Experience and plans

After my french presentation yesterday on my experience at l'Arche in Egypt, I was thinking about it and thinking about going to another l'Arche, maybe for experiential learning? But I want to do as few (expensive) experiential learning blocks as possible. If I want, I can still do cool things, right?

So then I had this brilliant idea to take Spanish next year. And since I'm a block behind the average third year now, I could do it all as normal, then go on partner exchange for language learning in Guadelajara, Mexico (I just pay Quest), and from there get hired by l'Arche in Mexico! And work there for a year...

I think it's a beautiful plan! There's no saying I'll stick to it, but it's a cool idea and I think I could do it. And sometimes that's all you need, right? I looked on their website (in Spanish) but they don't seem to have a "work for us" button anywhere. I'll look into it. I'm excited!!

Question

My Question is huge... it covers, basically, culture.
Institutions, understanding, expectations and experience, identity, subversion, cultural norms and shifts, interactions between people and people, people and art, people and their environment, people and ideas. Change. Stagnation. Balance.

So after the about eighth conversation this year with Brian, in which all conversations have pretty much been the same... Basically I get really excited every time about my Question because I've learned so much more and there are so many more connections since the last time that we talked. And then Brian say it's all very good and he sees how it connects, and it has a lot to do with what I've been talking about in past sessions, but I should focus things a bit more, get an example of some sort to really grab on to so I can learn more about how these things work.

In Question block I've been looking both behind and ahead, and realizing how little time I have left at Quest. And, in a sense, how much it doesn't matter what my Question is. I mean, I'm interested in so many things that I could pick any one out of the multitude, and most of them would have to do with my Question cause I can synthesize like that. So this time we had that conversation and I realized how silly I've been, and I mobilized.

So I wrote down a list of things I'd be interested in exploring, material themed like one block or one class. I started making this list which included native north and/or central american culture, education, scientific paradigm shifts, poetry, graffiti, philosophical novels?, spiritual meditation, prayer, history/styles of architecture, creation myths... then I thought about personal myths. Or rather, something along the lines of how art (maybe even stories) can be used to heal and develop an individual.

And after having focused on how to use art and stories to heal the individual (and how that connects to the community), I feel like I'm flying! (but maybe that's just the product of "having a new Question" and getting all excited about the possibilities.)

Well on Wednesday night there was a queer conversation, trying to see whether people should try to set up a queer community, what needs are not being met, etc. And one of the things that came up was to have a circle, like a group therapy where confidentiality and respect are paramount and where people can just talk or listen, just be as they wish. And that sometimes, even just listening to someone else tell their story can strike chords within yourself; allowing yourself to feel whatever it is can help you deal with it.

The way I see it, the same thing is happening for the queer "community" as it is for the international "community". There was this whole hubub around the movie that Hassan, Evon, and Dimi made for their final film project. They actually aren't allowed to show the film outside of that film festival and in their own portfolios. It has some funny dynamics, where at some points the what the school is saying and what some international students are saying are totally different. And apparently someone from our class got quite offended by the movie because it seemed like the international students were trying to divide themselves off from the rest of Quest. Which I think is bullshit, because anyone who's been a foreigner living in a different language and culture for a significant period of time can understand the 'troubles' that come with that territory. I think that's just the product of someone who doesn't understand. And actually, the movie probably brought the community together a bit. I made a point of visiting a couple of my (international) friends to thank them for being here and to just let them know that I would love to talk to them about these sorts of things, or about their culture. And I mean, I'm always fascinated by different languages.

Also, Jaimie and I want to do an experiential learning this next semester to set up a support network (involving crisis phone lines and a safe space). These two issues of contention, as well as other issues of just counseling and people with problems who don't know where to turn or how to deal with things because everyone's on the block. As Jonathan Warner (my tutor for Question block) put it, at other universities you have this mask of, "Of course I get excellent marks, and I don't put any work into it". Here there really is a culture of nerdiness, getting really into your work, discussing with classmates after class, or over lunch, or explaining to others who aren't in class, or writing songs about class, or making art for it. However, there is always this mask of "I'm working hard and I'm doing well doing well, thank you", even when you're not doing well. You just gotta keep going cause the blocks are so intense. Which is cool, until something big hits you. And then everything slips.

And we were talking about these issues and things that came up were a lot of what I had been thinking about more abstractly: institutions, renewal, creativity, expression, individuality, needs being or not being met, gaps, etc. In a sense I'm not sure that that proposed question up there is QUITE it, but I also am very encouraged by seeing that these ideas are put into a concrete and real context. It's like the seeing those ideas in the context, rather than trying to see some sort of context in the ideas. I feel like that might be a sign that I'm closer along the right path!

Sometimes it's easier than it is hard...

Here's the poster I made for another workshop:

Simple and to the point.


And the one that ended up being used for the film festival. For both of these, I shamelessly stole stock/google photos for backgrounds. And Kiersten honestly fell in love with this film festival poster. She actually freaked out: she must have said "oh my God" about twelve times.

Then she asked me to make it as an invite, as a poster, and for VIP passes. Well, you know, sometimes it really is easier than it is hard.

But I guess that doesn't really answer the question as to whether art should be some sort of struggle, a personal boundary-pushing kind of thing.
There are metric tonnes of people who just make pretty things which serve a purpose but which don't actually stretch the artist. One part of being an artist is just the fact that you have developed that vocabulary and that you're able to express things perfectly. Art has to be spot on, and people notice that. Or rather, they don't, and are just carried away. Sometimes, you know, something doesn't need to be executed perfectly, but it all needs to be in balance in that piece. I mean, I don't like the slightly awkward little rectangle of text down in the bottom half of this poster as the invite because I don't think that the whole piece has its flow. But, well, it's done now. And the actual poster posters didn't have that on it.

I often find that when I see or learn a new technique, I become enamored with it to the point that my love for, well, whatever (I think last week it was the case of my downloading a bunch of new fonts) blinds me. I thought the fonts sold the poster and then realized (or rather, Kiersten enforced the realization) that they actually weren't. So I've got to absorb that shock, that love, to stop making it exotic and just incorporate it into my toolkit so that I can use it well.


And today Ashley wanted me to make her a poster for Questival, and at least right now, I feel like it's in harmony with itself. It stands as one piece where no particular parts of it take away from any of the others, or the whole. Maybe I'll look at it again in a week and see differently.
I still like making posters. To be bold and to the point, to convey the mood without stating it, to intrigue, to pass on the information. It has its own zen. It's not something I'm used to doing, but it's nice to pare things down and work on this level.

...posters

Oh man, it's been a while since I've posted anything on here.

Well, I've been commissioned yet again to make posters for Kiersten and the Learning Commons.
This time she included a poster and invite for the Film Festival, with a specific request for "over the top".

Well.....

I spent, what, two hours downloading fonts?
They're so preeetty...
and then, hm, another two hours making too many posters which I eventually whittled down to four?












I just can't decide!!
But I guess I really like the drama and boldness of the last two. And I think the first two are the least movieish.



And then I started making poster for normal workshop sessions but I'm not sure if it's just too weird and out there and artsy for a poster for a workshop. So I'm blogging instead.



I just want to make pretty posters....

Silly school, tricks are for kids!

Tuesday: I have a math assignment due tomorrow and a French presentation I haven't even thought about for Thursday. I'll do the math homework tonight.

Wednesday: I have a French presentation I need to get done for tomorrow and a math assignment for Friday. I'll do my presentation tonight.

Thursday: I have a math assignment due tomorrow at 9 and I have appointments until 3:30 this afternoon.

It's almost funny how with these two classes, with two semi-major assignments due close together, I feel all stressed because I put in all this work and then I finish something... and then I am caught off-balance by another big assignment and it feels like my life is falling apart because it doesn't have this nice flow.


And then there's the Homeworking Mood Swing Effect:

8:30am - I am busy until 3:30om today, which gives me... 17.5 hours to work on this assignment if I don't eat or sleep. Okay. Let's start the day

3:30pm - Dang I hope I can pull this off. Some of my classmates started working on this yesterday. I don't know if I'll have enough time.

4:30pm - Wow I've been doing math for an hour and got about one question done.

6:00pm - I've completed about 30% of the assignment!

8:30pm - I've completed about 30% of the assignment...

1:00am - I've finished everything except our class wiki. It shouldn't be long before I get to sleeeep...

2:30am - Wiki's done! What else can I do? Laundry? Play music? Stay up until class at nine?

It's fall...

Thanks note

I decided that every day I'm going to make (or work on) a thank-you kind of note for someone. Doesn't matter who, as long as it's spreading the love around.
This is my first, made today and yesterday, for Theresa, who works in student affairs.

Ryan, child of Zeus

I hadn't posted this yet, but a bunch of my friends were in the same class, and dared each other to all come to this class with wacky dyed hair. When it came down to doing it, though, Ryan didn't want to. (Graham has bleached hair with a blue-coloured faux-hawk)

So I coaxed Ryan into the idea of doing a lightning bolt on the side of his head, and he went for it!!




Aaaand that's what I do at Quest....

Free and easy in Van

Quest organized a shuttle down to van today for an expo on international opportunities. Then me and Deon wandered around for a muddle of minutes before we went back to Squamish. After which I watched documentaries.

Bruna

My block break

I went to Van for a day and a half. Here's van:

And here's Elly sleeping on the bus in van.



The happiest piece of graffiti ever!

Elly and I had vaguely planned to go visit her friend in Bellingham, but then I forgot my passport and realized that I should better spend my time organizing myself at Quest. Then Elly changed her mind too, and went back to Quest with me.


So then we wandered around the campus..



The colours!! It's so beautiful.



The next day I spent a good three or four hours laying on my blanket in the gravel pit with this glorious view. Soaking up the sun, reading a book, not worrying about time or things to do or anything. That was the best.

Quick note

Class was good, we did a math test diagnostic (doesn't count for points, just to let the tutor know where we're at in life. well, in math, anyways). I have no homework!!! woah, man! First time in.... dunno how long.
I got homework in life though. Like defining what I mean by the Awakening, and how to place objectivity and subjectivity in the context of my question. Planning out the rest of my academic career. And trying to feel like a normal human being.

Some parts of me are broken right now.
Dunno why, dunno how.

One day I'll be better.

But also read a novel the other day, my first one in a little while (last one was Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in Egypt if I remember correctly). Read Ender's Game in a day and it hit home. It had some of the same themes I've been thinking about, some different ones.. Now I'm restarting Tales of Power by Carlos Castaneda. It's like a story about being a warrior, if by warrior you mean someone who can see and who does what might normally be considered magic. It too, has some important themes. It's about living right. That's pretty important. Speaking the language of the universe (though now that I think of it, I did read the Alchemist over the summer). When you think about it, you start seeing the same themes everywhere. It's inescapable. The universe is all.

Last Saturday

Saturday morning was awesome.

I got up early and peacefully, leisurely started doing my homework. Like doing homework was the most luxurious treat one could imagine.

Then I brought Ashley forth into this wonderful day, and we made cream of wheat together

Then we went by the waterfall a quick 7 minutes' walk from our place.. in the middle of the forest, you skip the bridge and scramble down to the shore.

I love human products randomly abandoned in nature!

Then we walked another 25 minutes to get to THIS waterfall. Quite a bit larger than the last one. Where that tree is growing out from the rock, on the left, is where kids often go cliff jumping. I've jumped off the lower one that's kinda shiny and hard to point out, still a good few meters off the water.

Ashley peeking through the rocks back at me.

This is cold, cold glacier water.

And me and Ashley went skinny dipping in it.

Walking back over the giant bridge, we look across the way...

....and down at the huge waterfall.

And then we found this cutest snail on a path in the forest.

the answer

a world devoid of opinions, a world entirely objective, would either be completely fake and lying and insincere, or completely devoid of morality. and this is really coming back to the creation of a mass society. a world sanitized. a scary place, a complete void of humanity.

(which can be overcome by expression. completely biased, subjective, feeling, expression of self)

Looking to kill a couple minutes?

I was looking through the Walrus' website as part of my Media and Politics class, and came across this charming story: An Arboreal History According to the Guild of St. Luke. You should check it out. It takes less than a minute. I love it!!

Also, EPIC is a documentary about the state of media in 2014. It's 8 minutes long, and gives an alternate view of things. Interesting to think about.

I'm sure you've heard of the Daily Show, a comedy 'news' show. Well John Stewart went on Crossfire in 2004. It's just really interesting to watch. Actually, it's because of John Stewart that Crossfire was later canceled. (If you're a little more interested you can read with wiki bit here)

I love getting up early on weekends...

The sky seems hung over. Draped on the shoulders of the mountains, falling all over the place, making a mess of the landscape.

Mamquam River

Me and Bruna biked to downtown Squamish. (yay biking!) on Thursday. On the way back we stopped by the Mamquam River.

Here's Bruna waaaay down the path, tiny among the trees...

I love graffiti. Here's something random and picturesque.


Bruna and our bikes


A cool rock


The beach and the old riverbed

Notebook magazine

Completely randomly... I'm a fan of the Edmonton Small Press Association in Edmonton and they sent me a message saying that Notebook is releasing its last magazine, come down for a party!

Shenenigans: Fire

There was a fire alarm in the building last night. It was about 11:30ish when the insane beeping goes on throughout the building. I descend the stairs past Theresa on the phone with emergency services and she tells us to go out to the tennis court parking lots. We all walk over there and we're all checking on our friends and roommates. Of course I have no coat and no shoes...

We're beside the northeast corner of the building, and Caleb and James Berry have piled their mattresses outside of their room, and there's four people on the balcony of the room above them. Gab is scared of heights and doesn't want to jump, so Kirsty climbs up to try to help somehow. The fire trucks are on the other side of the building talking to Theresa when we all find out there's no actual fire. A couple of drunk people took out one of the fire extinguishers and sprayed it everywhere. Apparently the fumes seemed kind of like smoke. So Gab and Jaimie and someone else and their very drunk roommate all make a run for it down the stairs. We all still have to stay out of the building until they can clear all the foam and fumes. We all wander over to South Village where Jaimie starts to play us wonderful piano tunes. Honestly, the whole room of about 8 people are affixed, listening to her amazingness. Then they tell us that if we inhaled any smoke we should get checked out by the paramedics, so I take Tatiana to get checked out. We still couldn't get in to the building until like 12:30ish. End of story.

I can't find my camera

Here's some" old" pictures from this summer.






I've been peer tutoring this first year kid. It's so cute, helping him! He's so earnest! He just has trouble organizing his thoughts sometimes. We've done three different brainstorming sessions. It's cool to see how it clicks in his head.
Also, I got my first essay back--I had to ask for an extension because I was in over my head, not used to it all again, and misread previous hw assignments. I got an A- Awesome

HEY YO!

Oh my goodness. The day before yesterday was a day of amazing connections. There's a certain core group of people here who are just amazing people, like Hannah and Bruna and Kirsty, who are all living together. That room has such power in it. Such a good force. It makes me happy to be their honorary fourth roommate. Then there's Jamie, and a new addition to Quest, Jamie's roommate Elly.

Actually it's hilarious because lots of people (including myself, admittedly) say that Elly and I look like each other. Some people thought she was my sister. I said that we should be friends just for this reason and then it all took off. She spent one year in Kenya, the past summer working for the conservation corps in Southwest United States, and we read each others' minds. Also, she's exactly three days older than me. It's so mysterious and awesome and the kind of person who I can spend, honestly, hours delving into the pockets of the universe with, yet we never even come close to exhausting the riches it has to offer. We're only left more awestruck and intrigued.

Just now I was hanging out with Dustin and suddenly, randomly said, "I want to go to Van". This despite the logical side of me that says I have a ticket to the music festival in Squamish this weekend and I really wanted to see Said the Whale because I've been listening to them for two years and today's their day, but suddenly I felt like I should go to Van. Then Elly comes by the room and asks if I want to go to Van with her. What?? That's awesome.

I have some homework to catch up on but... I might just be going to Vancouver today.

Sam and Mocha

Being home

The other day my friend A was talking about something she'll be doing later on in the year. I was like, "Hey, I'll actually be there for that!" It's pretty much the first time in a year where I'm not gonna be missing something because I'm leaving. It felt really cool. That's how I know I'm home.


On a related note, this is a poem I wrote a few days ago:

You sit on the couch and it becomes a cat
so your left hand turns into a wooden bat
upon which your blender serenades you with song
and your brother says, "kidney you're doing it wrong!"
So you run far away
from the freaks in your home
and decide, to be safe,
you shall wander and roam
You meet up with strangers
who eat fruitcake in bed
and silly old men
of tinfoil heads
the young boy of twelve
who owns three goats
is friends with girl
with a hole in her throat
but none of this strangeness
is at all very strange;
it's a part of the road,
where everything's changed.
When one day you tire
of traveling round
and decide to return
to familiar ground,
Remember this tale,
and all that it told,
that strangeness is the only
normal rule that we hold.

Where we were camping on Wednesday

Oh, and to answer your questions....

Would I like anything sent out to me? Maybe some lush shampoo, the green Karma one that smells the best anyways. And maybe some recycling paper, that's been used on one side, that I can scribble on with markers....
Also, yes, I have the confirmation ring somewhere. I don't really like gold in general... Let me find it in the next week or so...
And as for the sketchbook thingy, something I've relatedly thought about before is just having a travelling sketchbook. But I really haven't the mental resources to think about that now.... Gotta focus on what I am doing for sure right now.

Love!

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