Queenstown, New Zealand 2016
I spent about a month living with a childhood friend in southern New Zealand and the thing that resonated most with me was the level of respect towards the Indigenous Māori culture. I noticed the genuine incorporation of Māori art, and the general acceptance of Māori tattoos, as well as other cultural and artistic expressions. There were lots of TV channels dedicated to Māori programming, something I felt was missing from Canadian programming. The biggest thing I noticed was that there was no tokenism, no pity, just respect for the culture. And although we have distinct histories, I think Canada could learn a lot from New Zealand about reconciliation with Indigenous groups.
Thailand 2011
After spending about a month backpacking around Thailand, I truly started to acknowledge how fortunate we are in BC to have clean water, universal medical care, and relatively low levels of corruption. While being mindful not to minimize the inequity experienced by many Canadians, I couldn’t help but notice that poverty in Canada looks different than poverty in Thailand. I started to realize the privilege I had just in the fact that our Canadian dollar is worth so much more than other currencies. As I reflected on my experience, I started to realize the privilege in the opportunities I’ve had just because I was lucky to be born a Canadian. As a future educator I think it’s important to create equitable experiences for all students.
