6.26.2009

.speaking of nicolas paul stéphane sarközy de nagy-bocsa.


debate on whether women should be allowed to wear the burqa in france: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VnPwVIEcaQ

my opinion is simply that sarkozy is full of cultural imperialism and, though i don't agree with the burqa and would never wear it myself, whether a woman wants to wear "too much" or "too little" is entirely up to her. why should the president have a say in what maybe 2000 women in his country decide to wear? seems petty and symbolic of a bigger issue to me.

6.23.2009

.dear, dina.

dear, dina age 40-something,

read this when you're a mother of 3 or 5, but definitely not 4 because you hate the number 4. but, if god offers you 4, of course be grateful. ahhh what if god offers me zero? i'll have to accept that. but, what a horribly frightening thought that is. thinking this must be bad luck! oh gosh, stop! quick! do something that superstitious people do to avoid bad karma..knock on wood, throw the salt over your left shoulder? actually, it's probably more productive to just take this opportunity to make fun of superstitious people for the pathetic rituals they do to seek refuge from all things beyond their control. right. so, where was i at? oh, yes. when you're a mother of 3 or 5, make sure that your chef feeds your family 3 square meals a day, and dessert daily. dessert every day? isn't that a bit much? humans shouldn't consume sugar until they're at least 10 years old. oh please, 10? isn't that pushing it a little, dina age 22? no way! why do you think so many people have diabetes? what kind of kid needs coca cola and chocolate to generate energy? that's what naps are for. duh! sorry, 20 years ago you interrupted a lot. now that you're a mother of 3 or 5, successful, and still stunningly beautiful, you've learned to wait your turn to speak. sweet! i'll have a chef when i'm a mother? well, yes, dina age 22, you can't cook worth ****. your guests prepare meals for you in YOUR kitchen and the last time you attempted to make rice, you had to throw out the pot because the rice melted into it. surely, 20 something years from now i will have taken the time to learn to make something, anything. of course not! in the next 20 something years you will be far too busy being fabulous, getting married, having children, traveling, enjoying life, etc. why would you waste your time standing in front of a stove when you could be standing in front of the mirror, spending time with your 3 or 5 beautiful children, or in the line up for flight 264 to the south of france for spring break? oh, that's a good point...i like the sounds of that. dina age 40-something, i'm very sorry. bear with me while i attempt to administer some very valuable advice to you. when you are a mother of 3 or 5, treat your kids like equals. don't yell at them or patronize them. remember when you were their age? you didn't respond well to being told what to do. you always obeyed authority (however reluctantly) because you were a bit of a suck up, but only 1 or 2 of your 3 or 5 kids will be like you. so, learn how to convince them that your ideas and orders are really their own. oooh, that's smart. i wonder what the others will be like..hmm. will they look like me? you're so shallow, dina age 22. who cares what they will look like. dina age 40-something, speak arabic to your 3 or 5 kids. never allow english to be spoken inside the home. you know, they'll be so good at arabic that they'll make fun of your accent and call you a fob, just like you used to do to your parents when they spoke english. well, i only make fun of my parents because it's endearing. and, are you saying that i'll still have an accent when i speak arabic? whatever..my grandma says it's cute. and, if my kids speak arabic better than i do, does that mean i'll be raising them in EGYPT?? stop interrupting, dina age 22! i can't tell you where you'll be raising them, but i sure hope - for your sake- that you don't stay in canada until you're 40-something. (sorry in advance if you read this from your home on 4365 stratson way, vancouver b.c. 20 something years from now.) dina age 40-something, when you're a mother of 3 or 5, nag your kids about the everyday habits your mother taught you: stand up straight, suck in your stomach, wear matching socks, tie your laces, trim your hair (it grows faster that way), chew with your mouth closed, clean your room, listen to/respect/love your siblings/elders/parents, never let your cutlery touch your teeth, study!, enjoy your youth, don't write post-dated letters to yourself, stop using your cellphone so much- you'll get brain cancer(ba3d el shar), eat meat, the list goes on...sleep before 1am, you'll be older and wiser when you read this and realize that writing post-dated letters to yourself at 3:30 am is sooo not worth it because you could be sound asleep. well, this letter is totally disjointed, and the advice in it isn't really that valuable. i'm pretty sure that dina age 40-something will have stopped reading this after my first interruption. well, dina age 22, my original intention was to provide some youthful advice for her because she'll be old when she reads this, but you hijacked my project! ---"hey, 40-something is the new 20-something. you're so 2009." -dina age 40-something. june 23, 2020-something.

6.22.2009

.to whom it may concern.







photo taken by: myself
year: 2006
location: oxford, england


to whom it may concern,
you're probably a decent person beneath the flaws that i've encountered first hand. the things you say are probably true, for the most part- given a bit of exaggeration or understatement here and there. maybe you throw in some white lies now and again. you probably do laugh and smile, just not in front of people, because that would be too revealing, right? you probably are somewhat unsatisfied with some of the things you claim to take great pride in. it's just that your pride seems a bit too pronounced to extinguish people's suspicion that it's disguising an insecurity of some sort. you know, insecurities are normal; you don't have to be flawless. in fact, you are not flawless. i could list many of your flaws right now, but that's not what kind people do. and if i were to list your virtues, i'm sure the scroll would be much longer than that of your flaws. was that a white lie? does it even matter if that was a white lie? don't panic, i won't tell anyone. raise your shoulders to your earlobes and hold for a few seconds. relax. repeat. tilt your head to the right, to the back, to the left, forward. repeat. close your eyes. take a deep breath. repeat. look in the mirror and look at the person who stands before you, not the person you wish you saw. introduce yourself politely, become acquainted. you cannot escape the company of he who stands before you, so learn to like him. it will make life far more enjoyable. you know, it might be a good idea to make him your 'best friend' rather than that soul sucking envious dictator that you devote so much time to...none of my business, i know. it's just a suggestion based on distant observation. oh, and don't be too contrived in your dealings. formalities have their place and purpose, but being genuine feels so much better. don't slurp your tea, chew slower and remember that silverware and teeth should never get intimate. don't criticize self-righteous pricks so much, because at times, you're a self-righteous prick too. yes, you. hey, don't beat yourself up about it...we all fall into that trap. it's a good idea to try to catch one's balance to avoid those trip ups, though. you are generous and sensitive; keep it up.
hope this helped,
(i'd be lying if i said 'love, dina.')

yours truly, dina

6.21.2009

.salma.




















photos taken by: myself
year: 2009
location: vancouver

.my pretty cousin.

.nicolas paul stéphane sarközy de nagy-bocsa is a lucky man.

not only are her songs the best thing to listen to in the morning while sitting in that small, triangular piece of sun that beams through the window and slowly shifts along the floor as the minutes pass by, but her lyrics make the title of this blog. i'm not a thief; consider this post a citation of sorts. click on the title to hear her sing.