Erynn Du / Staff Reporter
My name is Erynn. At Gleneagle, I am a grade 10 student currently set to graduate in 2025. I’m part of the Band program, and really enjoy having the classes full year. Since grade 3, I’ve also been enrolled in the Mandarin Bilingual Program, and am looking to graduate with my certificate. Apart from school, I also have lots of hobbies. Ever since I was little, I’ve loved drawing. My favorite thing to do is design my own fictional characters and give them unique outfits and sketch out their faces. I have also learned to cook and bake on my own. Banana bread is one of the most delicious things to exist, and teriyaki sauce makes anything 10x better. So, while I’m still in my junior years in high school, I’d like to enjoy all the things I can.
If you ever see me around the hallways or outside school, I’m guaranteed to always have my earbuds on. I go through phases every month of Broadway soundtracks, pop music, indie, and Japanese pop. This is one of my most listened to albums. Music is a big part of my life, and not just listening to it. Since grade 6, I’ve been a part of band, and have loved making music with my clarinet and bandmates ever since. Outside of school, I enjoy playing piano. On the rare occasion I’m not forced to learn exam pieces, I enjoy challenging myself with sheet music of my favorite pop songs. Here’s one that I learned in the summer. It’s super rewarding to finally hear the proper chords of the songs after months of learning all the notes.
Since the age of eight, I’ve been learning to cook. I started learning how to fry an egg, and now I can even make French macarons. This is my favorite vegan frosting recipe that I use for everything. My favorite kitchen tool is a wood spatula, and there’s nothing you can’t do with it. I also have a huge sweet tooth, and I love to make my own.
| Erynn’s Top Four Desserts |
| Blackberry Sorbet |
| Mango Sticky Rice |
| Coconut Lime Ice-cream |
| Banana Bread |
Noodles are the easiest thing to make, and you can add almost anything. When friends come over, we always make lunch or dessert together. The only thing I don’t like about cooking, is chopping garlic, and of course cleaning up afterwards. Whenever I’m in the mood, cooking makes me feel like I’m being productive, and of course, I enjoy eating the final product.
Whenever I’m bored, whatever I’m working on ends up with little doodles all over. Even though I don’t have many art supplies, or a fancy tablet to draw on, even a pencil is good enough for me. Because I haven’t been exposed to different colouring supplies that much, I naturally gravitate towards black inks and sketches. My sketchbooks are full of random doodles of characters I think of in my head. They are rarely finished with good inkwork, but it’s enough to get the imagination wheels turning in my head. In the future, I might get a drawing tablet to explore color theory a bit more.
So, as I enjoy my last junior year as a mostly carefree grade 10 student, I’m going to make the most of my free time enjoying the things I want to do. Right now, I’m still focusing on my academics, but it still leaves me lots of free time to pursue the things I want. Before this year ends, I’d like to improve my clarinet, and piano skills, and learn more songs to practice. With my art, I’d like to explore colouring a bit more. And of course, I’ll continue cooking, and find new recipes to try out. All in all, my grade 10 year still has more to come.
Photo Sources:
Piacquadio, Andrea, Delighted ethnic woman cooking in kitchen, 2020, Delighted ethnic woman cooking in kitchen · Free Stock Photo (pexels.com)