lesson learned and the way things are

Do you realize in many other countries, kids as young as 4 or 5 have to take aptitude tests that determine what kind of careers they'll have as adults? That is to say...what color their collars are gonna be? Blue? White? Brown? Pink? Green even? Oh I don't know what colors they use these days.

Anyway it just hit me today that we have that here too. Except it's not anywhere near as explicit. We call it Advanced Placement/Gifted or Talented/Mid Year Programs here, designed, in a nutshell, to challenge smarter kids who are more likely to be successful in college and future careers.

Also, short notes on other things I've learned:

Numero uno:
It blows my mind but apparently measures of success have nothing to do with intelligence. We live in a society where people who daily use improper grammar in every sentence can work in the education system. Or you can have a completely successful chain of restaurants without knowing a whole lot aside. Or you can be incredibly smart as far as education goes--4.0 at a major university and be struggling to get a dead-end job or otherwise be completely at a loss to get a job.

Numero dos:
I have a very comparatively soft voice. My voice cracks when it attempts to get even half as loud as some of the more experienced teachers.

a continuation of part one

1. nostalgic
2. bittersweet
4. sentimental
3. cathartic

These describe a few of my favorite things.

On the video, I made for the Guster song and the running and the sepia and the karaoke words, I don't know that it's much of an inspiration. I just always pictured running with it. It's that song that's running through my head pushing me to go forward when I'm too tired with every repeat of

To tell you the truth, I've said it before, tomorrow I start in a new direction...
I look straight at what's coming ahead and soon it's gonna change in a new direction...

Oddly that gif of the runner I added in part one was taken from (of all places) the Dunkin Donuts website. Because...

Well in any case we just have to keep looking straight ahead. That's why those marathon runners--Akhwari and Wanjiru--are my chosen heroes for the video. One finished dead last by a long shot and the other first place. They're forever bound together in Olympic glory because neither quit. Albeit, that if you're looking for a spectator sport to watch, marathons are one of the dullest (right up there with sharp shooting). But the stories behind some of them are among the most inspiring. It's not any wonder then, that the Bible talks about finishing the race. We must persevere even when the road seems uncertain. It's all backwards and it doesn't make much sense to stay a course where things seems impossible. But the world's got it all wrong.

And on an unrelated note, did I mention that hearing certain opera songs and classical music sends chills through my spine and makes me teary eyed? I know, I know. I sound like a yuppie sap.

"...here i am a shade on the street, asking people for money to eat..."

Stereophonics - Lying in the Sun [acoustic]

Here's to social justice.

revisiting the slums

A friend told me I should prepare my heart for watching Slumdog Millionaire. I didn't think too much of it then. He was definitely right. I was heartbroken all over again for those kids. Everyday for a month, I walked those streets and there wasn't a time when I didn't come face to face with them. Singing, begging, just like that, carrying their babies and sporting their helplessness to appeal to the pathos of any unsuspecting stranger. I don't say that because I condemn their begging. They're real people. And they're the helpless victims of those who would take advantage of them.

I hope people who watch the movie can come face to face with their reality. It's not just Hollywood's world of make believe fictional characters. They are in real danger, some worse than others. And yet it blows my mind how we on this side of the world, on this side of the tracks can just watch the movie and then go home admiring the movie for its artistic genius and go on with life in our comfortable houses and our comfortable beds when they're still out on the streets a half a world away. We do it. I do it. How is that possible? And yet I feel helpless to do anything. If one day I could go back, all the things that I could do for them still wouldn't be enough.

But then it was never about doing a million things for them that may or may not make their lives any easier. It was about loving them. But how?...

a recant

So about the polaroid film rant. Ix-nay on that. Operation: "Life in polaroid film"is coming one day when the "Impossible Project" succeeds. Click on link.

I hope it comes soon because I don't much like the idea of just ebay-ing the film and possibly getting un-usable expired film after all that. Excited? I think so. Maybe not you, but I'm just crazy like that.

winnie the pooh

A horse got his head stuck in a tree a few months ago. She looks like Winnie the Pooh.

I almost feel guilty that I find the results ridiculously comical and adorably cute at the same time, because Gracie [the horse] was probably in pain for all that. Poor thing. And then I love how the news article about it ends with "It remains unclear why Gracie put her head into the gap."

Here's Gracie to the left.

[part one]

Moving things, or otherwise subjective facts that my mind has called attention to recently.

• I am a sucker for British period drama and film adaptations of the classics. Most of my friends either don't know that or don't understand the appeal. That said, I've really only met very few people that share the sentiment. Most are repulsed by their apparent tendency towards dry humour, slow storytelling and general boringness I suppose. I don't find it boring but I guess that's their excuse.

• I love catharsis. If there's anything that remotely mimics catharsis, there's a good chance I'll gravitate towards it or at the very least give it plus points on that imaginary scale with which I rate quality.
  


• One day I shall run a marathon and before that I shall run a half marathon. I'm really gonna start training for it soon, instead of just having a glorified picture in my head about what that would look like. Bah, humbug! I love exercise, but mostly I just think about exercise. Pretty pathetic, wouldn't you say?

• I got all teary eyed earlier when I watched CNN's Black in America presentation. Another post. Another day.

• On a side but related note, there's lots of social justice types of things that wrench my gut. I am completely ashamed of myself that I feel all that and yet do nothing or at least hardly ever get past fantasizing a solution. I'm not alone in this. But again, another post. Another day.
  


• I wonder why I habitually stay up late sometimes. It's like I've forgotten how to sleep without first being on the verge of passing out. (PS--Peter Wolf...not a big fan.)
  

• A soundtrack for when you're running and you're body's almost given up but you haven't reached the goal yet: Guster, Come Downstairs and Say Hello.

• [edit 03 Mar 09] I posted this video on youtube, but sadly there were some issues with the sound so people who find it there will not be able to hear it unless they do what my annotations say (even then it's not as good). Lucky for you, you've found this blog and so you get to see AND hear it in its best possible quality. Hope you like it. Another time when I'm legitimately awake, I'll probably write more about the inspiration thereof. That is if I remember.
  

the death of a classic, the circle of life and politics run-a-muck

I am so incredibly sad that Polaroid is calling it quits with the photos that made them a household name. It was one of those hallmark inventions of the 20th century, and now those retro white framed squares of instant memories are practically gone forever after this year.

...a moment of silence...
...R.I.P. Polaroid cameras and film...

Those of you who may stumble upon this and think, "what in the world is she talking about? Polaroid? what's that?" are also a strange novelty because it still blows my mind that you were born in the 90s or the 00s. (By way of a long aside, I doubt any of that latter category are old enough to be reading blogs online. But who knows? At the rate things are apt to change around here, I could be totally wrong. I will add, however, that I don't know that it brings me much comfort to know 3-9 year olds could be surfing the net on their own with who knows what they'll find in that void of information, both useful and a probable waste of time. Hah. So says the author of this blog.) So the cycle generally goes, all you children of the 90s. In ten years you, too, will look back and think "where in the world did all these kids come from who were born in the 00s? or the teens? Teens? Tens? 2010s? Is that what they'll call it, I wonder?

As usual I digress in my useless rants...

They are featuring a replacement with the advent of the Polaroid PoGo to pseudo-appease Polaroid mourners such as I. It features an instant photo printer that can be hooked up to most cell phones and digital cameras you can buy these days. But of course, it won't be the same. I suppose you get to see lots and lots of changes in the course of a lifetime. Somewhere in there I knew I would see this particular change eventually. I mean come on...less than a century ago there was predominant racial segregation in this country and now Obama is president. And whether or not you're part of his giant fan club, an unbiased citizen just looking for a turnaround in this economy, or Rush Limbaugh et. al., you gotta admit, it was historic to see a black president get elected. I'm not one to go oooh and ahhh over it, but I do fully realize that it's history-making. I can't say I'm too happy about some of his decisions concerning abortion. Grievously upset actually, but no one seems to be making any noise about it because everyone's too caught up in his historic lime light and the economy run-a-muck. What a mess we live in where there's only shades of grey and nothing is completely black or completely white anymore (were it ever)! I do pray alot for the man and respect him because for whatever reason "we the people" (at least as a populace) didn't just vote for him. God granted him presidency. Better to pray for him and his decisions than to sit and complain about every little thing or even just to gloat on all his great qualities.

On polaroid cameras, the end.

On political things, probably not.