Within this EU frame comes another question of identity and international relations brought up in Belgium, a country on the brink of a split. In the North of Belgium is an area called Flanders, made up primarily of wealthy, Flemish-speaking Belgish. This area of the country comprises 65 percent of its national GDP. In the South is Wallonia, the French-speaking, poorer area of the country.

The conflict has grown due to financial differences. In July, several government representatives began calling for Flanders to have more financial autonomy, which soon led into the argument that Flanders should separate from Wallonia. Since then, no decisions have been made because no one can agree on how to solve the problem.

The source of the problem is not only financial. Rather, the underlying problem and the reason Belgiums can not agree on the next step is deeply rooted in cultural differences. It's not because Belgium is split into a wealthy Northern region and a poor Southern region, but rather that the citizens in the Northern region are Flemish and the Southern French. And both group maintain a strong sense of pride over their heritage. Check out from this article and this article from the New York Times for additional background information.

This doesn't have political and social ramifications only for Belgium and France but for the entire EU. The further breakdown of European countries has been occuring for the last several decades, such as with the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Yugoslavia and Bosnia and most recently Kosovo and Serbia. It's a trend that Ian Burama, professor for human rights at Bard College in New York, says will have negative effects on the EU.

Writing in The Guardian Burama said, "Many Basques would like to break away from Spain, as would many Catalans. Corsicans would love to be rid of France, and many Scots of Britain. ... No doubt some of these peoples would be able to survive perfectly well on their own. But history does seem to suggest that the cumulative effect of states falling apart is seldom positive. ... Nation-states were often formed in the 18th and 19th centuries to promote common interests that transcended cultural, ethnic, linguistic, or religious differences. ... The problem now is that interests are no longer the same, or even held in common.

Burama puts part of the blame on EU shoulders. Because the EU actively promotes regional interests within a larger nation-transcending framework, the authority of national governments is weakened. The existence of the larger EU, which brings with it economic and political protection, allows regional governing bodies that are based on cultural identity to believe that they can flourish independently of a national government. If you're Scotland, why be part of the U.K. when you are part of the EU?

"The fate of Belgium should interest all Europeans, especially those who wish the Union well. For what is happening in Belgium now could end up happening on a continental scale," Burama wrote. "Without having intended it, the EU now seems to be encouraging the very forces that postwar European unity was designed to contain."

This argument is part of the question of how large can one's own identity become in such a globalized world? Can someone think of themselves as only a European - not Italian, Welsh or Catalonian - and still feel a sense of self-importance within a strong cultural identity? Enough of a sense of self-worth to operate appropriately within the politcal and global realm?

The question goes back to an idea of basic psychology, humans need to feel tha they belong to a group. This is true in mundane, everyday situations, which is why we join sports and activity groups and have a common set of friends, but this is also a determining factor in a more broad sense, which links to religion, politics and race. In order to unite each other, people need a "them" or a group of "others" that can not be part of the unity because they are different. This border between us and them is almost always subconscious. Throughout history it is often imperceptible, especially to outsiders, however, most often or perhaps most notably are the divisions along obvious, physical factors, such as race, gender and religion.

The way people and nations divide and unite themselves along this "us" and "them" line has changed significantly with economic and cultural globalization. Distance is no longer as important, and most people have multiple cultural identites, starting with the local and including trans-national, such as an European or Christian identity. But one thing that I would argue that will never change are these divisions along race, religious and, now, historical backgrounds. Though one can argue that the world is continually becoming closer in cultural values and norms and political idealogies, these subconscious and inherent feelings within people - the need to feel as a part of a group - will always divide people.

With my Direct Marketing Internet business,  a background in retail management and business communication, I knew that whatever business I undertook, it would have to be purposeful and life changing.

Pasefika LIFE is purposeful!  I finally have my niche, my purpose in life, my passion - my Business.

Pasefika LIFE has been a vision in the making - even when I wasn't fully aware of what I wanted in my life - or for my future.  My past life experiences, my current life experiences as a wife and mother, my past work experiences - they have all been knitted together to bring me to this stage in my life.

Pasefika LIFE is just the beginning of greater things - not just for me and my family, my business partner and her family - but moreso, for our people! Our Pacific people, nationwide and worldwide.

Its time to do away with the status quo and begin to progress forward as a people.  God has blessed each and every one of us with talents and a purpose in life.  And our aim is to find out what that purpose is.

Without a purpose we flounder.  We walk around aimlessly.  In order to be able to impact the lives of others, and bring them to a place of transformation - we must firstly be transformed.

I challenge you, the reader, regardless of gender, ethnic background, religion, marital status - what is your purpose in life?

Muir, over at afoe, brilliantly critiques Wagner's bunk. Judge for yourself.

[UPDATE Aug. 1st]: Jussi Jalonen extends the critique by looking at a different part of Wagner's article dealing with Galicia. This is yet another reason not to overlook insightful comments that may be hidden under the main post.

Read all about it!  John McCain, that maverick!  I told you he was a good guy!  Whew!

"How Geronimo Lost his Head and Found Yale"

John McCain wanted that head to return!

except guess who had the skull... and guess what!  Now you'll understand the Kerry connection and what is about to happen if we don't follow that road they are all connected to!  Look up La Junta... and see!

Check this story out!  Our maverick hero went after that skull, once upon a time...

Skull and Bones Society losing its grip on American presidency

wait til you see who is involved, there is even a chart! Don't miss it!  It's off of Muckety, betcha that's a site for Muckrakers R Us! (My kind of journos, anyway...!)  Isn't McCain the dearest!  He is like Teddy Roosevelt!  He is!  What a story of American Ancestors, and beloved American Presidents...and total ROGUES!

"...McCain did have a minor skirmish with Skull and Bones once.

In the 1980s, he tried to broker a meeting between the elder Bush and one of his Arizona constituents - a former Apache chieftain name Ned Anderson seeking the return of a skull that is said to belong to Geronimo and which is believed to have been swiped from his grave nearly a century ago by a group of Bonesmen, including the late Prescott Bush, the father of George H.W. Bush.

Bush, however, wasn’t interested, and the matter was dropped, according to Alexandra Robbins, author of Secrets of the Tomb, and a piece on Skull and Bones in The Atlantic. A 2006 appeal for the skull’s return, this time to George W., from Harlyn Geronimo, the great-grandson of the 19th century warrior, also went unanswered, according to a report by the Associated Press...."

"REFORM, PROSPERITY, PEACE"

I suppose it leads back to that old chestnut “Write What You Know”. And it leads me to wonder if I believe that. Do I believe that writers should draw on the things they actually know about, have actual experience and therefore watertight reference to. I do and I don’t. I mean, I am always very conscious of the whole cultural appropriation question, to the point where I feel guilty if I write about a Jewish character, or a part-Aboriginal character, even though I have the biological “right” to do so. I know I’m not exactly W.P Kinsella, or anything, but I don’t want to tell stories I have no right to tell. Does the same hold true in my mind about setting? Do I feel that I should only write about the backdrop I have at that moment pinned myself against? Because that would really be limiting. But I have to admit that the last two things I have written have taken place in the very trailer park where I live, on the banks of the Stave River, right here in eerie Mission, BC.

Then I think. No. It isn’t that I am chained to the places where I live, in some sort of creative headlock. I think it’s that I actually draw a lot of inspiration from the places I choose to live. Setting is sort of my muse. I look at a place, and I can imagine anything happening there. My stories live for me if I can picture myself living in them. The most exciting places are the places we actually set foot every day. I like the idea of all the strange, poignant, licentious things my neighbours might be up to. And a trailer park in the middle of nowhere is a spawning ground for drama, just like a city is. It is a microcosm of the human condition, and I want to mine it for all it’s worth. I’m not chained up in the yard, I’m romancing the neighbourhood with my nose up everyone’s asses, sniffing out the dirt and bringing it home. I’m doing my job wherever I go. That’s got to be a good thing. Freedom within set limitations. Yeah. Why not? That sounds as good as any bullshit I’ve heard lately. I think I’m gonna run with it until I’m pulled up short, and have to backpedal into a brand new theory. Who said writing isn’t alchemy? Or at least the amazing ability to pull things out of your ass like a long handkerchief chain from a shifty clown’s pocket. Ooooooh, Ahhhhhhhh!

Remember when Solange Knowles, little sister to the one with mega-stage presence and plenty of numero uno hits, released a potentially suicide inducing album circa 2003? Neither does virtually anyone else. However, it did happen. After this and getting knocked up at a fairly young age, Solange seemed to disappear -- except for the occasional writing credit for the Marcia of the family, Beyonce, and other individuals associated with the Houston-based Knowles Mafia.

Color me not just surprised -- but VERY surprised -- when I say that I really like... like REALLY like... the Freemasons' remix of Solange's song (from her upcoming album?!?!) "I Decided," aptly titled "I Decided Part 2." Hell seriously must have frozen over for someone to give this girl another chance.

The song in tow with its video almost borders on brilliance. The remix by the Freemasons, more so than the original Neptunes' edit, fits the fusion of social and cultural identities expressed by video director, Melina -- set to technicolor pop art. While "I Decided" is merely a Supremes-influenced story of one's love, the song's remixed production values combined with the video's images elevates it to another level. The song and video together express the evolution of civil liberties set to ANY pop song (spanning from the '60s to the present) because "I Decided Part 2" sounds like an orgy of the decades. The Freemasons' sounds, along with the glamour and glitter of the video, pay homage to not just musical influence, but to social influence for racial equality and the expression of cultural identity.

"I Decided Part 2" falls short due to the fact that while images of racial equality and injustices abound toward the beginning, they become much more muted as the video progresses. On one hand, the theme becomes more subtle simply due to the fact that Jim Crow did not have a place in the '90s. Therefore, images of marches and rallies are going to be fewer and farther between. Instead, for example, we get the artwork of Keith Haring which is infused with a message of social justice. Eventually, however, we jump to the future where the pop art style of the video is gone and it feels as if Solange is simply being Jan Brady and competing with Big Sis.

This video could have received the ultimate gold star if Solange and the director kept up with images of race, culture, and (gasp) Solange's personal feelings associated with being African American in today's society. With the images that preceded the shallow outer space scenes, it could have brought Solange to a place that her sister has never been -- it could have shown her as someone truly having, believing, and wanting to deliver a message to people.

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While out wandering around Leith a while back I saw a quite rare sight for Leith, a woman in a burqa, and I have to admit that I found it quite offensive. Now I am not saying that the burqa should not be worn, nor am I making any sort of anti-religious or anti-cultural statement; all that I am saying is that confronted with what for many women is a matter of personal choice, my first reaction was that I was offended by it. This probably says quite a lot about me as a person, but I have to confess that, a few days later, my reaction made me stop and think about who I am, why was I offended, and about ethnic and cultural identity in general.

At then end of the day I think that I am a reasonably intelligent and pretty liberal minded person who's basic philosophy is live and let live; which is why my reaction came as all the more of shock to me. I have never given the wearing of the burqa any great deal of thought, of course I have heard some discussion, and quite heated at that, about the matter, but have always taken the attitude of "if that is how people want to express their religious/cultural identity, so what, it's their choice", as I say live and let live.

When I began to think about why I found the burqa offensive my first thought was that it sort of implies that all men are rapists, now I know that this is a rather stupid reaction, especially when one begins to think of the psychology behind rape, the whole 'power' thing amongst others. My next thought was about how one would interact with someone wearing a garment that covers everything with only a slit for the eyes, and I think that it would be almost impossible to interact with anyone wearing such a garment as we all rely on body language, facial expressions etc. as part of everyday communication, whether we realise it or not.

This led me to thinking about who and what I am, and whether who and what I am is responsible for my reaction; after all this was only someone expressing their own sense of identity. After a great deal of reflection I have come to the conclusion that I don't think of myself in terms of any form of ethnic or cultural stereotype; I know that I sometimes make a big thing of being a Cornish Celt, but that is more for effect than anything else. I don't think of myself in terms of black, white, pink with blue dots or whatever colour you may care to mention. Neither do I think of myself in any religious terms, not as a Christian, a Muslim, a Hindu, nor any other religious identity. As a matter of fact I have very little time for religion at all, but that is another story.

This led me to thinking about how I perceive others, and I think that all of the above also apply there; I do not think of people I meet or know in terms of their colour, religious beliefs, cultural beliefs etc., I judge them by what they have to say, but that is not to say that I always agree with them. I suppose that at the end of the day I see myself first and foremost as a human being, albeit a white, Cornish, liberally minded and slightly flawed (but aren't we all) human being. And that is precisely how I see others, as human beings; fine they are human beings who think differently, have different beliefs and probably see themselves differently than I see myself, or them for that matter, but they are still human beings, no more no less.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the lady in the burqa, whoever she may be, for stopping me dead in my tracks and making me think about who and what I am. What I have put here only scratches the surface of my thinking, and I know full well that we are all shaped by the circumstances of our mundane lives. But, ultimately, we are all human beings, and to put it in a rather vulgar manner, we all enter the world through a hole, and we all leave the world through a hole. So, why the fuck can't we all just get on and make the best of the short time that we have between the two holes of birth and death!

Thanks to my father I embrace the fact that being Turkish means so much more than having an ethnic Asian-Turkish background and that The Republic of Turkey is built and enriched by the diversity of cultures and ethnicities.

Like all Turks who are proud to be children of Atatürk, my father always complains about how the new government and the religious sects ruin Turkey and our culture. It is clear that when my father grew up my grandmother (she died before I was born, may she rest in piece) was the head of the family, which you can also see in the photograph I have enclosed. My father is sitting next to her.

Everything that is strange about me, I got from my father. My interest in fashion; yes, that, too.

My father supports my passionate interest in art, which I must have gotten from him, because he is the one who taught me to draw, even though I am not good at it, and he is the one who bought my first film camera and then my Polaroid camera at the age of nine, which lead me to one of my greatest passions - photography. I may not be good, but it gives me a desirable pleasure. It was not always like this. What a paradox, I think and I smile; for a very long time my father had difficulties accepting my overwhelming interest in art. He dreamed about me going to med school or becoming an engineer or something.

First of all; I am Ilkin Demircan. No matter what.

By Ahmed Maged

CAIRO: Some of the images found on ancient Egyptian papyri and tombs reflect the variety of musical instruments used at the time, attesting to the developed state art had reached during the Pharaonic age.

Abdel Halim Nureldin, professor of archaeology and former director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, spoke of Israeli attempts to claim that those instruments are part of the Jewish heritage which began to take shape in ancient Egypt when the Jewish people emerged as a distinct community.

Nureldin, who had given a lecture last month on the subject at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, pointed out that in spite of the fact that some Pharaonic documents prove that music was present at royal ceremonies, funeral processions and other events, no musical notes were found to translate that music into melodies.

Ancient Egyptians used many string, wind and percussion instruments including the harp, lute, pipe, flute, hand-held drums, the sistrum, bells and others. Men and women alike played music professionally as reflected in the depictions on the walls of tombs and papyri.

And who doesn't like a little bit of controversy in the morning? I must admit that this controversy over the origin of musical instruments in Pharaonic culture is something new to me. It should be made clear, however, that that musical instruments are known to have existed in Pharaonic Egypt from at least as early as the Old Kingdom. There is no indication that any single outside culture brought a musical revolution to Egypt, though in later periods new instruments appear that most likely were introduced via various inter-cultural influences and exchanges, particularly in the Greco-Roman period. Certainly the most important musical instruments - those which appear most frequently in Pharaonic era art and cultural references - were in place by the Old Kingdom, including the harp, pipes and the sistrum, amongst others.

An interesting table of the first known appearances of various musical instruments in Ancient Egypt can be found here at UCL's Digital Egypt site.

Fuckin’ sporto jockstrap boof-head wankers! In this country, they are a priviledged class that sits above the rest of us mere mortals purely because of a genetic predisposition to be good at sport. They get worshipped, pampered and paid exorbitant amounts for playing games. It may be heresy to say in sport-obsessed Australia but what they do is of NO benefit to society. I don't really care about any of that, what really shits my bed is that the Australian public are happy for athletes to flout the law, behave like reprobates and still be held up in the international sphere as paragons of our society.

Nick D’Arcy, the swimmer charged with assault over breaking another athlete's cheek, jaw and palate when drunk and full of himself, looks as though he’ll still be going to represent Australia at the Beijing Olympics. The AOC and The Court of Arbitration For Sport are tying themselves up in knots trying to find a decent justification for letting him go that won’t make them look like the supporters of criminal violence that they are. I was disgusted to read this piece of apologist bullshit in The Age, desperately trying to illicit sympathy for a man who should be in prison rather than being endorsed as a cultural ambassador of his country.

The AOC is obliged to consider the consequences for D'Arcy if he is booted out. Cyclist Jobie Dajka was kicked out of the Athens team in 2004 after lying to a drug inquiry. Three years of depression and alcoholism ensued, and a suspended jail term for an assault on a cycling coach. "I was drinking six litres of wine a day to numb the pain," Dajka said last month.

What the fuck was that? If he's punished he might become a sad, violent substance abuser? Big fucking deal! He's already a violent substance abuser, the only difference is he might get sad. What? Don’t most criminals become depressed when punished for their offences? Is that because punishment is not nice? Why is it we don’t feel sorry for ordinary crims? Could it be because the lousy fucks aren’t any good at sport? Yeah, what fucking losers!

What the ball-chafing fuck is wrong with this country? It’s Newton’s Third Law, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Just because sportspeople are too thick to be able to comprehend the consequences of their actions does not mean they should be exempt from those consequences. Yes, people fuck up. But the way people learn to not fuck up is through consequences. If a normal person gets drunk and smashes another person’s skull in a momentary fit of drunken rage, they go to prison. Any average crim would get laughed at if they said, Yeah, sorry I bashed him but can I still go to that sports carnival? The judge would say No, fucktard, you cannot. You can get a jolly good rogering from your cellmate for a couple of years while you learn to control yourself?

I’m well aware Nick D’Arcy probably feels pretty bad about what he’s done, as he fuckin' well should, but I’d wager that most of why he feels bad is because he stands to lose something he cares about. Punishment has no meaning if it doesn’t hurt, so fuck him! 

The AOC needs to get its shit together and take a hard line on boof-head Nick D’Arcy. He’s a fucking criminal and, good athlete or not, he shouldn’t represent Australia in Beijing. If he does, we might as well teach our children to fight and tell them that bullying is fine if you’re good at sport. We might as well make certain our kids forget everything in their lives except sport because if you’re good at sport you can bash and rape your way through life with impunity. This is Australia. We’re convicts. Get fucked!!!

Modern education not only ignores one’s mother tongue but also fails to teach English properly. As a result the culture of these children does not have an identity. This identity crisis, though not evident within the country, will affect the culture and hence the art and history of the region the child is from. This raises the vital question: “Why do we need to preserve culture?”.

On a basic level, there is no fun in anything if it does not possess variety. Our drives, inspirations and entertainment thrive on the diversity of things. If everything was in a similar state, nothing would flourish. Secondly, language is an inherent part of culture and thus needs to be preserved too. A lot of dialects are fading away from the face of the earth everyday. The study of language becomes a vital part in study of history. For example, some endangered Andaman languages have a word for has lost his sibling. This directly gives us a peek into their life style and family structures of the respective civilizations. Thus, the need for preserving culture translates to the need for preserving history.

History, as we all know it, is not only a record of our mistakes, decisions and political administration, but also a tool for guiding us in various situations and shortcomings. Hence, it is vital for us to preserve history and hence the culture of various societies. Same is the case with art. We all know that art played a significant part in man’s transformation from a nomadic Neanderthal into what he is. Study of art is an integral part of ethnic research. If art is to be preserved, then so is culture since both of them are interwoven.

But at the same time, preserving culture does in no way mean the blind following of the instructions and protocols laid out by ancestors. The Tamil saying “Pazhamai veru pazhasu veru” (Being traditional is different from being old fashioned) sums it up. A critical doctrine of every culture is cultural tolerance which says that every culture must identify and respect other cultures and if possible adopt a few good things from them. Culture preservation will be successful only if the people from each culture are open to adopting the best of each world such that it leads to the betterment of the future generations. The abolishing of Sati was one such good transformation in the Hindu society. Caste division which was started for political administration and subsequently demonized into exploitation and its eventual abolishing is another example of cultural preservation through flexibility in doctrines.

Therefore, it is essential that each culture gradually reinvents itself regularly without losing its identity. With this in mind, if today’s generation is willing to have a hold of their cultural uniqueness and also the changing trends of the society, the world would be a better place to live in. I, for one, have decided to read Tamil poems and wear Veshti (South Indian Dhoti) at least on special occasions!!!

P.S.: If I was unable to clearly express what I intended to, it is because of my straddling between the two languages!

P.P.S.: Please visit The Maharishi’s blog for a different take on this subject.

So now I'm in the delightful dilemma about trying to read it without crashing through it too fast. The first person narrative is skilful without becoming physically exhausting like Italo Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler. The story doesn't lazy about. Things are always galloping forward and you feel lucky to hang on to the saddle. It paints a very different world from that of Moth Smoke the author's first masterpiece. Its a world that's not as easy to understand. But intriguing none the less.

That's about all I am going to say for now. As I read through the book trying not to finish it too fast. I case you haven't realised by now, this isn't a review :) But I am happy to get my paws on this book - enough to break my rhythm of not posting on a crazy Tuesday.

I have to keep this short as Mr. C is trying her hand at some hard core baking - involving a lot of eggs, flour and the oven. This post has already been interrupted many times by smoke and other kitchen dramas. Thankfully the fire brigade has not been hassled. Hopefully I get to have my cake and eat it too.

Culture can be dynamic or relatively static. It can be healthy for the people of any particular place or consistently destructive. The ways in which individuals embrace various elements of culture and relate to one another's uniqueness or similarities is, what I perceive as an element that is fundamental to the construct of cultural identity.

While many places allow for cultural identity to be shaped gradually and indefinitely, places that have experienced significant wars or genocides are seeking ways to channel the best elements of existing cultural practices and ideas for the good of the people as a whole. These kinds of initiatives will prove useful in avoiding future occurrences of horrific past tensions.

Urban identity is to be created by many people and not directed by single individuals only. If collective information and awareness can be utilized in the construction of space and relationships, it may give a collectively-received sense of self in relation to a whole.

If a people can feel a sense of ownership and acceptance within their places of living, working and recreation, they will find aspects of life that readily relate to those around them and focuse on similarities and embrace differences...To have a sense of unity.

!!!

spin of 4.22 : "all saints day" : evan moritz

read of 4.22 : my war gone by i miss it so : anthony loyd

thewayismadebywalking.com

thewayismadebywalking.com is the web database that houses caminante no hay camino. Along with the coloring book, this site will feature stories, audio, video, images, articles, and links to other resources on the web.

caminante no hay camino

caminante no hay camino, is a free educational coloring book that attempts to provide the framework for an ongoing- democratic narrative.

questions to consider:

We must ask ourselves: are our children currently exposed to genocide, human rights violations, and political massacres?

Ideally the answer would be no, no one child or adult should ever have to experience these conditions. However these conditions are a reality, they are not simply a part of our past that can be overlooked, they are current, they are NOW.

What about the upside? Are our children aware of the many movements and individuals who have persevered against such conditions and made major social changes?

I would say that to some degree they are. But the question then becomes, to what extent?

Perhaps it comes down to dissemination of information to young people. Without providing a proper context for the interpretation and dialogue surrounding these explicit images, the depicted incidents become far removed from our lives, and we become numb to their reality.

we should be discussing:

Who told the story and how was it covered? (Was it in a history textbook, on a news station, in a Youtube Video, on someone’s blog?)

What was their intention in bringing this story to life? Was it their personal story, did they have a specific political agenda, did they have a monetary investment exposing in said incident?

How can you help?

please submit suggestions, ideas, articles, lesson plans, links and images to thewayismadebywalking@gmail.com

include the following:

• group/individual involved
• event/action/movement
• where/ when
• tactics used
• links (images and or information)

basic example: for emma tenayuca

Over the past month I have been begun compiling a series of public and private maps, graphs, lists, audio and visual libraries- all cultural artifacts which have made (an continue to make) an imprint on my concept of self.

What I am starting to discover is that the individuals that have come into my life tend to have backgrounds and interests that are similar to my own. It not surprising that our paths have crossed. Common themes for my conversations, thus far, have included: educational theory, public health, and human rights advocacy, To continue these conversations is important to me, but I also think it could be powerful to open this discourse to wider circles.

In the spirit of free education, I am sharing my inspirations and conversations in the form of an ongoing-coloring book. The aim is to set the framework for an ongoing collaboration to create a democratic narrative. With strategic placement on the web, there are innumerable potential opportunities for contributions and connections between individuals whose paths might not otherwise cross.

History of Caminante No Hay Camino

A central tenet of critical pedagogy maintains that the classroom, curricular, school structures teachers enter are not neutral sites waiting to be shaped by educational professionals. While such professionals do possess agency, this prerogative is not completely free and independent of decisions made previously by people operating with different values and shaped by the ideologies and cultural assumptions of their historical contexts. These contexts are shaped in the same ways language and knowledge are constructed, as historical power makes particular practices seem natural—as if they could have been constructed in no other way. -Joe L. Kinchelo

There is one specific image that I have never been able to remove from my mind: an image of a Guatemalan solider pointing a gun at the belly of a young pregnant woman. Ironically, I have no recollection as to the source of that specific image. Part of me wonders if that image even existed, or if it was a confabulation of my youth, created in response to the countless stories of political massacre in Guatemala that my father would describe to me on a regular basis.

The Power of Image

Recently I attended a symposium on Architecture, Art and the Experience of Blackness, where I was greatly moved by the words of Hamza Walker, who serves as the Director of Education and Associate Curator for the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago.

In an effort to outline “blackness” or the “black experience”, Walker alluded to the profound impact of the publication of the casket-side Emmett Till photos in JET magazine.

The Till incident began with the brutal beating and murder of an 11yr old boy, whose only crime was whistling at a white woman. In a surprisingly high profile trial the two men accused were almost immediately acquitted by an all white jury. The boy’s grieving mother insisted on an open casket funeral so that the world could see what had happened to her beloved son.

Walker suggested that the media transmission of these transgressions confirmed the collective understanding shared by African Americans that this treatment was the reality of the judicial system. If they were to ever “compromise the integrity of a white woman” what happened to Till would happen to them.

Is exposure to explicit images of human brutality the proper way to insure that these incidents do not repeat themselves?

• How many times have we seen this same iconographic image?

• But do we know who is in this image and what is taking place?

• Has seeing this image a million times done anything to stop the Iraq war or prevent genocide in Darfur?

"Those heroes that shed their blood
And lost their lives...
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly Country.
Therefore rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side
Here in this country of ours...
You, the mothers,
Who sent their sons from far away countries
Wipe away your tears,
Your sons are now lying in our bosom
And are in peace
After having lost their lives on this land
They have become our sons as well.

From a speech by Turkish president Ataturk (previously COL Mustapha Kemal 9th Division, Turkish Army) to ANZAC sojourners in Turkey in 1934.

ANZAC is a defining day for Australia. As an infant country only 14 years old, Australia was eager to show the world who it was. Much like the teenagers that volunteered to battle in foreign countries for their King, the country was full of energy and a sense of adventure. This is the mindset of the soldiers and those at home when the soldiers were landed on the beaches of Gallipoli at 4.30am on the 25 April.

The fighting that last less than 8 months was hard in bitter conditions for both sides. Though the Turks has superior numbers and the high ground, they were unable to budge the ANZAC and other allied forces who clung to the cliff edges. During this time many great legends were created, Simpson and his donkey, Lone Pine,naked jaunts to the beach, giving of gifts between enemy lines even the secret departure. The respect between enemies was mutual with the President of Turkey, a colonel at Gallipoli himself making the memorable quote above.

ANZAC day was commemorated the next year in remembrance of the lives lost at Gallipoli all over Australia and even among troop still serving. Billy Hughes, Prime Minister of the time, in a speech to ANZAC's who were now serving on the Western front said, "We've been proud to call ourselves Australians after you made a name for yourselves at Galipolli."

And I think Billy says it all. Gallipoli as not a military victory, but then again Australia is not known as a military nation. What Gallipoli did show was a courage under outrageous conditions, comradeship and dedication to the job at hand that even today are characters that are cherished in our society. Why commemorate a defeat? It was the beginning of a nations identity.

American.

How much difference a single word makes.

It's actually an interesting thing.  Taiwanese Americans can call themselves Taiwanese, but they can also call themselves Taiwanese American.  They can even call themselves American.  And all of it would be true.

Me.  Well, I have a weird situation.  Though I was born in Taiwan and have a passport there, I did not grow up there.  Linguistically I am more comfortable with English as that was how I was educated.  Culturally I am a mutt, and can identify with several different countries that way.  On the other hand, all the countries I identify with all see me as a foreigner in one way or another.

It's sort of like Tom Hanks in The Terminal.  Stuck in the limbo between countries.

But back to my original topic.  I'm sure they'd probably welcome me if I joined, but it doesn't feel right.  In some ways, I know more about American culture than some of my friends here, but I still lack the most important thing that ties people in this sort of identity group together.  History.  The common history of being born and/or growing up here.

This is not a trivial difference.  There have been a few times where Taiwanese Americans I talked to have drawn a line in the sand, reminding me that I am not one of them.

Ironically, this sort of division exists within the Taiwanese identity as well (also the American identity, as Asian Americans can attest).  Specifically, you are either a waishengren (外省人) or a benshengren (本省人), literally "external province person" or "original province person" depending on whether you were here before KMT came to Taiwan or before.

I believe this sort of division in Taiwanese identity fostered quite a bit of discrimination.  I remember almost 10 years ago my relatives were talking about how some of the taxi cab drivers would refuse to take you if you did not speak to them in Taiwanese.  And I've read about alleged job discrimination against waishengren in more recent years.  There was certainly discrimination in the other direction as well, especially back when the KMT had more power (like punishing kids for speaking Taiwanese in school).

I'll probably attend some of their events, but I'd probably not become a member for the time being.

Gentleman - Fela Ransome-Kuti and The Africa 70 (1973)

Fela, the true "Africa Man", challenges those of us who are so quick to adopt a "Colonial Mentality" and warns us about the dangers of not staying true to our African culture and mannerisms. He uses the most obvious adoption of western clothing despite its unsuitability to the tropical African weather as the basis for this song. This assimilation clearly extends beyond clothing and is addressed over and over again in several other Fela songs.

While there is nothing wrong with adopting the western culture, I think the key is in how we adapt these elements to our everyday lives while staying true to our Africanism. One can argue that Fela started off playing Jazz with western musical instruments however; he demonstrated his ability to make it work for him when he gave the world Afrobeat.

The message is: Be true to yourself whoever you may be and make it work for YOU!

I leave you with these words from "I no be Gentleman":

Africa hot, I like am so… I know what to wear but my friends don't know. E put im socks, e put im shoe, e put im pant, e put im singlet, e put im trouser, e put im shirt, e put im tie, e put im coat, e come cover all with him hat! E be gentle man… E go sweat all over. E go faint right down. E go smell like sh*t. E go piss for body, e no go know. I no be gentleman like that!

Translation:

Africa is very hot and I like it like that. I know what to wear, but my friend doesn't. He puts on socks, he puts on his shoe, he puts on his briefs, he puts on his undershirt, he puts on his pants, he puts on his shirt, he puts on his tie, he puts on his coat and then tops it off with his hat. He's a gentleman. He will sweat all over, he will faint right down. He will smell like sh*t, he will urinate on himself and not even know it. I am not that type of gentleman.

Full Lyrics below:

I no be gentuluman at all…

I no be gentuluman at all…

I no be gentuluman at all…

….

I no be gentuluman at all…

I no be gentuluman at all…

I no be gentuluman at all 0!

I no be gentuluman at all at all

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I be Africa Man Original

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I be Africa Man Original

 

Them call u make u come chop

You chop small, you say you belleful

You say you be gentleman

You go hungry

You go suffer

You go quench

Me I no be gentleman like that…

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I be Africa Man Original

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I be Africa Man Original

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I be Africa Man Original

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

You dey go your way, the jeje way

Somebody come bring original trouble

You no talk, you no want

You say you be gentleman

You go suffer

You go tire

You go quench

Me I no be gentleman like that

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I be Africa Man Original

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I be Africa Man Original

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

 

Africa hot, I like am so…

I know what to wear

But my friends don't know

E put im socks

E put im shoe

E put im pant

E put im singlet

E put im trouser

E put im shirt

E put im tie

E put im coat

E come cover all with him hat

E be gentle man!

E go sweat all over

E go faint right down

E go smell like sh*t

E go piss for body, e no go know

I no be gentleman like that

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I be Africa Man Original

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I be Africa Man Original

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I no be gentleman at all at all

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I be Africa Man Original

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

I be Africa Man Original

[I no be gentuluman at all O]

...

I wanted to thank sheihan for one of the nicest (and most flattering) write-ups of my work:

• I'm truly feeling the humorous and authentic work of Maya Escobar whose identity is complicated by the fusion of Jewish and Latin cultures in America and the preconceptions and attitudes that this inevitably entails when interacting with others. Her handling of the same is far beyond the scope or intellectual grasp of the average youtube user (as denoted in the plethora of ignorant comments to be found) ,but I would advise my readers to broaden their own horizons by investigating her work. Her performance art is a myriad of polarity, truth and stereotype. While she can intellectually justify each and every one of her approaches and mediums, there is great room here for the observer to draw their own conclusions, and the artist encourages you to do so. Maya takes criticism quite well, and perhaps is showing her master of impression management. Still, she does not take criticism as a form of mockery even when it clearly is! In her own words: "What I am mocking, is the willingness (myself included) to fall into, completely reject, or to to deny all facets of these “assumed roles”.
• Her ability to go from Yeshiva to Portoroc (which must be a purely absorbed observation since her Latina heritage is that of Guatemala and not of the Caribbean) archetypes to be particularly impressive. What's more impressive is her intellectual explanation and justification for her work.

Here is some older work which has been re-contextualized.

a compilation of maya escobar projects

el es frida kahlo

be wife

que sencilla

Que Sencilla is in a sense, the prelude to Acciones Plásticas. This home-video features a young girl clad in pigtails, a mini-skirt and cowboy boots. From off-camera the voice of an unidentifiable male can be heard, coaxing her to dance for the camera. At his request she performs a highly sexualized cheer making him promise that he will never show the video to anyone else.

acciones plasticas

maya escobar
http://mayaescobar.com

Acciones Plásticas
Mujeres judías, Muchachas judías, El club, y La Profesionista Latina son parte de una serie titulada Acciones Plásticas, una obra de actuación interactiva que cuestiona el papel del estereotipo en el desarrollo de la identidad. Utilizando como modelo los blogs de videos, cada vídeo muestra a una mujer cuya vida ha sido definida visiblemente por las expectativas sociales. Los videos se hacen accesibles al público en general con su colocación estratégica, en todos los sitios populares de las redes sociales, como por ejemplo youtube y myspace. Viendo los videos en el Internet (con el contexto como fondo) que los conceptualiza con el contenido similar de las etiqueta. Los videos, las imágenes y los perfiles eslabonados apuntan directamente a la base de los estereotipos representados.

]]> http://mayatalk.wordpress.com/?p=149 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:04:51 +0000 maya escobar http://mayatalk.wordpress.com/?p=149

• Adult film superstar Joanna Angel pokes holes at the myth that Jewish faith won't allow you to go to heaven if you have tattoos -- and Joanna's got quite a few -- during the Wild Ass Circus' trip to Las Vegas for the 2008 AVN Awards

It has the all the main ingredients. Families coming together, a big meal consisting of signature family dishes. Gift giving and other traditional activities. Despite all the religious stuff thrown in - at least from a Buddhist perspective - this is a folk holiday. Based on astrology and superstition the hard core rationalist might say.

I prefer to think of it an extended family time. Rich in traditions and memories. A while back I came across a black and white picture from a past family gathering. The one's we used to have at the family's "ancestral" house. My grandmother surrounded by me and my cousins. Us kids must have all been under 8 years old for sure - decked out traditional garb. The boys in sarongs and the girls in cloth and jacket. A moment of childhood frenzy frozen by a sharp relative's camera. My grandmother with her joyous smile glowing serenely in the middle.

Now a majority of the people in the picture are on other continents. The ancestral house is no more - replaced by a condo complex. Everything else is reduced to memories and photographs with the fragrance of mothballs. But there’s no need to end this post on a glum note.

Here’s Wish you - irrespective of what you believe - another safe, happy and prosperous orbit around the sun.

For the temple's location, here's the Wikimapia link.

I couldn't find much about Isipathanaramaya online. The only bit I found was that the temple was built in memory of Edward Henry Pedris who was executed by the British in 1915 in what seems to have been a bungled application of emergency regulations. A grim warning about today perhaps. If you got better links or information, the comment box is below.