Eh...what's new? Projects that are eating my brain now: this paper I'm writing on an anthropological/sociological understanding of the massive expansion of immigration enforcement in the U.S. over the last 10 years. My statement of purpose for my Ph.D. program applications. Took the GRE a few weeks ago. It was like getting on an airplane, they order you to stand behind a line and empty out your pockets and then they pass a metal detector over you. Seems to be where we're heading, any kind of border or potential gateway to opportunity is getting privatized & securitized.
My own life though? good, got love, work & domestic happiness. Some possible futures taking shape over the course of next year. I'm only applying to a few programs because I'm not leaving NYC, and they're competitive. If I don't get in any I'm promising myself I'm going to learn Spanish and sharpen my motion graphics skills. Gotta speak Spanish or Mandarin here in Sunset Park
fundraiser for dojo where i train in aikido...trying to drink enough water so I can flush out the beers I drank. I'm testing for my next rank on November 18, catching up on techniques since i haven't been training as much because of a lot of life things.
toronto was great, would love to go back again. as far as my film I've been making some sales to universities and I'm screening in Japanese American National Museum sometime in Spring/Fall, need to set the date. I'm setting up my next wave of NYC area screenings.
I'm applying for some Ph.D programs in sociology, one in Anthropology/Cinema studies at NYU. All the deadlines are on December 15. Gotta write my application essay and taking my GRE November 13.
Don't hear much here about #OccupyWallStreet and its many spinoffs but I've been following it and gone down there for a couple of General Assemblies. Amazing how so much reason for hope emerges in the space of a month for those of us who believe in progressive social change. Arab Spring, Western Fall? We'll see, it's certainly easy to be jaded and hard to take the time to participate but so far it just keeps growing.
Seems an exciting and hopeful time for a lot of my friends here as set down in blogs.
Tomorrow I'm showing up for free practice for my aikido test in the morning and then shooting a segment for the local Catholic news on a Chinese Catholic rosary procession right near where I live in Brooklyn. As "godless" a city as NYC is the Catholic involvement in immigrant communities throughout Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan is fascinating. Though I certainly am opposed to the Catholic point of view on Roe v. Wade and gay marriage I can see every week how they continue to create a space for amazingly diverse ethnic groups to gather strength and see to their children's future in Brooklyn and Queens.
For the first time in my life I feel there is significant social change afoot. It's becoming so clear how democracy in the U.S. has become a commodity controlled by the highest bidder and how many people are worse off through no fault of their own. Hopefully the upward progression of the current economic cycle gives overworked people a breathing space to become personally involved in real change and not complacency until the next downturn.
toronto was great, would love to go back again. as far as my film I've been making some sales to universities and I'm screening in Japanese American National Museum sometime in Spring/Fall, need to set the date. I'm setting up my next wave of NYC area screenings.
I'm applying for some Ph.D programs in sociology, one in Anthropology/Cinema studies at NYU. All the deadlines are on December 15. Gotta write my application essay and taking my GRE November 13.
Don't hear much here about #OccupyWallStreet and its many spinoffs but I've been following it and gone down there for a couple of General Assemblies. Amazing how so much reason for hope emerges in the space of a month for those of us who believe in progressive social change. Arab Spring, Western Fall? We'll see, it's certainly easy to be jaded and hard to take the time to participate but so far it just keeps growing.
Seems an exciting and hopeful time for a lot of my friends here as set down in blogs.
Tomorrow I'm showing up for free practice for my aikido test in the morning and then shooting a segment for the local Catholic news on a Chinese Catholic rosary procession right near where I live in Brooklyn. As "godless" a city as NYC is the Catholic involvement in immigrant communities throughout Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan is fascinating. Though I certainly am opposed to the Catholic point of view on Roe v. Wade and gay marriage I can see every week how they continue to create a space for amazingly diverse ethnic groups to gather strength and see to their children's future in Brooklyn and Queens.
For the first time in my life I feel there is significant social change afoot. It's becoming so clear how democracy in the U.S. has become a commodity controlled by the highest bidder and how many people are worse off through no fault of their own. Hopefully the upward progression of the current economic cycle gives overworked people a breathing space to become personally involved in real change and not complacency until the next downturn.
