Last weekend, the comrades and I headed out to 'interview' an Irish pub in Buenos Aires. We need to check out all the candidates before St. Patty's day falls upon us. We must be ready.
We decided to check out The Shamrock, relatively closeby, about 10 blocks or 1 kilometre away. We left FOR the bar at 2. In the the morning.
When we arrived the bar was pretty full and people were casually standing around sipping on Imperial or Quilmes. A lot of people were foreigners, like us, just wanting to have a decent pub at hand. I guess it might have been the amount of time we have been here, or maybe it's the overall Argentine vibe, but nothing felt out of the ordinary. People, even the Irish, were calmly drinking and chatting to one another. Comrade to comrade.
The 4 of us sat down at a table and decided to chat amongst ourselves. The entire time, or at least until 5:30AM when we decided to leave, the bar was steady and there was no ruckus. Why?
We finished off the night with some pizza for dinner, eating amongst the working-men, having their morning coffee before they went to their jobs. We watched the sunrise over some grapefruit pop and cheese pizza, grande. Still, no ruckus. I don't even know how to spell ruckus.
Why?
Well, we discussed the answer the following day: because no one needs to make a ruckus. They are not forced to get wasted before a certain time, thus, proceeding to the bar to order round after round of shots. There is no need to have a good time fast because you want to go all night. No need for last call. No need to cut people off. No need for unnecessary police force to keep the peace. Just people, living, having a good time, doing what they want to do without imposing on anyone else. Always thought it was a possibility. Never thought I would live to see it.
Well, I lived to see it, had a good time, did what I wanted to do without imposing on anyone else.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
so what do you do?
The battle, the struggle, is for the many. On the student-debt note, I would like to share some tips of how to live of the radar. In the end, even if you don't want to live off the radar, it can truly save a lot of calls from collection agencies, and, therefore, a lot of headaches.
There is a credit card that you can get from Money Mart that acts like an American debit account. So, you put money on it, and whenever you use your Visa, it just takes the money off the balance. By doing this, you alleviate any falsely-created debt. Wouldn't it be liberating to know that you don't have to pay a credit card bill every month, but you get all the "luxuries" of having a credit card. You can book plane tickets, hotel rooms, or if you don't have the cash on you, buy a new piece of techmology.
Some may find this hard to pursue as they don't have the funds to put anything onto the "credit card" anyways. My thoughts are, why wouldn't you try to? There is instant freedom when you do not have to pay another bill. One thing I learned, here in Argentina, is that North Americans are obsessed with debt. It's the "buy now, pay later" effect that is encouraged, not only when buying a house, or a car, but furniture and even clothing. I think you have to be able to step out of that box, eliminate your debt, and live the free life. Once you discover the innerworkings of the system, I won't say it is easy, but it is a relief to step away from.
A very close comrade of mine has set-up a MetaWealth website where you can go and figure out some help on how we look at money. I, myself, am a recovering money-oholic. I am still trying to take the baby steps to expand my obsessive-compulsive, North-American, hoarding and consuming syndrome (OCNAHCS). The website is a forum in which to expand one's thoughts about the ebb and flow of energy in the form of money. It may just open one's sleepy eyes a little, or it may be the very spark one needs to ignite a change.
There is a credit card that you can get from Money Mart that acts like an American debit account. So, you put money on it, and whenever you use your Visa, it just takes the money off the balance. By doing this, you alleviate any falsely-created debt. Wouldn't it be liberating to know that you don't have to pay a credit card bill every month, but you get all the "luxuries" of having a credit card. You can book plane tickets, hotel rooms, or if you don't have the cash on you, buy a new piece of techmology.
Some may find this hard to pursue as they don't have the funds to put anything onto the "credit card" anyways. My thoughts are, why wouldn't you try to? There is instant freedom when you do not have to pay another bill. One thing I learned, here in Argentina, is that North Americans are obsessed with debt. It's the "buy now, pay later" effect that is encouraged, not only when buying a house, or a car, but furniture and even clothing. I think you have to be able to step out of that box, eliminate your debt, and live the free life. Once you discover the innerworkings of the system, I won't say it is easy, but it is a relief to step away from.
A very close comrade of mine has set-up a MetaWealth website where you can go and figure out some help on how we look at money. I, myself, am a recovering money-oholic. I am still trying to take the baby steps to expand my obsessive-compulsive, North-American, hoarding and consuming syndrome (OCNAHCS). The website is a forum in which to expand one's thoughts about the ebb and flow of energy in the form of money. It may just open one's sleepy eyes a little, or it may be the very spark one needs to ignite a change.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
baby steps
Today has been a eyes-wide opener. When you realize that some of the most important people around are making those steps toward a complete paradigm shift, you can't help but glow a little. Recently, I read my friend's blog about the steps she and her husband are taking to ensure that their child does not grow up in the same world we are living in. She is expecting in a few months, and the steps she has taken on her research of products is inspiring. She has truly bloomed into a grounded, educated, soon-to-be-mama.
The big issue was diapers. She and her husband have just put a deposit on a diaper-cleaning service so that they do not have to use disposable ones. What a savvy pair. They found that, although the downpayment is a lot up front, the total money saved, in the long term, outweighed the current cost. Cost included the diapers and the environmental factors. Apparently, as she wrote, it takes 250+ years for disposable diapers to break down. Not so good for this fragile planet of ours. They took it upon temselves to do the necessary research and penny-saving in order to benefit their child, not to mention their grandchildren down the line.
I am always fascinated and moved when people close to me choose to take the path that may be right, but a little more difficult. Of course, buying Pampers would be easier in the short term, just a quick step away to your nearest cornerstore for some diapers, but these two actually researched their options and made the decision to do it differently. Well, differently to modern standards as even I grew up on cloth diapers.
We can change things, the course of the world, if we all took these baby steps. Little by little, things can change I have friends that boycott Nestle based on the company's unethical practice of bottling a town's water, running the town dry, then selling them bottles of their own natural water. Whatever we can all do to help in this slow, but sure, process of change.
Kudos to all those that may not be ready to make a whole life change, but are taking the necessary steps in educating themselves in hopes for a brighter future.
The big issue was diapers. She and her husband have just put a deposit on a diaper-cleaning service so that they do not have to use disposable ones. What a savvy pair. They found that, although the downpayment is a lot up front, the total money saved, in the long term, outweighed the current cost. Cost included the diapers and the environmental factors. Apparently, as she wrote, it takes 250+ years for disposable diapers to break down. Not so good for this fragile planet of ours. They took it upon temselves to do the necessary research and penny-saving in order to benefit their child, not to mention their grandchildren down the line.
I am always fascinated and moved when people close to me choose to take the path that may be right, but a little more difficult. Of course, buying Pampers would be easier in the short term, just a quick step away to your nearest cornerstore for some diapers, but these two actually researched their options and made the decision to do it differently. Well, differently to modern standards as even I grew up on cloth diapers.
We can change things, the course of the world, if we all took these baby steps. Little by little, things can change I have friends that boycott Nestle based on the company's unethical practice of bottling a town's water, running the town dry, then selling them bottles of their own natural water. Whatever we can all do to help in this slow, but sure, process of change.
Kudos to all those that may not be ready to make a whole life change, but are taking the necessary steps in educating themselves in hopes for a brighter future.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
these people do exist
One of the common questions I get asked is: if this is an option, why don't more people know about it? The answer is that many people already know about it and live it. The person who passed you on the street, or who sold you your last used-book, or the Minsiter of Finance himself, already all know about it. However, like any good working machine, it tries to get rid of the jam in the wheel.
Now, I'm not talking about secret, covert operations where they whisk you away to some forlorn interogation cell. There would be an uproar and the media would/could be all over it. But, in addition to the above answer is: just because you don't hear about it doesn't mean it's not happening. Remember, secrets happen aall over the world and throughout history. All that matters is what's written in the books. I never thought I would say this, but thanks to the internet, the victors can be your everyday man, woman, even child.
My thoughts are to get online and start looking. Start to become aware of what is really going on. There are some key words you can look into like Admiral Law, Occupied Territories, Economic Apartheid. The list is truly endless. I'm not saying that you have to do anything or accept what some of these theories throw out there. However, I believe upon reading anything, even if you don't agree with it, provides some useful, intellectual ammunition.
There are people who live in Canada, mostly on the West coast, those hippies, who have been living as free-, natural-persons for some time. They now take the time to share the information they have discovered on this fascinating forum the internet.
So, when people wonder why they haven't heard anything about this stuff all I have to say is: you weren't listening. It would be like people denying that apartheid or racism doesn't exist, or that people are unlawfully evicted from their homelands in order to create naval bases. People in the 1930s and 40s didn't believe that millions of people were being sent to gas chambers. Boy, were they wrong.
I think we are coming upon an age where the people are getting educated and, as a result, getting restless. They are tired of putting up with the same crap the State has not offered and the Corporation has taken away. I think the most recent financial crisis is a key marker in these two bodies trying to hold onto what power they have left.
They are beginning to realize that "we are the many, they are the few".
Now, I'm not talking about secret, covert operations where they whisk you away to some forlorn interogation cell. There would be an uproar and the media would/could be all over it. But, in addition to the above answer is: just because you don't hear about it doesn't mean it's not happening. Remember, secrets happen aall over the world and throughout history. All that matters is what's written in the books. I never thought I would say this, but thanks to the internet, the victors can be your everyday man, woman, even child.
My thoughts are to get online and start looking. Start to become aware of what is really going on. There are some key words you can look into like Admiral Law, Occupied Territories, Economic Apartheid. The list is truly endless. I'm not saying that you have to do anything or accept what some of these theories throw out there. However, I believe upon reading anything, even if you don't agree with it, provides some useful, intellectual ammunition.
There are people who live in Canada, mostly on the West coast, those hippies, who have been living as free-, natural-persons for some time. They now take the time to share the information they have discovered on this fascinating forum the internet.
So, when people wonder why they haven't heard anything about this stuff all I have to say is: you weren't listening. It would be like people denying that apartheid or racism doesn't exist, or that people are unlawfully evicted from their homelands in order to create naval bases. People in the 1930s and 40s didn't believe that millions of people were being sent to gas chambers. Boy, were they wrong.
I think we are coming upon an age where the people are getting educated and, as a result, getting restless. They are tired of putting up with the same crap the State has not offered and the Corporation has taken away. I think the most recent financial crisis is a key marker in these two bodies trying to hold onto what power they have left.
They are beginning to realize that "we are the many, they are the few".
Sunday, January 17, 2010
fight it
As promised, I have reserved this space as an outlet, functioning forum, for the free trade of thought on how to fight the man. As an endentured slave of the State, through high tuition costs and student loans, I have been doing a little research on the topic. You must be forewarned that the following information is not for everyone, it is merely an introduction to the things I have come across in a butt-ton of reading. I still have a butt-ton more to read.
As I have already stated, the man is trying to keep me (and others) down by making them into cogs of a complex, hierarchical wheel. Even though most of us believe that we are a part of a middle class, I would beg to differ. We think we have medicare, welfare, and minimum wages when in reality all we have is complacency. We are taught from a very young age to work hard to get to university or college and then work hard to pay off our loans and then work hard to contribute as much as possible to consuming or accumulating. This is the lifeline which we tacitly subscribed to. Therefore, what I am about to write is for those who don't want to follow a formula, but to live without the shackles of the oppressor. It is completely your choice to do what is right or what is easy.
When a student has $40,000 of student loan debt, what is he or she supposed to do? I was told many times not to worry and that everyone has debt. This is false. People all over the world may not live in half-a-million dollar houses, they may not have brand-name clothing, but they get by, save their money, and buy the things they need. Some people I have met in Buenos Aires are absolutely shocked that people take out hundreds of thousands of dollars just to buy houses or cars or to pay off even more debt. I tried to explain to them that it's because everything is so expensive (comparatively) and that some everyday things just cost too much. What is interesting is that they were also shocked that North Americans work 40+ hours per week and that they don't really get to enjoy the things that they bought. I kept wondering how on Earth can people work only 25 hours a week, doing things they love like painting, interior design, drawing, teaching yoga, and still be able to afford multiple apartments and cars? I guess the answer is relativity.
Living in Argentina, in the 10th largest city in the world, has put some things into perspective. It's true it is hard for a foreigner to find work here, but if you can find a job that is portable - like art, writing, music, design - you could comfortably live here on the equivalent of minimum wage back home. So, why is Canada so expensive?
Well, like all governments, including the Argentine government, they have linked up with the Corporation to borrow money from the population without any intention of ever giving it back. Despite what it says, the government is stinking rich. The problem is that it has a hoarding problem. For generations, Canadians have paid taxes on everything in order for the State to pay off its own debt. It should be giving back to its people, right? Herein lies the problem: it doesn't give back, not proportionately anyways. It creates the population's debt, puts people into near poverty, to try and put itself back in the black. The thing is, it never will, and, as a result, Canadians have to endure some humbling experiences. This is not the way a government is supposed to work. Civil servants are supposed to do everything in their power to serve the people. It should not be a glamorous life with designer suits, 23-chamber mansions, and multiple estates, but one of altruistic selflessness.
Let's use the example of student debt to see the crumbling corruption. In 1967, Canada signed and ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, entry into force as of January 3rd, 1976. In it, Article 13 specifically stipulates that primary education is a right and should be provided free of charge. That we have, although sometimes the ethical nature of the educational institution can be called into question. Thank whatever-it-is that there are some good teachers out there. Article 13 also stipulates that secondary education - in this case university, college and trade schools - should be subsidized, which we also have. However, it also says that the government will ensure that fees for secondary education will eventually be reduced to nothing. That, the State has not done. Instead, it has increased tuition by 1000%. It explains that the hike is to cover inflation. If inflation was this exponential, the cost of bread should be, approximately, $250.
As tuition increased, student loans increased, not only in monetary significance, but in dispension. Some people attest that the increase in loans was due to the growing middle class. In fact, it was the working class that was growing. People were ripped from convocation to be thrown into the immediate pit of the workforce, made to work their loans off as quickly as possible. I have felt the tension and apprehension when in the classroom. Students in their last year of school are terrified of graduation because they may not get a good enough job to pay back their loans. Usually, these people were the ones who were unable to volunteer at career-oriented placements to improve their resume or able to wholly focus on academics because they needed a part-time job just to survive. The fear ends up making us animals: we will grab any opportunity we can no matter what happens or who gets hurt. It's the fear of surviving.
So, the State increased tuition. What are we supposed to do about it? Well, we fight it. There is a process of writing letters to your MP, MPP, Minister of Finance, the head of the National Student Loans... the list is endless, to raise awareness of this issue. It's a lot of work. It's overwhelming at times. Again, it's your choice to continue. If you want more information, I suggest that you look some stuff up first. For example, an impertinent thing to read, although tedious and tiresome, is The Canada Student Financial Assistance Act. Article 16.1 explicitly states that there is a limitation period of 6 years to which, at the end of the 6 years, the State may not go after you for your student loans. There is an unknown catch: the 6 year limitation period 'resets' itself everytime you contact the student loan services, even if you call them to tell them you cannot make payments. That's why they call you all the time, to keep resetting the clock, hoping, in the end, that you will pay the loan back, plus years of accumulated interest. It's a pretty sound investment for them and absolutely debilitating for us.
So, now, you have to think about whether it is worth it. To flee, fight, or fall on your knees and beg for mercy. What they don't tell you is that the choice is yours. You may not end up living the 'normal' life, but I think that a life of working a thousand hours at a thankless job, the stress of even more debt, the shere misery of being considered a powerless subject is no life at all.
If the idea of living an abnormal life freaks anyone out, I understand. I had/have those moments all the time. But, if you truly think about the consequences to not doing something, not enacting some sort of change, then you not only relinquish your power as a human being with the right to live, you perpetuate the machine, you roll the wheel into the future where it ruins the lives of our children and grandchildren.
It most definitely will not be easy, but I wouldn't mind devoting myself to a life worth fighting for. The question is: would you?
As I have already stated, the man is trying to keep me (and others) down by making them into cogs of a complex, hierarchical wheel. Even though most of us believe that we are a part of a middle class, I would beg to differ. We think we have medicare, welfare, and minimum wages when in reality all we have is complacency. We are taught from a very young age to work hard to get to university or college and then work hard to pay off our loans and then work hard to contribute as much as possible to consuming or accumulating. This is the lifeline which we tacitly subscribed to. Therefore, what I am about to write is for those who don't want to follow a formula, but to live without the shackles of the oppressor. It is completely your choice to do what is right or what is easy.
When a student has $40,000 of student loan debt, what is he or she supposed to do? I was told many times not to worry and that everyone has debt. This is false. People all over the world may not live in half-a-million dollar houses, they may not have brand-name clothing, but they get by, save their money, and buy the things they need. Some people I have met in Buenos Aires are absolutely shocked that people take out hundreds of thousands of dollars just to buy houses or cars or to pay off even more debt. I tried to explain to them that it's because everything is so expensive (comparatively) and that some everyday things just cost too much. What is interesting is that they were also shocked that North Americans work 40+ hours per week and that they don't really get to enjoy the things that they bought. I kept wondering how on Earth can people work only 25 hours a week, doing things they love like painting, interior design, drawing, teaching yoga, and still be able to afford multiple apartments and cars? I guess the answer is relativity.
Living in Argentina, in the 10th largest city in the world, has put some things into perspective. It's true it is hard for a foreigner to find work here, but if you can find a job that is portable - like art, writing, music, design - you could comfortably live here on the equivalent of minimum wage back home. So, why is Canada so expensive?
Well, like all governments, including the Argentine government, they have linked up with the Corporation to borrow money from the population without any intention of ever giving it back. Despite what it says, the government is stinking rich. The problem is that it has a hoarding problem. For generations, Canadians have paid taxes on everything in order for the State to pay off its own debt. It should be giving back to its people, right? Herein lies the problem: it doesn't give back, not proportionately anyways. It creates the population's debt, puts people into near poverty, to try and put itself back in the black. The thing is, it never will, and, as a result, Canadians have to endure some humbling experiences. This is not the way a government is supposed to work. Civil servants are supposed to do everything in their power to serve the people. It should not be a glamorous life with designer suits, 23-chamber mansions, and multiple estates, but one of altruistic selflessness.
Let's use the example of student debt to see the crumbling corruption. In 1967, Canada signed and ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, entry into force as of January 3rd, 1976. In it, Article 13 specifically stipulates that primary education is a right and should be provided free of charge. That we have, although sometimes the ethical nature of the educational institution can be called into question. Thank whatever-it-is that there are some good teachers out there. Article 13 also stipulates that secondary education - in this case university, college and trade schools - should be subsidized, which we also have. However, it also says that the government will ensure that fees for secondary education will eventually be reduced to nothing. That, the State has not done. Instead, it has increased tuition by 1000%. It explains that the hike is to cover inflation. If inflation was this exponential, the cost of bread should be, approximately, $250.
As tuition increased, student loans increased, not only in monetary significance, but in dispension. Some people attest that the increase in loans was due to the growing middle class. In fact, it was the working class that was growing. People were ripped from convocation to be thrown into the immediate pit of the workforce, made to work their loans off as quickly as possible. I have felt the tension and apprehension when in the classroom. Students in their last year of school are terrified of graduation because they may not get a good enough job to pay back their loans. Usually, these people were the ones who were unable to volunteer at career-oriented placements to improve their resume or able to wholly focus on academics because they needed a part-time job just to survive. The fear ends up making us animals: we will grab any opportunity we can no matter what happens or who gets hurt. It's the fear of surviving.
So, the State increased tuition. What are we supposed to do about it? Well, we fight it. There is a process of writing letters to your MP, MPP, Minister of Finance, the head of the National Student Loans... the list is endless, to raise awareness of this issue. It's a lot of work. It's overwhelming at times. Again, it's your choice to continue. If you want more information, I suggest that you look some stuff up first. For example, an impertinent thing to read, although tedious and tiresome, is The Canada Student Financial Assistance Act. Article 16.1 explicitly states that there is a limitation period of 6 years to which, at the end of the 6 years, the State may not go after you for your student loans. There is an unknown catch: the 6 year limitation period 'resets' itself everytime you contact the student loan services, even if you call them to tell them you cannot make payments. That's why they call you all the time, to keep resetting the clock, hoping, in the end, that you will pay the loan back, plus years of accumulated interest. It's a pretty sound investment for them and absolutely debilitating for us.
So, now, you have to think about whether it is worth it. To flee, fight, or fall on your knees and beg for mercy. What they don't tell you is that the choice is yours. You may not end up living the 'normal' life, but I think that a life of working a thousand hours at a thankless job, the stress of even more debt, the shere misery of being considered a powerless subject is no life at all.
If the idea of living an abnormal life freaks anyone out, I understand. I had/have those moments all the time. But, if you truly think about the consequences to not doing something, not enacting some sort of change, then you not only relinquish your power as a human being with the right to live, you perpetuate the machine, you roll the wheel into the future where it ruins the lives of our children and grandchildren.
It most definitely will not be easy, but I wouldn't mind devoting myself to a life worth fighting for. The question is: would you?
Monday, January 11, 2010
To Mari Marcel: the conscience is the hands of the people
A couple of months go, I read Raging Against The Machine, the New Internationalist's compilation of shorts and essays that have been published over the past 30-years in its thought-provoking, politically-charged, independent magazine. The content is emotional and at times, disturbing, because it is all true: the Man working against the people, leaving them in financial and physical ruin.
One article that stood out was written by Mari Marcel Thekaekara called, Where has all he conscience gone? In it, she questions the path that international development has taken. She argues that what once was barely recognized as a reputable profession has become a career of glamorous travel and 5-star hotels. I don't disagree. The ID students that I met in university wore 5-inch heels to class and sported the latest Dior sunglasses, their $3,000 word-processors in hand, cruising facebook between boring interjections of intellect.
Indeed, what did happen to international development?
Well, it became a business. The Corporations capitalized on the human condition of compassion. We no longer have bare-foot basic-essentialists running through "Third World" countries, nails torn, hair dirty, with a smile plastered over their faces. No. There seems to be more money in it than we thought. Now, development is about pushing papers, bureaucratic meetings, deals being dealt between unauthorized representatives of 'the cause'.
The reason it happened is simple: the game changed, but not the paradigm. The illusion of change came from a re-focusing of fiscal flow. Instead of investing in sweatshops, the almight and powerful invested in World Vision and Habitat For Humanity. With a facetious facade of altruism, the business and state were able to extract charitable donations to feed its never ending hunger of economic prosperity. This paradism did not change: it is still all about accumulation.
For development to have any actual effect, the paradigm needs to shift, permanently, from a culture of consuming and hoarding to a community of holistic sharing. We all need to realize that an individual's unique talents is a gift to the group. He or she should not be forced to do that which he or she is not good at. But, you are thinking, that person should work hard in order to reap any rewards. You see, you are not changing. Why does someone have to work his or her self to the ground in order to live? Is living really a privilege? If so, that we would have the absolute right to take it away from anyone who did not fall in line with a prescribed way of living. You only work 20 hours a week? Dead.
What is good for the individual is good for society, the only problem is that the current paradigm dictates that what is good is big houses, with a bank account to match and fast cars. If we shift those thoughts to a more organice, genuine sense of goodness, then we can change the system.
However, it is a two-way street. What is good for the group is also good for the individual. If everyone is healthy, educated and able to perform his or her specific task, how is the individual not benefitted?
Humans have created a parasictic ecosystem where they believe that success is measured from how well one person is doing. That person takes and takes, leeches resources from his or her surroundings, from the environment, from animals, from other PEOPLE, just to grow bigger and stronger. It kills its environment in the process. No sustainable ecosystem can exist like that.
Change the paradigm. Think about circles, the Kreb cycle, unity of body and mind, the cycle of rain, the circle of life, anything, really, to change the way you think.
Give, take, share, live. For the greater good.
One article that stood out was written by Mari Marcel Thekaekara called, Where has all he conscience gone? In it, she questions the path that international development has taken. She argues that what once was barely recognized as a reputable profession has become a career of glamorous travel and 5-star hotels. I don't disagree. The ID students that I met in university wore 5-inch heels to class and sported the latest Dior sunglasses, their $3,000 word-processors in hand, cruising facebook between boring interjections of intellect.
Indeed, what did happen to international development?
Well, it became a business. The Corporations capitalized on the human condition of compassion. We no longer have bare-foot basic-essentialists running through "Third World" countries, nails torn, hair dirty, with a smile plastered over their faces. No. There seems to be more money in it than we thought. Now, development is about pushing papers, bureaucratic meetings, deals being dealt between unauthorized representatives of 'the cause'.
The reason it happened is simple: the game changed, but not the paradigm. The illusion of change came from a re-focusing of fiscal flow. Instead of investing in sweatshops, the almight and powerful invested in World Vision and Habitat For Humanity. With a facetious facade of altruism, the business and state were able to extract charitable donations to feed its never ending hunger of economic prosperity. This paradism did not change: it is still all about accumulation.
For development to have any actual effect, the paradigm needs to shift, permanently, from a culture of consuming and hoarding to a community of holistic sharing. We all need to realize that an individual's unique talents is a gift to the group. He or she should not be forced to do that which he or she is not good at. But, you are thinking, that person should work hard in order to reap any rewards. You see, you are not changing. Why does someone have to work his or her self to the ground in order to live? Is living really a privilege? If so, that we would have the absolute right to take it away from anyone who did not fall in line with a prescribed way of living. You only work 20 hours a week? Dead.
What is good for the individual is good for society, the only problem is that the current paradigm dictates that what is good is big houses, with a bank account to match and fast cars. If we shift those thoughts to a more organice, genuine sense of goodness, then we can change the system.
However, it is a two-way street. What is good for the group is also good for the individual. If everyone is healthy, educated and able to perform his or her specific task, how is the individual not benefitted?
Humans have created a parasictic ecosystem where they believe that success is measured from how well one person is doing. That person takes and takes, leeches resources from his or her surroundings, from the environment, from animals, from other PEOPLE, just to grow bigger and stronger. It kills its environment in the process. No sustainable ecosystem can exist like that.
Change the paradigm. Think about circles, the Kreb cycle, unity of body and mind, the cycle of rain, the circle of life, anything, really, to change the way you think.
Give, take, share, live. For the greater good.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Briz Wevera returns: KV saved my life.
Here is a link for all, to venture into the inner workings of my other half, a more personal side, a more creative side.
This site will be used, hence here to fore, as a personal battle against tyranny page. Please enjoy both.
http://thebubblesaredead.wordpress.com/
This site will be used, hence here to fore, as a personal battle against tyranny page. Please enjoy both.
http://thebubblesaredead.wordpress.com/
a beautiful day in buenos aires
How can someone stay in bed, stay inside when the sky is blue and the temerature a healthy mid-twenties? I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and to finally go out and do something, take advantage of my second summer. Recently, I have been a little homebound, writing furiously with pen-and-paper, researching Canadian laws, and eating ice cream. I think I got a shot of endorphines from yesterday's riding lesson, so I decided to take to the streets today.
I meandered to Belgrano to buy some shampoo and to walk around a little bit. It was nice to feel the sun on my skin, the breeze through my hair. But, I still couldn't keep my head, my mind from whirring. There seems to be a constant sound in my head, like that of a computer buzzing, trying to process too many things at one time. The reasons: existential, quater-life crisis, wondering about whether the past was a waste, the present is worth it, or if the future will be kind.
I started experiencing a slight feeling of anxiousness. I have not been this volatile since high school, unsureness just scaring the shit out of me. Consistency is something humans strive for, whether it is to be constantly happy, sad, neurotic... And, so it goes. We also always desire to change the way we are feeling. We always think happiness is just on the other side, but when you get there, you realize that it's the same everywhere. I think the reason is because people are always looking for external justifications to be happy. We want our parents to be proud of us, we want others to appreciate whatever we have created, and we need others to tell us they love us, even if we already know it. The reason people never find happiness in different places is because true happiness radiates from within. Once someone discovers what it is like to be happy with oneself, then no matter where you go, happiness will follow.
Am I having a great time in Buenos Aires? Hell, yes. The weather is sublime, although the days are getting shorter. Would I do this all over again knowing the outcome of my actions? Truthfully, yes. Because we all need time to get comfortable with ourselves. Once we feel a little more peace and a little more happiness in our own skin, we can begin to honestly share it with others.
So, as a footnote, as of next week I will be starting personal reflections on another blog I have created. I will post the link later, but The Informal Press is going to start getting a little more serious. Briz Wevera's eco-socio-political writings will be posted on this blogspot, sharing information with all, uniting students, workers, even businessmen in a fight against the man.
viva la vida! ... no reference to Coldplay intended.
I meandered to Belgrano to buy some shampoo and to walk around a little bit. It was nice to feel the sun on my skin, the breeze through my hair. But, I still couldn't keep my head, my mind from whirring. There seems to be a constant sound in my head, like that of a computer buzzing, trying to process too many things at one time. The reasons: existential, quater-life crisis, wondering about whether the past was a waste, the present is worth it, or if the future will be kind.
I started experiencing a slight feeling of anxiousness. I have not been this volatile since high school, unsureness just scaring the shit out of me. Consistency is something humans strive for, whether it is to be constantly happy, sad, neurotic... And, so it goes. We also always desire to change the way we are feeling. We always think happiness is just on the other side, but when you get there, you realize that it's the same everywhere. I think the reason is because people are always looking for external justifications to be happy. We want our parents to be proud of us, we want others to appreciate whatever we have created, and we need others to tell us they love us, even if we already know it. The reason people never find happiness in different places is because true happiness radiates from within. Once someone discovers what it is like to be happy with oneself, then no matter where you go, happiness will follow.
Am I having a great time in Buenos Aires? Hell, yes. The weather is sublime, although the days are getting shorter. Would I do this all over again knowing the outcome of my actions? Truthfully, yes. Because we all need time to get comfortable with ourselves. Once we feel a little more peace and a little more happiness in our own skin, we can begin to honestly share it with others.
So, as a footnote, as of next week I will be starting personal reflections on another blog I have created. I will post the link later, but The Informal Press is going to start getting a little more serious. Briz Wevera's eco-socio-political writings will be posted on this blogspot, sharing information with all, uniting students, workers, even businessmen in a fight against the man.
viva la vida! ... no reference to Coldplay intended.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
a case of the mondays
Post-New Year's recuperation was a slow, but great success. The Eve to remember was a hoop-la of hilarity and wonder. The trinamic trio rung in the New Year at our apartment, trying to keep in mind that Argentines have a thing for going out late.
We left for a club, Museum, at 1-ish AM and arrived half-an-hour later, too early. We got in, a respectable $15CA cover + one free drink, and the floor was barely half-covered. We took this 'tranquil' opportunity to scope the place out. Floor to ceiling must have been 4 to 5 stories, straight up. Along the sides, balcony-like overhangs allowed those VIPs to look down on the crowd. On the ground-level, was a confusion of senses, young kids dancing and girating alongside senior citizens. I guess Argentines just love to dance. We decided to pull up some patio furniture, that's right, green plastic chairs, to sit, drink and observe. Beer was still only $3CA, even in the club. Muy nice.
We met some new friends, partied and danced the night away. Eventually, I had an epiphany of fatigue. I told the room-comrades that it was time to go, they obligingly agreeing. Obviously, there are no windows in clubs, but the fact that the bar was still serving fooled my sense into believing we were only at Museum for a couple of hours. When we emerged from the cavernous depths of clubland, mine eyes beheld daylight. Not dawn, daylight. So this is how they are able to party all night. I felt like a porteño, even though it was just for a night. Nevertheless, I needed a whole weekend to achieve some sort of alkaline balance.
Thus, for Monday, I arragned a big day. A few weeks ago I had met a guy on a bus who does walking-tours of the city-centre. Over the weekend of detox, I arranged to meet him for one of these walking tours, free of charge. The tour was a three-hour walk around the Plaza De Mayo, then down Paseo Colon towards the CGT, the Worker's Union building where they have a small museum dedicated to Eva Peron. Although both guides were young, they had a lot of knowledge shared between them. Nicolas, animated and detail oriented. Nacho (nickname for Ignacio), informal and comforting. We ended the tour with some lunch, me splitting a pitcher of beer with some other tourists. When it came time to pay, I was shocked and appalled. The tour guides had already left and paid their share, but when the two girls from Finland and the lady from Barcelona handed money over to pay, I was disturbed. No one knows how to tip. On a $62AR bill, the equivalent of $30CA for the two girls from Finland, they left $2AR pesos, 50 cents. The lady from Barcelona didn't do any better. It was rather embarrassing and insulting. Here these people are, experiencing cities to the farthest corners of the world. Traveling, living, eating, not working. Their appreciation is given in meagre pennies.
Nevertheless, I was still content that I got to see the city, although slightly exhausted from the heat and humidity. Poor Canadian can't hack it. I got home and decided I was going to chill for the night, take it easy, read, watch t.v. However, it was not in the cards. A new friend I had met on Christmas Eve message me saying they were going to hit up a Milonga, a place to dance tango. The room-comrades were hanging out with their Benito-kitty, so I decided I would love to see it. Wow, Argentines DO love to dance. Since arriving in this beautiful country, I have seen tango dances on every street corner, I guess that's how they busk here. Nevertheless, I just can't wrap my head around the moves, the rhythm, the style. It's impulsive, but it flows. At the Milonga, one that was a legitimate, non-tourist trap, everyone was dancing tango. The dancefloor filled with the young, middle-aged, old, it didn't matter. What a spectacle.
My friends and I decided to end the night with a pitcher at a bar down the street. We chatted and tried to get to know each other whilst sipping on some semi-delicious Brahma Chopp. Now, I have know people who have experienced life never being shit on by a bird. Unfortunately, my experience makes up for all of them. Sitting there, at 3AM, talking, sipping, nibbling, I got shat on. Twice. Since being in Argentina, my shit-count is up to 3, 2 being on Monday night. People keep telling me it's a sign of goodluck.
The only luck I have had so far is nothing bad has happened. I guess that counts. I love Mondays.
We left for a club, Museum, at 1-ish AM and arrived half-an-hour later, too early. We got in, a respectable $15CA cover + one free drink, and the floor was barely half-covered. We took this 'tranquil' opportunity to scope the place out. Floor to ceiling must have been 4 to 5 stories, straight up. Along the sides, balcony-like overhangs allowed those VIPs to look down on the crowd. On the ground-level, was a confusion of senses, young kids dancing and girating alongside senior citizens. I guess Argentines just love to dance. We decided to pull up some patio furniture, that's right, green plastic chairs, to sit, drink and observe. Beer was still only $3CA, even in the club. Muy nice.
We met some new friends, partied and danced the night away. Eventually, I had an epiphany of fatigue. I told the room-comrades that it was time to go, they obligingly agreeing. Obviously, there are no windows in clubs, but the fact that the bar was still serving fooled my sense into believing we were only at Museum for a couple of hours. When we emerged from the cavernous depths of clubland, mine eyes beheld daylight. Not dawn, daylight. So this is how they are able to party all night. I felt like a porteño, even though it was just for a night. Nevertheless, I needed a whole weekend to achieve some sort of alkaline balance.
Thus, for Monday, I arragned a big day. A few weeks ago I had met a guy on a bus who does walking-tours of the city-centre. Over the weekend of detox, I arranged to meet him for one of these walking tours, free of charge. The tour was a three-hour walk around the Plaza De Mayo, then down Paseo Colon towards the CGT, the Worker's Union building where they have a small museum dedicated to Eva Peron. Although both guides were young, they had a lot of knowledge shared between them. Nicolas, animated and detail oriented. Nacho (nickname for Ignacio), informal and comforting. We ended the tour with some lunch, me splitting a pitcher of beer with some other tourists. When it came time to pay, I was shocked and appalled. The tour guides had already left and paid their share, but when the two girls from Finland and the lady from Barcelona handed money over to pay, I was disturbed. No one knows how to tip. On a $62AR bill, the equivalent of $30CA for the two girls from Finland, they left $2AR pesos, 50 cents. The lady from Barcelona didn't do any better. It was rather embarrassing and insulting. Here these people are, experiencing cities to the farthest corners of the world. Traveling, living, eating, not working. Their appreciation is given in meagre pennies.
Nevertheless, I was still content that I got to see the city, although slightly exhausted from the heat and humidity. Poor Canadian can't hack it. I got home and decided I was going to chill for the night, take it easy, read, watch t.v. However, it was not in the cards. A new friend I had met on Christmas Eve message me saying they were going to hit up a Milonga, a place to dance tango. The room-comrades were hanging out with their Benito-kitty, so I decided I would love to see it. Wow, Argentines DO love to dance. Since arriving in this beautiful country, I have seen tango dances on every street corner, I guess that's how they busk here. Nevertheless, I just can't wrap my head around the moves, the rhythm, the style. It's impulsive, but it flows. At the Milonga, one that was a legitimate, non-tourist trap, everyone was dancing tango. The dancefloor filled with the young, middle-aged, old, it didn't matter. What a spectacle.
My friends and I decided to end the night with a pitcher at a bar down the street. We chatted and tried to get to know each other whilst sipping on some semi-delicious Brahma Chopp. Now, I have know people who have experienced life never being shit on by a bird. Unfortunately, my experience makes up for all of them. Sitting there, at 3AM, talking, sipping, nibbling, I got shat on. Twice. Since being in Argentina, my shit-count is up to 3, 2 being on Monday night. People keep telling me it's a sign of goodluck.
The only luck I have had so far is nothing bad has happened. I guess that counts. I love Mondays.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
troubling times lay ahead
Some, or all, of you may know who I am, where I am and what I'm doing. I have been on emotional rollercoaster, riding the curves and twists of life in Buenos Aires. I am an opinionated person, almost to a fault, but at least I have principles and stand by them.
Life has thrown me another curve-ball, in the form of a gnarling beast we call the student-loan man. He's a despicable creature, out for blood, drooling venomous secretions, always thirsty, always looking for prey.
The predatory structure of banks and state-centred institutions is coniving and scary, they have your money, they have your life, or do they? Recently, I was struck by this two-headed sea-monster, threatening my very existence of doing exactly what I want to do: nothing in Buenos Aires. A little stressed, but relatively unscathed, I am declaring war. I must find strength and channel my complete frustration that I have with NSLS. I will fight. I will not go gently into the night.
Life has thrown me another curve-ball, in the form of a gnarling beast we call the student-loan man. He's a despicable creature, out for blood, drooling venomous secretions, always thirsty, always looking for prey.
The predatory structure of banks and state-centred institutions is coniving and scary, they have your money, they have your life, or do they? Recently, I was struck by this two-headed sea-monster, threatening my very existence of doing exactly what I want to do: nothing in Buenos Aires. A little stressed, but relatively unscathed, I am declaring war. I must find strength and channel my complete frustration that I have with NSLS. I will fight. I will not go gently into the night.
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