A while ago, I wrote a blog entry about how my children will, in the future, have to work out what aspects of their life, history, and memories define their identities.
This weekend I was browsing through the wonderful web program called Imagining Ourselves a Global Generation of Women, and you can imagine how thrilled I was to read that this month’s sub-theme is Identity. I spent an hour reading the articles/stories and looking at some of the films/artwork of women. I found the following stories or articles particularly inspiring:
Mira Veda from India, whose encounter with Immaculee Ilibagiza, a holocaust survivor of the Rwandan genocide, made her realise that her sense of identity was strongly connected to events or persons she identified with (paraphrasing here).
Rebecca Walker from the United States poses some poignant questions (e.g., What do we become when we put down the scripts written by history and memory when each person before us can be seen free of the cultural or personal narrative we’ve inherited or devised?) and attempts to find her answers to them.
14 May, 2006
12 May, 2006
Collage of an audio addict
Just spent the last few evenings writing a new entry for the Red Tent Blog about my new love of audio entertainment:
"With the occurrence of broadband Internet, I have discovered a new addiction. One far less expensive than buying books or renting DVDs… Audio! Podcasts, radio programs, playlists, online radio, lectures, debates, panel discussions, etc., are all at my fingertips and nearly always for free (shame on you, Ricky Gervais and New York Times Select). Oh, the bliss, an unlimited amount of wonderful things to listen to at any time of day, from any corner of the earth. It is just unbelievable. The reason I am mentioning this is that in the last few days, I have listened to some exciting audio programs, which I would like to share with you."
While listening to the Reith Lectures, I made this collage. Don't ask. It just sort of hit me.
"With the occurrence of broadband Internet, I have discovered a new addiction. One far less expensive than buying books or renting DVDs… Audio! Podcasts, radio programs, playlists, online radio, lectures, debates, panel discussions, etc., are all at my fingertips and nearly always for free (shame on you, Ricky Gervais and New York Times Select). Oh, the bliss, an unlimited amount of wonderful things to listen to at any time of day, from any corner of the earth. It is just unbelievable. The reason I am mentioning this is that in the last few days, I have listened to some exciting audio programs, which I would like to share with you."
While listening to the Reith Lectures, I made this collage. Don't ask. It just sort of hit me.
10 May, 2006
Spring, spring, oh what a beautiful thing is spring!
Usually, we have what I define as a Slow Spring. Somewhere, towards the end of February or beginning of March, some perennials stick up their heads about the ground. During the following weeks, until mid-May, there is a gradual scintillating dance of spring. It is truly lovely to witness.
This year, for whatever reason, we’ve experienced what I call a Canadian Spring. Monday snow, Friday summer. OK, ok, a slight exaggeration, but we really were caught by surprise.
09 May, 2006
Frightening experience
While driving home on my bicycle this afternoon, a young woman punk (referring to her choice of clothing) shoved me off my bicycle and gave me a few belts around my head (thank heavens I was wearing my bicycle helmet).
You might well ask what I did to deserve such treatment; I was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
A young man riding his bicycle in front of me shoved this woman off the bicycle path as he was riding by, for this woman had refused to leave the path. There’s a strict division of pedestrian sidewalks and bicycle paths in our city. The woman shouted profanity at this fellow, turned around and shoved me as I was riding by on the bicycle.
When I got off the bicycle, she started to prance around me like a boxer and proceeded to box my head. Surprisingly, I wasn’t scared and just stared into her eyes, grabbed her hitting arm and asked her what the heck she thought she was doing. Two old ladies who witnessed this scene came running to my assistant. The one lady took out her cell phone to call the police.
I told her that I just wanted to leave, and so they went as well, but not before telling the punk that they were not at all pleased with her behaviour.
About one hundred meters down the way a police car approached me in the opposite direction. I asked the policemen to pull over and told them about the incident. I drove back on my bicycle, and they followed in their car to see whether we could find the woman, only to discover that there was a large police van already on the scene.
Apparently, this woman's and a group of fellow punks' behaviour had already been reported to the police. I asked “my” policeman whether I should report myself to the other policemen in case they needed witnesses. The policeman asked whether this woman had caused me “serious injury or humiliation”. I said no, but she had scared me shitless (not the word I used in German). He smiled at this and said I could go home.
Now, about an hour later, my legs have stopped shaking, and I look back, and I like three things about the incident:
1. I wasn’t scared. I defended myself by holding her arm still.
2. I just love the two elderly ladies charging up to rescue me.
3. The fact that sometimes there are police there when you need them.
A young man riding his bicycle in front of me shoved this woman off the bicycle path as he was riding by, for this woman had refused to leave the path. There’s a strict division of pedestrian sidewalks and bicycle paths in our city. The woman shouted profanity at this fellow, turned around and shoved me as I was riding by on the bicycle.
When I got off the bicycle, she started to prance around me like a boxer and proceeded to box my head. Surprisingly, I wasn’t scared and just stared into her eyes, grabbed her hitting arm and asked her what the heck she thought she was doing. Two old ladies who witnessed this scene came running to my assistant. The one lady took out her cell phone to call the police.
I told her that I just wanted to leave, and so they went as well, but not before telling the punk that they were not at all pleased with her behaviour.
About one hundred meters down the way a police car approached me in the opposite direction. I asked the policemen to pull over and told them about the incident. I drove back on my bicycle, and they followed in their car to see whether we could find the woman, only to discover that there was a large police van already on the scene.
Apparently, this woman's and a group of fellow punks' behaviour had already been reported to the police. I asked “my” policeman whether I should report myself to the other policemen in case they needed witnesses. The policeman asked whether this woman had caused me “serious injury or humiliation”. I said no, but she had scared me shitless (not the word I used in German). He smiled at this and said I could go home.
Now, about an hour later, my legs have stopped shaking, and I look back, and I like three things about the incident:
1. I wasn’t scared. I defended myself by holding her arm still.
2. I just love the two elderly ladies charging up to rescue me.
3. The fact that sometimes there are police there when you need them.
07 May, 2006
Unbelievably divine
I was invited to an acquaintance’s home this evening for a literary and operatic evening. The invitation said that the evening would be the first in a series of private performances they were planning, where both classical music and classical literature would be presented. It sounded like a nice idea, so I went along, just out of curiosity.
What I experienced was an unbelievably wonderful private concert (we were probably about fifteen or twenty people in total) given by an accomplished voice student from the Luebecker Conservatorium. The singer was Ella Aradovskaja. (She comes from one of those Russian States that I stupidly don’t know where it is located, let alone how to spell its name.)
She sang various lieder, opera and operetta arias, accompanied by an outstanding pianist. She sang in German, Italian, Russian, and, I believe, Hungarian (though I might be wrong on that one). She sang with passion and with such warmth in her voice that it brought tears to my eyes. What a gift to have sat in the living room and heard her in such close proximity.
No wonder this was the most common form of performing music hundreds of years ago. Yes, of course, this happened only in aristocratic circles, and the audience tonight was anything but aristocratic. Yet, there was one moment when Ella was singing a song called, The Lark (in Russian) when I closed my eyes and was transported back in time and place. How divine!
What I experienced was an unbelievably wonderful private concert (we were probably about fifteen or twenty people in total) given by an accomplished voice student from the Luebecker Conservatorium. The singer was Ella Aradovskaja. (She comes from one of those Russian States that I stupidly don’t know where it is located, let alone how to spell its name.)
She sang various lieder, opera and operetta arias, accompanied by an outstanding pianist. She sang in German, Italian, Russian, and, I believe, Hungarian (though I might be wrong on that one). She sang with passion and with such warmth in her voice that it brought tears to my eyes. What a gift to have sat in the living room and heard her in such close proximity.
No wonder this was the most common form of performing music hundreds of years ago. Yes, of course, this happened only in aristocratic circles, and the audience tonight was anything but aristocratic. Yet, there was one moment when Ella was singing a song called, The Lark (in Russian) when I closed my eyes and was transported back in time and place. How divine!
06 May, 2006
New collage
This is a collage I made recently for and put in the Book Corner page of the Red Tent Blog.
05 May, 2006
My favourite place
My favourite place to sit outdoors at the moment, now that spring has arrived, is in the Vai Restaurant. It is just around the corner from where we live, and everything (ambience, food, drink, music, people) is, as Goldilocks said, Just Right. The header for this blog originated from a collage I made using photos there about a year and a half ago.
It was my first experiment with podcasting (diary of a notorious café goer). Since, at that time, the idea of podcast-free music was in its early stages, most of the music I used in the podcast was not copyright-free and therefore, I cannot publish it.
Creating a podcast is a delightful pastime/occupation, but it is far more time-consuming than most laypersons would assume. I developed an enormous respect for the various hosts of podcasts, either professional or amateurs.
At the moment, I am trying to put together some sort of opinion or preference list concerning podcasting. The BBC podcast Digital Planet mentioned in their April 24th show that it is believed that most podcast listeners are young tech-savvy males. I don't comply with any of these things, which means that most preference lists are not quite along my lines. And yours? Can anyone suggest good music, film, art, or book podcasts?
When I finally write something, I will publish on the Media Safe 101 page in the Red Tent Blog.
It was my first experiment with podcasting (diary of a notorious café goer). Since, at that time, the idea of podcast-free music was in its early stages, most of the music I used in the podcast was not copyright-free and therefore, I cannot publish it.
Creating a podcast is a delightful pastime/occupation, but it is far more time-consuming than most laypersons would assume. I developed an enormous respect for the various hosts of podcasts, either professional or amateurs.
At the moment, I am trying to put together some sort of opinion or preference list concerning podcasting. The BBC podcast Digital Planet mentioned in their April 24th show that it is believed that most podcast listeners are young tech-savvy males. I don't comply with any of these things, which means that most preference lists are not quite along my lines. And yours? Can anyone suggest good music, film, art, or book podcasts?
When I finally write something, I will publish on the Media Safe 101 page in the Red Tent Blog.
03 May, 2006
Cocktail mix
In the last while, I have had a few conversations with friends about immigration and identity. These talks ran along the line of questioning how much a person’s nationality/citizenship (either adopted or natural) attributes to that person’s identity. And to take this a step further, what other attributes, besides nationality, are major contributors: sex, language, race, religion, family roots, schooling, choice of profession, financial status, Heimat (adopted or natural), political conviction, sexual preference, etc. Can you name, let’s say, five primary attributes which determine your identity? Can you name them also by their order of importance?
Admittedly, there is no fixed formula, but even though we are talking about a cocktail mix, it must somehow be possible to figure out the ingredients and their proportions…
Julien showed us a video from the comedian Russell Peters. In it, he talks about human hybrids offspring: Jamaican/Italian, Pastafarian, Indian/Jew, Hinjew, French/Greek, Freek, Iceland/Cuba, Ice-cube… This was amusing to watch and led to more conversation at the dinner table this evening. We figured that our children are brica-germ and pasca-germ. Which doesn’t even begin to encompass all the permutations and combinations.
Admittedly, there is no fixed formula, but even though we are talking about a cocktail mix, it must somehow be possible to figure out the ingredients and their proportions…
Julien showed us a video from the comedian Russell Peters. In it, he talks about human hybrids offspring: Jamaican/Italian, Pastafarian, Indian/Jew, Hinjew, French/Greek, Freek, Iceland/Cuba, Ice-cube… This was amusing to watch and led to more conversation at the dinner table this evening. We figured that our children are brica-germ and pasca-germ. Which doesn’t even begin to encompass all the permutations and combinations.
If you list all of the possibilities on the part of the six grandparents (Canada, Italy, Sicilians (Sicilians don’t necessarily identify themselves as Italians), Austria, St. Vincent), three biological parents (Venezuela, Canada, Italy, Germany, Britain, St. Vincent), and the two children (Germany, Canada) it really is a rich cocktail of opportunity.
27 April, 2006
Happy 100th entry nniversary
This is my 100th entry anniversary of my Yum Yum Café blog!
Who would have thought it would be so much fun. Now I know (through the sitemeter) that there are a few loyal fans among family and friends who read my blog regularly. Some of you have even, on occasion, written me emails about subject material you liked. What I would be interested in hearing is what type of topic material do you like best or not at all.
Guy Kawasaki recently wrote a very interesting entry in his blog called, The 120 Day Wonder: How to Evangelize a Blog. In it, he made a very succinct suggestion to “think book, not diary,” meaning I should write my blog entries with you guys in mind and not just something that randomly comes to mind.
Point taken, so I wish to send out an appeal to all my readers: what do you want to read? Help me change this diary into a book.
26 April, 2006
A gesture of gratitude
This is a collage I made recently. It contains three generations of my family, lost in what I call “slow play” in Grenada over a fifty-year time span: something this wonderful island and its people possess in abundance.
Longer days
One of the distinct disadvantages of living “up North” (Luebeck lies more or less on the same latitude as the south part of Hudson Bay) is the long winter nights.
Yet, undoubtedly, one of the joys is the coming of the long summer days. Already, we have light from five in the morning until nine in the evening. In another two months, we will have nearly nineteen hours of light. Wonderful.
It is time for me to go off walking along the canal with a good friend of mine, Christine. We usually “go walking” (and not “go for a walk”) a few times a week. Giui calls these sessions Walkie Talkies. My husband is a very astute observer.
Yet, undoubtedly, one of the joys is the coming of the long summer days. Already, we have light from five in the morning until nine in the evening. In another two months, we will have nearly nineteen hours of light. Wonderful.
It is time for me to go off walking along the canal with a good friend of mine, Christine. We usually “go walking” (and not “go for a walk”) a few times a week. Giui calls these sessions Walkie Talkies. My husband is a very astute observer.
22 April, 2006
Excellent stuff
The flavour of this month as far as podscasts go… Ritmo Latino. Definitely worth listening to. It really gets your tooshy moving.
It also shows you what excellent music is legally available for podcasters and listeners, all hoping that listeners will purchase the music online. So, look into it, friends and neighbours, and then go in for a spin around your living room.
It also shows you what excellent music is legally available for podcasters and listeners, all hoping that listeners will purchase the music online. So, look into it, friends and neighbours, and then go in for a spin around your living room.
Puzzle of life
Here is a collage I created listening to my favourite playlist, Radio Déliro, and some newly discovered BBC podcasts (I'll write about this later).
20 April, 2006
Virtual possessions
Talking to my teenage son about what he plans to do with the 900 upward photos he took on his trip, he said he would select 20 or 30 pictures for friends and family to look at and then copy the rest onto his external hard disk.
I was appalled, why did he want over 900 photos, some of the blurry and unfocused, crowding up his hard disk? He said he wanted the images just to “have”. To him, unlike me, virtual possession or collection has material significance. In the same way I used to collect books and records, he contains mp3 files and photos. They actually translate materially in his mind. Isn’t that phenomenal?
A long haul back
We arrived back home safe and sound. The journey took over twenty hours door-to-door. Once again, a fantastic trip underlined with efficiency and customer friendliness on the part of the airline personnel. Why does that seem creepy? Maybe it is because it has been decades since we have experienced such while flying.
Does anyone remember when flying was fun? Or you felt as if you belonged to an elite club of worldly travellers? Seriously, that was only around twenty-five or thirty years ago…
Does anyone remember when flying was fun? Or you felt as if you belonged to an elite club of worldly travellers? Seriously, that was only around twenty-five or thirty years ago…
11 April, 2006
Early morning
We went to one of our favourite beaches yesterday, and the children spent hours body surfing and digging holes to China. By the time they were finished digging their holes, they were covered from head to toe by the dark volcanic sand, which is prevalent on that side of the island.
10 April, 2006
Photo safari
Just came back from taking some photos with Chris as my loyal chauffeur. She drives me around in her open jeep, and when I see anything of interest, I just yell out for her to stop. She is terrific at signalling, pulling over, and stopping on a dime.
Julien has been taking a lot of photos with the digital camera we bought.
Lots of sunsets and sunrises. Who can resist?
A few erudite compositions.
And then a quirky one as well.
05 April, 2006
Dry season
We had the company of a baby iguana throughout our meditative revelry.
A meeting of exceptional circumstances
We arrived in Grenada
Cold turkey gone bad
Second day in paradise. Well, I didn't bring down my laptop. Unfortunately, there is a laptop installed with DSL access, sooooooooo, I'm back to blogging and Bloglines.
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