Imagine this: you graduated college during the pandemic and decided to move to a new city because you’re tired of living comfortably in your parent’s home in one of the most expensive cities in Canada.

The documentary Ulam: Main Dish opens with clips of a Filipino family-style buffet. Chef and restaurateur Nicole Ponseca (owner of Jeepney) describes the ceremony as “whole feasts served on banana leaves. No plates. No Utensils. No problem.” This setting’s so familiar, so comforting but I couldn’t name it until Ponseca says, “kamayan.”

Ever since I was six, I have gone to after-school classes - not tutoring for subjects that I was bad at, but learning a few grades higher in order to keep a pristine report card.

“Tick, tock. Tick, tock.” As the hands of the clock on the wall above slowly inch towards giving them ultimate freedom, the characters in High School Musical 2 can’t help but stare at them, already wistfully dreaming of summer.

In this fast-paced work environment of the 21st century, there is a toxic work culture spreading at an alarming rate. Until more is done to sustain high-quality ethics in the work environment more and more cases of mis-conductance will be reported.