Artsy peeks of the week

Niliiroll Nikailike

Enoch Mukiibi

Dr. Rashid Diab

YouTube life in a day-Live from Sundance Jan 27 @ 8PM EST

Life in a Day

“Life in a Day” is a user-generated feature-length documentary film, shot on a single day, July 24, 2010. Supported by YouTube, it enlisted the global community to capture a moment of their lives on camera. “Life in a Day” brings together the most compelling footage into a 90-minute film, crafted by Macdonald, Executive Producer Ridley Scott and their team, to offer a unique experience that shows, in beautiful and, at moments, harrowing honesty, what it is like to be alive on Earth today.

"

July 24 is my birthday!!! No, I did not participate  but I will happily watch!! Voyeurism or curiosity! I will be watching because that is Global community. I am expecting a realistic play in our  virtual theater. I hope that the producers did not craft it too much for this global staging. Nevertheless, this will be a unique experience for our community.  

Social and cultural dilemmas of the snacks and lunches trends.

When I was in first grade my mother, would give me sandwiches which I loved. They were made with warm French baguette. I loved all of my sandwiches. However, I always hid to eat my smashed super ripe banana sandwich. I could not take the mockeries of my wealthy classmate and their fancy “store bought” snacks. Yes…I did hide and eat it as fast as I could with my warm milky tea in my small thermos…(Thank you mom) Some children were joking that I was eating "poop" like food. Of course to them, all my snacks and lunches were weird and smelly. Their food looked ultra fancy and expensive.I could feel my mother love in each meal that was why I did not tell her.  She did figure out !!!

So as a mother, I try my best to give my son healthy tasty snack. But I refuse to completely give in on trends. As for lunch, I always packed him leftovers with fruits and vegetable. And we agreed that he could eat twice a week at the cafeteria to be like “everybody”. I did figure out that he too was not eating his favorite lunches at school because people were staring…He even told me that for African or French food, people always stare or say something. It was annoying however for Chinese, Italian or Mexican food; people are just used to it.  My little padwana explained that he likes his food but it is hard to be different on everything. In his words “Mom you know what: I am taller.I am a lot of stuff they are not. I want to be me but for the snacks I want to be like them because sometimes I cannot take it.” Well, I said pretty much the same thing to my mother many moons ago!!

My mother told me that her grandfather used to come see her at lunch time to bring her something special. He wanted to make sure she was not eating “grilled pigeons ” like the other kids. She wanted to be like “everybody”.  Sometimes our mother would buy those “fancy snacks” to  please us. Of course, I will pack my padwana some “store bought snacks”.  Personally, I am still enjoying my smashed super ripe banana sandwich which I added slivered almonds and honey. On top of it, I am making my own French baguette.  Oh yes, life is good!

The truth is that the social pressure and cultural dilemmas for multicultural and multilingual children will never fade away. And it takes time and patience.  It is not about the quality of the food. It is about fitting in. It is about blending in with trends to avoid cultural stereotypes.  Of course school will always display our socio –economic and cultural differences.  However, we as “family” are growing stronger and closer beyond generation gaps by sharing stories. 

Here a picture of my "all time favorite" store bought snack:

L'amour veritable by Kery James

Here another French rap song  about friendship for my old and new friends.Happy Monday to you all.
Peace...


"L'amitié se passe de paroles, quand tu la vis et que cest un acquis
A qui veut l'entendre, tes amis cest pas ton équipe
L'amitié naît sans raison et avance sans horizon
Mon ami ce texte est en fait une oraison
Une amitié qui se finit en fait navait pas commencé
De vrais liens faits dans le bien, amènent à se réconcilier
Si le cœur y est, lamitié envahit lâme entière..."

All That We Share by Jay Walljasper

Jay Walljasper is a veteran writter for Ode. I picked up an old magazine at the library for 25 cents.It liked the title: Ode for intelligent optimists!!! It was interesting and easy to read.  I like Walljasper's arguments about commonness in our global community.
Once again,the World is not perfect or imperfect. And I am not perfect or imperfect.  I am a monad among monads. I am a dreamer among dreamers. We are different but the same. And we have common dreams under the same moonlight.

Here the article from Ode

In All That We Share, veteran journalist Jay Walljasper, a former editor at Ode, presents the ultimate guide to save ‘the commons,’ which he defines as “everything we inherit or create together and must pass on.”
What is the commons exactly?
“It is, in short, what we share together, in contrast to what we own individually. It includes everything from parks and streets to the environment and the Internet. It covers the world’s most ancient folk tales and the latest dance steps. When you start to think about it, a lot of essential elements of our lives exist outside the realm of private property.”
In your book, you claim the commons is under threat. How did that happen?
“The last 30 years has witnessed an overwhelming trend to privatize valuable things that once belonged to all of us. Big companies, for example, are now taking over control of public water systems, which has sparked huge protests in South America because people suffer higher prices and have no say on how this precious resource is managed. Many things that we share have been neglected to the point of ruin. If something does not make a profit, in the eyes of many politicians and business executives, it is not worth anything. That’s why we are seeing more libraries with their doors locked, parks where the playground equipment is falling apart. A sad symbol of this is public drinking fountains everywhere that do not work. We are all supposed to buy bottled water now.”
Which initiatives to save the commons have inspired you?
“Wow, this could take all day! Among the most compelling mentioned in my book are community gardens; open source software; Creative Commons Licenses (an alternative to copyrights, where creators allow their work to be freely shared for certain purposes); a new public square in downtown Detroit that has brought hope and significant private investment back to a battered city; a Mexican farmer who revived indigenous farming techniques to make severely eroded soil fertile again; and an art group in San Francisco that makes a point about public space by turning parking spaces temporarily into mini-parks.”
What can we do to revitalize the commons?
“The first step is simply to be aware of all the various forms of commons that are important to your life. This includes groups of people working together toward the common good, like Wikipedia and public health agencies. The next step is to strengthen these commons in every way possible as voters, activists, social entrepreneurs, and good neighbors.”

RAISE Hope for Congo

It is an Enough project!!! It is addressing the conflicts over minerals and violence against women!!
"RAISE Hope for Congo seeks to fundamentally change the equation for Congo by using Enough’s robust field research, advocacy, and communications to bolster a broad grassroots movement that promotes lasting solutions. Our initiatives work to educate and empower individuals to be a part of those solutions to the conflict."

Raise hope for congo

Remember Patrice Lumumba Speech:

Considered so dangerous to imperialist powers that he was imprisoned after his election and ultimately assassinated, Patrice Lumumba was confident that we who love freedom would fight on, saying: "We are not alone. Africa, Asia, and free and liberated people from every corner of the world will always be found at the side of the Congolese."

"We are going to show the world what the Black man can do when he works in freedom, and we are going to make of the Congo the center of the sun’s radiance for all of Africa."

Make Your Dreams Come True Day is Jan 13th

Oh yes!!! There is a  holiday for dreams!! I did not find the origin of this one. In my opinion, it must be about "the 13th" day of the year. Well, bizarre holiday or not, just do it! 
In a previous post, I did quote Paulo Coelho "when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true". I do believe that we prepare our fate everyday in every actions. Let's not forget that we all are children of the universe and that our dreams are not negotiable.
We should not let our dreams just be dreams...

• If one advances confidently in the direction of their dreams, And endeavors to lead a life which they have imagined, They will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.Henry David Thoreau 
• Dreams are . . . illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you.Marsha Norman 
• If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more, to dream all the time. Marcel Proust

In memory of Haiti earthquake

All my respects to Children of Haiti !!!

Same Moonlight for our Dreams...

A beautiful retro Zouk song, in homage of Haiti!

“Yon ti GESTE pou YO. Yon chapo pou yo.!!!! Nou gen lontan nap tann solèy leve. Bon DIEU tanpri, yon ti di yon parol pou yo!"

Cassava Leaves in my mind

Yesterday, I explored three Asian stores for frozen Cassava leaves!!! Tomorrow, I will try stores specialized in Filipino products. It has been years since my last plate of cassava leaves. In Comoros, it is called Mataba, home it is also called Sombe, and commonly known as Saka saka or Pondu.  I did call my mother for the recipe!! It seems that a lot of people around here might be craving those leaves. Seriously three stores were out! Nevertheless, I did find grated cassava. It is perfect for a gluten free recipes:“Cassava Bibingka” a Filipino cake, or Bâton de Manioc steamed  in banana leaves, a sort of central African bread.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) leaves contained a high level of protein. That is why they are so popular. They have a high content of protein, minerals and vitamins. In Humanity Development Library, it is said that "Eating 50 grams of cassava leaves-the equivalent of a large salad-or a mere three grams of red palm oil per day could prevent a child from going blind. Yet half a million children are destined to blindness, and two-thirds of them to die, for lack of a daily supply of the crucial amounts of vitamin A contained in such common tropical foods". According to studies, consumption of 400g cassava leaves is equivalent to protein intake of 45 to 50 grams. It is a smart addition to any vegetarian meals.  According to Wikipedia, the leaves are used to treat hypertension, headache, irritable bowel syndrome and pain. Personally, they are a taste of home loaded with protein and a souvenir of my childhood.

In pursue of Cassava leaves ...

Artsy Peeks of the week

Anastasia Sarantinou

Ashley Cecil

Ryan Hewitt

Crépuscule-Twilight by Kunline

This one is for my brothers and sisters.

I did find this poem of mine behind an old magazine. It is three years old!!! I try to translate in English!!

Crépuscule

Une  fluide  monotonie apaise les hurlements de l'incertain,

face à l'incertitude de la nuit naissante.

Doucement la nature murmure avec tendresse dans sa voluptueuse harmonie.

Au coeur de cette puissance invisible,

mon âme s'evade vers  d'autres horizons.

Au-delà du visible, nous sommes tous libres.

Nos yeux  tournés vers le ciel dans la lumière ou l'obscurité,

comme des arbres majestueux affrontant chaque instant avec ténacité du crépiscule à l'aube. Je suis!

Twilight

A smooth monotony soothes the howling of the uncertain,

facing the uncertainty of the nascent night.

Nature whispers tenderly in her voluptuous harmony.

At the heart of this invisible power,

my soul escaped to other horizons.

Beyond the visible, we are all free.

Our eyes turned skyward in the light or the darkness,

as  majestic trees affronting each moment with the tenacity from twilight to dawn.I am!

Kunline

Mamadou Gomis

 

The number Seven

Lucky or not, seven is my favorite number.

Here a great link about  seven in this seventh day of 2011.

My ultimate  favorite  is the visible spectrum defined by Issac Newton's 7 colors of the rainbow.

Happy Friday!!!

"Seven A mystic or sacred number. It is composed of four and three, which, among the Pythagoreans, were, and from time immemorial have been, accounted lucky numbers. Among the Babylonians, Egyptians, and other ancient peoples, there were seven sacred planets. The Hebrew verb for "to swear" means literally to come under the influence of seven things; thus, seven ewe lambs figure in the oath between Abraham and Abimelech at Beersheba (Gen. 21:28); and Herodotus describes an Arabian oath in which seven stones are smeared with blood. There are seven days in Creation, seven days in the week, seven graces, seven deadly sins, seven divisions in the Lord's Prayer, and seven ages in the life of man; climacteric years are seven and nine with their multiples by odd numbers; and the seventh son of a seventh son was held noble. Among the Hebrews, every seventh year was sabbatical, and seven times seven years was the jubilee. The three great Jewish feasts lasted seven days; and between the first and second were seven weeks. Levitical purifications lasted seven days; Balaam would have seven alters, and sacrificed on them seven bullocks and seven rams; Naaman was commanded to dip seven times in Jordan; Elijah sent his servant seven times to look out for rain; ten times seven Israelites went to Egypt, the exile lasted the same number of years, and there were ten times seven elders. Pharaoh in his dream saw seven years for each of his wives; seven priests with seven trumpets marched round Jericho once every day, but seven times on the seventh day. Samson's wedding feast lasted seven days; on the seventh he told his bride the riddle, he was bound with seven withes [sic], and seven locks of his hair were cut off. Nebuchadnezzar was a beast for seven years. In the Apocalypse, there are seven churches of Asia, seven candlesticks, seven stars, seven trumpets, seven spirits before the throne of God, seven horns, seven vials, seven plagues, a seven-headed monster, and the Lamb with seven eyes. The old astrologers and alchemists recognized seven so-called planets. According to the Muslims, there are seven heavens. Benét's Reader's Encyclopedia (Siepmann, 1987)"

One Mic by Nas

One of my favorite of Nas.  A perfect balance of flow, poetry,melody and wisdom whispers. This song  talks to the ghetto child within...
" We need more warriors soon Sip from the star Sun and the Moon...Diamonds are blinding, I never make the same mistakes Moving with a change of pace, lighter load, see now the king is straight."

Check out: Potholes in my blog for an amazing Nas mixtape of remixes  titled “No Idea’s Original”.
"No idea's original, there's nothing new under the sun
It's never what you do, but how it's done"
 Enjoy!!!

Finding the flow

According to Wikipedia, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi once said "Repression is not the way to virtue. When people restrain themselves out of fear, their lives are by necessity diminished. Only through freely chosen discipline can life be enjoyed and still kept within the bounds of reason.” This is probably a reason why many New Year’s resolutions never come true. It is easy said than done.

However, I am in love Csikszentmihalyi’s notion of flow.  It is defined as “a state of concentration or complete absorption with the activity at hand and the situation. The idea of flow is identical to the feeling of being in the zone or in the groove. This is a feeling everyone has at times, characterized by a feeling of great absorption, engagement, fulfillment, and skill—and during which temporal concerns (time, food, ego-self, etc.) are typically ignored. According to Csíkszentmihályi, flow is completely focused motivation…It is a single-minded immersion and represents perhaps the ultimate in harnessing the emotions in the service of performing and learning. In flow the emotions are not just contained and channeled, but positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand. To be caught in the ennui of depression or the agitation of anxiety is to be barred from flow. The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task. ”

This sense of complete peace of mind in our everyday lives is challenging. However, once you get the feeling it is amazing. Sports used to give me that “in the zone” feeling. As a teen, drawing and writing “dark poetry” defined pure flow. Mathematics also was all about the flow. You must completely concentrate and be motivated to get it. Hobbies lead to the “in the zone” bliss. Of course, spirituality and meditation offer the flow state.  

Such flow is beyond blissful contentment or fulfillment. It cannot be programmed, forced or given. It just happens anytime and anywhere. Today, I am navigating through life adjusting my pace. My flow is within my soul. And I can feel it. I guess that the flow state is a gift of being in the present. The flow state is to live alive. It requires confidence, focus and balance. Even our global community is in flow of Oneness, one family, one Earth.

Let’s feel the flow. My last Happy 2011 to you!!!

Foundation of the week: Solar Cookers International

In the spirit of 2011 international year of forests, I would like to promote solar cooking.Trees are friends!!! When we can spare them, we should try. I did buy a solar cooking kit years ago.  To be honest, I always forget about it. In 2011, I will use my solar cooking kit in camping, and post pictures of super green “sunshine cooking”!! The Solar cookers international is nonprofit organization with offices in California and Kenya. They are introducing solar cooking to those in need around the world since 1987!

Let’s us try!
Same  Moonlight for our Dreams

Happy 2011, the International Year of Forests

 
"The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests"

Happy 2011 to you all...
According to Flag Counter, 85 countries visited!
Thank you!!
Same Moonlight for our Dreams!!!