i was born.
a girl.
a daughter.
a granddaughter.
a niece.
a sister.
i started becoming.
a reader.
a rememberer.
an immigrant.
an advocate.
a friend.
some things you made me.
a sister-in-law.
an auntie-to-be.
a girlfriend.
a forgiver.
a better friend.
some things i made myself.
a researcher.
a writer.
a leader.
a follower.
my own friend.
some things i am still becoming.
a law student.
a cook and baker.
a discerner.
a jogger.
a listener.
some things i dream of yet becoming.
a defender.
a treeclimber.
a runner.
a mother.
a whole.
i am thirty.
and i'm becoming more.
Showing posts with label good. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
in my defense
first off, thanks to all those who voted for my juicy watermelon cupcakes! while my entry received the most votes, that only got me as far as the random draw, which i did not win. the winner's cardamom and pistachio cupcakes look amazing, however, and she's a victoria girl living in vancouver!
second off, i've been thinking about gym class.
it seems to me that there are a few things this respite from the drudgery of coursework slash kafkaesque nightmare is supposed to accomplish. playing sports teaches you team work and organization. it improves your coordination and cardiovascular health. it trains you to be an accomplished enough liar to convince your classmates that you wanted to be picked last and your teacher that you just menstruate really damn often. how else will younguns develop perseverance, strategy, and the strength to survive public humiliation?
when i was in junior high school, once a year a self-defense instructor would come and work with all the gym classes. i remember that this was the only time during the year when i woke up every morning in pain. i wasn't accustomed to using my muscles. indeed, most of gym class was about cardiovascular work. when we did runs, my lungs hurt and i thought my heart would explode, but my legs were all "aw, come ON! we can do better than this!" my muscles weren't challenged at all - except during those two weeks per year.
second off, i've been thinking about gym class.
it seems to me that there are a few things this respite from the drudgery of coursework slash kafkaesque nightmare is supposed to accomplish. playing sports teaches you team work and organization. it improves your coordination and cardiovascular health. it trains you to be an accomplished enough liar to convince your classmates that you wanted to be picked last and your teacher that you just menstruate really damn often. how else will younguns develop perseverance, strategy, and the strength to survive public humiliation?
when i was in junior high school, once a year a self-defense instructor would come and work with all the gym classes. i remember that this was the only time during the year when i woke up every morning in pain. i wasn't accustomed to using my muscles. indeed, most of gym class was about cardiovascular work. when we did runs, my lungs hurt and i thought my heart would explode, but my legs were all "aw, come ON! we can do better than this!" my muscles weren't challenged at all - except during those two weeks per year.
being active is so important. and it's fun! and in high school i often found myself wishing that phys.ed. was still mandatory. but i can't help feeling that there was something wrong with the way it was taught. weight training is something you can only really start transitioning into in your mid-teens, but i wish my gym teachers had said to me, "it's not just about how many times you can skip in a minute. it's not just about how far you can hit a baseball (if you manage to hit it). it's about being at home in your body and using it well."
i wish i had been taught to be strong, and not just told that i wasn't fast enough.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
five things
pick five things that you want to achieve this month. they can be related or quite distinct, serious or fun, permanent or temporary. but they should be concrete.
my five things for december are:
1) lose five more pounds.
2) complete the december cupcake challenge with time to spare.
3) read a novel not written by agatha christie.
4) blog twice a week.
5) talk to new people at the holiday parties i'm attending.
what are you doing this month?
my five things for december are:
1) lose five more pounds.
2) complete the december cupcake challenge with time to spare.
3) read a novel not written by agatha christie.
4) blog twice a week.
5) talk to new people at the holiday parties i'm attending.
what are you doing this month?
Friday, December 03, 2010
joy! joy! joy!
after a long wait, good news at last: i've received acceptances from five law schools so far, two of them in the top tier!
when i opened the first exciting envelope (the fourth envelope of the five), i blinked. it starts with "congratulations"... does it go on to say "no, thanks"? it didn't! looks like i'll be a law student after all! look out world!
as i told my parents, drank champagne, made my phone calls, sent text messages, and eagerly awaited a skype conversation, i felt a little like jane bennet.
it's been over a year now of preparing and writing and rewriting and rewriting and hoping and receiving devastating news and crying and regrouping... and finding so much love and support and faith around me. my family, my friends, my professors and employers who wrote recommendations for me... they shared in my low times with me and pushed me to keep at it. i am so happy to be able to bring you all joy by sharing my very good news.
i can't even begin to express how grateful i am.
when i opened the first exciting envelope (the fourth envelope of the five), i blinked. it starts with "congratulations"... does it go on to say "no, thanks"? it didn't! looks like i'll be a law student after all! look out world!
it's been over a year now of preparing and writing and rewriting and rewriting and hoping and receiving devastating news and crying and regrouping... and finding so much love and support and faith around me. my family, my friends, my professors and employers who wrote recommendations for me... they shared in my low times with me and pushed me to keep at it. i am so happy to be able to bring you all joy by sharing my very good news.
i can't even begin to express how grateful i am.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
an ode to ginger(s)!
after watching with interest for quite some time, i've taken myself off the bench (and dared a few friends to join me) by participating in the sweetest kitchen's mystery box cupcake challenge! this month's featured ingredient is... ginger!
to be honest, i was very tempted to recreate my ginger-matcha sushi cake from birthday 2009. it was delicious, innovative, and fun to look at. besides, the wasabi icing blew my mind! but as i wandered around bulk barn, looking for cupcake-sized sushi ingredients, i was conscience-striken. the whole point of this was to try something new!so i thought about ginger. and then i thought of gingers! having decided that my cupcakes would be an edible tribute to redheads both real and fictional, the perfect ingredient with which to pair the ginger instantly sprang to mind: carrots!
i scoured the underworld of the internets, bravely seeking a carrot-based cupcake that would defy expectations of carrot-cakey-ness! to no avail! in the end, i had to resort to adapting and tweaking to make these cupcakes masterpieces!
get these dry things:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour OR 2 1/4 cup cake flour- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp crushed cloves (ask your mom to mortar & pestle these for you. she's prolly tops!)
get these wet things:
- 2 large eggs, room temperature- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 large carrot, chopped, steamed, and then pureed with 1/4 cup buttermilk
la piece de resistance: ginger chunks in cane sugar syrup chopped up into minichunks!
do this:
- preheat oven to 350- combine dry ingredients and whisk
- in another bowl, combine wet ingredients and whisk
- pour the wet combo into the dry combo (i'm still not sure why) and stir ten times
- toss in ginger chunks and stir a few more times
- fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way up- bake for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through
- cool
- frost!
- decorate!!
- serve!!!
here i am with my favourite ginger:
and that was my tribute not only the delicious and versatile ingredient that is the ginger root, but also to the carrot-haired among us, from conan to ariel, from archie to anne of green gables, from my older sister to my younger brother-in-law, from pippi longstocking to my boyfriend.
if you like what you see, please vote for my entry in the sweetest kitchen's contest!
the winner of november’s mystery box cupcake challenge will receive prizes from:
- Bake It Pretty; a $5 electronic gift card
- Beanilla; Tahitian ground vanilla & 3 Mexican vanilla beans
- Hello Hanna; a pack of Sweet Stands cupcake stands
- Miss Kitty Creations; a handmade cupcake charm of your choice
- Simply Caked; 600 brown greaseproof cupcake liners
- Sweet Cuppin Cakes; a prize pack worth $25
- Tundra Books; a selection 3 very sweet children's books
Friday, October 08, 2010
is it always sunny?
tomorrow i fly out to philadelphia, where idris will meet me! we have a weekend full of catching up, sightseeing, thanksgiving, and cooking planned, and i fly home just in time to teach my tuesday evening class.
truth be told, i can't believe we've survived eight weeks of being apart!
yaaaay for reunions!
truth be told, i can't believe we've survived eight weeks of being apart!
yaaaay for reunions!
Friday, August 27, 2010
lessons
i really love this article from cracked.com, which explores the ten most important things they didn't teach you in school. it's clever, often hilarious, practical, occasionally touching, and more than a little wise. here's their rundown:
10: sex ed. (for girls): how to spot a douchebag
9: sex ed. (for boys): why porn is a not a good way to learn about sex
8: phys. ed.: practical self-defense
7: industrial arts: emergency repairs
6: business: success = meeting the right people
5: health: how to stop throwing your money away on snake oil
4: health: why losing weight requires some amount of suffering
3: home economics: how to cook cheap food that won't kill you
2: political science: why talk radio is a terrible source of information
1: social studies: life is hard and you will die, get over it
that summary really doesn't do it justice, so i highly recommend you just read the whole piece.
10: sex ed. (for girls): how to spot a douchebag
9: sex ed. (for boys): why porn is a not a good way to learn about sex
8: phys. ed.: practical self-defense
7: industrial arts: emergency repairs
6: business: success = meeting the right people
5: health: how to stop throwing your money away on snake oil
4: health: why losing weight requires some amount of suffering
3: home economics: how to cook cheap food that won't kill you
2: political science: why talk radio is a terrible source of information
1: social studies: life is hard and you will die, get over it
that summary really doesn't do it justice, so i highly recommend you just read the whole piece.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
1913 - 2010
i stopped checking messages because i didn't want to hear the news without my parents. i lay in bed last night, and i thought, "what if he's already gone?"
and, as it turned out, he was.
"ninety-seven is a ripe old age" but you always hope for more time, more opportunities to be together.
it's weird to hear other people talk about him, to read news coverage that describes him as a national figure, a party leader, a signatory on an important letter... he's just papaşa.
and, as it turned out, he was.
"ninety-seven is a ripe old age" but you always hope for more time, more opportunities to be together.
it's weird to hear other people talk about him, to read news coverage that describes him as a national figure, a party leader, a signatory on an important letter... he's just papaşa.
Friday, August 20, 2010
self-helpless?
so, in the course of reading a motivational article on sparkpeople.com, i came across this tip for when you're feeling discouraged by your lack of progress:
"Activate your imagination with the Miracle Question.
The Miracle Question is a great way to help yourself focus on solutions. Imagine that tonight while you’re sleeping, a miracle is going to happen that will completely solve the problem you are struggling with, once and for all. How will you know, when you wake up, that the miracle has happened and the problem is solved? What will be different for you — how will you think, act, or feel differently once the problem has been solved? What will be different about the day ahead of you? Are these questions already helping you think or feel differently now, at least a little bit? How can you make this happen more often?"
this is a little bit silly.
my mom once said, "problems that can be solved with money aren't really problems." she wasn't being flippant, and she's not ignorant... but she's also not entirely right. still, i like the idea of imagining what life would be like without the problem. sometimes that motivates you to do what needs to be done, sometimes it helps you break up the big problem into its bite-sized, easier to tackle parts... and sometimes it makes you realize that you've misidentified the problem.
if i won the lottery (without playing?), i could pay off my student loans and other debt. and i could afford to just volunteer at cool places this year. but it wouldn't magically parachute me into a good law school. it would just make life easier once i got there by the sweat of my brow.
if i do get into a good law school, that won't magically make me in the physical shape i want to be.
if i got into shape, it wouldn't magically solve my financial problems.
it's helpful for me to realize that life is a little bit like playing whack-a-mole. there's always something new popping up. and laying in bed at night, hopeful that one particular problem will be resolved and anticipating the next opportunity to show creativity and integrity and grit... well that can help, too.
"Activate your imagination with the Miracle Question.
The Miracle Question is a great way to help yourself focus on solutions. Imagine that tonight while you’re sleeping, a miracle is going to happen that will completely solve the problem you are struggling with, once and for all. How will you know, when you wake up, that the miracle has happened and the problem is solved? What will be different for you — how will you think, act, or feel differently once the problem has been solved? What will be different about the day ahead of you? Are these questions already helping you think or feel differently now, at least a little bit? How can you make this happen more often?"
this is a little bit silly.
my mom once said, "problems that can be solved with money aren't really problems." she wasn't being flippant, and she's not ignorant... but she's also not entirely right. still, i like the idea of imagining what life would be like without the problem. sometimes that motivates you to do what needs to be done, sometimes it helps you break up the big problem into its bite-sized, easier to tackle parts... and sometimes it makes you realize that you've misidentified the problem.
if i won the lottery (without playing?), i could pay off my student loans and other debt. and i could afford to just volunteer at cool places this year. but it wouldn't magically parachute me into a good law school. it would just make life easier once i got there by the sweat of my brow.
if i do get into a good law school, that won't magically make me in the physical shape i want to be.
if i got into shape, it wouldn't magically solve my financial problems.
it's helpful for me to realize that life is a little bit like playing whack-a-mole. there's always something new popping up. and laying in bed at night, hopeful that one particular problem will be resolved and anticipating the next opportunity to show creativity and integrity and grit... well that can help, too.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
three gifts
i eaves-read another person's book on the subway today and was inspired by this question: "what three values would you most want to instill in your children?"
the first one that sprang to mind was generosity. dr. mark greene's dying words to his daughter, rachel, were: "be generous. with your time. with your love. with your life... be generous, always."
i kind of want those to be my first words to my children.
curiosity: the world is a wonder, and when i catch myself less than in awe, i know i am in trouble. i don't want my children to be often in that kind of trouble.
integrity: even when it's all you've got, it can keep you warm at night.
what would you give?
the first one that sprang to mind was generosity. dr. mark greene's dying words to his daughter, rachel, were: "be generous. with your time. with your love. with your life... be generous, always."
i kind of want those to be my first words to my children.
curiosity: the world is a wonder, and when i catch myself less than in awe, i know i am in trouble. i don't want my children to be often in that kind of trouble.
integrity: even when it's all you've got, it can keep you warm at night.
what would you give?
Saturday, July 03, 2010
a letter
dear luck,
you may remember that i invoked you in a brief message to idris, dated 13 may 2010. it's attached below, but basically in that missive i articulated my anticipation of your impending successful navigation to his doorstep.
and, within a week, he had both a job offer and an interview for another job! now, that's some kind of successful navigation! well done, you! your orienteering skills are second to none!
in recent weeks, you have also taken the time to visit both of my brothers-in-law and my younger sister. you've been very busy and even on two continents your knack for finding folks has proven itself flawless. i certainly appreciate your timely arrival at the doorsteps of people about whom i care so deeply. as you well know, i'm a big fan of yours and these particular people deserve all the you in the world.
but, dear luck, i occasionally worry that you have lost your way en route to me. i feel i've completed all the necessary preparations for your arrival - laid out all your favourite fingerfoods, put fresh linens in the guestroom, and all that - but, alas, i have yet to be honoured by your presence.
are you lost? because if you're using mapquest that could be the problem right there. sometimes that site is a little misleading. maybe you should try googlemaps. and turn the gps on, just to be on the safe side. please?
was it something i did? 'cause whatever it was, i'm sorry. i hope you can forgive me and we can move past this soon. to be honest, hard work, perseverance, and wit have done all they can, and it's really starting to look like it's sort of up to you now.
somewhat-patiently, ever-hopefully, a-little-bit-desperately,
~m
----------
to: idris
from: ~m
sent: 13.05.2010, 9:45 p.m.
luck will find you.
you may remember that i invoked you in a brief message to idris, dated 13 may 2010. it's attached below, but basically in that missive i articulated my anticipation of your impending successful navigation to his doorstep.
and, within a week, he had both a job offer and an interview for another job! now, that's some kind of successful navigation! well done, you! your orienteering skills are second to none!
in recent weeks, you have also taken the time to visit both of my brothers-in-law and my younger sister. you've been very busy and even on two continents your knack for finding folks has proven itself flawless. i certainly appreciate your timely arrival at the doorsteps of people about whom i care so deeply. as you well know, i'm a big fan of yours and these particular people deserve all the you in the world.
but, dear luck, i occasionally worry that you have lost your way en route to me. i feel i've completed all the necessary preparations for your arrival - laid out all your favourite fingerfoods, put fresh linens in the guestroom, and all that - but, alas, i have yet to be honoured by your presence.
are you lost? because if you're using mapquest that could be the problem right there. sometimes that site is a little misleading. maybe you should try googlemaps. and turn the gps on, just to be on the safe side. please?
was it something i did? 'cause whatever it was, i'm sorry. i hope you can forgive me and we can move past this soon. to be honest, hard work, perseverance, and wit have done all they can, and it's really starting to look like it's sort of up to you now.
somewhat-patiently, ever-hopefully, a-little-bit-desperately,
~m
----------
to: idris
from: ~m
sent: 13.05.2010, 9:45 p.m.
luck will find you.
Monday, June 14, 2010
di: id
in addition to being awesome in countless ways that matter to me, idris is awesome in ways that are relevant to and have come to the attention of a mathematics department at a university in the mid-atlantic. i bought him the flowers to celebrate the long-awaited job offer - they're tiger lilies, 'cause he's a fan of cats. so much a fan is he that he just happened to be wearing the tiger beer shirt at the time!
he's been waiting for a career opportunity like this one for a long time, but the mid-atlantic is a bit farther away from me than we're used to. so, that's tough... but it's only tough because he's special. and having someone special is very, very good.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
2421 sunrises and sunsets
welcome to my 500th post! this milestone will be commemorated with a nod to the main genres of blogpost we have seen here at "can you hear the sound of laughter..."
the mundane (yet somehow bizarre):
i was just stung by a bee in my basement. at just after midnight. while i was trying to iron my shirt. on my left ring toe. no - i wasn't trying to iron my shirt on my toe... that's just where the bee stung me. this probably means i'm in for a feverish dream.
the momentous:
today i graduate for the fourth time in my life, and officially add the letters "m.a." to the end of my name - instead of just the beginning. there's an awful lot of hard work buried in those two little letters! finishing things is so good!
the miraculous:
michelle and idris are joining my parents in the audience at the convocation ceremony, and all four of them are making significant sacrifices to be there. i am loved, and i know it.
the mmmm:
there will be caramel crunch cake and champagne when we come home tonight! yum and sigh.
the musing:
what's next?
the mundane (yet somehow bizarre):
i was just stung by a bee in my basement. at just after midnight. while i was trying to iron my shirt. on my left ring toe. no - i wasn't trying to iron my shirt on my toe... that's just where the bee stung me. this probably means i'm in for a feverish dream.
the momentous:
today i graduate for the fourth time in my life, and officially add the letters "m.a." to the end of my name - instead of just the beginning. there's an awful lot of hard work buried in those two little letters! finishing things is so good!
the miraculous:
michelle and idris are joining my parents in the audience at the convocation ceremony, and all four of them are making significant sacrifices to be there. i am loved, and i know it.
the mmmm:
there will be caramel crunch cake and champagne when we come home tonight! yum and sigh.
the musing:
what's next?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
hitting the road
the terry fox run is in just five months, and this year i'm really training for it! (are you running? you should! it's fun!)
last year i completed the 10k in 100 minutes. this wasn't super, but i was very happy with the fact that 10 min/km wasn't just my *average* speed but also my *consistent* pace throughout the course.
so, training: the ravine near my house is a wonderful place to get ready for september. it's only 2km from end to end, but that's a decent start. here's the plan i'm following, brought to me (and now you!) by sparkpeople.com! it's your basic "walk a little, jog a little" routine, where the proportion of walking to jogging decreases over a twelve-week period. i've been out there twice this week, and here are my observations, so far:
- midday isn't the best time for jogging
even though i walk/jog in a ravine, there are lots of clear patches, and it gets really, really hot. that climb out of the ravine nearly killed me today! drinking more will definitely help, but so will getting out of the house before noon.
- good shoes are super; laces that like to undo themselves aren't
i need to find a solution to the latter problem!
- having to check the time constantly is annoying
i've created a week 1 playlist for my ipod shuffle. it alternates between four-minute and one-minute songs, that way i know to switch gears when a new song starts!
- 4k ain't so bad!
because the twelve-week plan slowly increases the amount of jogging, it starts at about 4k per outing and peaks at just under 8. that leaves me about a month to go from 8 to 10 k... i hope that's feasible!
even if i end up walking the last bit at 10 min/km, i'll finish in 83 minutes - 17 minutes better than last year! and if i stay on pace with the first 8k, i'll finish in 78, an improvement of 22 minutes! (these numbers aren't perfect because, if i really keep this up, even my walking might be faster!)
this project comes at a good time for me: not only do i have lots of openings in my schedules, but it feels wonderful to be moving again... and with purpose. when i used to work out on an elliptical machine, i knew how much time to aim for, how many calories i typically burned, and what the difficulty level was. it wasn't aimless jogging because i had information and knew more or less what i was accomplishing. although the gauges are a bit different here, it feels similarly intentional.
and intentional feels good.
plus, there were dogs and blue-purple flowers today. and beauty is very good.
last year i completed the 10k in 100 minutes. this wasn't super, but i was very happy with the fact that 10 min/km wasn't just my *average* speed but also my *consistent* pace throughout the course.
so, training: the ravine near my house is a wonderful place to get ready for september. it's only 2km from end to end, but that's a decent start. here's the plan i'm following, brought to me (and now you!) by sparkpeople.com! it's your basic "walk a little, jog a little" routine, where the proportion of walking to jogging decreases over a twelve-week period. i've been out there twice this week, and here are my observations, so far:
- midday isn't the best time for jogging
even though i walk/jog in a ravine, there are lots of clear patches, and it gets really, really hot. that climb out of the ravine nearly killed me today! drinking more will definitely help, but so will getting out of the house before noon.
- good shoes are super; laces that like to undo themselves aren't
i need to find a solution to the latter problem!
- having to check the time constantly is annoying
i've created a week 1 playlist for my ipod shuffle. it alternates between four-minute and one-minute songs, that way i know to switch gears when a new song starts!
- 4k ain't so bad!
because the twelve-week plan slowly increases the amount of jogging, it starts at about 4k per outing and peaks at just under 8. that leaves me about a month to go from 8 to 10 k... i hope that's feasible!
even if i end up walking the last bit at 10 min/km, i'll finish in 83 minutes - 17 minutes better than last year! and if i stay on pace with the first 8k, i'll finish in 78, an improvement of 22 minutes! (these numbers aren't perfect because, if i really keep this up, even my walking might be faster!)
this project comes at a good time for me: not only do i have lots of openings in my schedules, but it feels wonderful to be moving again... and with purpose. when i used to work out on an elliptical machine, i knew how much time to aim for, how many calories i typically burned, and what the difficulty level was. it wasn't aimless jogging because i had information and knew more or less what i was accomplishing. although the gauges are a bit different here, it feels similarly intentional.
and intentional feels good.
plus, there were dogs and blue-purple flowers today. and beauty is very good.
Friday, April 09, 2010
:)
from way across the ocean, my little sissy asked me why i was smiling. in response, i offer this partial list of my reasons for glee:
- haircuts
- sushi
- defenses and convocations
- job postings and auditions
- pub trivia successes
- a mom who takes care of me when i sacrifice part of my finger to the mandolin* gods
- a boyfriend who listens and is teaching me when to stop talking
- friends who have big! changes! going on in their lives
- the impending return of little sissy and her husband!
- seeing nyc for the first time soon
- big sissy's wedding in june!
- cats
- diet coke
- phone calls with michelle
- apples and peanut butter
- a pink sweater
- dibs
oooh... dibs! see ya!
* the vegetable slicer, not the musical instrument
- haircuts
- sushi
- defenses and convocations
- job postings and auditions
- pub trivia successes
- a mom who takes care of me when i sacrifice part of my finger to the mandolin* gods
- a boyfriend who listens and is teaching me when to stop talking
- friends who have big! changes! going on in their lives
- the impending return of little sissy and her husband!
- seeing nyc for the first time soon
- big sissy's wedding in june!
- cats
- diet coke
- phone calls with michelle
- apples and peanut butter
- a pink sweater
- dibs
oooh... dibs! see ya!
* the vegetable slicer, not the musical instrument
Sunday, March 21, 2010
amendments
oh, right! you're probably thinking that i just underwent the longest thesis defense of all time! in actuality, it only lasted two hours or so and my thesis was accepted with minor revisions!
it's been nearly a week now, and i've done the bulk of those revisions, most of which were additional footnotes and teeny typos. (it turns out there are no such things as "god mines.") i have a little more to do at the library tomorrow morning, and then i'll be done!!!
hurrah!
it's been nearly a week now, and i've done the bulk of those revisions, most of which were additional footnotes and teeny typos. (it turns out there are no such things as "god mines.") i have a little more to do at the library tomorrow morning, and then i'll be done!!!
hurrah!
Monday, March 15, 2010
getting defensive
this morning - in just two minutes or so, in fact - i'm off to hamilton to see a committee about a degree. yes, today is my thesis defense.
as i look back on the last year and a half, it's hard not to regret the things i could have done better. still, it's amazing how something has come of nothing, how ore has turned to valuable metal, and how new stories are being heard because i once idly wondered how vietnam war draft dodgers were received by canadian churches.
it's a good day.
as i look back on the last year and a half, it's hard not to regret the things i could have done better. still, it's amazing how something has come of nothing, how ore has turned to valuable metal, and how new stories are being heard because i once idly wondered how vietnam war draft dodgers were received by canadian churches.
it's a good day.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
thesised!
my thesis was due yesterday... and i submitted it on friday! woo-hoo! i've already found things to correct, but i'm ok with that.
here's my foreword, in case any of you find that sort of thing interesting :-)
In the weeks before the first draft of this thesis was submitted, a senior Canadian diplomat, formerly assigned to Afghanistan, made some startling allegations. Robert Colvin claimed that in 2006 and 2007 he had tried to inform his government that suspects apprehended by Canadian forces and handed over to Afghani authorities were likely being tortured. These allegations spurred a political circus, a parsing of memos sent by Colvin to his superiors, and denials by high-ranking generals. In the face of their own potential complicity in the torture of Afghani citizens, Canadians responded in a variety of ways. On 30 November 2009, one letter to the editor of the Globe and Mail implied that the quotidian lives of Canadians had nothing to do with those of Taliban collaborators. “What a non-issue,” wrote Gordon Friedrich.
Here, forty years later, was a descendant of so many men and women I had encountered in the pages of the United Church Observer and The Canadian Mennonite. While the academic stakes of this project are described in its formal introduction, the ideology implicit in that Globe letter compels me to reflect on the practical impact of my work.
The Vietnam War invited all Canadians to consider the degree to which their seemingly innocuous actions constituted complicity in the assault of vulnerable people. One need not be a Christian to grasp that our common human experience binds us to one another. Even apart from that fundamental spiritual kinship, however, we now have extraordinary grounds for leading lives defined by extraordinary compassion. We live in a complex eco-political network, and our interconnectedness refuses to be dismissed as the figment of a sentimental imagination; it is an undeniable reality, documented by copious paper-trails.
As voters, as tax-payers, as inventors and proliferators of goods and ideas, and as consumers, our decisions cause not ripples but tidal waves throughout the world and, for the first time, we can track them. The advent of modern telecommunications has given us access to an unprecedented volume of information about one another, at an unprecedented speed. None of us can lay claim to innocence on the grounds that we are ignorant: more than at any other time in the history of our species, we in the developed world are equipped to understand the suffering of others and our complicity therein. As a result, the very definition of “neighbour” has dramatically changed.
By documenting the moral crises Canadians underwent during the Vietnam War, I hope to move the discussion forward, so that as we redefine “neighbour,” we may also redefine our politics.
here's my foreword, in case any of you find that sort of thing interesting :-)
In the weeks before the first draft of this thesis was submitted, a senior Canadian diplomat, formerly assigned to Afghanistan, made some startling allegations. Robert Colvin claimed that in 2006 and 2007 he had tried to inform his government that suspects apprehended by Canadian forces and handed over to Afghani authorities were likely being tortured. These allegations spurred a political circus, a parsing of memos sent by Colvin to his superiors, and denials by high-ranking generals. In the face of their own potential complicity in the torture of Afghani citizens, Canadians responded in a variety of ways. On 30 November 2009, one letter to the editor of the Globe and Mail implied that the quotidian lives of Canadians had nothing to do with those of Taliban collaborators. “What a non-issue,” wrote Gordon Friedrich.
Here, forty years later, was a descendant of so many men and women I had encountered in the pages of the United Church Observer and The Canadian Mennonite. While the academic stakes of this project are described in its formal introduction, the ideology implicit in that Globe letter compels me to reflect on the practical impact of my work.
The Vietnam War invited all Canadians to consider the degree to which their seemingly innocuous actions constituted complicity in the assault of vulnerable people. One need not be a Christian to grasp that our common human experience binds us to one another. Even apart from that fundamental spiritual kinship, however, we now have extraordinary grounds for leading lives defined by extraordinary compassion. We live in a complex eco-political network, and our interconnectedness refuses to be dismissed as the figment of a sentimental imagination; it is an undeniable reality, documented by copious paper-trails.
As voters, as tax-payers, as inventors and proliferators of goods and ideas, and as consumers, our decisions cause not ripples but tidal waves throughout the world and, for the first time, we can track them. The advent of modern telecommunications has given us access to an unprecedented volume of information about one another, at an unprecedented speed. None of us can lay claim to innocence on the grounds that we are ignorant: more than at any other time in the history of our species, we in the developed world are equipped to understand the suffering of others and our complicity therein. As a result, the very definition of “neighbour” has dramatically changed.
By documenting the moral crises Canadians underwent during the Vietnam War, I hope to move the discussion forward, so that as we redefine “neighbour,” we may also redefine our politics.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
on telepathy and dumplings
i have a new friend and one of the things we like doing is being psychic.
said i on january 24th: hey, do you have plans not this tuesday but the one after? bonus points if you can figure out why i'm asking.
said he: you're not going to believe this, but i was totally going to suggest watching that movie, too!
so, on february 2nd, i brought over "groundhog day." before we watched the movie, though, we headed out to the grocery store to get what we needed to make pork and leek dumplings. see, he'd hilariously suggested that we cook something with "ground hog." i had amusingly joked that the store would be sold out of minced pork because everyone would be doing the same thing that day.
and it was!
or maybe it just doesn't carry it? anyway, in order to mimic the tasty concoctions of the working class foodies (see video below), we bought plain pork sausages (and de-sausaged them), leeks, green onions, ginger, and wonton wrappers. we combined the meat with soy sauce and the veggies, loaded the goods into the wrappers (carefully but not super neatly!), and then boiled them for 8-10 minutes.
we dipped our delectable little parcels into a vinegar-soy-ginger-green onion sauce. and sighed and self-congratulated and went back for more. and watched bill murray repeat the same day over and over again.
and you know what? it was a day worth repeating.
said i on january 24th: hey, do you have plans not this tuesday but the one after? bonus points if you can figure out why i'm asking.
said he: you're not going to believe this, but i was totally going to suggest watching that movie, too!
so, on february 2nd, i brought over "groundhog day." before we watched the movie, though, we headed out to the grocery store to get what we needed to make pork and leek dumplings. see, he'd hilariously suggested that we cook something with "ground hog." i had amusingly joked that the store would be sold out of minced pork because everyone would be doing the same thing that day.
and it was!
or maybe it just doesn't carry it? anyway, in order to mimic the tasty concoctions of the working class foodies (see video below), we bought plain pork sausages (and de-sausaged them), leeks, green onions, ginger, and wonton wrappers. we combined the meat with soy sauce and the veggies, loaded the goods into the wrappers (carefully but not super neatly!), and then boiled them for 8-10 minutes.
we dipped our delectable little parcels into a vinegar-soy-ginger-green onion sauce. and sighed and self-congratulated and went back for more. and watched bill murray repeat the same day over and over again.
and you know what? it was a day worth repeating.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)