6.28.2010

G-20 Protest Ramblings

Does anyone even know what the G20 Summit is about now? The media has focused so much on the protesting that there is relatively very little news about what the summit is actually discussing. In fact, this post isn't even really about the G20 Summit. It's going to be about the 'hipster revolution'.


Hipsters look like they're intellectual, artistic and well-intentioned individuals who strive to defy the mainstream trends. Yet we'll tell our future generations that back in the day, hipsters are just reincarnations of the 60's hippy and that people will never change.

 Jasmin-O-Saur: fervent advocate of free speech and destroyer of the opposition's signs. File Under: Hypocrisy.

UBC's full of them. For instance: the infamous SDS' (Students for a Democratic Society) fervent and outspoken resistance to the university, campaign to rid Canada of the military [1] and hilarious bonfire next to the grassy knoll [2] which resulted in student arrests. They decried police brutality which is utter blasphemy. These over-privileged kids are so used to complaining that they forgot to propose an actual practical solution. They're so young (in fact, they're a couple of years older than I) that they still hold on to their glorious ideals of world peace. But I must say that these protesters are a step up from the G-20 riots which are not only violent but none of us have any clue what they're actually protesting about...


This reminds me of the protesters that hung giant "Free Tibet" banners across the Golden Gate Bridge. When asked to point out where Tibet actually is on a map, some protesters had no idea. If you have a cause and want to do good in the world, maybe you should spend some time figuring out exactly what the hell you are advocating for before you start making a fool of yourself.

Stop giving hipsters a bad rap.

---

[1] I actually attended the SDS public discussion at UBC about the 'evils of the military' and the 'conspiracy behind it'. Everyone seemed to be invited to this forum so I went with two of my friends who happen to be in the Canadian military. Obviously they didn't show up in uniform. We in fact sat quietly in the back of the room while we listened to them preach to the choir. At the front of the room was a table set up for SDS executives and speakers.

They started the meeting by appreciating the fact that we were on "stolen native land". They passed around a petition that was against the UBC underground bus loop. On the back were valid points on why we shouldn't have this new development. Yet when I watched the petition being passed around, I saw that no one had read it. They just signed--blindly.

As the speakers were talking, I can see heads nod in agreement. I wondered how much these people actually knew about the military and the topic. Then my favourite speaker, whom I affectionately called "Jasmin-o-Saur", stood up to talk. She was passionate but made very few arguments and spent most of her time complaining and accusing. I was infuriated and had to step out of the room to breathe. When I re-entered, she looked smug.

When it came time to ask questions, my friend bravely stood to ask a question. He wasn't angry and the question was valid but it was obvious he wasn't one of them. You can see one of the panelists look in shock and the first thing that came out of their mouth was, "Are you in the military?" It was an irrelevant question. After attempting to dodge the question, my friend eventually answered "Yes" The room was tense and awkward. Since then the tone of the forum had dialed down from extreme to moderate. That sucked. Then they were outraged that my friend had brought along a voice recorder to record this. We were stunned because there were shouts like "This is how the government gets you!" (By the way, these shouts came primarily from guests that were invited to come speak from the US). It wasn't until after the forum that my friend and I spent time emailing and phoning government groups about voice recordings. It turns out that it was ok to record the forum as long as it was a public forum. Well, that was an SDS fail.

Finally when the discussion was over, we all had an opportunity to speak to the guests and panelists. They're pretty chill when they're not all angry. They asked us if we liked the idea of war. No, none of us, not even my friends in the military, like the idea of war. Ideally war would be non-existent but the SDS was asking for a movement to abolish the military. Great; So Canada would be the first and probably the only country to rid themselves of military defenses. Smart move. Oh, and what about peacekeepers?, we asked. We ask our peacekeepers to stand in-between two countries that hate each other and don't give two sh*ts about the collateral.

This is when I legitimately started hating on the SDS.

[2] Then there was the grassy knoll protest. It was the epitome of the 60's protests. People dancing as if they were perpetually high, horrendous live music (honest to goodness bad music), ribbons, tents and hippies that I never noticed on campus before. It was as if you took an old hippy film and have it regurgitate it's contents in the middle of our student space.

As a joke and a statement, some students came out and protested the protest. We were armed with signs like "10 Things Better Than the Knoll" and symbolic shovels. In fact, I had a lot of fun reading the discussion boards and wall of the FB group "Students for Reasonable Protest". Even Emporer Karl Palpatine got involved, srsly. The content of that group was both seriously thought-provoking and ROFL-worthy. Jasmin-o-Saur, who is obviously a big proponent of free-speech, also dropped on by to leave a few... encouraging... words behind.

But I digress. Back to the bon-fire. At night a giant bon fire was lit next to the knoll. I suppose it's some sort of hippy ritual to dance and sing around it. Oh, and did I mention that it was a giant bon fire that was right beneath some dry and very low overhang? When the fire department and police came to put out the fire, the protesters stood in their way (literally). So they arrested them and rightfully so. They were there to save the very knoll the protesters sought to protect. Why would you jeopardize the very thing you want to save?

6.26.2010

My First Book

Ok, no, it's not really my first book but I did co-author it with Mandy Chan. It's an educational booklet about the disappearance of bees.


Mandy has much more credibility than I do. She works with Dr. Leonard Foster at UBC on the life cycle of bees. We never actually met each other in the making of the book but we did lots of email :) You can check it out or better yet purchase your very own copy through genegeek.

Nicole also cowrote a book on the Mountain Pine Beetle for educational purposes.

Just thought I would mention that :)

6.25.2010

Mounting the Chief

The last time I attempted the Stawamus Chief was when I was a wee little girl. I didn't even realize that it was the Chief until I reached the balanced rock today where I almost slipped off the edge of the cliff as a kid. I went today with Jake and we reached the first peak. We spent a long time up there just eating lunch, chatting and screwing around with the chipmunks.

Foliage got in the way. Looks pretty decent, still.

I also wore my new Lululemon Ultimate Running Socks today. They were pretty great. My feet felt good throughout the hike and stayed blister free. However, when I got home I discovered that they wore out really fast and there was a small hole in one of them. Unfortunately I ended up handwashing them and letting them air-dry to prevent further wear. If they lasted longer, then it would have justified the $15 spent.

6.24.2010

SMH and PACE Debut Show

At the Firehall Theatre in the heart of the downtown east side was the SMH and PACE (the Prostitution Alternatives Counselling & Education) society debut comedy show. It was an unconventional comedy show put on by four incredible women who have such amazing energy and stories to share.

One of the most inspirational acts was by Cheryse. She has such enthusiasm about womanhood, freedom and the realization of her true self, it's honestly touching. She made me love the fact that I am a woman. Life is tough but women are tougher.

The SMH and PACE crew plus the very special Cheryse.

Look out for the documentary on the PACE program called "Humour Me" which will come out in about a year.

6.23.2010

Dr. Hamish Nichol Memorial Benefit

Dr. Hamish Nichol was the kind of compassionate and sympathetic psychiatrist everyone should have -- at least that's what Pat tells me. He taught Psychiatry at UBC and worked at the VGH Voice Clinic. He was also a man that gave to the community and the environment.

So in memory of Dr. Hamish Nichol, Stand Up for Mental Health put on a benefit for the VGH Foundation at the Yale Hotel.

It's such a small world! I had met one of the volunteers the day before at Lululemon Lab. She sold me those pants!

  And that's Jim O'Hara, the Vice President of the VGH Foundation.

I'm continuing to volunteer with SMH to develop SMH Campus Days to dispel discrimination, stigmatism and prejudice of mental health illnesses through humour. Participants are those who are affected by mental health issues. They undergo workshops with SMH Founder, David Granirer, to create their own comedy act about their illness. David also suffers from depression, but he's also a counselor, an author as well as a comedian!

6.22.2010

Intelligence Deficiency

Have you taken your vitamins yet?

DNA and RNA are essential for life! There isn't a doubt in my mind (or anyone else's, hopefully) about that. But to take DNA and RNA supplements is nuts. Most everything you eat contains DNA and RNA.

Srsly?!

6.21.2010

We're Always Running for the Thrill of It

I've been training for the 10K Underwear Affair for the BC Cancer Foundation for cancers below the belt. Aside from doing training runs (an activity that I usually loathe), I've been reading books and stocking up on running gear to hopefully improve my stride. Oh, and Daily Mile has really helped!

Dropped by Lululemon Lab today on W Broadway and Cambie. It's a pretty sweet concept design lab.

I bought a few things including a pair of Women's Ultimate Running Socks ($14 CAD). They're pretty darn comfortable and cute. The socks claim to have arch support, reduce blisters and wick moisture while running. I'll make a review after a few runs with them on.


Bought this book: "Zen and the Art of Running". It's more about Zen than running but I'll also write a review on that later.

6.20.2010

Easter Seals 24-Hour Relay for Kids

Easter Seals is an organization that provides children with disabilities a chance to attend a camp to do things they normally aren't able to do. It's a wonderful opportunity for them.

Yesterday was the first day of the 24-Hour Relay at Swangard Stadium. The point is to run laps around a 4km course over 24 hours. We also signed up for bocce and volleyball. It's so much fun and I can't wait to do it again next year!

Brought our phriend, Quatchi, to the celebration.

My new Laurentian Chief moccasins. I could wear moccasins to most anywhere. They're amazingly comfortable and so adorable. My only concern is that they get dirty easily and don't add a lot of support for my feet. Anyhow, I love them. 

Hanging out in the tent.

Relaxing at the beer garden with a few friends. Got a little sunburned.

6.18.2010

A Day in the Life...

I can't believe this is the last year of our UBC undergrad. Last year, in an attempt to make up for lost time, I did most of the events our campus had to offer (including Storm the Wall & Campus Chase). This is what university life should be: fun, challenging, soul-searching, sweat-breaking goodness.

Oh lab report. Rae's over at my place writing her's. She's accompanied by Quatchi.


Quatchi will also accompany us to Swanguard Stadium in Burnaby for the Easter Seals 24-Hour Relay. Last week we did our first Krispy Kreme sale for Easter Seals at Terra Nova Save-On Foods. Hopefully it's a first of many great fundraisers.


Speaking of fundraisers, come to Doolin's Irish Pub on June 30th for good times and bonus karma points. It's going to be a bar party to raise money for the BC Cancer Foundation's Underwear Affair. Contact me for tickets ($12. Includes a beer & burger) The proceeds go to charity.

6.16.2010

Raddest Thing Since...

...Since iced tea, mixed tapes and school buses: Stereo Mood . [via ham and heroin]

Who knows? How this feeling grows,

Finally back from my mini hiatus. The last couple of weeks have been nonproductive and it just felt like a slow spinning blur in my mind. Things still do feel strange as if I were in the third person. I spent a little time indulging in taboo, a little time reflecting, a lot of time with family from out of town and a lot of time feeling numb. 


Also I had my perm done at Chura. A week later and my hair went from curly to very loose waves. The photo above is a pre-perm. All following photos are post-perm. I guess I'm a little disappointed with the outcome since my hair refuses to curl under any circumstances. Hopefully this beach hair lasts else it'll be a waste of time and money.

Since the sun has come up a little bit, I've started to wear shorts whenever possible. Here comes the flurry of pictures to make up for my time away.

Hat: Garage ; Shirt: Flying Tomato ; Shorts: AE

Shirt: Modcloth ; Shorts: Hollister ; Shoes: Michael Kors

Then I spent some girl time with Rae. We had a heart-to-heart talk that ended up in fits of meaningless giggles <3 Oh, and spent a few hours sharing a sewing machine to construct our very own eco-friendly DIY t-shirts dress. I mean, when else can you expertly reuse an ex-boyfriend's tshirt?


I guess spent most of this post talking about superficial things. Next time I promise something ultra nerdy to make up for it. Ciao for now.