...What a weekend! So lovely I had to just blog about it =)
...Not to mention, it's been on my to-do list forever, to blog more regularly. However with guilty pleasures like Twitter and facebook, it seems like such a task to write more than 140 characters sometimes...haha. But aside from my ultra-private journal entries that go in a journal made of paper, and written with a pen (how archaic, huh?!), I must keep writing! Helps the memory. ...aaaanyways....
Last Friday morning, I was done with the week - had a good, rigorous 4-5 days, and my body was ready to sleep. I looked at my weekend schedule and winced slightly - no sleeping in on Saturday OR Sunday. (sigh).... so I stayed in and slept on Friday (sorry Bam, obviously didn't make it out to Dena)
Saturday at 9am - started with my usual workout with the ladies, which nicely set off my energetic weekend. The traffic-ridden drive on the 101, 110, 105, and 5 let me coordinate my artist's itinerary for the day, catch up with my brother in SF, receive direction from my mom in Alhambra, coordinate with the homegirls for the evening's events, and catch up a little with the homies from Seattle.
By the late afternoon, I'm at the Aratani Japan American Theatre in Little Tokyo, for the premiere of my my friend Tad's film, "A Song for Ourselves." Bam's performing with Kiwi, opening up the show, so I'm doing the manager thing. Our team member Jana Lynne, who usually handles our merch, is handling her own big event at UCI, so I'm out there selling some shirts and CDs. Walking through the backstage brought back fond memories of when we, the Women of the Balagtasan Collective opened for Chicago spoken word group I Was Born With Two Tongues back on 2003.
Out in the front of the house, it was exciting to see everyone who came out - of course, all the homies, some of whom I haven't seen in months; not to mention quite a few Asian American heavyweights - activists, academics, artists (or all three embodied in one!)...Jollene and I watched folks pass, saying, "wow, I read your textbook in college..." so needless to say, I was pretty geeked. There isn't much in the press, or in prominent collective memory of mainstream America, about progressive people of color, much less Asian Americans. So to see these people, our communities together, is an inspiring and constant reminder that the struggle against injustice continues, and we still need to continue to fight, and to build.
So Tad's film. Oh gosh what can I say. Well, I met Tad when he entered UCLA in 1999 or 2000. I was finishing up my coursework, and we were all part of the same crew, bound together by being students of color with progressive beliefs and values, most easily recognized as a coalition called "Students First!" or, "Praxis." What I remember about Tad, was that even in challenging times within the coalition, he always reminded us that we need to work together, that we cannot let "other" forces keep us from forwarding the movement of which we are a part. Now for some of us who were, at the time, a little older, a little jaded, a little tired... it was either music to our ears, or naivete, depending on our mood :)
So I knew Tad as my college buddy, and only later did I find out his cool lineage :), when I watched his first film, Yellow Brotherhood. And then of course I saw Pilgrimage, and I remember thinking as I watched, Tad's message is always the same - we are all connected through our struggles, and we must continue to forward the movement from those that came before us.
A Song for Ourselves. Wow. Again, he weaves the personal with the political, as he did in YB. In doing community work - or hell, just working period - sometimes a person can get so involved with their work, that one can become disconnected with our own humanity. In introducing the story of Chris Iijima to us, it was a beautiful reminder, that as people who identify as "activist," or "political," or "progressive," who constantly struggle with our beliefs versus the reality and practical application of those beliefs, that there is no ... exact discourse; no exact roadmap, to accomplishing that "greater goal" of justice and self-determination. "...you can be 'political' and a human being. You can make your life a 'normal' life, and take your politics with you... it's possible."
All of our principled actions contribute to that greater goal, of which the motivator, the moving force, is love. Love was prevalent in this film - love within the movement, the community, friendship, family and even romantic love. (geez, maybe that's why I cried through most of it! haha) On commenting about their partnership, Chris told hiw wife Jane that in his 20s he would not have dated a white woman (something that will always be taboo in ethnic communities). What they have - it was just, love. That's all. No boundaries, just love. It didn't detract from his life, or his work. Jane noted that it was the community's power that carried their family though Chris's sickness. And of course it tugged at my LA heartstrings when he said, he found community in Los Angeles =).
The performances, of course, were amazing. The Native Guns performed - a special request from Tad. It was nice to hear folks still remember the call-and-response. It conjured up memories of when I worked with the group, and that time of my life. It was an honor to get to hear Nobuko and Charlie Chin (very witty guy!). They had a stool there too, I take it, that was for Chris. I didn't get to watch the Blue Scholars, but the sound of the bass and Geo's signature baritone reverberated past the walls well enough :)
The homegirl Krish and I finally got to experience Kogi BBQ tacos together. How nice was Bam to watch the merch table while she and I elbowed our way to the top of the line.
So that was Saturday. Haha.
Sunday was lovely and peaceful. It was a beautiful, sunshine day. Waking hours were spent nursing my sweetie and his 101 degree fever. :( Stocked up the fridge with his favorite water, gatorade, and chicken soup. Wrapped him up in blankets, and as he slept, I was off to the West Valley with my roommate to do some girly wedding prep stuff, as well as some light shopping. I took note of some lovely stilettos, that I will return to after the March bills are paid.
Next up was my goddaughter Kaya's birthday party. It's always happy love to see Malcolm and Kaya... to hear Malcolm scream "Auntie Kat!" upon seeing me through the net of the moonbounce - music to my ears.
After stuffing myself with Vallarta marinated chicken and carne asada topped with sweet onions, cilantro and a dollop of salsa.... I gave my kumadre Vanessa aka SuperMom a hug and a kiss, and was back on the 101 south. Just wound down the day and the weekend as the sun set... thankful for fevers that broke, for friends, for music, for children, for sunshine.
...Have a great week!
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