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.