Friday, January 27, 2012

Contextual Learner


Ever since I was a kid, I've always known that I'm a different kind of learner, I mean, aren't we all? We all take in stuff in our own special way and for me, it's all about contextualization. One of the earliest memories I have was when I was in the 3rd grade. Our class was watching a movie and I couldn't hear anything and neither could the other kids around me. In my mind, I'm asking myself in spanish why someone doesn't turn up the volume. I would have said it myself, but at that time I was still learning English and it wasn't until the teacher asked a student to raise the volume, that I connected the dots and learned that volumen is volume in English. Ha-zaaaa !!

Today in my art class, we were discussing Buddhist art and the teacher showed a slide of a 46ft monument in China, depicting the death of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Guantanamo. In my mind and out loud at the same time, I'm like I've seen that before. Teacher ask, 'ohh you've been there?' I answer, no. That's the a stage in street fighter 2, the fighter from Thailand, Sagat. Everyone in class gets a laugh outta of it. We move on. I still think it's pretty cool, even if others don't.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Wise-selfish

Pic = leofancy.tumblr.com
"It is important that when pursing our own self-interest we should be “wise selfish” and not “foolish selfish”. Being foolish selfish means pursuing our own interests in a narrow, shortsighted way. Being wise selfish means taking a broader view and recognizing that our own long-term individual interest lies in the welfare of everyone. Being wise selfish means being compassionate."

Taken from the Dalai Lamas Facebook :)

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Love Defined As ....

I'm not exactly sure what to call it, but I had an epiphany from a memory of a movie that I watched. Does that even make sense? Point is, that the movie lead me to question what defines love and partnerships. That sometimes things are a lot more simpler than one fails to realize and that the values we put on certain things are inherently fallacious because our point of view is askew.

I know for myself, it's too easy and frequent in which I get stuck in my bubble, and as such I lack vibrant stimulation that can help me grow as an individual and open myself up to new views, emotions and realizations. But when I do experience something new, it's like a splash of cold water to my face. Refreshing and lifting at the same time.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Undocumented/Dream Act Movement Drama/Politics

You best believe it's there. And booooy does it get dirty. I find myself sometimes thinking about the way things change for the worse and I come at a cross roads. I can either say something or I can keep it to myself. A third option comes up, but that's only when I'm at a dinner table and/or there's alcohol involved. But what do I mean by drama? Ahhh where do I start? And I should clarify that I speak for myself and my experiences, not for anyone else.

Inherently, most folks lives are dramatic. Usually involving an issue of hardship that pushes an individual into a corner and to make a decision that would be sound at the moment, but regrettable/questionable at a later time. At the same time, there's no such thing as a 'normal person.' No one is 'normal,' and anyone that identifies like that, stay away from them.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Love and Tamales

Ohhh relationships. Whether they're romantic or friendships, they can take their toll on you I tell ya what. And given that I find myself in rumination after being with someone for the last six months, I've grown immensely in a multiple aspects. For one, I'm not crying or wiping away tears as I type this post up. I'm not emotionally distraught to the point of eating and/or drinking to forget what happened and most importantly, [for me] I am not questioning myself to the point of thinking there is something wrong with me and therefore I must be a horrible person and romantic partner. Ohh dear lord baby jesus 7 lbs 8 oz. if this would have happened to me a year ago, I would have taken a dramatic turn for the worst. 

It's safe to say that the 2 1/2 years I spent "working on myself" have most definitely paid off. That and getting my heart broke. Ziing. But as is everything else in life, one grows and learns from past experiences inorder to avoid past misunderstandings and avoid pain in whatever shape or form it takes. And I in pain right now? That depends, my knee has been giving me problems as of late, but emotionally I'm good. And what does 'good' mean? Well it's something I won't get into detail here, but it's something positive, rest assured. 

Monday, January 09, 2012

Healthy Bike Riding

I got a new bike. You can't tell, but I'm smiling, a lot. I've been riding my bike to school everyday, 8 miles back & forth, and I needed to make sure I had something that was comfortable. My other bike, which is behind the yellow one, is a mountain bike. If you look at the frames, size and handle bars, there's a HUGE diference that will make my booty that less sore. Seriously though, I've been having issues with soreness and rashes because the mountain bike is just way too uncomfortable. It got to the point that after 3 or so days I couldn't ride it anymore. Yeah, not cool.

So, with some money I got back, I invested in getting a bike that's more my size, comfy and reliable. Good thing I know the spots to buy used bikes. The yet to be named yellow road bike is pretty solid. Has a lot of the original parts and the hand brakes, which I love. Very much like the red road bike I had stolen last year. I ran it through its paces today by taking it to school and I made notes of things that need to be tweaked or replaces. I'll be visiting a bike co-op soon enough to adjust the parts I don't have tools for. I'm excited though, no more rashes on my gooch !!


Friday, January 06, 2012

Laughing at Racism


The things that come outta people's mouths sometimes make me laugh. I have pretty tuff skin and if someone were to start spitting word venom at me, I would laugh and walk away. I'm not one to waste time and energy listening to someone direct their misguided anger at me. There are some people in this world who cannot be reasoned with, and the internet is the perfect place for them to rant about how they feel. At the same time, when you put yourself out there, know that you are subject to criticism on your points of view. Something I know a lot about from this space :)

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

The 6 year plan at East Los Angeles College

What can I say about East Los Angeles College that hasn't already been said in Chicano/a pop culture. Everyone from Culture Clash to anyone in the hood knows about ELAC. In fact, most folks have gone through there. I myself have been there for six years now, four years too many considering it's a community college. 


But hey, considering how I never planned on going to college in the first place, I enrolled on whim and have been sticking too it all this time says something. At this point, I only need 3 more classes to meet the requirements for transferring to another school. Initially, I had a whole list of things I was going to write about on how I've been at a community college for six years, but life just happens.