WHO: United Nations Development Program at UofT

WHAT: Their first general meeting

WHEN: Thursday, January 26, 2012 from 3-5pm

WHERE: Hart House South Dining Hall

For more information go to: http://www.facebook.com/events/212639118825261/

2012 is here, as is second semester, and,
sadly, the end of break. However, we now get to enjoy the happy, naive window
that is this first month back where we get to have at least a bit less work
than usual (just a million hours of readings a week, but at least essays aren’t
due yet!). In the spirit of this new beginning, I decided to write down some
New Year’s Resolutions, and, looking over my personal list, I realized that many
of them had universal implications for the U of T student. I also realized that
my list looked shockingly familiar to my list of 2011 resolutions, which I was
evidently only mildly successful on. I have high hopes in my optimistic list,
but I prepared the realistic list for a dose of humour and because, more importantly,
although this fresh start does offer an opportunity for change, it’s also
important to keep in mind the importance of investing in yourself and bearing
in mind the pace of your own personal growth instead of assigning an arbitrary
time at which you must change all your habits.

And so, my New Year’s Resolutions of a U
of T student:

Optimistically:

1. Get Straight A’s – Do all readings, study all the
   time, and get essays done well before due dates for maximum editing.
2. Be Super Healthy – Go to Hart House or the A.C. every
   day to work out and stop eating at food trucks/fast food places on campus.
3. Be a Tourist – Experience all the amazing attractions
   Toronto has to offer that you keep putting off because of school.
4. Have a Social Life – Go out on weekends and enjoy this
   wonderful city you may have only seen through the windows at Robart’s last
   semester.
5. But Not Too Much of a Social Life – Because you’ll be
   super busy with resolution #1, that is, getting straight A’s by studying all
   the time.
6. Stop Bad Habits – And replace them with all of these
   amazing habits immediately and without struggle.

Realistically:

1. Don’t Fail – This is definitely doable.
2. Start off Super Healthy – Then let it go once midterms
   roll around, because who has the time?
3. Be a Tourist – For the first weekend back, and then go
   back to being too busy.
4. Have a Social Life – Thursday through Saturday.
5. But Study on Sunday – Now you’ll definitely achieve
   resolution #1.
6. Continue Bad Habits – But have the intention to stop
   them and pride yourself in that!

People always look at me with a hint of skepticism and disturbance when I tell them just how much television I watch on a weekly basis. It’s true that the amount is substantially higher than that of the average passing university student, but there’s also the generations-old stigma attached to television that calls it an inferior art form and insists it is essentially trashy. What these people don’t seem to realize is that over the past few years television has changed drastically. New shows like Breaking Bad and The Good Wife present all the drama, profundity, and depth of character of cinema while others like Community take full advantage of their self-aware medium and present smart, funny comedy on a weekly basis. With the end of the calendar year, mid-season schedule changes will replace old shows that were floundering in the ratings (among them Glee and, unfortunately, Community) with these new, exciting, television programs:

(more…)

Oscar Wilde once wrote: “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” What he did not regard, it seems, is how few of us actually get the chance to sense another human being doing their theatrical thing. Theatre has changed tremendously since it was a mandatory cultural practise in ancient Greece; it is now a luxury enjoyed only by those with the financial stability to afford expensive tickets – a category that rarely includes students. Fortunately, theatre companies across our fair city have made their art more accessible to us by providing discount tickets. Here is a breakdown of Toronto’s major theatre companies and what they do to make their tickets more affordable: (more…)

Christmas has come and gone, Hanukkah will soon be over, and most gifts have been exchanged with (hopefully) minimal awkwardness. For those of you who put some thought into your presents and maybe followed my advice, gifting should have been a fun and rewarding experience. I have no sympathy for those who did not. As this segment wraps up, now is the time to reflect on the holiday gift-giving season and learn even more for next year.

Reflections

My brother got a turtle wall calendar and an anthology of H. P Lovecraft, my mother got a high-quality retro-style kitchen timer, my best friend got an irreverent guide to –isms, and my cousin got a flip calendar of 365 words to make her sound smarter. Of the gifts I gave this season these were the highlights, or at the very least the presents that were best-received. I was very aware when I gave them, having spent the past little while writing and thinking about the act of gift-giving. I paid close attention to my recipients’ reactions and what their first thoughts on their gifts were. As predicted, the newspaper wrapping did little to impress but a lot to conceal and titillate, the cards were meager but heartfelt, and the knowledge that these gifts represented a shared pleasure among me and my friends. Is my soul liberated? I don’t know. Did I feel just as warm and fuzzy as my recipients when sharing the moments with my friends and family? Absolutely.

Miscellanea (AKA Qs I Wish Were FA)

Q: Are there any gifts I should never buy?

A: Candles seem to be very popular as presents even though they’re a poor choice 99.99% of the time; they come off looking very last-minute and poorly thought-out. Scented candles may also be implying something about your recipient’s home. Seriously.

Q: I am exchanging gifts with someone for the first time this year, and I don’t know the value of what they’re going to get me. What do I do?

A: Remember that your recipient is in the same boat you are, and come up with your closest ballpark guess. Then, once you’ve opened the gift they’ve gotten you, make sure to gush about it and compliment as much as possible: if it’s more expensive than the one you’ve bought you’ll be letting the giver know you truly appreciate the extra dollar they’ve put in; if it’s less expensive than the one you’ve bought they’ll feel better knowing that you don’t feel their gift is inadequate.

Q: I notice a disturbing omission of home-made gifts in your posts. What’s up with that, you consumerist monster?

A: I haven’t bothered to write about home-made presents because there is very little I can say about them. What you make is a reflection of you and what you want to express, and I can’t really evaluate if what you’re expressing is right or not. When in doubt, a store-bought gift is the way to go, but if you’re certain of your ability to make a gift that meets rules 1 and 2 from Part 2, go for it.

Q: What are your thoughts on gift receipts?

A: Always include a gift receipt for clothing and electronics, in case they need to be returned because they don’t fit or are defective. In other cases, gift receipts make it seem as though you want or expect your recipient to exchange your gift and that you doubt the quality of the gift you’ve bought. Part of the joy of getting a present is the knowledge that is was chosen for you, but a gift receipt makes it seem as though you are choosing for yourself.

Q: What are your thoughts on gift cards?

A: Gift cards are excellent presents for people you don’t know very well. Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Cineplex, and Indigo! are almost guaranteed hits because of their popularity and/or large selections. Do not give a gift card to someone you know well for the same reason you shouldn’t give them an arbitrary present with a gift receipt: it’s lazy and impersonal.

Q: Do I get gifts for my professors or TAs?

A: Uh, no. It may seem like a nice gesture, and I hazard one in every 5 professors and TAs would genuinely appreciate it, but the rest would likely interpret a holiday present as an attempt at apple-polishing. If you feel you have a truly special relationship with your TA or professor you could give it a shot, but it’s risky. People for whom you should buy (small) presents: peer mentors, FLC leaders, advisors, academic dons, and other staff in your residence you see frequently. Good small gift ideas include small boxes of chocolate or candy from Shoppers and low-value gift cards to coffee shops.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this series on student holiday gift-giving as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Have a merry rest of the holidays, a happy (and safe) New Year, and enjoy the rest of your winter break. You’ve earned it.

You’ve bought the gifts. They’re sitting in the corner of your cramped room, or on a shelf, or maybe even on your desk now that you’ve triumphantly swept off your exam materials. Your calendar or planner is clearly marked, and you know exactly when all this thinking and theorizing and shopping will culminate as you present your gift at an upcoming party or exchange. The only problem is, it’s been sitting in plain view since you walked in and the surprise is ruined. Or maybe you’ve awkwardly wrapped it a few times around in some brown paper and the delight of receiving the gift is marred by its “authentic” aesthetic. Or maybe even you’ve wrapped the gift beautifully and left it in a conspicuous location, only to find its recipient has no idea who’s given it to them because you’ve omitted a card. These scenarios – and more – can be prevented if you take the time to consider these aspects to ensure proper premium presentation:

Gift Wrapping

Though it may seem like an old-fashioned redundancy to some, gift-wrapping can make your present that much more appealing and exciting. Wrapping should be reserved to six-sided gifts and presents that won’t look awkward covered in paper. For gifts of other shapes and sizes, try putting them at the bottom of a gift bag stuffed with tissue paper or in an appropriate-sized box that you can then wrap. Stores like Indigo!, Dollarama, and Shoppers Drug Mart sell a wide variety of solid-coloured and patterned wrappings, but there are plenty of cheaper or free options for us cash-strapped students:

• Newspaper – There are literally dozens of free newspapers circulated on campus, all of which can become free and nifty gift wrap. For UofT students, try using the official newspaper from your recipient’s college. Foreign-language newspapers are especially cool.
• Maps – Who uses maps when we have the internet? Exactly! Paper maps are things of the past, so people shouldn’t mind parting with them. Ask your friends if you don’t have any of your own.
• Comic books – For $2 you can pick up a comic book from a nearby retailer and surprise your friends and family by wrapping their gifts in comic book pages. Just gently remove the staples – no tearing – and you’ll have 16 sheets of bold-coloured, eye-catching, onomatopoeia-blaring wrapping paper. For smaller gifts only.
• Potato Chip Bag – Credit for this one goes to the brilliant minds at Martha Stewart Living. Buy one of those foil bags of potato chips, cut it open along the seem, clean it thoroughly with a damp cloth and dish soap, and wrap with the silver side down. Works with other food packaging as well. For smaller gifts only.

To learn the basics of gift-wrapping, check out this tutorial.

Cards

So you’ve got the perfect gift and it looks – if you’ll pardon my language – dope; now all you need is the adjoining card. Cards are a good way of letting your recipient know the gift is from you even if you’re not handing it to them in person, but they’re also a nice memento to keep even after the wrapping is torn and gone. The trick with writing a gift card is that simplicity is key; don’t get too mushy or poetic. Never buy a mass-produced drug store-type card – they’re tacky and impersonal, and even scrawling “Merry Christmas” in magic marker on printer paper is preferable. Special cards that are produced in limited quantity, however, such as those sold at Kelly Library made by St Michael’s College’s antique printers, can be a beautiful addition to your gift.

Etiquette

While many of the rituals considered within the realm of etiquette are no longer practised due to their apparent obsolescence, it’s okay to check the book every now and again to figure out exactly what the best way to go about something like this is. For me, that book is The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette, the best-selling guide by American etiquette expert Amy Vanderbilt. The 1995 edition I picked up at a used book store has paid for itself time and again, such as when I hosted a dinner party with between 7 and 12 guest and only one maid, or when I had to give that toast at an engagement party in which most of the guests were on the bride’s side and I on the groom’s. In regards to gift-giving, Amy offers these wonderful tips:

1. Keep a record of every gift you’re given and every gift you give and by whom. This will allow you to take note of who gave you gifts last year, which will allow you to determine to whom you will give this years’.
2. Re-gifting is perfectly acceptable, so long as you completely rewrap the gift and remove any evidence it was intended for you, and give it someone the recipient does not know.
3. At a party, put the gifts you’ve brought with the others already there and do not present them to their recipients until everyone else does. If you find that you’re the only one who’s brought gifts, try to hide them as best as you can until you can discreetly give them away.
4. Giving a gift in person is always preferable to sending your assistant or valet [or friend].
5. It is presumptuous to assume that a gift to be used by more than one person (i.e.: tickets to an event) given by you to someone else will be shared with you. It is also rude to directly request this. If you would like to join your guest, ask with whom they were planning to share the present and mention how exciting it sounds.
6. Bringing up a gift someone’s given you in the past in conversation (i.e.: “oh, I was just reading that book you got me…”) is a good way to build a connection. However, mentioning a gift that someone else has given you can be alienating.

By now you’ve put some thought in to what you want to get people for the holidays, and you may even have begun your shopping. If you have, you might have noticed something about it – holiday shopping is hard. In many cases, people conceive of a perfect gift, only to discover that it doesn’t actually exist, or is only made by this one Laotian craftsman and only on leap years. Students especially may find shopping for the holidays challenging, as our limited budgets can severely inhibit our ability to shop in many of Toronto’s finer retail outlets. International students may also find it difficult to shop in Toronto when they aren’t very familiar with the city or don’t have a good sense of where to start looking. If any of the above situations describes you, continue on:

Holiday Shopping Near Campus

1. BMV Books - 471 Bloor Street West

Most UofT students are already familiar the gigantic and glorious BMV bookstore. Its proximity to campus and wide selection of academic and literary books at reasonable prices makes it a popular spot for students to pick up textbooks and stimulating reads. What many students don’t realize, however, is that BMV is also an excellent source for holiday shopping on a budget. Their selection is enormous and includes graphic novels, beautiful hardcover art books, cookbooks, popular fiction, and a strong international selection including classics in other languages and translations from all over the world. Remember the first guideline from Part Two: a gift should reflect your relationship with the recipient? Well, there’s always a book for that. If you two are in the same club or class, you can get a book on that topic. If your recipient has expressed interest in taking up knitting or sewing or cooking or yoga or sketching or interpretive dance, there’s a book for that. If your beneficiary has a particular sense of humour or appreciation for a certain type of poetry or style, you’re sure to find a novel or anthology that they’ll appreciate – you just need to do a little digging first. BMV salespeople know the store well, but with the sheer volume of texts available it’s unlikely that they can recommend anything to exact specifications. Just take your time, soak up the literary atmosphere, and flip through books like crazy until you’ve found the right one.

2. Blue Banana Market - 250 Augusta Avenue (Kensington Market)

Blue Banana is a marketplace that rents out space to a variety of different vendors throughout the store, creating an interesting and eclectic mix of goods for sale. At times it’s possible to find a beautiful watercolour, an hilarious fridge magnet, vintage candy, and awesome winter hats within a few metres of each other. Blue Banana tends to run a little pricey, but with the amount of one-of-a-kind and hard-to-find gifts there, it’s worth it. The great variation of items for sale makes the BB a great source of inspiration if you’re unsure of what to buy; something’s bound to pop out at you. And if not, you can at the very least enjoy a Double Decker Bar.

Apparently, some people don't find this as awesome as I do. Weird, right?

3. The Eaton’s Centre - 220 Yonge Street

Probably the most conventional location on this list, the Eaton’s Centre is by far the best reason to ever risk running into a Ryerson student out there in the wild southeast. An enormous shopping mall the likes of which many have never seen, The Eaton’s Centre covers an entire city block in the heart of downtown with a wide variety of fashion stores and other typical mall-y stuff. They also have an Indigo! bookstore and some other stuff, but clothing is the largest draw. Popular chain stores in the EC include H&M, Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch, The Gap, and so much more.

Remember: only buy clothing for someone if you are absolutely certain of their size.

4. The Internet - Everywhere!

With the number of online stores growing by the minute, the internet has become a great place to shop for gifts. Search bars allow you to enter keywords to find gifts to your specifications, and the variety is unparalleled. Here is a breakdown of some major shopping sites:

• Amazon

Cheap and with a huge selection, Amazon connects to major stores and individual sellers to bring you competitive pricing on just about everything. There are also fewer scams circulating through Amazon than at other sites, and they can deliver straight to your door within days of ordering.

• eBay

eBay allows individuals to sell their good online directly to others without a middleman. This means cheap prices and oddly specific items you might not find elsewhere, but it also means the possibility of scams, misrepresented items, and odious sellers trying to rip you off. Always check the feedback percentage of the seller; if it’s less than 90% you can forget it.

• Craig’s List

Offering free, anonymous personals and listings in an extensive range of topics, Craig’s List is often coveted by students as the holy grail of free, cheap dorm stuff. The elimination of shipping costs makes it cheaper than eBay, but the limitation of your mobility means the selection can be lousy. Beware of scams, frauds, predators, and the like, and always meet in a public place. Seriously.

• Threadless

What? You’ve never heard of Threadless? That’s too bad. Threadless.com prints shirts designed by enterprising young artists and sells them for reasonable prices across North America. You always know what you’re going to get, and you’re always going to get it. The shirts are brilliant and beautiful and often hilarious, and the selection is enormous.

"Spoilt" T-Shirt Design by Olly Moss. My Absolute Favourite.

And there you have it: how to get started buying gifts for the holidays. Of course, there are plenty of other places in our fine city to shop, but if you were stumped these are great places to start.

Stay tuned for part four: “Wrapping, Cards, and Presentation”