The Unexpected Twists and Turns

The Covergirl is Really a Boy

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Andrej Pejic CC by

邪神2011

While at the hairdresser`s last week, I was leafing through, what else, a fashion magazine, when I found myself doing a double take. In the February 2012 issue of FASHION, a 16-page photo shoot features Bosnian-born Australian model Andrej Pejic. The 20-year-old blond bombshell has become a sensation in the modelling world in the last year working for such A-listers as Jean-Paul Gauthier and Marc Jacobs. In fact, Pejic is reportedly the 11th highest paid model in the world. But the model did not have an easy start breaking into the fashion world because agencies found that Pejic wasn`t a perfect fit for either men's modelling or women's. Yes, Andrej Pejic is a man.

Well, androgyny is no stranger to high fashion, and most of us are used to seeing curveless, emaciated boyish models, but to have a man modelling women's clothing is something else altogether, and I don't think that it has anything to do with forward thinking. Yes, we are all aware that many people fall outside the straight male-female mainstream, and the last decade has been somewhat of a coming-out time for transgender individuals. But I doubt that the fashion industry is that high-minded or is in any way trying to raise awareness about transgender issues.

In FASHION, Editor Bernadette Morra pens a letter in which she magnanimously states "I would hope that in this age of same-sex marriage, gay characters on Glee and Ellen DeGeneres as a Cover Girl Spokesmodel, the world is ready to accept Pejic with all the love and humanity he deserves." This issue also features an interview with Pejic with some commentary from Toronto Certified sexuality educator Cory Silverberg, which sheds some more light on Pejic's "situation" or anyone who strays from the straight male / female mainstream. Sounds all very inclusive. . .

However, I don't believe that the fashion industry thinks about anything other than sales and what better way than through controversy. It peddles shock value, pure and simple.

I bought the magazine and showed it to a few of my work colleagues just to see their reactions when I told them that Pejic was a man. I watched them with their fingers pointing and eyes widening, but the knee jerk reactions and frowns were reserved for the captions written on the pages of the Pejic's 16-page fashion spread. On a page where he is modeling a $925 banana yellow wraparound dress, the caption reads: "Very chic. When I'm a rich housewife, this is what I'm gonna wear. I'll wear it when I'm cooking." On another page where Petric's thinness is emphasized and he's wearing a beige jacket that further washes out his fair complexion, the caption reads, "Golden Girls on crack." Funny, he doesn't look like a senior.

My reservations about Andrej Pejic modelling women's clothes is the message that it sends women, particularly girls and young women. Not only does the fashion industry suggest that they will never be thin enough to be beautiful, but now it appears to be saying that in order to really be a great fashion model you have to be a man. In FASHION Editor Bernadette Morra's letter, she quotes the director, Suzie Sheffman, as saying "[Pejic's] His ability to bring the clothes to life out-supers the supermodels." So, there you have it.

Although I have nothing against Andrej Pejic, I wish that I had never bought the magazine. I hate the idea of supporting an industry that continually targets women's insecurities. We are just starting to see the impact of how the media undermines women's power through its images and commentary. If you don't believe me then think of all the times you've wasted worrying about your appearance or weight when you could have been doing something to advance your career, develop an interest or work for your community. A great documentary on the subject is Miss Representation. See the trailer below.

. .

Buying Local: Slak on Villeray

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:47:00 +0000

A few weeks ago when my father was visiting from Vancouver, we walked past Slak, a women's clothing store where the articles are sewn right on the premises. At the time, we could see four young women busy sewing through the storefront window and a few women shopping on the other side. "You'd never see something like that on the West Coast," said my father. "Because you'd never be able to pay the rent in a similar neighbourhood of Vancouver."

As I was running an errand this week, I had a chance to drop in and speak with the store's designer Mélanie Duhaime. She told me that Slak had been open for seven years and that everything was made locally, including some of the work that she outsources to people working from home. I also learned that Slak articles are sold throughout Canada via KA Agence.

Initially, as I walked around the store, I wasn`t sure if I would find anything in my size. But the store did offer a much larger range in sizes than I expected. The cut of the designer`s clothes are typically asymmetrical, but refined nonetheless. Obviously, they are more expensive than what you would pay in a large retail outlet, but in addition to supporting your neighbourhood`s economy and a young designer, your new clothing will be one of a kind.

To see the fall and winter collection, click here.

Fortunately, they were having a sale, which I took advantage of. And in keeping with my 8-week resolution, I paid cash, which didn`t kill this week`s budget.

There are a number of stores affiliated with Slak in Quebec, as well as stores in Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario. For a full list of the affiliates, click here (points de vente).

The Side of Slak Where the Clothing is Made

Slak
352 Villeray
Montreal, QC
H2R 1G9
www.slak.ca

Other hood-related posts:
Churros: The Uruguayan
Who's a Cyclopathe
Neon Icon: Miss Villeray
Café Cuzcatlan: Roasting Local Coffee Beans
Creole Cuisine
Oriental Pastry Delights

3D: "Pina" by Wim Wenders

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:06:00 +0000

Model of Tintin in the Theatre Lobby

An unusual occurrence for us, a movie on a Friday night, but it wasn't your regular box office blockbuster. After seeing the Tintin models in the lobby, I was tempted to see the Golden Globe winner for best animated feature, a misnomer according to my significant other. Tintin was not animation, but motion capture, damn it! Instead we went to see a tribute to the late German modern dance choreographer Pina Bausch by Wim Wenders. What made this film so special is that it was filmed in 3D.

But what does 3D really offer the viewer? It definitely makes you feel that you are much closer to the performance, plus there is definitely more pop to the movement. It might not beat seeing modern dance in person, but it is much better than seeing the flat version on TV or in a movie theatre.

Wender's "Pina" combines footage of the choreographer with her dancers and their performances, obviously among them Café Müller and Rite of Spring. Bausch is credited with creating what is known as Tanztheater, combining movement, sounds, elaborate stage sets and close collaborative work with her dancers. Some of the performances were staged outdoors in Wuppertal, Germany, at intersections, in public transit, next to factories and in parks. Her dancers ranged in age from 20 to 50, and I must admit that a dancer performing in her 50s is nothing short of stunning. The filming of "Pina" was intended to start just before Bausch's unexpected death in 2009. In the film, each of her dancers had something special to say about Bausch. One of the most moving messages was from a dancer who wished that Pina would visit her in her dreams.

Overall, the 3D "Pina" was a beautiful new experience, which leads to the next question: what other performing arts might be better experienced in 3D?

The following is the trailer for "Pina:"

Fab Art in the Vicinidad

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:34:00 +0000

"André the Giant has a Posse," later aka "OBEY Giant"

Last Tuesday as we were driving home through Little Italy, I asked my husband to stop in front of a large, brightly lit art gallery. For what seemed like weeks, we had been driving past a print of what I believed to be a copy of "André the Giant has a Posse (1989)," by Shepard Fairey, the famous graffiti street artist best known for his pop art portrait of Obama, entitled HOPE. A graduate of the renowned Rhode Island School of Design, Fairey creates works with strong political overtones and has apparently been arrested no less than 15 times for vandalism. Obviously, this is no longer the case. He now has a team he directs to put up his murals. The artist has been criticized for copyright infringement, which Fairey defends citing fair use. I'm referring to controversy surrounding the original photo of Obama taken by an AP photographer.

As I walked in the Yves Laroche art gallery at 6355 St-Laurent, I saw many Shepard Fairey silkscreens, and then learned that last June, Curator Justin Giarla had held Looking East, an exhibition featuring work by Shepard Fairey, Clayton Brother and Rob English. Guess, I missed it. That happens when you're a mother and in the midst of moving house.

"Wolf Noir" by Jon Todd

Anyway, I "attempted" to do a quick tour of the Laroche gallery, as our 4-year-old slept in the car with his father and sister patiently waiting. Unfortunately, I had to stop a number of times to get a closer look and experienced that excruciatingly painful pull between family responsibilities and blatant selfishness, otherwise known as guilt. In other words, I really wasn't expecting the gallery to be this good.

Not only did the gallery carry a lot of local artists, but it also had a significant number of work by women (Kathie Olivas, Lola and Cathie Bleck), which we all know is rare.

I was struck by the work of Jon Todd, a Canadian painter and graduate of Sheridan College. I particularly liked "Wolf Noir" (above.) But then of course, my daughter came in to get me. She told me it was time to go, but then she too got sucked into the gallery's creative vortex. She walked around with me wide-eyed and mouth agape pointing at the various works.

Anyway, you get the picture. This is a well-lit, spacious gallery that you will not want to miss. I've signed up to receive invitations to upcoming vernissages, which apparently can attract up to 500 people.

Click here for a list of Fairey's silk screen posters on sale at the gallery, ranging in price from $725 to $3,800.

Drop by and see for yourself.

Galerie d'Art Yves Laroche
6355 Saint-Laurent,
Montréal QC H2S 3C3
CANADA
info(at)yveslaroche.com 514.393.1999

Other hood-related posts:
Review: Blue Dragon by Robert Lepage and Marie Michaud
Cent motifs, un passage by Annie Hamel
The Art of Mosaic

Buttons, Ribbon, Theatre

Expozine 2011
Churros: The Uruguayan
Who's a Cyclopathe
Neon Icon: Miss Villeray
The Haitian Barber

My Date With Cash

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:08:00 +0000

This is the first time that I've written about personal finances, which makes everyone a little uncomfortable. We are all painfully aware of the shortcomings of our spending habits and we fear the judgement of others. But maybe our fear to disclose, like that of the abuse victim, lets someone else off the hook, ie the banks.

I try to hold off on my New Year's resolutions until my birthday, which is today, because this is usually when I have a better idea of where I stand (read: the bills have come in). I have a decent job, my husband works and we live relatively modestly. Because we have young children, we don't go out that often. Instead, we tend to stay in and read or work on our computers. In other words, we're not big consumers because we have everything we need. Yet, come bill time everything seems tight like when I was a student.

Unlike most of my fellow educatees at university, no parent was footing the bill. I paid for everything through summer employment and a part-time job during the school year. I applied for grants and loans and I lived a very simple existence, buying bulk food and used text books, and only splashing out on a daily cup of coffee. I watched my finances closely and kept a running tab on my desk of everything I spent. Clothes were bought either on sale or with small imperfections so that I would get a discount. And let's not even talk about some of the living arrangements I endured for the sake of cheap rent. I also discovered the joy of haggling, which is not a common practice in Canada, but you'd be surprised how often people are willing to go down in price. Besides, the worst a retailer could say was no.

I was really proud of completing university with only a small amount of student debt, which I paid off two years into the repayment schedule. But what has happened since then?

I spent a considerable amount of time poring over my finances this month. I discovered that I pay at least $5.00 a month in interest on my credit card, and in those few ridiculous months when I've taken a small cash advance, I've paid in excess of $20 a month in interest. And this was just one of the problems. The other was using a debit card too often. I'd always worked on the premise that if I carried cash I'd spend it, so I opted for debit. But here lies the problem. Every time, I go into my overdraft I pay interest effective the day this transaction is posted. But I usually don't know that I've gone into my overdraft until after I receive my bank statement at the beginning of the next month.

I spoke to my husband about this, and he too had noticed something similar. We decided to stick to just using cash and writing the odd cheque for the next eight weeks to see how we fare. Will this forced use of cash make us more conscious of our spending habits or will we rack up ATM fees because we're never close to a bank machine at our bank branch? We'll be keeping tabs. At any rate, this will certainly be a test of strength. January is after-Christmas sale season. . . .

I'll report back.

Other posts you might like:
Death of World Music Star Lhasa de Sela
Occupons Montréal in Photos
Bixi: 2012 Recap
Churros: The Uruguayan
Who's a Cyclopathe
Neon Icon: Miss Villeray
New Digs and Swedish Thrillers
The Haitian Barber
Good Morning Villeray
Creole Cuisine

New Year's Chocolate Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:47:00 +0000

Nothing like starting the New Year with a little decadent comfort food.

It's a mild Montreal morning. From my window, I see the snow reflected in the puddles in the street. And then there's silence, the absolute best part. It couldn't be a finer day to make chocolate pudding from scratch and eat it while it's still warm. This recipe brings back some childhood memories and is a huge hit with my kids.

Don't worry, there are only 194 calories in the quarter cup of sugar required, and it will be split among four servings, six servings if you're going to be a goodie goodie.

The entire recipe takes 10 minutes. Exact calorie count - if you divide it into four servings 157 calories, and if you divide it into six servings, 97 calories.

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

Utensils
You'll need a saucepan and a whisk.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons of cocoa, 1/4 cup of cornstarch, 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 3/4 cups of milk,
1 tsp vanilla and 1 tbsp of butter.

Instructions
1. Mix the cocoa, cornstarch and sugar in the saucepan.
2. Put saucepan on medium heat and add the milk to the mixture while continuously stirring.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil so that it thickens. Then remove from heat.
4. Stir in the butter and vanilla.

Serve it hot or cold. I prefer it hot in the winter. You'll see why.

Happy New Year! I have so many plans for 2012, and obviously, dieting isn't one of them.

Occupy the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Accumulation of Useless Crap

Occupy Christmas: International Day of Action has been a welcome initiative for many of us. The holiday season is a hectic, stressful time for working families who end up spending well beyond their means on gifts, meals and entertainment. This spending spree now extends beyond the holiday season and into the New Year, as lining up outside big box stores for big ticket items has become a popular new tradition in the past decade. The real winners in all this are the corporations, credit card companies and banks, otherwise known as the 1%.

Most of us are painfully aware of this fact and have already adopted the holiday measures the Occupy Movement has advocated:

Supporting the local economy by making purchases from local merchants. This even involves filling our gas tanks at locally-owned gas stations. Buying gifts from local artisans and produce from farmers' markets.

Leaving our credit cards at home because banks make their money from interest and late payments.

Using strictly cash and withdrawing only the amount of money we need. Remember that ATM or debit cards charge merchants 2% to 5%.

If North Americans adopted these few measures, we might actually succeed in cutting into the profits and power of the 1%, but unfortunately the Occupy Movement does not have the means to get this message out. Media in the US is concentrated in the hands of a wealthy few who also own many of the corporations that profit from holiday spending and year-round consumerism. Concentration of media ownership is also the case here in Quebec, where Québecor is king, taking in $4 billion in revenues last year. This corporation alone prints 37 dailies, 7 free commuter papers, 200 community weeklies and its media holdings include the TVA 24-hour news network and the canoe.ca news portal. Together, Québecor media reaches 90% of French-speaking households in this province.It`s no coincidence that Occupy Montreal camped outside the front door of the corporate headquarters.

The likelihood of Canada's media titans Québecor, Shaw, Rogers and Bell carrying the Occupy Movement's media message of buying locally and using strictly cash year-round are pretty slim. That's why the Occupy Movement should be advocating the following fourth and fifth measures:

Read, support and make donations to independent media and share the information via Twitter, Facebook and other social media.

Continue to expand your social media contacts and use targeted hashtags to help get important information out.

For instance you might want to tweet something along these lines:
Kai Nagata writes 3-part series for indy Tyee on Quebecor's hold on Quebec
http://bit.ly/o64hTa #occupy #indymedia

If you don`t have time to comb through left-leaning media, Toronto Star writer and social media maven Antonia Zerbisias or Montrealer Neath Turcot are people worth friending on Facebook.

Here`s a list of indy media outlets. If I`ve forgot one please leave a comment below with the name or link.

Indy Media

Canada
Adbusters: Where the Occupy Movement started.
Rabble
Tyee

US
Truth Dig (My favourite!)
Truthout
Common Dreams
Democracy Now!
Alternet
The Nation
ZNet

General news with a different frame but not independent: Al Jazeera and the Guardian (Great Occupy Wall Street coverage to date.)

A portion of this has been cross-posted at Rover Arts.

Related posts:
Occupons Montréal in Photos
Peaceful Tactic: Keep Wall Street Busy
Interview with Carmen Aguirre, Chilean Resistance Fighter

Cycling in Style

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:04:00 +0000

Models at the Couvreselle Shop

I've written about Vivianne Myette's creations before, but this time around I visited her Couvreselle shop at her home to pick my very own bicycle seat cover--a belated Christmas gift. As you can see from the picture on the left, there is quite a selection. I had such a hard time deciding that I left with two before I chose a third. . .

Vivianne teams up with her sister to make these one-of-a-kind objects. Her sister, who sews drapery by day, uses an industrial sewing machine to make the covers, while Vivianne picks the materials and comes up with the designs. She got her idea from the bicycle seat covers she saw in Egypt.

The covers are meant to fit snugly and will stretch slightly to take the shape of your bicycle seat. But they`re still easy to remove, which is recommended, or they might walk away on their own. . .

Here`s one. Click to enlarge.

The seat covers are made to last. Durable materials are used and each seam is sewn twice. What`s more Vivianne is very conscientious and told me to come back if ever I had a problem with wear or design.

My friend Lucie bought one for herself and two for gifts, and they were apparently a big hit.

If you would like one for yourself, you can contact Viviane through her couvreselle website, where she also lists some cycling shops that carry her covers. Or you can visit her booth at the 10th Annual Salon du Vélo at Place Bonaventure, from February 17 to 19, in Montreal.

Other hood-related posts:
The Art of Mosaic

Buttons, Ribbon, Theatre
Cafe Cuzcatlan: Roasting Local Coffee

This is what 77,000 books looks like
Expozine 2011
Occupons Montréal in Photos
Bixi: 2012 Recap
Churros: The Uruguayan
Who's a Cyclopathe
Neon Icon: Miss Villeray
New Digs and Swedish Thrillers
The Haitian Barber

4th Year: Blowing up the Basement, the App

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:13:00 +0000

My Dad an I Taking Pictures in the Old Port

We are around the date of my third blogiversary, and what an eventful three years it has been. Of all the hobbies I've had in my life, blogging has been the most enjoyable. I'm always learning something new.

This was a big year in our lives. We sold our condo, which took seven weeks of staging and cleaning up. A week before our big move, my husband got his dream job leaving me with the packing during a heatwave, at which time our air conditioner broke down, only after our car died.

But I still kept blogging, even tackling "the interview." In fact, the post that received the most hits this year was my Interview With Author Billie Livingston, who has a new book, One Good Hustle, coming out in the spring. Billie is one of my favourite authors because of her iconoclastic women characters. They can be sweet and kind and then mean and petulant just a page away.

A close second in terms of number of hits was a review I did for Elevate Difference on the Girls' History and Cultural Reader: The Twentieth Century. This was a collection of scholarly essays written about girls and the changes in their lives in the 20th century. Although this was a fascinating book, it was vast, and I found writing a fair, critical review very difficult.

The third most popular post was the eyewitness demise of Montreal's Georges Marciano. My friend Lucie was at Marciano's hotel bar when his priceless art collection was being seized by men in white uniforms. The jean titan's legal woes had finally caught up with him.

So in three years, I've added photos, videos and the odd survey. I have posted reviews, interviews, rants, how-tos, fluff and some discoveries. That's why I've decided to move on to special effects. (Please rub your palms in anticipation.)

In this short video, instead of cleaning up the basement with its mix of cat hair, wrapping paper, gifts and general mess, I've decided to simply blow it up. Just like Vegas! Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

The Art of Mosaic

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:38:00 +0000

Work in Progress at Mosaikashop

If you can't part with broken cups or smashed plates and spend more time than most looking at bathroom and kitchen tile then you may be a born mosaicist. Before my children were born, I collected different colours of glass, porcelain, broken kitchen tile and beads, and I decorated counter tops, plant pots and tables. Making a mosaic is a great way to hang on to your favourite cup and all of its memories after someone has broken it. You can then use the pieces of the broken cup to create a border on a mirror, a picture frame or decorate a plant pot. I`ve even done mosaics in the molding around a room to great effect.

A Tray Exhibited in the Mosaikashop Gallery

Unfortunately, I gave this hobby up about 7 years ago because of the hazards associated with working with bits of broken glass and sharp edges around small children. And although I`d done a fair number of mosaics, I still needed some instruction on how to use tile cutters (effectively!) and how to grout evenly. Much to my surprise after I`d moved to Villeray this summer, I discovered Mosaikashop at the corner of Villeray and Henri-Julien streets. If you enjoy the feeling of highly creative and colourful spaces then I suggest you come see this place for yourself.

A Project from the Mosaikashop Beginner Course

The Mosaikashop concept was originally developed at Mosaïka Art & Design (MAD for short), a world-renowned mosaic studio that specializes in large-scale mosaics. MAD is responsible for several mosaics in the New York subway. Mosaikashop is in fact first and foremost a mosaic school. Owner Suzanne Spahi runs the store and gallery and offers 3 workshop classes, and luckily one of those classes gives instruction on the basics, exactly what I was looking for (an early Christmas present from my husband). Spahi`s own mosaic specialty is to reproduce and reinterpret tribal rugs with mosaics. (To see her fabulous work, click here.)

If you would like to try a mosaic on your own at home here`s what you will need:
(Hint: you may want to start with something small like a dollar store mirror frame or a plant pot.)

Materials
1. Some small pieces of broken china, beads, ceramic.
2. Tile adhesive (hardware store)
3. Grout (hardware store)

Instructions
1. Apply a small amount of tile adhesive to the clean, dry surface.
2. Add your pieces of broken china in your desired design.
3. Wait at least a day for the adhesive to dry completely.
4. Add the grout, ensuring that there is an equal amount of grout in between each tile.
5. Wipe off the excess grout with a damp cloth.

Voila! You have made your first mosaic.

Mosaikashop

300 rue Villeray
Montreal, Quebec
H2R 1G7 Canada

Buttons, Ribbon and Theatre

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:14:00 +0000

Treasure Chest Full of Buttons

Calling all sewers, crafters and hobbyists! I was working on a snowflake craft with my children and needed a variety of white buttons to make Christmas gifts for grandparents, and I came across this fabulous store. There are many shops selling sewing and decorating supplies on St-Hubert, but none quite like Rubans Boutons.The owner collects antique buttons and has some of the most beautiful collections I have ever seen. He even has a wooden chest full of odd buttons that you can scoop into bags for $1, $2 and $4. This is exactly what I was looking for. I was even lucky to scoop some beautiful retro buttons from the 50s.

Effet V's Stage

As I wandered further to the back of the store I realized that there was a stage. Rubans Boutons' owner, Richard Letendre, informed me that he and his partner have their own theatre company, Effet V, and they just finished their latest show in October. They will be starting a new stage production in the spring. And of course, I'll be sure to drop by.

If you`re a sewer, crafter or just curious, this store is a must-see, and don`t be fooled by the modest store front, as is often the case on St-Hubert. There is an entire wall of silk ribbons, which of course must compete with the opposite wall that has possibly the most beautiful buttons you will ever lay eyes on.

Drop in if only to have a chat with the friendly actor/button store owner Richard Letendre.

Rubans boutons
7363 St-Hubert
Mtl (Qc)
Canada H2R 2N4
514 847-3535

Other related posts
Café Cuzcatlan: Roasting Coffee Beans
This is what 77,000 books looks like
Expozine 2011
Occupons Montréal in Photos
Bixi: 2012 Recap
Churros: The Uruguayan
Who's a Cyclopathe
Neon Icon: Miss Villeray
New Digs and Swedish Thrillers
The Haitian Barber

Café Cuzcatlan: Roasting Coffee Beans

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:21:00 +0000

Cuzcatlan Coffee $25,000 Turkish Roaster

Yesterday, I dropped by a café on St-Hubert where the owner roasts his own Arabica beans, which come directly to Canada from El Salvador. Owner Erick de la O was kind enough to show me the Cuzcatlan coffee roaster and talk to me a little about the art of roasting coffee beans. By the way, Cuzcatlan is the indigenous name for El Salvador before the Spanish conquest.

In the picture below you`ll see the three distinct colours of beans. Erick showed me the light, medium and dark beans he uses to make Colombian, French espresso, Italian espresso and the house special, Cuzcatlan espresso. The ratio of light to dark beans in these blends (apart from the Cuzcatlan espresso) is apparently an industry standard. Good to know. Obviously, espresso requires a higher concentration of dark beans. However, here`s a little fact that you probably didn`t know. The lightest beans have the highest caffeine content. (To read more about coffee roasting click here.)

Dark, Medium and Light Roasted Beans

I was offered a cup of the light roast coffee, to which I added a little milk. It tasted like a weak cup of coffee that you might have at the office. Then the owner told me to try it without milk, and it made a world of difference. It was a very smooth cup of coffee.

Café Cuzcatlan serves filtered coffee and cappuccino and espresso on the premises, or you can purchase the Colombian, French espresso, Italian espresso or Cuzcatlan espresso ground blends or just the beans. Erick supplies coffee to many neighbourhood restaurants, and it can also be found in a number of the smaller Villeray grocery stores.

Either way, it`s nice to know that you can buy coffee that is roasted just a few streets away and handled by just one person.

Café Cuzcatlan
7585 St-Hubert
Tel: 514-807-3754

Other hood-related posts:
This is what 77,000 books looks like
Expozine 2011
Occupons Montréal in Photos
Bixi: 2012 Recap
Churros: The Uruguayan
Who's a Cyclopathe
Neon Icon: Miss Villeray
New Digs and Swedish Thrillers
The Haitian Barber

This is what 77,000 books looks like

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:07:00 +0000

Joseph's hat next to the centre aisle of his store on St-Hubert.

St-Hubert between Jean-Talon and Villeray never ceases to amaze me. I'm continually coming across stores that I never noticed before. Joseph A.M.I. des livres is one such store. The reason I've probably never seen this one is because, for starters, it appears nearly impossible to get in the door. It would be no exaggeration to say that it is wall-to-wall books.

Last weekend on our way home from the library, my kids and I ran into the owner, Joseph himself, bringing in his sidewalk display. I stuck my head in the door to look around.

"I don't think that I've ever seen so many books in one place before," I said.
"I have 77,000 books in the store, in at least 12 languages," he said proudly. "I even have some books that I'm not even sure what the language is."
"Funny," I said, "I've never seen you open before."
"I'm only open on the weekends," said Joseph.
"And sometimes only on Sundays from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm if my grandchildren come over on Saturday."

I brought my head back outside for some fresh air. As you can imagine, the air was pretty stuffy in Joseph's store. But I had to ask the obvious question, "Why so many books?" I asked.
"It was for my retirement," he said. "I wanted to open a bookstore."

I could see that on the shelves, the books appeared to be in some order. It was the stacks on the floor that seemed to be haphazardly arranged, almost like they'd been put there in a hurry.
"So what does your wife think of your store?" I joked.
"Ah . . ." he said then sticking out his bottom lip, "she thinks it's a waste of money, but she puts up with it because it's my hobby," he said.

I thanked him and headed down the street with my kids. I smiled. His wife is probably just relieved that all those books were not in her basement.

Joseph A.M.I. des livres
7461 St-Hubert
Montreal, QC
514-277-6917

Other hood-related posts:
Expozine 2011
Occupons Montréal in Photos
Bixi: 2012 Recap
Churros: The Uruguayan
Who's a Cyclopathe
Neon Icon: Miss Villeray
New Digs and Swedish Thrillers
The Haitian Barber

Expozine 2011

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:13:00 +0000

Richard Suicide and Iris's last show

On Saturday afternoon, I stopped by Expozine, Montreal's 10th annual small press, comic and zine fair. It was a balmy grey November afternoon, and the St-Enfant Jésus church basement was just as hot as it was last year. Le déo était de rigueur. There was the usual wide assortment of zines and comics, from the basic, hand-drawn, hand-stapled zines to some of the more spiffy, slick digital editions. The place was packed, and it was hard at times to make my way through the crowd.

The Expozine is a place where I often get carried away and spend a lot of dough. With that in mind, I went with just $15 cash, which meant I had to wander off to the bank machine to get more money. This had it's disadvantages. I'd found the perfect gift for my father, the Stephen Harper colouring and activity book, mocking our somewhat . . . unpopular prime minister. Montreal Mirror cartoonist Dave Rosen was selling his oeuvre for a mere $15, but when I returned with the cash, he'd already gone home. Rats!

Iris's Collection of Posters and Zines

I also discovered Iris and Richard Suicide, who were sitting side by side. Their style was brimming with humour. I picked up the above poster from their recent opening at the Cheval Blanc and The Best of Iris: One Nighters and Felix and Rocky vs. Tante Mario, which I read as soon as I got home.

I also happened upon a very amusing display of simple house cats. Author Sherwin Tija has created a Pick-A-Plot book, You Are a Cat. In this very creative narrative, you, the reader, become the cat, Holden Catfield, and you live one of his nine lives. On page two, Holden Catfield is chasing a squirrel up a tree. At the end of the page the reader is given the choice of 1) continuing to chase the squirrel or 2) deciding to turn around and jump down from the tree. I chose the second option and was instructed to continue the story on page 4. On that page, I, Holden Catfield, was stuck in a tree, but then I wake up and I am at home next to Girl. I then go to eat some stale cat food and look out the flap in the door to go out. Again I, the reader, have a choice of what to do: 1) I can go outside, in which case I must turn back to page 3, or 2) I can stay inside and nap in a sunbeam and continue the story on page 17. The reader`s life as Holden continues in this way until Holden dies / or is killed, using up one of his nine lives. I loved this book and had a lot of fun going to the bookstore (in the story), scratching the bejezus out of a mean stranger and sadly, getting hit by a car.

Sherwin Tija was also handing out flyers for a Strip Spelling Bee on December 21. A strip spelling bee is like strip poker only multi-syllable words are used instead of a deck of cards. In other words, bad spellers should dress warmly.

The Expozine seems to get more popular every year. The only disappointment this time around was that Microcosm Press was not there. The Portland-based zine publisher had some shipping problems because of U.S. Thanksgiving. I guess I'll just have to go and buy all my favourite zines online.

Other things in the hood:
Occupons Montréal in Photos
Bixi: 2012 Recap
Churros: The Uruguayan
Who's a Cyclopathe
Neon Icon: Miss Villeray
New Digs and Swedish Thrillers
The Haitian Barber
Good Morning Villeray
Creole Cuisine

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Review: The Blue Dragon by Robert Lepage and Marie Michaud

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 13:47:00 +0000

The Blue Dragon
by Robert Lepage and Marie Michaud
Illustrations by Fred Jourdain
House of Anansi Press

It will come as no surprise that world-renowned multimedia artist Robert Lepage has branched out into the realm of the graphic novel. But of course, not wanting to be hemmed in by a strict number of frames and pages, Lepage gave Quebec illustrator Fred Jourdain the opportunity not to simply make a graphic novel, but to create a graphic representation of Lepage and Marie Michaud’s The Blue Dragon.

Jourdain’s graphic version is intended to be a snapshot in time of the stage play, which even includes last minute dialogue updates to reflect the most recent performance (at the time in London). Jourdain’s only ground rule for this two-year project was that it had to reflect the stage production 100%. The result is a stunning 176-page work, combining pen and ink drawings, Chinese calligraphy, digital colour and a few innovative twists to the traditional graphic novel layout.

In The Blue Dragon, the reader meets art dealer Pierre Lamontagne, the central character in the Dragon’s Trilogy, twenty years later in Shanghai. At the airport in the opening scene, Lamontagne greets Claire Laforêt, a former lover from art school. A 46-year-old ad agency owner, Claire has come to China for a specific purpose, which she hopes will bring greater meaning to her life. A romance is briefly rekindled between the two, but unresolved conflicts surface, leading to confrontation over their respective life choices. Claire’s re-emergence also impacts Lamontagne’s current relationship with the much younger Xiao Ling, a young Chinese artist exhibiting her work at Pierre’s gallery. Xiao Ling has to face an important life choice, which fills Claire with hope. The intersection of the three characters leads to irrevocable change in their lives. All of this takes place in the rapidly changing landscape of modern China.

Best-known for his illustrations of jazz, rock and film stars, Fred Jourdain had never completed a full-length bande dessinée before. Lepage and his theatre company, Ex-Machina, selected the 26-year-old mainly for his highly cinematographic style, his sense of mood, treatment of ambiance and his focus on the feelings and expressions of his characters.

A major challenge for Jourdain was dealing with large chunks of dialogue. In many instances, the artist opted for detailed double-page scenes with the dialogue entered unobtrusively in the margins, a great solution for what would have otherwise been heavy speech balloons. Jourdain also did a fabulous job of creating ambiance through colour and establishing pace and mood with double-page metaphorical illustrations without any dialogue. Perhaps the most appealing aspect in this adaptation was page layout. Unlike some graphic novelists who use the same number of panels throughout their work, Jourdain’s layout changed with every page, offering the reader an element of surprise and making The Blue Dragon more art than graphic novel.

And like all good art, it is possible to go through Jourdain’s interpretation many times, finding something new with each reading. Although some of the illustrations of the characters are a little too static at times, overall it’s a superb piece of art by an emerging artist whom we’re bound to hear more of in the future.

The more-art-than-comic approach to The Blue Dragon may be the stroke of genius to win over the reluctant adult who still sees the graphic novel as strictly for kids. What’s more, because Lepage has reportedly no immediate plans to make any other graphic representations of his work, my guess is that this little gem may soon become a collector’s item.

This review has been cross-posted at Rover Arts.

Other Reviews:
Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter by Carmen Aguirre
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Antagonist by Lynn Coady
Irma Voth by Miriam Toews
Dogs at the Perimeter by Madeleine Thien
Going Down Swinging by Billie Livingston
Incendiary by Chris Cleave
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
The Girl Without Anyone by Kelli Deeth
Drive-By Saviours by Chris Benjamin

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Bixi: 2012 Recap

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:41:00 +0000

My New Bike

As you may recall, last spring I said that I would not renew my Bixi membership because of the hideous advertising the company chose to add to the bikes. Well, with two children to pick up at various day camps around the city and getting to work through the traffic, I had to eat crow and continue to use our public bike system. It was just too convenient. But how did it compare with the previous two seasons?

This was another stellar year for Bixi, Montreal's public bike system, with 4,174,917 trips, a 25% increase over 2010. Other good news: there are some 40,000 yearly subscribers, which is up 24% from last year, and the operating deficit shrunk from $7.2 million to $3.2 million. Sales on the international front were fair, but not as good as expected. But never mind the sales. What was 2012 like for users? This being my third year, I have a few comments to make, both good and bad. Let`s start with the positive.

The Good
Bixi was the fastest way to get around our construction-ridden city last summer.

Our public bike was also available until November 15 this year. Next year, December 1 would be even better.

Bixi was far too convenient for me to give up, even after the cheesy advertising was added.

Compared to owning a bike, Bixi is almost hassle-free. It`s a pain to have to find a place to lock up my new bike every time I go to the store for milk.

Theft with Bixi is a non-issue. I`d also forgotten about New Bike Angst (NBA) or being too afraid to take my new bike anywhere for fear it will be stolen.

I found that motorists were more considerate or just more aware of cyclists this year; however, many cyclists travel far too fast on the Claire Morissette bike path, making it dangerous for everyone.

The novelty of Bixi has not worn off. It's still the cheapest, healthiest and most pleasant way to get around Montreal.

The Bad
Depending on the time of the year (last June being the worst), the only bikes left were broken or not roadworthy. The company still needs to inform users of the little wrench icon on the dock to report a bike in need of repair.

Expanding service to more city boroughs sounds great in theory, except that everyone is going downtown to work between 8:00 and 9:00 am. In June and July, it was very difficult to find a place to park downtown; all the stations were full. I had to either leave earlier than in the previous two years or drop the Bixi off at the first station with a free space and walk the rest of the way.

I called to report a malfunctioning station twice last summer, and it was never repaired. I know because I used it regularly. When I returned a bike, there was never a ring indicating that the bike had been properly returned. Once I was fined $30 because I had apparently not returned a bike to that very station.

The above three disadvantages are all signs of an organization that grew too fast before ironing out all of its kinks. Bixi still continued to thrive this year because of the enthusiasm of Montrealers and the people working at Bixi. But I doubt other cities will be as enthusiastic. I think they're looking for a turnkey solution with all the logistical and technical problems worked out.

Conclusion
As you can see my feelings are mixed. I still think that Bixi is a great idea, and we may only see the health benefits of the public bike system in a decade's time. But I must confess that I'm still confused about our municipal tax dollars being used to finance/fund/bail out Bixi last spring. From what I've read, it's very difficult to determine who reaps the financial benefits or even who is financially accountable for the entire public bike system. I fear that our beloved Bixi may become a boondoggle for Montreal taxpayers. We must demand clear, transparent reporting and settle for nothing less, or this may become our new Olympic stadium.

Related posts:

The Path of a Cycling Activist
Dear Bixi Chairman Roger Plamondon
Montreal Bixi v. Denver B-Cycle
Bixi: Success For All?
A Review of Montreal's Bixi

Meet Revolutionary Mother

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:52:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, Three O'Clock Press contacted me to meet with an author who had just published her first novel. In addition to being a poet, translator, educator and a political and social activist, this writer had also worked in the Chilean underground movement from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. This new novelist was Carmen Rodriguez, the revolutionary mother of Carmen Aguirre, author of Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter, which is one of the top 10 books selected for this year's CBC Canada Reads competition.

As you will remember, Something Fierce played over in my mind well after I`d turned the last page (For a full review click here). So needless to say, I was more than a little intimidated to meet Carmen Aguirre's revolutionary mother. But I was also intrigued. I wanted to meet the woman who had cleared paths alone through the Andes, from Argentina to Chile, for four days at a time.

Carmen Rodriguez's book, Retribution, arrived a few days before I met the author. I found this book a highly satisfying and moving read, and like Something Fierce, I was unable to put it down. I met Carmen a half-hour before her reading at the Paragraphe Bookstore on McGill College, here in Montreal. Rodriguez is a petite woman with a broad smile and vibrant personality. One thing I knew after meeting her--no one would ever suspect her of running safe houses in Bolivia and Argentina.

Retribution is a story of three generations of Chilean women, spanning 70 years. The narrative opens in Vancouver with granddaughter Tania receiving a letter through the Chilean Consulate informing her that her father may be a man who tortured and raped women during the Chilean coup in 1973. Sol, her mother, is a teacher and left-wing activist, while Soledad, Tania's grandmother, is someone caught in the crossfire between Chile's political extremes. At the time of the coup, the military ransack Soledad's home and beat her severely for the political activities of her two children. The family eventually flees Chile to live in Canada. But unlike many books about the 1973 coup, the book goes well beyond the high drama of this pivotal moment in Chilean history and sheds some light on the devastating emotional trauma that political refugees experience later in their host countries.

When I started to ask Carmen some questions about Retribution, she immediately told me that it was not autobiographical. But as we all know, fiction always has a part of the writer's life in the story. I learned that Retribution had taken 14 years to write. It started with two short stories that eventually fused together to become one. I was interested in some specific details in the book. I learned from the author that 38 Londres Street, Villa Grimaldi, Cuarto Alamos, Tres Alamos, the centres where left-wing activists were tortured, had indeed existed.

But sometimes, it's the less dramatic events in a book that give the narrative its flesh and blood--its realism. In the story, just before the coup in 1973, Sol and her friends are eating in a restaurant when a handful of young men all dressed in black with white swastikas on their shirts and bearing truncheons begin a military demonstration in front of the bewildered restaurant patrons. At the end, the leader reads a speech denouncing international communism and praising the fatherland. The author told me that this event had actually happened to her in 1973.

The complete review of this book and interview with Carmen Rodriguez will be posted at Rover: Montreal Arts Uncovered and on my blog in a month or so.

In the meantime, I`ll be crossing my fingers that Something Fierce makes it to the finals of 2012 Canada Reads.

Related posts:
Review: Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter
Interview with Carmen Aguirre, Chilean Resistance Fighter
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Antagonist by Lynn Coady
Irma Voth by Miriam Toews
Dogs at the Perimeter by Madeleine Thien
Going Down Swinging by Billie Livingston
Incendiary by Chris Cleave
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
The Girl Without Anyone by Kelli Deeth

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Review: Munsch at Play, Act Two

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:45:00 +0000

Munsch at Play, Act Two: Eight More Stage Adaptations
by Irene N. Watts and Robert Munsch
illustrated by Michael Martchenko

Any primary school teacher will tell you that children cannot get enough of Robert Munsch, whose stories have sold 30 million copies around the world, in over a dozen languages. If only some Munsch could be integrated into Math or another subject, then kids would be so much more enthusiastic about learning. Well, his stories can now be offered as part of Dramatic Arts. Yes, Irene N. Watts, an award-winning writer/playwright and theatre director, has adapted eight of Munsch's stories so that they can be performed as plays.

Munsch at Play, Act Two includes some old favourites, such as I Have To Go, David's Father, From Far Away and my personal favourite, Jonathan Cleaned Up--Then He Heard a Sound. Watt's stage adaptations are thorough and set out in simple enough terms so that even a beginner teacher, camp counsellor or parent will be able to stage one of the eight plays. Each adaptation covers the casting, staging, set design, props and costumes. Each performance takes about 10 minutes, depending on the cast size, space and the amount of audience participation. Although the performance may seem short, the play will obviously take much longer to prepare.

In the book's intro, Watts gives some wonderful tips for the person in charge. The plays may serve as something as simple as a reading exercise, but may also be expanded to incorporate some fun acting and miming work in small groups, right up to a full stage performance. And not to worry, Watts obviously realizes that not every child is dramatically inclined and includes some fun hints for non-acting activities, such as creating sound effects. In addition, she knows that not every school, community centre or backyard has a stage, so she makes some innovative suggestions for performance spaces and inexpensive props.

Over all, Munsch at Play is a great way to get kids aged 6 to 9 actively involved in a Munsch story rather than being just passive listeners.

Just a word of advice: you might want to teach your class the basics of acting, staging, set design, props and costumes by starting with I Have to Go rather than The Fire Station or Jonathan Cleaned Up--Then He Heard a Sound, which are more technically demanding.

Other reviews of children and YA books
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Books for Preschoolers
More Girl Spies Please
50 Poisonous Questions by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
The Trouble with Marlene by Billie Livingston
The Orphan Rescue by Anne Dublin
Dead Time by Christy Ann Conlin

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Peaceful Tactic: Keep Wall Street (Busy) Occupied

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:34:00 +0000

I realize that not everyone is keen on taking part in winter camping to occupy our business districts and protest our society's corporate greed. However, many people may still want to protest in their own peaceful way. My husband sent me the video below (4:29 min) that shows people how to make their feelings known to corporations. As some of you may not view the video, I will summarize this brilliant ploy to get the banks' attention and keep them occupied, or just plain busy.

In the picture on your left you will see a business reply envelope. Through contracts with the post office, companies pay the postage on only the envelopes that are sent back. If you're receiving unsolicited credit card applications, you may want to use this "opportunity" to have a dialogue with this bank, credit card company, etc.

The following are some of the ways the video suggests that you use your business reply envelopes as a means of protest.

For those who think that silence speaks volumes
1. Send the business reply envelope back empty (the bank/corporation will be charged the going postal rate for a letter.)
2. You can send the business reply envelope and the application, plus anything else you might want to slip in, and the bank/corporation will be charged for the weight accordingly.

For those who think that dialogue is important
1. Send a note. "Dear Big Bank Clerk: Join a union."
2. Send a wood shim, which can be purchased inexpensively at a hardware store, and put it in your business reply envelope along with a word or two, such as #greed #OWS #how does it feel?

For those who just can't find the words to express the weight of their feelings
1. Send something extremely dense like a roofing shingle.

When the corporation/bank starts to receive thousands of wood shims, roofing shingles, notes and empty envelopes, the corporation/bank will hold meetings, change old plans and implement new procedures, thus, wasting their time when they could be otherwise making money. You would be creating a means for keeping banks/corporations/government OCCUPIED.

Personally, I like the first two examples because a large part of our recycling seems to come from this type of mail .

Other related posts
Occupons Montréal in Photos Occupons Montréal
Response to the press
Anti-Wall Street March
Unions and Community groups that took part
Anti-WallStreet: News and Resources

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Occupons Montréal in Photos

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:35:00 +0000

I've had some time to go through my photos of the protest on October 16, and I've chosen those that best reflect the strong organization of the demonstration as well as the spirit of the day. The size of the encampment at Victoria Square has apparently doubled in just a few days and donations have been pouring in to keep the campers relatively comfortable.

The latest news was that a porta-potty had been donated for the residents. The square has unofficially undergone a name change. Victoria Square, it is no longer! The new name is Place du peuple or the People's Square. If you haven't been down to visit the new community, I suggest you do. You will be pleasantly surprised by how organized things are. If you're still unsure about what the Occupy movement is all about (Carine), I encourage you to listen to what Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki has to say about it after the pictures.

Related posts
Occupons Montréal
Response to the press
Anti-Wall Street March
Unions and Community groups that took part
Anti-WallStreet: News and Resources

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Interview with Carmen Aguirre, Chilean Resistance Fighter

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:31:00 +0000

According to the publisher Douglas & McIntyre, Something Fierce: Memoirs of aRevolutionary Daughter is the first account ever published about life in the Chilean resistance. It was reportedly Bob Everton, Carmen Aguirre’s stepfather, who encouraged her to tell her story, but the process apparently took eight painful years. I had the privilege to ask the author a few questions about her book and experiences.

For a full review of Something Fierce click here.

HL: I would like to know about your writing process in SomethingFierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter. Which aspect was harder to write than expected and why?

CA: It was hard to write about my resistance activities without giving away too much information that may put me or my family in danger. I never mention the name of the resistance movement I belonged to, nor do I mention what the "goods" or "items" were that I was carrying. I don't mention the name of the leader that Alejandro sees in Santiago in 1988, nor do I give away too much about the actual political platform of the movement. It was difficult to gauge how much was too much, and how much was too little, in terms of giving the reader enough information.

HL: Something Fierce: Memoirs of A Revolutionary Daughter opens in June 1979 with you, your sister and your mother flying to Lima, Peru. Your leftist family had fled Chile five years earlier after the coup. Your stepfather, Bob, a Canadian internationalist, later joined you. At the time, you were 11 years old. Did your mother ever explain to you and your sister what she and Bob would be doing in South America?

CA: My mother and Bob were not able to share too much with us due to security concerns. I was raised in a socialist family and was well-versed in our political beliefs. I did not know exactly how our beliefs were being put into practice by my mother and Bob when I was child living in Bolivia and Argentina.

HL: While your mother and stepfather were involved in the Chilean resistance, the top secret Operation Condor had been set up. In other words, there were people working for Operation Condor whose job it was to track down people like Bob and your mother. As a pre-teen living in La Paz were you constantly aware of the lurking danger? Were there types of people at school or in the street whom you consciously avoided?

CA: Of course I was aware of the danger. I had to be, so as not to give away what we were really doing in La Paz. I avoided military men, soldiers, people who looked wealthy, people who asked too many questions, such as taxi drivers, bus drivers, teachers, store clerks, etc., and anybody who might seem like they worked for the secret police.

HL: In spite of the danger, it seems that you enjoyed your early adolescence in La Paz. What aspects did you enjoy the most?

CA: Everybody lived in danger in La Paz under the rightwing dictatorships at the time. I loved my adolescence there because I love the Bolivian spirit, the immediate intimacy with the people you meet, the definition of love and friendship, which is very different than in North America.

HL: You and your family seemed to house a fair number of women working in the Chilean resistance movement. To your knowledge, what was the percentage of men versus women?

CA: I don't know the percentage, but I would venture to say that it was half and half.

HL: Every time I read about the man in brown polyester pinstripe suit I get chills up my spine. How did you immediately know that he was a Chilean secret service agent?

CA: He looked Chilean, and he was using what we called "check" skills.

HL: Your resistance work cost you dearly in terms of the fear, terror and paranoia you experienced. In the 1990s when you meet up with Alejandro again, it sounds as though you thought all your efforts were for naught—the resistance movement failed to depose Pinochet. How do you feel about your resistance work now?

CA: I feel proud of the resistance movement today. The new generation in Chile today is clamouring for constitutional changes to the education system, a referendum, and participatory democracy. I believe that their parents (my generation) have served as an example for them. No struggle is fought in a vacuum; what we did in the 80s had an impact on what is happening today.

HL: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. I wish you all the best with your book.

This review was cross-posted at Rover Arts.

Review: Something Fierce by Carmen Aguirre

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:19:00 +0000

Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter
Carmen Aguirre
Douglas & McIntyre

In my next post, I will be posting an interview with the author.

How many left-leaning young women would have given up their quiet, comfortable pre-teen and teen years in North America to live as the daughter of a revolutionary? Imagine attending a middle school where you rub elbows with the children of rightwing political leaders, the very people your parents are working against. Or what about doing a little late afternoon grocery shopping only to come face to face with an armed secret service agent and having to run for your life. These are some of the personal experiences that Carmen Aguirre describes in Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter.

Aguirre’s parents were leftwing activists who were blacklisted after General Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected President Salvador Allende in 1973. The Aguirres were forced to flee their native Chile and live in exile in Vancouver. While Carmen’s father chose another life in Canada, her mother was determined to fight on. In 1979, when Carmen was 11, her mother took her and her younger sister back to South America to work in the resistance movement helping exiled dissidents return to Chile through its bordering countries. Her mother’s partner, Bob Everton, a Canadian internationalist who had been taken prisoner and tortured by the Pinochet regime in 1973, later joined them.

Carmen’s mother and Everton begin their undercover work in Lima, Peru, and gradually make their way through the Peruvian highlands to La Paz, Bolivia, where the family sets up a safe house for resistance members. Although Carmen is aware of the activities that are going on in her home, nothing is explained to her or her sister in explicit terms. This is where Carmen’s double life begins. To her Bolivian classmates, Carmen is a Canadian pre-teen, while at home she lives by socialist values instilled by her underground revolutionary mother. La Paz is where the young Carmen comes of age, listening to pop music and stealing kisses from boys, but always with a watchful eye on the potentially explosive streets of dictatorship-run Bolivia. At the same time, the U.S.-backed Operation Condor had been set up by right-wing dictatorships in Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Brazil employing secret service agents to eradicate socialist operatives such as Carmen’s mother and partner.

The family later moves to post-Malvinas Argentina where Bob and her mother clear paths through the Andes into Chile. Their existence is more challenging both physically and financially until Carmen’s mother decides that it is too dangerous for her teenage daughters and forces them return to Canada. But at age 18 Carmen returns to South America with her Argentine boyfriend, where they earn their pilots licenses in Argentina to fly returnees and goods into Chile. Aguirre lives through some harrowing experiences, but fights on until the movement ends in 1989.

What makes this book exceptional is that it features two generations of impassioned women revolutionaries, in addition to presenting several other courageous women resistance fighters. Although there have always been women involved in underground political movements, they are rarely given any ink. Nevertheless, what becomes apparent in Something Fierce is that the work is extremely demanding, both mentally and physically. Whether male or female, operatives have to be able to think on their feet, conceal and cope with unrelenting fear, terror and paranoia and, above all, be inconspicuous. It’s no small wonder that when Carmen Aguirre returned to Canada, she turned to her best-honed skill—acting. Today, she is an award-winning playwright having written and co-written 18 plays and has over 60 stage, film and TV acting credits.

If you have an interest in Latin American politics, have repeatedly watched the footage of the 1973 Chilean coup or ever dreamt of being a leftist revolutionary, Something Fierce is a must-read. This is a thoughtful, moving first-hand account of revolutionary life without any of the hackneyed heroics or patriotism. Parts of this book will definitely play over in your mind well after you’ve turned the page.

This review was cross-posted at Rover Arts.

Other review-related posts
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Antagonist by Lynn Coady
Irma Voth by Miriam Toews
Dogs at the Perimeter by Madeleine Thien
Going Down Swinging by Billie Livingston
Incendiary by Chris Cleave
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
The Girl Without Anyone by Kelli Deeth
Drive-By Saviours by Chris Benjamin

Occupons Montréal

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:08:00 +0000

I certainly enjoyed painting posters on Friday for the protest on Saturday. However, rain threatened to turn my efforts into coloured streams of soggy paper. My friend Fidel and I waited until the rain finished before we headed down to Square Victoria.

At a few blocks from the demonstration, we didn't hear any noise, but as we drew closer, it became apparent that there were many more people than we had anticipated. We started at the people's microphone, a method of communicating messages at the Occupy Wall Street protests. Because you need a permit in New York City to use a bullhorn, demonstrators have circumvented the bylaw by having the speaker address the crowd in short sentences, which are repeated in waves by the crowd. This is a great communication means because it demands that the crowd engage in active listening, while forcing the speaker to focus on the essentials of the message. For the speaker to get everyone's attention s/he simply says "Mic check!" Although we don't have the same bylaw regarding bullhorns in Montreal, the speakers were still waiting for the message to filter out to the edges of the crowd before starting another.

As Fidel and I climbed our way through the crowd, we met a lot of smiling people repeating the speakers messages and enjoying a few sunny breaks. We ran into an acquaintance who encouraged us to visit to the tent city where protesters had set up camp in the south end of Victoria Square, just in front of Quebecor. I was surprised by the organization of the encampment. In addition to campers, there was also a medics tent, a communications tent, a kitchen and plenty of drummers and dancing. We were also onsite when a brave man climbed the statue of Queen Victoria to hang a sign and put an anonymous mask on the dead monarch.

The demonstration finished with a march around the square, up Beaver Hall and west on St. Catherine's Street to the disbelief of motorists who were immobilized by marchers.

Other posts:
Response to the press
Anti-Wall Street March
Unions and Community groups that took part
Anti-WallStreet: News and Resources

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OccupyWS: Response to the Press

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:53:00 +0000

Mural by Nadine Samuel et al.

I'm just so sick of hearing the mainstream media asking the same question. "But what do these protesters really want?" This is the worst type of spin. You give the same answer and they keep asking the same exasperating question.

HELLO! It's about unfettered capitalism that has put the entire population at the mercy of the banks and corporations. You might call it the new feudal system, economic abuse or just greed. How about the catch-all phrase: economic inequality. We want the class mobility of our parents' generations. We want meaningful, secure jobs.

It seems that education, once the vehicle for class mobility, is no longer accessible to the majority. Sure we can still go, but we'll spend our entire lives paying off student loans. Our unions have been weakened and our working conditions are precarious because there is no bottom to the corporate bottom line.

BTW: if you are asked zee golden question, you might want to say that if the media had been doing its job of objective reporting in the first place, instead of towing the corporate line, then we wouldn't be in the mess we are today. Corporate interests have undermined the media's credibility as the fourth estate. Our national media is little more than corporate PR.

Occupy Montreal / Occupons Montréal and We are the other 99% /Nous Sommes le 99% will be holding a peaceful protest from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Victoria Square on Saturday, October 15. Decolonize Montreal / Décolonizons Montréal will be starting things off at noon. Let's take aim at our chartered banks and all the other greedy corporations. If you're having problems selecting whom you want to direct your protest at, then just pull out a random monthly statement and try to read the fine print. You'll quickly find yer target.

I hope to see you all there.

Don't forget the placard! Yes, placards are key.
My poster paint and bristol board are at the ready.

Happy Protesting!

Other related posts:
Anti-Wall Street March
Unions and Community groups that took part
Anti-WallStreet: News and Resources

For your viewing pleasure, watch FOX News wannabe Kevin O'Leary be taken down eloquently and handily by Chris Hedges

Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

noreply@blogger.com (AKAmamma) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:02:00 +0000

One of my favourite writing blogs, the Bookshelf Muse, had a post about writing suspense and cited the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins as an example of fine fiction. I'd never heard of the book, but I picked it up on Friday night and fell into some great post-apocalyptic storytelling. I just couldn't read it fast enough. It's a young adult novel about sixteen-year-old Catniss Everdeen who lives in Panem, one of the poorest districts of what was once the United States.

Catniss hunts, traps and gathers with a friend to feed her mother and younger sister. Catniss and her family, like most other people in district 12, live hand to mouth. Years before, the 13 districts waged war on the Capitol, but were defeated. Under the terms of surrender, each district has to send one boy and one girl annually to the Hunger Games, a televised event, where the participants fight until there is only one person left. The participants are selected by lottery. When the name of Catniss's younger sister is drawn, the elder Everdeen steps up to take her place.

Inspired by reality tv, the Hunger Games uses its audience and producers to decide the rules and the terrain as they go. Far from being the strongest, fastest or biggest, Catniss is a strategist, sizing up her opponents and using her own archery and hunting skills accordingly. She joins forces with Rue, another girl with a complementary skill set, until Rue is killed. Fortunately, her team mate is able to leave Catniss some important supplies, such as night vision glasses and leaves that draw out infection which help her later in battling some of her most formidable opponents.

After I finished the book, I was online buying Catching Fire, the second book in the trilogy. It's been a long time since I've stayed up a good part of the night reading. Sixteen-year-old Catniss is a wonderful, resourceful character that young adults can readily relate to and learn from. It's so refreshing to pick up a book about a teen who has so little concern about her outward appearance. Our heroine is self-effacing but nevertheless realistic about her skills and those of her opponents. I loved the grittiness of Catniss's character, and I think that so many young women will see her as a positive, intelligent role model. Another great aspect of this book is the teaming up of Catniss and Rue. The camaraderie between women rather than competition is another positive and welcome theme in this novel.

In short, I'm overjoyed to find a book with a non-traditional heroine who draws on all her physical and psychological skills to be the best she can be. This is a fabulous book that both young women and their parents will enjoy.

Other Y&A Related posts
More Girl Spies Please
50 Poisonous Questions by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
The Trouble with Marlene by Billie Livingston
The Orphan Rescue by Anne Dublin
Dead Time by Christy Ann Conlin

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