A friend died today... she didn't wake up from her sleep... she was one of the most beautiful souls I've ever met... always smiling, always laughing, so light she would lift you up. Last night, she fell asleep and never woke up.
I feel a knot in my stomach... a mixture of sadness for such a loss and happiness for such a life. We take so much for granted, unaware of how ephemeral are nature is. One day you may not wake up, you may be caught up in dreams... caught in between moments that will make you eternal. Death makes the clock stop. Everything suddenly stops. You become more aware of life... maybe that's the whole purpose of Death. Be aware... don't get caught up... life can easily slip through your fingers when you least expect it.
I run into Cristina two days ago. She was smiling as always. We started talking about my event and how excited we both were that it was happening. I thank her one more time, because it was her idea after all. We made plans to get together before I leave for Kenya but today I found out she never woke up this morning; her status on Facebook read:
This Cristina's Mom writing, I am truly sorry to tell you that Cristina did not wake up from her sleep yesterday. We hope to know later today what happened to her. She lived a beautiful life, full of love, music and joy and with the blessing of having so many friends. We miss her tremendously and are still in shock. But she was a beautiful person and will continue to touch us with her smile and laughter.
After the initial shock all I could think was that she died a peaceful death... I wonder what she was dreaming about that she was so compelled to stay there... she was probably singing or laughing... or both. Maybe surrounded by mermaids, or running across a sunflower field. I can see her... always in a good mood; always so contagious.
Death
in its house,
a window.
Life,
sunny outside.
Go run,
break free.
Love you.
Love me.
We are nothing but,
almost everything and.
Smiling
Singing.
Life is truly appealing.
Death,
a reminder;
a broken clock.
Makes you forget
what you try too hard to remember.
Wake up from your sleep,
the sun shinning
brightens up your face.
Look out the window,
I'm waiting.
She's waiting.
Death is
but an endless dream...
Thank you Cristina for being you, it was a pleasure and an honor to have met you and I will sing and dance even more... in your memory...
Love you!
Your friend...
December 8, 2010
November 30, 2010
The Empire is leaking shit...
This morning as I was having breakfast, I read what The Star had to say about Wikileaks. A feeling of anger, mixed with a bit of amusement and discomfort, rushed through my veins in a split of a second; it was Clinton's quote:
The last couple of days, Wikileaks has taken the front page of every newspaper around the world; the Truth is out. I always say that sooner or later, what it is reveals itself. The absurdity of the U.S. government's politics is finally known to everyone. In fact, it has always been for those who knew how to read between lines, seek accuracy and educate their minds. Those ,who never believed what politicians had to say or bought what the media was selling, have always known. But the general public, the masses, can now be aware. The question is: will we turn a blind eye on this crucial information or will we rebel? I fear the first. The masses are too comfortable; a revolution will mean sacrifice and I am not entirely sure if most people are willing to change things themselves. The worst that could happen would be that fifty years from now, historians look back at this time of age and study the reasons why we didn't take the opportunity to change the course of civilization's future. Maybe we were too comfortable in our coaches watching YouTube videos on our Ipads and eating ice cream... Out there, millions were starving, old wars continued while new ones developed, blood shedding, violence and disease... and it wasn't Hollywood; it was real. And the true criminals were free and discussing how to apprehend the true Heroes.
Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks -and officially my new Hero- is now the target of accusations that seem to me fabrications of desperate politicians. For instance, Washington is considering adding Wikileaks to the list of terrorist organizations and the Interpol is asking for Assange's capture; claiming he has raped two women in the past. I can't help but wonder what are we going to do about this... are we going to allow the United States of America to continue with this nonsensical circus?? Are we going to turn around and continue running in our hammster's wheel until we are out of food, water and health? Let's wake up, we have a choice to be Human and to chose the representatives that best represent US!
"The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling. Their ideas, their versions of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Remember this: we be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing" (Arundhati Roy)
"There is nothing laudable about endangering innocent people and there is nothing brave about sabotaging the peaceful relations between nations"All I could think was: REALLY!? REALLY!? YOU ARE A FUCKING HYPOCRITE MRS. CLINTON. I kept repeating that to myself almost as a mantra. This woman has either no shame or the intelligence of a mosquito. If there is something that the United States has NOT done throughout the course of its history is to care about other nations! And here she is, the Secretary of State, ordering U.S. diplomatic figures to engage in espionage in the United Nations, in violation of the international covenants to which the U.S. has signed up...
The last couple of days, Wikileaks has taken the front page of every newspaper around the world; the Truth is out. I always say that sooner or later, what it is reveals itself. The absurdity of the U.S. government's politics is finally known to everyone. In fact, it has always been for those who knew how to read between lines, seek accuracy and educate their minds. Those ,who never believed what politicians had to say or bought what the media was selling, have always known. But the general public, the masses, can now be aware. The question is: will we turn a blind eye on this crucial information or will we rebel? I fear the first. The masses are too comfortable; a revolution will mean sacrifice and I am not entirely sure if most people are willing to change things themselves. The worst that could happen would be that fifty years from now, historians look back at this time of age and study the reasons why we didn't take the opportunity to change the course of civilization's future. Maybe we were too comfortable in our coaches watching YouTube videos on our Ipads and eating ice cream... Out there, millions were starving, old wars continued while new ones developed, blood shedding, violence and disease... and it wasn't Hollywood; it was real. And the true criminals were free and discussing how to apprehend the true Heroes.
Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks -and officially my new Hero- is now the target of accusations that seem to me fabrications of desperate politicians. For instance, Washington is considering adding Wikileaks to the list of terrorist organizations and the Interpol is asking for Assange's capture; claiming he has raped two women in the past. I can't help but wonder what are we going to do about this... are we going to allow the United States of America to continue with this nonsensical circus?? Are we going to turn around and continue running in our hammster's wheel until we are out of food, water and health? Let's wake up, we have a choice to be Human and to chose the representatives that best represent US!
"The first ingredient of civil society is the people's right to know, because without such understanding no human being can meaningfully choose to support anything. Knowledge is the driver of every political process, every constitution, every law and every regulation. The communication of knowledge is without salient analogue. It is living, unique and demands its rightful place at the summit of society." (Julian Assange)Many have accused Assange of being nothing more than a smart attention seeker. People, come on!!! Who the fuck cares the reasons as to why he has done what he did when we have been given access to all this valuable information? Let's focus on what is important here! This is the chance we get to send a message to our governments and demand transparency! The governments are supposed to represent their people!! So far, their agendas have satisfied private sectors, enslaving the rest of the population to the demands of Corporations... With technology as a mass media communication tool we can now ask those in power to at least be decent, if anything...
"If governments would prefer to not have such information surface they have two choices: don't engage in wars that even their own military employees find reprehensible, and don't rely on secrecy as a method of governance."The Age of the Empire is coming to an end. Another Rome, another fall. No more bread and circus, no more absurdity, misery, inequality... The Golden Rule is: one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. This needs to be applied everywhere! Every system that is not built on this foundation will eventually collapse; that is the Law of the Universe and it is time we realize this globally. We have a huge responsibility ahead of us and that is to make use of the tools that are accessible to our generation; and we must follow the Golden Rule. Let's compromise, let's rebel, let's wake up. This is the end of the Empire... It seems so... I hope so... I wish so... I beg for so...
"The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling. Their ideas, their versions of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Remember this: we be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing" (Arundhati Roy)
October 24, 2010
Mother Nature, you are my anchor...
Wednesday was one of those days when the bucket is full and there is no more space for anything else. My patience was very short, my sensitivity extreme and every single sound of the street was hurting my ears. When I feel like this, I know that I need to stay home and paint or read or write or lay in the couch and do nothing. But because I do not have the luxury to be able to do what I need during the week, I had to exist within society and feel like a total pshycho.
When I got to Ryerson Campus, having 30 minutes to spare before class, I decided to seat on one of the tables that are now permanently set up on Gould street, as students won the battle to have it closed. It was somewhat cold but the sun was shining and I was dressed up warmly. I positioned my chair looking towards "lake" Devo, some sort of artificial pond with no water on it and made of cement. This view was the most pleasant amongst the many buildings and unfinished structures. I grabbed my book "La Resistencia" by Ernesto Sabato, an Argentinian writer, and could only read half a page before the noise from the construction site reached my brain. Having a desperate need for silence and about to completly lose it I looked up and noticed a massive amount of tiny yellow leaves falling from the tree in front of me. Slowly my heart beat slowed down, my anger dissipated and every disturbing sound became harmonious. I felt the cold wind brush my face and it was the sweetest caress I had felt in a long time. I observed the scenery for a while and then began to write... you may find the English version at the bottom.
¡Qué locura de gente, que locura de mundo, que ritmo de vida tan desmesurado! Mientras que la gente camina cada vez mas apurada; mientras que el ruido en exceso penetra mis tímpanos tan violentamente que hasta el más mínimo susurro perfora mi cerebro. Entre tanto desenfreno de luces, zapateos, y bochinche, la naturaleza es el único elemento que me permite respirar. Observo gente que viene y que va, con los auriculares metidos hasta las sienes, o inmersos en la pantallita del teléfono celular, totalmente oblivios a lo que los rodea. Sus cuerpos de carne y hueso, tan fuertes y tan frágiles, se amontonan siguiendo el ritmo de un reloj invisible. Van de a tres, vienen de a dos, en bicicleta, a pie, trotando, casi corriendo. Sostienen libros, se ríen como en estruendos, toman café to-go y caminan con intención de llegar a destino. A donde sea que van, entre tanto zapateo, solo la naturaleza pareciera estar inmóvil, tan quieta que por fin permite dar un respiro ¡Esta paz que tanto añoro! Es como esos pequeños espacios de momentos lentos en la montaña rusa, cuando el tren se prepara para otra vuelta que te revolverá el estomago.
El viento frío sopla en mi cara y arrastra consigo hojas secas que producen a la vez música, pero rápidamente se pierde entre tanto barullo de gente apurada. Música que es percibida solo por aquellos que pueden permanecer quietos y atentos a su alrededor, aunque sea por un instante. Sólo, el árbol baila en conjunto con el viento desprendiendo hojas amarillas que caen al suelo en un movimiento ondulante y casi eterno. Apenas visible entre tantos edificios, el árbol se adapta y sobrevive a pesar de estar apresado entre metal y cemento.
Me pregunto que pasaría si mas gente se sentase a percibir el sonido del viento o la sensación que éste produce en la piel, o el temblar en el pecho cuando las hojas se desprenden de los árboles. ¿Que pasaría si el reloj se detuviese? Si el apuro descansara... Aflojen sus corbatas, alivianen la mascarilla en sus pestañas o la carga en sus bolsos, maletines y carteras. Apaguen sus celulares. Los invito a detenerse y percibir. Siéntense y escuchen la sinfonía que la Madre Naturaleza esta componiendo aquí y ahora para todo aquel que pueda disfrutar de la inexistencia del tiempo.
When I got to Ryerson Campus, having 30 minutes to spare before class, I decided to seat on one of the tables that are now permanently set up on Gould street, as students won the battle to have it closed. It was somewhat cold but the sun was shining and I was dressed up warmly. I positioned my chair looking towards "lake" Devo, some sort of artificial pond with no water on it and made of cement. This view was the most pleasant amongst the many buildings and unfinished structures. I grabbed my book "La Resistencia" by Ernesto Sabato, an Argentinian writer, and could only read half a page before the noise from the construction site reached my brain. Having a desperate need for silence and about to completly lose it I looked up and noticed a massive amount of tiny yellow leaves falling from the tree in front of me. Slowly my heart beat slowed down, my anger dissipated and every disturbing sound became harmonious. I felt the cold wind brush my face and it was the sweetest caress I had felt in a long time. I observed the scenery for a while and then began to write... you may find the English version at the bottom.
¡Qué locura de gente, que locura de mundo, que ritmo de vida tan desmesurado! Mientras que la gente camina cada vez mas apurada; mientras que el ruido en exceso penetra mis tímpanos tan violentamente que hasta el más mínimo susurro perfora mi cerebro. Entre tanto desenfreno de luces, zapateos, y bochinche, la naturaleza es el único elemento que me permite respirar. Observo gente que viene y que va, con los auriculares metidos hasta las sienes, o inmersos en la pantallita del teléfono celular, totalmente oblivios a lo que los rodea. Sus cuerpos de carne y hueso, tan fuertes y tan frágiles, se amontonan siguiendo el ritmo de un reloj invisible. Van de a tres, vienen de a dos, en bicicleta, a pie, trotando, casi corriendo. Sostienen libros, se ríen como en estruendos, toman café to-go y caminan con intención de llegar a destino. A donde sea que van, entre tanto zapateo, solo la naturaleza pareciera estar inmóvil, tan quieta que por fin permite dar un respiro ¡Esta paz que tanto añoro! Es como esos pequeños espacios de momentos lentos en la montaña rusa, cuando el tren se prepara para otra vuelta que te revolverá el estomago.
El viento frío sopla en mi cara y arrastra consigo hojas secas que producen a la vez música, pero rápidamente se pierde entre tanto barullo de gente apurada. Música que es percibida solo por aquellos que pueden permanecer quietos y atentos a su alrededor, aunque sea por un instante. Sólo, el árbol baila en conjunto con el viento desprendiendo hojas amarillas que caen al suelo en un movimiento ondulante y casi eterno. Apenas visible entre tantos edificios, el árbol se adapta y sobrevive a pesar de estar apresado entre metal y cemento.
Me pregunto que pasaría si mas gente se sentase a percibir el sonido del viento o la sensación que éste produce en la piel, o el temblar en el pecho cuando las hojas se desprenden de los árboles. ¿Que pasaría si el reloj se detuviese? Si el apuro descansara... Aflojen sus corbatas, alivianen la mascarilla en sus pestañas o la carga en sus bolsos, maletines y carteras. Apaguen sus celulares. Los invito a detenerse y percibir. Siéntense y escuchen la sinfonía que la Madre Naturaleza esta componiendo aquí y ahora para todo aquel que pueda disfrutar de la inexistencia del tiempo.
September 26, 2010
Beads for Beds
So the dream is suddenly becoming alive and all it took is effort, will and passion. I'm tired and busy like I've never been in my life but I see everything unfolding in such a magnificent way that I can't really stop now, it'd be stupid...
Beads for Beds... the idea was born in the plane on my way back from Kenya. I knew I wanted to give back to the Dago community in a bigger way than my month as a volunteer with ASB. They had given me so much in so little time, it was a humble feeling of gratitude my motivator to do something for them. My friend Miranda and I shared our feelings about the need we felt of doing something. Pole pole (like they'd say in Kenya) ideas started flowing, it was a long flight and being just the two of us, it didn't take much to make the agreement of starting making bracelets. Originally, we wanted to make the kind of bracelets we saw all over in Mombasa, the thick beaded ones, usually with writing on it. A friend we made in Lamu, taught Miranda how to make them and we thought it was a smart idea. I realized I had a full box of beads at home, that have been carrying around for 13 years, finally I had found an use.
Later on, we both realized that neither of us was good at making these bracelets and it would probably take us an hour to make one piece. It wasn't cost effective. So, we decided to go ahead and start making whatever came in mind. With some inventory, it was a matter of getting a spot at Ryerson to start selling Beads for Beds. Then everything just started happening, the doors were quite open, and obvious indication that we could make it happen if we truly believed in it.
It's been almost four months since the idea of fundraising for Dago was planted in my head. In this time I have met MANY people that are facilitating the growth of this dream. I wish I had less things to do to dedicate more energy to this project but I know that soon enough, when school is done, I will be able to put much more energy into making this happen. I just need to be patient...
I'm super excited for the party on Thursday, and a bit nervous too. Will it be a success? By success I mean people actually showing up. I would Love to fundraise enough money to get Beads for Beds registered. That's my next goal. Together with a bigger event at Lula... yes... I'm gonna make this happen, no matter what. Well, that's it for now. It's midnight and I'm still hungover from last night. I need to sleep. At least I got this done. Yay! No more procrastination... and that's a promise!
Beads for Beds... the idea was born in the plane on my way back from Kenya. I knew I wanted to give back to the Dago community in a bigger way than my month as a volunteer with ASB. They had given me so much in so little time, it was a humble feeling of gratitude my motivator to do something for them. My friend Miranda and I shared our feelings about the need we felt of doing something. Pole pole (like they'd say in Kenya) ideas started flowing, it was a long flight and being just the two of us, it didn't take much to make the agreement of starting making bracelets. Originally, we wanted to make the kind of bracelets we saw all over in Mombasa, the thick beaded ones, usually with writing on it. A friend we made in Lamu, taught Miranda how to make them and we thought it was a smart idea. I realized I had a full box of beads at home, that have been carrying around for 13 years, finally I had found an use.
Later on, we both realized that neither of us was good at making these bracelets and it would probably take us an hour to make one piece. It wasn't cost effective. So, we decided to go ahead and start making whatever came in mind. With some inventory, it was a matter of getting a spot at Ryerson to start selling Beads for Beds. Then everything just started happening, the doors were quite open, and obvious indication that we could make it happen if we truly believed in it.
It's been almost four months since the idea of fundraising for Dago was planted in my head. In this time I have met MANY people that are facilitating the growth of this dream. I wish I had less things to do to dedicate more energy to this project but I know that soon enough, when school is done, I will be able to put much more energy into making this happen. I just need to be patient...
I'm super excited for the party on Thursday, and a bit nervous too. Will it be a success? By success I mean people actually showing up. I would Love to fundraise enough money to get Beads for Beds registered. That's my next goal. Together with a bigger event at Lula... yes... I'm gonna make this happen, no matter what. Well, that's it for now. It's midnight and I'm still hungover from last night. I need to sleep. At least I got this done. Yay! No more procrastination... and that's a promise!
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