sunday happenings

yesterday was amazing. i walked with the mourners at the 19th annual women’s memorial march and was so humbled by the families’ strength, unity and peaceful power. i can still hear the women’s warrior song repeating through my head. it was overwhelming to be walking in a memorial to the missing and murdered women that i have been researching the last four months, made even more so when eagles soared overhead. words can not describe…

after the memorial was over, i tried to catch a bus up main street to no avail. each one of them was full so i ended up walking which was pretty cool. i got to take a bunch of iphone shots. so far i have tried to steer clear of all the olympic mayhem but i took this opportunity to walk through the science world section of the seawall. it’s craziness, i tell you!! i am really disappointed by all the corporate sponsorship.

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it’s like our city has been turned into a giant canvas for advertising and the people are allowing it- no, enjoying it. i have never seen so many people willingly advertising for corporations and blindly accepting that it is some sort of patriotism. i just don’t get it.

as soon as i left the olympic section of main street i walked past one of my favourite wall quotes in the city, painted on the side of the foundation restaurant.

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ah, so all is not lost with the world. voices can be heard and people still have the ability to think critically and engage socially, if they so choose.

and then i got on the b-line. a man boarded at the cambie stop and i noticed that he had advertising in his hair. i said “do you know you are advertising for coke and the cbc?” he said “what?” i said, “you have COKE in your hair!!!” he said, “i know, but it looks like a canadian flag so i don’t mind”.

i stuck a sticker on the flag closest to me.

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action packed

happy monday!

this weekend was very busy for me, starting with a quick trip to seattle to see alice in chains play at the paramount theatre. followed by a day walking around the beautiful city, browsing pike place, and taking in the works at seattle art museum (thanks for the student discount!!).

saturday evening i had the honour of attending the vancouver media coop‘s fundraiser at the hd lab- wow!! i was humbled to be in the presence fo so many amazing artists and activists who are not only very talented but also passionate about people, justice, and the earth. right on!!

sunday was also action-packed: it started with the poverty olympics which i have to say was the highlight of my weekend! it was so amazing to see the intense community and creative spirit in the DTES. community members staged a theatrical event aimed at shaming the feds, province, civic governments as well as big business. what a success!! my favourite parts were the hockey game (pigeon park vs. vanoc predators)  and “wrestling for our community” (mr. con dough takes on four of the cutest little kids who represent the community). Also, the poverty olympics anthem is rad:

Oh Canada
Our home on Native land.
A billion for security,
Instead of building homes.
Olympic spending has gone sky high
While thousands sleep outside.

From far and wide
Oh Canada
Invite the world to see
A quarter million souls,
Poor and freezing cold.
Oh Canada, where is e-qual-i-ty?
Oh Canada, we are ashamed of thee.

after leaving that event to have coffee with a couple friends, one of them pointed out a fresh piece of graffiti beneath our feet: a power-washed stencil aimed at sex-tourists. what an awesome idea!! although i don’t really agree with all of the points of this campaign, i do appreciate these messages on the sidewalks of vancouver!

buying sex is not a sport

after that, i did a little more research for my ethnographic film and i’d have to say that this weekend was a success!!

looking forward to the week ahead….

9 days and counting…

as the city gets all geared up for the circus, the reality of it is hitting me. this is actually happening. bus routes are all disrupted. it takes me an average of fifteen minutes longer per trip taking transit (this morning my commute was lengthened by 45 mins). tomorrow all the drivers of van city will have nowhere to park their shiny city-dwelling suvs.

enough ranting. how ’bout some good news?

totally LOVED this article in the Georgia Strait! nice to see the diversity in coverage. along side the calendars for pro-olympic events, they posted the anti-olympic events online!!

in other news… good ol’ BUD was yapping again. when speaking about terrorist threats, he mentions the olympic resistance network…

security. sigh.

Missing and Murdered Women highlighted in torch relay

I know this is old new, but its good news. I urge you all to read the story of how seven Aboriginal leaders and other peaceful protesters from Manitoba brought attention to the numbers of Missing and Murdered Women in Canada. The demonstrators were not protesting the Olympics, rather, they used the torch relay as a vehicle to raise awareness.

In other news, I’ve been following the Olympics Resistance Network. I plan to check out some of their events including the 2010 Welcoming Committee mobilization. Below is a promotional video:

…the next couple months should be an interesting time in vancouver!

battles blasted bumbershoot

holy crap. that was the best way to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall.

bumbershoot 2008

battles is my new favourite band.

“People won’t be people when they hear this sound
That’s been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won’t be people, no
The people won’t be people when they hear this sound
Won’t you show me what begins at the edge of town

The singer is a crook
The singer is a crook
The singer is a crook
The singer is a crook
The kitchen is the cook
The scissors are the barbers
The singer is a crook
The chorus, full of actors

The chorus doesn’t matter”

battles bumbershoot 2008 battles bumbershoot 2008