The Resolution is a Revolution Over Myself

This year, it's not just about resolutions. It's about a revolution over established habits and unrealized dreams. It's about using gifts long dormant, making connections that are meaningful, being truly adventurous. But seriously, what does this all mean?

Revolution (noun): a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system

Definitions mean nothing! We want decisiveness and actions. And that's what I am hoping I will achieve here. Maybe writing about what I want to do this year, and holding myself accountable through words every time I look at this blog, will enable this year to become revolutionary! Overthrow the overlord albatross!

Albatross (noun): an obstacle to success; a source of worry or distress

How about we start with my old list of resolutions, which isn't in any particular order of importance or priority. I will create new posts for each list item to describe in more detail the whys, the whens, the hows. 

Old Resolutions

• learn about and invest in the TFSA
• practice French and Japanese
• cook at least three times a week
• read about health and live healthily, as far as possible

Buffalo Girls and Human Rights

I watched the documentary, Buffalo Girls, with my parents the other day. It highlights the lives of two 8 year old child boxers in Thailand, Pet and Stam, and their rivalry, which stems from their desire to gain monetary profits from the fight for their families.

Initial reactions? I felt angry with the parents of both Stam and Pet, the referee, the fight organizers, but mostly the government.

I was angry, still am angry, at their parents because while I admire their desire to teach their children the value of hard work and earning the things you want in life, I don't think it should include the destruction of growing brain cells for monetary gain. Child boxing might bring honour to the family, to the winner's community, and money. It seems to be a way of life for many poor families in Thailand. From a distance, it's easy for me, a privileged, slightly middle-class person living in the West, to make judgments on the situation of child

It's Time To Revive This Thing!

I think it's time to revive this blog! It's been too long since I've sat down to write about anything important. I thought I'd start with a generic "what I am grateful for" post to get the ball rolling. So today, I am grateful for people in my life who encourage me regardless of how I feel about my own talents (psst...a well-known albatross of mine: a tendency to be self-deprecating, which isn't cool, I know, but there you go @~@). 

While we're at it, I am also thankful for people who are able to see passed their own bubbles of existence to acknowledge the plight of others. It's easy to forget that everyone else is also undergoing

My Earth Hour Contribution

The plan was to go downtown and celebrate Earth Hour this past Saturday, March 31, 2012, embraced in the dark cloak of the night sky while poking at the swirls of starry lights with shared telescopes.

Yeah...that didn't happen.

Seven Word Self-Portrait

Going through Soul Pancake today, I found an interesting activity called Shot of Tonic: Seven Word Self-Portrait. It's hard to describe one's self in just a paragraph, and even harder in seven words, but I thought I'd try it out, just to see what I could come up with...