This is meant to keep record of my adventures moving and settling into a new city. Inspired by my friend Paula's blog about her move to Denmark, I want to share my feelings, impressions and anecdotes about living in a new place with friends and family.
This month, the Triangle Art Gallery features an exhibit called "Art as Therapy". I helped organize the opening reception last night and was really happy to see how many people came to show their support. The show features work from Seattle-area teens that have been guided through therapeutic art practice at local Neighborcare Health centers. These brave kids have been grappling with difficult issues; some coping with serious life circumstances (substance abuse, HIV, family tragedy...).
Social workers at the Teen Health centers have introduced art as a potent means of expression. The collection of work is very... well, "raw" would be an apt description. The art pieces are mostly honest "first drafts" based on a reflective exercise -some speak to the conflicting range of emotions manifest in one moment's time, others tell a longer story. I had the privilege of seeing some of these art workshops in process a few weeks ago.
Due to the personal nature of the pieces, not all of the artists wanted to be identified by name. In an effort to let them know that their efforts are supported and worthwhile, however, gallery attendees left messages on large pieces of white butcher block paper spread out on tables in the middle of the room.
Today is American Thanksgiving -one of this country's most beloved holidays. Most Americans enjoy a 4-day weekend and make big efforts (traveling across the country sometimes) to share the occasion with friends and family. Canadians also celebrate Thanksgiving (albeit in mid-October) but while the traditions are almost identical (big family feast of turkey, potatoes, gravy, squash, cranberries, pumpkin pie, etc), it strikes me that Thanksgiving weekend here is a much bigger deal.
The holiday commemorates the Pilgrims survival through the first winter in the New Land. The Thanksgiving narrative involves a feast, much praise to the Lord (for helping them through their struggle) and a (rather exaggerated) fraternity with Native Americans. Thanksgiving imagery often depicts the Pilgrims sitting to celebrate the bounty of the land with their friendly "Indian" brothers. The story recounts a mutually beneficial relationship between the groups.
In recent decades, however, groups like the United American Indians of New England (UAINE), have challenged the popular myth. The UAINE claims Thanksgiving Day as "The National Day of Mourning" and tries to educate people about the history of the Wampanoag people. UAINE representatives claim the Pilgrims would not have survived their first years in New England without the aid of the Wampanoag and that in return, the American Indian tribe received not friendship but genocide, theft of their lands, and repression.
On one hand, Thanksgiving is a beautiful tradition -the gathering together of family and friends to give thanks for what you have - celebrating the harvest and the bounty of the land. I like the ritual of it -the preparation of all the seasonal fixings and the warmth that comes from breaking bread with loved ones, etc. And yet, it does have some uncomfortable colonial undertones as well. It's got that "all's good for the white people" kind of feel.
And with that said, I think I will go eat the delicious chicken curry dinner Mallar is making us for dinner.
Mallar and I are rarely in a car. We mostly walk, bike and/or bus most places. In the event that we do need to drive, however, we will reserve a Zip car. Zip car is a car-sharing service that allows you to use a car without the hassle of owning it (or paying for gas or insurance). It's actually a rather genius system. Anyway, as we were on a little road trip this weekend in our Zip car, it occurred to me that I should write about the ubiquitous "espresso huts" that line most of the autoroutes in the Seattle-area.
Most of the coffee huts in the Seattle environs are pretty standard. You drive up and you order your triple short soy latte, or your tall americano or your "shot in the dark" (see this link for long list of Seattle coffee lingo), you pay, you tip -you drive away. In recent months however, there have been a number of stands that have gone "sexy".
In an effort to increase sales, many espresso huts have featured bikini-clad baristas -suggestively dressed young women who serve up a little cleavage with your java. This marketing "innovation" did raise a few eyebrows at first (especially in tourist areas where you would likely find young children). Things really became controversial a couple months ago, however, when it was uncovered that some of the bikini baristas were crossing the line for extra cash -offering "whip cream shows" and flashing their "privates". See this oh-so "classy" Fox news report about the scandal:
Bailey Coy Books, one of my favorite neighborhood bookstores, is in the process of liquidating stock in preparation for its final closing. I went in last week to pick up a few discounted items. I felt a bit like a scavenger doing it especially given my buzzard like behavior of circling and circling around the shop to find the good "remains". They were even selling window display decorations. So sad...
I liked Bailey Coy because the shop was small and manageable, not at all claustrophobic and had a great spread of my favorite kinds of novel in an accessible and warm atmosphere. There is really something special about the small book store. I know that prices (of the more popular reads) are often cheaper online or at the local Walmart but, to me, buying books from Amazon is an uncomfortable last resort. The experience of book browsing gives so many people such fulfillment. I can spend hours happily strolling through the local bookstore -flipping through pages, reading the employee recommendation cards, checking out the bulletin boards to see if any of my favorite authors are coming to town. This business of buying books online is driving the local bookstores out of business. It is really unfortunate. There aren't that many places where you can gain so much for so little -an afternoon at a bookstore is both enriching and free.
Another bookstore in the city, one of Seattle's most beloved, Elliott Bay Book Company, may have to move out of its gorgeous Pioneer Square location because it can no longer pay the rent. Everyone seems quite disheartened about this development too (it really is a stunning book shop). I hope that this unfortunate trend can serve as a wake-up call for all the book-lovers out there. Let's remember to support our local bookstore by buying books there. It may cost a few extra bucks but the experience of soaking up book store wonder far outweighs the experience of a few mouse clicks.
I have one more week left in my essay writing course and while I have enjoyed the classes immensely, I have found the writing process challenging. As I sit down to write about meaningful episodes in my life, (with style and universal appeal) -I realize that I have been working through a fair number of dramatic issues and events over the last couple of years. Sometimes I feel like the stories are too gnarled to unravel -and I have trouble picking a starting point and pulling through on a single thread. My attempts are characterized by a lot of stops and starts and it has been frustrating. Our assignment for last week was to write a "This I Believe" essay. I did not know what this meant until I looked up the website: http://thisibelieve.org/ The following is lifted straight from the homepage: "This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives. Over 60,000 of these essays, written by people from all walks of life, are archived here on our website, heard on public radio, chronicled through our books and television programming, and featured in weekly podcasts. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow." Contributors to the project range from Bill Gates and Muhammad Ali to the everyman or woman of middle America. I found the exercise of writing a "This I Believe" essay more manageable and rather satisfying as a value-clarification kind of exercise. My first "This I Believe" attempt was about Clash (as in debate, dissent, opposing ideas) and inspired by my frustration of censoring myself while living in Denmark.
In the days leading up to Halloween, Mallar and I began to notice that a number of our neighbours were erecting monstrous ghouls (grim reepers, skeletons, furries!?) and setting up other impressive engineering feats in preparation for the big night. As we inquired more about the extraordinary effort being put forth in our particular block (notorious for its displays, apparently) we were told that the woman just down the road from us had approx. 1200 trick or treaters last year. 1200! We had always planned to carve some jack-o-lanterns and give out candy but we had to go back to the store and stock up on more supplies in the face of the rumored traffic. Joining forces with our upstairs neighbors, we set up a good show in the end (skeleton, spiders, webbing, pumpkins, tombstone, creepy soundtrack) but it was really tame compared to the goings on a few doors down from us. The home-owners a few houses over were in full costume and character -and being very scary. There were open flames on torches, smoke, big pots of potions brewing, skeletons sliding down pulleys to scare you, the whole works. It was madness. Our house became a de facto "safe zone" for younger children who were knee-knocking terrified of the goings-on down the road. wild...
Last night I attended my final Michael Jackson dance class for the crowd-pleasing Thriller choreography. The 4-week course also covered Beat It, The Way You Make Me Feel, and Bad. The MJ class is another one of Century Ballroom's offerings (I took the Beyoncé Single Ladies class with them as well). I have to say that I love the idea of tribute-style dance classes. I only wish that Century Ballroom would limit the number of participants attending any one session. It's rather annoying to always be struggling to see the demos and to have to restrain arm movements lest a neighboring someone loses an eye. It's also rather fast learning too. Basically we are learning each choreography in one hour and a half sessions. I am realizing some interesting things about my learning style/preferences as I take these kinds of courses. My dance background is really informal -so while I have devised or been a part of numerous choreographies in my younger years (and even as a teacher, actually -lol) I don't count the same way as formal dancers do. Learning steps for me has always been to the music. You know, "so let's do the running man until this lyric/beat/break and then into the jazz splits...". The moves were always cued with music. Learning these choreographies to counts of 8 and in different tempos is really foreign to me. I feel as though when it comes to body movements (sports as well as dance) I am much more holistic in the way I learn. I guess I am a "right brain" dancer. lol. For kicks and giggles -here is a group of prison inmates in the Philippines doing Thriller:
Today is "Columbus Day" -an American federal holiday marking Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World over 500 years ago. It is a strange commemoration in many ways as some Americans celebrate it as an anniversary of the European "discovery" of America and others lament it as the onset of a period of exploitation, slavery and outright genocide of the indigenous peoples (who of course, were not the "Indians" Columbus believed them to be). At the extreme right are people like Michael Berliner (of Ayn Rand Institute) who hails the event as a time when Western civilization brought "reason, science, self-reliance, individualism, ambition, and productive achievement” to a people who were based in “primitivism, mysticism, and collectivism”. In Venezuela, by contrast, the anniversary is called, Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance)and is used to criticize European colonialism and celebrate native culture. It's interesting to look at which groups have used the anniversary and for what causes. In past eras, Catholic-Americans and Italian-Americans have used Columbus Day to counter discrimination from supremist groups like the KKK -claiming that a Catholic/Italian man discovered America thereby legitimizing their citizenship rights. Hispanic groups call Columbus Day, Día de la Raza (Day of the (Hispanic) race) and mark the occasion as a time to celebrate Hispanic and Mestizo culture in the Americas. I remember reading a fascinating book about Columbus in a History of Latin America course I took in my undergrad. The book is called, "The Conquest of America" and is written by Tzvetan Todorov. Some of the 16th century sources Todorov cites are just incredible. Columbus is so convinced that he has found the mainland (of the Orient) that he totally disregards the native inhabitants of Hispaniola (Cuba) when they try to tell him that they are actually on an island. Quoted from one of Columbus' journals: "And since these are bestial men who believe that the whole world is an island and who do not know what the mainland is, and have neither letters nor long-standing memories, and since they take pleasure only in eating and being with their women, they said it was an island". At one point he apparently institutes a fine of ten thousand marravedis (Spanish currency) and a punishment of having the tongue cut off for anyone who contradicts him. A truly remarkable combination of arrogance and ignorance... Now, let's all go set off some fireworks in honour of this noble and heroic man.
Today I attended the first class of a 6-week course called, Pilfering Our Way Through the Great Personal Essays. The course is one of many writing courses offered at the Richard Hugo House, a Seattle literary arts center that supports writers of all ages and backgrounds. There were 9 women in my class this morning, with varied levels of writing experience. Some have been crafting personal essays and memoirs for years and others, like me, were there to try something relatively new. I look forward to having this kind of opportunity -to take a course just for personal pleasure. I think I will enjoy investing myself in the hard work of developing my skills as a writer. It gives me the push I need to actually put pen to paper. I'm that person with a very long mental list of things I'd like to do and a very poor record of following through. I've decided that now is probably a very good time to pursue my interests (in earnest). Having a job isn't the only way to be productive after all.
My dear friend, the "Talented Foreigner" challenged me to come up with this list. Whereas her list was written as a Singaporean in Denmark, I guess my list is as a Canadian in America. It would probably have been juicier a year ago as a Canadian in Denmark but here goes:
1. Needless Apologies
Even though there is often nothing to be "sorry" for, I often find myself reflexively apologizing for random things -even the mis-steps of complete strangers.
2. Ici on parle français
I still look for the French language on everything from street signs to cereal boxes. The Spanish translations on products still startle me from time to time. I do like the Mexican influence here in America but I sometimes miss the "distinctively" French imprint.
3. Responsible Reporting
I am still shocked by the sensationalism of American news reporting. "College woman brutally attacked by masked mad man -stay tuned", or "Find out why your carpet may be killing you -more at 6:00". It's so repulsive and gross. I miss the calm and sober voices of Canadian newscasters like Peter Mansbridge and Lloyd Robertson.
4. Socialized Medicine
I simply do not understand the hysteria around Obama's health care reform. There are all these crazy people on the streets with placards likening Obama to Hitler (!?). It's offensive. Obama just wants to make sure all Americans have health care. The arguments of these people are really illogical and borderline insane.
5. Hockey
While not nearly the most avid of hockey fans (by Canadian standards), I still feel more comfortable in a milieu of hockey fanaticism (Go, Habs, Go!) than that of American football.
6. Really? Are you really "carding" me?
The drinking laws are surprisingly strict in the U.S. Coming from Montreal, where you can pretty much buy booze at 10 years old if you wanted to, being carded at the age of 33 is hard to wrap my head around. Seems really illogical to be able to go die for your country at 18 but not have a beer at a restaurant until you are 21.
7. Moderation
America is known and criticized for its "supersize" mentality about many things and I think as a Canadian, I do crave more moderation generally -especially with sugar content. I do not know why but everything always tastes way too sweet here-from smoothies to Thai curry pastes to Mexican Mole. I feel like the American palate favors sweet and unfortunately, some of my favorite dishes taste "off" because of it.
8. Homeland Security scares me
I have been told many times that Canada and the US share the world's largest unprotected border and yet somehow it feels very "protected" and "securitized" to me. I do not like being regarded with suspicion when I come into the US and I resent being denied a work permit especially when I know that if I were an American entering Canada in the same context and with the same qualifications I would have the right to work.
9. American (Canadian) celebrities
I, like many people around the world, enjoy the world of American entertainment. As a Canadian however, I find it my duty to point out which American stars are really Canadian: Alex Trebec (Jeopardy), William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Jim Carrey, Pamela Anderson, Mike Myers, Dan Aykroyd, Lorne Michaels (SNL), Matthew Perry (Friends), Michael J. Fox, Ellen Page (Juno), Michael Cera, Kim Catrall (Sex in the City), Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek), Jason Priestley (90210), Evangeline Lilly (Lost), Sandra Oh (Grey's Anatomy), Seth Rogan, Kiefer Sutherland (24), etc.
10. I find patriotism in beer commercials I am Canadian
Last night, Mallar and I went to "Soul Nite" at the Northwest Film Forum. The event is described on their website as follows: "...unforgettable voices, funky grooves, magic moves and smooth styles of 60s and 70s SOUL MUSIC! Curator Peter Lucas culls classic and rare performance footage and hosts electrifying, all-star Soul shows on the big screen (and cranked up loud!) We also have djs spinning soul records in the cinema between sets and drinks available too. Clapping and dancing in the aisles is encouraged!".
Last night featured the likes of Sam and Dave, Lee Dorsey, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes and Otis Redding (who's birthday was celebrated at the event with free cake!). The audience wasn't quite dancing in the aisles but I was sure bopping joyously in my seat and there was a lot of hooting and hollering from the crowd during the screening. It was hilarious to see the hairstyles and outfits of the 1960s appearances -and the choreography!The music, though, the music was/is just brilliant! What voices... and stage presence... Much of the audience stuck around afterward to dance. The DJ had a great collection of get-up-off-your-seat soul/motown classics.
Mallar celebrated his 32nd birthday on Sunday and in honour of the occasion we thought we'd go on a cycling excursion in the great outdoors. We have been trying to explore the region a little more and so it was a good opportunity to embark on a day trip to Bainbridge Island. Bainbridge Island is just a 30 minute ferry ride away, across Puget Sound and just west of Seattle. It was really cheap and easy to do on our bikes. The ferry ride itself was actually pretty exciting as there are great views of the cityscape and Mt. Rainier as you cross the Sound.
We arrived just around lunch time so we decided to fuel up at Harbour Public House restaurant. We shared a very tasty fish and chips plate and tried two of the local microbrews they had on tap. Had we gone on a Saturday I think we would have loaded up at the farmers' market and picnicked somewhere but I was very happy with the resto (good food, friendly staff, nice scenery). We covered a good 3/4 of the island on bike in an effort to get to the Bainbridge Island Winery for a wine-tasting. Some of the routes we took were rather hilly but it felt good to push ourselves. I especially liked stopping every once and awhile to pick wild blackberries off the side of the bike path. Yummy... We also stopped for a rest at Point White Dock and caught a few rays. It was a really gorgeous day and I think I might have gone for a swim if we had come prepared (although I did wade in up to my thighs to retrieve a little boy's toy that was floating away from him at the shore).
The water looked very clear and inviting. I'm not sure how clean it is -I guess next time we will ask.
There is something very satisfying about getting two movies for the price of one and I just discovered that the downtown AMC in Seattle is an ideal place to pull off this guilty pleasure. Mallar and I caught 500 Days of Summer and Paper Heart on Saturday afternoon.
Both films are sweet and light-hearted romantic comedies -nothing award-winning but both still quite enjoyable and well-done for the genre. They are much quirkier and more interesting than the formulaic Matthew McConaughey/Kate Hudson style romantic comedy.
I have, however, been longing to see a really thick and thought-provoking movie lately. My friend Paula just wrote a blog about Lars von Trier's AntiChrist (which is only being released here in October) but it has renewed my interest in the kind of puzzling, difficult and haunting films that Trier is famous for making.
His movieDogville is, to this day, the movie that has had the most significant emotional impact on me. After a preliminary web search on Lars von Trier, I think I might take the time to rent some of his earlier films. He is a fascinating director and because he rarely defends/explains his controversial creative choices -it is really interesting to analyze and deconstruct his films.
Lately, I've been trying to finally get to all those things I felt I didn't have time for when I was frantically writing my thesis. On Wednesday, I rendez-voused with two women (GNA and Nina) from my scholars meetup group, had a really nice chat with them, then accompanied GNA to the Value Village to see if we could find any good second-hand board games. I admit we also scanned the racks of crazy tchotkes too. Sometimes other people's junk is just fascinating. There always seems to be a disproportionate amount of items with kitten motifs... After parting ways with GNA, I sauntered through Cal Anderson park (see below) and sat down and read a novel for awhile. I finished White Tiger and Never Let Me Go earlier in the week and now I'm onto Transmission, a Paula suggestion from some time ago that I picked up at a secondhand book shop for cheap. It's my favorite of the three, laugh-out-loud funny in some parts and really well-written.
It's just a small move this time. We are going to relocate just two blocks away from where we live now. Our apartment was alright but it's been up for sale these last months and we got a little tired of the attendant hassles. It was also rather over-priced for what it was.
Instead we are moving into the first floor of a beautiful old house (built in 1906). I am really excited about it. It is a really well-maintained place that feels really cozy and homey. There is a front sun room and a small yard and huge outdoor deck (perfect for BBQs and such). The kitchen is large and open and there is lots of natural light -windows everywhere. It is almost too good to be true.
We start our move in two weeks. I hope the brown grass will be a little greener then. The heatwave turned Seattle into the Serengeti.
This past weekend, Mallar and I drove up to Vancouver, Canada. It was my first time really seeing the city, my previous experience with Vancouver being confined to the airport. In Denmark, a lot of the people we met seemed to associate Canada with Vancouver and it was funny explaining to them that 1) yes, I was Canadian but no, I had never been to that city and 2) that Vancouver was just about as far from Montreal as Denmark was from Montreal. So finally, the Montrealer visits the West Coast and tries to unpack some of her East Coast prejudices about the "tree-hugging potheads" of B.C. ; )
We were a little unlucky with the weather but still took advantage of the access to nature right in the middle of the city. On our first day, we rented bikes and toured Stanley Park, stopping to check out the awesome totem poles, and eat a few cherries (fresh from the Okanagan Valley) at Third Beach. We met up with our friend Adjmal (who had been working there for the summer) and Mallar's long-time friend, Andrea (who has lived in Vancouver for 8 years).
We also went to the food market at Granville Island to buy some fresh salmon. Granville Island used to be an industrial manufacturing area but is now a major tourist destination with shops, art and craft studios, a marina, theatre, etc. We didn't stay long because of our bike rentals but I think Mallar and I would definitely return to explore some of the pottery shops.
We also rendez-voused with my aunt Cathy and uncle Dan on the trip as they were in town visiting the same weekend. They were staying in a condo right in the heart of the city and close to their son, Thomas. I was very happy to see my cousin Thomas (it had been almost 5 years) and meet his fiancée and her two daughters for the first time.
I didn't run into all that many scruffy tree-huggers in the end. In the city, we encountered mostly intense designer fitness yuppies. By this I mean, 20, 30 and 40 something cyclists and joggers in very spiffy workout gear. I was actually kind of relieved to return to the more unkempt city of Seattle. It's a little weird to feel under-dressed next to people in their workout clothes.
The title: Liverpool ’08: The “Edgy City” Examining the role of cultural discourses in the production of space
My European Studies Master's Thesis was officially submitted this morning (thanks in no small part to Paula).
It was a crazy last few weeks of writing and revising and cutting (snip, snip, snip). This last week has been especially challenging because Seattle was going through a heatwave. It was getting to be so unbearably hot and uncomfortable that I actually paid to stay in an air-conditioned hotel for two nights. It was a bold move but well worth it given the improved productivity level and peace and quiet. Also coinciding with my thesis deadline were military training exercises by the Blue Angels. The decibel level of these jets flying overhead was another contributing factor to my hotel stay. It felt as though I was in a city under attack last week (or with the extreme heat and military complex -maybe Texas).
It is sad not to be able to celebrate with my peers in Denmark this week. I have felt so removed from the thesis-camaraderie all semester. Thankfully, I had an incredibly supportive husband at my side. I know that he, too, is very relieved that this month is over.
As for the big question -what next? I do not know. It feels strange to be in limbo like this. I don't think I have ever been in a situation where I didn't know what was next on the horizon. I thought I'd be elated to be done with the thesis but right now I just feel a little unsettled. Either I have not completely let go of the idea that I'm on a deadline or I feel worried about finding a new outlet for productive energies. hmm...
June is almost over and I am anxiously heading into the final countdown with respect to my thesis.
I am wrapping up this extraordinarily busy month in the small town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario (I am here to celebrate my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary).
In the last 4 weeks I have flown into Canada to see family twice (for various high-priority reasons) and traveled to San Francisco as well where I was accompanying Mallar on a work trip (he was attending a brain imaging conference there). I am resolved to return to San Francisco with Mallar when our lives are a little less crazy. There is so much I love about that city.
View of Golden Gate Bridge from Sterling Park in Nob Hill.
The Haight-Ashbury neighborhood
Clarion Alley grafitti
I had a particularly great day in Chinatown, roaming around in the shops, having dim sum, eating delicious custard tarts from the Golden Gate bakery...
I wish I had more time to reflect and elaborate on my adventures this month as I am slowly discovering how much I usually feel "at home" in port cities. Must have something to do with the waves of people coming in and out over time leaving traces of themselves and an appreciation of difference.
This past week we had a visit from our friend, Adjmal. He flew in from Denmark and after an over 3 hour interrogation by good-ole Homeland Security he was let into our fine city of Seattle.
The weather was perfect for the duration of his stay with us and we managed to fit in many activities in and around our work weeks. Highlights include: biking, hiking and kayaking, eating and drinking (of course), and a Monday night Mariners game.
Biking in Fremont.
Hiking at 8 Mile Lake in Cascade Mountain range in northeastern Washington.
It is a real challenge to get down to work in this city -especially as the season of sunshine is upon us.
I am not sure where to work these days to avoid distraction. The Seattle Public Library downtown is, in itself, a wonderful distraction. Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and opened in 2004 -this central branch is plain trippy. See the pictures below:
