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Monday, September 5, 2011
Where I am on the Web
I don't use this blog as much as I used to, but here are some other places to connect with me online:
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Race/Ethnicity: ____________
I hate filling that blank - or worse picking a label from a list. Always have and probably always will. When filling forms I usually leave it blank or chose "Prefer Not to Answer." When that option isn't available and I am told I must answer I tend to become quite ornery. I distinctly remember giving elementary school teachers headaches with my protest. "But I'm not African - American," I would complain. "I'm not even American!"
Many years and many forms later, I can finally articulate what bothered me about that question. I don't like to be boxed in. I don't want to be part of the statistics of how well or poorly x percent of black/ African - American / [insert vogue term used by the majority to Other minorities] perform on standardized tests. I don't want to be admitted to an institution so they can meet their quota or use me as their token. I had no interest in "reclaiming" a label originally used to marginalize me.
So, when faced with the same quandary as I created a profile on a dating website (You don't want to know... Well, maybe you do but I'm not telling :P ) I reacted as I always did: I left it blank. The choices were ridiculously limited anyhow and I didn't want to be filtered out any results if someone happened to refine their search by race.
Cue the paranoid insecure little girl inside my head. Among many other doubts I began having, I also was reconsidering my decision. Just because I am comfortable with interracial relationship doesn't the other person is. Though I rarely came across a profile that listed a particular race/ethnicity in the "What I look for in a partner" section it is likely the omission is due to a sense of political correctness. (One guy did include ethnicity in his laundry list of qualities a partner must have. He self-identified as Caucasian but was looking for "non-Caucasian women; preferably Middle Eastern or South Asian." It's not my place to judge but take from that what you will.) This is not a post-racist world.
I took the advice of my inner worrywart and of a close friend and added race to my profile. I am now listed under "black" - whatever that means. To be perfectly honest, I don't want any surprises and I don't want to be a surprise. Besides, if someone is filtering their results by race, I probably don't want them to find me anyway.
Many years and many forms later, I can finally articulate what bothered me about that question. I don't like to be boxed in. I don't want to be part of the statistics of how well or poorly x percent of black/ African - American / [insert vogue term used by the majority to Other minorities] perform on standardized tests. I don't want to be admitted to an institution so they can meet their quota or use me as their token. I had no interest in "reclaiming" a label originally used to marginalize me.
So, when faced with the same quandary as I created a profile on a dating website (You don't want to know... Well, maybe you do but I'm not telling :P ) I reacted as I always did: I left it blank. The choices were ridiculously limited anyhow and I didn't want to be filtered out any results if someone happened to refine their search by race.
Cue the paranoid insecure little girl inside my head. Among many other doubts I began having, I also was reconsidering my decision. Just because I am comfortable with interracial relationship doesn't the other person is. Though I rarely came across a profile that listed a particular race/ethnicity in the "What I look for in a partner" section it is likely the omission is due to a sense of political correctness. (One guy did include ethnicity in his laundry list of qualities a partner must have. He self-identified as Caucasian but was looking for "non-Caucasian women; preferably Middle Eastern or South Asian." It's not my place to judge but take from that what you will.) This is not a post-racist world.
I took the advice of my inner worrywart and of a close friend and added race to my profile. I am now listed under "black" - whatever that means. To be perfectly honest, I don't want any surprises and I don't want to be a surprise. Besides, if someone is filtering their results by race, I probably don't want them to find me anyway.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Watching What Happens
I did not write a blog post about the season premiere of Being Erica because, truth be told, I found it a bit underwhelming. But, as I am not one to publicly bash my favorite show, I will wait until after the second episode to give a good critique.
So instead I turn to my favorite reality show. I watch way more reality TV than I would like to admit but since Top Chef is pretty respectable (it did win an Emmy after all) I don't mind talking about it.
I am very excited for Top Chef: All Stars. I think any fan who had been watching since the beginning (Remember that season? The one with the host who was not Padma?) always wondered what would happen if their favorite cheftestants went head to head. Now we will finally find out!
The official list is on bravotv.com so I won't rewrite it here. I do have my own list of the chefs I am most excited to see back.
From Season 1, I can't wait to see Tiffani back in the kitchen. She was bold, sometimes abrasive, and the inspiration of what I would argue is the most memorable Top Chef quote of all time: "I'm not your bitch, bitch!" She made it all the way to the finals and, as Tom Colicchio said, could have won. Maybe she she will prove once and for all that the original is still the best!
The return of Casey from Season 3 is also exciting. My heart broke when I watched the finale of her season because I felt she was just off her game that day. She had shown throughout her season that she is a phenomenal chef.
Season 4 had so many talented chef so it is not surprising that out of the four contestants they brought back I am excited to see three. Richard, Spike and Dale are very different chefs with very different personalities but there was never a time during the show that I doubt their passion and ability to put out delicious food. Sigh. Someone really needs to invent taste-o-vision. Or Top Chef needs to come to Toronto.
Fabio and Carla are returning from Season 5 and apart from being great in the kitchen they also had really fun personalities. Carla went all the way to the finale. There was some controversy, with some people blaming Casey (who was her sous chef) for the loss but I think that's nonsense. Carla had an off day and did not cook "her food." After learning that lesson I'm sure she'll be a force to be reckoned with.
I liked Jennifer from Season 6 because she was such a hard-core chef. She was clearly one of the forerunners from the beginning and I think she will do well in this new season.
And then of course there is Season 7's fan favorite. I really love Tiffany. She was fun and smiley and always brought her A game. I teared up just a tad when she got eliminated.
Top Chef: All Stars will premiere December 1st. I'll be watching. Will you?
So instead I turn to my favorite reality show. I watch way more reality TV than I would like to admit but since Top Chef is pretty respectable (it did win an Emmy after all) I don't mind talking about it.
I am very excited for Top Chef: All Stars. I think any fan who had been watching since the beginning (Remember that season? The one with the host who was not Padma?) always wondered what would happen if their favorite cheftestants went head to head. Now we will finally find out!
The official list is on bravotv.com so I won't rewrite it here. I do have my own list of the chefs I am most excited to see back.
From Season 1, I can't wait to see Tiffani back in the kitchen. She was bold, sometimes abrasive, and the inspiration of what I would argue is the most memorable Top Chef quote of all time: "I'm not your bitch, bitch!" She made it all the way to the finals and, as Tom Colicchio said, could have won. Maybe she she will prove once and for all that the original is still the best!
The return of Casey from Season 3 is also exciting. My heart broke when I watched the finale of her season because I felt she was just off her game that day. She had shown throughout her season that she is a phenomenal chef.
Season 4 had so many talented chef so it is not surprising that out of the four contestants they brought back I am excited to see three. Richard, Spike and Dale are very different chefs with very different personalities but there was never a time during the show that I doubt their passion and ability to put out delicious food. Sigh. Someone really needs to invent taste-o-vision. Or Top Chef needs to come to Toronto.
Fabio and Carla are returning from Season 5 and apart from being great in the kitchen they also had really fun personalities. Carla went all the way to the finale. There was some controversy, with some people blaming Casey (who was her sous chef) for the loss but I think that's nonsense. Carla had an off day and did not cook "her food." After learning that lesson I'm sure she'll be a force to be reckoned with.
I liked Jennifer from Season 6 because she was such a hard-core chef. She was clearly one of the forerunners from the beginning and I think she will do well in this new season.
And then of course there is Season 7's fan favorite. I really love Tiffany. She was fun and smiley and always brought her A game. I teared up just a tad when she got eliminated.
Top Chef: All Stars will premiere December 1st. I'll be watching. Will you?
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Moving On
I have not been updating this blog as much as I would like and that is going to change. I’m entering my fourth year of university and finally realize how close “real life” is. I reaffirmed my desire to be in the media industry. I have such a love and passion for the written word that I would never be happy if I settled for anything else.
Future posts will (for the most part) be editorial-like articles on topics that I find compelling. My goal is for them to be insightful and informative and that they will provide a taste of my writing style.
I have many other projects planned so stayed tuned for those as well.
Future posts will (for the most part) be editorial-like articles on topics that I find compelling. My goal is for them to be insightful and informative and that they will provide a taste of my writing style.
I have many other projects planned so stayed tuned for those as well.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Spot the differences
Let's play a game. The title links to the article The Varsity published entitled "Do more than donate' The following is the the second draft of the artcile I wrote. Let's see if you can spot the differences.
I cannot pretend to be impartial. My heart grows heavy as news from Haiti filters in. The Haiti I heard about growing up, the Haiti of my parents' childhood was "La pearle de les Antilles.". The Haiti of today is much battered but still resilient. Every image compels me to do something, to take action, to get involved.
Luckily there is no shortage of response here at U of T. Following the quake, President David Naylor issued a statement and held an event in solidarity. UTSU, in conjunction with both the Scarborough and Mississauga campuses, has formed a coalition of student, faculty, and community members to launch a campaign in support of Haiti. Other student groups have hosted (and continue to host) smaller events that shed light on the crisis in Haiti.
One such event was "Haiti up against Neoliberalism." Hosted by the Women and Gender Studies Student Union on Wednesday January 27th, the event was an important part of the re-emerging discourse on Haiti. In an email, Savitri Persaud, Co-President of WGSSU, highlighted the many dimensions of Haiti's social and political history: "The events in Haiti are directly linked to the WGS curriculum because this interdisciplinary program asks its students to critically assess and engage with world issues, and to analyze them as issues that are apart of a much larger web of interlocking multiplicities, whose matrix is connected to matters not only concerning gender, but race, colonialism, imperialism, globalization, and poverty to name a few."
The event was part film screening, part discussion. First was "Aristide and the Endless Revolution", a film that examined the coups d'etat in 1991 and 2004 that removed Haiti's president, Jean Bertrand Aristide. The second film, "Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy" explored the experiences of a group of Haitian women and how neoliberal policies (what is known as the Washington Consensus) has affected them.
The heart of the event was the discussion facilitated by Dr. Rachel Gorman, a professor in the Women and Gender Studies program whose courses include WGS385: Gender and Neoliberalism. More than anything, the event was successful in creating a space for learning. Sitting on couches and pulled-up chairs, munching on pizza and other snacks, students were able to share their thoughts, insights, and knowledge surrounding the current events in Haiti, the many factors that precipitated it and and the implications it has for the future. More than anything however, they were able to ask their questions. The key here was that they were not experts, nor were they expected to be. The students genuinely wanted to learn more about a situation that affects everyone.
What was conspicuously absent from this event was a donation jar. When asked why, Persaud answered, "It was a conscious decision not to collect donations. ‘"Haiti up against Neoliberalism’" was intended to educate. Ultimately, the decision to donate is a personal one and our hope is that through awareness raising, people will make informed decisions about where to donate should they choose to do so."
The earthquake itself may be a natural disaster, but Haiti is going through a man-made catastrophe too. Understanding the underlying issues requires time, energy and a conscientious effort. Haiti's problems did not begin on January 12th 2010. They can be traced much further back to political instability, foreign occupation, unequal terms of trade, resource extraction, imperialism, colonialism, slavery and beyond. I challenge everyone to attend an event with depth—one that will reshape your conceptions of the country the ignorant so often write off as "the poorest in the Western Hemisphere." Such events are not hard to find, especially now. If your group or organization is not already planning something about Haiti, tell them to.
By no means do I frown upon donating money; Haiti needs as much money as the can get. But sometimes giving money is not enough. With collection jars popping up everywhere and the words "proceeds will help Haiti" appearing anywhere, it is easy to lose sight of what is at stake. A Sex and the City theme party does not help Haiti. Haiti has reached a tipping point. Whether this earthquake becomes an opportunity for Haiti to start fresh or a chance for the exploitation and strangulation to become more complete will depend not on how much cash is raised, but by how many people stand to defend Haiti and work to see her rise as the Pearl of the Antilles once more. L'union fait la force—In unity there is strength.
Needless to say I am unhappy. My next post will explain why.
***
I cannot pretend to be impartial. My heart grows heavy as news from Haiti filters in. The Haiti I heard about growing up, the Haiti of my parents' childhood was "La pearle de les Antilles.". The Haiti of today is much battered but still resilient. Every image compels me to do something, to take action, to get involved.
Luckily there is no shortage of response here at U of T. Following the quake, President David Naylor issued a statement and held an event in solidarity. UTSU, in conjunction with both the Scarborough and Mississauga campuses, has formed a coalition of student, faculty, and community members to launch a campaign in support of Haiti. Other student groups have hosted (and continue to host) smaller events that shed light on the crisis in Haiti.
One such event was "Haiti up against Neoliberalism." Hosted by the Women and Gender Studies Student Union on Wednesday January 27th, the event was an important part of the re-emerging discourse on Haiti. In an email, Savitri Persaud, Co-President of WGSSU, highlighted the many dimensions of Haiti's social and political history: "The events in Haiti are directly linked to the WGS curriculum because this interdisciplinary program asks its students to critically assess and engage with world issues, and to analyze them as issues that are apart of a much larger web of interlocking multiplicities, whose matrix is connected to matters not only concerning gender, but race, colonialism, imperialism, globalization, and poverty to name a few."
The event was part film screening, part discussion. First was "Aristide and the Endless Revolution", a film that examined the coups d'etat in 1991 and 2004 that removed Haiti's president, Jean Bertrand Aristide. The second film, "Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy" explored the experiences of a group of Haitian women and how neoliberal policies (what is known as the Washington Consensus) has affected them.
The heart of the event was the discussion facilitated by Dr. Rachel Gorman, a professor in the Women and Gender Studies program whose courses include WGS385: Gender and Neoliberalism. More than anything, the event was successful in creating a space for learning. Sitting on couches and pulled-up chairs, munching on pizza and other snacks, students were able to share their thoughts, insights, and knowledge surrounding the current events in Haiti, the many factors that precipitated it and and the implications it has for the future. More than anything however, they were able to ask their questions. The key here was that they were not experts, nor were they expected to be. The students genuinely wanted to learn more about a situation that affects everyone.
What was conspicuously absent from this event was a donation jar. When asked why, Persaud answered, "It was a conscious decision not to collect donations. ‘"Haiti up against Neoliberalism’" was intended to educate. Ultimately, the decision to donate is a personal one and our hope is that through awareness raising, people will make informed decisions about where to donate should they choose to do so."
The earthquake itself may be a natural disaster, but Haiti is going through a man-made catastrophe too. Understanding the underlying issues requires time, energy and a conscientious effort. Haiti's problems did not begin on January 12th 2010. They can be traced much further back to political instability, foreign occupation, unequal terms of trade, resource extraction, imperialism, colonialism, slavery and beyond. I challenge everyone to attend an event with depth—one that will reshape your conceptions of the country the ignorant so often write off as "the poorest in the Western Hemisphere." Such events are not hard to find, especially now. If your group or organization is not already planning something about Haiti, tell them to.
By no means do I frown upon donating money; Haiti needs as much money as the can get. But sometimes giving money is not enough. With collection jars popping up everywhere and the words "proceeds will help Haiti" appearing anywhere, it is easy to lose sight of what is at stake. A Sex and the City theme party does not help Haiti. Haiti has reached a tipping point. Whether this earthquake becomes an opportunity for Haiti to start fresh or a chance for the exploitation and strangulation to become more complete will depend not on how much cash is raised, but by how many people stand to defend Haiti and work to see her rise as the Pearl of the Antilles once more. L'union fait la force—In unity there is strength.
***
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Many Faces of Janusz
Writing this article really solidified why I like to write for Arts (and Entertainment): you don't have to be an expert to appreciate it.
I started this article before even going to the exhibit. Quite simply I wrote down the questions I had about the collection and made it my perogative to find the answers. My questions weren't elaborate. They were 'Who is this guy?' and 'Why should I go look at a bunch of pictures of him?'
Once I visited the exhibt, writing was easy. The last time I was so excited about an article for the Varsity was for my review of the ROM's Diamond Exhibit (also in this portfolio).
I started this article before even going to the exhibit. Quite simply I wrote down the questions I had about the collection and made it my perogative to find the answers. My questions weren't elaborate. They were 'Who is this guy?' and 'Why should I go look at a bunch of pictures of him?'
Once I visited the exhibt, writing was easy. The last time I was so excited about an article for the Varsity was for my review of the ROM's Diamond Exhibit (also in this portfolio).
As always the title links to the article printed in the Varsity. But this time I'm giving a visual sneak peek:
Michael Merrill, Janusz in Bedlam, 1984, acrylic on canvas. Collection of Janusz Dukszta.
Monday, January 11, 2010
A survival guide to the new semester
The latest article I got published. Just goes to show you that sarcasm can make any article fun - no matter how lame the topic. Many thanks to my friend Hope for proofreading, contributing and staying up with me as I finish :)
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