Life Plans

So Some People Keep asking what I am going ot be doing in life, i.e. grad school etc. Since I have only concretely planned 2 months in advance, here it is. I hope everyone can read it. (Also I'm using prezi, which is Super Cool!) 

NA History Month

So November is Native American Heritage Month. Who Knew? Its much like Black History Month, where Congress picks a month for an under-dog race (except white people because they have ongoing history years) and no one really knows or you learn about it in grade school for a whole month and then boom! its forgotten till the next year.

This is not to say that we should not be learning about Native American history, which is intimately entwined with American history throughout the ages. By all means, it should be mandatory all the time, especially to educate mainstream American that Indians still do exists and that they shouldn't be romanticized or dressed up as a halloween costume.

lol my politics have become MUCH more racialized and i think thats a good thing. Before, my perspective on race was "I prefer not to to identify as a race if I have to" and avoided all mentions of race. Now, after hanging out with the punk all the time, my speech and thought patterns have changed radically. Most of mainstream America are "the white people who usually play a hand in our continued oppression/cultural appropriation." Then there are the black people, asians, etc. Note: Even though I mention people now based on race, its not in a hateful/angry manner. I'm not hating on any race or anybody personally.

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Update: This election race is scary...Voter suppression, scams, are the republicans really that desperate? YES! (The scary part) Uh, American is so damn racist.
http://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/interspire/news/2012/11/06/(ips)-voter-suppression-tactics-likely-to-affect-us-elections.html

Shakespeare Redone

If you don't like Shakespeare, go watch it. If you do like Shakespeare, watch it. If ur in the middle or undecided, heck, go watch it!

BBC did a remake of several of Will Shakes' plays, including Macbeth, Mucho Ado about Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, and Midsummer Night's Dream.

 I just watched Midsummer Night's Dream with a friend and boy was it worth it. There was minimal actual lines from Shakespeare but enough so it remained true to the original story and its modern update at the same time. As it is inherently a comedy, the producers sure ran away and had a good time with this one. The quotes are hilarious!

Such as:  "If you don't give me that love juice, I am going to give you a midsummer night's dream in your place where the sun don't shine."

or "Is Puck short for Puck-up by any chance?" 

It has its sweet lines too, when the father is in the middle of redoing his vows and he reads a poem. It goes like this:

Yours is the voice I hope to hear / When my phone says "One missed call"
Yours are the hands I want holding my ladder 
When I'm papering the stairs and the hall. 
 Yours is the face I long to see 
When I'm delayed at Waterloo. 
And yours is the duvet I long to share 
When my Calor gas is through. 
Yours is the sartorial eye that I crave 
When I'm having last minute suit doubts. 
And yours is the hand that I want to hold 
During funerals and penalty shoot-outs.
 Long before my mind was made up 
My heart belonged to you. 
And at last I'm listening to all that it says 
And I hope that you are too. 

Sweet Right? it has something for everyone unless ur a complete cynic who has no respect for joy and life. :) 

Cultural Appropriation

I don't know how to re-blog stuff from Tumblr but I wanted to share this.

aprilseye For all people who are considering painting their face as Dia de los Muertos skulls on HALLOWEEN, pleaseeeee reconsider!

Dia de los Muertos is a sacred tradition and holiday that traces back to our indigenous roots. 

Halloween on the other hand is different and is celebrated in different ways here in the U.S. that is no where near in relation to Dia de los Muertos. Painting your face then can be cultural appropriation for several reasons:

 1. It is offensive to the people who actually celebrate it. By showing up with a “cool” and “unique” costume while completely ignoring the meaning of Dia de los Muertos (to pay respect to ancestors) you are practicing a form of power and oppression.

2. “But I’m Mexican..” “But I’m Latina..” Remember that racism is not only practiced in the U.S., but also in Mexico. Just because you are bicultural, it does not always mean that you are accepting of your indigenous roots. In my family, my grandma used to call my mom, “pinche India,”  when they got in an argument, even though they are both Mexican. My mom however got called out because she has darker skin.

3. Cultural appropriation has been used enough in U.S. Halloween celebrations. Look at all the “Native American,” “Indian,” “Geisha,” “Mexican,” costumes. Just because your skull make up is new and is “prettier,” it doesn’t mean its any less racist or ignorant.

4. By wearing this face paint on a day where everyone is going to be wearing costumes, you prolly wont have the time to educate people on what Dia de los Muertos means. As a result, people who have no prior knowledge about Day of the Dead may think, “oh that’s a neat costume for next year,” and will continue this cycle and appropriate it themselves.

It’s not my place to tell you what Dia de los Muertos means. It’s also not my responsibility to teach you about cultural appropriation. Just look it up. Think about your intentions. Of course most people who are thinking of doing this do not mean to offend, but in the end it does.

I feel like giving halloween suggestions. Here we go folks! If you like the pretty black and white patterns on your face and the sticking flowers in your hair thing-

Dress up as a fashion conscious zebra! Not an appropriation of a culture! Yay!

So many youtube “gurus” are doing sugar skull halloween tutorials this year. Not cute, just appropriation. 

This was a big one for me because I was always a HUUUGE fan of skulls and skeletons and death before I learned about Dia de Los Muertos, and I also love that Holiday for all it stands for. I love the idea of not being afraid of death, and there are some aspects of that to Dia de Los Muertos, but also my own philosophy. Dress up as a skeleton or the dead, but please be more creative, and don’t make it a sugar skull. I’m trying to think up a design that won’t resemble Dia de Los Muertos so there’s no mistaking. But if anyone thinks this is still problematic let me know… Same with feathers, be a bird or make an outfit with feathers in it, but please don’t be “tribal.”

October: Diabetes Walk

So in other news,  The Month of August is going to be terribly busy for me. We have soo much planned. There is going to be a powwow at San Manuel; we are going on an Ancestor Walk to carry prayers for the ancestors of the Gabrielino Tongva People and the Acjachemen People to their sacred sites in SoCal; we are going to a Cultural Day at Pechanga in Temecula, and of course, the Diabetes Walk!

The Diabetes Walk is a national walk where ppl run/walk and raise funds and awareness to support those who have Diabetes. I am going to the one in Los Angeles.

So I have to do fundraising. :S

It always reminds me of that horrible time one year when we had to do fundraising for Las Vegas Night for montessori and mom made us ask ppl if they would like to buy some raffle tickets to support us.....uuuuuugh painful! i hate bothering ppl like that, especially for money. To me, it seems crude, even though I know most ppl don't mind giving money to support worthy causes/events/charities and a lot of them probs wouldn't have known about it had I not told them about it so they were glad I asked. But still.....

The Hazards and Benefits of Near-to-Unpaid Work

I keep getting the same question thrown at me, usually in a high pitched tone of disbelief/outrage/confusion:

          "WHAT?? YOU'RE WORKING FOR FREE??????????????????????????????????????"

My attempts to explain the situation are usually met with derision and disbelief, usually cumulating in the idea that i am crazy, the only possible explanation.

Yes, I work for next to nothing. One of my jobs doesn't even pay me - its all volunteer work. My other job pays very little - and I work overtime and more - but its not for lack of wanting to pay me. Money is hard to get, especially for programming. I'm sure my boss would love to pay me my worth in gold but he can't. Simple as that.

However, and I know this is terribly naive, but I'm not all in it for the money. I do it out of a sense of love and happiness. I love working for my boss: he's one of my top 5 favorite people in the world and I like being his brain, to be given responsibility (except when calling people. lol) and to see and participate in the various native programming that we plan/play a part in.

I dont really worry about what I want to do in the future anymore because I know: I want to work with tribes. ok i have to figure out recognized v. unrecognized and what area (health, education, etc) but i know. I'm happy where i'm at now, despite kinda having to worry about paying the rent and stuff.  or having enough money.

But for now i am fine with my obvi-liberal leaning disgust towards money and life-is-all-about-personal-gain-and-screw-everyone-else viewpoint that  our capitalistic world has developed. After all, we're missing that sincerity, that care, in a world that desperately needs it.    

death of a hero

Today, Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, lunar explorer extraordinaire, died.

There are no words I can sum up now but I think the video below accurately sums up my feelings regarding the lunar landing and Neil Armstrong. Why it was such a big step for humanity, an act that remains one of the top greatest events ever in our history, one that stretched the boundaries of the human soul past our planetary confines to the moon..and eventually beyond. 

to find more about Neil Amstrong, Yahoo for once, has a good article about his life and achievements. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/neil-armstrong-moon-mystery-man-022250193.html

I don't know if the world, if america, has truly realized who and what we lost today. Its wasn't just a man but a hopeful perspective, a desire for exploration, for optimism, for belief in humanity. 

Beginnings and Ends and the Time in Between

Pipeline ended on the 12th- all of the students made it safely back home, including my chickies from winslow and shiprock.

Summer programs are always sad because of the family you make and then you have to leave after two brief weeks. But Pipeline is not over, not by a long shot. Our family is still together and will continue to be until Pipeline next summer.

Although my position is a bit tenuous as i'm not sure who will be employing me next month but i have many irons in the fire so I am not too worried. The last thing any of us wants, including me, is for me to go home. I mean California or Atlanta? Which would you choose? No brainer right?

My next two events that I will be helping out on will be Pomona Convocation and the NA Diabetes Health Walk Sponsored by Western University.

-I'm going to the village with my roomie bc she needs cough drops but I'll come back and post more.

A change of perspective

Two friends and I were talking about fear, particularly one friend's fear of swimming in the ocean. I myself am not always comfortable swimming in the ocean (I blame jaws even though I never saw it) and i know rationally that my ocean fears are quite stupid and based on societal hysteria. Anyways, I saw this quote by Megan White Face and her perspective on the ocean was so different, so radical to me, but in a good way. It made me think beyond the regular binaries of how we consider the ocean and expanded my mental horizon. Thank you Megan. I will be sharing this with my friends. 

“Ocean and Sky”

The sky is a copy of the ocean. Only it is upside down. The clouds are the waves that roll and toss about. The deep blue is the water, and all the birds are the fish in the ocean. The sky and the ocean are not different, really. They are quite the same, just in different places. Many people ponder about them both, looking for clues and answers.

—Megan White Face

Read more:http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/07/29/walking-on-earth-touching-the-sky-notes-of-hope-and-despair-from-pine-ridge-youth-126155 http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/07/29/walking-on-earth-touching-the-sky-notes-of-hope-and-despair-from-pine-ridge-youth-126155#ixzz22Aa8nGCz

Fast Car

I am a little more than obsessed with Tracy Chapman's Fast Car from her eponymous debut album right now. It makes for very good thesis-writing music. She seems to have made a huge impact on music and the world in general; the Itunes reviewer really liked her, saying that "she made protest music relevant again in the Reagan Era." I need to learn more before I can say more. For now I am content to listen..and listen..and listen. 


Tracy Chapman-Fast Car 
You got a fast car
And I want a ticket to go anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Anyplace is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
But me myself I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
And I got a plan to get us out of here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
We won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

You see my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
I say his body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way

I remember we were driving driving in your car
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
And we go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a big house and live in the suburbs

You got a fast car
And I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me would find it
I got no plans I ain't going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so you can fly away
You gotta make a decision
You leave tonight or live and die this way

If I Stay on the Rez Campaign

While doing thesis research a while ago, I stumbled upon this awesome campaign entitled If I stay on the Rez. It seeks to combat the negative perceptions of living on reservations and to raise awareness that reservations are sites of culture, identity, and opportunities.

In popular culture and in real life, reservations usually get a bad rap, and for a good reason. Reservations have long been portrayed as tough crime-ridden, overall sense of hopelessness, loneliness, far from society, no job opportunities, third world country conditions, etc. Unfortunately, conditions like these used to, and continue to be, daily life on some, not all, reservations. (Think, if you saw it, Katie Couric's show on conditions at Pine Ridge in S. Dakota.)

Anyways, these ads and PSA completely shatters those notions for both indian and non-indian people who see the ads. (Oh it was the American Indian College Fund who came up with this brilliant idea) Also I just noticed that this ad is their ad from 2006. They have others!
 Well its not possible to click and drag so I will have to believe that providing a link will be good enough. But you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat...

http://www.collegefund.org/content/if_i_stay_on_the_rez

The 82 days that Could Have Changed the World

"Together we can make ourselves a nation that spends more on books than on bombs, more on hospitals than the terrible tools of war, more on decent houses than military aircraft.”


Speaking of good books, I just read this book called "The last Campaign" about RFK.

His invisible presidency, the presidency that never was but could be, holds so much promise. Its really really sad to see how his assassination affected people close to him during the campaign.

               Its one of those tearjerker ones except your crying at the beginning instead of the end (weird I know). It may be a bit top heavy on the sepia toned idealistic imagery but that is an acknowledged bias for sure. I am now officially a convert from JFK to RFK in the pantheon of famous dead white men. He was sooo idealistic and he actually tried to change america with his idealism. Now thats walking the walk instead of just talking the (hot air) talk of most politicians. RFK stood up for and talked about topics like poverty, starvation, class inequality in America.

                 No need to go gallivanting to a third world country to do good (not saying that you shouldn't but don't assume that america has no third-world problems); there are people who are living third world conditions right HERE in AMERICA... He told Americans what they should hear, not sparing their feelings, but the cold hard truth. Its like when someone sits you down and tells you the painful truth, a truth you've been avoiding, but need to hear. He also amazingly was passed the torch of the Civil rights movement/african american political concerns (at least that's what I understood from the reading) after the death of MLK.

                     The worse and most haunting part is that he knew he was going to die soon. As each day slipped by, he probably breathed a sigh of relief that he managed to survive one more day. He also was terribly aware of this, once telling an aide/friend that "Guns stood between him and the White House."

Basically go read the book. You won't regret it. And it gets good reviews too! http://www.observer.com/2008/citizen-kennedy?show=all

I think he was a genius politician, and he did have flaws for sure. It would be interesting to get responses on those who were old enough to remember RFK and his 82 days that set America on fire. ugh, just reading the beginning is enough for an attack of the weepies. Too much nostalgia.

Shelfari

Well this was suppose to appear as a widget but I also don't want to upgrade my blogger pofile so it can include gadgets. today in class, i rediscovered the joys of Shelfari, an off-shoot of Amazon, which allows you to catalogue the books you have read, want to read, and are reading with friends online. A virtual bookshelf basically. Its pretty sweet. I only have about 250 books listed although I know I have read more. Its also fun to follow friends and see if they have similar tastes or even pick up book suggestions. 

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

I forgot the Rain

So it was nice and grey and overcast here in usually-sunny california. I made the best out if it and slept until 2. i did get brunch from 11-12. who doesn't want to stay in bed all day when its grey and overcast and your bed and fuzzy and warm? I know I do.

One of my friends offered this gem, as we were talking about how we liked the rainy weather today. She told us that the smell that rain makes when it hits dry earth is called Petrichor. It has its origins in greek, where  petra, meaning stone + ichor, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology.

Of Astronomy, Midnight Drives, and Rain

So yesterday was sooo boring at Scripps. Nothing, and I mean nothing, was going on. After sitting around with my friends for an hour or so, it was suggested by another friend to drive to Mt. Baldy!! An adventure! something new. Something not manufactured by the 5c's. I think we had forgotten what other fun things we could do that wasn't a 5c party.

Anyways, we load up in the car, the sky overcast and grey, the moon's rays blurry like seeing lights through water. We drove up the winding mountain pass, through the two tunnels, and through the very cute alpine village of Mt. Baldy. (they have a fish pond where you can pay to go fishing lol). We accidentally took the wrong turn up, and we were speeding towards some mountain pass in the San Gabriel Mountains. We quickly realized our mistake and turned around, but not before stopping at a small turnoff to admire the view. It was so silent there, the darkness reaching out, blurring the mountain ridges. If one squinted, one could imagine the darkness to be a vast ocean before the mountains.

An Ariel view of Mt. Baldy and Claremont

(Photo credit Claremont Digital Library Collection)

We drove back to Mt. Baldy Village and continued on the right road, the twisty mountain path up Mt. baldy that reminded me of the roads at home. At intervals, the glow of the lights from the Inland Empire spread out below us was visible.  Once at the top, we got out, walked around, danced a little, ate trader joe joe's, and had a generally good time. It was a little chilly so we didn't stay too long. Since it was late at night, no one else was up there, making it as quiet as the turnoff we had visited before.

What I did learn was very interesting things about Astronomy! One of my friends is taking an astronomy class so she shared some info. Apparently, the sun does not just stand still but actual has its own rotational path like all the other planets.

And I learned that the moon is actually moving away from us at a rate of 3 centimeters or something really fast. And when the moon has moved away far enough, we will be screwed because the Earth will have come to a dead standstill. (Maybe we need to build a death star like moon as a replacement) But that won't happen for another billion years, so when it does happen, I will be six feet under! Hurray!

This is a true fact, so if you don't believe me, go look it up and google will tell you the truth. 

Birthdays Past

It was my birthday on Wednesday, Hump Day, the middle of the week. As you get older, birthday's become funny affairs. No longer is birthdays the expected cake and presents and you get your way because you are the birthday princess day. This is not to say that I don't expect anything anymore on my birthdays, but they have morphed into Grownup birthdays.

Grownup birthdays are where one resigns oneself to the fact that if your birthday falls on a week day, it may just be an ordinary day at work, at school, etc. They happen. But for me, there is still this assumption that because it is my birthday, there is a rosy tint on the world and things will go my way. I was born on the very day, It MUST be special and the WORLD must acquiesce to that fact.  In reality the world is the same as it ever was, spinning on and on, no different than the previous morning when you awoke.

On the actual day of my birthday, I didn't do anything special. i went to class, did my homework, hung out with my friends. What made it special was my friends coming up and saying happy birthday, acknowledging the fact that I was born that day and that they cared enough to say happy birthday. We are going out to eat on friday, but all I really need for my birthday is the words of family and friends saying happy birthday, a hug, and a smile. Its nice to have your presence validated and esteemed in the world.

I crack myself up

Looking back at old posts are always fun because you get to see what your younger and presumably dumber self was thinking.
I remember we had to write journals in middle school and man, the stupid shit that I wrote!!!! Uggggh it was so incredibly bad in terms of middle school emo-ness and just the prose, style...No fluidity, no word play, no silver-tongue orator skills..pah..

Anyways I was looking back on this blog and I saw my first BA post when I was really excited to go. I totally thought I was going to be a tanguera and find some hot porteno to dance with. And that there would just randomly be tango dancers dressed to the nines dancing in the streets....Ah ha ha ha!!
Like this:

In reality, it was like this:

I mean, Juan was a very nice and professional teacher and I had a lot of fun dancing with him and then being able to go out and dance with other ppl. Man, if I had started from young or something, I would be amazing. But who wouldn't. At least I know I have a standing invitation to go dance with Juan if I ever come back to querida Buenos Aires.

I crack my self up. Reality is always different from dreams. But I think my jokes are the best although not everyone thinks they're funny.

New Classes, Last Semester

So Its my last semester at Scripps. Scary. Anyways I have this one class, called Anarchist History and Thought that is taught at Pitzer. I originally thought, of this will be kinda easy, we'll just have fun reading and learning about different anarchists. Kinda like my china class, which I enjoyed. But man does this professor not play around.

I read the syllabus and she says that "Accordingly, in this course, evaluation will not result in a grade. As elaborated upon below, all students enrolled in the course and complete the work assigned will receive an "A" on their transcript. In this course, evaluation will be solely for the purpose of edification, and will be reserved strictly for participating members of the course collective"

Oooh collective. joking aside, I had always thought I was an advocate for classes without arbitrary grading systems that don't really measure intelligence per say, but your intelligence in beating the education system. This is not to say that my views have changed since reading Summerhill, but they are about to be tested? Either way, it will be an interesting class for sure.

A friend of mine who took it last semester says its a lot of reading, work, and that she had to argue for her grade, and some other ppl in the class argued for her too, but she didn't fail the class, it was just an alternate experience that she had had before.

Speaking of failing, I haven't talked to neither of my thesis advisors since the beginning of winter break. Avoidance much?