Silbo Gomero language

My internet adventures always lead me to learn something new. After reading about a Puerto Rican reggaeton artist, I somehow eventually landed upon a site about the Silbo Gomero language. (don't ask how) The Silbo Gomero language is quite interesting in that it utilizes the phonetics of whistles as a system of communication. If you love languages like I do, you will enjoy this. Click it and watchhh

it's loud out here and i want some quiet.

Most of my close comrades know that I don't like going to my family's house in Pennsylvania for winter break (can't call PA home - still a TX baby), but the winter nights of Los Angeles actually do get cold, and sometimes all you want to eat is that last bit of leftover food from your family kitchen at 2 in the morning. [Long sentence/so what/EdgarAllanPoe did it all the time too]. I took this picture at a MLK day parade over in Leimert Park a few years ago, and it always makes me smile/getfuzzyinside/reminisce. Because I don't quite remember the faces, I like to think that a happy exchange was taking place. (Also, the body language can be sorta implied). Anyway, this photo kinda reminded me of what (the media wants us to think)we all long for during these commercialized holidays - a return to family. For those of us who are fortunate enough to run back home where love exists - cherish it. For those of us who can not, find that warm space of love within yourself - and run to it. Run to love.

Gem I Found.

If you can get past the beads and shells on his head and listen to this song, I think you'll feel the same tingle I felt when I heard this song earlier today.

Finals time. . .

. . . and I'm stressed.

Thanksgiving break was wonderful though. The namesake of this blog hosted me again, and as always, it was a wonderful experience filled with familial love. I like living in LA, but it's always nice to visit the Bay Area to brave the 'cold' and feel the liberalness float through the air.

I haven't forgotten about you beloved readers. I am here for you. Are you here for me?

appreciate this.

if you know me, you know why i love this. lol.

im studying tonight (all-nighter perhaps?) so that i can hopefully get that paper soon. this whole 'student life' is gettin kinda old. if i have to raise my hand and act like i care what the professor says much longer i may go crazy.

!

full moon view

wondering why you felt so balanced today? full moon baby.

didn't know i was a diana ross fan til last night.

...i stayed up and watch a few of her performances and interviews, and was impressed. you can't tell me you don't feel energized and maybe even a lil starstruck when watching her performances.



(peep the 2nd song in this video "the boss" = the jurnt)

take me back.

Came across this excerpt by Don Mancio Serra de Leguisamo while reading about the Inca civilization. Leguisamo was the last survivor of the original Spanish conquerers of Peru.

We found these kingdoms in such good order, and the said Incas governed them in such wise [manner] that throughout them there was not a thief, nor a vicious man, nor an adulteress, nor was a bad woman admitted among them, nor were there immoral people. The men had honest and useful occupations. The lands, forests, mines, pastures, houses and all kinds of products were regulated and distributed in such sort that each one knew his property without any other person seizing it or occupying it, nor were there law suits respecting it… the motive which obliges me to make this statement is the discharge of my conscience, as I find myself guilty. For we have destroyed by our evil example, the people who had such a government as was enjoyed by these natives. They were so free from the committal of crimes or excesses, as well men as women, that the Indian who had 100,000 pesos worth of gold or silver in his house, left it open merely placing a small stick against the door, as a sign that its master was out. With that, according to their custom, no one could enter or take anything that was there. When they saw that we put locks and keys on our doors, they supposed that it was from fear of them, that they might not kill us, but not because they believed that anyone would steal the property of another. So that when they found that we had thieves among us, and men who sought to make their daughters commit sin, they despised us.

....I dare someone to tell me that the Europeans brought civilization to the Americas.

club? bar? house party? i think not....(a friday evening well spent)

Always forget about LACM, but I luckily ran into it as I was taking a leisurely bike ride downtown. I saw people of every shape, size, and color in the group, and something about it was empowering and of course absolutely fun. At one point, there was trouble with the LAPD, but of course they would be trying to secure the interest of oil companies (what's new?). Later in the evening, the group kinda got separated so I took my butt on home, but I definitely will do it again (with friends?).

new discovery

Last weekend, a friend and I took advantage of some of L.A.'s weekly farmers markets. My favorite one was on Crenshaw & Stocker behind the monstrous wal-mart / crenshaw mall. I got a taste of some sugarcane ginger ice-water, browsed the work of some local artisans, and grooved out to the sounds of some middle-aged DJ. All in all, this farmers' market made my day. But, I'm not writing this post to praise and promote this colored-folks market, I'm writing it because I tasted something very magical at this lil market. It's called a pluot, a hybrid fruit composed of genes from a plum and an apricot. Being someone who likes plants and horticulture, I really appreciated this mix that somehow never occurred to me in thought. My favorite variety was the Flavor King pluot that tasted kinda like punch.

Someone needs to make pluots the new 'it' fashion accessory so EVERYONE can become acquainted with them. Beautiful, just beautiful.

(my friend Timber enjoying her Flavor King pluots)

We also discovered that sliced Flavor Kings coupled with Saint Andre double creme brie cheese (yea we classy) resting on flaky pita chips was so good that it had the ability to paralyze our mouths for a few seconds. #heaven.

i do(n't)

i be feelin like

aint nothing new

and i know its true

but when i think about it

i feel like im discovering

something new

(but i aint)

just must be one of those

feeling/truths

that is so profound

it makes me feel

that tingle of newness

every time i think about it

aint nothing new

not the kind of caviar i like.

Dominique Deveraux is one of the only fictional characters that I look up to. I know it's a bit ridiculous, but if you have never experienced Dominique in the early 80's soap "Dynasty"I suggest you do so soon. Something about her frailness/lightskinn'dedness/style reminds me of my paternal grandmother that I wish I knew more about (RIP Ida B.).

Here is my FAVORITE cinematic scene in the Universe from the one and only DOMINIQUE:

us real big huh?

first own apartment. am i ready?

moved into new apartment. it's my own sanctuary. you wanna sow seeds of hate? take that elsewhere. im never leaving.

been busy & broke

...but you understand.

kinfolk

The catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti and the surrounding region in January of this year still affects over 1,000,000 people daily! Though most media and news venues have ended all reports on this disaster that has killed over 240,000 people, it should be recognized that survivors still exist and are in dire need of OUR help.

Haitians have always been a strong people, as is evident in its rich history. This history includes names such as Toussaint L’Ourverture and François Mackandal, two Afrikan revolutionaries that helped to allow Haiti be recognized as the first nation of the western hemisphere to free itself from slavery. This fortitude has been genealogically passed down, and is evident in the makeshift camps that now dot Haiti where culture and family ties thrive amongst a backdrop of neglect, poverty, and powerlessness.

One hand from outside of Haiti that has been put out in support, yet barely mentioned in popular news sources, comes from the West Afrikan nation of Senegal. Abdoulaye Wade, the president of Senegal, has offered free land to Haitians who have been affected by the earthquake. Wade said that Haitians were the “sons and daughters of Afrika” and proposed that Haitians “return to their origin”. Wade, as a Pan-Afrikan, believes in a united Afrika, and has said that his government would offer parcels of land to Haitians looking for help in his country. Besides giving over 1 million dollars to Haiti, he has also offered an entire area in the fertile region of his country not yet affected by the expansion of the Sahara to Haitians if they come en masse.

Celebrity telethons, Red Cross, and the UN may have been represented on our tv’s and newspapers as the face of deliverance, but in this continuous time of struggle, Brothas & Sistas also continue to offer aid/help/support to Brothas & Sistas.

dont do drugs unless they taste like this...

A hidden gem among downtown L.A.'s jewelry/snack vendors and wannabe galleries (yea im raggin on you LA), The Nickel Diner seems to outshine the dull and literally tasteless eateries that dot the up and coming "scene" of the area. The food is normal, but in a good-way-kinda normal. Instead of offering extravagant and unpronounceable dishes, The Nickel Diner offers unintimidating food that leaves the stomach sufficiently stocked for a busy day or weighted down for a good night's (or day's?) sleep. Also, The Nickel Diner doesn't make us vegetarians feel like outsiders. Our options are well represented.

The highlight of the menu is the salt-peanut cake. With it's crumbled potato chips sprinkled in the frosting it sounds oh so nasty, but trust...when the tongue, teeth, and stomach come into contact with the salty/buttery/sugary goodness that is peanut butter, chocolate, white chocolate, peanuts, and potato chips, you just may catch the Holy Spirit, reach Nirvana, or see Paradise.

Woo, i may have to call a medic just thinking about it. Guide my spirit dear Lawd (towards the Nickel Diner).

I always like to dress well during finals time.

Ol' Frankie and his Stata Center

We Angelenos know Frank Gehry even though we may not know Frank Gehry. You know those shiny slabs of metal perched on the hill downtown that make you search for your sunglasses when u pass it on any sunny southern california day? He did that. You Bilbaínos ( that just love to read this blog ) know him for the Guggenheim Museum which kinda resembles our slabs of metal here in L.A.

I stumbled across the above pictures while studying for my architecture final. Stunning yea? Go ahead and look again, they're indeed real. These are images of the Stata Center at MIT, which is an academic complex that houses many of the geeky (cmon lets be honest here) activities that go on at the school. A lot of negative responses to the structure, but it's daring, original, and seems to do a little dance that requests our visual acceptance....and we appreciate that, right?

Monday May 3 2010

The heat is what we've been waiting for. We hope for it to stay steady. I know I do. Ups and downs in temperature coupled with the pollution of this huge basin have bruised my lips, making them prone to unfriendly peeling and pain. Not appreciating the pain, but appreciating the lips' need to regenerate themselves. The birds chirped later than usual today, past the mark of noon even. Sounds of ancient djembes filled my mind as I stirred my simple breakfast meal of grits this morning. Early lunches and skipped workouts defined my physical day, but Guinea, Marseille, and Bahia filled my brain. Hoping for more patience and discipline as I listen to the foreign sounds of bossa nova and smell the sterile scent of the library basement. Sense has left me.

u wanna see words, but i give you videos of music

im a suckerrr for female/male duets. and bossa nova was always my favorite kind of music to play on the saxophone. big test tomorrow, but all i am thinking about is Rio de Janeiro , cardboard (i know, dont ask, i been thinking bout that ish all day), messing with oil paints, playing with this ektar100 film, my (future) dog, and practicing that "zh" sound i keep hearing in these portuguese bossa nova songs. i promise ima put some pictures and interesting posts for you o-so-abundant readers out there. but it's finals season and unless u really wanna see what's really-eally behind the thoughts mentioned above (econometrics, the french subjunctive verb tense, how to hound down a copy of last years macro theory final), ill steer away from posting things of the sort.

think ima eat a peach tomorrow and grow to new heights. u should try it too.

Go'on & let Elis sang to you too...

FRACTAL GEOMETRY....

..has officially held my mind hostage for the past two weeks. It's all around us. You are a part of it. This wonderfully beautiful chaotic system is based on mathematical iteration that allows for a series of recursive patterns. It makes me so excited I can hardly write words for its beauty.

listen.

easily included on my list of favorites. raw. u dig? i do.

youth

I see these kids on campus almost everyday skating away. While I often privately admonish their seeming truancy, I also envy their carefree attitude. Watching them skate and do tricks while I tote books and calculators honestly makes me a little jealous, but it also makes me realize that life is to be LIVED. I used to think of skateboarding as an activity for the idle mind, but the wit and character of young people like the ones I met above changed my view a bit. The culture of skateboarding may be a pastime of those considered 'rebels', but it's still a pastime - no different than baseball or bowling - practiced by people who seem to be momentarily carefree and LIVING as they want.

I hope these young fellas skate when they feel like it, LIVE how they wanna, all the while getting that homework done.


G'nite.

AIN'T NO WAY IN H*LL.....

...am I gonna attempt to brave the DMV here in the middle of Los Angeles.



this picture is in no way a real representation of what goes down in the 213/323....this is watered down

P.E.A.C.E.

Positive

Energy

Activates

Constant

Elevation

DâM-FunK

Dam-Funk (not gonna keep typin that lil accent thingy on top of the a) was introduced to me by a sista of mine who knows me way too well. Hailing from L.A., my homie Dam is known for that modern electro-funky boogie sound so native to Southern California. He is the lone member of his "band" representing himself on all instruments (which includes the KEYTAR), engineering, and production. Just try to imagine all of the goodness your 50 year old parents listened to when they were in college, modern clean riffs, and add some sun to your day while your driving west on the 10....that's the music of Dam-Funk. I heard something about a venue in Culver City that hosts his talent on Monday's Funkmosphere, but don't know full details. I also hear Dam is out globally making that yayper on tour right now. Glad to know he is spreading that funky butter all over the dry toasted world.

This music made me wake up from musical stagnancy and realize creativity still exists. Also, shout out to Stones Throw Records for representin boogie oogie funk!

from the new amerykah part 2 album

everybodys goin head over heels for this new set of songs ms. badu has blessed us with...and with good reason...





lowkey in a personal kinda way these two songs make my insides quiver...the lyrics just mean soooooo much to me right now...it's juicy oocey

in the library trying to remember econometric functions bcuz my prof wont allow a formula sheet during the exam

(Wo)Man. Why?

Been reading alot about science of the Dogon people of Mali lately. Some of the information I've been coming across has been answering some of my questions. Other snippets of info have me in a state of even more confusion. I'm sure the state of confusion is even more of a good thing. The state of wondering and uncertainty always seems to be more enjoyable than having the knowledge and concrete ideas in tow. I had a good conversation today over lunch with a sistafriend about life, the universe, and where we fit in it all, and surprisingly some of the things she mentioned were rooted in ideas of some of the Dogon science I've been independently researching. Cosmological coincidence? Thank you Oh Omnipotent One for arranging that...that was kind of You.

In other news, I'm still really broke, can't wait to graduate, don't have the groceries I want, the boots I think I need, and I don't see enough of my friends...but I have no room to complain. I'm fed, learning, clothed, and surrounded by people I love.

Sothiou

If you have seen me with a pencil-shaped twig sticking out the side of my mouth, please don't think it's a drug-filled blunt. Chew sticks have been a part of my culture for centuries now, and are commonplace in areas of West and Eastern Afrika and the southern U.S. . Chew sticks, or "sothiou", as they are called in the Wolof language, are natural toothbrushes made from licorice bushes or gum trees. The frayed end of a sothiou rid teeth of unwanted plaque and food and are beneficial to gums. Also, if you chew on sothiou, you find that teeth are whitened and breath is freshened. Though many studies have presented evidence that shows that chewing sothiou is just as beneficial as a daily teeth brushing experience, I still opt to brush twice (or thrice) daily in addition to chewing sothiou. I recently learned that some toothpaste companies are beginning to use the antiseptic juices of sothiou in mass-produced toothpastes. You can get flavored sticks, but I usually opt for the natural bittersweet sticks for my oral fixation. Happy times loved ones.

الزبن الجنوبي (southern claw)

gonna go somewhere

gonna go gonna go

and find my core

where i thrive and

am molten hot with

passion and life

me is existing without

any boundaries

sans frontiers

no mirrors in my way

to examine the me

cuz me is seen

me will be cultivated

among a field of other me's

who thrive

and are molten hot

with the passion inside the core

below the false mantles that

tell them no, too -

growing up tall and reaching past the

sun - all of us me's will grow

to us's apex

and then spread molten seeds that

fall and melt on a new patch

of cold earth, warming the new

cores and breaking past the

mantles

igniting a new and ready set of dried

passions that will do the same.

another reach of the DIASPORAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! (WE IN PERU)

i always get really excited when i come across a seemingly good documentation of a lesser-known reach of the Afrikan diaspora. I remember reading a long time ago that Afrikan blood ran through the veins of people living in far reaches of the of the globe not usually associated with the Maafa, and no matter how many times this is reiterated to me, I am continuously surprised at the discovery of Afrikan communities in "remote" lands. This song is a celebration of Afri-Peruvian culture that describes and seeks a unique proportionate territory between tradition and modernity in the marginalized community. It also has a good lil ring to it.

Enjur this jurnt beybehz!

sorry for being away

I kinda lowkey forgot about this blog. But no worries, I didn't forget about YOU, my loyal follower(s?). Life has been lived. How are you?????