Say One Thing About Yourself

The year was 1988. The place was Vancouver Community College Langara Campus. The subject was a level 200 Canadian History course. The professor was Catherine Smith. It was a smaller class tutorial and not the main class lecture. This was our first meeting.


She had us in a circle and as a form of an icebreaker she told us to say one thing about ourselves. When it began I felt like shooting myself. My name is ____ and I took history 115 last term. My name is ___ and I live in Richmond. I was the second last person in the circle to say their one thing. Well seeing as we were in a circle and we were saying our first names an idea came to mind to liven things up a bit.  My name is Ed and I am an alcoholic. I deadpanned it.


Prof Smith ( yes Voltes V fans) looked at me all serious and said " but you are better now right now right?  " .  I am sure I diffused her concern at that moment. I also felt a bit for the woman that was last in the circle who if I recall 30 years later said she was from Williams Lake.

A Christmas Story

When: December 1979
Where : Southridge Alabang.


This was their first Christmas event since they only opened their doors June or July of that year. So they had a Christmas play like many schools do. My one brother was one of the 3 wise men. My other brother was the star of Bethlehem.  I was the only one to tell my parents what I was doing.
I was an usher.