#PR9Anya

“Fashion anticipates, and elegance is a state of mind ... a mirror of the time in which we live, a translation of the future, and should never be static.” ~Oleg Cassini

Tonight is the finale of Project Runway (Season 9). I've been watching this show on and off for the past few years as I like the challenges that are presented and generally the creativity that comes through.. there's also a bit of 'I-wish-I-could-do-that' mixed in there. I've agreed with some of the judges' decisions for winners and disagreed on some. It's always been an interesting viewing experience.

Tonight is the finale of Season 9 and this time there are a LOT more Trinbagonians watching. Women and men from Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean and elsewhere around the globe are hoping that  former Ms. Trinidad and Tobago Anya Ayoung-Chee will be the winner of this season. It's a big deal for us. For me there is the normal excitement that is Project Runway as well as the pride that one of our very own is making her mark.

It's a very big deal.

She's had the most challenge wins (3) and her designs are now on Amazon.com and Piperlime.com. She's in the lead for Fan Favourite (helped along by myself and a lot of dedicated tweeters). She's handled herself with charm and grace. I had my doubts initially that she would reach this far but... here we are - tonight is the finale and I'm going to be tuned in.

#PR9Anya! Make it work ;)

peace,

Ren

Divali Greetings to you...

"As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being." ~Carl Jung

Holiday in Trinidad and Tobago today as it's Divali (or Diwali... Deepavali...) ... festival of lights... celebration of light over darkness, good over evil... does this sound familiar? It seems as though this is a common tenet for most religions.

There's a new moon in Scorpio as well tonight. It's a time for introspection. Uncovering what is hidden in our thoughts and feelings. Figuring out what we want... setting intentions for the same.

I'm in a bit of a mood. Quiet. Reflective. Over the past week I've had a lot of moments of childhood flashbacks and a lot of wondering about what my future will be like. I've signed up at 750words to write each day... it's a site inspired by Julia Cameron's morning pages - three pages of writing done every day that can be about anything and everything that comes into your head, no editing - it's essentially a brain dump. It's private but the site (magically in my mind) is able to formulate stats based on what you've written (I suspect algorithms of some sort are involved). I signed up three days ago and have since written a total of 2,402 words, at approximately 43 words per minute (this reminds me of typing class... though I can't remember how much my wpm was) and my words have a G rating (I find this amusing). The site also provides charts and graphs and such... it appeals to me.

 

I'm thinking I'll also sign up to blog each day for November. It's been somewhat freeing not having to get to a computer each day to blog but I also think it's a bit of a lack of discipline. 

I guess I'll have to wait and see what the future will bring. 

Shubh Divali all... richest blessings to you... health and prosperity and clear thinking... 

peace,

Ren

Wrong side of the bed.

"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth." ~Benjamin Disraeli

Today I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Nevermind the fact that there's just one side to wake up on. As an aside.. did you know that for good feng shui one's bed should have a good supporting wall behind the bed and that one should be able to approach the bed from both sides? I've been reading up on it.

Maybe that's one of the reasons I woke up in a somewhat grumpy mood... or maybe it's that I woke up earlier than expected and just lay there annoyed that I should have been sleeping. Or that it's that time of month when it feels as though my insides are being carved out with rusty pickaxes. Or that I couldn't figure out what I wanted for lunch and ended up bringing a sandwich which means that I'll have to probably get something else for lunch. Or that sometimes it feels as though I have to organise a lot of stuff in my house... not physical stuff.. just stuff.. there are times (like today) when there's a snarky voice in my head saying 'what am I? An errand runner?'

And then I feel guilty... and also I snarked at  my mom a bit (not that much [I think] cuz I know when I'm in a bad mood and try to minimize interaction)... so there was more guilt. Really, sometimes I just need to be left alone.

Then I couldn't find a radio station to settle on and the car driving in front of me was driving at 20 km/hr and there was no way to pass him. So.

I forced myself to listen to the Guru Gita... or as much of it as I could on the way to work... because my workplace can cause a bad mood all by itself - bringing one to work could result in drama of proportions I don't want/need.

Taking some time to soak in some soothing music... and read articles totally unrelated to work and instead related to creativity, names for breasts, dancing and love. 

Hope you have a good day...

peace,

Ren

Talking about Food...

"When I walk into my kitchen today, I am not alone. Whether we know it or not, none of us is. We bring fathers and mothers and kitchen tables, and every meal we have ever eaten. Food is never just food. It's also a way of getting at something else: who we are, who we have been, and who we want to be." ~Molly Wizenberg

 

It's World Food Day today, I barely remembered. It's been a fairly busy weekend and my plan for tonight was shower followed by bedtime - was in the shower when I remembered that I'd signed up for Blog Action Day. What is Blog Action Day? It's a day when bloggers around the world blog about one important global topic on the same day. This year the theme is 'Food' as the day coincides with World Food Day, a day which focuses the world's attention on food.

I'm not even really sure what I want to write about. There are topic suggestions on the BAD page, some of which I've covered here and some of which I feel that I don't know much about so I don't know that I can  comment. Working with this list of topics though:

• My favourite food... actually this should be 'one of' my favourite foods... because I like food.
• A list of (some of) the best things I ever ate... (best food memories!)
• A bit of what food means to my culture... at least a little bit. It's so much more than I can explain in words.

I've had thoughts about the other topics... famine, hunger and poverty, malnutrition, wars over food/arable land, organic vs inorganic, I'm absolutely a vegetarian - don't see that changing... and that's lacto-ovo vegetarian to you, food waste, farming, would we be able to feed 9 billion people in 2050 (can the world survive 9 billion people?!). 

They're all topics worth thinking over and talking about. Another topic to talk about? Food prices - the theme for this year's World Food Day is 'Food Prices - From Crisis to Stability'. Did you know that between 2005 and 2008, the world's staple food prices soared to their highest levels in 30 years? Now you do. Think about it.Talk about it. 

It' s now my bedtime.

peace,

Ren

Cry if you need to...

"Tears are the safety valve of the heart when too much pressure is laid on it." ~Albert Smith

This is my advice to you.

If you're tired or in pain or sad or happy or excited or just don't know what you're feeling... cry if you need to.

Wednesday nights have recently become a major tv-watching time for my mom and I... there's The Middle, then Suburgatory and lastly America's Next Top Model. We are couch potatoes... lazy bums... slaves to the tv gods... anyway. So last night my mom sneaks away to her room after the end of The Middle... I go to find out what's up (aka check up on her)... and find her crying.

Dear cancer (and all the other pain/trauma/drama that you cause), I really dislike you.

My mom doesn't like to cry in front of us... somewhat understandable since I'm not one to cry in front of people (family/friend/acquaintance/stranger) either. Also, if she starts to cry then odds are likely that I'll start to cry as well. She said to me that she just needed to cry a bit and then she'd come back out to watch ANTM... Oh mama, I love you.

If you need to cry at any point then just do it. Forget about what other people think or how your tears may affect them... if the need to cry is great then just do it. Channel the Nike people.

It's my opinion that crying is good for the soul. Cleansing.. like the feel of the day when a thunderstorm has just passed. I'm not the only one that thinks this... being the person that I am I did research (a smidgen but it still counts) and found this article: The Healing Properties of Tears: 7 good reasons to cry your eyes out.

See? Not just one ... seven good reasons.

If you feel that you need permission, if you just can't let go, if you need to be in a safe place.. I'm saying it's ok. Permission granted. Find that space where you can just be.

Cry if you need to.

peace,

Ren

Wording it out..

A tribute, a wish and a (very mini) rant..

"We should so provide for old age that it may have no urgent wants of this world to absorb it from meditation on the next." ~Pearl S. Buck

Steve Jobs died yesterday. During his lifetime he's been described as a visionary, a genius... a pioneer in the fields of technology, innovation and design. Much of what he has conceptualised and created is in use today.. and will further be developed as the world changes. He was one of those few that can look at our world, envision something so different from the norm and then bring it into being. The news of his passing brought with it a wave of sorrow, for a life that is gone, and appreciation, for one that was well-lived. We must now strive to discover what we can contribute and in what ways we can change the world as he has.

I learnt of his death through Twitter (using the Twitter for iPhone app) and was able to share the news with my parents instantly. My dad has to admit now that there are some advantages to my constantly being on the phone. Both of my parents are older than Steve Jobs... and one of them has cancer. Whilst we know of persons that have passed on that were younger than my parents, it's always a bit of a shock... a realisation that any time may be their time. It may be that my time to die comes before theirs but somehow I think we expect that as they are older they would pass on before my brother and I. Whatever time they have left here I wish that it's filled with joy... good times... less pain, more happiness. Beauty and wonder and reverence. Easing in to a time of life where they can maybe slow down and appreciate and experience whatever they missed out on when they were younger... working hard... raising us... I would just like their lives to be filled with happy... in whatever form that takes. 

I'd like to think that other children want the same for their parents/persons-that-raised-them/elders. I'd like to think that knowing that one day we'll be in their positions would make one appreciate or at least try to understand what they're going through. It's hard to hold on to those thoughts when faced with the reality of the systems we currently have in place. Did you know that to receive a government pension you must let them (the Treasury) know that you're alive? Twice a year - April and October. As far as I know the only place one can do this is in Port-of-Spain (if anyone knows better - please share!)... Did you know that to get to the building in which one must state that one is still alive one has to manoeuvre the lack of parking space, uneven side-walk and steps into the building? Now picture an elderly person... not-sprightly at all... having to do this. Or a non-elderly but somewhat physically challenged individual. It's a bit frustrating... as is the fact that a lot of buildings, where the elderly/challenged people may have to do business, do not have the infrastructure that would allow for an easy time. It's not just physical infrastructure... it's a whole system that needs to be adjusted. 

Am hopeful for the future. There may be new inventions that may help with all sorts of things. People may realise that it's not just about the inventions but the people behind them that are important. Just like Steve Jobs, each one of us leaves behind our own legacy... made up of moments of discovery, creation and joy. Am hopeful. 

peace,

Ren

Snippets of today...

"I'm always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life." ~Miles Davis

Today I:

- prayed to the Weather Gods so that it would stop raining for the afternoon/evening

- got slept on by the kitten (cat)

- made lunch (not an unusual occurrence but my mom thought it was most yum so I'm mentioning it here)

- made a new friend

- fell into a hole, drove up skinny, winding roads and crashed into a wall... I love you Karr.. I do

- had a most deliciously delectable cupcake... mocha-something? Cupcake Wench is testing out a new flavour... Yes, I am willing to try out cupcakes... Yes, I am a willing guinea pig... Om nom nom

- explored a once-upon-a-time Cocoa Estate (photo walking ftw!)

- took photos... took photos... took photos... 

- sat in an oven. Gretel has nothing on me

- encouraged group photo-take-outing

- talked about car batteries

- had the right tools to change car batteries

- led the way off of a mountain

- tried the stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut... learnt that it's not for me

- gave thanks for my brother

- sang in the car

- got home before the curfew!

Overall awesome day :)

night all,

peace,

Ren

October 1st 2011

"I know of no realm of life that can provide more companionship in a lonely world or greater feelings of security and purpose in chaotic times than the close ties of a family." ~Charles R. Swindoll

Bare feet on cold tile. Raucous laughter. Long time no see! Tea. Conversation. Dinner? Midriff-baring colour-changing clothing. Scandalous! Hugs. Blinding camera flashes. Cake and Welch's seedless grapes. Jenga. Dominoes. Cheaters? Collaborators. Cousins. Measurements - I'll always be the short one. Card-players. Panadol. Rain? Flashes of lightning. Surprise fireworks. Family. Talk. Laugh. Kisses. Tea. Mass exodus. Home before curfew. 

 

Another Saturday night.

peace,

Ren