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The road less taken
The winding alleyways of downtown Amman smell like spices. The sharp za’atar—a blend of oregano and thyme—with the toasty nuttiness of sesame seeds and freshly baked naan wafting out of mismatched homes and shops. Waves of heat radiate off of the pavement while the dusty air blows through the streets, rippling through the colourful fabric stores. Amman is easily one of the quietest cities I have ever been to, the silence only broken by calls to prayer and rumbling gasoline trucks making rounds in residential areas. In startling contrast is Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site also located in Jordan. The vast visual collision of the Ancient East and Hellenistic…
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Photo Essay | Travelling off the beaten path
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Why voluntourism is an issue and better ways you can help
Travelling overseas to volunteer and take a vacation at the same time sounds like a great opportunity, but so-called “voluntourism” can have several negative impacts on foreign communities. In the 1990s, many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) came under scrutiny for the ways in which they were operating in other countries. Many of their methods perpetuated a white-saviour mentality and pushed ideas of colonialism into countries and communities that have already endured harm from these systems. Since then, many NGOs have taken the time to re-evaluate their operations to ensure that development work does not cause further harm. Susan MacGregor, the program coordinator for the International Development postgraduate program at Humber College,…
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Behind the lens: Joey Marasigan says ‘knowing your worth’ is crucial for young people in business
Joey Marasigan has been interested in photography since she was eight years old. She used to follow around her older sister, a film photographer. Marasigan started off using her sister’s cameras, making YouTube videos, and dancing. She got her first professional-style camera in 2018 and started filming dance videos, which turned out to be big projects. After these videos, she experimented with her camera a little more and realized it could do portraits, too — and quite well. Marasigan started photographing her friends around campus at the University of Waterloo, where she is currently pursuing the arts and business program. In 2019, Marasigan took the leap and started her own photography…
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/pərˈsist/
Time has been moving differently these days, slower and yet somehow much faster, but maybe we remember time moving differently because we all took it for granted before. I know I did. This year I have watched people lose their dream jobs, lose their houses, miss births and funerals, postpone big milestones; I have seen the strongest of people start to slowly unravel. I have watched friends die, experience trauma, grieve loved ones, lose loves and fights, and pieces of themselves; I have watched the struggle to live in this new reality take away life-sustaining supports. But I have also been lucky enough to watch two people I care about…
