certainty as a catalyst

[image: avz]

"Therefore I suppose that everything I see is false. I believe that none of what my deceitful memory represents ever existed. I have no senses whatever. Body, shape, extension, movements, and place are all chimeras. What then will be true? Perhaps just the single fact that nothing is certain."

--Rene Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy

the riot be the rhythm of the unheard

Rage Against the Machine is reuniting to perform at the Coachella Music Festival!!! The other headliners are Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bjork. The line up for this year's festival is AWESOME-TASTIC and I really really want to go. The festival is for 3 days and my god - did I mention that the line up is amazing? The individual dates for RHCP and RATM have already sold old out in a second so there's only the 3 day package tix left. Is anyone else thinking ROAD TRIP? The actual festival goes from April 27-29.. hopefully exams are done by them.

Artists that I definately want to see: Bjork, Benny Benassi, DJ Shadow, Rufus Wainwright, The New Pornographers, DJ Tiesto, RHCP, Manu Chao, Jose Gonzalez, The Roots, Against Me, Paul van Dyk and of course ending it all is Rage Against the Machine

check out the rest of the line up here.

BUT OMGZOR!!!! DOES ANYONE ELSE WANT TO GO?!?!

chupati

[image: jolita]
[currently listening to: yann tiersen - la valse d'amelie]

I secretly wish for femme legs.
----------------------------------

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet Gentille - she is one of the most beautiful and amazing women I've ever had the priviledge of meeting. Rarely does one see genuine happiness and honest optimism in life as she displayed, especially overcoming adversity. Coming from Rwanda, she recently got her Canadian citizenship and threw a big celebration with some friends and family. There - I had my second taste of homemade African cuisine (I <3 chupati) and the opportunity to meet some super adorable children. Later on, we all went to the Anza club, which was definately unconventional, lol... the crowd was undoubtly much more mature and also very ethnically black (yaaay for being the token asian, haha).

Earlier in the day, Simon and I were able to hike up and around Lynn Valley for a little bit. Rice Lake was completely frozen with ice and frost - a thick layer of fog had settled in the distance so the view was gorgeous. I don't think I'll appreciate Canada as much until I actually leave the country (Florida doesn't count). Fresh air is definately a rare commodity these days.

une femme n'est pas un homme

[image: andrea giacobbe]
[currently listening to: die fantastischen vier - krieger (afx baldhu mix)]

blablahbla.
mon prince rebelle, mi manchi troppo.

breasticles

[image: circa 1927]

Sooooo, today I got my breasts cast into plaster at the SUB. Boobs come in all different shapes, colours, sizes and whatnot - but they're ALL BEAUTIFUL (not that I didn't already know that). By the end of the session, all I have to say is that I love my boobs. They're compact, small and squishy. I think everyone needs to get their breasts cast at some point in their life. If I ever get preggers, I definately want to do this again to track the progress of my changing ta-tas.

What I don't really understand is the constant reprimand women get for celebrating their breasts in a non-sexual fashion. Boobs are nothing but a giant modified sweat gland stuffed with tons of fat anyway. To Darwin, our breasts are really a tool for sexual selection (that's why they got so big in the first place) as they're a reflection of a woman's biological fitness to rear offspring. Aside from feeding little ones, they're just purely there for decoration. So why not show them off? The disgust or horn-dog reactions from people here in western society from the sight of a boob is just entirely inappropriate... how repressed have we become? Showing off one's breasts is not an open invitation to be inappropriately approached or harrassed. I'm not saying that we should all walk around flopping our dicks and titties - but please show some respect in our reactions to the human body.

Now who else wants to get their nipple pierced?

i am naught but a minute or two a few times a week

[image: lefragileebouy]

There again, like a heart palpitation

I've picked up a pen and put it back down again

I can only guess the response:

a silence or a mumble and then a shut of a door

perhaps

it's inappropriate

to bother closing this book.

I guess scrawling on here is like scrawling

on the inside cover, the name, date and message...

thank you.

How to Build Global Community

[image: chernow]

Think of no one as "them" . Don't confuse your comfort with your safety . Talk to strangers . Imagine other cultures through their poetry and novels . Listen to music you don't understand . Dance to it. Act locally. Notice the workings of power and privilege in your culture . Question consumption . Know how your lettuce and coffee are grown: wake up and smell the exploitation . Look for fair trade and union labels . help build economies from the bottom up . Acquire few needs . Learn a second (or third) language . Visit people, places and cultures -- not tourist attractions . Learn people's history . Re-define progress . Know physical and political geography . Play games from other cultures . Watch films with subtitles . Know your heritage . Honor everyone's holidays . Look at the moon and imagine someone else, somewhere else, looking at it too . Read the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights . Understand the global economy in terms of people, land and water . Know where your bank banks . Never believe you have a right to anyone else's resources . Refuse to wear corporate logos: defy corporate domination . Question military/corporate connections . Don't confuse money with wealth, or time with money . Have a pen/email pal . Honor indigenous cultures . Judge governance by how well it meets all people's needs . Be sceptical about what you read . Eat adventurously . Enjoy vegetables, beans and grains in your diet . Choose curiosity over certainty . know where your water comes from and where your wastes go . Pledge allegiance to the earth: question nationalism . Think South, Central and North -- there are many Americans . Assume that many others share your dreams . Know that no one is silent though many are not heard . Work to change this.

--------------------------------------------------

I don't necessarily believe in all that to the dot, but I believe that it's a step in the right direction.

his name is joseph

[image: uvaspina]

something was stolen

something was stolen...
and perhaps it irks me from time to time
when i think too hard about
scenarios and fairy tales and
the strands of hair still
caught in the drain
about the smell of her skin
and the delicate feet
so distantly
close
to mind.

paint me a colour.

deitadinha

[image: Merkley]

Hugh Hefner has got nothing compared to Merkley's girls (and guys). He's like... David LaChapelle's genius complete with au naturel SG (suicide girls). This makes me want to eat bananas'n'yogurt for the rest of the week and lose like a bazillion pounds and purchase an old school soviet camera so I can punch up the saturation and embrace odd lighting. Man, I'm so going back to Virgin Mary's.

janvier

"Come ti vidi m'innamorai. E tu sorridi perché lo sai."
--A. Boito

la souffle au coeur

[currently listening to: ravi shankar - morning love]

because i cannot unclench your teeth,
do you shut your eyes harder?
how does one measure the domain of time
when the present is the investment?

flor sigismondi

[images: flor sigismondi]

I couldn't help it

a feast for the eyes

dehydrating the air

[image: circa 1929]

My conclusion is that my mom cannot cook, except for traditional chinese soups. I've learned how to make a couple of them - the same herbal remedies that have been passed on generation to generation for how many thousands of years. But she tells me, "what use is learning how to make these soups if I cannot find someone who will drink them". lol, but no one likes to eat her regular cooking... which consists of pan-fried spam, eggs and rice... OR microwaveable foodstuffs. blargh. Whatever the case, she's not cooking tonight so that means chicken cacciatore for dinner!

aqueous transmission

[currently listening to: rasputina - howard hughs]

i guess i dream far too often

nail you against the wall

[currently listening to: NIN - starfuckers, inc.]

I never thought I'd find such a high like this.
------------------------------------------------------

- Vagina Monologues are holding Erotic Bingo @ the Pit this friday - it starts at 8:30 pm so come out if you can! Winners of bingo rounds get sex toys.

- If you're free at around 12:30 next thursday, come out to get your breasts cast in plaster on campus. I know I'm up for that! lol. This event is open to everyone who identify themselves as women, trans or intersexed. Meet us in SASC at noon if you want to come and we'll all walk there. At the end, we can admire each others' boobs, titties, bazookas, udders or whatever the hell you call them. breasts are beautiful!

smitten ashes

[currently listening to: Carly Comando - Every Day]

my feet were once roots, so grounded.

eh, why the hell not... this blog needs more superficial

The Letter A
Are you available?: For a game of tetris? Anytime!
What is your age?: vingt ans
What annoys you: that hard popcorn kernel shell that gets lodged in your gums at the back of your mouth that's IMPOSSIBLE to get out.

The Letter B
Do you live in a big house?: I dunno, I don't use all of it. My room's too huge though.
When is your birthday? the fourth of august
What's your best subject?: I don't know... I don't really have a best in anything.

The Letter C
What's your favorite candy?: 70 % dark chocolate
Who's your crush?: scarlet, lol
When was the last time you cried?: The weekend and now my eye's messed up... but then again, I cry to everything (NATURE documentaries especially) so my eyes are always messed up.

The Letter D
Do you daydream?: Too often... mainly of impossible events that are so crazy I should write a book about it
What's your favorite kind of dog?: preferably live ones that have moxy
What day of the week is it? c'est lundi

The Letter E
How do you like your eggs?: scrambled
Have you ever been in the emergency room?: yeah when I was a kid, but the doctor told me to take tums >: (
What's the easiest thing to do?: close my eyes

The Letter F
Have you ever flown in a plane?: not since I was 15
Do you use fly swatter? no, those contraptions are a waste of money... newspapers or dishtowels do the job
Have you ever used a foghorn?: nope, but it sounds damn powerful

The Letter G
Do you chew gum?: sometimes... my favourite's always been the ORIGINAL strawberry flavoured Bubblicious bubble gum that actually helps you blow bubbles... but now it tastes like crap. furthermore, chewing minty bubble gum and taking a gulp of water is such a gross feeling.
Are you a giver or a taker?: relative to what?
Do you like gummy candies?: only of the german variety <3... unless they're those Gummy Vites Carmen Electra eats when she has a cold

The Letter H
How are you?: full of flatuence from too much avocado from my gonnorhea sandwich today
What's your height?: 5'7
What color is your hair?: black and shit colour brown that used to be red

The Letter I
What's your favorite ice cream? haagen daaz... coffee or good old chocolate
Have you ever ice skated?: oh yeah - especially with those pushy metal bar thingies that help you learn to skate
Do you play an instrument?: I used to play the saxamaphone

The Letter J
What's your favorite jelly bean?: they're revolting!
Have you ever heard a really hilarious joke?: more like hilarious insults... I miss machala
Do you wear jewelry?: I always have something on... usually rings, sometimes necklaces or the odd clit piercing (NOT)

The Letter K
Who do you want to kill?: not a mockingbird, that's for sure
Do you want kids?: of course - his name's going to be Jamal and if she's a girl - Aisha
Where did you have kindergarten?: Montessori - that's where all the cool kids who learned how to plant in a garden, went

Letter L
Are you laid back?: sometimes
Do you lie?: I did... so that means that I'm a liar and a thief
Have you ever been in love?: with EVERYTHING

The Letter M
Whats your favorite movie?: I have too many... but I guess Amelie would be the best... despite not owning it :(
Do you still watch Disney movies?: sometimes... Lion King kicks the best ass. I have another confession - I have always disliked most of the singing in SOME of the disney movies but never had the guts to admit it until now
Do you like mangoes?: dried or fresh - they're delicious

The Letter N
Do you have a nickname?: Miss O... Jane-O
Whats your favorite number?: 77, dunno why - just kinda stuck because it's easy to type
Do you prefer night over day?: night owls of the world, UNITE!

The Letter O
Whats your one wish?: peace of mind
Are you an only child?: oh hell no
Do you wish this was over?: meh - it's better than looking at pictures of rotting cow udders

The Letter P
What are you most paranoid about?: not being safe... I always have to look behind me or be extra vigilant of those around me
What are you passionate about?: discovery? but it changes a lot
Have you been in pain?: physical pain... emotional pain... now it's sado-masochistic pain.

The Letter Q
Are you quick?: no, therefore I lose. but why the rush?
Have you ever seen a quack?: I've had a flock of ducks attack me before
Do you have a question?: no, but I have an answer... the greek term for testes is orchid


The Letter R
Do you think you're always right?: god no
Do you watch reality TV?: The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency doesn't count
Whats a good reason to cry?: it's very human

The Letter S
Do you prefer sun or rain?: sun... though torrential downpours are fun to listen to or get caught in
Do you like snow?: Yup! Fluffy snow > frozen ice that renders unlocking the car doors in the morning impossible
What's your favorite season?: fall... i'm in love with the colours

The Letter T
What time is it?: 10:56 pm
What time did you wake up?: 6:15 am
When was the last time you slept in a tent?: 2 summers ago

The Letter U
Underwear or boxers?: I own both but I wear underwear
Why did you choose your university?: closer than sfu
What else begins with a U?: Undulate, Ursula, Unicorn, Uuvula, Undertaker, Underwear

The Letter V
Whats the worst veggie?: mmmm, I guess bell peppers but it's not really the worst - I like veggies :)
Where do you want to go on vacation?: Copacobana or Ibiza right now... but otherwise it's anywhere - Europe especially!
Where was your last family vacation to? I dunno... we never go on vacations

The Letter W
What's your worst habit?: I procrastinate and make inappropriate comments all the time
What do you like to wear?: comfy clothes
What's your favorite brand of watches?: I dunno... I use a timex ironman that's serving me well


The Letter X
Have you ever had an x-ray?: my last x-ray was for my chest and george thought I was going to die
Have you seen the x-games?: I watch it on tv sometimes but I really don't care... national spelling bees are more exciting to watch on Sportsnet anyway
Do you own a xylophone?: Not anymore... I did own a toddler one when I was younger that had the colours of the rainbow on it

The Letter Y
Do you like the color yellow?: meh, not my first pick but certain shades of yellow I like
Have you ever eaten a Yak?: No... they look too tough. I'd eat Yak cheese though
Do you like yams?: only in small amounts... I don't like sweet veggies like that... too sweet

The Letter Z
Whats your zodiac sign?: leo - and not of the dicaprio variety - he's seems boring
Do you believe in the zodiac?: Today it told me to hold a scared person's hand at the dinner table... I ate ramen alone tonight. so not really
What's your favorite zoo animal?: animals shouldn't be displayed in zoos like that... unless it's for rehabilitation or for conservation reasons. right now, I like the naked mole rat - but good luck finding those kick ass mammals at your local zoo... DID you know that the naked mole rat is the ONLY eusocial mammal on the planet that we know of so far? this means that it has the same hiearchal breakdown as ant and bee colonies! poor queen!

muddy knees from prayer

[image:glck]

I've been researching academic journals for the past 2 hours on cows and mastitis (aka inflammation of cow udders) and ughhh-ness. Avocados, however - are delicious (but they do make you fart like there's no tomorrow). Now! Onward to EOSC! *flicks hair violently*

stomping ground on terra firma

[image: meninazul]

euro beer garden was fun... even though it was an arts event so I didn't really know anyone aside from Ru and Simon. However, I do want to learn more languages so they might be my electives next year. Should I take French? German? Italian? or even attempt Mandarin again?
-----------------------------------------------

listen to the wind, child
the smells of spices and earth
entice
the lips and heart
with poetry and optimism -
the science of discovery
ignites the heart.
eventually,
all roads lead to rome.

stand on the shoulders of giants

[image: alan klug]

"Do you see him? Do you see the story? Do you see anything? It seems I am trying to tell you a dream - making a vain attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the dream-sensation, that commingling of absurdity, surprise, and bewilderment in a tremor of struggling revolt, that notion of being captured by the incredible which is the very essence of dreams...no, it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one's existence - that which makes its truth, its meaning - its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live, as we dream - alone..."
--Joseph Conrad; Heart of Darkness

--------------------------------

I feel kinda bad for having looked into the eyes

of everything that could have been.

everyday

I really admire this guy's dedication to follow this everyday for 6 years.

it's all planned out

halloween costumes anyone?

[image: Tomekichi Homma circa 93-94]

lol, can you find me? I was such a tom boy back in the day. I sucked at math and I loved to write, despite the poor engrish skills. Anyways, it's funny to see how familiar faces never change and how some are still chasing after the same ambitions and dreams - the same dreams they messily scrawled down in their journals day after day as 6 year old children. Jonathan still wants to fly planes. Toshi's training in Japan for the Paris and Italia Open after podium finishes at the World Games. Kevin will always be Kevin, Winnie's a chemist, Yvonne's a pharmacist. I guess I'm still a dreamer - still writing away nonsense like I did when I was 6 years old.
-------------------------------------------

This semester should be fun... but fun wouldn't be fun without a EuroFest Bzzr Garden to kick it off as hosted by the french, italian and german clubs. My god, maybe I should ask Cait to come too! un due drei <3 <3 <3

(simon, you promised germans so there better be deutsch speakers there)

so let this be the catharsis of our being

"Give sorrow words; the grief, that does not speak,
Whispers the o'erfraught heart, and bids it break."

--Macbeth; William Shakespeare

----------------------------------------------

so let this be the catharsis of our being,
high strung words on a shoelace, undone.
captive ecstasy --
once again, i feel shot forward, shot downward
on a bullet trajectory, that follows a negative parabola
integrating numbers to an indivisible infinity.
--------------------------------

So far, classes are good. I have Dr. MacGillvary for biochem and he seems like a nice enough chap to approach for questions. EOSC 116, aka the dinosaurs earth course looks like a doozy. The Greek/Latin medical terminology course for classical studies looks hella daunting but really interesting. Psych will always be psych and FNH... I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

anonimo

[image: en god tanke]

“Amami quando lo merito meno, perchè sarà quando ne ho più bisogno”

Mes rêves épanouis

Je sens ta menotte
qui cherche ma main.
Je sens ta poitrine
j'oublie mon chagrin
et sous ta caresse,
je sens une ivresse
qui m'anéantit.

--rufus

one last time

[image: Madsky]
[currently listening to: matthew good - dancing invisible]


























you will never understand
my voice
or speak of my experiences
as if it were yours.

you will never understand
why.

you are a coward and a liar
if you tried.

---------------------------------

sometimes... the people that are in the most pain are right in front of us and we don't even know it. the work i do now is beyond seeking for closure - it's not a personal vendetta or actions for revenge. the power of perception and societal attitudes towards violence can bring a community to its knees. i guess it's become tiring to be angry all the time. to lash out on behalf of our mothers, sisters, brothers, friends.... but what then of others? are their violent experiences justified because they are strangers? fear of retribution or retaliation for false perceptions... i wish you could hear all the voices of the silenced. maybe then you won't be so cavalier about your assumptions and conclusions.

dirty fingernails and bread crumbs

[currently listening to: nine inch nails - and all that could have been]

sevas tra.
art saves.

So I finally caved in and finally got a facebook despite the bazillion other useless network accounts running like wayn or hi5... who the heck uses that shizz? Anyways, it's time for a new calendar and I want to support Pivot Legal like last year. They feature photographs taken people marginalised by our society living in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. "Hope in Shadows" is what the photo contest is called and I think it's an empowering way for individuals caught with the burden of poverty in our community to recapture their identities and showcase the world from their point of view.


[image: Juan Martinez; 2004 "Hope in Shadows"]


[image: Allan Sloboda; "Hope in Shadows]

Here are some fast facts about the Downtown Eastside:

• the Downtown Eastide is the poorest neighbourhood in Canada
• 70% of Vancouver's First Nations people live in the Downtown Eastside
• 33% of homeless people are mentally ill
• an estimated 5000 injection users live in the Downtown Eastside
• Downtown Eastside was declared a public health emergency in 1998
• HIV/Aids among women is 40% higher than men
• on-the-job fatalities for sex trade workers are 6 times higher than police

So the next time you pinch your nose or silently ignore what you might assume to be a socially inept individual - try making a conversation. You might just find out that he/she may not be so much more different than you.

in nothing, there is everything

[image: gorighttrough]

only you define the extent your freedom
-the foundations of your dreams.
and because the only formal goodbye I ever got was a car door slam.
Here's my adieu:
Good-bye.

now with grace,
exeunt.

the road ahead

[image: katia]

Hello 2007!
-----------------------------

2006 ended with lots of wine and smelly yummy cheese. in the stupor of a black tutu, packed along robson, the masses chanted in unison. enveloped by drakkar - il bacio con mio amore - 2007 began. consolation to the boys of sao paulo, strangers rejoice. much thanks to my blonde bella - orgasms, la birra, the empire landmark and kissing each drop of rain avec vous... je t'aime! let the times to come be full of bliss. veni, vidi, vici!

cheers! :)