tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667312716958688092024-02-07T19:06:33.553-08:00Transitional Zonenarindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.comBlogger287125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-62514534086984968072018-02-10T09:47:00.000-08:002018-02-10T09:47:10.072-08:00Improvising the Eno HouseFly as a 1-person ground shelter<i>(Oh, hi, hello, yes, it's been a while. I am more active on Instagram these days, but I still write, and I've released a new chapbook called '<a href="http://shop.longcoolhallway.com/item/why-don-t-we-know-each-other">why don't we know each other</a>'--it's available now.)</i><br />
<br />
My first trips as an outdoor educator involved sharing shelters with my co-instructors, people with whom I spent several days getting to know before sharing such close quarters for any period of time. When I was hired to work with Dunn School, it was the first time I found myself in need of a 1-person shelter, as our orientation was short and I would be the primary wilderness instructor on the trip.<br />
<br />
After trying out the REI Quarterdome 1 on <a href="https://transitionalzone.blogspot.com/2016/03/big-sur-big-rains-loop-around-silver.html">the first trip</a>, I returned the tent due to its weight, but moreso due to the expense. I wanted something simple, light, and not wildly expensive. Those who have the funds can acquire a sub-1-pound shelter made of cuben fiber for $300-500. Considering the wear I tend to put on my gear and my unpredictable work schedule, I couldn't stomach the expense.<br />
<br />
The compromise I landed on was to use an <a href="https://www.eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com/shop/rain-utility-tarps/housefly/">Eno HouseFly Rain Tarp</a> as a ground shelter. At 27 ounces without accounting for ground stakes, it's not the lightest solution, but since I was able to purchase one on sale for less than $100, it was a good compromise.<br />
<br />
The tarp comes with quite a bit of cord and I've been able to shed a bit of weight by eliminating the plastic tensioners and connectors tying the lines directly to the straps on the tarp. 10 lines are included (6 for structure and 4 for the doors), and I tend to only carry 6 of the lines.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJg-4vxyMD946ZFe8pBX_2VJBKlWTsL7ctrGTn5EriEpfulT_MFfuNHdTXGXMi-CVgyxMf2nqNUTttxtOv7l2B-dbW4V-JfQwsdcx38-SwWp_dVSDSvRdnVxo4oeBWYq2Uurwf0mKQWgIq/s1600/housefly+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJg-4vxyMD946ZFe8pBX_2VJBKlWTsL7ctrGTn5EriEpfulT_MFfuNHdTXGXMi-CVgyxMf2nqNUTttxtOv7l2B-dbW4V-JfQwsdcx38-SwWp_dVSDSvRdnVxo4oeBWYq2Uurwf0mKQWgIq/s400/housefly+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I set the tarp up with my trekking poles to create an A-frame shelter. I stake the corners directly into the ground for warmth and privacy, and create tension in the ridgeline using a truckers hitch from the trekking poles.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcniJ7wyImsn0ApAJv9f_k3Ccos_jZ8IJkyNdBVsGwBEFt6XNC6bDck1TZcusNEBYiw-UYuCFICJ-BgW_c9YAXyb_jSVsqVolgAL8z0-gSeNrG_fLMQre5lfzrnyRlSvknM4EXwQUhLsW/s1600/inside+housefly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcniJ7wyImsn0ApAJv9f_k3Ccos_jZ8IJkyNdBVsGwBEFt6XNC6bDck1TZcusNEBYiw-UYuCFICJ-BgW_c9YAXyb_jSVsqVolgAL8z0-gSeNrG_fLMQre5lfzrnyRlSvknM4EXwQUhLsW/s400/inside+housefly.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As you can see, there's no floor to this tent, so I have to bring my own. The nice thing about not having a floor is that I can pull my pack into the shelter without worry about dirtying the floor or crowding a vestibule. I sliced open a plastic contractor's trash bag for my floor, on which I place my sleeping pad. I am on the lookout for some discarded Tyvek for the next series of trips, as a lighter alternative.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="fullpost"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk852ZmiHFRBqI2ptI81Rg9n7RcgUi-z3R1B8-nK80dVmhYJQ53YT9oV7o8DUrHuyaDEcErIZFxPgvnNXdu83ZQjeOAjZV_xOWzm5L13ie0gLkfZAileaH6wgZAaIu7YmONhFU046mlZKs/s1600/IMG_7393.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk852ZmiHFRBqI2ptI81Rg9n7RcgUi-z3R1B8-nK80dVmhYJQ53YT9oV7o8DUrHuyaDEcErIZFxPgvnNXdu83ZQjeOAjZV_xOWzm5L13ie0gLkfZAileaH6wgZAaIu7YmONhFU046mlZKs/s400/IMG_7393.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
These photos are from the test run of this set-up at Dunn School before the actual 4-day trip-- always good to practice beforehand! After first setting up the trekking poles handles down and tips through the loop, I decided to try them out handle-up. I like the way the doors sit this way better, though I worry about the force on the material.<br />
<br />
What I learned during the trip is that since I am 4'11, I can comfortably sleep under the tarp with a trekking pole on only one end, and the other end staked down. I haven't yet had the pleasure of setting this up using trees. I imagine a taller person may want to create more headroom by staking out the corners with cord and having their trekking poles adjusted to be taller. There would be more airflow that way as well.<br />
<br />
For those who worry about insects, well, I did find a scorpion underneath my ground tarp while camping in Big Sur that year, but we managed to stay well away from each other. The HouseFly has a few flaps of material that create a sort of barrier between the walls and the ground, but there are those doors. I'm somewhat concerned about mosquitos in my coming work season, but not quite enough to switch to a $200+ set up. Okay, to be honest, I'd probably worry less about the expense for a tent if I were not based in a place as expensive as the Bay Area. We'll see how long the streak can last.<br />
<br />
Funnily, the nights that I've slept in my hammock so far have not required a tarp at all, so I've only ever set up this hammock shelter on the ground. There may be cheaper, lighter, and bug-netted options out there if I keep a better eye out for sales, but I've become attached to my improvised solution. And, why carry both trekking poles <i>and</i> tent poles?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-67214070643033274642017-10-26T10:01:00.001-07:002017-10-26T10:01:32.666-07:00All Who Dare Los Angeles Premiere // Free Screening<br />
My trip to the Lost Creek Wilderness with Eagle Rock School students last year is captured in this one-hour documentary:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WFyWA_DZwxE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WFyWA_DZwxE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #666a73; font-family: "Benton Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="padding-top: 0px;"><b>All Who Dare</b></span> follows nine incoming Eagle Rock students who leave behind their families, friends, and familiar environments as they surpass their limits in the Lost Creek Wilderness of Colorado.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i></i><i>Guided by experienced wilderness educators, the students are challenged physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially during this once-in-a-lifetime journey of personal growth. They quickly learn that there are no excuses in the wilderness, and that completing the trip is only the first step in taking responsibility for their lives.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i></i><i><span style="padding-top: 0px;">All Who Dare – </span>also the school’s motto – provides a compelling look at the unconventional approach of a nationally acclaimed innovative high school that provides hope for young people who are striving to turn their lives around.</i></blockquote>
</div>
The film is showing in Burbank on November 2nd. I wish that I could be there for the LA premiere, but I'm firing a soda kiln on November 1st, and have to stick around until the 6th to unpack and clean the kiln.<br />
<br />
You can register for the <b>free</b> screening at AMC 16 Burbank here: <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-premiere-screening-all-who-dare-documentary-panel-qa-tickets-38643081497">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-premiere-screening-all-who-dare-documentary-panel-qa-tickets-38643081497</a><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFBBFu1E0vQU3lqgHhkdVZ5cKaFjzo_S4OUvxduJy4MwtTIyvl9WXGrQG0RgyK8wSWUlWNJcLt4bq27ip0MsBeNXcEOX_3uva2gWGhiiMGd5a-d1xcVivgPbPPM4Uzt28_SVm9th4z9Vl/s1600/IMG_3263.JPG.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFBBFu1E0vQU3lqgHhkdVZ5cKaFjzo_S4OUvxduJy4MwtTIyvl9WXGrQG0RgyK8wSWUlWNJcLt4bq27ip0MsBeNXcEOX_3uva2gWGhiiMGd5a-d1xcVivgPbPPM4Uzt28_SVm9th4z9Vl/s320/IMG_3263.JPG.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Stanley Hotel with Jack (L) & Jordan (R)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I drove from Oakland to Estes Park last month in order to attend the premiere, and sat on the post-film panel. It was so wonderful to be among the students, faculty, and staff of the ERS community, and to be reunited with my awesome co-instructors on the trip, Jack and Jordan.<br />
<br />
It's been over a year since I worked for ERS due to various scheduling conflicts, but I hope that changes in the coming seasons. Over the last three years, I've grown more and more comfortable working with young people, ever more in awe of what they understand, what they are capable of when they are supported, and how much we can learn from one another when given the time and space abundant in extended wilderness expeditions.<br />
<br />
(Along the way to Colorado, I <a href="http://www.lostandfound.com/search/detail/363689">lost my necklace</a>-- keep an eye out, world, it could be anywhere by now. It added a bittersweet tinge to the journey. With all that has happened in the last few weeks, to individuals in my life as well as to entire communities around the world, I'm keeping perspective on the loss as best I can. And, I'm still posting on Craigslist and messaging pawn shops around the US. Because why not.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-73822183471827371592017-07-31T16:40:00.000-07:002017-07-31T16:40:09.702-07:00Angel's Fright on Tahquitz RockOops, it's the end of July. Here is another installment in <a href="https://transitionalzone.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-june-that-dreams-are-made-of-part-1.html">A june that dreams were made of</a>.<br />
<br />
I'd known of the <a href="https://www.mountainproject.com/v/tahquitz--suicide-rocks/105788020">Tahquitz</a> since early in my climbing career when I still lived in Los Angeles, but as a beginning climber with only sport climbing gear and experience, I was intimidated by this classic granite multipitch crag. After having led on gear in Red Rocks, Joshua Tree, Indian Creek, Donner Pass, and even at Owens River Gorge, it felt silly that I had not yet climbed at this "local" crag.<br />
<br />
I met <a href="http://www.lesliesamkim.com/">Leslie</a> of <a href="https://www.godynamitestarfish.com/">Dynamite Starfish</a> in Bishop during the <a href="https://flashfoxy.com/wcf">Women's Climbing Festival</a> in 2016. In a recent <a href="https://blistersandbliss.co/interview-explore-life-business-and-climbing-with-leslie-of-dynamite-starfish/">interview</a>, Leslie reminded me that we met for the first time when I walked up alone and crashed her and her friends' bouldering session in the Buttermilks.<br /><br />We met again at the WCF in Bishop this year (though I didn't have a ticket because my clicking fingers weren't fast enough), and further bonded over Los Angeles, making stuff, and the desire to trad climb. I knew that I would be in Los Angeles for writing workshops, so I contacted Leslie about climbing together in Tahquitz.<br /><br />We met for a session at Hollywood Boulders, our only indoor-climbing experience together, and she told me she was interested in <a href="https://www.mountainproject.com/v/angels-fright/105798872">Angel's Fright</a>, a 400-foot route on the West Face. Not too hard, not too long, good belay ledges. Yes, yes, yes, yes.<br />
<br />
While I'm wary of making long drives for day trips, and especially ones with what seem like small objectives in the age of <a href="http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/170606-alex-honnold-el-capitan-vin-spd">3,000-foot long free solos</a>, it's all a matter of scale.<br />
<br />
In the days before the climb, the carbon-footprint conscious (also: anxious) part of me wondered whether it was silly to drive from Garden Grove to Riverside and then on to the San Jacinto Mountains for just a day trip. Leslie assured me that "daytrips to Tahquitz happen!" And in fact, that is how most climbers do it. So, on a Thursday morning, I woke at 5:30am, made coffee, and got myself on the road.<br />
<br />
Getting to the base of Tahquitz climbs requires a 45-minute uphill hike, known in climbing terms as an "approach." I felt prepared to haul our rack and food and water up the hill after my recent years working as a backpacking instructor, but I tend toward the slow-and-steady. Thankfully, Leslie did not rush us.<br /><br />A party of three got there before we did and so there was a bit of waiting as they got on their way. Leslie linked the first two pitches, which my 70-meter rope did not quite give comfortably. I had to simul-climb about 15 feet off the ground in order to get her to the belay ledge. Others had said that a 70-meter rope could make it; perhaps I just wasn't heavy enough to create the necessary rope stretch?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://instagram.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/19367179_117119768893999_552700924502474752_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://instagram.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/19367179_117119768893999_552700924502474752_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Racking up at the top of the second pitch. Taken by Leslie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had a difficult time sorting out the next pitch; I found myself crawling through spiky, gnarled trees unnecessarily and having to backtrack to get back on-route. Route-reading is one of the main parts of multi-pitch climbing that intimidate me, much more than the exposure or height. I found a shadier belay just 50 feet or so from where I began, so Leslie encouraged me to lead the final section, which included a slabby finger crack that I had a great time on.<br />
<br />
It was a long day, with a lot more hiking than climbing, but so things go when starting out with a new skillset (and maybe also when you're in your 30s while doing so).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://instagram.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/19379976_143620182859748_2867844960273563648_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://instagram.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/19379976_143620182859748_2867844960273563648_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit haikus. Always check out the summit register!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was amazing to go climbing with someone with whom I had so many shared values and relatable life experiences. I felt particularly grateful for our day together because I had just had a night of feeling, once again, great sadness and frustration from the divide between me and my immigrant parents, between what they wish for me and what I wish for myself.<br />
<br />
I was close to canceling on Leslie, but then-- what would the day have held? Just more wallowing in negativity, guilt, frustration. Might as well make the drive, hike in the heat, climb with the sun's glare reflecting off the bright granite, stand on a summit, spend time among the pine trees. Most importantly, if I had stayed home, I would have missed some incredible conversations about all the things.<br /><br />
I drove back to my parents' house incredibly grateful for the experience. Kind of euphoric, actually. Connection is the best drug.<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
Since that day, I've made good on my promise to myself to get out and climb, with recent bouldering trips to Mt. Tamalpais, Castle Peak, and Tuolumne. Looking forward to the weather cooling down and to getting on ropes again.<br />
<span class="fullpost"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-7742789640728008512017-06-30T09:53:00.001-07:002017-07-18T07:34:28.237-07:00A June that dreams are made of // part 1My spirit has been nourished to near-bursting this month.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A small attempt to capture it. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Upon beginning to write this, I realized it would take two posts to even briefly talk about each of the things. So this is part one of two.<br />
<div>
<div>
<h3>
<b>GirlVentures Staff & Sea Kayak Training</b></h3>
</div>
<div>
After having worked community courses and one summer course with<a href="http://www.girlventures.org/"> GirlVentures</a> since 2014, I was finally able to attend an official summer staff training in Point Reyes. We hiked to Sky Camp and Coast Camp, built relationships as a staff, practiced curriculum, and delved into discussions of equity and inclusion. Such conversations are not easy or comfortable, but it is wonderful to work with an organization where we can step into that discomfort and find support.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Another reason I love working with GirlVentures is their commitment to developing staff skills. The weekend after staff training, a number of staff were taken on an overnight sea kayaking trip in Tomales Bay, where we participated in an <a href="http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.americancanoe.org/resource/resmgr/SEI-Courses/L2_EKT_Skills.pdf">ACA Level 2 Coastal Kayak Touring Workshop</a>. It was my first overnight paddling trip, and I was so nervous about it that I contemplated not going until the very last minute.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGY1YeY8QmW9FRgaKESzpDp_GHG98R_8ZAje_Yb74uUn_VnQfI8evFOKdq7q6drMDLI1DHtynX5Us7rkiGJu97nS3HE1Lm1QZqO2TQi9VFUsTagtSVu7NhwrfnD2pYj6827kqbseYcAeKk/w968-h726-no/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="968" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGY1YeY8QmW9FRgaKESzpDp_GHG98R_8ZAje_Yb74uUn_VnQfI8evFOKdq7q6drMDLI1DHtynX5Us7rkiGJu97nS3HE1Lm1QZqO2TQi9VFUsTagtSVu7NhwrfnD2pYj6827kqbseYcAeKk/w968-h726-no/" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Being out on the water seems so unpredictable, and I'd never had to pack or dress for submersion before, so for the first time in a long time I was getting ready to do something completely new to me. It was a good reminder of how difficult trying new things can be and reaffirmed to me how amazing young people are to face new situations <i>all the time</i>.<br />
<h3>
<b>TNP Wellness & Solidarity Workshops at Khmer Girls in Action</b> </h3>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVnPU_yn0XU/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://instagram.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/19379267_1186280831517832_4539958836223541248_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
I co-facilitated a series of writing workshops with <a href="http://www.traciakemi.com/">tra</a> for Southeast Asian youth at <a href="http://www.kgalb.org/">Khmer Girls in </a><a href="http://www.kgalb.org/">Action</a> in Long Beach. To witness their stories, creativity, eloquence, and their commitment to justice and community was humbling and inspiring. I don't often get to work with Khmer youth and being part of the process of them giving themselves permission to tell and to explore their stories, to tell them that it is okay to make up spellings for Khmer words, to hear echoes of my own story in theirs, to have the opportunity to learn and grow with them-- I am beyond grateful for that.<br />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><br />I loved being able to learn from tra's presence and creativity in facilitation. To be reminded to let go of any insecurities I may have about my abilities, because facilitation is about the participants, not about me. That the job is not to perform, but to listen and to elicit. To draw forth the story. To give authentic responses, to encourage.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some of them will be sharing their writing at <a href="http://kgalb.org/kga20th/">KGA's 20th Anniversary Gala tonight</a>. I'm so excited for them and wish I could be there.</div>
<div>
<br />
<h3>
<b>Queer Road Trip with Audrey Kuo at Tuesday Night Cafe</b></h3>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVloKQjgjI8/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://instagram.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/19367933_1695800994048831_8141547247612461056_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>Audrey and I do not usually write or perform with other people, but were invited to do a set together for the June 20th Tuesday Night Cafe. A major event in our friendship was the roadtrip they agreed to take with me to Lander, Wyoming for my NOLS fellowship in 2014. For our set, we decided to make up a podcast called Queer Road Trip to tell the story of that journey and to share the great tenderness we've nourished in our friendship. </div>
<br />
We shared "A Minute of Tenderness," during which we took turns sharing things that made us feel tender.<br />
<br />
The weekend prior saw the murders of Charleena Lyles and Nabra Hassanen, more tragedy to add the never ending list of tragedy. In our set, we created an altar for Charleena and Nabra and invited everyone to speak the names of those lost to police brutality, to racism, to anti-blackness, to transphobia, to islamophobia.<br />
<br />
We invited our dear friend t.k. lê to the stage to share her poetry with us. We spoke of grief, of mourning, of rage, and of possibility, of hope, of joy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Five years after I moved out of LA, Tuesday Night Cafe still feels like home. I'm so grateful.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
---</div>
To be continued.</div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-16658869155554443402017-04-26T09:14:00.001-07:002017-04-26T09:14:50.105-07:00Spring Craft Fair at Temescal Brewing, May 20, 12-6PM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I intended to participate in a craft fair supporting <a href="https://fopsl.org/">Friends of the Oakland Public School Libraries</a> back in December, but <a href="https://transitionalzone.blogspot.com/2016/12/farewell-suzi.html">a car accident</a> kept me in Los Angeles that week.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
Luckily, Stephanie of <a href="http://www.monarchoak.co/">Monarch</a> kindly invited me again to participate in a craft fair fundraiser, this time at <a href="http://www.temescalbrewing.com/">Temescal Brewing</a>!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.instagram.com/narinda___" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rU2shvZUxGk5B1O58XtfCcur5_N1fcry-j4haqJnRKjkcev45qZd1h0ye-uXjk0OU2JvZ-BzLS3mF7UiG0_rutoGfi7In3cDC1yvtOFFlacjNlWmmP9t5w5tdYEoXoITHrsCub-h50Pl/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-04-25+at+17.03.06.png" width="320" /></a><br />
I have a great love for libraries, which have been a home for me from childhood to my present days wandering in different towns and cities. I'm looking forward to supporting the organization, meeting other makers, and inviting folks to #touchmypottery. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My desire to have folks handle my pots before taking them home is not scalable in this online-shopping-loving world, but it feels right to me to work this way. And, as I've said before, <a href="https://transitionalzone.blogspot.com/2017/02/i-dont-make-living-but-apparently-im.html">even when not "making a living," I somehow continue to be alive</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
All the practical matters somehow fall into place. And as I get older, those practical matters pull more and more at my consciousness, making me wonder whether I'm doing it all wrong, whether this path is hopeless. Yet I also know that the only way to find out whether something can work, whether something can exist, is to try and make it so.<br />
<br />
So, here goes.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UVlf9WHANaE/WP_u-K_AmwI/AAAAAAAACw4/CLQ4HCPdL389Kxv0MQJ9bzBwSRgW-owZgCLcB/s1600/Spring%2BCraft%2BFairforever_Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UVlf9WHANaE/WP_u-K_AmwI/AAAAAAAACw4/CLQ4HCPdL389Kxv0MQJ9bzBwSRgW-owZgCLcB/s400/Spring%2BCraft%2BFairforever_Final.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Craft Fair<br />fundraiser for Oakland Public School Libraries</b><br />
May 20, 12-6pm<br />
Temescal Brewing<br />
4115 Telegraph (look for the pink side door)<br />
<br />
Vendors:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/aprilmayjewelry/">April May Jewelry</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/thecontradictionjewelry/">The Contradiction</a><br />
<a href="https://euclidandjayne.com/">Euclid + Jayne</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HUGIife/">Huglife by Niva Flor</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/illuminatiwaxworks/">Illuminati Waxworks</a><br />
<a href="https://juniperridge.com/">Juniper Ridge</a><br />
<a href="https://www.madebyrheal.com/">Made by Rheal</a><br />
<a href="http://www.monarchoak.co/">Monarch</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/the.nomad.collection/?hl=en">The Nomad Collection</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/oakandashsoap">Oak & Ash Soap</a><br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/phoebesherman">Phoebe Sherman</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sophietivona.com/">Sophie Tivona Illustration</a><br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/stephaniemariehatch/">Stephanie Hatch</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="fullpost"></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-84726768338273715932017-03-29T23:28:00.001-07:002017-04-25T16:20:54.536-07:00Super Sixy Soda Firing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Please excuse the hasty post. I'll be traveling in less than 8 hours and I wanted to get a quick post in-- I'm trying to post at least once a month here this year. It shouldn't be as challenging as it is. I was so prolific at the beginning of my bloggery.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'll share more details about this firing eventually-- a cone 6 soda firing, where I attempted to salvage an IMC clay body called Sculpture Freckle by firing it to a lower temperature. Alas, the high ilmenite content means that this clay has a hard time getting along with the high reduction firings I like to do. I think I'll use the big I have left as a slip, though. The surface it created (which you can sort of see in the images) are kind of wild and resemble cast iron or cooled lava.<br />
<br />
In reality, this firing may have gotten as hot as cone 8; it's hard to tell, as once soda ash is introduced to the kiln, the pyrometric cones diminish in accuracy.<br /></div>
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JQ-ZZM5BpI8/WNyiRjL2dCI/AAAAAAAACwA/NouNiXJsFkQ9Motc1oiIeFfrkjeqKo1rQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JQ-ZZM5BpI8/WNyiRjL2dCI/AAAAAAAACwA/NouNiXJsFkQ9Motc1oiIeFfrkjeqKo1rQCLcB/s320/IMG_9533.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JQ-ZZM5BpI8/WNyiRjL2dCI/AAAAAAAACwA/NouNiXJsFkQ9Motc1oiIeFfrkjeqKo1rQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1qDH4lUb3w0XFJpMxWP8oDV0cj_zc1GGRjfBd8AQbgxe8_8V-mOMF6Riz6OZE_GVPjyAJKjdxJw52x4UoLe0Q3NjtphhsIfLGKWjs-L4vHC9x6YP2JEHIHXCHdR5HwU-sXDRceCpYYnV/s1600/DSC01119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1qDH4lUb3w0XFJpMxWP8oDV0cj_zc1GGRjfBd8AQbgxe8_8V-mOMF6Riz6OZE_GVPjyAJKjdxJw52x4UoLe0Q3NjtphhsIfLGKWjs-L4vHC9x6YP2JEHIHXCHdR5HwU-sXDRceCpYYnV/s320/DSC01119.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWGeMF6sZBreffdCVj6c1PUgY5MKEnalhzwo4kWP5oLo4org5VcYulApaCNvKNq6cUaQesmk_GK-WJSJK_E7b89eaMUB7_4LBRiBsmJ4h8hrOQFtzUBNH-R8cC7uSKxZCHXMRoXrlkIUo/s1600/DSC01113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18jx6qAoxhdyXe82aBx1lKOl4rVfe-Q9eAHAOKb0W-NJTHSAhmmABAWe7psdyjBwRhTaTBkMuX6PTQH7KkQNNHR_t3-X9TAKk8wXM4riwpWMuJnxMtAX9J3c_QNR3EHfyJ3T9-2cgZmx4/s1600/IMG_9536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18jx6qAoxhdyXe82aBx1lKOl4rVfe-Q9eAHAOKb0W-NJTHSAhmmABAWe7psdyjBwRhTaTBkMuX6PTQH7KkQNNHR_t3-X9TAKk8wXM4riwpWMuJnxMtAX9J3c_QNR3EHfyJ3T9-2cgZmx4/s320/IMG_9536.JPG" width="240" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWGeMF6sZBreffdCVj6c1PUgY5MKEnalhzwo4kWP5oLo4org5VcYulApaCNvKNq6cUaQesmk_GK-WJSJK_E7b89eaMUB7_4LBRiBsmJ4h8hrOQFtzUBNH-R8cC7uSKxZCHXMRoXrlkIUo/s320/DSC01113.JPG" width="240" /> </a></div>
<br />
<span class="fullpost"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-41900090484157111622017-02-09T17:45:00.000-08:002017-02-09T17:45:54.559-08:00I don't make a living but apparently, I'm still alive. // Selling pottery this weekend<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r0imqXhrp6c/WJtYkLXzsbI/AAAAAAAACuE/WWp8nAGw68Uupzpfi88ZSO12jcEmh1mSwCLcB/s1600/Long%2BCool%2BHallway%2BPopup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r0imqXhrp6c/WJtYkLXzsbI/AAAAAAAACuE/WWp8nAGw68Uupzpfi88ZSO12jcEmh1mSwCLcB/s400/Long%2BCool%2BHallway%2BPopup.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flyer for this weekend's pop-up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r0imqXhrp6c/WJtYkLXzsbI/AAAAAAAACuE/WWp8nAGw68Uupzpfi88ZSO12jcEmh1mSwCLcB/s1600/Long%2BCool%2BHallway%2BPopup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span class="fullpost"></span>A couple of weeks ago, I had the following exchange:<br /><br />New friend: <i>Do you make a living from your ceramics?</i><br />Me: <i>No... I don't really make a living. Turns out I'm still alive.</i><br /><br />It's a statement I laugh at, but it has real relevance today. Our technological advances have necessitated a reimagining of work and of life and of economy that we haven't really engaged. I live outside of many of those norms, but I still have to negotiate rent and debt.<br />
<br />I agreed to have a pop up at Kostüm this weekend because <br /><br />1) I was flattered to be asked<br />2) I have a lot of pottery that I'd like to to be out in the world being enjoyed instead of crowding together on my shelves and in boxes<br />3) I need to make a lot of pots to be as good at making pots as I would like to be, so more will be coming soon<br />4) I was raised and still live under capitalism.<br />
<br />
What do we really need to stay alive? What's the value of an hour? What would we make and how would we feel if we could focus on the difficulty of feeling?<br /><br />Okay, I'll pause the abstract thinking.<br />
<br />
I'm really happy that I'm beginning to build relationships with POC-owned businesses in Oakland, because ultimately what it's all about is relationships with people, and how intimately intertwined our survival is.<br /><br />Below is a repost of some questions I answered for <a href="http://kostumonpiedmont.com/index.php/2017/01/30/kostum-pop-up-designer-long-cool-hallway-poetry-pottery/">Kostüm's blog</a>.<br /><br />The pop up is Saturday and Sunday, February 11-12, 1:00-6:00pm.<br /><br />Address:<br />4020 Piedmont Avenue<br />Oakland, CA 94611<br /><br />Access notes: <br />Kostum is located on the groundfloor, has a tight layout that may be difficult for a wheelchair to navigate. Store uses Glade plug-in air fresheners.<br />
<br />
***I'll have a Square reader to take credit cards, but cash and Venmo are also welcome. If you are a maker and haven't started a Square account yet, use this <a href="https://squareup.com/i/E5F948E2">referral link</a> to give us both free transactions.<br /><br />------<br /><br />
<b>1. What do you do for work?
</b><br /><br />My usual answer to this question is “this and that.”
Since 2014, I’ve worked seasonally as an outdoor educator, teaching young people wilderness skills from day-hiking to backpacking to rock climbing. It’s taken me from Pinnacles National Park in our own backyard to the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico to the Southern Talkeetna Mountains in Alaska.
I’m also a freelance video and audio transcriptionist. I’ve been able to work on footage for some incredible projects, the first of which was American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, way back in 2009.
I also recently joined the Bridges Rock Gym staff and am excited to deepen my relationship with their community.
<br /><br /><b> 2. How did you get to this point in your career?</b><br /><br />Before 2014, I worked primarily in nonprofit administration.
My gateway to becoming an outdoor educator was a program called Girlz Climb On, run by San Francisco-based GirlVentures. I was a volunteer mentor in the 10-week program, then worked as their part-time Admissions Associate, and then the Program Director at the time invited me to be an instructor on a 4-day backpacking course in Point Reyes in 2014. I was hooked.
(Enrollment in Girlventures’ summer programs is starting now, by the way! They have courses for 5th to 12th graders.)
I took my first ceramics class at Laney College in 2014, using the Segal Education Award I received after serving as a Los Angeles Public Ally 2011-2012.
While this path is not easy, I must acknowledge the privilege I have as an able-bodied, cisgender, college-educated person whose parents do not depend on me financially, which affords me more mental and emotional space to manage this life.
<br /><br /><b> 3. What are you passionate about?
</b><br /><br /> The idea of intimacy— with objects, processes, people.
Nurturing interdependence.
Supporting folks in articulating and actualizing their desires and possibilities.<br /><br />4. What feeds you creatively? (If different than number 3)<br /><br />Coffee!!!
<br />Conversation.
<br />Observation.
<br />Quiet contemplation.
<br /><br /><b>5. What is one of your favorite aspects of Oakland (or area of the Bay in which you live)?</b><br /><br />I love the smallness of Oakland, which is a contrast to the sprawl of Southern California where I grew up. To be able to move is a privilege I don’t take lightly, and I’m grateful for the people around me with whom I can grapple with questions of displacement and gentrification— familiar questions to me from my 5 years in Downtown Los Angeles.
<br /><br /><b>6. How do you feel most connected to Oakland (whether it’s the people, culture, environment, etc.)?</b><br /><br />I love that there is a large community of queer and trans people of color here. I love the energy around political and social engagement that exists here, the sense that many people are in active investigation of what might be possible to make our world more just. And that there are many people who, like me, cobble together lives of “this and that” and art and activism.<br /><br /><b>7. How is fashion a part of your daily life?</b><br /><br />My aesthetic for daily wear is on the scruffier side. I love wool sweaters and comfortable jeans. My hiking boots make foot travel around Oakland’s concrete much more bearable. I’m tempted to attribute my scruffiness to being a climber and outdoor educator, but I was scruffy long before those activities came into my life.
When it comes to clay or chapbooks, I have strong feelings about proportions, texture, lighting, angles, curves. I meander through Instagram quite a bit for inspiration (daily… hourly…) and take note of what seem to be aesthetic trends in pottery and also in poetry.
Some of it is similar to what I like to make and write, and some of it vastly different. There is so much wonderful work being made in the world.<br /><br /><b>8. What do you hope Kostümers walk away with after seeing or purchasing your poetry and/or pottery?
</b><br /><br />Simply put, I hope they feel good after seeing, touching, and/or bringing my work home.
I’ve found such magic and healing in making; I hope they’re inspired to make things with their own hands if they don’t already.
I hope that they’ll perhaps find new or greater value in what they do make, whether it’s art or craft or food.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-59329814960554816202017-01-30T09:43:00.000-08:002017-01-30T09:43:05.432-08:00Beyond GratitudeA recent headline states "<a href="https://qz.com/670921/forty-one-years-ago-the-us-took-a-big-gamble-on-vietnamese-refugees/">Forty-one years ago, the US took a big gamble on Vietnamese refugees.</a>"<br />
<br />
This gratitude narrative makes me ill.<br />
<br />
<b>Accepting refugees is this country's responsibility. </b><br />
<br />
I likely would not exist if my parents had not come to the US-- AND US foreign policy caused them to be refugees.<br /><br />Highlighting economic successes achieved by refugees in this country is a distraction from the broad impact of US imperialism and its war economy. It feeds into the colorism and anti-blackness that we must actively work against. The <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/professional-burdens-model-minority-asian-americans/485492/">model minority myth</a> is used to pit Asians against black and brown communities when what we need is solidarity.<br />
<b><br />People survive as best they can according to what white supremacy and colonization have allowed them.</b><br />
<br />
If it were possible, I would trade my existence in a second for my parents to not have gone through the horrors that they did.<br /><br />I can be thankful for my life and my loved ones and still hold this government accountable for what it's done and for what it does.<br />
<br />Our country has entered a new era of constant urgency and protest. This is an opportunity to shift our perspectives, to deeply examine history, and to <a href="http://movementgeneration.org/justtransition/">investigate a new way forward</a>.<br />
<br /><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/305260003&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-86646628679305778312017-01-20T10:53:00.001-08:002017-01-20T11:15:29.651-08:00Let Today Be A BeginningI am worn down. Weary. Wary.<br />
<br />
For various reasons, I am not out in the streets as I would like to be.<br />
<br />
I know that I am not alone in this. Whether for physical, mental, emotional, or economic health reasons, there are many of us not out there.<br />
<br />
But there are things to do, still, from where we are.<br />
<br />
Today, I am lessening my consumption of social media. My internet time has spiked in these last months, as I've sought for communication, information, comfort. Also, coping in the form of sob/laugh-inducing memes.<br />
<br />
It is hard to ignore all of the input, all that is floating through the air, all the bytes and images and tweets and messages and articles. It is hard not to engage.<br />
<br />
Social media has both enriched my ability to engage with the world, and stifled it. It has allowed me to stay in touch with friends across long and painful distances. It has allowed me to make new connections. And it has also invited trolls into my life (e.g., <a href="https://twitter.com/TANSTAAFL24/status/819587657483321344">this exchange over Twitter</a>, which is the perfect medium for non-communication and antipathy) about the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.<br />
<br />
<b>A few pieces of media that have provided me fortitude in these times:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741">13TH by Ava DuVernay</a>. A documentary covering the history of the 13th Amendment and how it abolished slavery “except as punishment for a crime,” and how those words were a loophole through which the criminalization and mass incarceration of black and brown bodies were set into play. The same economic—that is, capitalist— imperative that created slavery is what has millions of people in prison today, where there is massive exploitation of inmates and their non-incarcerated loved ones. Watch this, and challenge socialized assumptions about crime, drugs policies, economics, and our punitive system.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://chimamanda.com/books/americanah/"><i>Americanah</i> by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie</a>. I am late to this one. Published in 2013, it is a beautifully written novel that observes race relations in America and England through the eyes of Nigerian immigrants Ifemulu and Obinze, respectively. It is a love story. It gives insight into the experience of the African diaspora, being undocumented in England, and describes an immigrant experience that resonated with me immensely as part of the Khmer diaspora. The most engrossing read I’ve had in a very long time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/1971/01/07/an-open-letter-to-my-sister-miss-angela-davis/">An Open Letter to My Sister, Miss Angela Davis</a> by James Baldwin. Written after Newseek published an issue with Angela Davis in chains on the cover. I was directed to this by a friend. Written in 1970, it is chilling (yet unsurprising) how relevant the letter remains today:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“The will of the people, in America, has always been at the mercy of an ignorance not merely phenomenal, but sacred, and sacredly cultivated: the better to be used by a carnivorous economy which democratically slaughters and victimizes whites and blacks alike. But most white Americans do not dare admit this (though they suspect it) and this fact contains mortal danger for the blacks and tragedy for the nation.”</i></blockquote>
Last night I came across the video below of <a href="http://valariekaur.com/">Valarie Kaur</a> at a Watch Night Service on New Year’s Eve. I watched it again this morning. It contains a story that needs to be known, a mourning for what is coming to pass, and a message of hope and strength for what's next.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LCenwgheIBs/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LCenwgheIBs?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe><br /></div>
At some point the feeling in my chest now will lessen from its pounding anxiety to a dull murmur.<br />
<br />
I’ll be at home this weekend-- and I'll be making, writing, sharing.<br />
<br />
I posted this status on election night: <i>Tomorrow, let yourself make something. Beautiful or ugly, whatever. Remind yourself it's possible to change the world.</i><br />
<br />
As difficult as these times are, the worst thing is the false belief that there is nothing we can do.<br />
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en" style="text-align: center;">
Find the way for you to do the work. We all have different work to do. If the experts had the answers, we wouldn't be here.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
— deray mckesson (@deray) <a href="https://twitter.com/deray/status/801066873416728576">November 22, 2016</a></div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
No matter what, we'll keep going.<br /><br />
I want today to be a beginning.<br />
<br />
A day when I begin to focus more fiercely on loving acts for the people around me, the people within arms’ reach, the people who may not be physically near but are incredibly dear to my heart.<br /><br />I have to start at this touchable scale, and to believe in my ability to grow from there.</div>
<span class="fullpost"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-80024330314917361002017-01-12T16:35:00.001-08:002017-01-12T16:35:33.595-08:00New Year, New Chapbook, New Shop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
It appears that I never wrote about completing <i><a href="http://shop.longcoolhallway.com/item/from-somewhere-along-the-way">from somewhere along the way</a></i>, my 2015 collection of writing. Better late than never?<br /><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnfOMQN4CUVe4L7K-AKoAR49DF35GpihIAgPExyb5L62rwJLdT0VAKaMT2_zULpj13r9ulFO7Fsc-8XKlLd8zeRdkbghaSvAsIjy8eJejk2W2yVHz_zYgeqYlNq6QEa6in6Noq3jsiZ6v/s1600/IMG_0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnfOMQN4CUVe4L7K-AKoAR49DF35GpihIAgPExyb5L62rwJLdT0VAKaMT2_zULpj13r9ulFO7Fsc-8XKlLd8zeRdkbghaSvAsIjy8eJejk2W2yVHz_zYgeqYlNq6QEa6in6Noq3jsiZ6v/s320/IMG_0013.jpg" width="240" /></a><i><a href="http://shop.longcoolhallway.com/item/make-mend">make / mend</a> </i>came into the world on December 31, 2016.<br /><br />Since 2013, I haven't finished a chapbook earlier than December. A part of me scoffs at the fact that I clearly procrastinated, and another part of me is relieved that I've actually met my annual chapbook goal, albeit by the skin of my teeth.<br /><br />I also opened <a href="http://shop.longcoolhallway.com/">an online shop</a>, with all of my chapbooks from past years on it, at discounted prices. I may include my pottery on it someday, but for now they are objects I believe need to be touched before they are purchased.<br />
<i><br /></i>
The last weeks of the year were stressful, with an unplanned return to car-free life (a somewhat inaccurate description because I still have access to friends' cars), and with the impending sense of doom hanging over the coming administration. Our government has never felt, in my lifetime, as blatantly corrupt as it does now. My illusions of America as the land of the free have been stripped away and replaced with a painful awareness of how ruthless capitalism is, and how deadly it is, interwoven with structural racism and neocolonialism.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSaANce-EmuvEk-NpsugIlx1SJlFN7-l7nReIS1x6QWwreTMC7zeCgI2lnW2J7Mc0ZhtyrbYLXoIeZd8_IQ6g6whg_e6PsYzlKGoC8q5reMPDH4yFiVPD3X4nFDaKtPDz7vlqh24XKw3sg/s1600/IMG_0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSaANce-EmuvEk-NpsugIlx1SJlFN7-l7nReIS1x6QWwreTMC7zeCgI2lnW2J7Mc0ZhtyrbYLXoIeZd8_IQ6g6whg_e6PsYzlKGoC8q5reMPDH4yFiVPD3X4nFDaKtPDz7vlqh24XKw3sg/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSaANce-EmuvEk-NpsugIlx1SJlFN7-l7nReIS1x6QWwreTMC7zeCgI2lnW2J7Mc0ZhtyrbYLXoIeZd8_IQ6g6whg_e6PsYzlKGoC8q5reMPDH4yFiVPD3X4nFDaKtPDz7vlqh24XKw3sg/s1600/IMG_0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>And yet, the mundanity of life, for many of us, carries on. There are banks and businesses and manufacturers some are trying to stay away from moreso than before.<br /><br />Those of us who fear for ourselves and our communities are each trying our best to do what we can in the face of what's to come.<br /><br />It is strange, this feeling that terrible changes are taking place, but that the concerns of rent money, how to support myself, my community, and, someday, my aging parents, are still very much present. It feels like we are fighting for our survival, and at the same time, life does not feel so much different. <br /><br />There is a sinking feeling in the air, we are wary of the coming administration-- and the fact that this country has not encountered this situation before. Another country meddling in our election rather than the other way around. A reality show figure elected despite the many marks against his character. <br /><br />Is this what it feels like to live under a failing government?<br /><br />Meanwhile, I am trying to cultivate change, in what small ways I can. Gardening projects. Making pots. Writing.<br /><br />To be honest, it sounds a bit ridiculous.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mXZuuz-3kW8/WHB3WOXB_tI/AAAAAAAACtE/iCSL1SAwr5IXu_ApYC2YSM0ZbEseDdkSACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-01-04%2Bat%2B14.15.39.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<span class="fullpost"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-24541033369790976512016-12-27T07:32:00.001-08:002016-12-27T07:32:37.609-08:00Farewell, Suzi.After 7.5 years and over 100,000 miles, I've let Suzi the Tiny Camper go.<br />
<br />
We were in an accident that caused major cosmetic and minor structural damage, and then I found that she needed serious engine repairs. And so, it was time.<br />
<br />
I took a photo of her good side as she left.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15589552_618476361669973_4566437272834338353_n.jpg?oh=3e72a9513065eb0f88da729df6b564ef&oe=58E3D528" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15589552_618476361669973_4566437272834338353_n.jpg?oh=3e72a9513065eb0f88da729df6b564ef&oe=58E3D528" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
There is mourning, and of course I would rather have not been in a collision, but this unfortunate event was a significant source of self-learning and a catalyst for a kind of milestone in my family life.<br />
<br />
Starting 2017 car-free. That actually feels pretty good to me. We'll see how long that lasts.<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_85478731"></span><span id="goog_85478732"></span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-75477138073389831922016-11-16T11:54:00.001-08:002016-11-16T11:54:12.049-08:00One Week LaterI've spent the last week digesting the news, trying to sort out all the layers of what the election results mean to me, how they've affected me, and how they will impact this country. It has been hard. It has been really hard. <div>
<span class="fullpost"></span><br />
<div>
<br />I can see how Donald Trump appeals to those who have grown tired of being asked to empathize with immigrants, with people of color, with LGBTQ people, with women, with people whom they do not consider "real" Americans. I can see how Donald Trump represents dreams of money and power and freedom. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I wish there were a way to sum it up so that those who voted for Trump might be able to hear me, to be in conversation with me, to empathize with the hurt that so many of us are feeling right now. That will explain the rage that so many of us are feeling right now. I want so badly for that to be possible.<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
I woke this morning with my composure cracked because the implications of Trump's win have become more clearly articulated in my mind.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>I am the child of refugees. The inherited trauma of what my parents and grandparents and older family members have been through has been triggered in a way that I have never felt before. We have talked at length and often about the difficulties, the terror, of their years in Cambodia during <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge_Killing_Fields">Khmer Rouge rule</a>. I consider how things were in Cambodia before April 17, 1975. How there were those who could see what was coming and fled to the US, France, Australia, before tanks began traveling down the streets. And there were those who perhaps could see it but could not leave, those who had some sense of dread, but could only go about their lives affecting normalcy. I have a suspicion that "normal" changed by slow, small degrees, much as Trump's presidency and cabinet appointments are being normalized now.<br /><br />And I recognize how I have been grieving and angry but for the most part still living life as normal, going to the ceramics studio, working, cooking, seeing friends. How news fatigue settles in. How this is what many of us are doing. And there is a feeling in the pit of my stomach that hunkering down is not and has never been enough. That perhaps it would help me survive, but that the cost might be higher than I can stand.<br /></li>
<li>I am an outdoor educator. On expeditions, it is imperative that groups build trust and respect. We emphasize valuing diversity and inclusion, and I work hard to hold my students to high standards in their behavior and language toward one another. Our safety depends on being able to work together and take care of one another. <br /><br />Trump's win is an affront to everything I've been trying to teach. It tells us divisive, rude, sexist, Islamophobic, and racist behavior will not keep a person from winning the top office in this country. That so many in this country do not hold him to anything near the standards that I have asked of my students. </li>
</ul>
<div>
Many people want to argue in abstract terms, many request not to be lumped in with white nationalists, racists, misogynists, Islamophobes, homophobes. I don't have the energy to provide that kind of reassurance right now. There is fear and dread, there are echoes of horrific histories, and there is an enormous grief. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is a part of me that still does not believe that Trump's administration will actually take power in January. And I know that I have to fight against that disbelief because what we need now is to strategize against that event. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-47320042096303335652016-10-31T22:21:00.001-07:002016-10-31T22:21:50.357-07:00My DIY Pottery Trimming Tools<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
When I began studying ceramics in 2014, I became enamored with the precision techniques and guidance provided by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/hsinchuen">Hsin-Chuen Lin on his YouTube channel</a>. At the time of this writing, he has 250+ videos showing and sharing his techniques, his tools, and demonstrating his extensive pottery skill.<br />
<br />
One of the most harrowing parts of making wheel-thrown pottery is the trimming process, which entails getting to the clay when it's dried enough but not too much, centering the piece once again on the wheel, and holding the tools correctly. Mr. Lin's videos helped me learn how to tap-center (practice) and how to have contact between my hands and the pot at all times when possible.<br />
<br />
Because I love DIY-everything, I particularly enjoyed his video on how to make tools out of hacksaw blades:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Glk9aR7XY3U/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Glk9aR7XY3U?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
I contacted Mr. Lin and he allowed me to visit him in his studio and watch him work. My friend Ash took some <a href="http://ashngu.tumblr.com/post/135299115311/hsinchuen-lin-ceramicist">gorgeous photos</a> that day.<br />
<br />
I was inspired by the video and the presence of a blowtorch in my house to make my own tools from some old knives.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqf3-2hrDY8FZNchg7MS5p_5icSE30koMT93DOh_828aT0jxugdc4Sc8sHur3Lx6cOG2h_pCnSPAK-1SD8sK3r8HpHQ54LJ8QZ27IY8bSNIduRutS5u8T8JyInLESWqdH2LZjI5dRzjjfJ/s1600/IMG_7073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqf3-2hrDY8FZNchg7MS5p_5icSE30koMT93DOh_828aT0jxugdc4Sc8sHur3Lx6cOG2h_pCnSPAK-1SD8sK3r8HpHQ54LJ8QZ27IY8bSNIduRutS5u8T8JyInLESWqdH2LZjI5dRzjjfJ/s400/IMG_7073.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Blowtorch, a bastard-cut file, two pairs of pliers, a bowl of water, an old knife.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YZcjTmhyhQ4/V_m9hmUMUaI/AAAAAAAACqg/hYEgwpiUSjMSHb8Pb1TvkF_OFHMlJ7VdgCLcB/s1600/IMG_7074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YZcjTmhyhQ4/V_m9hmUMUaI/AAAAAAAACqg/hYEgwpiUSjMSHb8Pb1TvkF_OFHMlJ7VdgCLcB/s400/IMG_7074.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Got rid of the pointy bit.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q-Y2WJwPQpc/V_m9ixU9d_I/AAAAAAAACqs/OyJtS2ycau0StnTboOHDZRRoQoNaA3UyQCLcB/s1600/IMG_7076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q-Y2WJwPQpc/V_m9ixU9d_I/AAAAAAAACqs/OyJtS2ycau0StnTboOHDZRRoQoNaA3UyQCLcB/s400/IMG_7076.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Dulled the part of the blade that I wouldn't be using, and sharpened the square edges. In hindsight, I should have sharpened a bit farther down the blade, to have a better corner for trimming. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_ixzLOb-6o/V_m9ivfZTQI/AAAAAAAACqk/PtFvz-RevpkLIg5gjP1_2yOAWGv3uyqfQCLcB/s1600/IMG_7077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_ixzLOb-6o/V_m9ivfZTQI/AAAAAAAACqk/PtFvz-RevpkLIg5gjP1_2yOAWGv3uyqfQCLcB/s400/IMG_7077.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The plastic handle melted a bit because I kept the knife in the flame too long. Oops.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-igDxMbTuQXs/V_m9iyDNgOI/AAAAAAAACqo/NNTcS8vfcFgp5-7FBuJ4NeWIUiLoT7f1QCLcB/s1600/IMG_7078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-igDxMbTuQXs/V_m9iyDNgOI/AAAAAAAACqo/NNTcS8vfcFgp5-7FBuJ4NeWIUiLoT7f1QCLcB/s320/IMG_7078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OuJaqwehhnU/V_m9jekIQkI/AAAAAAAACqw/ETvxcnxFADQYiwvLFzksedTkLZYXM_YgwCLcB/s1600/IMG_7079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OuJaqwehhnU/V_m9jekIQkI/AAAAAAAACqw/ETvxcnxFADQYiwvLFzksedTkLZYXM_YgwCLcB/s320/IMG_7079.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9osb4qohXLE/V_m9jnY33RI/AAAAAAAACq0/_pcp-N19v-oC2HLveKQjqEPkDS-f_0aHACLcB/s1600/IMG_7080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9osb4qohXLE/V_m9jnY33RI/AAAAAAAACq0/_pcp-N19v-oC2HLveKQjqEPkDS-f_0aHACLcB/s320/IMG_7080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This tool has treated me relatively well, but it has to be sharpened quite frequently if I want to avoid unintentional chattering. Perhaps it's so hard to avoid because the tool is so thick? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Of course, I couldn't stop with that one. More bent metal things:</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdzBd6kdUX2QWHSNUqa1tyOcqaN_bGoc3SUrky9RiXOJL4pzyb2DtRX5TTM2oxPi7oJLTRCyaPXmY_4klsE8gMj5_n2yk2_lN9LiCR0FfVivnOV8d0fUDGEdYaBK6kFIZ3Eox60CTZIeo/s1600/IMG_7060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdzBd6kdUX2QWHSNUqa1tyOcqaN_bGoc3SUrky9RiXOJL4pzyb2DtRX5TTM2oxPi7oJLTRCyaPXmY_4klsE8gMj5_n2yk2_lN9LiCR0FfVivnOV8d0fUDGEdYaBK6kFIZ3Eox60CTZIeo/s400/IMG_7060.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My favorite and most effective one is the one in the center-- perhaps because it's thinner, it holds the edge better? The one on the left is very sharp, but it is a bit too pointy for most of my trimming needs. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A video of me trimming a bottle using that favorite tool:<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-version="7" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.14902) 0px 1px 10px 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; width: 648.906px; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 316.453px 0px; text-align: center; width: 632.906px;">
<div style="display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0px auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin: 8px 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLTlLpAjvYk/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A video posted by narinda heng (@narindaism)</a> on <time datetime="2016-10-08T14:52:03+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 8, 2016 at 7:52am PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<span id="goog_465170637"></span><span id="goog_465170638"></span><span class="fullpost"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-45470659515223331172016-09-30T08:57:00.000-07:002016-09-30T08:57:29.959-07:0010 Days at Indian Creek // The scabbiest climbing trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I had my first visit to Indian Creek, splitter crack climbing paradise, back in April. During those 10 days, I scraped myself up more than during any other climbing trip. I sustained a giant scab on my ankle that took about two months to heal and fall off.<br />
<br />
I loved it.<br />
<br />
The struggle, the athleticism, the 100+ foot pitches, the campground that felt like a neighborhood by the time I left. I can't wait to get back. I don't know if Creeksgiving is in my future, but next April, perhaps? </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsz2k5UdzogLzkBaZ2ouIXkeiulkXS9bgAK-vOFZ0Cm7NqUOuczWVWVr4CVPeu9vJt_KgPoPzJesYrtoswWvS69K3qBX_VXyeWzHCeb_qeHE-guSGFvQ42adijTxulgU0XPLJo25riaFmV/s1600/DSC00300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsz2k5UdzogLzkBaZ2ouIXkeiulkXS9bgAK-vOFZ0Cm7NqUOuczWVWVr4CVPeu9vJt_KgPoPzJesYrtoswWvS69K3qBX_VXyeWzHCeb_qeHE-guSGFvQ42adijTxulgU0XPLJo25riaFmV/s400/DSC00300.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When I got my windows tinted, the "Justice for Oscar Grant" sticker was removed-- accidentally? Somehow my Black & Pink and NOLS Wilderness Medicine stickers remained intact. Odd. I replaced it with this intersectional Black Lives Matter sticker (designed by Matice Moore) I got at Queer Magic Makers last year. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VIeDto1fi3s/V7slTWo4poI/AAAAAAAACpg/gTWOnzEXUcIZWhxocfMBrtZPYzxBnpFkwCPcB/s1600/DSC00299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VIeDto1fi3s/V7slTWo4poI/AAAAAAAACpg/gTWOnzEXUcIZWhxocfMBrtZPYzxBnpFkwCPcB/s400/DSC00299.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Gorgeous crags, gorgeous high desert skies.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCmq1hKSUL0x7FSPv9iTgfwn2mQLL95N9xTLYSM3UIrzM3eGvyYSogF7276GRfZzh-UFRcB4nF-tWHiX8Q6glfPRcSO8NnoIYuGpegydNS0hPk6Cj4HjY8xpeU77Qh9PuZ3i2paMxQ_I7/s1600/IMG_7750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCmq1hKSUL0x7FSPv9iTgfwn2mQLL95N9xTLYSM3UIrzM3eGvyYSogF7276GRfZzh-UFRcB4nF-tWHiX8Q6glfPRcSO8NnoIYuGpegydNS0hPk6Cj4HjY8xpeU77Qh9PuZ3i2paMxQ_I7/s400/IMG_7750.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
I questioned the wisdom of having my manual typewriter with me while living out of my car for the summer, but it was worth it to sit and tap with this view. I finished this page right as rain began falling. I'm grateful that afternoon thunderstorms forced me to take rest days, otherwise I would probably have wrecked my body even worse.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EaQ4vLMX6cM/V7slVJogJxI/AAAAAAAACpg/a-C8vLNE5IYQZIhewjyu12F4TnLJnVD0gCPcB/s1600/IMG_7760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EaQ4vLMX6cM/V7slVJogJxI/AAAAAAAACpg/a-C8vLNE5IYQZIhewjyu12F4TnLJnVD0gCPcB/s400/IMG_7760.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Hammocks are wonderful. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarUDpmAu2NXhacZjd18HKkOFKXJ1OeLU9Qi_l9YReIWxJ4MMBQVAedyYQkCsD4OY4JyfkXUxFUhr7d4fAs3ZU0kCC6NJj8Th4ui3FGOLKRuD072E-kuogRuQZvnDU8XBgfegPNyo9mkIJ/s1600/DSC00271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarUDpmAu2NXhacZjd18HKkOFKXJ1OeLU9Qi_l9YReIWxJ4MMBQVAedyYQkCsD4OY4JyfkXUxFUhr7d4fAs3ZU0kCC6NJj8Th4ui3FGOLKRuD072E-kuogRuQZvnDU8XBgfegPNyo9mkIJ/s400/DSC00271.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The 10a warm up pitch was not too bad at all. I led it after this couple climbed. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ewZMzOMQ_Qs/V7slScHu4UI/AAAAAAAACpg/hMUsFORTMkkeLopr4ueWNnXnGlX2H8d-QCPcB/s1600/DSC00270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ewZMzOMQ_Qs/V7slScHu4UI/AAAAAAAACpg/hMUsFORTMkkeLopr4ueWNnXnGlX2H8d-QCPcB/s400/DSC00270.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
These two gearing up for Pente (5.11) on Reservoir Wall. I toproped this in an incredibly ugly and painful fashion. I'd like to think that next time it will go better now that I sort of know how to jam. Note to self: probably not a good first-day-at-the-creek climb. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FIIzYRTX0v8/V7slSPbML-I/AAAAAAAACpg/YQ30slIaiEYEm6Z-_9oIakpJ4S8NEOMpACPcB/s1600/DSC00277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FIIzYRTX0v8/V7slSPbML-I/AAAAAAAACpg/YQ30slIaiEYEm6Z-_9oIakpJ4S8NEOMpACPcB/s400/DSC00277.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Gloomy skies, bloomy cacti.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqw9Hy-WO9r60DDwmTGJD05FxmEGB2m4lWGKLh-iFw4pB4ukVSdQRlsvNJmXht7SHdhs71EnrIxpwerNGUoddIn6rHIh70iK08MvHhXSJo21tC2IJu7qL9rI_yAVVBKb_Vq_NqdJ_bsC74/s1600/IMG_7768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqw9Hy-WO9r60DDwmTGJD05FxmEGB2m4lWGKLh-iFw4pB4ukVSdQRlsvNJmXht7SHdhs71EnrIxpwerNGUoddIn6rHIh70iK08MvHhXSJo21tC2IJu7qL9rI_yAVVBKb_Vq_NqdJ_bsC74/s400/IMG_7768.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I brought my poetry and pottery with me, and left some copies of my chapbook on the message board with a note looking for climbing partners. I wasn't sure it would work, if anyone would read it, and then one morning Emmanuelle (far left) came up to my campsite and invited me to join her, Cylvie (far right) and Peter (the photo-taker) in their climbing. They were a wonderful crew to hang out with. To my right in the photo is Anh from Denmark, another solo traveler we met at the campground. In their hands are pieces of my pottery that they bought/bartered from me.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I was nervous about sharing my poetry, but I'm so glad I did. And I can't wait 'til the next time I get out to Indian Creek.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Location: Creek Pasture Campground, Indian Creek, Utah<br />Cost: At the time it was free, but as of September 2016, it's $5/night<br />Amenities: Pit toilets, fire rings.<br />Note: Must bring in all water and firewood. No wood collecting!!</div>
<br /><br />
<span class="fullpost"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-55756142984959549452016-08-10T13:31:00.000-07:002016-08-10T13:31:38.312-07:00Violence-Free Begins With Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://instagram.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/13696645_1178407065543020_96897423_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://instagram.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/13696645_1178407065543020_96897423_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
Last month, before heading out to instruct GirlVentures' <a href="http://www.girlventures.org/transitions">Transitions</a> course, I was a guest speaker at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CenterForThePacificAsianFamily/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10153501575791841">Violence-Free Begins With Me, an API Youth Forum</a> held by the <a href="http://www.nurturingchange.org/">Center for the Pacific Asian Family</a>.<br />
<br />
I spoke about my experience growing up queer and Khmer American, what it was like coming into my identities, and talked about becoming an outdoor educator and explaining the work to refugee parents.<br />
<br />
To stand in front of a group of Southeast Asian youth who were from the same places I'm from and tell my story to them was an incredible opportunity.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-42181019483562506322016-06-20T10:16:00.000-07:002016-06-20T10:16:01.331-07:00Dayshots: Catalina Island Aquaponics and Poppies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I spent a couple of days at the <a href="https://dornsife.usc.edu/wrigley/">Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies</a> in March. On this visit, I got to check out the new(-ish) aquaponics system in the greenhouse. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBN0IrHD1REkPHR-HIw0wK1n6mpiA6KpuKF_tqPIMVS8XLJ8CE1_9WrBNePYmywfaJq3HXj6RLp0-OkAPqWn_L-kQ0bkqBBeKIfNYAdMgoFoKGbGFytfZpu-v8ns7_qqiG4nfzmC30uaPc/s1600/IMG_7332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBN0IrHD1REkPHR-HIw0wK1n6mpiA6KpuKF_tqPIMVS8XLJ8CE1_9WrBNePYmywfaJq3HXj6RLp0-OkAPqWn_L-kQ0bkqBBeKIfNYAdMgoFoKGbGFytfZpu-v8ns7_qqiG4nfzmC30uaPc/s400/IMG_7332.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XhNDEPx2H1Q/V0IvCsoJkkI/AAAAAAAACm4/Pr4cqv3qTE4uZBEuHP-LZZf7cAaXsTRYwCLcB/s1600/IMG_7320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XhNDEPx2H1Q/V0IvCsoJkkI/AAAAAAAACm4/Pr4cqv3qTE4uZBEuHP-LZZf7cAaXsTRYwCLcB/s400/IMG_7320.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
These goldfish shall be switched out for tilapia at some point.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJpWvqcJeuVyaswXErvDil6kFnIngEtb-xdlOaoeHzUMJggcvbxAnlMvUI0ZAnPXYPIjcyFgUkYCIxNpke3FWzHraNIp4Vo7ahoCrHpC3lCmki_tfas1WxLLiPV1R2GiBdiy31FFX91Yc/s1600/IMG_7319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJpWvqcJeuVyaswXErvDil6kFnIngEtb-xdlOaoeHzUMJggcvbxAnlMvUI0ZAnPXYPIjcyFgUkYCIxNpke3FWzHraNIp4Vo7ahoCrHpC3lCmki_tfas1WxLLiPV1R2GiBdiy31FFX91Yc/s400/IMG_7319.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><br />We ate that head of lettuce for dinner. It was glorious. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8W0Mqu7Qc9COsWQlZNmkycNtto5ZhNByPP5M-IFb_GGNzMgl4d45eMsVXPlfipJ9oZrR-koxsPmJotTv6ksTco_Gtw3REAa89ArF_D6mFAVdD2kQUeJ-lqPPSqsTNYT2mcwWiRFNByzZD/s1600/IMG_7325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8W0Mqu7Qc9COsWQlZNmkycNtto5ZhNByPP5M-IFb_GGNzMgl4d45eMsVXPlfipJ9oZrR-koxsPmJotTv6ksTco_Gtw3REAa89ArF_D6mFAVdD2kQUeJ-lqPPSqsTNYT2mcwWiRFNByzZD/s400/IMG_7325.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O5fMKNKpoyA/V0IvEwArvEI/AAAAAAAACnA/gOjOAdHOO8suFo0acZige_EsVl25tHH5QCLcB/s1600/IMG_7326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O5fMKNKpoyA/V0IvEwArvEI/AAAAAAAACnA/gOjOAdHOO8suFo0acZige_EsVl25tHH5QCLcB/s400/IMG_7326.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Such pretty roots.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Csopfz0JUFk/V0IvFZNYONI/AAAAAAAACnE/A8meuRnMFkM2cGiwxGdI6-mUKgbrfTzoACLcB/s1600/IMG_7327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Csopfz0JUFk/V0IvFZNYONI/AAAAAAAACnE/A8meuRnMFkM2cGiwxGdI6-mUKgbrfTzoACLcB/s400/IMG_7327.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The sun was strong in the green house. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dNgF5DEWzRKJ3t8fE0fE_SM9llDQQ5lo3gQTqNPhZajxURBJ4Pxv1UmZ6vbEfpVW9zQx4bp7KyaUVEmxpPonSAwEIkAd9WGCsb0yu_8sEUEWcMheRAmqUjOjECz2D-HAWWpJjDOoi_ym/s1600/IMG_7334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dNgF5DEWzRKJ3t8fE0fE_SM9llDQQ5lo3gQTqNPhZajxURBJ4Pxv1UmZ6vbEfpVW9zQx4bp7KyaUVEmxpPonSAwEIkAd9WGCsb0yu_8sEUEWcMheRAmqUjOjECz2D-HAWWpJjDOoi_ym/s400/IMG_7334.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Rainwater catchment and filtration system. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSe1k2b226XB_4ycFWrTYaRmMysTbTP9B78wdjurF27qn3HeQI3qqE5fbg-saGDY8NBX8Hvg1kEou5TLXu5N9uYuIrDDWUgG-Ke_ADE-i5H_wGVR12IcCnG7Jdu0A_1KfzKCecvfkE14zP/s1600/IMG_7369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSe1k2b226XB_4ycFWrTYaRmMysTbTP9B78wdjurF27qn3HeQI3qqE5fbg-saGDY8NBX8Hvg1kEou5TLXu5N9uYuIrDDWUgG-Ke_ADE-i5H_wGVR12IcCnG7Jdu0A_1KfzKCecvfkE14zP/s400/IMG_7369.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I took a stroll in the hills surrounding campus and noticed island poppies for the first time.<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlPaSIEhD680vsgWxGlWrQggU2UFOSlGf7v7LSxSTjeM9bCL3kXw3MUI71KdmVlk0mK21elXaKl3ZsqX8YuvIv3mHn7ji3dynxJeRV-sxbqy-MXbiX8_pKtmVAjivAIZ2tWDgutzWVeUt/s1600/IMG_7370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlPaSIEhD680vsgWxGlWrQggU2UFOSlGf7v7LSxSTjeM9bCL3kXw3MUI71KdmVlk0mK21elXaKl3ZsqX8YuvIv3mHn7ji3dynxJeRV-sxbqy-MXbiX8_pKtmVAjivAIZ2tWDgutzWVeUt/s400/IMG_7370.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
They were a pleasure to see after a disappointing bloom at the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xQ1-9L2ztDg/V0IvKHmlOtI/AAAAAAAACnc/62s4c02_h2MHJaus1NKDgrpqLfqYdnAWgCLcB/s1600/IMG_7379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xQ1-9L2ztDg/V0IvKHmlOtI/AAAAAAAACnc/62s4c02_h2MHJaus1NKDgrpqLfqYdnAWgCLcB/s400/IMG_7379.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Didn't get in the water very much on this trip, but did walk down the ramp for a quick dip before getting on the boat back to the mainland. I dream of a writing residency on the island someday.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwRzch741CGH6PNh4M5TWzao7k68aEB8xVT6bLXBKPFU3Ems5nJ9QjU4bw-PLz-Hv-vDJC2zgr5YNjh8VtEuFinxSdv4bfS7eJbPZQ1KMCGSFAj4Yjpkm1w-6wJcERaVNxat8Jx_cItLS/s1600/IMG_7374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwRzch741CGH6PNh4M5TWzao7k68aEB8xVT6bLXBKPFU3Ems5nJ9QjU4bw-PLz-Hv-vDJC2zgr5YNjh8VtEuFinxSdv4bfS7eJbPZQ1KMCGSFAj4Yjpkm1w-6wJcERaVNxat8Jx_cItLS/s400/IMG_7374.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="fullpost"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-44458425387904317812016-05-11T06:58:00.001-07:002016-05-11T14:21:35.031-07:00National Poetry Month // Tuesday Night Cafe (and Los Angeles) for always<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I was invited to collaborate with Shin Kawasaki for <a href="http://www.tuesdaynightproject.org/tnc-schedule/2016/4/5/tuesday-night-cafe-april-5-2016-season-opener">Tuesday Night Cafe's Season Opener on April 5</a>. He's a talented musician and I wasn't sure exactly how our collaboration would work, considering I can't carry a tune nor play an instrument, or even keep time very well (I am usually that person who starts out clapping on beat, then off-beat, then stops clapping). But I said yes anyway, because I'd never worked with him before and was intrigued at the opportunity. The last time I'd read poetry with a musician on stage was years ago, also at TNC, with my good friend <a href="https://soundcloud.com/cyrilcueva">Cyril</a>. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Shin and I met for lunch before my trip into the San Rafael Wilderness (again, with Dunn School) and got to know each other a bit over tacos. It turned out that we had things in common that we'd never realized, and that there was a synchronicity to <a href="http://narindaism.tumblr.com/post/142685984765/poc-creators-hi-all-my-name-is-narinda-im">things that I've been writing about</a> and things that he's been thinking about. We then worked on song lyrics together over email until we could get together in person again-- the Sunday right before TNC.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMeFNFKzwttKy1SKmyscwdW69KfRRTld3rR12K2GsmH5P-pXePgGsHbLiraELaRPpgsbJsdVK_qstfo1-_vSK5Oq5mhLZZ9VgsyQzMGlh5ru2p0ot1jWS4r1kRlEIAcOoEhAedYoFWKy2/s1600/IMG_7415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMeFNFKzwttKy1SKmyscwdW69KfRRTld3rR12K2GsmH5P-pXePgGsHbLiraELaRPpgsbJsdVK_qstfo1-_vSK5Oq5mhLZZ9VgsyQzMGlh5ru2p0ot1jWS4r1kRlEIAcOoEhAedYoFWKy2/s320/IMG_7415.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We met at his rehearsal space in Downtown LA (which he shares with other musicians to swoon over) to refine the lyrics to the song. It was magical seeing how he took the words we wrote together and put them to music. And the process of writing together, too, was new and really cool for me. I learned how a song breaks down into chorus, refrain, bridge, verse. I don't think I've ever collaborated so closely with anyone on a piece of art before-- with spoken word, I would come together with other poets, each of us with our own words. Somehow having the addition of music helped in that process. Or, it was just Shin. Shin is awesome. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The song that we came up with was inspired by our mutual friend and longtime TNC Resident Artist David Tran aka Applesauce. David was actually the first person who ever took one of my poems and turned it into a song (which I like much more than the original piece) called That Kind of Love. <iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/159725523&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>I have to admit that my music listening habits haven't changed very much in the last five years, and that song (along with many other Applesauce songs) are still very much in my usual music rotation. Shin and I both visited David in Vietnam at different times, and those experiences made their way into our song. I left our Sunday session feeling inspired and wondering when I might collaborate with a musician again. And then we filled up on delicious tacos again, this time from a little spot on 1st Street I'd never been to before. There is always more delicious to be found in LA. Always. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDbY08wwwFmq7BVB2LTcvc0AfmzjaY-MSGNPxXHlv3Ogx5Xidq2ae2v6I3fSycJZZETGVe4dW1Ngfo-yuxxhM2Y4U-HwnpA85fg63BUoWpPfOIIq5_HuahVD4LfmdGGxYma1WbiDHvTds/s1600/2016+Flip+The+Script.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDbY08wwwFmq7BVB2LTcvc0AfmzjaY-MSGNPxXHlv3Ogx5Xidq2ae2v6I3fSycJZZETGVe4dW1Ngfo-yuxxhM2Y4U-HwnpA85fg63BUoWpPfOIIq5_HuahVD4LfmdGGxYma1WbiDHvTds/s1600/2016+Flip+The+Script.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDbY08wwwFmq7BVB2LTcvc0AfmzjaY-MSGNPxXHlv3Ogx5Xidq2ae2v6I3fSycJZZETGVe4dW1Ngfo-yuxxhM2Y4U-HwnpA85fg63BUoWpPfOIIq5_HuahVD4LfmdGGxYma1WbiDHvTds/s320/2016+Flip+The+Script.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I dressed for radio.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next day, I had a climbing date at Malibu Creek with one of the other Dunn School instructors. I appreciate Malibu Creek and the accessibility of climbing in LA in general so much more now that I live in the Bay Area, where few 5.10 sport climbs are to be found within an hour's drive, though, yes, Yosemite is just 3.5 hours away. <br />
<br />
After climbing, I went straight to (In N Out and then) to KPFK, where <a href="http://www.quincysurasmith.com/">Quincy</a> and I spoke with Saba Waheed on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/flipthescriptla/">Flip The Script</a> about TNC. I read a couple of poems, talked about what the space has meant to me as a writer/artist/community member, and touched on family and Khmer American identity. You can listen to the show <a href="http://archive.kpfk.org/mp3/kpfk_160404_200030matsuda.MP3">here</a>.<br />
<br />
And then, the day came. The Tateuchi Democracy Forum was packed to the brim. I wasn't as nervous beforehand as I usually am before getting on stage. Even with all the different faces in the crowd and behind the scenes, the space still felt like home-- there were so many wonderful familiar faces, still. Also, as I said to fellow poet <a href="http://audreykuo.wordpress.com/">Audrey Kuo</a>, it was a queer Asian American poetry quadruple decker sandwich on the stage that night! In addition to the two of us, Jenevieve Ting and Jess X Chen each graced the stage with their poetry.<br />
<br />
Shin and I got to close out the night. I read a few pieces while Shin played in the background, and then he got ready to sing our song. I walked offstage to sit and enjoy, but was urged to get back on stage. I was offered a mic, but I declined. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BD83JBAjNiM/?taken-by=tnproject">I also insisted that Sean get up there with me</a> for moral and pantomiming support. I was so happy when others joined us, (around 2:40).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6DgTknXK-eo/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6DgTknXK-eo?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
My sleepy introvert tendencies had me leaving soon after the show ended, but it was a lovely, lovely night. I'm so glad to still be a part of this community after having left the staff and then the city years ago. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-11076712850804174352016-04-12T09:54:00.000-07:002016-04-12T09:54:08.016-07:00Big Sur, Big Rains // A loop around the Silver Peak Wilderness, Part 2<div>
<i>Finally finishing this up after spending time in LA, doing a trip with Dunn's Sophomores, and a personal backpacking trip with friends along the Pine Ridge Trail in Big Sur.</i><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m46!1m12!1m3!1d25875.83093906549!2d-121.37362950685073!3d35.837259780107!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!4m31!3e2!4m5!1s0x8092bbd87ca77261%3A0x856d7312cbafc5d1!2sSalmon+Creek+Trail%2C+Big+Sur%2C+CA+93920!3m2!1d35.8351587!2d-121.3409418!4m5!1s0x8092bc72fee936d9%3A0xbf71827cf84aa85!2sBuckeye+Campground%2C+Monterey+County%2C+CA!3m2!1d35.842743299999995!2d-121.37965319999999!4m5!1s0x8092bebaf609e13b%3A0x418b0ac1e1a23577!2sLions+Den+Campground%2C+Monterey+County%2C+CA!3m2!1d35.8580217!2d-121.3399292!4m5!1s0x8092b95d59b5cbf7%3A0xaca4384a3f4f4976!2sSpruce+Campground%2C+Monterey+County%2C+CA!3m2!1d35.826077399999996!2d-121.3435404!4m5!1s0x8092bbd94008f3a7%3A0x46563d53bd4d18aa!2sSalmon+Creek+Trailhead%2C+Monterey+County%2C+CA!3m2!1d35.8154837!2d-121.3584647!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1458231873422" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px;" width="600"></iframe><br />
<div>
<b><br /><br />Thursday PM: Estrella Campground to Spruce Campground</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
The navigation out of Estrella was challenging, and I have to give the students a lot of credit for finding the route. There were a few use trails which led to impassable spots, and we had to explore up and down the creek to find a way. Luckily, one of the students in the other group had mentioned to us a knee-deep water crossing, which was key in helping us find the way. While I tend to prefer to navigate based on landmarks and terrain, the compass was extremely useful after we crossed the creek, and I wish I had it out sooner as it would have saved us some time. I was thankful for my students' patience and their ability to stay in good spirits. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On this stretch of Salmon Creek Trail, we were stopped in our tracks by deadfall-- two large trees had been knocked down across the trail, making it look impassable. I tried to scout out a way around it down the hill, to no avail. Here was another lesson for me; I could have saved time by looking more closely at the deadfall first. It turned out that the trees were stable, though of course awkward to get around with a big pack. I helped them each across and many of them found that it wasn't as hard as they originally thought. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The rest of the way to Spruce was, thankfully, very straightforward. The girls later told me that I started hiking <i>very </i>fast after we crossed that obstacle. I was eager to get to camp, and glad to take advantage of the downhill trail. We came upon Spruce Camp very suddenly after crossing a low creek, and walked past it to the trail junction because it seemed to come up so soon. There was no signage at this campground other than an arrow pointing to the trail across the creek and one of the students adamantly said she would make a sign there so that no one else would make that unnecessary .15-mile uphill trek. I'm not sure it happened, but it was a nice thought. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At this point, knowing how much poison oak we'd just trampled through, I passed around some poison oak wipes for everyone to use on their face, hands, any skin that had been exposed during our hike. I haven't yet had a poison oak reaction myself, but <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/steering-clear-of-poison-ivy/?_r=0">that doesn't mean I won't</a>. Sneaky plant, that. I'd previously used Tecnu for washing off poison oak on trips, never wipes, and I still prefer it. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That night, during our satellite-phone check-in (the connection was awful), I learned that more bad weather was coming in, and we were to hike out early the next morning and get back to school rather than to have the planned car-camping night with the other groups. I facilitated a small closing ceremony after letting everyone know the new plan. There was some celebration by the students that there would be one less night of camping, which is to be expected with a compulsory trip, and I let them know that I regretted that they wouldn't be able to gather with the other hiking groups as planned. Sharing experiences with one another before returning to school is a very special part of trips like this, and would probably have been extra interesting for them with all the weather-related challenges we had in the beginning.<br />
<br />
It was a very warm closing ceremony, and we got to bed early. Just before turning in for the night, I found a tick attached to my left side, explaining the strange ache I'd felt there all day. In my fatigued state, I pried the tick off ungently before even thinking to reach into the first aid kit for tweezers. <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/">Ticks have to be attached for at least 36 hours to transmit Lyme Disease</a>, and tiny nymphal ticks are much more likely than adult ticks to stay attached for that long. Still, upon returning to town, I was glad to be prescribed a round of antibiotics (doxycycline) as a preventative measure.<br />
<br />
Fri<b>day: Spruce Campground to Salmon Creek Trailhead</b><br />
<br />
We woke for our very last morning stretch at 6AM, put out breakfast, and began to take down camp. As predicted, at 7AM, the first drops of rain began to fall and quickly escalated. We got out of camp 1.5 hours after waking, and covered the two miles in around an hour. Everyone was in relatively good spirits, which is not surprising since we were heading toward hot showers and warm, dry beds.<br />
<br />
The last mile winding down toward the trailhead was especially lovely, the switchbacked hills covered in poppies, beautiful even with their petals closed against the rain.<br />
<br />
There was much rejoicing as we reached the vehicles-- we were the first ones out. Soon after we arrived, a school vehicle pulled up. The trip director was in the process of evacuating an instructor for a severe poison oak reaction. By the time the evacuation happened and all the groups were out and ready to caravan, the storm had fully established its presence.<br />
<br />
<b>Back to School</b><br />
<br />
Statistically speaking, driving is the riskiest part of most outdoor programs. The hour spent winding around Highway 1 under sheets of rain and gusts of wind required my full concentration. The students slept through it, for the most part. There were moments when it poured so hard that I considered pulling over just before they passed. I felt sweet relief upon pulling into the gravel lot back at Dunn.<br />
<br />
The students were gathered, gear was collected, and they were dismissed at around noon. Due to the change in schedule, the post-trip clean-up which students would typically participate in was left to us instructors. Not ideal or efficient, but so these things go sometimes. Gear cleanup and storage is a vital part of all trips, and I wish the students had been able to participate in it.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, the next day and a half were sunny and warm as we dried out the tents, laundered the sleeping bags, tested and fixed the stoves. And then we were done.<br />
<br />
<b>After Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
I would love to return to the Silver Peak Wilderness and do this same loop on a personal trip. Some of the erosion along the trails is worrisome, but manageable. This trip was the first time I held such primary responsibility for wilderness skills and risk management, and to be honest I started out quite intimidated. I heard somewhere that a great way to learn something is to teach it. I became a backpacking instructor two years ago with only two short personal trips under my belt, and I'm continuously refining my skills and learning more about pedagogy and facilitation. This recent increase in responsibility has improved my confidence in both my outdoor skills and my leadership skills, and it's taught me that I still have a lot to learn about managing time, giving structured and unstructured lessons, and facilitation.<br /><br />It's surprising how these trips seem both long and short. Something about being removed from your daily context that does funny things to time. One moment it's only beginning, and all of a sudden it's over. I look forward to the next. </div>
</div>
<span class="fullpost"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-10891804950466371482016-03-25T10:15:00.002-07:002016-03-25T10:18:32.414-07:00Big Sur, Big Rains // A loop around the Silver Peak Wilderness, Part 1<span class="fullpost">The first trip of my outdoor work season was a backpacking trip in Big Sur's Silver Peak Wilderness with <a href="http://www.dunnschool.org/news/item/index.aspx?pageaction=ViewSinglePublic&LinkID=831&ModuleID=32&NEWSPID=1">11th grade girls from Dunn School</a>. When I arrived at Dunn for orientation and prep, I learned that I would lead an all-female-identified group, including the faculty member, which was somewhat rare for Dunn, and solidly in my comfort zone, since I had begun my backpacking instructor career with <a href="http://www.girlventures.org/">GirlVentures</a>. It was a welcome surprise.</span><br />
<span class="fullpost"><br /></span>
<h3>
<span class="fullpost"><b>Monday: Los Olivos to Forks Campground (or so we thought)</b></span></h3>
<span class="fullpost"><br /></span>
<span class="fullpost">We set out from Los Olivos with the intention of doing a point-to-point hike in the Ventana Wilderness, but Big Sur received such a deluge in the days prior that two of the roads to our original trailhead were closed and the trail itself was impassable. The creek we were meant to cross had swelled enormously and was moving fast; crossing it was beyond the scope of our trip as well as objectively dangerous. This, along with the poor condition of the road we had just driven up, which another group would have to drive down with bad weather in forecast, necessitated a change of plans. As we hiked back to the trailhead, I asked the faculty member whether they had ever had to cross water like that. In past years, she said, her feet had barely gotten wet. </span><br />
<span class="fullpost"><br /></span>
<span class="fullpost">We camped that first night at <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/lpnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=10911">Santa Lucia Memorial Park Campground</a>, setting up our tents during another bout of rain and retiring soon after dinner in the cold. The next morning was clear, thankfully, for our drive down to the <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/lpnf/recarea/?recid=10973">Silver Peak Wilderness</a>, where we would hike this loop:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m46!1m12!1m3!1d25875.83093906549!2d-121.37362950685073!3d35.837259780107!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!4m31!3e2!4m5!1s0x8092bbd87ca77261%3A0x856d7312cbafc5d1!2sSalmon+Creek+Trail%2C+Big+Sur%2C+CA+93920!3m2!1d35.8351587!2d-121.3409418!4m5!1s0x8092bc72fee936d9%3A0xbf71827cf84aa85!2sBuckeye+Campground%2C+Monterey+County%2C+CA!3m2!1d35.842743299999995!2d-121.37965319999999!4m5!1s0x8092bebaf609e13b%3A0x418b0ac1e1a23577!2sLions+Den+Campground%2C+Monterey+County%2C+CA!3m2!1d35.8580217!2d-121.3399292!4m5!1s0x8092b95d59b5cbf7%3A0xaca4384a3f4f4976!2sSpruce+Campground%2C+Monterey+County%2C+CA!3m2!1d35.826077399999996!2d-121.3435404!4m5!1s0x8092bbd94008f3a7%3A0x46563d53bd4d18aa!2sSalmon+Creek+Trailhead%2C+Monterey+County%2C+CA!3m2!1d35.8154837!2d-121.3584647!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1458231873422" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px;" width="600"></iframe></span><br />
<h3>
<b><br />Tuesday: Salmon Creek Trailhead to Buckeye Campground</b></h3>
<br />We parked at the Salmon Creek Trailhead lot, which is a few minutes' walk south of where Buckeye Trail starts. Our goal that day was to get to Buckeye Camp, which would have us traveling 3.75 miles and climbing about 1700 feet in elevation. Needless to say, that was a challenging first-day hike, especially since we had spent the morning driving down from the Ventana Wilderness and did not start until 1:00 pm.<br />
<br />
The girls were great about adjusting to one another's needs, whether we were dealing with physical challenges or motivational ones. We hiked as a close group, and I was thankful that I didn't have to continuously remind people that no matter what, we could only go as fast as the slowest hiker anyway. In groups where some want to go faster, I've found that oftentimes we've reached the destination later rather than sooner; people get so tired that rest breaks are longer and less efficient, and there are many more aches and pains to haunt us along the way.<br />
<br />
We made camp at dusk, when we found a spot that, though it was not the flattest terrain, we had a kitchen with glorious ocean view. The stars that night were magnificent-- the best I saw the entire trip.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
I was relieved to finally be in the backcountry after our frazzling first day. The gentler weather certainly helped, too.<br />
The next day, we realized we had been just half a mile or so short of the actual Buckeye Camp. Though it was a lovely meadow with a picnic table and trees, most (all?) of us were glad that we stopped when we had.<br />
<h3>
<b><br />Wednesday: Buckeye Camp to Lion's Den</b></h3>
<br />This second day of hiking was to be our longest, with the map and trail signs telling us we'd have anywhere from 5 to 7 miles to cover that day, over varying terrain. We climbed up the rest of Buckeye Trail and headed east on Cruickshank Trail, passing one of the other groups along the way, who were doing the reverse of our loop. They warned us of thick brush, poison oak, and knee-deep water that would be on our next day's hike. We filed away that information while focusing on the miles we still had ahead of us before that night's camp.<br />
<br />
We all began to hit our stride on this day, I think, with students showing their aptitude and interest in navigation, natural history, and traveling over unfamiliar terrain. We saw beautiful manzanitas and madrones, shrubby trees with smooth, chocolatey, surreal bark which love a little elevation and Mediterranean climes.<br />
<br />
There were exposed trails, some of which were quite eroded from the recent rain, leading to a few instances when I passed a trekking pole back for students, or closely spotted them as they made their way down startlingly steep trail. Again, they showed their commitment to an encouraging environment and helping one another get through the experience safely.<br />
<br />
One thing to remember when hiking across exposed, eroding trails cut into steep mountainsides: keep moving! Steadily and calmly continue forward until you reach more stable ground; taking very slow steps or hesitating will only give the ground more time to weaken beneath your weight.<br />
<br />
Just a quarter mile or so before Lions Den Campground, on the ridge, we stopped for a snack break in the shade of the chaparral. Since it was the midway point of our trip, I took some time to revisit <a href="https://lnt.org/learn/seven-principles-overview">Leave No Trace ethics</a> as well as the group's hopes and fears, which we had shared before the trip began.<br />
<br />
We then descended into Lions Den Camp, which we were to share with another group from the school. Students are always so thrilled to see one another even though they've only been apart for a couple of days! We allowed the groups to spend fifteen minutes together (which instructors and faculty were also glad to spend), and then we each went back to our own camp chores for the night. It all went very smoothly.<br />
<br />
One student from the other group was super impressed that we had gone all the way from Buckeye and made it to Lions Den just an hour or so before them-- they had started 1 or 2 miles ahead of us at Upper Cruickshank Camp. I praised our group for their efficiency in getting out of camp, typically one of the biggest challenges/time-eaters when backpacking. We took advantage of the clear evening with a post-dinner lesson, and then prepared for another early (though not quite as early) start the next morning.<br /><br />
<h3>
<b>Thursday AM : Lions Den Campground to Estrella Campground</b></h3>
<div>
<br />We woke at 6:45 and had camp packed up (and foot care done!) by around 8:30 that morning-- another praiseworthy effort. While the group was eager to begin hiking, a few had new complaints about their packs, and I took some time to take a closer look.<br />
<br />
It takes experience to get used to the many minute adjustments that can be made throughout the day to keep a pack comfortable, and students sometimes are not aware of how packs are supposed to fit. There are places where it's normal to experience aches and discomfort, such as around the hipbones, but any time students express pain in the back or shoulders, it's worth finding a good stopping point to fiddle with adjustable torsos and attachment points for loader straps (the straps above the shoulder that help pull the upper part of the pack closer to your back). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Another note on pack-fitting is that when a higher-capacity pack in my size is available, I go for it-- this saves a lot of time and grief, and over-stuffing can lead to a pack no longer fitting comfortably, not to mention putting unnecessary stress on the fabric and zippers. If you have trouble getting all of your gear inside the pack the first time, it's not going to get much better even as you eat your food. It's much easier to have too much room and cinch down the pack.<br />
<br />
The stroll along Cruickshank Trail to Coast Ridge Road was quite fast, leading us to question the trail sign stating that Lions Den was a whole mile away. <br />
<br />
We could see the valleys all around us, and could almost make out the ocean through some haze. We stopped for a few photos. A solo hiker (the only person we encountered who was not from the school) came upon us and also warned of the thick brush along Salmon Creek Trail. I was confident that we would be fine, since it is much different to walk uphill through thick brush than charge downhill. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As we made our way down, we could really see what they meant. Chaparral, <a href="http://www.stevenkharper.com/coastliveoak.html">live oak</a>, sharp succulents, and plenty of poison oak all grew close into the trail. For those of us in the 4'11 (me) to 5'3 range, it wasn't too bad, but we really felt for our 5'11 group member, who was having to push through or duck below all the stuff growing above our heads. She assured us that she was fine. A couple of other students said "This is actually fun!" The trail was clearer as we made it to Estrella Camp, where we stopped for lunch. We were tempted to make camp there, it was so nice, but we had many hours left in the day, and the lure of a shorter hike out the next morning motivated us on. </div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>To be continued... </b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(Wow, this post is longer than I imagined it would be, but I'm enjoying reliving the trip-- tomorrow I begin prepping for a trip with Dunn's sophomores. Hopefully I'll be able to write Part 2 before we set off. There are no photos from this trip because I ruined my old-but-good camera during my <a href="http://transitionalzone.blogspot.com/2015/09/how-was-alaska.html">very wet and cold trip in Alaska</a> last year, but I've acquired a new, water-resistant camera for future trips.)</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-87885639837514122612016-02-29T18:37:00.000-08:002016-02-29T18:37:15.167-08:00Suzi the Tiny Camper <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What outdoorsy person (or person tired of paying rent to absentee/neglectful landlords in unpleasantly gentrifying neighborhoods) doesn't love scrolling through <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vanlifediaries/">#vanlife photos</a>, reading about how people outfit their Sprinters or cargo vans, imagining what their perfect camper van would be like? Since leaving LA and spending more time outdoors, I've spent a lot of time reading articles about building sleeping and storage units in cargo vans, Honda CRVs, and even a <a href="http://tinyhousetalk.com/toyota-echo-micro-rv-car-camping/">Toyota Echo "micro-RV."</a> I spent a lot of time since <a href="http://transitionalzone.blogspot.com/2014/11/from-oakland-ca-to-lander-wy.html">my journey to Lander</a> poring through Craigslist, contemplating Ford Econolines and conversion vans in various stages of repair. <br /><br />And I just couldn't make the leap. I spend most of my time driving around the Bay Area and Los Angeles, and Suzi is pretty comfortable for me when I'm solo-traveling, which is often. I have quite a lot of affection for this little vehicle. She has been so good to me for the last 7 years. I was also chagrined to note that my car-restlessness falls perfectly in line with the average number of years it usually takes people to switch cars. Suzi deserves better than that! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'd slept with my feet in the trunk of the compact car quite a few times with the backseat folded down (<a href="http://transitionalzone.blogspot.com/2012/10/climbing-at-owens-river-gorge-day-one.html">October 2012</a> in Bishop was the first, I think), and last year I finally took out the backseat entirely (instead of just keeping it folded down) and built a platform. It's simple, sturdy enough, and only took an afternoon to build. The idea to do it was in part inspired by a setup I spied in the back of someone's Camry in Lander, but they had a shelving unit built on one side that I never did get to. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's no feat of construction, but I'm happy with this little platform. I only very rarely miss being able to transport more than one person at a time.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD16Ox2PiVJVjhS_b6OMP4M51QtME1AatoTXy9B1NKCh4Bzy4Eg0h25b_xtN9HXwwvASLWJIWESUje-YOeqrlPDkx0X2p05KGk_eQWPtPkCHZOvh9IzRl1fcJjvOrqOeFG7dxIuM7V1DIh/s1600/IMG_4557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD16Ox2PiVJVjhS_b6OMP4M51QtME1AatoTXy9B1NKCh4Bzy4Eg0h25b_xtN9HXwwvASLWJIWESUje-YOeqrlPDkx0X2p05KGk_eQWPtPkCHZOvh9IzRl1fcJjvOrqOeFG7dxIuM7V1DIh/s400/IMG_4557.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One piece of 4'x8' beech plywood. Cut like so, with a handsaw.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F_K38sME5ZQ/VtTTw6mOqoI/AAAAAAAACfA/NzJ8kWlz_TM/s1600/IMG_4565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F_K38sME5ZQ/VtTTw6mOqoI/AAAAAAAACfA/NzJ8kWlz_TM/s400/IMG_4565.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corner brackets.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ggOLDWExIRH3YNB51xuVj8G3TRNc-8Kke_x0pFtO-1YdumyCSkPqtQVbf8ySQjQ77P9p559x-gLFUYKk93y9nxwVe3J0XolQKMgHq1jrqiw2SyLDQ4sYdncqgIGuStyAvejeRwhxe50x/s1600/IMG_4566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ggOLDWExIRH3YNB51xuVj8G3TRNc-8Kke_x0pFtO-1YdumyCSkPqtQVbf8ySQjQ77P9p559x-gLFUYKk93y9nxwVe3J0XolQKMgHq1jrqiw2SyLDQ4sYdncqgIGuStyAvejeRwhxe50x/s400/IMG_4566.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screws.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6jf_xe0qAZ4/VtTT5w-IYhI/AAAAAAAACfM/ygagkEmUs6g/s1600/IMG_4568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6jf_xe0qAZ4/VtTT5w-IYhI/AAAAAAAACfM/ygagkEmUs6g/s400/IMG_4568.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The piece that's at an angle is for stability, the piece that's straight is to accommodate the center console.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IesWPxkmtdg/VtTT1jXRkgI/AAAAAAAACfI/DDzMA6K7o48/s1600/IMG_4569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IesWPxkmtdg/VtTT1jXRkgI/AAAAAAAACfI/DDzMA6K7o48/s400/IMG_4569.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The legs rest on the floor, the platform rests in the frame. Lines up pretty well with the floor of the trunk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ahcByr17_ZQ/VtTT7I__jjI/AAAAAAAACfQ/sMy1dI8m1rE/s1600/IMG_4880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ahcByr17_ZQ/VtTT7I__jjI/AAAAAAAACfQ/sMy1dI8m1rE/s400/IMG_4880.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I do not recommend using a JetBoil inside a vehicle. The windows were open and I did not burn myself or my car. I usually sleep on memory foam, but that was rolled into a backrest at that moment. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://instagram.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/12729636_544066869096212_1013578699_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://instagram.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/12729636_544066869096212_1013578699_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A somewhat safer configuration.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Suzi's at 180,000 miles right now. I'm hoping to hold onto her for 20,000 more, parental disapproval and fancy vantasies be damned. Anyone else out there have the back of their sedan outfitted for sleeping? I'm sure I'll get a wagon or SUV or van or something roomier someday, but for now, Suzi suits me just fine. </div>
<br />
<span class="fullpost"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-43564047830095309622016-01-25T20:20:00.000-08:002016-01-26T08:17:31.819-08:00'mangos' in Oakland Asian Cultural Center's new zine, I AM HUNGRY <a href="http://issuu.com/oaklandasiancc/docs/oacc_zine_v.3_final_final_copy_to_p" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuawLoK6BJ80rm68vOFEO4kI1POmY84JgfxPZwsnAy4RkrTcxJOdem-xDOebcfaKbv7nPVMGgf5XMkUh_xubLhul_HHP9F5uujG0YgLzRBMi7fnmnM2-abT7A3Cz1M_TGVzsBGBQJljicu/s400/12402095_10153907090965559_755429890938260973_o.jpg" width="307" /></a>A poem from my first chapbook (<i>Tracing Steps) </i>has been reprinted in a zine by the <a href="http://oacc.cc/">Oakland Asian Cultural Center</a>. I'm glad that pieces from that chapbook continue to be distributed, as I'm out of copies (<a href="https://longcoolhallway.bandcamp.com/album/tracing-steps">audiobooks are available</a>).<br />
<br />
You can <a href="http://issuu.com/oaklandasiancc/docs/oacc_zine_v.3_final_final_copy_to_p">read the zine online,</a> and hard copies can be acquired from the OACC for a $2 donation. The center is located in a shopping plaza above the Oakland Public Library, at 388 Ninth Street, Suite 290, 94607.<br />
<br />
There was a zine release party last Sunday at the OACC's space in Chinatown, where some of the contributors (and a contributor's grandparents) shared their work with supporters. I read a piece from <a href="http://longcoolhallway.com/">my newest chapbook, <i>from somewhere along the way</i></a>.<br />
<br />
I was glad for the opportunity to connect with other writers, though I did not get to speak to everyone I wanted to. I can only hope that as I get more intentional about building community here, we'll cross paths again.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="fullpost"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-60100489017699695252015-10-31T09:35:00.005-07:002015-10-31T09:35:51.351-07:00'planting' published in eleven eleven // chapbooking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="text-align: left;">It's two months from the end of 2015. That means that the </span><a href="http://transitionalzone.blogspot.com/2014/01/another-chapbook-was-born-earth-things.html" style="text-align: left;">annual frenzy to meet my one chapbook per year objective</a><span style="text-align: left;"> is beginning in earnest. I'm hoping to do better this year than I have in the last two, when I was editing until late December. My goal for printing this year is November 22, one month earlier than the last two years, though 4 months later than my initial intention for a summer release. I've been "<a href="https://twitter.com/jeanho/status/660205918802472964">working on it</a>" since early spring, but with outdoor education becoming an ever-larger part of my life and livelihood, I've been away from my computer for much of the last six months. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;">Most recently, I worked as a wilderness instructor for <a href="http://eaglerockschool.org/about-eagle-rock-school/admissions/new-student-orientation/">Eagle Rock School</a>, walking with heavy packs and wet boots around the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gila_Wilderness">Gila Wilderness</a>. I got back to Oakland on Thursday, and am feeling that sweet end-of-the-year procrastinator's pressure for the chapbook. I managed to do a bit of ruminating and planning while in the backcountry, which is the most fun and easiest part. Now comes the writing and editing. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;">The place I had my final editing frenzy last year was <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/philz-coffee-berkeley-9">Philz Coffee in West Berkeley</a>. Near closing time, I had sheets of paper spread around me, working furiously, cutting and taping pieces of poems together with plans to print within the hour. A fellow with thick dark-rimmed glasses and gray hair sat at the table with a friendly nod. As he prepared to leave, he asked me whether I was working on a manuscript. We talked briefly about chapbooks and he gave me his card; it turned out that he was the editor of <a href="https://elevenelevenjournal.com/">Eleven Eleven</a>, a literary and art journal out of California College of the Arts. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;">Once <i>what is precious</i> was printed (by Office Depot), folded and stapled (by me), I sent him a copy of my chapbook, not thinking much of it other than that I wanted to share with him what I had been working on. Some time later, a different editor emailed me, having read that chapbook, and he invited to submit for Issue 19. I submitted a few pieces, including <i>planting</i>, which was in my very first chapbook, <i>Tracing Steps</i>, and which was accepted. The issue was published and mailed out while I was working. I was excited to come back from Colorado to find the journal and see the piece in print. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmFVTiMjJfaBtVi5SkGevnWxZxf-oUUgW7bd1NioWl_A-MlFxiE_GkK293CzAvjHzrgj0UANyjDFE8x6Yndk6CALpIIEOG9Wp2Ru2uPchei8K4kB30xF4Aj3CZ4WlIRvxT7_PfGAqS0et/s1600/FullSizeRender-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmFVTiMjJfaBtVi5SkGevnWxZxf-oUUgW7bd1NioWl_A-MlFxiE_GkK293CzAvjHzrgj0UANyjDFE8x6Yndk6CALpIIEOG9Wp2Ru2uPchei8K4kB30xF4Aj3CZ4WlIRvxT7_PfGAqS0et/s400/FullSizeRender-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I like that they didn't mind that it was previously self-published; one of the roadblocks to me submitting to journals is that I do much of my writing online and most publications want never-before-seen material.</div>
<br />
I only have a couple of copies of <i>Tracing Steps</i> left. I've decided that I won't be printing more of them, and that I'll only print one run of future chapbooks. The mental and physical space needed to keep up with my annual chapbooking goal makes it unsustainable to keep printing new runs of old books.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Writing has become ever more a personal practice more than a professional pursuit, but maybe someday I'll find a publisher interested in editing them all together... or I'll do it myself through the magic of print-on-demand. Who knows. </div>
<br />
Off to keep working on the next <a href="http://longcoolhallway.com/">chapbabe</a>! Or bake cookies.<br />
<br />
You can get a copy of Eleven Eleven Issue 19 <a href="http://www.spdbooks.org/Producte/24303/eleven-eleven-issue-19.aspx">here</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jheR9xE8wGg/VjTRnNI9jVI/AAAAAAAACcs/vErZl6fzrZM/s1600/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jheR9xE8wGg/VjTRnNI9jVI/AAAAAAAACcs/vErZl6fzrZM/s320/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" width="288" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QMyGWF94yBg/VjTRnCtRXpI/AAAAAAAACco/BTpIPZ9bk1o/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QMyGWF94yBg/VjTRnCtRXpI/AAAAAAAACco/BTpIPZ9bk1o/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<span class="fullpost"></span>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-17441379242812908772015-09-10T17:24:00.000-07:002015-09-10T17:24:03.115-07:00"How was Alaska?" <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xfa1/t51.2885-15/e35/11931026_1016626611703584_1569307086_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xfa1/t51.2885-15/e35/11931026_1016626611703584_1569307086_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><i>Life is not what you alone make it. Life is the input of everyone who </i><br />
<i>touched your life and every experience that entered it. </i><br />
<i>We are all part of one another.</i> - Yuri Kochiyama</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Weighing in at more than half a pound, my Hydroflask was most certainly an impractical luxury item for the 28-day NOLS Alaskan Wilderness Backpacking trip on which I was recently an Instructor-in-Training. As someone who is 4'11" and under a hundred pounds, every ounce really counts, even if I don't want it to. I am of the mindset that I'd rather go slower with more weight, making due with what I have, rather than go for a newer, shinier, lighter item.<br />
<br />
That ideal has to shift when backpacking in a professional capacity, I realize now, but I don't regret bringing the heavy thermos with me. Our 120-mile journey through the Southern Talkeetna Mountains year olds culminated in a cold, rainy all-night hike, and the hot sugary caffeinated concoction I had was well worth the extra weight.<br />
<br />
Of course, I won't be bringing it on my next professional trip.<br />
<br />
I've been putting off writing a post about Alaska. The task of compiling almost a month's worth of learning and experiences into a comprehensible blog post or trip report has been daunting.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
Here's an attempt to sum it up:<br />
<br />
We hiked up mountain passes and down into valleys and back up into passes, again and again and again. We walked through icy cold creeks and crossed rivers together in eddy lines. We made cornbread and pizza and cinnamon rolls from scratch. I made cheesy pancakes and oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes and cinnamon raisin pancakes and accidentally made pancake pizza.<br />
<br />
I got bruises on my hips and blisters on my feet and sun bumps on my left ear and the climber's bumps on my heels peeled and peeled and peeled. I read Haruki Murakami's <i>Kafka on the Shore</i> and Ernest Hemingway's <i>The Sun Also Rises. </i>I read excerpts of writing about the construction of wilderness that challenged my existing notions of wilderness, wilderness education, access. I questioned what I was doing there, what I wanted from the experience, what I felt about being the only woman of color on the trip, what I felt about continuing to pursue work with NOLS.<br />
<br />
The summer solstice came at the midpoint of our trip. We didn't pack headlamps. We went to the toe of the Chickaloon Glacier. We saw places on our map where glaciers that were there less than 10 years ago no longer exist. We saw caribou and moose and eagles, and some of us saw grizzlies. We ended our hike at the confluence of the Talkeetna River and Iron Creek, where jet boats picked us up for an exhilarating ride to the town of Talkeetna.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_To32xsuzbESOiYEA7lMmitGA3IZx_HlmSL-Ft-XYvsHjlsD9XmP4XFM3CJDrPNJNsHujZ4Uht_5p-eqb9wiDnUw05-_cTaN9LtSSA8CSlFD6xvq1YAYuliGNC-Pj7odTZFaUdUIo4g1z/s1600/TZ+Alaska+1+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_To32xsuzbESOiYEA7lMmitGA3IZx_HlmSL-Ft-XYvsHjlsD9XmP4XFM3CJDrPNJNsHujZ4Uht_5p-eqb9wiDnUw05-_cTaN9LtSSA8CSlFD6xvq1YAYuliGNC-Pj7odTZFaUdUIo4g1z/s400/TZ+Alaska+1+copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Before and after the course, I stayed at the NOLS Alaska base in the town of Palmer, where we grazed on beautiful salads from the garden and freshly baked bread daily. I lived for a few days in a canvas wall tent before the trip, and in a 3-person Kelty tent for the few days I was there afterward. My co-instructor Deev and I practiced acroyoga a few times.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
And that was my June 9th to July 19th.<br />
<br />
I flew back to Long Beach, read some poetry at Tuesday Night Cafe, performed a wedding ceremony for my good friends, then promptly returned to the Bay Area.<br />
<br />
In a few weeks, I'll be out on another backpacking trip, this time as a wilderness instructor for Eagle Rock School. A 23-day trip rather than 28. Again with teenagers.<br />
<br />
I plan to apply for a NOLS Instructor Course. If accepted, I'll go on the 35-day course next year. There's still a lot I'm mulling over. What it means to be a woman of color in a historically white male institution. The idea that wilderness conservation displaces indigenous peoples from a way of life intimately connected to nature, and the reality that my parents, who collect rain water and grow practically half of the food they consume, are potentially--likely?-- more in tune with nature than the majority of people who consume the outdoors.<br />
<br />
Aparna, former Diversity and Inclusion Manager at NOLS, recently <a href="https://browngirlinthewoods.wordpress.com/2015/07/15/camping-is-not-for-everyone-and-that-is-okay/">wrote</a>:<br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>It’s one thing to want to make people of color aware of a world of possibilities, to put outdoor adventure on their radar, or even to work to create an inclusive culture in the outdoors that is welcoming to everyone. But it’s quite another thing to presume that of all their choices, people will somehow feel compelled to leave the comfort of a roof over their heads to “rough it” in the woods. Camping, like stamp collecting or painting or driving fast cars or dancing, is not for everybody. And. That. Is. Okay.</i></blockquote>
I have been thinking a lot about how I've bought into a particular way of consuming the outdoors, consuming wilderness, as a rock climber, as a backpacker, as an outdoor educator. And that there are experiences that I want to pursue that bring up contradictions that are difficult to reconcile. And that I can play a role in the pursuit of a more equitable world even from a place of contradiction. That life is a series of reconciliations.<br />
<br />
I started this post with my thermos. The heavy, bright orange vessel made it through the 28-day trip without a scratch. Between the jet boat ride out and the present, however, it's gained some small dents and chips. The latest was a couple of days ago, when I knocked it off the driver seat of my car and onto asphalt as I was loading things. It occurred to me then that all of the dents came after what most would consider a more trying environment for keeping things new. But while I was backpacking, I took better care of it. I usually did only one thing at once. I knew that I had to "go slow to go fast," as my WFR instructor Mazie was fond of saying. I took care of things well. And since I've returned, I've caught myself many times trying to go too fast, doing things while distracted, being less than present.<br />
<br />
The outdoors gets sold as a place to get away from it all, to leave the distractions of daily life, the leave the necessary frazzled-ness behind. We talk about how nature allows us to be more in touch with ourselves, so we must preserve these "pristine" areas so that we can go and rejuvenate ourselves and thus perform better in the society as it stands. But the wilderness reminds me that there are so many parts of society that need to change, that need to be calmer, that need to be less fixated on more, newer, faster.<br />
<br />
In a few weeks, I'll be trekking through the Gila Wilderness with teenage students. I'll be sharing with them the values that I've reinforced through being outdoors and the skills that I've learned through NOLS and GirlVentures and my personal experience. I'll continue to be perplexed by the complications and contradictions of identity, politics, conservation, consumption, capitalism.<br /><br />And that's it. There's not really any way to wrap a bow around it. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-13571829207050947312015-06-08T22:12:00.003-07:002015-06-08T22:16:43.826-07:00Into Outdoor Education<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1-UAIT7ED_Q/VXNht4-1LWI/AAAAAAAACYg/sT-BZYa2xfg/s1600/IMG_4457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1-UAIT7ED_Q/VXNht4-1LWI/AAAAAAAACYg/sT-BZYa2xfg/s640/IMG_4457.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Scouting a climbing area with GirlVentures staff at Pinnacles National Park, February 2015</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm bemused at the turn life has taken. Two years ago, I'd never imagined working in outdoor education. My work life very much revolved around being in the city, in offices and libraries and coffee shops. Then I got the opportunity to work a backpacking trip with GirlVentures in April 2014, shortly after which I signed up for a <a href="http://balancedrock.org/events/women-of-color-wilderness-retreat">5-day Women of Color Backpacking trip with Balanced Rock Foundation</a> which was, amazingly, co-led by a badass Khmer American woman. On that trip and beyond, I met more women of color who integrate outdoor trip leading into their lives, both professionally and personally.<br />
<div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://igcdn-photos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t51.2885-15/10899479_872270306140438_1860314147_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://igcdn-photos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t51.2885-15/10899479_872270306140438_1860314147_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the <a href="http://www.nols.edu/wmi/">NOLS WMI</a> WFR Handbook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After I went to live and work at <a href="http://www.nols.edu/">NOLS</a> in Wyoming for nine weeks and encountered even more people who spent a big part of their lives outdoors, and though only a few of the people I met were Asian American, I gained more of that sense of permission and possibility that I gained from the Balanced Rock trip. I then signed up for a WMI <a href="http://www.nols.edu/wmi/courses/wfr.shtml">Wilderness First Responder</a> certification course using the Americorps Segal Education Award I'd earned as a Public Ally in Los Angeles back in 2012 (everything is connected). The course would have felt prohibitively expensive if not for that, which is also true of the Balanced Rock course I took-- I received tuition assistance for that, as well.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
This past spring, I worked as an instructor on three courses run by <a href="http://www.girlventures.org/">GirlVentures</a>: climbing at Pinnacles National Park with 6th grade girls, backpacking at Point Reyes National Seashore with 7th grade girls, and climbing at Castle Rock State Park with a mixed-gender group of high school students. It was exhilarating to spend all that time outdoors and to get to watch students transition from being squeamish about camping at all to happily digging catholes.<br />
<br />
I would have loved to instruct on one of <a href="http://girlventures.org/our-programs/summer/">GV's summer courses</a> if I weren't embarking on another trip on Wednesday: I'm heading to Alaska to spend 30 days backpacking in the Eastern Chugach Mountains with 3 NOLS instructors and a group of 12 students, age 16 &17. It will be my first time spending so long in the backcountry, my first time in Alaska, and my first time witnessing the NOLS progression.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm excited and <a href="https://longcoolhallway.wordpress.com/2015/06/08/prelude/">nervous</a>, which typically means I've made a good decision. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466731271695868809.post-75648551893267959302015-03-06T11:13:00.001-08:002015-03-07T08:27:53.258-08:00After "In Defense of 'Busy'" // Life's Too Short to Hurry<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><b><a href="http://www.downlikejtown.com/first/2015/3/5/in-defense-of-busy">Sean wrote about being busy.</a> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">The comings and goings and doings he describes are familiar to me. I'm not there any more, though. I can't say I'm busy in that way anymore. I'm not organizing or producing, and this month even my online writing has diminished as I throw myself into pottery (couldn't resist the pun). And the calm feels really good. Maybe it's part of my recently developed introversion.<br /> </span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">There's that Howard Turman quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” I surely felt alive when I had a busier lifestyle, connecting with many people, holding and sharing space in various ways. But there was a point when it stopped making me feel alive and mostly made me feel tired. And for a time I was sort of frustrated with myself for stopping, and I mourned the passing of that past self, and I tried to recreate the desire to live that way. But the resistance was not necessary. I was pushing myself to interact with the world in ways that made me feel tired rather than alive.<br /> </span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">There was no need for me to push myself to try to be busy-- there are so many ways to contribute to society, to social justice, and different ways to learn about being human, both by being around people and by being alone with ourselves.<br /> </span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">The intention I set for this year is "Life's too short to hurry." A reminder to myself that life doesn't have to be frenetic to be exciting, and that there is value in slowness. Even though most of my days don't have much externally-imposed structure, I still create quite a bit of structure for myself.<br /> </span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">On Wednesday, I wanted to climb, go to a yoga class, repair some camping gear, spend an hour or two at the ceramics studio, and go to the grocery store before work at the climbing gym at 4:30pm. I also wanted to feed myself and maybe do a little reading. While I was in the yoga class, I was asked to set an intention for the practice and for the day. In the course of the class, I realized that I was imposing a lot of unnecessary urgency into the day. If I could only spend an hour or two at the studio, it wasn't really worth it to go. And if I didn't make it to the grocery store before work, I'd be okay-- there was plenty of food in the house. Once I let myself let go of that urgency, I could feel my mood improving, and things feel lighter. I felt better about the day.<br /> </span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">I respect the folks who spend a lot of time working, studying, organizing, going from here to there and everywhere. And I worry a bit, too, when they say they are busy. I avoid being "busy" now because of the way it makes me feel. It makes me feel like there is great time-scarcity in my life, and feelings of scarcity in whateverthing, be it affection, friendship, money, or time, leads to stress. Which leads to a wide array of other negative health and social implications.<br /> </span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">Granted, things aren't always light. There are a lot of very dark and heavy things that we must cope with and change in this world. What I fear about "busyness" is that it sometimes feels like being pulled down into that darkness rather than like reaching in and pulling that darkness up to our light.<br /> </span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">And it makes me all the more appreciative of those people in my life who are able to be busy and at the same time pull the darkness to light. (Sean is in that group.)</span></span></span><br />
</div>
<span class="fullpost"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8280524502040895";
/* TZ Feed */
google_ad_slot = "5059368280";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>narindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01902183057131085940noreply@blogger.com0