Home Blog Page 67

Travel the world through these local restaurants

By
Peak Web
-
0
A hand reaches for a case of thumbtacks resting on a map of the world.
PHOTO: GeoJango Maps / Unsplash

By: Phone Min Thant, Staff Writer

Amay’s House (Burmese)
3293 Kingsway, Vancouver
Wednesday–Monday 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m. 

PHOTO: Emily Le / The Peak

Amay’s House is one of the only restaurants in the Vancouver area that serves Burmese food, a cuisine best described as a melting pot of Indian and Chinese flavors. The menu is huge and the food is authentic (this is coming from a Burmese). The smell of the charred wok and fish sauce will transport you to the bustling streets of Yangon. My favorite dish is the nan gyi thoke, a dry thick noodle salad topped with fresh vegetables and nuts, also known as royal noodle salad on this menu. For those willing to try something exciting, I always recommend the laphet thoke (pickled tea leaves salad) and the tofu thoke (tofu salad). Served with a bowl of hot jasmine rice, these spicy and tangy salads make for great comfort meals on rainy, colourless winter days. There is also a selection of familiar Indian and Malaysian dishes from the classic biryani to laksa. Plus, you can get a whole meal for less than $16!

La Querida (Mexican)
4500 Kingsway, Burnaby
Wednesday 12:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Thursday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.

PHOTO: Emily Le / The Peak

Located in Crystal Mall, La Querida is the place for anyone looking for a quick and tasty lunch without having to resort to fast food. The hole-in-the-wall location is home to a quaint atmosphere of two-seater wooden tables topped with the smell of freshly-cooked carnitas in the air. If you’re having a hard time deciding what to try, go for the lunch set of four tacos and a drink. There is nothing better than sour, spicy tacos (with huge bowls of sauce) and a glass of refreshing horchata on a winter day. 

Gojo Cafe (Ethiopian)
2838 Commercial Dr., Vancouver
Monday–Thursday 4:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Friday–Sunday 12:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.

PHOTO: Emily Le / The Peak

Gojo Cafe’s menu is an overwhelming deep-dive into Ethiopian cuisine, but it truly shines in its key wat (stews). As the restaurant has options for individual dishes and combos, it’s perfect for lone foodies or big groups. Groups are better though — who wouldn’t want to share, get a little taste of everything, and find their Ethiopian food fixation for the future? It doesn’t end there. Gojo also has a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony for groups by-request, perfect for fostering face-to-face friendship as it was intended to. 

Peaked Pies (Australia)
4114 Hastings St., Burnaby
Sunday–Wednesday 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Thursday–Saturday 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.

PHOTO: Emily Le / The Peak

Anyone familiar with the Vancouver food scene has to know Peaked Pies, one of the very few restaurants here serving Aussie cuisine. While you may not find kangaroo steak here, it does host a great variety of Australian pies with both vegetarian and meat options. Located right in front of an R5 bus stop, it is convenient for a quick bite before a lecture or a hearty meal after (this works for both SFU’s Vancouver and Burnaby campuses). Not feeling a heavy meal? Peaked Pies also has sweet pastries and caffeinated drinks. It has always been a spot I hang out at after morning classes at Harbour Centre, both for lunch and studying!

El Inka Latin Deli (Peruvian)
3826 Sunset St., Burnaby
Monday–11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Tuesday–Sunday–11:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m.

Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood in Burnaby, El Inka is the definition of a “hidden gem.” While it specializes in Peruvian tastes, the menu also serves dishes from all around Latin America, including Colombian and El Salvadorian. The mondongo (tripe) soup, a hearty concoction of chorizo, tripe, and chunky vegetables, is a fan favourite. If you’re planning on stopping by, be sure to try their ají de gallina, a creamy chicken stew served with warm rice and crunchy walnuts. Since the restaurant is small and seating is limited, make sure you time your visit well!

Coquette Brasserie (French)
2685 Arbutus St., Vancouver
Monday–Thursday 12:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Friday 12:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.
Sunday 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.

Looking for a cute, cozy date spot? Coquette Brasserie has a tiny but delicious menu fit for weekend brunches and candle-light dinners. While my personal favourite is their la morue charbonnière (sea bass with saffron), you simply can’t miss out on their special bison tartare. Pair it up with a glass of wine and experience a unique blend of Canadian and French tastes. Dessert, personally presented by the servers, is the best part of the dining experience. It may seem niche, but not having to worry about ordering dessert from a menu with no pictures is a total plus. For those feeling financially conscious, visit the restaurant during their happy hours (3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.) for discounts and deals.

What Grinds Our Gears: Non-removeable promotional stickers on books

By
Peak Web
-
0
A photo of a book cover with one of those ugly circle promotional stickers
PHOTO: Yildiz Subuk / The Peak

By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer

While it’s important not to judge a book by its cover, the consumer has every right to be upset by non-removeable promotional stickers. These stickers usually advertise an accomplishment the book has achieved, like an award, or a television or film adaptation. The problem is these stickers ruin a perfectly fine book cover by making it look like a cluttered space for advertisements, instead of letting the cover speak for itself.

While they grab one’s attention, there’s other ways to advertise these things. This could include putting the sticker inside the book, having a sign at the bookstore, or a smaller sticker on the spine. Not everything we need to know about a book should be listed in the front. What’s the harm in allowing a clean book cover to exist? 

Most books already have the acclaim and accomplishments written inside or on the back of the book, so a sticker on the front page is overkill. Besides, you don’t need a sticker to tell me Dune is a Major Motion Picture. As if I didn’t already know?

We are no better than our neighbours down south

By
Peak Web
-
0
PHOTO: British Columbia Emergency Photography / Flickr

By: Yasmin Hassan, Staff Writer

Content warning: mentions of the transatlantic slave trade, segregation, anti-Indigenous violence, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

There’s a tendency to compare Canada and the US on the issue of police brutality, and the sentiment I usually hear is, “Oh, well at least it’s not as bad as down south.” These kinds of ideas are extremely harmful and dismissive. Minimizing systemic violence because of numbers pushes the responsibility to acknowledge the horrors of a system away from ourselves; it’s complicit ignorance. Comparing numbers alone overlooks the deeper systemic issues at play, as well as the experiences of victims of police brutality in both countries.

While both countries share similar root causes, namely systemic racism and colonialism, they each have their own historical contexts. In the US, the institution of policing is inseparably tied to the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, where the system evolved from slave patrols designed to enforce racial hierarchies. In Canada, policing serves a similar purpose, mainly by defending settler property rights. Canadian law enforcement is rooted in anti-Indigenous violence and colonial policies, including the establishment of the RCMP as a tool to control Indigenous communities, enforce segregation on reserves, and suppress resistance to colonial expansion.

Canada’s policing history reveals glaring systemic inequalities, particularly concerning Indigenous communities. Policing of Indigenous Peoples on reserves has long been a tool of surveillance and control, bolstering marginalization and alienation. A harrowing example is the long and ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The disproportionate rates of violence against Indigenous women are not coincidental but rather a reflection of a system that devalues their lives so blatantly that these acts of violence go unknown and unseen. Overpolicing and the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the criminal justice system is also an example of how intentional the system was created to work against marginalized and racialized groups. There is a never-ending list of unsolved and neglected cases of murder, highlighting the failures of the policing and justice system. With this in mind, can we really say that Canada has no police brutality problem?

“Minimizing systemic violence because of numbers pushes the responsibility to acknowledge the horrors of a system away from ourselves; it’s complicit ignorance.”

The systemic spatial segregation of racialized and marginalized communities into specific physical areas, such as inner-city neighbourhoods or reserves, is rooted in racist rhetoric and discriminatory policies. Practices like redlining, forced relocation, and “ghettoization” stem from colonialism and structural racism, reinforcing cycles of poverty and limiting access to adequate resources. These systems were often justified by stereotypes and the dehumanization of these communities, perpetuating inequality through urban planning, environmental neglect, and underfunding. Today, these patterns persist and reflect the lasting impact of systemic bias in shaping social and physical landscapes.

While crime rates in these areas may be statistically higher, this is not due to inherently criminal characteristics of the communities, but to the systemic neglect and structural inequalities that create conditions where crime is more likely to occur. These rates stem from urban disinvestment and lack of access to resources, which create the justification for heavy surveillance, racial profiling, and the criminalization of poverty. Policies like the Indian Act forced Indigenous Peoples into cycles of poverty on reserves and heightened police presence to enforce colonial control. Even the details of the law, such as mandatory minimum sentencing for certain crimes, disproportionately affect marginalized communities as they are more likely to be targeted and less likely to afford strong legal defense. As well, something we see all too often is a failure to address systemic housing inequities, leaving many facing homelessness and housing instability, or left in areas with heavy policing. Overpolicing only serves to exacerbate these issues instead of addressing their root causes.

We must aim to promote transparency and heavier accountability for police officers and the state that serves to protect their actions. Black and Indigenous communities need better resources to reduce the heavy influence of policing and to relieve the impacts of harmful policies as much as possible. These improvements can look like adequate mental health services, community advisors, material resources like food, environmental and infrastructural upgrades to communities, healthcare, education, economic restructuring, and much more. There are organizations, local initiatives, and advocacy groups that work to aid the effects of discriminatory policies and behaviours, like the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Idle No More, Black Lives Matter Canada, and many more. Above all, our attitudes toward the matter need to shift, and we need to put a spotlight on issues like these so they don’t just end up as a short news story that everyone forgets about.

Returns and new beginnings

By
Peak Web
-
0
A close-up of an orange basketball with the ‘SFU Red Leafs’ logo at the focal point, stamped in black.
PHOTO: Kaja Antic / The Peak

By: Kaja Antic, Sports Writer

Basketball

Both Red Leafs basketball teams played for just over a month before the winter break. Despite starting the season 4–8, the men’s team has rebounded from a 2023–24 campaign that saw them hold an overall record of 6–23. The women’s team are in much better shape, boasting an 8–3 record through the 2024–25 season so far. Both teams have only played against Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponents twice. The men’s team dropped games against Central Washington (91–65) and Northwest Nazarene (73–68). The women’s team took the win against Seattle Pacific but suffered a close 69–66 loss to Montana State Billings. 

Golf

The fall portion of the Red Leafs golf season finished in late October, when the men’s team finished eighth of 19 and the women’s team finished sixth of 15 at the Hawaii Pacific Sharks Shootout. Their campaigns resume next month, with the men’s team participating in the California State San Marcos Fujikura Invitational from February 10 to 11, and the women’s team returning to the California State East Bay Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout from February 23 to 24. Both teams sit atop the GNAC team standings, the men’s with an average team score of 288.2 and the women’s with an average of 300.8. Red Leafs junior Izzy Ferguson leads the individual average for GNAC women’s golf with 74.5, while redshirt sophomore Denby Carswell is third in the GNAC men’s standings with a 71.6 average.

Swimming

SFU’s swim teams wrapped up their fall campaign in late November, with both the men’s and women’s teams earning first place at the Puget Sound Logger Invitational. Through individual meets against a variety of NCAA and non-NCAA competition, the Red Leafs swim teams have 5–3 (men’s) and 2–5 (women’s) records respectively. Both teams head south of the border this month with meets in Florida, Washington, and California, before their final meet against the University of Victoria ahead of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship in mid-February. 

“Red Leafs junior Izzy Ferguson leads the individual average for GNAC women’s golf with 74.5, with redshirt sophomore Denby Carswell is third in the GNAC men’s standings with a 71.6 average.”

Wrestling

Both the men’s and women’s wrestling teams started their seasons placing first in the SFU Open on November 2. Since then, the men’s team has hit a slump, registering only two individual titles prior to the winter break — Patrik Leder at the Spokane Open and Sam Pereira at the Clackamas Open. The women’s team has only lost once, dropping a duals round against Wartburg in Las Vegas on December 21. They’re ranked ninth nationally within tournaments and duals, and have six nationally-ranked wrestlers; Kelsey Loeun (ninth, 110), Maddie Mackenzie (14th, 117), Jade Trolland (seventh, 138), Lene-Marie McCrackin (sixth, 160) Paige Maher (15th, 180), and Julia Richey (eighth, 207). This weekend, the men’s team travels to Colorado for duals with Colorado State Pueblo, Western Colorado, Adams State, and Colorado Mesa, while the women’s team makes a trip to the University of Alberta.

Softball

The Red Leafs softball team looks to improve their results from the 2024 season. The team went 6–18 against GNAC competition, while holding an overall record of 11–31. There will be six freshmen added to the roster, including Langley’s Lauren Lugtigheid, who was part of Team Canada at the World Baseball Softball Confederation Americas U18 Pan American Women’s Championships. The Red Leafs start their non-conference campaign at the end of January in New Mexico, with their GNAC competition beginning when they host Northwest Nazarene at Beedie Field on March 7. 

Indoor track and field

SFU’s track and field team begins their indoor season this January, with their first preview event taking place at the University of Washington on January 17. The team will compete across American indoor meets ahead of the GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in mid-February, with the ultimate goal of the indoor season being the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in mid-March. SFU track and field star and Canadian Olympian Marie-Éloïse Leclair will be heading into her final season with the Red Leafs. She looks to break more records after being named GNAC Female Athlete of the Year for the 2024 season. At the end of last season, the women’s indoor track and field team was ranked 16th nationally, which they also look to improve upon as the meets go on. 

SFU’s The Lyre makes ripples across campus

By
Peak Web
-
0
The cover of The Lyre’s 15th volume, which features the exterior of a house surrounded by shrubbery, is visible on a laptop screen situated near a window.
PHOTO: Katelyn Connor / The Peak

By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer

The Lyre is SFU’s literary magazine produced through the university’s world languages and literatures program, publishing works from undergraduate students, artists, and SFU graduates, as well as students from other universities. The magazine includes poetry, short stories, essays, translations, photography, and more. The 15th volume, On the Record, was published on October 24, 2024. This edition focuses on “the power of permanence and the certainty of the liminal,” exploring ideas of calamity yet tranquility, while drawing on personal experiences, inspirations, and fictional storylines.

On the Record begins with a heavy-hitting poem from Kristy Kwok titled “Dwindling,” which explores the yearning for what seems to be a long-lost lover. The opening lines bring warmth that sets the tone for the volume: “Picture me in her arms, weeping like a willow, / as she kisses my wet hair and says I’m better / off loving a stranger.” 

Other poems include “You and I” by Kiara Bhangu, “Paper” by Himanshi Saili, and “Thieves of Marrow” by Isobel Sinclair. Lines from “You and I” including “I’ve grown taller, / your hair has turned grey / I chatter, / you take in everything I say,” the poem pairs with “Thieves of Marrow,” which asks, “Does my voice echo far too loud, / ricocheting off the mountains you keep as enclosure?”

Nearly every entry in this edition is accompanied by photographs and other visual artworks. Although poetry is prominent, it also includes entries in prose, translations, and interviews. 

“I’ve grown taller, / your hair has turned grey / I chatter, / you take in everything I say.” — an excerpt from “You and I” by Kiara Bhangu 

One of my favourite prose pieces is “International Spies” by Chloe Lee-Sarenac. Dialogue and narration are sprinkled with French lines, and fiction and non-fiction are blurred. The reader is encapsulated by familial characters and the mystery of a hidden life story about to unfold. One particular excerpt caught my attention as I digested the prose: “I promise you that this is not a comic book origin story. I’ve learned from a young age to distrust the myth of one’s origin.” 

The two interview pieces featured in the volume — with Jens Zimmermann and Jin-me Yoon — explore how the authors use imagery that add tangible components to the dialogue, and visual depictions for the reader. In his interview, Zimmermann discusses the idea of unreliable news on the internet, stating that “one of the issues with the newsfeeds and the way they’re generated is that you no longer have context.” Similarly, Yoon responds in her interview that “the only constant is change,” and explains how “the digitalization of all aspects of life would be one of the most singular defining differences” in the way art has changed throughout time.

As I made my way through The Lyre page by page, I found myself enthralled in the works of art that accompany each entry, and how the authors of these pieces formulate and articulate their writing with profound structure, intention, and overall craft. 

Read this edition of The Lyre at journals.lib.sfu.ca. Keep an eye out for the upcoming deadline to submit your own work for the 2025 issue and apply to become an associate editor in the coming months.

TransLink’s fare enforcement blitz is a terrible idea

By
Peak Web
-
0
photo of Skytrain expo line
PHOTO: Diego Mazz / Unsplash

By: Yagya Parihar, SFU Student

In my lifetime of using public transit, I only remember having been fare checked three times. All three times were in BC while exiting SkyTrain stations in late 2024. I tapped my pass on the fare gate, and the transit cop asked to see my student ID since I had a U-Pass. That first time, I was extremely lucky that I had just received my ID earlier that day. 

About a month ago, bright yellow posters started appearing everywhere on buses, trains, platforms, outside station entrances, and at bus exchanges, all with the same dire warning: “Failing to pay or using the wrong fare can result in a $173 fine.” I was skeptical regarding the purpose of all this, but my thoughts simmered in the background until, after seeing so many yellow posters, I had enough.

It first must be understood what led TransLink to try this strategy. In the summer of 2024, TransLink announced they were facing a funding shortfall, one that could result in massive cuts to various services across the region (including the discontinuation of dozens of bus routes). About a month after, they announced a series of cuts that would amount to $90 million in savings each year. Aside from standard measures such as reducing hiring, bringing contractors in-house, and cutting back on community engagement initiatives, TransLink also launched a “high-profile blitz” in order to crack down on fare evasion. This strategy includes rapidly increasing the number of fare checks and the yellow posters. However, TransLink hasn’t given exact numbers on how much this blitz will cost. I can’t imagine putting more Transit Police on fare duty and installing posters everywhere was the cheapest solution. So what purpose does this blitz really serve? I have a few theories, and none of them look good for TransLink.

“This should be a sign for the provincial government to prioritize funding TransLink’s operations to ensure they don’t have to resort to such dire tactics.”

One interpretation is that TransLink wants to give the impression that they’re making transit safer without actually doing anything to impact transit safety. Many of the fare checks going on often happen outside the Compass fare gates in SkyTrain stations, not in the fare paid zones, and based on my experience as well as that of others, typically happen after tapping their fare cards on the gates. Those fare gates took hundreds of millions of dollars to install, and I don’t think TransLink doubts the integrity of fare gates, considering they’re going to spend $216 million more upgrading them. Instead, this increased enforcement is an attempt to signal that TransLink takes safety seriously in hopes this motivates people to take transit more, or feel reassured. This practice is called “security theatre” and is seen in places like airport security, especially in the USA, where the TSA’s security measures are meant to increase the perception of safety while doing little to stop actual threats. However, security theatre relies on the implicit biases of officers to determine who is the threat. It is profiling, and within a systemically racist criminal justice system, it’s more likely than not that these “random” fare checks are actually racially motivated.

In the fare checks I’ve been through, they’ve asked me for my student ID. There’s a possibility they’re trying to find U-Pass users who aren’t students. The rationale behind this I can understand; the U-Pass is intended for university students. 

Stopping non-students from abusing the U-Pass seems like a logical explanation, but if that’s the reason there’s an entire campaign around fare evasion, it is not only a waste of resources, but also signals two things. It shows that TransLink is absolutely desperate or worse, that they believe this is a suitable thing to do. The latter indicates that TransLink doesn’t trust us, its riders, to do the right thing, and they’d rather use fare evasion fines as a revenue source. Through this lens, suddenly all of the yellow signs are insulting and borderline draconian.

I recently went back to Edmonton, Alberta, where I spent the winter break. The Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) doesn’t use fare gates, relying on the honour system. People still tap on and off, though, despite the unreliable fare readers. The most memorable poster I saw from ETS asked to “show kindness and respect for your fellow riders.” It made me feel respected and appreciated as a transit rider. The comparison just reinforced how bad of an idea TransLink’s blitz is; TransLink should tear down every single one of their yellow posters and use them as a reminder of what not to do in an informational campaign. Additionally, this should be a sign for the provincial government to prioritize funding TransLink’s operations to ensure they don’t have to resort to such dire tactics.

Horoscopes January 6–12

By
Peak Web
-
0
An illustration of a girl, stars and astrological signs strewn in her hair.
ILLUSTRATION: Marissa Ouyang / The Peak

By: C Icart, Humour Editor

Aries
March 21–April 19 

I was gossiping with the stars about you, and they said that you’re stubborn, so you’ll probably think you’re invincible all year. Close your damn incognito Google flights tab. The Boeings are falling apart! #StayGrounded

Taurus
April 20–May 20

Celeb lookalike contests were all the rage in 2024. No wonder the stars are warning you to look closely at all the pictures on Hinge. Listen to the most followed woman on Instagram when she says ““Everything Is Not What It Seems.” 

Gemini
May 21–June 20

Listen Gemini, even though you feel like the get-together is going great and everyone is having fun, overstaying your welcome is rude. The stars are begging you not to be a Trudeau this year. 

Cancer
June 21–July 22

My sweet Cancer, the stars are not your therapist. They might listen to you, but they’re under no obligation not to judge. The stars predict you will do a lot of opening up this year and that they will do a lot of side-eyeing. 

Leo
July 23–August 22

If someone offers you an orange pill this year, say, “No, thanks! I only take drugs that have been tested. I also don’t take anything from people who build a private gym in their workplace for no reason.” Trust the stars. This oddly specific situation will happen this year. 

Virgo
August 23–September 22

I know, 2025 is the year of regulating your nervous system, but not everywhere is an appropriate spot for a deep inhale and an even deeper exhale. Careful! The Stanley Park train is coming. The stars are begging you to hold your breath!

Libra
September 23–October 22

Once you’ve voted, there’s really no point in staring anxiously at your screens waiting for the election results. Instead, the stars advise that you use that time to dye your hair, baby your bang, and pluck eyebrows. #Don’tShavePuss #LookCuteInTheFaceOfFacism 

Scorpio
October 23–November 21

Just because it felt like there was an aurora borealis every other week in the Lower Mainland in 2024, it does not mean you should spend the upcoming year looking up. The stars are up there and they’re shy!

Sagittarius
November 22–December 21

There will be another Wicked movie in 2025, but leading up to it, it would be unwise to make every holiday about Shiz. Elphaba on the Shelfaba was enough (too much even). We do not need to be Glindafying Cupid in February and hiding the Easter Bunny from the authorities that are trying to cage him in April.

Capricorn
December 22–January 19

You were very demure and very mindful all of 2024 and where did that get you??? The stars suggest trying to be very aggressive and careless this year. No idea where that will land you but the stars are making their popcorn to watch the mess from the sky.  

Aquarius
January 20–February 18 

Aquarius, the stars told me to tell you that in 2025 someone is going to screw you over. They’re going to make a ridiculous decision that is going to lead to a deeply annoying result that was entirely preventable. But you’re going to handle it like a champ. The goSFU outage of 2024 has emotionally, spiritually, and psychically prepared you.  

Pisces
February 19–March 20

In 2024, we got Kate Middleton BBL allegations before GTA 6. We also got Lorde and Charli working it out on the remix before GTA 6. We even got a fake Crumbl cookie pop-up in Australia before GTA 6! But in 2025, if you ask super nicely, the stars just might align and you’ll get GTA 6. #NoPromises

Still Living With My Parents? Why, yes, I am!

By
Peak Web
-
0
A girl dressed in a white tanktop and blue jeans crouches with her head leaning against both of her arms.
ILLUSTRATION: Yan Ting Leung / The Peak

By: Yasmin Hassan, Staff Writer

Youth seems to keep slipping through my fingers the older I get, which is how I assume it works. Becoming a person of your own is no easy feat, and artist NIA NADURATA is no stranger to the matter. Based in Toronto, Nadurata’s first EP, Still Living With My Parents, was released on January 3. As expected from its title, the album depicts the many “highs and lows of emerging adulthood,” paying homage to the most vulnerable years of life. With six songs, smooth vocals, upbeat drums, dynamic guitar, and extremely relatable lyrics, Nadurata speaks to the soul during its most turbulent times. 

Nadurata often works alongside artists like Russ, Nonso Amadi, Amaal, Boslen, and Isaiah Peck as a vocalist and songwriter. She released a couple singles of her own in 2023, like “drive faster,” “i think i like your girlfriend,” and “carSick,” but this EP has been brewing for quite some time now. As her bio says, “her music captures a time when the world and our thoughts tortured us or soothed us,” and I couldn’t agree more. Though she often sings about love, relationships, and the complicated nature of navigating bonds, whether you relate to the hard-hitting lyrics or not, the musical aspects are just as admirable.

Her songs have a similar sound to that of modern alt/indie artists beabadoobee and The Marías, with the gentle strums of a guitar present in every song. Even so, I did sense some influence from prolific RnB artists such as Aaliyah and Amy Winehouse. Nadurata’s smooth voice and the bossa nova-esque instrumentals on low-key songs like “boo hoo” make you want to belt the song’s lyrics in the car. “Souvenirs” is full of strident vocals, heartfelt lyrics, and up-beat drums that contrast the melancholy nature of lyrics — it practically begs to be shouted at full volume. Songs like “Trauma Bond” are particularly special, though. Unlike her other songs on the album, this one truly slows down, perfectly showing a more angsty side to growing up filled with wavy guitar reverbs and soft, angelic vocals.

“Nadurata puts a modern spin on it with more of an alt pop sound that makes you want to dance in your bedroom, or belt the song’s lyrics in the car.”

While I commonly hate listening to songs about past relationships and exes, I liked listening to “Practice” and then “i think i like your girlfriend;” it just makes sense and it’s a bit funny considering the context of both songs. Though your exes tend to steal their favourite aspects of your personality to use as their own, they still fail to do it like the OG (you, of course). They ultimately become watered-down versions of a person they no longer know, leaving you wondering why you divulged your soul to them only for it to become a poorly plagiarized adaptation. The song after, though, is essentially saying “move over, mini me, your new girlfriend is in love with the real thing and not the knock off,” which I can wholeheartedly stand behind. 

NIA NADURATA’s sounds are, simply put, catchy as ever. Though they all follow a similar theme, there’s bound to be something that sticks out to you. They are the perfect songs for earworms, because no matter how many times you hear her, you’ll likely never get tired of her smooth yet compelling vocals.

New year, no resolutions, just reflections on life

By
Peak Web
-
0
A tree on the beach with a swing at sunset
PHOTO: Jake Lille / Unsplash

By: Daniel Salcedo Rubio, Features Editor

I ended 2023 and started 2024 in what I can only describe now as a miserable situation. I was living in a place where I no longer felt comfortable, and was becoming unsafe. However, despite my misery, I remained for about six months — the last three of 2023 and the first three of 2024. Back then, I was looking at other places to move to, but I always found a reason not to: “It’s too far away from work,” “The room looks too small for my bed and desk,” “The building looks too old.” I kept finding reasons not to leave and remain in misery. 

While it might sound like I have poor decision making skills, I was actually very scared of change. I was scared of moving out, potentially with people I don’t know, to a place I’m not familiar with, and to a completely different day-to-day life. So, I kept sabotaging myself for the sake of remaining in the comfort of what I knew. Miserable, yes, but at least I knew that was the basal expectation. That all changed in February 2024, when the situation quickly escalated from miserable to potentially dangerous. In just one weekend I looked over 15 apartments, signed the lease for what is my current place, and organized moving out of the hell I had been living in by the next Tuesday. All of that in just five days . . . six months of misery ended in just five days. 

Looking back at it, I don’t know why I kept subjecting myself to that life. I was crying every other night, not out of sadness or anger, but of pure stress and anxiety. I used to love cooking and preparing my meals for the week, and I completely stopped doing so the last three months out of fear my food would be tampered with. Home cooked meals were replaced with local fast food chains, and my home had turned into a prison. I was barely sleeping and taking care of myself. I changed so much of what I liked and who I was for the sake of trying to fit in with familiarity, just to avoid confronting change. 

Fast forward to New Year’s eve 2024. I found myself in a New Year’s party I most definitely didn’t want to be in, but I had bought the tickets with a friend some months ago and felt I had to go. All I wanted that day was to have a quiet night and eat some food with my new flatmates, but I cleaned-up, served a really good outfit, and even styled my hair — all in the hopes that putting in the extra effort would somehow ensure I would enjoy the night. However, I didn’t. It didn’t matter that I got compliments on my outfit, it didn’t matter that the venue was pretty cool, or that you know . . . it was a New Year’s party. Those are fun, right? It didn’t matter because I don’t really enjoy clubbing, I rarely do. I kept putting myself in similar situations because to some degree I felt that’s what’s expected of me, to be young and enjoy the night rather than staying in. 

“Don’t stay six months living in misery when it can all be changed in five days.”

Thankfully, last night the power of foresight was by my side and I decided to leave relatively early. On my walk to the bus that would take me home, I kept thinking of where I was in New Year’s eve 2023, in the horrible situation I subconsciously decided to stay in for six months. These two stories, while different in many ways, share a common theme. I subjected myself to situations where I’m not really enjoying myself, whether it’s for fear of change or breaking-up with expectations, societal or self-imposed. 

So, for this 2025 I’m channeling my inner Kim Catrall and living by her words: “I don’t want to be in a situation for even an hour where I’m not enjoying myself.” I know it sounds idealistic and realistically impossible. Discomfort is inevitable for any living being and there will be many situations where I don’t have the power or choice to change them. However, there are many situations where discomfort and pain are chosen, even if subconsciously. 

This new year, my only resolution is to be more critical of my feelings, where they originate from, and whether it’s in my power to change them or not. I don’t intend to live a 2025 without discomfort. After all I love trying out new things and more likely than not, there’s some discomfort in starting something new and getting out of your comfort zone. Choosing to get out of your comfort zone and choosing discomfort, while similar statements, carry entirely different meanings for me. I don’t intend to remain in misery for the vague promise of comfort that comes from fulfilling expectations I don’t consciously align with. I don’t intend to remain in misery for the vague comfort of fending off the unknown, the fear of something worse coming if I embrace change. I don’t intend to remain in misery at all whenever I have the power to change it.

For this 2025, don’t be like me, don’t stay six months living in misery when it can all be changed in five days. I know a lot of situations seem like there’s no way out, and that any choice taken will be the wrong choice — it sure felt that way for me. But believe me, you most likely don’t have to wait for the straw to break the camel’s back for you to choose a better life.

New Year’s resolutions are counterproductive to self-growth

By
Peak Web
-
0
fireworks in the night sky
PHOTO: PHOTO: DESIGNECOLOGIST / Unsplash

By: Maria Fernanda Osorio Arredondo, SFU student

Content warning: mental illness, brief mention of suicide.

The beginning of the year is a short-lived period of optimism that makes us believe change is within our reach. Many of us welcome the new year by promising we will become better versions of ourselves, whether that means socializing more, eating healthier, exercising regularly, or saving money. Despite considering myself ambitious, I rarely make New Year’s resolutions. For me, self-improvement is about more than goals, it’s about the person I wish to become, which is why Atomic Habits by James Clear especially resonated with me.

In Atomic Habits, Clear asks the reader to reflect: “Who is the type of person that could get the outcome I want?” For me, the answer is a resilient person. For example, instead of aiming to eliminate my mental illnesses, I can work on resilience. Like most, the journey to good mental health is not linear, and focusing only on the destination can be frustrating. Celebrating the process, including my struggles and not in spite of them, has helped me have a more positive perception of myself. Instead of berating myself for having a panic attack during a school presentation, I can appreciate the bravery of putting myself into a vulnerable position. 

Over 90% of New Year’s resolutions will be abandoned within a few months. The low success rate is attributed to people thinking too big, not asking themselves why they want to change, and not actually being ready to take action. We frequently forget that building a strong foundation is needed to make change possible. New Year’s resolution alternatives can be tools for you to create this foundation and allow you to explore your favourite version of yourself, like creating a vision board, writing a bucket list, or practicing mindfulness. 

“We frequently forget that building a strong foundation is needed to make change possible.”

A vision board is a fun and creative way to visualize different aspects of life that matter to you. You can put together pictures of friends, family, or dreams for a future love life if you want to prioritize healthy relationships. You can also include illustrations of hobbies, and career and education goals. A quick search on the internet will give you plenty of ideas. Although a vision board can be made traditionally with physical media like magazines or prints, it can also be done digitally. I use Pinterest boards as vision boards!

I love lists, which is why I love the concept of a bucket list. A bucket list is a list of experiences that you wish to achieve in a lifetime, but I find that such a big timeline can be overwhelming or feel more like a fantasy than a real possibility. My 2025 bucket list will probably involve getting a small dragonfly tattoo, changing my nose piercing, submitting creative writing to literary journals, visiting a friend in another province, and buying clothes from local brands or thrift stores. To make this a meaningful alternative, I recommend seeing your bucket list not as obligations, but as a list of opportunities. Remember that it’s OK if you don’t complete all of your bucket list ideas; ideas are there to inspire you. 

I am terrible at staying still, which is why I’ve always struggled with meditation (and painting my nails). Mindfulness, however, doesn’t always have to be associated with stillness. Running or other types of exercise can help calm your mind, think clearer, and focus on the present. Mindfulness can also be incorporated into activities like crafting, doodling, baking, building puzzles, or even practiced on the commute to SFU. Gratitude is deeply linked to mindfulness. As 2024 comes to an end, why not message your close ones a list of reasons why you are grateful to have them in your life? The new year is often bittersweet for me because it’s close to my suicide attempt anniversary. To highlight both occasions, I like to write a list of reasons I’m grateful to be alive. No doubt, new beginnings deserve to be honoured. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please reach out immediately to the 24/7 toll-free BC crisis and suicide prevention line at 1-800-SUICIDE. 

1...666768...1,422Page 67 of 1,422

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024