A review of Touch

Following in the footsteps of Hero, Tim Kring's new series Touch takes us into a magical world. However, instead of a world in which some people have super human powers and abilities, Touch shows us how the world we're in and the people in it can also be magical. A recent twist that complicates the story, presumably to make it more 'interesting', 'dynamic', and 'exciting', seems forced and a bit too standard mass media formula for what's considered 'entertaining'. Nevertheless, the series has so far managed to maintain its dignity and keep it quirky and engaging. I hope it continues in the same vein.

Feb 20, 2010

Day dreaming on a Greyhound bus, Ottawa to Montreal ...

We lived a lifetime between the lines,

past the farms, fields, and forests -

Traversed continents,

explored the world -

And recorded our journey

on each others' bodies ...

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In honour of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Here is an email I sent to Jason Kenney in response to comments he made on a radio show. I'll post more of his comments (not included here) in a subsequent post so you can get the full picture of just how ludicrous his statements were. This government never ceases to astound me with how right-wing, reactionary, and backward they can be.

An email to Jason Kenney: Kenney.J@parl.gc.ca, Minister@cic.gc.ca

Hon. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Jason Kenney,

As I am sure you are aware, today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. An essential part of eliminating racism involves recognizing the ways in which "racial discrimination can arise on a systemic or institutional level from everyday rules and structures that are not consciously intended or designed to discriminate." [1]

Many Canadians like to believe that we live in a country where racism is a thing of the past, but this is simply not the case. Systemic racial discrimination exists in Canada and our government has a responsibility to support organizations that develop, maintain, and promote anti-racism and anti-oppression policies, principles and practices. As a Canadian tax payer, I fully support funding such organizations.

With this in mind, I wanted to express my concern about comments that you made on The Roy Green Show on March 19th, 2011. Mr. Green read to you the Anti-Oppression Principles and Practice of an organization called Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services. In response, you stated (regarding funding of Access Alliance by Citizenship and Immigration Canada): "I wasn't aware of it and had I been aware it is not the kind of organization that I think tax payers should be supporting" and "I think it's offensive to finance that kind of thing." Sir, I am a tax payer and I willingly and gladly support any organization, like Access Alliance, that is committed to eliminating racism and all other forms of oppression and I ask that you, as an elected representative, also support this because it is in the best interests of all Canadians. I would also ask that you reconsider your characterization of funding for anti-oppression initiatives as "offensive", as it could be interpreted as support for maintaining oppression.

Lastly, I am also concerned about the statement that Mr. Green read on his show, which he claimed came from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The statement was "we are absolutely not providing funding for their anti-oppression nonsense. We do not stand for these types of things." Am I to understand that Citizenship and Immigration Canada will not provide funding for anti-oppression work of any kind? This is deeply troubling and not at all consistent with Canada's commitment to protect the human rights of all persons. Please look into this issue and ensure that your department has a clear understanding of how important it is to fund anti-oppression initiatives.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing about the continuation of funding for Access Alliance by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and a retraction of the statement that you made on the Roy Green Show. I have copied my member of parliament, Paul Dewar, and opposition critics Olivia Chow (NDP) and Justin Trudeau (Liberal Party) so that they can also respond to this important issue.

Sincerely,

Zoe

Breakfast Time!

After a long hiatus from writing, I present to you the following! (Inspired by this article: http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/food/healthy-breakfast-dos-donts-morning-sandwich-recipe-article-hqbv.html)

Four unhealthy breakfast adventures that are delicious AND somewhat not nutritious. See recipe below!

Rise and shine, wake and bakers, all night drinkers, unrepentant poets and thinkers ... Findings from focus groups of society’s happy misfits shows that eating an unhealthy breakfast may help you discover unchartered edible territory. Below are 4 simple ways to begin your day with delicious indigestion.

1. Check the pizza box from last night (see counter or fridge).
Pizza is a perfect breakfast after a night of unrestrained merry making (that is, assuming that the extent of your merry making has not caught up with you yet). It can also be a suitable hangover food for some, but not all. The downside is that the best leftover pizza is not gluten or lactose free. Sure, you can find gluten and lactose free pizza, but it just ain’t the same!

2. Make breakfast the greasiest meal of the day.
It’s between 5 and 6 am. You’ve been up all night partying, dancing and drinking, but, technically speaking, this is your first meal of the day. You and your friend(s) wander into an all night Szechuan, Cantonese or Vietnamese restaurant and order everything fried on the menu. A pile of spring rolls appears and are smothered in plum sauce. Fried vermicelli and General Tao chicken (or tofu) is followed by dumplings (boiled, but lightly crisped) and, finally, deep fried banana for dessert. Your stomach may not agree, but your mouth says “food good!”

3. The heavier, the better.
Even mice understand that breakfast should be a hearty meal; something you may feel the need to work off, but was fundamentally satisfying. Personally, I feel that this can only really be achieved with a hot breakfast. You can get different kinds of poutine (hash browns poutine, traditional, many cheeses, with smoked meat, etc.), but what’s essential is that there’s potatoes, gravy and cheese involved. Eggs (sunny side up, over easy, scrambled, or just straight up fried) are also essential. Meat eaters may want to add bacon and or sausages. Toast may also be added. On the downside, it does leave vegans and the lactose and gluten intolerant out. But there is hope! Gluten free and vegetarian gravy can be done.

4. It tastes like candy!
Many of us who grew up during the 80s will remember the glory days of breakfast cereals loaded with sugar. Those were happy and action packed good times, although often followed by severe energy level crashes and child burn out. Nowadays grocery store shelves seem to be more dominated by muesli, granola, and ‘healthy alternatives’. While these cereals do have appeal, they lack other essential nutrients: like marshmallows (promotes a flexible attitude and sweet demeanour), chocolate (produces happy brain chemicals), and honey (nature’s sugar). For an added jump start to your day, have a mocha! Blend the bliss of chocolate with comforting kick of coffee and ride the caffeine highway through your morning.

Recipe: Grandma’s Sweet and salty peanut butter and marshmallow melt

When I was a kid my grandma used to make us this awesome treat after we went swimming. I don’t think we had it for breakfast, it was more of an afternoon snack, but it comes to mind as a clear possible winner in the Awesome Breakfast category. 

1. Get a hot dog bun and open it up (if pre-sliced; different types of bread could be used instead)
2. Spread peanut butter over the bun/bread
3. Top with large marshmallows (cutting them in half makes it easier)
4. Place on a shallow pan in the toaster oven (marshmallow side up, of course)
5. Toast until brown on top
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool briefly
7. Eat and enjoy the sweet gooeyness of toasted marshmallows and the salty goodness of peanut butter!

Why I'm pro-choice

I have a broad conception of pro-choice in that I view it as encompassing not only supporting what is commonly referred to as a "woman's right to choose" (i.e. whether or not to have an abortion) but also the right of all persons to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in general. I say 'informed choices' because I think people have the right to be provided with accurate and relevant information about their SRH, which plays an important role in the decisions people make about their health. For example, information about how to protect oneself and one's sexual partners against sexual transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. It often confuses me when pro-life/anti-choice groups oppose sex education in schools and, the real extremists, who oppose the use of contraception. It only makes sense that if you want to reduce abortions that you would support the use of contraception to prevent unintended and unwanted pregnancies that could result in abortions.

All of this said, my MAIN reason for supporting pro-choice, in the sense that particularly emphasizes the right of a woman to freely choose to have an abortion (or not), can be boiled down to the following key points: 1) whether or not abortion is legal, it will still occur; 2) when abortion is illegal, many women die or suffer premanent damage to their health because of unsafe abortions; 3) by contrast, when abortions are legal and women have access to safe abortions, they survive and rarely suffer complications; 4) access to safe, legal abortions saves women's lives. I don't have a stat on hand to prove it but I even suspect that the number of women that die and suffer severe health consequences every year due to unsafe abortions outnumbers the number of safe, legal abortions that occur every year. Anyhow, for me it comes down to saving women's lives. I don't think so-called pro-life supporters truly understand that.

Until next time ...

Doughnuts vs. Diplomacy

When I read reports that Prime Minister Stephen Harper skipped out on attending the UN Summit of Climate Change on September 23, in favour of a photo-op with Tim Hortons, I decided it was time to write to Harper and express my displeasure. I have included my letter to Harper below with links to articles about this story. I encourage others to do likewise and write to the PM at pm@pm.gc.ca immediately. Canadians need to act now to let Harper know that we take climate change seriously. Non-Canadians should also email Harper to let him know how his actions are affecting Canada's international reputation. I hope that this issue gets a lot of attention leading up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December. And so, without further delay, my letter to the Canadian Prime Minister:

Hon. Prime Minister Stephen Harper,

I am writing to express my concern regarding reports that you were absent from the UN Summit on Climate Change on September 23 because you were attending an event at the Tim Horton's Innovation Centre. Prime Minister, I have to tell you that I am very disappointed that you would chose doughnuts over diplomacy, that the future of our planet means less to you than a cup of coffee and photo opportunity.

I understand that we are at a critical juncture with the respect to our economy and that, in the midst of a global recession, you would want to encourage large scale companies like Tim Hortons to (re)invest in Canada. However, the decision to attend an event scheduled to take place during a critical summit on climate change sends the message to the international community and to Canadian citizens that you do not take the issue of climate change seriously and that Canada's image on the international stage is not a priority to you or your government.

Prime Minister Harper, I participated in a Global Wake Up Call, organized by Avaaz, on September 21, 2009. The Global Wake Up Call consisted of 2600 events in 135 countries across the globe. The message behind this event was that people all over the world are deeply concerned about climate change and that we want our world leaders to sign a climate deal in Copenhagen that is a bold, ambitious, fair, and sets binding targets to reduce emissions. On September 21, I called your office and requested that you should attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in person this December and that you should send a clear message that Canada takes climate change seriously.

When I read things like "Our priority is the Canadian economy. Nothing takes precedence over the economy" (one of your spokespersons Dimitri Soudas) I think "my government cares more about money than people and our planet". I am glad my government is dedicated to improving our economy and creating jobs for Canadians, but to say that no other issue is considered just as, if not more critical, than this? It worries me deeply.

Please, Prime Minister, I encourage you to reconsider your stance on climate change and to take our international reputation more seriously.

Lastly, I would also recommend that, the next time you are craving some caffeine, you make a trip to Bridgehead, my favourite chain of Fair Trade coffee shops, located right here in our nation's capital and order a cup of delicious fair trade coffee or tea.

"Fair trade is an alternative approach to conventional trade and is based on a partnership between producers and consumers. Fair trade offers producers a better deal and improved terms of trade. This allows them the opportunity to improve their lives and plan for their future. Fair trade offers consumers a powerful way to reduce poverty through their every day shopping."

Thank you and I look forward to hearing more about your renewed interest in climate change and promoting a better international image of Canada.

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Links and background information:

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Doughnuts over diplomacy - The Toronto Star, Sept. 24

The Global Wake Up Call - Avaaz.org

TckTckTck - The World is Ready - A global campaign to encourage world leaders to commit to signing a bold, ambitious, fair, and binding climate deal in Copenhagen.

About Fair Trade - Fair Trade Labelling Organizations

Leaving the Country

Forgive me if I am have written about this before, but I scanned through old entries and could not find the reference that I was looking for.

During the 17 months that I lived in Nigeria, I was fortunate to obtain a copy of Poems of Black Africa, an anthology of some of the continent's best poets and their poems, edited by Wole Soyinka. For as long as I can remember, I have had a love affair with poetry. I've been writing poems since the age of 10, or perhaps earlier. I think the first well-written poem I wrote was penned at the tender age of 12. This being so, I was always on the lookout for a good book of poems and Poems of Black Africa certainly falls into this category. In fact, to say that it is 'good' seems a gross understatement, but I did not begin this entry with the intention of providing a full scale review of the book.

I came across Poems ... on one of many trips to Wuse Market, located in Nigeria's capital city of Abuja. I was browsing in the bookshops, which bore a very scarce resemblance to some of the second-hand bookstores that I have been to in Ottawa. The bookshops in Wuse Market were very small and yet seemed to house hundreds of books, stacked on shelves and in piles on the floor. When I entered a shop, I would sometimes ask for books by a specific African author or else ask for any books by Nigerian authors. It was on one of these occasions that I was handed a copy of Poems of Black Africa.

I remember quite clearly that the first time I opened the book the poem I came across was Bahadur Tejani's 'Leaving the Country'. I gazed upon those words in stunned silence. At this time, I was struggling to come to grips with my upcoming departure, which was scheduled to take place shortly after I completed the 6-month internship that had been my raison d'être for coming to Nigeria. At that time, little did I know that I would end up staying another 11 months.

As I read the poem, I felt myself falling a "deep daze of dislocation" (to quote the author). The words were painfully beautiful and beautifully painful. I fell in love with the words, the way they made my heart ache with longing and sadness, expressing feelings I had not had the ability to articulate (at least not as eloquently). I felt like weeping and perhaps, later in the privacy of my single room apartment, I did. The last stanza of the poem had a particularly profound effect on me at the time, although I admit that I would find it difficult to play favourites now. But for the sake of recollection and sharing, the last section of the poem reads:

"Only one solace:
there have been
others too,
lingering in that twilight,
who shed
home and country
and at times
colour
who travelled the long way
and also never felt happy. "

At the time I read those words, I was not happy. I was struggling with the thought of leaving a place I had come to consider 'home' and returning to a place I had, for the most part, willingly and happily left behind (although with some trepidation, this having been my first venture overseas). But, as I've already said, I did not leave then. I stayed, perhaps longer than I should have. However, I do not regret lingering there. I still have a lot of love in my heart for Nigeria and hope, some day, to return to the country. Perhaps when I do, I will write a poem about it.