2 hours of sleep

swans are vicious

[image: corey arnold]

remember: boiling water turns an egg hard and a potato soft.

Omahyra and Boyd

tee hee. who else wants to have fun?

in search of the perfect imperfection

[image: kk+; pender street bus]

imagine, if you can, a world so blurred
that its inhabitants are one another
- an idiotc monster of negation:
so timid, it would rather starve itself
eternally than run the risk of choking;
so greedy, nothing satisfies its hunger
but always huger quantities of nothing-
a world so lazy it cannot dream;
so blind, it worships its own ugliness:
a world so false, so trivial, so unso,
phantoms are solid by comparison.

--e.e. cummings

breaking news

As recently published in Nature

LOL.

a pomegranate seed burst

[image: glck]
[currently listening to: moondog - stamping ground]

i am bleeding.

stupid viktor >: (

[image: simon]

holy crappola. fixing the damn car is going to cost well over a grand. tuition due date is looming around the corner. france/italy is looking more and more distant. moths and dust are all that's left out of my pockets. but in the end, money is only temporary. i have my health, my family, good friends and open arms to come home to. cheesey i know, but it's true.

time is the enemy

[currently listening to: children of the revolution - guantanamo bay]

So, Viktor the volvo needs a new radiator and set of brake pads which means I have to shell out $600. Ah well, it's called wear and tear for a second hand card that's a decade old. Yesterday Siavosh, Simon and I finally made it to Seattle in one piece but not without being given a good grilling entering the US border. The fact that none of us were born in Canada kinda set off alarms. We had to be pulled over and be asked a bazillion questions, especially poor Sia since he's from Iran aka "the axis of (OMG) evil". Does the department of homeland security raise the national threat advisory to orange?! When will the status ever turn green? Anyways, I could go on to a whole other discussion about President Mahmoud's remarks as of late regarding the hypocrisy of uranium enrichment but it's too long.

Anyways, while driving down Interstate-5, it felt as though someone slashed through the sky... the rain was coming down like crazy. Thankfully by the time we reached the outskirts of Seattle, there was only clouds, sun and wind. I think what was most impressive was the skyline. It definately looks different from the Vancouver skyline. The collection of buildings and architectual designs was interesting to say the least. We parked the car in downtown somewhere and began our trek to the monorail. We didn't end up taking it because for its price, the cities attractions/features were all pretty walkable.

The space needle was our first destination and we only snapped a couple of shots. To ride on the darned thing costs $14 just to go up and go down, lol. We took some pictures of the science fiction centre down there because they had the weirdest public displays but none of us were too inclined to go inside and investigate. Afterwards, we walked down to the waterfront to check out their market. This was probably the most original and unique places of the entire trip. However, the entire grandeur was exactly like granville island and commercial drive combined. There was one shop that sold antiquities, old propaganda WWI/WWII posters and prints... the smells and sounds of the place took me back to a place which made me feel uncomfortable. Moving up a level, we walked passed a mini mini fish market and saw the very first Starbucks store. After browsing through a few miscelleneous stores, we headed off in the wind in search of Seattle's chinatown. Of all my years of living, this city's chinatown is the most pathetic I've ever seen, lol... it was literally just a single street with a couple of asian travel agencies/hair salons. After more snapshots of the scenery around us and trying to figure out where the hell we were, we headed back towards the downtown core. I stopped to grab a cup of a seattle's best of joe just to say that I did.

Regarding the streets in downtown seattle... all I have to say is that it's DEAD. There's police patrolling everywhere and only a few people roaming around even during peak hours during the day. I guess that's why it made walking around all over the city so traversible. There are only business people walking here and there... I don't know where everyone is. I guess the city is planned so that only the business offices are located in downtown and everyone just lives in the suburbs. I was amazed by the atmosphere... everything just seems so clean and assimilated. It seemed like a novelty to hear a different language other than english. Even restaurants seemed hard to find... they were all located at malls. Oh yeah, that was our last destination, lol. We decided to check out the Macy's and Nordstrom the city had since we've never actually been in them. Never ever have I seen such dead malls. It's not like they were bad shops... we have them here (except for Victoria's secret... the glory of that store is a MYTH). After much lethargic mall roaming, we couldn't stand wasting anymore time. We pretty much saw all of the main attractions of the city, albeit we never really paid to take part in it since it was so darned expensive. The restaurants featured in all the pamphelets were literally on one floor of the mall and were subsequently quiet and sorta depressing, lol.

After some debate, we decided to head back home and get stuck in 8 lane traffic... maybe hit up an outlet store. Being that I'm not quite 21, I wouldn't be allowed to drink or enter a bar or club there wouldn't be any point sticking around. However, I hardly think that the Seattle night life is too exciting. So, off we drove back home. The border officer only asked where we lived (not where we are from) and whether we brought any booze and waived us off. We finished off the evening at Locus in Vancouver, which is the most amazing place ever. I love the atmosphere, eclectic art, food, drinks and service. C'est tres originale! I'm so anti moxies, cactus club, earls, milestones, etc etc now... vancouver is just bursting with the most interesting places to dine and mingle in.

In closing, Seattle was interesting but definately not jaw droppingly amazing. It's made me appreciate Vancouver so much more because there is definately a character. I used to despise downtown especially given all the negativity there. However, I am so wrong. I've fallen in love with the north shore where mountain meets water and there are endless trails to nature. The downtown core is so easily accessible and there's so many multicultural/ atmospheric-vibed places to have a good time in (and I'm not talking about clubbing... club culture in vancouver is so gross - meat factories!). The buildings are always a wonder to look at and there are always new people to meet. I can't wait to move out of richmond.

anyways, bedtime.
buona notte

of freedom and habeas corpus

[image: katia]
[currently listening to: josh ritter - girl in the war]

I got in!
-----------
Didn't make it to seattle today because my car pulled off a sarah and started smoking from under the hood like crazy. What a ridiculous show, lol. I think there's problems with the radiator/coolant system. I'm hoping that it won't cost too much to fix because tuition took a huge bite out of my pocket already. But whatever the case, it's time to attempt it again tomorrow morning this time with simon's car... which I hope will stay in one piece.

gung hei fat choy

[image: chernow]

xin nian kuai le!
sun leen fai lok!
Happy New Year!

ring in to the year of the boar

---------------------------
I'm going to hide out for a bit in Seattle with Simon and Sia starting tomorrow and say hello to the neighbours south of our lovely border... that is if we can get past border police. We are so going to be pulled over and ruffled around.

habibi yalla!
I think I've given up on what little Arabic simon's tried to teach me, lol... it's too hard.

j'aime le couleur

[currently listening to: cinematic orchestra - science fiction jazz]

et le rouge est mon rêve
ce soir.
---------------------

breathe in. breathe out.
breathe heavy
into the night.

gratitude

[image: katia]

"I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me... but it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life... You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry... you will someday."
--Lester Burnham; American Beauty

bitte gib nicht auf

[image: dark_ink]

"Wir sprengten jeden rahmen
als wir zusammen kamen
war's wie eine explosion
ich spur' die erschutterung immer noch...
ich bin wegen dir hier. "

--derived from Thomas D.

back to the basics

[images: jane; february 15/07]
[currently listening to: Jurassic 5 - Concrete Streets]

So today I decided to take advantage of the break of sun amidst all the rain we've been getting the past week. I went on a short run and bike ride and took a bunch of pictures near my house. I really should bring a camera the next time I go on any trek in around the North Shore because running along the Ambleside Seawall is a feast for the eyes. I guess my short term goal is to be able to jog from the west van police station dock to the 15th avenue dock and back without stopping. In the meantime, I remain ridiculously out of shape. Patience is a virtue and the body is your temple so treat it well.

I guess I started here


These snow geese are from Siberia... and there's just so many of them! I took a video of a crazy flock flapping away - they're an amazing sight. That picture just does no justice.


Then I biked down over to the skate park... there were two little kids who were probably around 4 and 5 years old who were showing off their super cool skills, lol... so cute to watch. I was a tad disappointed to discover that most of the former graffiti glory had been removed. Fresh paint definately needs to be added.

No hay que llorar, que la vida es un carneval

[image: bruko]

Mmmm, a chocolate mask.

I'd like to go to one of these carnivals in Venice one day simply for the experience. Anyways, yesterday I made a t-shirt for the Clothesline Project at the SUB. Everyone is welcome to share their experiences of violence as a friend, survivor, family, etc etc. The shirts will be displayed all over the SUB during Anti-Violence Week at the last week of February on clotheslines. In a way, I think it will kinda be like postsecret... just anonymous voices of how we are all affected by violence in one way or another. There's still one more t-shirt making workshop today between 4:30 - 6:30 in Room 209 at the SUB, so come on out and express yourself!

Reading break is coming up next week and the next wave of midterms is just peeking behind the corner. I've got journal papers to finish up for friday and another FNH report to do research on. Another meeting in the afternoon and then another kid to tutor. Simon's got a client too now, lol. Apparently she's this super hot japanese girl who wants to learn Italian. Man, if I didn't have biochem so early tomorrow, I'd want to join them for a photography evening revolving around the Venetian Carnival. But anyways, less talk and more reading!

things i have loved i'm allowed to keep; i have no need for a sea view

[image: mehmet]

[currently listening to: khaled - alech taadi]

aujourd'hui c'est lundi. maintenant, je suis desole et tres fatigue.

je suis perdu dans au estomac du monstre. où est mon saviour?

"Fra il dire e il fare c'e' di mezzo il mare."

you know that aching burn
at the back of the throat
pressed against tongue
you can still taste the
asphalt of angry tears
when i was told
to shut up.

I spoke.

let me tell you,
not one day is ever easy
for battling a lost war
as a silent statistic.

what reality have you lived?

when I say adversity.

run into the sun!

[image: kalle gustafsson]
[currently listening to: lonely planet, 'globtrekkers' theme]

i can write a book
about all the ways
he executes his art.
----------------------------------------------

Man, I really do enjoy a good shawarma every now and then even though it's probably super bad for one's health in the long run. I finally got to eat at Tropika yesterday after hearing so much about it. My conclusion is that the Malaysian food there is good but too expensive for a student to afford, lol. Home cooked curry is the way to go - woo.

Unsaid

[image: barboleta]

So much of what we live goes on inside--

The diaries of grief, the tongue-tied aches

Of unacknowledged love are no less real

For having passed unsaid. What we conceal

Is always more than what we dare confide.

Think of the letters that we write our dead.

--Dana Gioia

hinterland who's who

always

[image: katia]
[currently listening to: elliot smith - satellite]

I'm drinking green tea tonight
it feels almost sobering
and tragic.
--------------------------------------

dear world,

I need one of these oldschool espresso coffee metal-looking makers of caffeine juice galore omg I will never sleep again. the coffee juice DEFIES GRAVITY and my dentist will hate me forever on top of my possible cavities that he needs to fix but will cover up by eating oreos prior to sitting on the dentist chair.

daydream morning glow

[image: vernacular]
[currently listening to: kojima mayumi - hatsukoi]

writer's block is no fun for papers.

I've got a pile of comics, national geographic and foreign words just waiiiiiting to be devoured in an instant. I like the sound of muted trumpets and listening to music I don't understand. In the past, I used to pretend to waltz alone in my room with an invisible partner. When I was 7, I stuffed my ballet shoes with tissue paper so I could pretend to dance in pointe while listening to Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, op. 20 on some obscure cassette tape. Now, I dance to the invisible serenade of night air under a bath of red light entangled in euphoria. this is vasily kandinsky's jaune rouge bleu come to life.

if you're going to san francisco

stop
and breathe...

[image: katia]

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

How suitable that antiviolence week is in the month of february
There's so much to do.
asche zu asche
sweet adieu

Mysterium der Strasse

[image: otto umbehr]

Nun kommt die Mutter, kommt und reisst mich ein.
--------------------------------------------------------
lol, it's going to be a loooooong time (if ever) that I'll understand how to read Montale in the correct context.

making an O with your mouth

[image: 吉田櫛ニ]

counting the ways I could side step those stones.

ni bu zhidao yinwei ni bu xiang kan wo de jian.

doesn't matter if I make an O with my mouth

ni bu xiang ting

ni bu xiang kan

ni bu zhidao ni shi shei

ni yao zuo le...

zai jian zai jian

zhi dao ma?

nyoooooooooooooo!

a canadian tour?!

das ist berlin

[currently listening to: markus schulz - loving arms]

I'm always last minute.
daydreaming of some place hot

for when ignorance is bliss

[image: david sims]

"Occhio non vede, cuore non duole."
I guess for him it's true. I don't know what is most appropriate, most comfortable. It's too late to say hello, take a curtsey, write a letter. A dusty Kirby Allstars is still in my possession - do I mail it or drop it off? I'm terrified about coming off as cold or despicable. Sometimes, I feel as though everything I touch will become villified. I've written a letter or two for Laura out of thanks and I've gotten around to reading a couple of recommended books in the past few months. I don't follow through. I am naught but a coward, a fool and I've been wrong. For that, I'm sorry. Gone are the days and I too, will fade away.

in heart of paths ahead, my vision is of philanthropy
steveston is all but dust and wildflowers, I guess.
*sigh*