I attended Trampoline Hall on May 7th. I happened to be in the GTA for an extra day and finally had the chance to attend with my friend Ted.
Trampoline Hall served as the inspiration and model behind my local Kingston speaker series dubbed, Serendipity Hall.
Right from the beginning, I knew things were run quite differently here. The stage looked amazing. Custom-designed tickets.
Event began at 8 pm, with a limited number of tickets available at the door at 6:30. I got there at 5:30 pm to get tickets and a few minutes after the line-up began. The bulk of the tickets are sold on the Thursday before.
What was really cool about the event is the involvement of the host, Misha Glouberman. Right from the beginning, all the way to the end. From the non-polished stutters, to the good questions, to the hilarious remarks. He's convinced me to start wearing a coat at the Sets of Serendiphall.
The talks I heard were nothing short of bizarre + remarkable: a) Morbid fascination with online memorials to dead strangers, b) the art of sneaking into movies, c) feminism + DIY culture + 3D Printing.
Didn't get home till 12:30 am. (Serendipidously ran into a friend while commuting back to the GTA!)
Totally worth it.
ps. A similarity between Serendipity Hall + Trampoline Hall is the fact that the crowd and discussion is great. Different but great.
Patron, noun. "A person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity." Synonym: protector - sponsor - guardian
Etymology here. (Aside: For a great talk on etymology by my friend Maya, go here.)
The idea of patrons and sponsors is a very important one. When it comes to good ideas, quite often, you've got to force it down throats. Finding those who believe in you and provide you with resources as you develop is huge.
There are early bloomers like Picasso. and there are late bloomers like Cézanne.
The worldwide web has made patronage simpler. (This doesn't mean better!) With venues like Kickstarter, FB and more all being platforms to lend moral and financial support.
Your parents are patrons, just as your close friends are, strangers can be too. Everyone who has ever helped pitch a cause, tell your story, and invested in you is a patron. ("Marketing" and "Sharing" have their benefits but it would be a stretch to call that "patronage".)
One of the most valuable investments anyone can make is time. Giving you more time to figure things out, spending time with you.
It is of paramount importance then, how you choose to spend your time.
Two of my favorite patrons are the Lee brothers: Ted and Pippin
Ken Robinson in his famous TED talk, Schools kill creativity, says, "Are you struck by a new thought? I was. You don't think of Shakespeare having a father, do you? Do you? And you don't think of Shakespeare being a child, do you?"
Just as we don't think of most accomplished or revolutionary people as kids, we often forget their siblings too.
This is a shout-out to my own sibling (and twin sister), Tuba. She does work that is more focused and not as much fun as mine. (Some would argue that her work is more meaningful and constructive.)
Who watches the watchmen? from the Latin phrase, Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
It has many different adaptations. Here is one of my own. Who will tell the stories of the storytellers?
I've had the privilege, opportunity and honor to be part of the Queen's Journal this year. I didn't expect that to happen until I was in third or fourth year.
They're all mad in that Journal House.
What drives the individuals who work there to take the academic hit, sacrifice their social lives, give up sleep, substitute water for coffee and take a lot of criticism from the community and individuals is incomprehensible. If you haven't worked there, if you haven't been there. You don't understand.
The pursuit of truth isn't easy.
It is incredibly difficult to be critical, accurate, honest about the community you are a part of. My captains, Clare and Jake, say it best here.
Back to the story:
The Donald James Munro Memorial Award is an internal award that the Journal Editorial Board decides on. This year I had the privilege of being the recipient along with my friend, Gilby. (He does some phenomenal work. Watch out world!)
The award has been around since 1987 in memory of the Donald Munro. The only Journal staff member to die while he was working for the Journal. He was co-entertainment editor at the time.
There are some incredible stories and individuals who work at the Queen's Journal. There are some incredible stories and individuals who worked at the Queen's Journal.
Why they do it, I don't understand. But I respect them and I love them for it.
On the award, which hangs at 190 University Avenue, the "J-House" it says: "Do not take for granted that which you love; one careful thought for the happy present is more valuable than a thousand remembering the happy past."
When I was in grade 12, I almost went to Cambodia. Then there was the swine flu outbreak and the trip was cancelled.
I signed up to go to Thailand. That trip too got cancelled due to lack of interest. (I ended up going to Romania for a trip.)
The individual who had been planning the trip to Cambodia was a phenomenal teacher, a wonderful friend and an amazing person. She'd been planning the trip in partnership with a group called Where There Be Dragons.
The Hobbit, was mandatory reading for me as a grade nine English student. Bilbo sets out for the Lonely Mountain with several dwarves to reclaim treasure from a dragon.
There is a wide-spread belief that early cartographers (i.e. map makers) would write on their maps, hic sunt dracones (here be dragons), or draw them out. Dragons represented uncharted territories, untested waters and the .. unfamiliar.
The explorers and adventurers who went to these places would venture into the unknown for the spirit of discovery and THAT to me, is adventure in a nutshell. Venturing into the unknown.
Whether this means camping overnight on Wolfe Island or rollerblading downhill on a rainy day. And if you stretch it a little, strange places and strangers are both "dragons".
I love dragons. I love adventure. I try to face one everyday.
Are you one of those people who wants to go where there be dragons?
One of the strangest phenomenons in my life has been the BAB phenomenon. This magnetic pull to go to New York City, over and over again.
It used to be, if an artist wanted to 'make it' they would move to NYC. Which is what I'll be doing.
I've made some plans with friends in the region and will be crashing on their couches, changing my name to Ahappy so I'm perceived to be more optimistic on paper.
We'll see how New York is and whether a budding photographer/designer can find work. If not there, then to the Valley!
I wanted to take a moment to thank Queen's University and the Kingston community. Thank you for being so supportive and allowing me to grow the way I have. I've given a shout-out to you on my landing page.
I never expected things to happen the way they did. But you've helped me believe in my power as an introvert. So, thank you very much for your love and support. I will carry it with me.
ps. Not responding to questions about this post until April 2nd.
This post was written in the wee hours of the night. It is a response to the deaths and murders of Trayvon Martin, Shaima Alawadi and the Family in Toulouse. To the deaths of countless others. (UPDATED: Family in Toulouse)
"Whether you like it or not, I am your brother."
One of the first jokes I heard as a freshman in High School was while playing soccer on the gravel parking lot. An upper-year, can't remember if he was a sophomore, a junior or a senior jokingly asked everyone what the synonym for terrorist was. His response to the question: Mohammad.
I haven't always been the calm, collected person that I consider myself to be today.
I asked him then and there, why he would make a joke like that. He told me he thought it was funny. I told him that was my father's name. It is one of my Prophet's names.
But here is something you might not know: As a Muslim I believe in Jesus Christ. But I call him Isa. As a Muslim I believe in Moses. But I call him Musa. I don't believe in them as you might. But who are you to say who is right?
Do you know the meaning of the word Muslim in Arabic? It is a word that means 'one who submits to God'.
Your priests are by that definition muslims. So are your sadhus and your rabbis.
Looking back on that joke, I should've told the fellow that more than 150 million men and boys bear that name. But I don't regret asking that question of why he would make a joke like that.
From you politicians, activists, and everyday people. I don't want full stops and ellipses. I want question marks.
If you don't understand a culture, a religion or practices. Ask. Ask and you shall receive. If you don't receive, then ask and you shall ... research.
Sometimes when I'm walking home in the late hours, or just attending events and meeting strangers I am scared shitless.
I'm scared about the impressions they already have of me. I'm terrified of the presumptions they've already made. But most of all, I'm nervous that people with thick skulls and close minds exist.
Do you know what the internet is? It's an extension of your brain. And so are the people around you.
So ask and question. But question respectfully. Don't turn a blind eye to the present. The past is past and time moves fast. A better future only exists by a working present.
Media often inflates the coverage of negative instances. But here is a fact: The system is broken. It hasn't been "fixed" for a while. I imagine that early humans understood camaraderie better than we do. (For both creationism & evolution)
What we need now more than anything, is people who question. People who genuinely want to learn. Not just from textbooks and religious scriptures. But people who want to learn the language of humanity.
It's a pity we live in a world that still judges and punishes people on the basis of their color and their beliefs. Imagine if we had people feeling the same way about the color of cars, buildings and even ice cream. It sounds silly right? Because it is.
As my brother Boonaa MOHAMMED says, "Kill them with Love." The same message that Martin Luther King, a reverend preached. The same message that the Beatles had to share. The same message that any decent human being would tell you.
Every two weeks until April 10th and then once a month starting in May, the idea will be actualized and manifested at various venues across Kingston gathering a motley crew of speakers talking about a range of topics.
We've had two sets already. Topics covered: Food Philosophies, Internet Revolution, Jackie Chan, Bikes, Community.
The idea is to deliberately "stumble" upon topics, subjects and ideas. These ideas which are already embedded in various members of the community.
That is the plan for now.
To find out about the next event see this. A list of past speakers and their topics here.
