Thoughts on New Year's Day: Vancouver

There are very subtle differences between living here in Vancouver and living in San Francisco. If I'm not paying attention, sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm in another country. Then there are stark differences that jolt me and remind me that indeed I am in another country.

Last night was the first time I spent New Year's eve in Vancouver and as the clock struck 12 midnight, there were no gun shots. Having grown up in Los Angeles and lived a large chuck in the Bay Area, New Year's eve meant tons of gun shots sent into the night sky. As a kid and even as an adult, I always worried about bullets falling back down to the earth, hurting things.

No guns were fired last night, not at least in my neighborhood. There is much I can say about how this translates into social dynamics and policies, but I'll just leave it at that, there were no guns fired into the night.

These are two posters that my students made on a unit I taught about symbolism and color to convey a message for Remembrance Day.

- Text and photos by Ly