"Ash Girl" - Man Intense

So it's been awhile since my last post. But for good reason: namely school and work. I haven't had much time for a social life lately. School's pretty much taken over my life - and well, work. Work seems to have added some extra hours to my week.

But I did get a chance to see a play this past Friday with my mom. It was probably the only sane moment I had all weekend, but the show itself was pretty intense. "Ash Girl," a production presented by the St. Francis High School theater was not what I had expected and that's not to say it wasn't good; in fact, it was excellent. But I definitely hadn't prepared myself for such an emotionally draining evening.

The play is Timberlake Wertenbaker's take on the Cinderella story. Yes, there is a prince, a glass slipper, a step-family, and even the royal ball. But it's not a pumpkin - it's an acorn. And the true villains of the story are the Seven Deadly Sins (and Sadness) who inhabit the forest and slither and manipulate there way into the other characters.

The story is of Ash Girl's journey to find happiness with her kindred spirit found in the rather prideful teenage Prince Amir.

And man, is it hard to find happiness when one of the characters - Sadness and by far my favorite in the entire performance- is seeping unhappy thoughts in your mind without your knowledge. And by unhappy thoughts - I mean thoughts apathy, self-pity, self-loathing that eventually destroy one's soul and absolute desire to live.

Yes, this play touches on a very real subject. Suicide. Now not exactly something Disney would push for in its films.

The performance even had a brief encounter with the topic of rape - as Lust drives a man of the forest almost to madness and almost to the very edge of taking advantage of our young heroine as she travels the forest. Should I mention that the man in the woods is the long lost father of Ashy? Talk about intense subject matter.

As I mentioned earlier the most captivating character on the stage was Sadness herself, who showed so much poise, control, and absolute domination of not only the stage but of her prey, Ash Girl. It was terrifying to watch as Sadness manipulated the thoughts of Ash Girl as she fell to apathy in the forest. "Put your head in the mud. It will soon be over. I promise." Repeated. Over and over again. For a moment I was actually afraid for the life of the actress on stage - Sadness was that convincing. I was a little dissapointed in the Fairie's performance - as she played the counter-role of Sadness, granted Sadness had such presence on the stage it was probably difficult to keep up with her.

In the end all turns out well - except for a sliced toe and heel (well the stepsisters had to fit the shoe somehow, after all). But the villains still lingered in the forest waiting for the next time they can prey on humanity.

Overall. It was an excellent performance and had I the chance I would see it again. Too bad the last show was this past weekend.

Summer is over, but that's okay

It's wild to think that it's been a month since Viareggio and the amazing time I had there. And a few days ago I would have done anything to make the summer last a little longer.

But this past weekend has been absolutely amazing and I think it was a great way to end the summer and start the new school year. It was a hectic weekend, but it definitely made me realize how freaking lucky I am and how many cool people I know.

The craziness started on Friday when I helped move people into their dorms at school in the morning. Playing move-in crew was followed by a late afternoon and evening at the California State Fair checking out the exhibits and chillaxin' with cool people. Then Friday closed off with subbing in for an indoor team in Sacramento until 1030. Needless to say I slept like a baby that night, which was pretty awesome.

Saturday was just as hectic. The Strikers had an awesome tournament in Sacramento. Saturday was a full day event, as was Sunday. The tournament ended with a pretty sweet Championship game that played into sudden death PKs - up to the 9th kicker. We placed second, which was pretty freakin' awesome considering we lost players to injuries and the heat was unreal.

Sunday evening was a pretty awesome time. I think the party at my house went well, that's what everyone's been telling me. But what do I know. All I know is I was amused at getting thrown into the pool a couple times (fully clothed) and jumping in on my own accord a couple times as well. And the excursion to the park was pretty awesome as well - I love playing on swings.

Which I also got to do on Monday after a full day at the Fair, which included exhibits, riding a mechanical bull, chillin' with people, pretty tasty Thai food, and of course one go on the Gravitron - the most amazing ride ever that makes me think how cool a Dance Club would be with centrifugal force pushing you about. Haha. Chilled at a park post fair, which was awesome because, as mentioned before, I love to swing. And I love to jump off swings - mind falling on woodchips sort of sucks.

So all in all the weekend was a pretty awesome way to end my summer vacation - especially since I was able to see some of the rad Viareggio people (if only everyone could have been there it would have been like those awesome times).

School was pretty chill today as well. My class load is going to suck in terms of work and stuff, but it's nice having a routine again. And next week it'll be nice once I get into the routine for tutoring and fraternity stuff - I'm definitely digging the chill spot on campus that we can hang at with our comfy couch and everything. The only thing that would make our booth better would be water misters. Heh. Oh well, I'll just have to enjoy the fresh air, wireless net, and sweet beats instead.

La vita é breve - salta prima che finisce

Eureka, Calif. - Sometimes I think that youth really is wasted on the young. There are so many things that I wish I could still do. Things that I didn't appreciate when I was young. The simple pleasure of doing idiotic activities without a care in the world.

Actually, I still do those things. And I shouldn't. It's definitely something I need to work on, but I'd like to think that I can transition from professional and responsible to adolescent with complete ease. I probably shouldn't find it so easy to go from older-sister friend who allows a bunch of high schoolers do silly fun things to responsible soccer coach. In fact what soccer coach would allow their players to jump from one bed to the other. Any reasonable older coach would immediately say, "That's not a good idea. You might get hurt." But I remember when I was that age, sitting in a hotel room between games. We would be bored out of our minds and come up with stupid things to do to entertain ourselves. We would do so until some responsible adult came along and told us to stop.

I think back on it now and I wonder why they told us to stop. Had they forgotten what it was to be young? I hear crazy stories about my mother and her siblings. They did outrageous things that I wouldn't even attempt because I'm not that gutsy - or maybe I am now, but I wasn't when I was 16.

My mother's family owns a small house on the beach in El Salvador where they would go on vacation every summer. She would tell me these crazy stories about my uncle. Tio Tito was such a cool guy. He always wanted everyone to have fun and he went to great lengths to try new things. They used to take their boat out on the bay and go fishing and water skiing. One day, Tio Tito had the brilliant idea to create a homemade device that would allow the rider to float just above the water, skimming really, as they water skied. His contraption consisted of a beach chair attached to skis and with a large umbrella attached on the back.

In theory his device would have been a break through in water sports - my uncle would have been the founder of a new extreme sport, umbrella skiing. Unfortunately when he strapped himself in and waved at the boat to get going he simple sank; the boat didn't have the engine to pull that kind of weight, especially with the wind resistance caused by the wind.

But those are the types of things you attempt when you're young. These crazy ideas that make life a little more exciting and memorable. So really - it's not that irresponsible of me to allow my players to enjoy themselves and create these fun memories that will make them laugh later on in life. Because when they're older they'll wish they had done those stupid things. I'm not telling them to attach a skateboard to the back of a truck to create some crazy sport called truck skafering. No, I'm telling them, "Hey. Sure go ahead. Be young. Be careful, but be young." Is there anything really wrong with that? (That's a rhetorical question). The grown-up responsible reasonable me has gone through a list of reasons why it's a bad idea and how it could have all gone completely wrong. Accidents have happened in safer conditions.

But - if I wasn't there, wouldn't they have been doing it already? And the fact that I was there and told them to be careful isn't that what an adult is supposed to do? By taking some risks (not extremely dangerous ones, mind) can you understand what risk is? Or perhaps I'm just trying to justify my own need to be around those who are young and carefree - not that I'm not young and carefree, but there is a difference between dependent-young and carefree and independent-young and carefree. The latter comes with responsibilities, financial mainly. The former not so much. The only worries they have, while not trivial, deal with relationships, friends, the latest trends, and getting their parents to drive them places. The independent-young deal with the same things, but on top of that struggle with financial responsibilities, such as paying for rent, utilities, phone bills, insurance, care insurance, car payments, student loans with a paycheck that leaves little for anything else. And all this is on top of doing well in school to obtain a better more well paying job.

How often to do we jump on the beds and have a pillow fight? How often to we laugh hysterically when surprising a friend with a free birthday cake at a restaurant when it's not remotely close to their birthdate? Those moments are priceless. They come and go in an instant and before you know you're too old to enjoy them or too old to remember how wonderful they were.

So I say, jump a little. Be a little wacky and strange; especially if it will put a smile on someones face, and specifically if it's your own. Life goes by too fast. I'm still young at 23, but it feels as though it's all gone by in a moment. Because when it comes down to it, life is fleeting and all you can do is make the most of it.

So what are you doing? Jump a little!

Pazzo ma contenta

What a busy weekend! But what fun weekend. Had the chance to head up to Tahoe and visit my friend Cristiana, which as I mentioned before was pretty awesome. It was nice to go rafting and just hang out - just the relaxing couple days I needed. That's not to say that I've been extremely busy, I just haven't had the chance to truly relax since I've returned from Italy.

It was a bit of a slap in the face to have to drive back for work. But I can't complain, I have the sweetest job ever. I get paid to play soccer, it doesn't get much better than that. It was nice playing, but I'm starting to realize that I really need to keep myself in check. There are times when my patience runs thin with the girls - and I really think I need to plan out a talk with them about there lack of focus during practice.

Today was pretty hectic. Helped my mom clean out her classroom for the first half of the day. Moving all the books and boxes from classroom to classroom made me realize that my arms were still tired from rafting yesterday.

Arrived home and started on the project that is organizing my room. I realized after many failed attempts at organizing my books that I needed more shelf-space. Lugged some bookshelves from one of the storage closets and proceeded to play musical-furniture in my room. It's probably a good thing that the satellite cables restrict the movement of my TV, otherwise I would have spent a good 5 hours moving my bed, sound system, desk, tv, and three bookshelves around. Sigh, I really wish I could though - it'd be a sweet set up. Heh.

Organized the majority of my books though, with a good deal of shelf space left for more books - can you say book shopping? I just needed to organize my art supplies now, which will be interesting; I'm having trouble finding space for my easel. Once that's done all that will be left is to reorganize my entertainment area and sell off all my gaming equipment that I don't use (DDR sounds fun right now - huh).

Took a break around 7 to ride my bike to the store. Picked up a few things I needed before doing some computer updating. I've Italian-fied my entire laptop. It's actually pretty cool. I'm definitely brushing up on my computer vocabulary. And then being the nerd I am I started changing all my preferences - so now I have a nice pink desktop with a groovy matching pink Trillian skin. Then I started thinking about Italy and lo and behold I'm browsing Google Earth and marking points all over Viareggio and the rest of Tuscany.

Tomorrow should prove just as busy as today. Another day filled with doing grunt work for my mother followed by gelato and then work.

Sometimes I forget how lucky I am. Hah.

Tempi Buoni

I've just been made aware of a crime that I have been committing over the past several years. Namely my absolute neglect to visit Tahoe on a regular basis. There's no excuse at all. It's a short 2 hour drive from my house - an extremely scenic drive regardless if you take 80 or 50. It's a shame really. I'm surprised that my family doesn't make more day trips up here. It's absolutely gorgeous, it's a short trip, and there's plenty to do in the area. As a camping family, there really is no excuse.

So far I've been having a fabulous time visiting with Cristiana and her family and friends. It really makes me wish I would visit El Salvador more often. Whenever I'm down there every household is packed full of people and there's so much stuff going on. There's so much stuff going on here - and I think it's absolutely fabulous.

I must admit that I'm glad that my family got a chance to hang out last night. It was great to see my brother. And it amazes me that we went out on the town (past 10pm no less). Tapa The World proved to be a great choice to go eat and have drinks. I wouldn't have minded checking out the hooka bar next door, but unfortunately that wasn't really an option.

It was, however, nice to talk to my brother and catch up with him. I wish we talked more, and it's a shame we don't see each other more often. It's only an hour and half drive between us. Hopefully this semester we'll get a chance to hang out more. I wouldn't mind hitting up the clubs and listening to some House music in the bay area. Diego was telling me that the House scene is pretty good.

But I really should be honest with myself. With the course load I'm taking this semester I highly doubt I'll have much a social life. I just registered for two more classes today, bringing me to 21 units. I'm pretty sure I'll be dropping the FACS 150 class - unless my Italian teach pulls through, in which case I'll drop IT 103 and just audit the class for the semester. So with 19 units, keeping up with APhiO stuff (at least to keep my active), and coaching - I really don't think I'll have much time for anything.

Now I just need to get this Labor Day party planned out and everything.

Ritornare alla realtà

It's incredible what can happen in a month. In so many ways, I feel like a completely different person; I can only hope that I've changed for the better. The month I spent in Italy was by far one of the best experiences I've had in my life. I met some incredible people and I realized a lot of things about myself. And as I said before, I met some incredible people. It's pretty wild really. I had to go to Europe to meet someone that literally lives two minutes from me. I'm going to be seeing one of my new friends in a few days down in Tahoe. And hopefully in a year, I'll be in South Africa visiting a few others. It's really cool.

When I was in Siena in 2001 I didn't keep in touch like I have now. I know that technology makes it far simpler for us to keep in contact than before. But it makes me sad. I look at all the pictures I took from that trip and the t-shirt I had everyone sign, and I really regret not keeping in touch with those people because they were just as incredible and that trip also changed me and shaped me into the person I am today. I only hope that from now on I don't ever lose contact with the people I meet and connect with, you can really learn a lot from people - not only about them, but also about yourself.

I was able to focus on my flaws and hopefully try to improve myself for the better. It was a month of reflection really - that's not to say I didn't do my fair share of partying. The truth is, I did party a lot. I think I made up for all the times I wasn't able to go out this past year. It's funny being back now really. My days are far more mellow than they were when I was in Viareggio. But it's probably for the best that I'm taking it easy. Looking at my schedules for work, class, and APhiO, it looks like my life will be extremely hectic.

I'm planning on taking 18 units this semester, which is one less than what I took the past two semesters. And none of the classes I'm taking are exactly 'easy.' To be honest I think I don't have one easy class. Four classes are art history, which means I'll be making my fingers bleed this semester with all the papers I'll have type. And one class is a historical research class that will focus on writing a thesis. Possibly my easiest class will be my advance Italian conversation course.

Actually now that I think about it. There's a very good chance that I might be taking 19 units. I forgot that I'll probably be doing a Italian tutoring like I did last semester - hopefully there will be more tutoring than before, or at least more Italian spoken. I really don't want to lose the language. I should be far more proficient than I am considering I've been studying the language since I was 14. That's nine years.

One thing I did realize was that I have a bunch of amazing friends, who are all very different yet extremely cool. So I'm hoping despite the inevitable stress I'll be feeling starting in September, they'll be able to keep me sane. Between the APhiO gang and their craziness, the art history cult, the movie night gang, and my Davis friends - I'm sure I'll have some semblance of a social life.

Mi mancano Italia e tutti voi

It's strange to be back in the States. Since I flew in on Saturday, I feel out of place and imbalanced. It didn't quite hit me until today, as I started to edit video footage, that the reason for my uneasiness is the fact that I am homesick for Viareggio and the incredible people I had the privilege of meeting over the past month.

As of now, everything feels so strange and uncomfortable. Everyone speaking in English is so strange - while shopping I caught myself three times asking for something in Italian, Spanish, or a combination of the two. Even driving a car feels so foreign. So foreign, in fact, that I started using my bike. I even stuck on my old basket on the front just to make myself feel more at home. Riding my bike even felt a little strange, it took all afternoon riding around town to finally feel comfortable in the seat.

Fortunately, and unfortunately, I live in a town were the bike population is larger than the actual population. It's not difficult to ride around to the supermarket or local bookstore. However, because my town is so 'bike-friendly' it's difficult to find that comfortable and familiar flow of traffic that I've become accustomed to in Viareggio. It's like a complex and elaborate dance that one either understands or doesn't. Once you get it, it's as if you're part of this amazing flow of energy that can weave in and out and around bikes, cars, and people. As corny as that sounds, I miss that feeling. And unfortunately, riding with more than one person on a bike will not fly in Davis. The bike police (yes, we have police who ride around on bikes) will issue a ticket without hesitation - after all, there's not much for them to really do around here, especially with all the university students out of town during the summer holiday. Regardless, I'm sure I will find a time where one of my friends will be willing to ride two to a bike (most of us haven't done that since we were in grade-school).

Above all, I miss the people I've met and the never-ending nightlife. Here in Davis, stores and restaurants close at 22:00. It's strange to not be able to ride down to the passegiatta and check out the bars, cafes, and shops until late into the night or even grab some french fries at one of the Piadina places after heading home from Seven or wherever the night had taken us.

Lately, I've been amusing myself with watching some of the video I took during the trip as well as perusing through the photos that other people have posted thus far (thank you to all of you who have). Other than that, I've gone to the movies, shopped for books, gone out one night, and attended one barbecue, which I probably would have enjoyed more had I not been so jet lagged. Otherwise my life has been less hectic and exciting than I would like. I have, however, attempted to keep with an Italian routine by watching RAI in the morning, brushing up on my verb tenses while lounging out in the yard (yes, I am a nerd - but there's a chance I may make my Italian minor into a major - pending certain credits), swimming in my pool daily (it's not the sea, but it will have to do), and riding my bike when running errands or meeting friends in town. Wow, I sound like the biggest dork on the face of the earth, don't I?

I'm hoping that by the end of the week I'll start feeling at home again, which I'm sure I will. I've rejoined my indoor soccer squad and our next game is on Saturday, which will apparently be followed by a good "unofficial" gathering with my fraternity brothers. The rest of the weekend will be monopolized by coaching at a tournament in the bay area. I'm hoping that my social agenda will pick up during the remainder of the month with people coming home from holiday, the state-fair starting, and hopefully my lack of a busy schedule, which will allow me to be social.

For all of you who I met this past month: thank you, it was an honor and a pleasure to meet such a diverse and fun-loving group of people. You all left an impression and opened my eyes to various outlooks on life and helped me see things in a fresh new light. I really hope that we all stay in touch and perhaps someday meet again. And I hope everyone had a safe trip home - and for those of you who are still traveling (oh, how I envy you) I hope you find your way home safely.

"The Voice of the Voiceless"...Denouncing a "School of Assassins"

I don't think I've ever been so upset about something. It makes me really sad to know that some young people today support an institution like the SOA. Denouncing the acts of the SOA has nothing to do with being anti-military or against the situation in Iraq. It's about human rights and peace. I don't understand how someone can be against peace and against human rights. It makes me really sad to know that people I know support a group that might have possibly be the reason I never had the chance to know my uncle, supporting a group that raped and murdered nuns, massacred priests, and assassinated a Bishop while he gave mass.

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I strongly encourage you to educate yourself. Here are a few links. And if you ask me to find you links of 'the other side' or 'the other point of view,' all I can say is I can't find any - unless you mean a site that promotes the killing of educators, missionary works, religious leaders, children, students, farm workers, fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, sisters, and brothers. But if you do find something, please share it with me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_the_Americas
http://www.soaw.org/new/
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Terrorism/SOA.html
http://www.ciponline.org/facts/soa.htm
http://pangaea.org/street_children/latin/soa.htm
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=School_of_the_Americas

I'm really hoping soccer practice cheers me up.

"Ignacio Prieto, indio pipil, willed his mind to draw itself back into that place where nothing could reach it. "Justino," Ignacio said, speaking against the ear his son's name even as the rifle barrel dug into his neck. Even as the very air exploded around him." Bitter Grounds, Sandra Benitez.

Delta Venus

Despite the fact that I've lived in Davis all my life, I was completely unaware of the music culture the city has to offer until this evening. I received a call from a friend telling me they were heading to one of the local coffee shops to listen to a friend play the saxaphone and asking if I would like to join. Naturally, I said yes. I even asked my parents to tag along.

I usually don't have time for social activities and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to catch up with an old friend and do something different. After having dinner I called my friend up and asked her where we should meet. She said that the band she initially was going to see was having an off night and it would be best if we headed to Delta Venus, a small coffee shop wedged between an AM PM and a funeral home.

Three bands were lined up to play and she thought there were be a couple of good sets. I've never really been into music - I listen to it, of course, and I know names of my favorite bands and songs, but I don't know the culture of listening and searching for the unknown bands. I also didn't know that Davis had a place like Delta Venus. I'd only been there during the day for breakfast with friends and had never taken the time to enjoy the environment that establishment had to offer.

The first band had just finished there set when I arrived. I noticed the walls were covered with unique peices of artwork, variying in style and size. After close inspection I realized some were for sale. I'd seen that at various other coffee shops around town, but never really thought about it. A small area in the back was set aside for the band; the new band was starting to set their gear up.

I asked my friend if this was a normal thing for the coffee house and she said yes. I later found out that many other establishments did the same thing by offering local bands a chance to play: G Street Pub, Cantina, Little Prauge, Borders, Cafe Roma, Bistro 33, and The Graduate.

Not only did Delta Venus offer their patrons art, good music, and great food, but they even offered the use of various boardgames. As a band called Spider Friends played a mellow rock tune a group of college students played scrabble. And it wasn't just college students. A father and his young daughter were enjoying the music and later had a noise filled game of battleship.

It was really enjoyable. I didn't realize that a place like that even existed. A place to hang out with friends, enjoy their company, and possibly discover your next favorite band or artist.

Next time I or any of my friends need to find something to do, I'll tell them that we should go check out what's happening down at Delta Venus - because right now I'm happy listening to the free CD that the Spider Friends handed out after their performance and the mocha I had definitely hit the spot.

Flyers

Sacramento, California - The library quad is littered with people, specifically people with flyers. At the beginning of each semester it's the exact same thing. In order to get from one end of the quad to the other, it's necessary to face the gauntlet of fraternities, sororities, special interest groups, and of course 24 Hour Fitness. It's interesting, no amusing, to see the various techniques that both prey and predator use in order to survive.

So what are the most common techniques to avoid the unwanted?

1. The White Rabbit

When passing through it's best to look as though you know where you are going. It's even better if you look like you're running late; anxious glances at your watch are always a nice touch. At the beginning of the semester no one is going to doubt your sincerity. If you're ever in doubt, it's okay to run.

2. Take It and Trash It

Sometimes walking quickly isn't enough. There are those who will chase after you, papers flapping in their hand and before you know it you've been "flyered." In order to avoid the speech that accompanies the flyer, most students have learned to not only walk briskly, but also occasionally stick out a hand to take the flyer. Once the paper goes from one hand to another the naive predator feels as though they've won something, namely you. Little do they know that their flyer will not be appreciated. The experienced have learned to take the paper, count to ten and shove it in the nearest trash, pocket, or bag.

3. The Cell Phone Wanderer

Others have learned to avoid the flyers completely by striking up a conversation on their cell phone while passing through. This is possibly the best way to avoid any unwanted solicitors. Most people will respect your privacy, allowing you to amble through without a care in the world. But beware; there are those who will interrupt that important call with mom.

Now how does one counter these techniques. There are variety of ways to draw anyone of the aforementioned quarry back into your domain.

1. The Fuzzy Wuzzy

There aren't many who can pass up something fuzzy. Any type of pet is a sure bait, especially for the fairer sex. Beware however, that your furry friend will get more attention than your organization.

2. "Free" Candy For Your Soul

Most college students can't pass up food, especially when it's free and fattening. All you need to do is exchange that tootsie pop for an email address or phone number and the promise that they'll "think about it." It's a good idea to offer food that requires time to eat, that way you're ensured a certain amount of time to make them hear you out.

3. Now You See It, Now You Don't

By far the most innovated technique was used by James as we tabled out on the quad for Alpha Phi Omega. We only had one flyer, because our chapter is not only small (only comprising of six actives), but also cheap. So in order to sign up prospective pledges without losing the flyer, James came up with the brilliant idea of shocking people in order to get their attention.

James would wait for his prey, casually holding out our only flyer, baiting the unsuspecting Take It and Trash It. Once they'd go for the bait, James would quickly snatch it away and ask, "Are you really interested?"

I didn't believe until I saw, but it worked.

"It really shocks people," he told. "And makes them actually want to listen." And most do listen intently to what he has to say about our Co-Ed National Service Fraternity on campus. And while he received his fair share of rejections, he took it all in stride, "At least they're honest. Plus this way we only sign up those who really are into it."

Friends

Davis, Calif. - Sometimes I forget how incredibly lucky I am to know such awesome people. Fortunately I was able to remind myself this past Saturday when Devin hosted one of our gatherings. As usual he made his amazing pizza, Alex made his tamales, and I brought a bottle of coke and some sort of snack (this time it was Fudgecicles).

It wasn't a movie night, but instead a night of creativity and thought. Rachel worked on her LARP costume and ended up making the coolest mask for one of her mage characters. Aaron sharpened his knives on Devin's wetstones and worked on his knots. Alex made his famous tamales and surprised with some horchata; if I remember correctly I told Alex I loved him about 8 times that night. Carola worked on some knitting before running off to catch some sleep. Devin worked on his chainmaille, which is looking really awesome. He's got a good portion of the chest done as well as the shoulders and parts of the sleeves. Rachel's boyfriend, along with Alex, bummed around on the internet and I read "Empire" by Orson Scott Card. It was a really enjoyable evening.

What I love best about getting together like that is that while we do our own things we end up getting into some great debates and conversations. I really like the fact that we challenge each other to think about various issues. We don't always agree, but we're all extremely open to new thoughts and ideas. I'm usually the first to admit that I really hadn't thought about something in a particular way.

I suppose these debates and random thoughts are due to Aaron. He always throws out his ideas and starts the conversation going. And while we get into the a discussion on defining heritage, ethnicity, nationality, and racism we can easily joke around at the same time. It's just a room of people doing what they enjoy and at the same time throwing out ideas and thoughts. Usually they're the ideas that you don't talk about often - the ideas that you think about while you're on the John or when you're unable to sleep. Thoughts you don't usually share with anyone except your significant other. I really like that.

I ended up finishing Empire last night. I really enjoyed it. Just like my friends it challenged me to think about and even question my own ideals. I questioned whether or not I fall into the trap of stereotyping when I try desperately not to.

At the same time it scared me, because I have met people who go to the extreme when it comes to their political and religious beliefs. It's scary to think that one person can carry so much fear and so much hate for a certain set of people.

Anyways, I'm starting to ramble due to the hour and I should try to get some sleep.

scrap (x) scrap

My Design Fundamentals class at SCC last fall pushed me to find out about my uncle. I knew the story, at least at the time I thought I knew the story. During my research and investigation I found out that I really didn't know anything at all. In fact, I was rather oblivious to everything.

My art teacher assigned us a final project: to create a series of work (at least 3), which tied together. The theme could be anything we wanted. At first I had absolutely no idea what to do. I worked on an abstract charcoal series, but found it to be more of an exploration than anything else. Finally I decided after looking through some of my mother's old photographs that I would do a series on my uncle: he has the most amazing eyes.

When I told my mother what I was doing she gave me a manila envelope containing scraps of old newspapers, old photographs of the family, and various other documents that related to my uncle's disappearance. I had never seen any of these things. I didn't know that my mother had written to congressmen about her brother's situation. I didn't know that after my uncle's disappearance my grandmother's house had been raided by La Guardia. I didn't know.

And it was when I was reading a large feature on my mother and uncle in the Davis Enterprise that a sudden sense of despair and sadness hit me.

Initially, three men grabbed Vargas as he walked along the street, witnesses related. When he resisted the others joined the trio, and the men began hitting him with the butts of their guns.
They tied Vargas' hands behind his back, gagged him and three him inside the van, then drove away. - The Davis Enterprise

It may have been the feature's cartoon depictions or the manner in which the article was written, but I was suddenly stung with the harsh reality of things: my uncle was gone. I may have never met him, but he was a person. And we shared the same blood. Perhaps that's what got me, the realization that not only was he real, but he was also my mother's brother.

At first I started compiling a book of dates and facts. Visually mapping out the actions of my mother's family and also important dates during the war. I immersed myself in the time period trying to understand.

I'm still trying to understand. I listen to stories that my mom tells about her brothers and sister. I'm trying to find out who he is.

Non So

No lo so. Tutte le cose sono bene, ma penso che devi sentire megliore. Si? Le classe sono bene. Mi piace i miei professori; anche me piace le classe. Pero no so se sono preparato per questo simestre, tutte le classe hanno molto lavoro. Ma e' possibile che pensi pui che devi.

Non e' importante.

Anche ho i problemi con i soldi. Non so se il mio padre me paghera'. Non ho i soldi per porre il gas nel mio auto.

Meh. Devo dormire, ho esame domani.