Rediscovering the library

Another nice thing about my day, was that after saying goodbyes at ARISE and leaving early to drop off equipment for Rockway's SR101 system, I was able to go back to campus and spend most of the afternoon in DP. Campus really feels like home again, which it hasn't for a while as I've been an academic hanger-on, 9 toes in industry and one at school.
After DP closed at 5, I biked to the WPL to see if they had a DVD of Guns Germs and Steel, which wasn't on loan but none of the library staff could find it. I settled for the book version instead, and another DVD called, TOTAL Yoga - Fluidity - Power - Grace. Apparently, it's from something called the Flow Water series. Looks good though.

Unbelievable Improbability

I don't usually think of myself as lucky. I almost never win prizes at raffles (which I think is most people's experience. It should be, or raffles wouldn't make any money, but I digress...)
This week has has left me feeling completely blessed and I just want to take time to write that down and be grateful. An hour ago I was hunched over my computer in the DP library drafting some emails, and I noticed a reminder to go see the registrar about some important thing to do for my grad school app. I quickly packed up my things and scurried over to Needles Hall, and who did I see coming through the doors of the foyer, but my Forecasting prof. from last Fall who I'd emailed for a reference without reply. Not only was I lucky enough to run into her completely at random, but she'd just got back yesterday from Brisbane and was leaving this evening for a week...AND she said she remembered me and was more than happy to give me a good reference! (smiley sigh)
The series of events starting with a 2 hour lunch with Sandra, Derek, (former ARISE guy) Richard, and a RE consultant from Montreal, leading to several productive meetings with my (soon to be official, hopefully :S) supervisor, and culminating yesterday with an agreement from [the aforementioned solar company] to fund a portion of my research, yes, it was very a fortunate series of events. Now to have three good references from two preferred profs and my boss....it's just really fantastic. I am so lucky.... now if only I had some good friends to celebrate with.

"People came to borrow your parents' boat"

Just continuing on my last entry...

Something just doesn't seem right when a Canadian citizen doesn't know what a canoe is. I don't know what to make of the fact that Max is choosing an AK47 to protect his family rather than simply living a less overtly materialist lifestyle. I'm sure the choice hasn't been presented to him, which is a failing of those of us who know a 'third way' and for whatever reason miss the chance to share it. He told me about the "way it is in India." Every family needs one boy who's "the bad boy." That's how people know not to mess with your family. Your oldest (boy) takes the family business, your second may excel academically, but one of them needs to be the gangster. Max's sentiment may be a shock response - not surprising - but it's the glib "get 'er done" attitude that worries me. It reminds me of this unfortunate poem.
http://www.bittersweetme.net/RussVaughn_Poetry.htm#p8
"We love our sheep, we Dogs of War." Those of us who drive regularly, eat meat beyond what the earth can sustain, fly unnecessarily, or otherwise use resources that necessitate foreign military intervention, are as much a party to violence as soldiers. To me, an incident like a home invasion would be cause for grief and reflection on something that's clearly broken in the social fabric of our neighbourhood...or MEGAcity, as the appliance salesman, former Mayor of Toronto, and original "Bad Boy", Mel Lastman used to call it. Sheesh...
I guess my point is simply that we can all do more at home to welcome immigrants and new Canadians into the culture and society that makes Canada appealing to those seeking refuge from conflict and violence. We don't want British-style ghettos that kindle terrorism; we don't want American-style income disparity that leaves gates and guns as preferred tools for personal security. (If we were talking about computer science, I think we'd call these brute force solutions.)
Speaking of Comp Sci, today is a very exciting one for me. I discovered that I passed my last course, which means I'll be graduating in October. So very exciting! :)

PS - Check out the new Black Car link in my friendly links... my house mate and I have been looking for a way to decommission the Honda by turning it into art. This looks like a great way to do it, and be part of something bigger at the same time.

A White Rabbit's Foot in the 'Borough

Anyone who knows me knows I wouldn't breathe a word of rumour about Scarborough's gang-related violence. Rumours perpetuate stereotypes, and cement norms, but... tonight I could hardly believe what my neighbour M'k told me after I walked over to his driveway to comment on how well his flowers looked despite the mid-August heat.
Max's home was invaded twice in June and July by a gang of youths who held his wife at gunpoint demanding money. Details came out so quickly, and surprisingly matter of factly - his glass door was smashed in and H'a his wife tricked the assailants into going to look for money in the garage while she locked doors and called the police. I felt like a thick miasmic fog had dropped over us as we stood there in the night air.
I'd just come down Markham Rd., from Scarborough Town Centre, watching the cars in the parking lot and remembering a decade ago, my sister and brother and I on our way to pick up a few last minute gifts on Christmas Eve Day. I'd driven past the former City Hall, feeling proud of its sweeping white architecture, dedicated by the Queen in 1979. Now the words of my friend Paul Charbonneau echoed in my mind about all the empty city halls in the GTA that came after the megacity formed...after amalgamation. A bit of an overstatement, but true in some ways.
All I could do while Max talked was listen, and offer optimistically that I hoped he would stay with his family in Scarborough because, "Scarborough needs good people, Max. Like you...and my parents." As he went on with his plans for preparedness, I looked down at the garden, and made the odd wilting comment about guns not being the answer, and taxes for social programs. I figured you can't talk to a man whose wife has just been held at gunpoint about the principles and values of restorative justice. At least I couldn't. Max's solution was an AK47. I'm not kidding, and he talked about India and other places, "Canada is worse!" I said, "well, you do have a beautiful garden."
"My garden is beautiful, my house is beautiful." "Your family." "My family is beautiful. But outside is garbage everywhere. India, Russia, it's everywhere...Canada is worse!" Try to picture Max speaking with a kind of glib intensity and an excitement in his voice, standing in his white prayer clothes on the porch step. He sounded like a man with a game plan - somehow intelligent, simple-minded, and business-like. His Lexus SUV was parked behind us on the patio brick driveway.
The final irony is that my parents had left the door open for two days when they flew to Victoria on Sunday to visit my brother's family. I suppose it's a miracle that in our family's 25 years in this neighbourhood, our home has never been broken into, let alone had a home invasion. I don't doubt that the little white, ten year-old Subarus in the driveway are probably a better security feature than Max's flashing anti-theft keypad.
Scarborough is not a comfortable place to be sometimes, but it's closer to the world than any probably any other city.

Throughout the city of Scarborough, apartment complexes cover the skyline, which have a wide range of prices. Scarborough is a city that is extremely multicultural which allows for great diversity in everything from stores restaurants and entertainment. The city offers a little bit of everything to everybody...it is easy to find a great place to live.

http://www.4torontoinfo.com/community/scarborough.asp