Olga's Poetry & Thoughts

I admit it: I'm guilty. Guilty of being a self-proclaimed feminist. It is unfortunate that we are taught nowadays to attach shame and embarrassment to the term "feminist." When I tell people I'm a feminist, sometimes they chuckle and say, "okay, feminazi" or "I don't agree with feminism" or simply "I don't like that term." I don't think that most people truly understand what the term means, so let's take a mini crash course through history to piece it all together. "Feminism" as we know of the term today sprouted in the late 1800s to early 1900s. In North America at the time, women were not allowed to vote and were not considered as "persons" under the law, meaning they had little to no financial freedom and political influence. Female leaders joined together to fight this injustice and gained suffrage rights throughout the 1910s. This was the first wave of feminism. Later, when swarms of husbands ...

I have compiled a list of the top 10 books I read in 2015 (but the books are not necessarily written in 2015... actually none of them are). Yes, I read a lot. Hopefully my fellow bookworms will take joy in this list, and read one of these gems this Christmas season. 10. Into the Wild (1996) by: Jon Krakauer Favourite quote: "It is easy, when you are young, you believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God-given right to have it." Reason to read this book: it will make you feel more adventurous (but also sad) This book is a very touching, non-fictional account of Chris McCandless, a man who, upon graduating college, journeys on his own to the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, and never returns. His tale does not make sense to the average, sedentary person, and why any human would take such a risk baffles me. It's a great read, and will take you to the wild side! 9. Dracula (1...

I have started reading a book called "Help, Thanks, Wow." It is basically a how-to guide for prayer, geared towards spirituals and skeptics alike. The book tries to answer the difficult question: How do we pray? The author, Anne Lamott, recalls her childhood, growing up in an atheist household where only rock bands were worshipped and the New York Times was a temple. Feeling alone, lost, and caught in existential despair, Lamott "snuck off" into the attic to pray to God for help. Prayers for help humble us. They make us feel that the world is out of our control. The cosmos does not act in accordance with our wishes, and our prayers are not answered in the way we would like them to be. Thomas Merton's prayer reads: "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me" (Lamott 33). Just by reading the "Help" chapter, I realized why I have trouble with uncertainty. Because it is admitting defeat. It is admittin...

I decided to watch "The To-Do List" but I had pretty low expectations for it. The reviews were very mixed and I'm not usually into raunchy "American Pie-esque" movies. I was gladly surprised that this movie is not as shallow as it seems. It is about a teenage girl exploring her sexuality and dealing with pressure from her peers and family. She is a valedictorian and an overachiever, but she realizes that she underachieved in the romantic and sexual part of her life. She writes a list of sexual fantasies to fulfill before going to college. There were a few stereotypes brought up in the movie that irked me, though. The biggest misconception that this movie triggers is that smart girls don't get action. The main character, Brandy, is also called a "bitch" and "uptight" simply for being smart and successful. In truth, it's possible for a woman to be both intelligent and sexually experienced. Also, the sex scenes get a little ridiculous ...