive December month, I wake up to about 10 promotional e-mails telling me about how NOW is the time to explore their various sales and Christmas events. While each one tempts me to take the path of consumer’s lane and make my hands itch to pull out my credit card and dive into an episode of binge spending from which I would emerge both satiated and repentant, I am gradually brought back to reality by the pile of books sitting in front of me, ready to be explored.

This is the conflict of the holiday season. Students – while tempted to enjoy the jolly times with the outdoor skating rinks opening (i.e. Nathan Phillips Square), with lights going up everywhere, with Christmas music pouring out of every store and public establishment, and with the persistent push to buy, buy, buy, and buy some more – are rutted in a state of conflict. As they observe the holiday season come in, and take place and grow, they are stuck in their own little season called the Exam Period.

As a U of T student, I feel myself missing out on the little nuances of the beginning of the holiday season simply because I am forcing myself to focus on what I am told is more important – my studies. The exam season, while indispensable to those who want to strive in their university career, seems to rob us of the little things that were so vital to us as little kids.

So, for those of you who do celebrate Christmas (or any other holiday) this season, I propose a few tips (I will try to follow my own advice as well):

1. Make some sort of holiday decoration for your room to remind you of the holidays even if your nose is in a book!

2. If your holiday involves presents, start wrapping! I myself took an hour to wrap my family gifts and they are sitting in a pile reminding me that it will not be long before I am done with exams.

3. If there are any student holiday events taking place around you (however small) take part in them, for at least a few minutes. Do not let the necessity of studying take over every facet of your life (and that is advice that should be taken at all moments of the year!).

4. (Last one, I promise) Drink hot chocolate – with some sort of holiday snack – ‘cus there is no better way to endure the cold and the books than with a wonderful mug of sweetness and comfort!

So, with no further ado, I leave you promptly so that I can return to studying, while also perusing through some of the online Christmas sales, and thinking of how better to vamp up this holiday spirit of mine… I am a multitasker after all!

Waltzing into one’s final year of undergrad or walking through one’s graduation ceremony, it is normal to stop and look back on one’s accomplishments and successes throughout the (sometimes) arduous but incredibly thrilling experience that our university career can provide. So with this in mind, I have decided to write a few articles about people in our generation who have come to make something of themselves even before “stepping out into the real (scary) world.”

In Tomas Murmis’ case, looking back on his life so far at the young (but sage) age of 24 he shows a mélange of talent, hard work, and passion all revolving around his chosen path: music.
Growing up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tomas began his musical journey when he started to learn guitar at the age of 10 and he has not stopped since. “From the moment I put my hands on the guitar, I didn’t let it go,” he told me as we were discussing how he got into music in the first place. While he also plays the piano and derivations of the classic guitar, like the ukulele, the guitar has remained his favourite.

As he continued in his musical endeavor, he found himself attracted to jazz. A huge fan of Keith Jarrett, he followed his love for jazz, taking lessons with various instructors in Buenos Aires who each helped shape his taste and performance.

In October of 2007, Tomas took a quick trip to Brazil to audition for the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Every year the college does a world tour providing the opportunity of auditions for international students. After a few months of waiting, Tomas received not only his acceptance, but also a scholarship to the prestigious institution. During his last year in Argentina, before heading off to Boston, Tomas immersed himself in a new focus. He started working on composition and arrangement both in jazz for himself, but also for some larger bands. As he started out at Berklee, he pursued this interest and this led him to major in film-scoring.

Berklee not only helped him set out his potential career path, but it also opened his eyes to a variety of other music that he had previously left at the sidelines. As he expanded his musical and compositional capacities, he also expanded his taste. “Boston opened my eyes,” he said as he explained that being in the city introduced him to classical and orchestral music in a level he had not previously experienced. Living within walking distance of the Boston Symphony Hall, he attended concerts every weekend, sometimes on more than one occasion! Not only did he encounter new music, but he also found himself appreciating Argentine folk and tango music in a way he never had back at home. I guess distance really does make the heart grow fonder.

In early 2011, Tomas was awarded the Georges Delerue award which, as he was a renowned film composer, is endowed to young professionals that are specifically interested in musical composition for films. Not only that, but from September 2010 until March 2011, he also worked as an intern at Paramount in which he experienced how to cater one’s own creations to the vision of others. On this he said that “whatever you produce is you.” At the end of the day, what one has to do is compromise, and communication is vital as the artist has to “translate from English into music.” The work at Paramount was challenging but also unbelievable, primarily because he was able to get realistic (sometimes blunt) feedback on what he produced. After all this experience, he is also currently composing for a short film called “The 3 Suicides of Paul Hamilton.”

When I asked him what it felt like to expose his music on the screen or with another band, or in performance, he answered me with a ready smile. “As artists, we try to expose the truth in our music, and because of this, having other people listen to it is a very exposing experience.” When he composes for a movie, for example, his music tends to reflect his reaction to the scene he’s watching. He told me that his experiences and memories are reflected in his music, even though the listener may never know this. However, he did mention that he does not like to listen to his work with others once it is complete. At that point, he just wants to move on to the next piece and create something new.

Composing is not all that keeps this young man busy. He is also a performer and he enjoys playing around the city when he can. When I asked him what performing felt like to him, he gave me his most revealing answer, I think, of the interview. Performing “is one of the closest feelings to really being alive.”

And there you have it folks. This is a guy who at our age, in our generation, is striving down his chosen path and is already successful at it, leaving us to either shake our heads in quiet desperation as we wonder what to do with our lives, or inspired to take the steps that we should already have taken but haven’t out of uncertainty.

There aren’t many students who know about 89 Chestnut, the purely UofT (not college affiliated) residence that is hidden away near St Patrick station.  Composed by approximately 1050 students who primarily attend UofT (there are also a handful of students who attend the Ontario College of Arts and Design), the Chestnut community is built by a variety of people with a huge array of cultural backgrounds and academic interests.

For those who haven’t heard of it, or for those who are considering maybe living there for a year in the future, here are some pros and cons with regards to this secluded residence.

Cons:

Location, location, location

One of the major complaints that arises amongst the Chestnutters is the fact that we are so far from campus (relative to those who live on or around campus). The 20-30 minute walk, depending on where your class is, can be quite unpleasant, especially if it is an early morning class, or if it is raining/snowing/hailing/blizzarding outside. There is no way you can pull off the “roll out of bed and get to class in five minutes” routine unless you are a very, very fast runner that is extremely committed to sleep! However, if you are willing to, it is feasible to get used to the walk and to even learn to enjoy it. I myself find it gives me time to think!

Prices

In comparison to most other residences at UofT and a lot of student apartments, Chestnut is quite expensive. In fact, one of the major reasons people move out after first year (other than wanting to live with friends or wanting to live in one’s own place) is the fact that most other options are cheaper to some degree or another.

Security measures

While every resident will appreciate that he/she is safe within the building, the security measures at Chestnut are quite austere. Every student is assigned a key card for their room, and has to flash this card as they walk by the security desk towards the elevators. You cannot go by without it, and if you are a guest in the building, you have to be signed in and given your own little colour-coded card for the day and are only allowed in if you are with the person who signed you in! Most people who visit the building find this excessive, and to be honest, I do too. However, we learn to live with it, and like I said before, we are extremely safe.

Elevators!

There are six elevators that travel between the 27 floors of the buildings, and it is a good day when four of them are functioning. The past week has been good (knock on wood!) but there have been occasions when only two were working. When this happened, as I live on the 4th floor (the first residential floor), I would have to wait for ages for an elevator that wasn’t completely full – and by full I mean there was barely breathing space, let alone moving space!

Pros:

Cultural

Representative of UofT itself, the residence is filled with people from literally all over the world! (There is even a map in the lobby that points out how many people there are from each country). This, of course, leads to interesting conversation, various arguments, but also helps increase the variety of food options in the cafeteria as the kitchen tries to please as many palates as possible!

The Cafeteria

As legend has it, the Chestnut caf is probably one of the best on campus. On any given meal time, be it lunch or dinner, there is a choice of two main entrees. In addition to that, there is the grill bar that usually presents an array of burgers and hot-dogs (including the veggie variety as well). There is also a pasta/rice/noodle bar (depending on the day) in which you select the ingredients for your sauce, and this is located right next to the salad bar. Asides from that, there is also a larger selection of salads set apart, as well as the veggie food bar. As for drinks, there is a huge variety of both cold and warm beverages, including hot chocolate and French Vanilla cappuccinos. As for desserts, the favourite part for any sweet-tooth like myself, there is a new selection each day ranging from cheesecakes to pies to fruit salad. While people may start complaining as to the quality once they have lived here for a while, we all accept that it is much better than many other residences or university cafs!

Asides from the caf itself, they also have a bagged lunch program for people who have long days of classes (like engineers) and don’t have time to come back for lunch.

Location, location, location

While I’m aware that this topic is appearing in both lists, there is a reason for this. Even though the residence is far (compared to others) from campus itself, it is pretty amazingly located otherwise. We are literally a five minute walk from the Eaton Centre, ten minutes away from the two closest movie theatres, surrounded by a variety of restaurants and bars, making us fortunate to be living where we are!

It‘s pretty much a hotel!

The 89 Chestnut building was formerly a hotel. With that in mind, the lobby is luxurious, the rooms are all en-suite, and we have our own laundry service in the basement. Not only that, there is a massive common room on the 27th floor (yes, I said 27th) which has a wonderful panoramic view of the city. With regards to services, each room is fitted with a phone that can be used for making local calls, and both cable and internet are included. As well, there is a weekly cleaning service (although some people may count this in the cons when it’s their turn to have the early morning knock on the door announcing their turn!). This involves a proper wipe down of the bathroom, new toilet paper roles, and a quick vacuum of the carpeted floors.

The nut house, as some of us affectionately call it, like any place, has its good and bad parts. However, having lived here for three years already, I can only say that it’s a great place to make friends, and while you may be a bit removed from campus life itself, there is a community within the building that helps maintain a pretty stable social life for anyone who lives here.

Editor’s note: For more information on Chestnut Residence, visit their website at http://www.chestnutresidence.utoronto.ca/

In a university that has an incredibly international student populace and in an age in which people are more open-minded to other cultures, intercultural relationships are (not surprisingly) becoming a common phenomenon. In my own experience, I’ve noted a few factors of these relationships that notable:

The learning experience

Culture

When you’re in a relationship, especially at the beginning, you want to learn as much as you can about the other person. You ask for favourite colours (mine’s green), favourite food (lasagna), number of siblings, traditions, values, and a variety of other details both big and small.
When it comes to intercultural relationships, there is whole other level of learning about the other person. The values and opinions that each person has, is created in part by the culture they belong to. So, you not only learn about the person, you learn about the history and the formation of a culture and nationality completely different to your own.

It’s a mutual sharing experience as well. You want to share your culture as much as you want to learn about the other. I see this both in my relationship (combination Canadian-Argentine and Azerbaijani) as well as in the ones my friends are in. There’s an interchange of values between Japanese and Arabs, Canadian and Bajans, Latin American and Icelandic. Such different cultures in each relationship, and these lead sometimes to arguments, others to jokes, and others to moments of understanding that deepen the relationship even more. Even in our university student youth, we learn about the cultures that surround us by simply learning from the people we are with, and it’s quite a fun experience!

Language

Hola – Bonjour – Arigato – Ciao – Hello

The other learning experience that comes up is language. In my own case, I have only recently bought a self-teaching language book so that I can speak one of the other languages my boyfriend speaks (Russian), while he is learning Spanish. Granted, there are other reasons for which we are learning the languages, but – at least on my side – wanting to communicate with him on another level is a main one. And again, this goes beyond me as well. It’s a case of wanting to interact with your boyfriend/girlfriend in a way that not many others can. Plus, it’s a lot easier to have secret (or dirty) conversations in public without anyone else knowing what you’re saying!

Expectations

One thing that is clear in intercultural relationships is that there are always different expectations that tend to rise from the cultural difference. An example: Meeting the family. In Latin American cultures, meeting your partner’s family is done after (at most) two weeks of dating. After that, you are pretty much incorporated into the family, you join for big meals, and you are treated with the same amount of joviality as you would from your own family. However, I have now faced the reality that other cultures aren’t as comfortable with this idea, so, as I expect my boyfriend to meet my family ASAP, he’s thinking that it’s going to be another year before he does so! We both expect completely different things because of the way we grew up and what we were taught.

This variance in expectations can be seen in specific cases:

The Latina woman: A Latina will expect – to all you boys out there who are looking for one – a guy to be confident in himself. Not only that, but he should not be afraid to give a compliment to a girl, or to take control when needed. A Latina woman needs to feel both in control and dependent at the same time, so you have to be masterful and learn to use a certain type of finesse for them.
Tip: They like chocolate, and flowers

The Canadian guy: (from what I’ve observed) is shy (unless he’s too cocky, however, we will ignore this particular specimen). I’ve seen them to require girls that are cheesy up to an extent, but cannot handle (or don’t want to handle) too much drama or cattiness from girls. Traditional and quiet, but always ready to laugh, the Canadian boy tends to look for girls he can talk to easily, laugh with, and love easily.

Conclusion

We live in a city and go a university that both exemplify the idea of multiculturalism that Canada portrays to the world. Even at our ages, intercultural relationships are a real thing. Like any other relationship, they have their problems, and their successes, and they have a level to them that adds something interesting and new to one’s life. Mine, at the moment, is my cup of tea, however, I won’t tell you to run out and find the most exotic person you can to try a relationship with. All I’m saying is keep your mind (or heart) open, and be willing to learn something new.

Yours,

A