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Jan. 5th, 2020 12:00 am
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Photograph by Tina Modotti, May Day 1929
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Photograph by Tina Modotti, May Day 1929
Music to weep to
Jan. 24th, 2012 10:54 amI went to a K's Choice concert with friends last night.
Third row centre. Fuck yeah.
My friend ordered the tickets two months ago, as it was an acoustic and sit down concert, it felt very intimate and close - despite the hundreds of other people in the audience with me.
K's Choice have been a favourite of mine for a while now, well since the last time they were in Israel really! I "discovered" them on Buffy, even though I'd heard their songs on the radio and seen them on MTV (so innocent and young... I need to acquire Daria somehow.)
I won't go into detail, but suffice to say, because my life has been kicking my and mine's collective asses lately, I needed this concert like burning.
Because K's Choice's songs, bar none, are poignant and this being an acoustic event... well, my friends very much agreed that I was dehydrated by the end. I know, big deal, I cry all the time, it's something to note when I don't cry. I was emotionally drained and cried out - there were a few songs that had me bawling and I really had to control my breathing to not outright sob. But there you have it.
But I think I'm warranted at this point in my life to be really weepy all the time.
After the amazing concert we went to a cafe right next to the theatre and had French toast at midnight. I love having breakfast before bedtime.
And despite the fact that my laptop's screen decided to die and I cried myself to sleep - waking up and seeing the screen working as though last night never happened cheered me up greatly.
I still feel like I've been sucker-punched over and over again, and just as emotionally drained by last night, but I guess having a good thing happen (along with the birth of my nephew, who I think about whenever I want to have a do-over of the January) amidst all the bad stuff can be a good thing.
Third row centre. Fuck yeah.
My friend ordered the tickets two months ago, as it was an acoustic and sit down concert, it felt very intimate and close - despite the hundreds of other people in the audience with me.
K's Choice have been a favourite of mine for a while now, well since the last time they were in Israel really! I "discovered" them on Buffy, even though I'd heard their songs on the radio and seen them on MTV (so innocent and young... I need to acquire Daria somehow.)
I won't go into detail, but suffice to say, because my life has been kicking my and mine's collective asses lately, I needed this concert like burning.
Because K's Choice's songs, bar none, are poignant and this being an acoustic event... well, my friends very much agreed that I was dehydrated by the end. I know, big deal, I cry all the time, it's something to note when I don't cry. I was emotionally drained and cried out - there were a few songs that had me bawling and I really had to control my breathing to not outright sob. But there you have it.
But I think I'm warranted at this point in my life to be really weepy all the time.
After the amazing concert we went to a cafe right next to the theatre and had French toast at midnight. I love having breakfast before bedtime.
And despite the fact that my laptop's screen decided to die and I cried myself to sleep - waking up and seeing the screen working as though last night never happened cheered me up greatly.
I still feel like I've been sucker-punched over and over again, and just as emotionally drained by last night, but I guess having a good thing happen (along with the birth of my nephew, who I think about whenever I want to have a do-over of the January) amidst all the bad stuff can be a good thing.
Good ol'e fashioned greed
Jan. 20th, 2012 09:48 pmThe greed of the media companies is one of the more disgusting things plaguing our culture today.
Not to mention stifling it completely.
The public domain, as it currently stands, is in danger of being eaten away by the greed of corporate giants who could give a flying fuck about how art and dialogue are created and expressed.
When you deny new artists from being inspired and actually using the art, texts and music and images that have come before, you deny artists the right to actually create.
Not to mention that one of the points of copyright is to make sure the creators and artists are protected from intellectual property theft, such as it is. The whole point of taking things out of the public domain and licensing them is to make a profit out of them, which the original creator can no longer have a piece of.
Once again, corporate giants behaving like avaricious disgusting spoiled children.
When you think of platforms like Megaupload, which has been shut down, you can't help but wonder why the media moguls don't adopt that style of economy. I'd pay, I'm willing to pay a fee for a certain amount of downloads if the price is fair. People would rather pay a reasonable price than commit piracy. But you know, paying 20$ for a season in a DVD boxset, when I 20$ for a filesharing website gives me unlimited download ability - I know what I and millions of others, chose - if the moguls actually took into account the fact the internet has changed the way content is distributed and didn't see as a threat and rather an opportunity we would be seeing SOPA, PIPA, Copyright extension, etc. Well, they'd be making so much money they'd be thinking how they can more content distributed to more people with easier access.
But hey, what do I know. I'm just the consumer.
Speaking of Megaupload, this is absolutely sickening.
h/t to![[personal profile]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
amethystfirefly for the links.
Not to mention stifling it completely.
The public domain, as it currently stands, is in danger of being eaten away by the greed of corporate giants who could give a flying fuck about how art and dialogue are created and expressed.
When you deny new artists from being inspired and actually using the art, texts and music and images that have come before, you deny artists the right to actually create.
Not to mention that one of the points of copyright is to make sure the creators and artists are protected from intellectual property theft, such as it is. The whole point of taking things out of the public domain and licensing them is to make a profit out of them, which the original creator can no longer have a piece of.
Once again, corporate giants behaving like avaricious disgusting spoiled children.
When you think of platforms like Megaupload, which has been shut down, you can't help but wonder why the media moguls don't adopt that style of economy. I'd pay, I'm willing to pay a fee for a certain amount of downloads if the price is fair. People would rather pay a reasonable price than commit piracy. But you know, paying 20$ for a season in a DVD boxset, when I 20$ for a filesharing website gives me unlimited download ability - I know what I and millions of others, chose - if the moguls actually took into account the fact the internet has changed the way content is distributed and didn't see as a threat and rather an opportunity we would be seeing SOPA, PIPA, Copyright extension, etc. Well, they'd be making so much money they'd be thinking how they can more content distributed to more people with easier access.
But hey, what do I know. I'm just the consumer.
Speaking of Megaupload, this is absolutely sickening.
h/t to
amethystfirefly for the links.
On Being Queer in Fandom
Jan. 16th, 2012 09:29 pmThis post touches an important pan-fandom subject and as such I think it should be read far and wide, so please, spread this link around! Thank you in advance.
![[livejournal.com profile]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
verasteine has written a parallel post of her own regarding being straight in fandom.
Something has been weighing on my mind for a while now.
It’s not a new thought, in fact I’ve written and discussed this before, because it is a pervasive issue and it touches me again and again in fandom.
Slash fandom is not a place without problems, this we all know, as fans, but this one particular issue is one which I’m finding harder and harder to let go as time goes by and I’m wondering if other fannish queers and/or queer fans feel it as well.
I’d like to state that I’m very aware of how problematic the use of “queer” is as a word – because while I personally identify with it strongly, it is a word with a traumatic past and not every QUILTBAG person sees it as a reclaimed word, as such, please bear with me regarding its use in this post.
Things are not as they once were, over the past decade the media landscape has changed in a way I still find hard to describe, I’m sure you who are older than I feel this even more acutely.
I don’t want to talk about the canon queer characters, relationship and storylines, because you can critique those from here to high heaven from our perspective and that has been done.
I want to talk and ask you, my fellow queer fans, about the ambivalent feeling I get from slash fandom as a queer fan.
Slash isn’t queer fiction, but it is queered fiction and a lot of the time, the idea that gay people exist within a larger cultural context is either forgotten or exploited. Forgotten in the sense that a lot of stories write the two men as though there isn’t an entire gay history and culture that informs on how these relationships are constructed.
And they are exploited in the sense that some aspects of gay culture are used to differentiate these two guys from those other queers, because they are the strange and the freakish, whereas the two guys are in love.
There are of course the instances in which authors try to be inclusive of queer culture, but due to the stereotypical way it is depicted in the media the image of effeminate men being “less than” masculine men gets perpetuated in fic.
The coming out process and the whole notion of being queer in public is, at times, reductive and lacking in the narrative complexity that informs our own queer identities. Not to mention the use of the work “queer” itself without any acknowledgment that hey, for a lot of these guys, it would as bad as the f-word (no, not “fuck” or “fellation”).
There are times where I will be thrown out of a fic that deals with homophobia, but succumbs to gender stereotypes, because the relationship becomes yet another reflection of heterosexual and heteronormative models, only with two dicks.
And of course, the ever popular of putting “slash” or “m/m sex” in the warning part of the header.
There are other issues and other instances, some of them too numerous to recount, and yes, fandom can’t but reflect the larger straight assuming culture from which it emerges. But QUEER PEOPLE EXIST in slash fandom and I’d like to hear our voices with regards to how these narratives and stories are written. Because even though this isn’t gay fiction, I am a part of this creative and transformative culture that takes from my sexual culture and doesn’t seem to realize that that is what it does.
Do other queer fans and/or fannish queer fans feel this way? Are there areas in slash fandom you feel more welcome and included? What other issues have you felt that corresponds with being queer in fandom, if at all?
verasteine has written a parallel post of her own regarding being straight in fandom.Something has been weighing on my mind for a while now.
It’s not a new thought, in fact I’ve written and discussed this before, because it is a pervasive issue and it touches me again and again in fandom.
Slash fandom is not a place without problems, this we all know, as fans, but this one particular issue is one which I’m finding harder and harder to let go as time goes by and I’m wondering if other fannish queers and/or queer fans feel it as well.
I’d like to state that I’m very aware of how problematic the use of “queer” is as a word – because while I personally identify with it strongly, it is a word with a traumatic past and not every QUILTBAG person sees it as a reclaimed word, as such, please bear with me regarding its use in this post.
Things are not as they once were, over the past decade the media landscape has changed in a way I still find hard to describe, I’m sure you who are older than I feel this even more acutely.
I don’t want to talk about the canon queer characters, relationship and storylines, because you can critique those from here to high heaven from our perspective and that has been done.
I want to talk and ask you, my fellow queer fans, about the ambivalent feeling I get from slash fandom as a queer fan.
Slash isn’t queer fiction, but it is queered fiction and a lot of the time, the idea that gay people exist within a larger cultural context is either forgotten or exploited. Forgotten in the sense that a lot of stories write the two men as though there isn’t an entire gay history and culture that informs on how these relationships are constructed.
And they are exploited in the sense that some aspects of gay culture are used to differentiate these two guys from those other queers, because they are the strange and the freakish, whereas the two guys are in love.
There are of course the instances in which authors try to be inclusive of queer culture, but due to the stereotypical way it is depicted in the media the image of effeminate men being “less than” masculine men gets perpetuated in fic.
The coming out process and the whole notion of being queer in public is, at times, reductive and lacking in the narrative complexity that informs our own queer identities. Not to mention the use of the work “queer” itself without any acknowledgment that hey, for a lot of these guys, it would as bad as the f-word (no, not “fuck” or “fellation”).
There are times where I will be thrown out of a fic that deals with homophobia, but succumbs to gender stereotypes, because the relationship becomes yet another reflection of heterosexual and heteronormative models, only with two dicks.
And of course, the ever popular of putting “slash” or “m/m sex” in the warning part of the header.
There are other issues and other instances, some of them too numerous to recount, and yes, fandom can’t but reflect the larger straight assuming culture from which it emerges. But QUEER PEOPLE EXIST in slash fandom and I’d like to hear our voices with regards to how these narratives and stories are written. Because even though this isn’t gay fiction, I am a part of this creative and transformative culture that takes from my sexual culture and doesn’t seem to realize that that is what it does.
Do other queer fans and/or fannish queer fans feel this way? Are there areas in slash fandom you feel more welcome and included? What other issues have you felt that corresponds with being queer in fandom, if at all?
There and back again...
Jan. 14th, 2012 11:39 pmI'm back from the training seminar.
To say that it was interesting would be the biggest understatement of the 19th, 20th and what has been the 21st century.
To say that it was empowering would be too simple, because there were times where I felt utterly crushed and torn to pieces.
I'm still not sure what to say about it. I don't think I should. The intimacy of the group and the dynamic was... I'm literally speechless... I'm amazed as to what I learned about myself and other people.
I will say this and I said this during one of the feedbacks for the activities - it was one of the few times in my life that while mingling and getting to know people, I didn't have to guess, hint or assume who was gay, lesbian, bisexual or queer - we just were, all of us, and despite all of our stories being different - that golden thread of sexuality and the fact that we are all queer in different ways - the sense of solidarity that I felt with the other participants, our guides, the activity and work shop guides - we didn't have to come out, except to clarify what type of queer we all were and to have a place to speak the complexity of being a lesbian identified bisexual queer was probably one of the most liberating experiences of my life.
I feel very changed, I don't know how yet, because things need to sink in and I'm not sure how processing the past two and a half days will feel or what will happen now. Everything feels new and unsure and I'm very content with that feeling, whereas once I think it would have scared me.
It was fucking cold and it rained endlessly. We were very isolated and the safe space of an LGBT focused workshop was beyond all my expectations.
I can't believe I actually had the guts to do something like this.
To say that it was interesting would be the biggest understatement of the 19th, 20th and what has been the 21st century.
To say that it was empowering would be too simple, because there were times where I felt utterly crushed and torn to pieces.
I'm still not sure what to say about it. I don't think I should. The intimacy of the group and the dynamic was... I'm literally speechless... I'm amazed as to what I learned about myself and other people.
I will say this and I said this during one of the feedbacks for the activities - it was one of the few times in my life that while mingling and getting to know people, I didn't have to guess, hint or assume who was gay, lesbian, bisexual or queer - we just were, all of us, and despite all of our stories being different - that golden thread of sexuality and the fact that we are all queer in different ways - the sense of solidarity that I felt with the other participants, our guides, the activity and work shop guides - we didn't have to come out, except to clarify what type of queer we all were and to have a place to speak the complexity of being a lesbian identified bisexual queer was probably one of the most liberating experiences of my life.
I feel very changed, I don't know how yet, because things need to sink in and I'm not sure how processing the past two and a half days will feel or what will happen now. Everything feels new and unsure and I'm very content with that feeling, whereas once I think it would have scared me.
It was fucking cold and it rained endlessly. We were very isolated and the safe space of an LGBT focused workshop was beyond all my expectations.
I can't believe I actually had the guts to do something like this.
I'm about to head out to an out of the way Kibbutz for a weekend retreat.
It's a weekend long (and full according to the itinerary) workshop, which should train me and the other attendees for Hoshen:
I'm both excited and apprehensive, I don't know anyone beyond the few I met during the introductory evening last month.
Though I'm more paranoid about missing my ride! We're carpooling, but eep! What if they don't wait for me!
Better get going then, huh?
I'll be sure to tell you all about when I get back Saturday night!
It's a weekend long (and full according to the itinerary) workshop, which should train me and the other attendees for Hoshen:
Over 200 volunteers work daily to achieve this goal via a wide array of educational activities: personal meetings, academic lectures, workshops, and seminars. Those are aimed at many different target audiences: high school students and teachers, university students and faculty members, police and border guard corps officers, soldiers, army cadets and officers, medical staff, social workers, and guidance counselors.
Hoshen is officially recognized by the Educational Psychological Autority (SHEFI) of the Israeli Ministry of Education.
I'm both excited and apprehensive, I don't know anyone beyond the few I met during the introductory evening last month.
Though I'm more paranoid about missing my ride! We're carpooling, but eep! What if they don't wait for me!
Better get going then, huh?
I'll be sure to tell you all about when I get back Saturday night!
Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Jan. 9th, 2012 12:05 pmI have another nephew!
He was born yesterday and I'll only see him tomorrow!
This frustrates me, because I hate waiting to see the little ickle babykins!
Ahem, excuse me while I gush and go Auntie in your face.
I've now overtaken my brother, seeing as he is now a dad (I can't believe my big brother is a daddy *wibble*), I'm an aunt to most kids in this family, while my sibs actually have to parent some of them.
I win!
Sister-in-Law is well, I spoke to her about an hour after the kid was greeted into the world and she sounded much like herself; calm, contained, like it was no big thing she pushed a watermelon out of her body. So that's good.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Babies! I love them! :D
He was born yesterday and I'll only see him tomorrow!
This frustrates me, because I hate waiting to see the little ickle babykins!
Ahem, excuse me while I gush and go Auntie in your face.
I've now overtaken my brother, seeing as he is now a dad (I can't believe my big brother is a daddy *wibble*), I'm an aunt to most kids in this family, while my sibs actually have to parent some of them.
I win!
Sister-in-Law is well, I spoke to her about an hour after the kid was greeted into the world and she sounded much like herself; calm, contained, like it was no big thing she pushed a watermelon out of her body. So that's good.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Babies! I love them! :D
The Snowflake Challenge - Out of Order
Jan. 8th, 2012 08:22 pmHuh, it seems I've missed a few days of the challenge. Time flies! And stretches! And wibble-wobbles as they say.
I do plan on doing them all - the challenges that are meant to be filled out in my own space as opposed to going to comment somewhere else, those are less interesting to me.
So here we have something for Day 5:
In your own space, share something non-fannish you are passionate about with your fannish friends. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
Regular readers of this DW/LJ know that this not only a fannish blog, and even now when I am being intensely fannish it is still not just about fandom.
You could say I am passionate about a lot of things, I tend to get enthusiastic about a great many things, but politics tend to engage me in a way they never did back when I was an apathetic teenager.
I don't think there can be any doubt that I'm a leftist. In my locale it's a complicated position to hold. Most likely because politics, as they are narrowly defined, are Parliamentary and Judicial and about the occupation and the "situation" as the whole shebang is euphemistically called.
All in all, I find the Parliamentary system in Israel utterly useless when it comes to serving me as a citizen, as it is an oppressive and suppressive government and the fact that it is an elected government doesn't make it any less totalitarian. It is totalitarian because none of the elected officials see fit to end an illegal Occupation over millions of people we keep under thumb, beyond that, instead of dealing with the housing and financial issues within the country proper, it throws money at settlements and illegal housing in the occupied territories.
In addition to the actual crimes this sovereign state commits upon the occupied population of Palestine, the state of Israel sees fit to use it's comparatively liberal attitude towards the LGBT community to make itself appear better than it actually is in the eyes of the Western world we so try to mimic - the fact that LGBT people have it "better" than our siblings in the neighbourhood isn't something to proud about - it's called goold ole' human decency!
The fact that my culture is being used as a fig leaf for war crimes is sickening to me and pretty offensive when you consider that the misogyny that is imbued into the culture here.
So, yeah, politics... I'm passionate about that.
I do plan on doing them all - the challenges that are meant to be filled out in my own space as opposed to going to comment somewhere else, those are less interesting to me.
So here we have something for Day 5:
In your own space, share something non-fannish you are passionate about with your fannish friends. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
Regular readers of this DW/LJ know that this not only a fannish blog, and even now when I am being intensely fannish it is still not just about fandom.
You could say I am passionate about a lot of things, I tend to get enthusiastic about a great many things, but politics tend to engage me in a way they never did back when I was an apathetic teenager.
I don't think there can be any doubt that I'm a leftist. In my locale it's a complicated position to hold. Most likely because politics, as they are narrowly defined, are Parliamentary and Judicial and about the occupation and the "situation" as the whole shebang is euphemistically called.
All in all, I find the Parliamentary system in Israel utterly useless when it comes to serving me as a citizen, as it is an oppressive and suppressive government and the fact that it is an elected government doesn't make it any less totalitarian. It is totalitarian because none of the elected officials see fit to end an illegal Occupation over millions of people we keep under thumb, beyond that, instead of dealing with the housing and financial issues within the country proper, it throws money at settlements and illegal housing in the occupied territories.
In addition to the actual crimes this sovereign state commits upon the occupied population of Palestine, the state of Israel sees fit to use it's comparatively liberal attitude towards the LGBT community to make itself appear better than it actually is in the eyes of the Western world we so try to mimic - the fact that LGBT people have it "better" than our siblings in the neighbourhood isn't something to proud about - it's called goold ole' human decency!
The fact that my culture is being used as a fig leaf for war crimes is sickening to me and pretty offensive when you consider that the misogyny that is imbued into the culture here.
So, yeah, politics... I'm passionate about that.
Real Life Too
Jan. 7th, 2012 04:46 pmTen reasons to stop apologising for your online life.
Transformative potential, is what she said.
I love that.
Transformative potential, is what she said.
I love that.
I loved it!
( Here's why )
A very good episode all around. I loved it. A lot. This is a strong opener for the second half of the season.
( Here's why )
A very good episode all around. I loved it. A lot. This is a strong opener for the second half of the season.
The Snowflake Challenge - Day 2
Jan. 2nd, 2012 06:08 pmYep still doing the challenge.
Day 2
In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you did not create. Drop a link to your post in the comments. See if you can rec fanworks that are less likely to be praised: tiny fandoms, rare pairings, fanworks other than stories, lesser known kinks or tropes. Find fanworks that have few to no comments, or creators new to a particular fandom and maybe aren't well known or appreciated. Appreciate them.
Here are three fics I rec. They're all very different, but they have one thing in common.
The Boy Who Spoke With Ghosts by![[archiveofourown.org profile]](http://archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
AvocadoLove.
An Inception/The Sixth Sense crossover. It's a lovely interpretation of the characters and their interaction with each other. The eerie feel of The Sixth Sense blends all too well with the creep factor that was Mal in Inception. There's also a very special ghost there in a a yellow dress and she's the reason I'm rec-ing this fic. In Kid!fic the kid is usually alive but even dead, this little girl is a wonderful presence in the fic and great foil for the characters.
The Quiver and Cry of my Heart byElectric_Apple.
A Hawaii Five-0 fic. It's actually part of a series, but can be easily read alone, I read it before I knew there were other fics in this 'verse. It's a story about Steve being deployed and those he leaves behind. It's quite poignant in places, but I get teary eyes at the drop of a hat so what do I know. But I love the way Danny is a father here to a little girl he loves, because she's Steve's.
A very heart warming Kid!Fic all around.
A Ring in a Black Sea bybasingstoke.
A Stargate: Atlantis/Torchwood crossover. I don't read Stargate, I've never actually even seen the show, but I read this when I was on a Captain Jack in alien worlds binge and boy, is Jack far away from Torchwood in this one. There's a slow build and I think if you don't know either fandom that well you can be confused a bit in the beginning (I was), but the world building is lovely, as is the interaction between Jack and Teylas, showcasing how alien they are compared to the Stargate and Torchwood teams.
It's a great depiction of a different kind of family, the kind we chose, and rearranges itself as life changes.
There's a kid in there, somewhere, for a good reason.
Day 2
In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you did not create. Drop a link to your post in the comments. See if you can rec fanworks that are less likely to be praised: tiny fandoms, rare pairings, fanworks other than stories, lesser known kinks or tropes. Find fanworks that have few to no comments, or creators new to a particular fandom and maybe aren't well known or appreciated. Appreciate them.
Here are three fics I rec. They're all very different, but they have one thing in common.
The Boy Who Spoke With Ghosts by
An Inception/The Sixth Sense crossover. It's a lovely interpretation of the characters and their interaction with each other. The eerie feel of The Sixth Sense blends all too well with the creep factor that was Mal in Inception. There's also a very special ghost there in a a yellow dress and she's the reason I'm rec-ing this fic. In Kid!fic the kid is usually alive but even dead, this little girl is a wonderful presence in the fic and great foil for the characters.
The Quiver and Cry of my Heart by
A Hawaii Five-0 fic. It's actually part of a series, but can be easily read alone, I read it before I knew there were other fics in this 'verse. It's a story about Steve being deployed and those he leaves behind. It's quite poignant in places, but I get teary eyes at the drop of a hat so what do I know. But I love the way Danny is a father here to a little girl he loves, because she's Steve's.
A very heart warming Kid!Fic all around.
A Ring in a Black Sea by
basingstoke.A Stargate: Atlantis/Torchwood crossover. I don't read Stargate, I've never actually even seen the show, but I read this when I was on a Captain Jack in alien worlds binge and boy, is Jack far away from Torchwood in this one. There's a slow build and I think if you don't know either fandom that well you can be confused a bit in the beginning (I was), but the world building is lovely, as is the interaction between Jack and Teylas, showcasing how alien they are compared to the Stargate and Torchwood teams.
It's a great depiction of a different kind of family, the kind we chose, and rearranges itself as life changes.
There's a kid in there, somewhere, for a good reason.
Opening 2012 with a Challenge
Jan. 1st, 2012 11:58 pmIn an attempt to get more readers, because I think I'm worth it *swishes my fringe for my hair is short* and also, as a way to continue to grow out of the lurker mode I have been in the majority of my online fandom life, I've decided to participate in the Snowflake Challenge!
Day 1
In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator. Drop a link to your post in the comments.
I've written fic, none of which I consider good enough on any level. I can do better and with any luck you will see a bunch of it on the coming year.
What I am good at is analysis and fandom has always been a hotbed of analysis for me. I write meta. I write really good thoughtful meta and I think it's a somewhat overlooked participatory work when it comes to fandom.
So, here are three works of meta I think should have more exposure than they initially did:
The Consent Debate (LJ and DW).
This is probably one of the most important pieces of meta I have ever written. It was also one of the hardest, subject matter aside. I think fandom, as a space of creativity and as space of critical engagement with pop-culture that has a majority of women participants in it (whether they identify as feminist or not) have a responsibility to each other, as a community and as a culture and I think, this meta reflects that.
Seeing as I expect you to click on the links and read, I'll put there the warning I have in the body of the texts:
Trigger Warning: This post is about the narratives of dubious consent, non consent, rape, sexual assault, body autonomy (or lack thereof) in fanfiction and fandom, and what being triggered actually means.
Toeing the Line of Love ["Ha'i'ole" Meta] (LJ and DW).
A fandom specific meta. I have a few of those, but I think this is one of my best. I came into Hawaii Five-0 pretty late, I mainlined the show over the summer of 2011 and have been a participant (through meta, picspams and squee) ever since. This meta was kind of like me introducing myself to the fandom at large, because it is an elaborate analysis of the slash dynamics in the show and the nature of gender presentation in a more general sense. I think it's something that can be applied in general.
Also, there are pics of hot men and women in the body of the text and yes, I am so effing shallow.
Ruining the genre since the age of 7 years old (LJ).
I wrote this as response to one of the most sexist pieces I ever had the displeasure of reading. It was actually linked on Geek Feminism.org at the time. But I think it's worth reading now and again, as sexism in sci-fi circles is still too high and women, as creators and fans, are still far too marginalised.
If you like my meta (which, really, I think you should ;P) you can click on the "fangrrl commentary" tag for more. It's oodles of fun!
As per the challenge, the above (and others) are free to be remixed, podcasted, responded to, and more etc.
If you're going to do something, just let me know :)
Day 1
In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator. Drop a link to your post in the comments.
I've written fic, none of which I consider good enough on any level. I can do better and with any luck you will see a bunch of it on the coming year.
What I am good at is analysis and fandom has always been a hotbed of analysis for me. I write meta. I write really good thoughtful meta and I think it's a somewhat overlooked participatory work when it comes to fandom.
So, here are three works of meta I think should have more exposure than they initially did:
The Consent Debate (LJ and DW).
This is probably one of the most important pieces of meta I have ever written. It was also one of the hardest, subject matter aside. I think fandom, as a space of creativity and as space of critical engagement with pop-culture that has a majority of women participants in it (whether they identify as feminist or not) have a responsibility to each other, as a community and as a culture and I think, this meta reflects that.
Seeing as I expect you to click on the links and read, I'll put there the warning I have in the body of the texts:
Toeing the Line of Love ["Ha'i'ole" Meta] (LJ and DW).
A fandom specific meta. I have a few of those, but I think this is one of my best. I came into Hawaii Five-0 pretty late, I mainlined the show over the summer of 2011 and have been a participant (through meta, picspams and squee) ever since. This meta was kind of like me introducing myself to the fandom at large, because it is an elaborate analysis of the slash dynamics in the show and the nature of gender presentation in a more general sense. I think it's something that can be applied in general.
Also, there are pics of hot men and women in the body of the text and yes, I am so effing shallow.
Ruining the genre since the age of 7 years old (LJ).
I wrote this as response to one of the most sexist pieces I ever had the displeasure of reading. It was actually linked on Geek Feminism.org at the time. But I think it's worth reading now and again, as sexism in sci-fi circles is still too high and women, as creators and fans, are still far too marginalised.
If you like my meta (which, really, I think you should ;P) you can click on the "fangrrl commentary" tag for more. It's oodles of fun!
As per the challenge, the above (and others) are free to be remixed, podcasted, responded to, and more etc.
If you're going to do something, just let me know :)
(no subject)
Dec. 31st, 2011 09:58 pmI don't actually have anything to say right now, because I'm waiting for my friends to come over for some New Year cupcakes.
Maybe there will be Irish cream.
I just thought the 31st deserved a post as well.
I hope I write some more in the coming year. Something tells me I will.
Good night and good morning dear readers.
Thanks for being there.
Happy New Year.
It's going to be so grand.
Maybe there will be Irish cream.
I just thought the 31st deserved a post as well.
I hope I write some more in the coming year. Something tells me I will.
Good night and good morning dear readers.
Thanks for being there.
Happy New Year.
It's going to be so grand.
Eating Cookies Because Life Is Hard
Dec. 28th, 2011 08:02 pmMy uterus is trying to claw its way out of my body and these past few weeks have been no good, bad, horrible.
I think I'm warranted chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate milk this evening before I go off to make myself a proper supper.
I'm not feeling overwhelmed like I did before. I paid my first utility bill and am feeling mighty grown up, although I think I passes a level when it comes to adulthood regarding what I had to do yesterday.
You'll need a bit of back story and a strong stomach for this story is about plumbing and how it can sometimes become your life.
I'm recounting this, because suffering should be shared and not wallowed.
Some of you may recall the drama of my apartment.
I mentioned two weeks ago, or thereabouts, that the toilets in my flat were leaking and that the washing machine broke by deciding to leak and be an electrical hazard and whatnot.
Well the plumber came and did what plumbers do to fix leaks of this kind... He stuck some silicone goo stuff around the pipes, bid me farewell and left. I, being a first time tenant and overall helpless young bachelor(ette) called my land lady and informed her of the goings on. She said "fine, I'm covering the plumbing issues" and we say goodbye.
The washing machine repair man came, gave me a very expensive diagnosis (we need our washing machine!) and I called the landlady again, to tell her about this and the cost.
The woman blew up on me and flaked on me, telling me that I was inconsiderate and that I and [Sexy!Roommate] have done nothing but complain and did she not put in bay window for us on her own dime and I was utterly flabbergasted.
She told me to get the machine fixed, but it was at our own expense.
I spoke to people afterwards, people being my roommate and my sister who is a lawyer... yeah.
The washing machine was fixed and the guy said to let it run empty to make sure it works.
By this point I was a little rattled and had ranted and wailed to people. It all came to a head when I heard some rustle come from the service balcony. The rustle, as you may have guessed, was a flood of water from the washing machine.
I very bravely didn't cry.
I called the guy again and he returned to fix something he should have tightened before hand. I hope I never have to call a repair man, but if I ever do, I am never calling him again.
The man left and you'll be happy to know I've used the washing machine since then without incident, it's quite nice to have something that was supposed to work... actually work
It was after that, that I thought I could relax and actually use a non-leaky toilet without having to squeegee the floor. Well, nature called and wouldn't you know, the toilet didn't leak, because it was blocked. The water wouldn't go down and the water actually burst through the drainage pipe that is situated, you guessed it, on the service balcony.
At this point, I just wanted my fucking floor to be dry!
Cue the plumber again and me being very harried indeed.
The plumber said I looked like I'd been traumatised. Well, when you've had things go very wrong, very badly, very quickly one tends to get harried.
Once the asshole was done and took what was left of my cash he said to me, in that patronising way men of a certain age speak to women my age, "You know there are bigger problems in the world."
To which I replied before shutting the door in his face: "Yes, but these are mine".
And so, my landlady calls me not long after to inform me that [Sexy!Roommate] and I are no longer allowed to throw toilet paper into the toilet. Because this is what caused the blockage.
My roommate and I were utterly disbelieving, because what? We can't use the toilet the way man and woman intended? Seriously? And so we said "okay" and continued to use the facilities like civilised human beings.
Yesterday morning, nature called as it want to do. The water wouldn't go down. "Motherfuck" is what I said, quite succinct if I do say so myself. Being much poorer than I was and greatly reluctant to call a plumber and/or the landlady, I put on my big girl pants, rubber gloves and said to myself "Mel, you've changed the nappies of toddlers with diarrhoea. This is a piece of cake."
And indeed, toilet paper was the culprit.
I fucking hate this fucking flat.
Being independent is grand, I'm happy to be living on my own with a roommate. I'd be happier if this apartment actually behaved the way it is supposed to and would stop being such a menace to my health. Mental or otherwise.
But hey, at least I have cooking gas! It's supper time!
I think I'm warranted chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate milk this evening before I go off to make myself a proper supper.
I'm not feeling overwhelmed like I did before. I paid my first utility bill and am feeling mighty grown up, although I think I passes a level when it comes to adulthood regarding what I had to do yesterday.
You'll need a bit of back story and a strong stomach for this story is about plumbing and how it can sometimes become your life.
I'm recounting this, because suffering should be shared and not wallowed.
Some of you may recall the drama of my apartment.
I mentioned two weeks ago, or thereabouts, that the toilets in my flat were leaking and that the washing machine broke by deciding to leak and be an electrical hazard and whatnot.
Well the plumber came and did what plumbers do to fix leaks of this kind... He stuck some silicone goo stuff around the pipes, bid me farewell and left. I, being a first time tenant and overall helpless young bachelor(ette) called my land lady and informed her of the goings on. She said "fine, I'm covering the plumbing issues" and we say goodbye.
The washing machine repair man came, gave me a very expensive diagnosis (we need our washing machine!) and I called the landlady again, to tell her about this and the cost.
The woman blew up on me and flaked on me, telling me that I was inconsiderate and that I and [Sexy!Roommate] have done nothing but complain and did she not put in bay window for us on her own dime and I was utterly flabbergasted.
She told me to get the machine fixed, but it was at our own expense.
I spoke to people afterwards, people being my roommate and my sister who is a lawyer... yeah.
The washing machine was fixed and the guy said to let it run empty to make sure it works.
By this point I was a little rattled and had ranted and wailed to people. It all came to a head when I heard some rustle come from the service balcony. The rustle, as you may have guessed, was a flood of water from the washing machine.
I very bravely didn't cry.
I called the guy again and he returned to fix something he should have tightened before hand. I hope I never have to call a repair man, but if I ever do, I am never calling him again.
The man left and you'll be happy to know I've used the washing machine since then without incident, it's quite nice to have something that was supposed to work... actually work
It was after that, that I thought I could relax and actually use a non-leaky toilet without having to squeegee the floor. Well, nature called and wouldn't you know, the toilet didn't leak, because it was blocked. The water wouldn't go down and the water actually burst through the drainage pipe that is situated, you guessed it, on the service balcony.
At this point, I just wanted my fucking floor to be dry!
Cue the plumber again and me being very harried indeed.
The plumber said I looked like I'd been traumatised. Well, when you've had things go very wrong, very badly, very quickly one tends to get harried.
Once the asshole was done and took what was left of my cash he said to me, in that patronising way men of a certain age speak to women my age, "You know there are bigger problems in the world."
To which I replied before shutting the door in his face: "Yes, but these are mine".
And so, my landlady calls me not long after to inform me that [Sexy!Roommate] and I are no longer allowed to throw toilet paper into the toilet. Because this is what caused the blockage.
My roommate and I were utterly disbelieving, because what? We can't use the toilet the way man and woman intended? Seriously? And so we said "okay" and continued to use the facilities like civilised human beings.
Yesterday morning, nature called as it want to do. The water wouldn't go down. "Motherfuck" is what I said, quite succinct if I do say so myself. Being much poorer than I was and greatly reluctant to call a plumber and/or the landlady, I put on my big girl pants, rubber gloves and said to myself "Mel, you've changed the nappies of toddlers with diarrhoea. This is a piece of cake."
And indeed, toilet paper was the culprit.
I fucking hate this fucking flat.
Being independent is grand, I'm happy to be living on my own with a roommate. I'd be happier if this apartment actually behaved the way it is supposed to and would stop being such a menace to my health. Mental or otherwise.
But hey, at least I have cooking gas! It's supper time!
New Year Incoming
Dec. 27th, 2011 01:47 pmIt feels strange that we're switching the numbers again.
For me the new year really started way back when in September (around Rosh Ha'Shana) and my roommate and I started being proactive about looking for an apartment and registering for classes.
Along with having a nasty PTSD setback around that time it kind of marks that time of year as a start of something - I'm not sure where October and November went to, because all I can remember of October is the family vacation I went on and the fact that I moved out of my parents' home something like two weeks after that.
I'm really enjoying the independence, financial stress and uni woes notwithstanding. I mean, knowing I can handle (not well, but I can do it) multiple failings in an apartment in a somewhat dodgy neighbourhood is certainly nothing to sniff at.
The fact that this year I returned to writing seriously, one slogging word at a time, thanks to several inspiring fandoms - X-Men: First Class, you're a fantastic movie - pity your creators are asses and many of the participants in fandom are a bunch on entitled *mumble mumble*. Hawaii Five-0 who knew I could love something like that, this much and have it be such an inspiration to me. I know, gushing over pop-culture like this is kind of gauche, but who cares right!?
Looking at what I have planned for January it is certainly going to be a busy month, but I can't think of a better way to kick start the year.
For me the new year really started way back when in September (around Rosh Ha'Shana) and my roommate and I started being proactive about looking for an apartment and registering for classes.
Along with having a nasty PTSD setback around that time it kind of marks that time of year as a start of something - I'm not sure where October and November went to, because all I can remember of October is the family vacation I went on and the fact that I moved out of my parents' home something like two weeks after that.
I'm really enjoying the independence, financial stress and uni woes notwithstanding. I mean, knowing I can handle (not well, but I can do it) multiple failings in an apartment in a somewhat dodgy neighbourhood is certainly nothing to sniff at.
The fact that this year I returned to writing seriously, one slogging word at a time, thanks to several inspiring fandoms - X-Men: First Class, you're a fantastic movie - pity your creators are asses and many of the participants in fandom are a bunch on entitled *mumble mumble*. Hawaii Five-0 who knew I could love something like that, this much and have it be such an inspiration to me. I know, gushing over pop-culture like this is kind of gauche, but who cares right!?
Looking at what I have planned for January it is certainly going to be a busy month, but I can't think of a better way to kick start the year.
Where Have You Been?
Dec. 24th, 2011 05:50 pmIt's been... wow... two weeks.
This is also possibly the worst time to actually update because the majority of you, dear readers, are probably getting wasted on mulled wine and eggnog (I myself have been slowly stuffing myself with Sufganiot - that's doughnuts to you gentiles :P)
Much has happened since I wrote last and most of it is quite good, which, considering my last few posts is rather great and it's not so much that I've been AFK (even though that's also happened).
So, what has happened?
Well, uni is still boring and not really that enjoyable. I am loving this living with a roommate in my own apartment - even though my flat tries to periodically kill me with sparking electrical sockets, and flooding toilets and washing machines - but god, being accountable to no one nut myself and my ever decreasing bank account, is awesome.
Other great things is that being free of so called "adult supervision" is that I've been proactive about getting myself a network in my new city. So I've joined an academically inclined LGBT/Queer reading group with a focus on the theoretical prism of Homonationalism. Why yes, we are all Ivory Tower Leftist Gay Intellectuals - only we're poor, working outside of academia (we meet at the Feminist Community Centre "Isha L'Isha" which is Hebrew for "Woman to/for Woman") and are pretty pissed off about having "gay rights" used as a propaganda tool.
The coinor of the term "Homonationalism", Jasbir Puar is coming to Israel next month and yeah, I'm going to hear her speak. BDS is good for this shit, I tell you!
But the best thing about "Isha L'Isha" is that they have a library and archive for which they need a volunteer to catalogue and classify. Guess who's starting volunteering there next month?
Hells yes it's me!
In addition, I went to a volunteer recruitment meet for an organisation that sends LGBT people to schools, military bases, police stations etc. in an Education and Change capacity - where us LGBT's tell our "life stories" and then have a Q&A in order to broaden people's horizons and hopefully have younger or closeted LGBT and queer listeners know that we are out there and in the classroom.
I am slightly cynical, as is possibly evident, by the actual capacity for difference any of this makes, but hey, I'm an also an idealist in the worst possible way and I believe in exposure, truth and education.
I was contacted by the recruitment coordinator and they likes what I had to say at the meet (they're also desperate for volunteers) and would like me to continue on the path to building a "personal story" and volunteer once a month.
I'll let you all know what happens.
And those have been the past two weeks, along with gorging myself on oily foods and cake due to holidays and Nieces birthday parties.
This is also possibly the worst time to actually update because the majority of you, dear readers, are probably getting wasted on mulled wine and eggnog (I myself have been slowly stuffing myself with Sufganiot - that's doughnuts to you gentiles :P)
Much has happened since I wrote last and most of it is quite good, which, considering my last few posts is rather great and it's not so much that I've been AFK (even though that's also happened).
So, what has happened?
Well, uni is still boring and not really that enjoyable. I am loving this living with a roommate in my own apartment - even though my flat tries to periodically kill me with sparking electrical sockets, and flooding toilets and washing machines - but god, being accountable to no one nut myself and my ever decreasing bank account, is awesome.
Other great things is that being free of so called "adult supervision" is that I've been proactive about getting myself a network in my new city. So I've joined an academically inclined LGBT/Queer reading group with a focus on the theoretical prism of Homonationalism. Why yes, we are all Ivory Tower Leftist Gay Intellectuals - only we're poor, working outside of academia (we meet at the Feminist Community Centre "Isha L'Isha" which is Hebrew for "Woman to/for Woman") and are pretty pissed off about having "gay rights" used as a propaganda tool.
The coinor of the term "Homonationalism", Jasbir Puar is coming to Israel next month and yeah, I'm going to hear her speak. BDS is good for this shit, I tell you!
But the best thing about "Isha L'Isha" is that they have a library and archive for which they need a volunteer to catalogue and classify. Guess who's starting volunteering there next month?
Hells yes it's me!
In addition, I went to a volunteer recruitment meet for an organisation that sends LGBT people to schools, military bases, police stations etc. in an Education and Change capacity - where us LGBT's tell our "life stories" and then have a Q&A in order to broaden people's horizons and hopefully have younger or closeted LGBT and queer listeners know that we are out there and in the classroom.
I am slightly cynical, as is possibly evident, by the actual capacity for difference any of this makes, but hey, I'm an also an idealist in the worst possible way and I believe in exposure, truth and education.
I was contacted by the recruitment coordinator and they likes what I had to say at the meet (they're also desperate for volunteers) and would like me to continue on the path to building a "personal story" and volunteer once a month.
I'll let you all know what happens.
And those have been the past two weeks, along with gorging myself on oily foods and cake due to holidays and Nieces birthday parties.
Liberal Guilt and Queer Rage
Dec. 11th, 2011 11:41 pmIt occurred to me that my previous post was a whole lot of whine and cheese about a life, in which, I really don't have all that much to complain about.
(BIG WARNING:Graphic Pictures of Wounds and Violence)
I mean, why complain about a leaky toilet when the IDF shoots a protester at point blank with a grenade launcher, subsequently kills him and proceed to attack the funeral procession.
Don't talk to me about the most moral army in the world, 'kay?
Speaking of fallacious images. Did you know that Israel is the best place to be gay in the Middle East? No, really, it is.
We have rights, and parties, and freedom of expression and places in which we can gather safely!
Oh, wait.
Considering what happened in 2009 at the LGBT youth club and the fact that the people who come to the Tel-Aviv LGBT centre and the park in which it is situated are routinely assaulted, the whole, "it's goo to be gay in Israel" stance is more dissonant than ever before.
My age is showing, because what I consider a "gay park" is not what they mean in the article.
Especially when you consider the fact that pinkwashing as a propaganda tactic is at an all time low. At least, I hope my fellow siblings aren't as gullible as the Foreign Office would like to believe.
I've spoken about Pinkwashing before and last month the whole shebang was blown out of the water by Sarah Schulman who posted a brilliant op-ed in the New York Times titled Israel and 'Pinkwashing', in which she writes:
'nuff said, really.
(BIG WARNING:Graphic Pictures of Wounds and Violence)
I mean, why complain about a leaky toilet when the IDF shoots a protester at point blank with a grenade launcher, subsequently kills him and proceed to attack the funeral procession.
Don't talk to me about the most moral army in the world, 'kay?
Speaking of fallacious images. Did you know that Israel is the best place to be gay in the Middle East? No, really, it is.
We have rights, and parties, and freedom of expression and places in which we can gather safely!
Oh, wait.
Considering what happened in 2009 at the LGBT youth club and the fact that the people who come to the Tel-Aviv LGBT centre and the park in which it is situated are routinely assaulted, the whole, "it's goo to be gay in Israel" stance is more dissonant than ever before.
My age is showing, because what I consider a "gay park" is not what they mean in the article.
Especially when you consider the fact that pinkwashing as a propaganda tactic is at an all time low. At least, I hope my fellow siblings aren't as gullible as the Foreign Office would like to believe.
I've spoken about Pinkwashing before and last month the whole shebang was blown out of the water by Sarah Schulman who posted a brilliant op-ed in the New York Times titled Israel and 'Pinkwashing', in which she writes:
[...]
In 2005, with help from American marketing executives, the Israeli government began a marketing campaign, “Brand Israel,” aimed at men ages 18 to 34. The campaign, as reported by The Jewish Daily Forward, sought to depict Israel as “relevant and modern.” The government later expanded the marketing plan by harnessing the gay community to reposition its global image.
[...]
The growing global gay movement against the Israeli occupation has named these tactics “pinkwashing”: a deliberate strategy to conceal the continuing violations of Palestinians’ human rights behind an image of modernity signified by Israeli gay life. Aeyal Gross, a professor of law at Tel Aviv University, argues that “gay rights have essentially become a public-relations tool,” even though “conservative and especially religious politicians remain fiercely homophobic.”
'nuff said, really.
*key board smash*!!!!!!!
Dec. 11th, 2011 09:00 pmFuck my life.
Seriously!
Yesterday was a good day. It really was. It was family and food and doing shit!
I feel like some kind of cosmic checks and balances suddenly noticed I was in a good mood and that things were actually going pretty well for me and went "nuh uh!".
The leak? It is worse, the plumber is coming tomorrow.
The washing machine? It fucks with the whole electrical current of the apartment! It blew the fuse three times. At least the washing is done, I guess? Will there be a visit from the electrician tomorrow? You betcha'!
Oh, and during those little mini-blackouts? My internet router lost all the definitions it had for the past two months. I spent an hour on the phone with the idiots from my ISP and phone company. I say "idiots" plural because I spoke to four different people in a single hour!
It was a close call, but I decided against naming the wireless network "FuckMyLife" or "ARGH".
RAWR!
Add to that that [Sexy!Roommate] is not here to do this shit with me or even commiserate and my mood is blown!
Thank god my BFF called me and we talked while I hung the washing and did the dishes and she gave me permission to bitch, complain and generally be the extrovert I am when in comes to dealing with my life.
Oh my god, I'm so tired.
Oy.
Seriously!
Yesterday was a good day. It really was. It was family and food and doing shit!
I feel like some kind of cosmic checks and balances suddenly noticed I was in a good mood and that things were actually going pretty well for me and went "nuh uh!".
The leak? It is worse, the plumber is coming tomorrow.
The washing machine? It fucks with the whole electrical current of the apartment! It blew the fuse three times. At least the washing is done, I guess? Will there be a visit from the electrician tomorrow? You betcha'!
Oh, and during those little mini-blackouts? My internet router lost all the definitions it had for the past two months. I spent an hour on the phone with the idiots from my ISP and phone company. I say "idiots" plural because I spoke to four different people in a single hour!
It was a close call, but I decided against naming the wireless network "FuckMyLife" or "ARGH".
RAWR!
Add to that that [Sexy!Roommate] is not here to do this shit with me or even commiserate and my mood is blown!
Thank god my BFF called me and we talked while I hung the washing and did the dishes and she gave me permission to bitch, complain and generally be the extrovert I am when in comes to dealing with my life.
Oh my god, I'm so tired.
Oy.
Life, Rooms and Other Stuff!
Dec. 10th, 2011 06:37 pmWhere does the time go?
I've barely updated here other than fannish stuff and even then, I feel like I'm forcing myself, I'm just lacking in energy I suppose.
But today I'm feeling good!
The majority of my huge nuclear family came to visit me in my flat far away from their regular abodes and brought with them stuff!
Stuff like food, a carpet (rug, I guess, but I call it a carpet), a bookshelf (along with a bunch of my books!), a mini stereo system that I can connect my little mp3 player to and a red coat hanger! Finally, I can sit on the chair in my room because my bag, jacket, jim-jams and tomorrow's outfit are now hanging up there.
And then we went out to Wadi Nisnas where there's a festival going on and so many are decorating for Christmas! There was music, roasted chestnuts, kanafeh (which my nephews don't seem to like, te mind boggles), crepes and a mish-mash of people, which I love.
My sister commented on how mixed my neighbourhood is and yeah, I like that, even though it's less neighbourly and more everyone being equally racist towards each other, i.e. ignoring each other's existence - except when there is, you know, mandatory interaction like saying "excuse me" in the stairwell.
You have no idea how much this means me!
Oh, and my signed A Study in Emerald now hangs over my bed. Finally, my bedroom is more than a room with a bed.
It actually feels like things are coming together.
Other than, you know, a leak I discovered in our bathroom - I guess two people using it at different intervals wouldn't notice, as the toilet is situated right next to the shower so the floor there is always kind of wet, but with more than ten people using it before heading out for a few hours on the town...
Yeah, there's a leak. I mean, I thought there was before, but wasn't sure and as such didn't call plumbers or my landlady (I try, to no avail, to avoid speaking with her, but she calls, a lot, on a fairly regular basis).
Well, there's always tomorrow. *sigh*
And in other news, I have a job! I work in a book store! Where my fellow workers assume I'm studying for what I'm currently doing; stacking books.
Oh well.
But life, it carries on and I can only keep calm.
I've barely updated here other than fannish stuff and even then, I feel like I'm forcing myself, I'm just lacking in energy I suppose.
But today I'm feeling good!
The majority of my huge nuclear family came to visit me in my flat far away from their regular abodes and brought with them stuff!
Stuff like food, a carpet (rug, I guess, but I call it a carpet), a bookshelf (along with a bunch of my books!), a mini stereo system that I can connect my little mp3 player to and a red coat hanger! Finally, I can sit on the chair in my room because my bag, jacket, jim-jams and tomorrow's outfit are now hanging up there.
And then we went out to Wadi Nisnas where there's a festival going on and so many are decorating for Christmas! There was music, roasted chestnuts, kanafeh (which my nephews don't seem to like, te mind boggles), crepes and a mish-mash of people, which I love.
My sister commented on how mixed my neighbourhood is and yeah, I like that, even though it's less neighbourly and more everyone being equally racist towards each other, i.e. ignoring each other's existence - except when there is, you know, mandatory interaction like saying "excuse me" in the stairwell.
You have no idea how much this means me!
Oh, and my signed A Study in Emerald now hangs over my bed. Finally, my bedroom is more than a room with a bed.
It actually feels like things are coming together.
Other than, you know, a leak I discovered in our bathroom - I guess two people using it at different intervals wouldn't notice, as the toilet is situated right next to the shower so the floor there is always kind of wet, but with more than ten people using it before heading out for a few hours on the town...
Yeah, there's a leak. I mean, I thought there was before, but wasn't sure and as such didn't call plumbers or my landlady (I try, to no avail, to avoid speaking with her, but she calls, a lot, on a fairly regular basis).
Well, there's always tomorrow. *sigh*
And in other news, I have a job! I work in a book store! Where my fellow workers assume I'm studying for what I'm currently doing; stacking books.
Oh well.
But life, it carries on and I can only keep calm.
