Falafels and Baggles

In my perfect world, falafel would be renamed to flaffle. Or maybe floffle. And bagel will be baggle. And of course, veggietables will be veggietables, as always.

Magi

Magi animation theme cover

My first big exam is finally over (I sound like a schoolgirl) and today I started watching the anime Magi. It's supposed to be like a new take on/based off of One Thousand and One Nights, which to date I have not yet read even though I keep telling myself I want to and plan to - the English version, at least. Japan has always liked to take the recognizable traits of other cultures and incorporate them into anime, but it's been a while since an Arabian-styled series if there ever was one, so I think there is some anticipation for how this series will play out.(I'll bet Aladdin's blue-haired cuteness is helping to up the show's popularity.)

I'm not so sure about the show's "deciding who will rule the world" deal, but so far the episodes are a fun and fast-paced adventure. The point that I am reminded of again with characters in this anime, as well as with other characters in anime such as Luffy and his crew in One Piece, is how characters like Ali Baba (as he is portrayed in Magi) are "just ordinary people" who go on a great adventure, by a turn of events coupled with their personalities, desires, and beliefs that move them to take certain actions.

It reminds again about the concept that you just have to prepare yourself through your every day so that you are ready when your big opportunity comes along... so that when your big adventure happens you are ready to jump on the magic carpet and fly with it. (I was going to say "roll with it" but that was too much of a pun...)

I also really liked when Ugo the djinn (who by the way is voiced by one of my favorites Morikawa Toshiyuki, who in recent years started his own voice company and school AXL ONE) offered to grant Aladdin a wish, and Aladdin asked Ugo to be his friend. If I ever meet a genie imma ask it to be my friend too~

思い出

部屋を改めて掃除したら、いいもん見つけ出しました！

いろんな品物が、時々気まぐれのように、人生に現れてくるのが不思議なことです。そのものが自然に、誰かの一部になったり、誰かのストーリーの一冊を語ることもできます。他の人に勝ちのないものは、その人には大事な意味をする宝物です。

私のベビー・ブレスレットはプラチナや金でできたわけじゃないですけど、年を重ねて重ねるほど素敵な品性が表れます。

Memories

Going through my room again I came upon my little "treasure box". It's interesting to see the items that come into your possession throughout the years, and how they reflect a part of you - who you were, who you are, who you become. My Chuck e Cheese coins, the badly folded dragonfly that I made for my friend's wedding reception. Things that may have no value to anyone else can be of infinite meaning, to the right person.

My baby bracelet was not made of gold or platinum, but has attained quite some character over the years. The best part? It still fits.

Free Wishes

(Photo courtesy of Jeff Chan)

So it took me a couple months to get the pictures ready and another few months to finish writing this...

I went to visit the Market Collective back in March. It was my first time seeing it since being back in Canada, and it was also something I hadn't done pretty much since Market Collective first came into existence.

Market Collective is just one of numerous initiatives in Calgary that have taken off in recent years, connecting local artists' works and products with the surrounding community.

My main motive for dropping by the March Market Collective was to see the Free Wishes project set up by Jeff Chan and Jamie Hobbs. I learned from Jeff Chan's blog that Free Wishes was a community project he originally did with Jamie Hobbs at the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. I didn't know this, but according to Jeff, more people die from suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge than any other location in the world.

Jeff and Jamie aimed to turn this location into a place of hope, even if for only a few moments, by inviting anyone to come and write down their wish on a rock.

Jeff and Jamie then brought the project to their hometown of Calgary, so I thought I would go check out the project, as well as write down a wish of my own.

It turns out that they put up a number of posters for people to write down their wishes. I did think the rocks were more interesting, but then I realized the great thing about these posters was that people were responding to each others' wishes. My favorite was one that said, "I wish we could have a rainbow everyday," to which someone else wrote, "but then it would rain everyday..."

(Photo courtesy of Jeff Chan)

As for my wish:

Visit Jeff Chan's website: jeffchanat.blogspot.ca
Visit Jamie Hobb's website: jamie-hobbs.com

フリー ・ ウィッシュ

(写真提供： Jeff Chan)

今年の三月に久しぶりにうちの Market Collective （マーケットコレクティブ）に行ってみました。久しぶりだと言いますが、本当は何年ぶりになりますね。このイヴェントが始まったころから行ってないかな。。。

Market Collective は新ローカルアーティストの作品を町の人々へつながる為の取組です。

今回行ったきっかけは Market Collective の一部として、ローカルアーティストのジェフさんとジェーミーさんが Free Wishes というプロジェクトをやるおかげでした。Free Wishes の始まりは２０１１年ジェフさんとジェーミーさんが San Francisco （サンフランシスコ）の Golden Gate Bridge （ゴールデンゲートブリッジ）に行った時です。 Golden Gate Bridge は有名な観光地ですが、どうやら世界で自殺率の一番高いロケーションにあるそうです。

そんな場所を一時的にでも、希望のある場所に変えてみたかった二人は橋を通っていた人たちに自分の望みを石に書いてみると誘ったそうです。



今度は自分のふるさとで Free Wishes が発生しましたから、あたしも少し参加できました。　石ではなかったけど、みんなは大きなポスター紙の上で自分の望を書きました。石の方が美術的だと思いましたが、ポスターだからできたお互いへの返事が面白かったです。一番気になったのは、「毎日虹がありますように」と誰かが書いて、「なら毎日雨じゃん。。。」ともう一人が答えたのです。　（笑）

(写真提供： Jeff Chan)

で、私の願いです。
また存在しない言葉を使っちゃいますけど～
Possibilitarian - 珍しく、この言葉は誰か他の人も使いそうな言葉です。
その定義とは、可能を信じる者、です。

Jeff Chan　のウェブサイト: jeffchanat.blogspot.ca
Jamie Hobb　のウェブサイト: jamie-hobbs.com

Friends

Lately I've become bogged down with an undercurrent of stress. I know I can deal with a lot of things and I always try to change things up to keep the good and minimize the bad, but sometimes circumstances slowly strip away my spiritual energy.

I deal with my fast paced life by retreating into mu-ness (無 mu: nothingness, emptiness; serenity, peace, zen) and introspection; the more "undercurrently" stressed I am and the less "retreatment" time I have, the less I want to face outwards and deal with outward things like having parties and talking to people (albeit great people).

Today I am finally catching up with some messages and came across some left for me by a friend in Japan. Her honest and open generosity really warmed my heart and reminded me again of how some really amazing people there, and anywhere, have become a part of my life despite some of the setbacks I experienced.

Even though I need time alone and don't always want to interact (can you imagine? Interacting? Like, who does that, ever)  ... it's so nice to have sweet messages waiting for me whenever I take a peek out from under my shell.

9 PM

夜九時、まだ晴れておる～