About
Some questions you might have about:
So what happened to your old website(s)
I began designing my own website because I thought the internet was a highly useful thing. Not only did I want to partake in the great information exchange, I also saw the benefit of learning the skills involved in web-design: coding in html, layouts, graphic design, etc.
My first website didn't go very far. It was done on geocities (now Yahoo) and a lot of things got screwed up when Yahoo bought geocities and converted everything over. The screw-ups weren't all directly caused by the conversion. I didn't update frequently because I had a slow connection and was using the pre-done point and click web-elements designer. I then very acutely felt the need to learn html so that my designs could be used across platforms and still look exactly as I wanted.
Then came my original Tripod site. It was better, but still not incredibly useful. There were a lot of things I wanted to do, but they all required a lot more time than I had available. The visions were abstract though. I guess it took me about 2 years to realize that I would never have the time available to allow my abstract vision to ignite the motivation fire under my butt.
So, this final product is much more practical. I have some of my own poetic, literary, and other artistic works showcased in my Art Gallery. I have some of my scholastic creations and other useful things in my Resource Gallery. My RPG hobbies and related links can be found in the Unreal Paradise. The other sections are pretty self-explanatory.
No mere webpage could possible reveal my real true identity. However, a bit of a biography isn't out of the question since most visitors to this page will probably already know me. This biography will be short, but the possibility of creating a longer at a later time is a distinct possibility.
I was born and raised in Surrey. I aspired very early to be a writer and a teacher. Early goals were basically to be successful. I had strong academics throughout high school, which lead to a UBC scholarship. Although my grades demonstrated an equal aptitude for either arts or sciences, my goal of writing and love of reading steered me in the direction of arts.
I kept the scholarship for my first two years and managed to work my way through the rest of UBC. I took a first year special English/History/Philosophy course that I loved called Arts One. The rest of my program consisted of an odd arrangement of English and History courses that would allow me to graduate with an English Literature major and a History minor. I also tried to keep open as many doors as possible. Some of my favourite courses of my BA included Religious Studies 100, Women's Studies 100, Soviet History, and Children's Literature.
It was at the end of my second year that I met love of my life Lance. It began as a flirtation on the bus commute and it ends happily ever after.
After my BA I was accepted into the UBC education department. I had debated over what exact route to take since part of me wanted to teach high school and the other part wanted to teach elementary school. Lucky for me, there is this thing called middle school. I got to learn a bit of each and a lot about very interesting middle school philosophies. I went through a lot of growth in that year. I think of that time as the time I fully came into myself.
My practicum was at Maple Creek Middle School in Coquitlam with Jim Morris. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences I have ever had. The students were great (though not without their rough spots) and Jim had so many amazing experiences to pass on (not to mention all his resources). There were so many other great staff members there as well. It was the best working environment I have ever had in terms of the focus, caring, and commitment demonstrated there.
After my courses were finished in August of 2003 I had a brief holiday before my current job fell in my lap. My sister had been working during the summer of 2002 and 2003 at KGIC, an ESL school for all ages. First I was just working as a CA (college assistant). However, I spent some time subbing for my colleague Nicole, and then when our winter enrolment went up, I got my own classroom.
And that brings us up to date. For more details about my life, you can just read my blog.
Why call it Green Shag Carpet?
Well, the story for this is actually pretty simple. It is named after my apartment. For those of you who don't know me, or have never been to my place, let me tell you a bit about it.
The apartment is a decent one bedroom apartment in an ok part of Surrey, BC, Canada. The apartment is new to me, but not new itself. It is about 30 years old and has all the aspects of a run-down 30 year old apartment building. It even comes complete with . . . you guessed it . . . green shag carpet. Some of you may think it sounds awful, but I think it's actually kind of cool. It's the kind of apartment that you can only live in when you are starting out in life, and so has it's own kind of coolness.
Why did I use it as the name for my website? I needed a name that wasn't banal and that was a little bit different (like me). That's really all there is to it.
Questions? Comments? Email Me!