Tonight the moon was bright, brighter than I can remember it being for a while. Where the clouds were non-existent and the sky was clear, the moon lit up the sky. I noticed it on my walk home from the bus, and I knew I had to spend a little time with it. With vices in hand, ipod equipped with Iron & Wine, I had some good quality time with my beautiful Victorian night sky. I was thinking about the number of nights I have spent out there, on those stairs this year. Countless; certainly more than the number I have not spent out there.
Nearly nearly there. First year of law school done. That's something.
Rach,
from another stunning Victorian night
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
In the eye of the exam hurricane.
6 days left. 3 exams to go. Glory days are not far off. I think I can do this. I have the stamina to get er done. This exam period is mildly more humane. THe extra days between have saved me for sure. That and a purpose I think. That and the knowledge that I can do this, with votes of confidence from within, and external motivation from the real world, the school world too i suppose.
In what should be the eye of the hurricane, I feel calm. Well calmer than expected at least. Maybe I will feel differently tomorrow, but with these days of sanity in between its all bearable.
I've not much more tonight. Contracts and Constitutional down, Crim, Property and Torts to come. Pressure through till the end. I got this.
Rach,
from the first Victorian night in a while. Beautiful shining moon, and its getting warmer. I will miss them...
In what should be the eye of the hurricane, I feel calm. Well calmer than expected at least. Maybe I will feel differently tomorrow, but with these days of sanity in between its all bearable.
I've not much more tonight. Contracts and Constitutional down, Crim, Property and Torts to come. Pressure through till the end. I got this.
Rach,
from the first Victorian night in a while. Beautiful shining moon, and its getting warmer. I will miss them...
Saturday, April 12, 2008
El verano en Guatemala!
This week, I received some very exciting news. I got the position in Guatemala for which I applied.
I am soooooo excited. I get to work in a legal aid clinic in Rabinal, and town in an area about 5 hours north of the capital where some of the most terrible human rights abuses of the civil war occured in 1982 during the civil war. I get to work in international human rights law, prepparing things that will go before the Inter American court of Human Rights. I get to work with the people on case work and go to court occasionally in a near-by town supporting the people who we with.
I get to speak Spanish. I get to immerse myself in a country that I have never been to before, and where I have always wanted to go (not that that doesn't mean I don't want to go to every country...). I get to change things on an individual level, chipping away at something on a broader level at the same time. I get to use this law that I have been learning all year to do good things, justice things. I get to learn about the history and culture of these people. I get to read in the evenings, and speak to people all day.
When I met with the partner on Thursday I mentioned that it was perfect. Like...in a game of match this person to this job, I would get matched with doing International Human Rights work in a Spanish speaking country for the summer. I am so excited and I feel really fortunate to be able to have this amazing opportunity. I feel really lucky and honoured to be as, Jack said, a flag bearer for lots of others who aren't able to go at this point in their lives.
I will be swapping my Victorian nights for Guatemalan evenings near the beginning of May...but not before a visit home first. I'm a happy woman this evening.
Rach
from a beautiful, clear, starry, stunning, and not cold (!) Victorian Night.
I am soooooo excited. I get to work in a legal aid clinic in Rabinal, and town in an area about 5 hours north of the capital where some of the most terrible human rights abuses of the civil war occured in 1982 during the civil war. I get to work in international human rights law, prepparing things that will go before the Inter American court of Human Rights. I get to work with the people on case work and go to court occasionally in a near-by town supporting the people who we with.
I get to speak Spanish. I get to immerse myself in a country that I have never been to before, and where I have always wanted to go (not that that doesn't mean I don't want to go to every country...). I get to change things on an individual level, chipping away at something on a broader level at the same time. I get to use this law that I have been learning all year to do good things, justice things. I get to learn about the history and culture of these people. I get to read in the evenings, and speak to people all day.
When I met with the partner on Thursday I mentioned that it was perfect. Like...in a game of match this person to this job, I would get matched with doing International Human Rights work in a Spanish speaking country for the summer. I am so excited and I feel really fortunate to be able to have this amazing opportunity. I feel really lucky and honoured to be as, Jack said, a flag bearer for lots of others who aren't able to go at this point in their lives.
I will be swapping my Victorian nights for Guatemalan evenings near the beginning of May...but not before a visit home first. I'm a happy woman this evening.
Rach
from a beautiful, clear, starry, stunning, and not cold (!) Victorian Night.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
The Corporation
Tonight I did end up watching The Corporation after a very long day of studying at school, though it was a lovely study session with P. O'Neill. So um...wow. I don't even know where to begin with this one. Pfizer went into a community, built a building for housing, and since it was near a subway stop that "used to have a lot of crime", Pfizer constructed large turnstiles to keep people from taking shelter in the subway station. They went into the community, and displaced the residents of that community, for the betterment of that community.
Did you know that you can actually live in a town created by Disney. Its the most insane thing ever. The town is Celebration, Florida. It is the great American town, stars and stripes in front and everything. They have main street, and is about 15 000 people. Does that sound a little frightening. Can you even imagine?
Did you know the US Supreme Court said you can patent life forms? Anything but a human being. How can you own genes? I don't understand. Essentially we are going to commodify everything on this earth...
Monsanto...uck. Fuck. We'll tell you what the news is, says Fox to its own employees. I don't care about the truth. Falsifying news is not against the law apparently in the States at least.
This is just shocking. Joel Baken; You are amazing.
Much love to all,
Rachael
from a cool, clear, starry victorian night.
on a note of ps- i photographed a strawberry tonight. the results are fascinating. Photos to come.
Did you know that you can actually live in a town created by Disney. Its the most insane thing ever. The town is Celebration, Florida. It is the great American town, stars and stripes in front and everything. They have main street, and is about 15 000 people. Does that sound a little frightening. Can you even imagine?
Did you know the US Supreme Court said you can patent life forms? Anything but a human being. How can you own genes? I don't understand. Essentially we are going to commodify everything on this earth...
Monsanto...uck. Fuck. We'll tell you what the news is, says Fox to its own employees. I don't care about the truth. Falsifying news is not against the law apparently in the States at least.
This is just shocking. Joel Baken; You are amazing.
Much love to all,
Rachael
from a cool, clear, starry victorian night.
on a note of ps- i photographed a strawberry tonight. the results are fascinating. Photos to come.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
My brain pressed release
Me
Only ever me
Ever only me
Friends across oceans, land masses, the Georgia Straight
Too far to hold
Too far
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. A life dominated and characterized by fear.
I'm afraid you won't like me. I'm afraid you don't like me. I am afraid.
When we are afraid, we don't live.
When we fear failure, we don't try.
When we love, we lose, but inevitably first we win, and we shouldn't forget that first we won.
But sometimes life happens. When we fail too often, we no longer want to try. When we lose too much, we don't have much remaining and how do we start over from nothing?
Shards of our former selves, we hang on to what we have. Each other.
Fellow persons. As people, we want to matter.
Matter to who? To the world. What do I care what the world thinks? Its thankless and owes me nothing. But I'm here, and I'm here now.
We can't change the whole world. We can't. I can't. I want. I want to change the world.
Who can? Is it unchangeable? Is it changeable at all? Where do we start? Here. right here?
One person at a time.
You.
Me.
Us.
We.
We can.
I hope.
Hope and despair.
A Fine Balance we all walk.
Only ever me
Ever only me
Friends across oceans, land masses, the Georgia Straight
Too far to hold
Too far
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. A life dominated and characterized by fear.
I'm afraid you won't like me. I'm afraid you don't like me. I am afraid.
When we are afraid, we don't live.
When we fear failure, we don't try.
When we love, we lose, but inevitably first we win, and we shouldn't forget that first we won.
But sometimes life happens. When we fail too often, we no longer want to try. When we lose too much, we don't have much remaining and how do we start over from nothing?
Shards of our former selves, we hang on to what we have. Each other.
Fellow persons. As people, we want to matter.
Matter to who? To the world. What do I care what the world thinks? Its thankless and owes me nothing. But I'm here, and I'm here now.
We can't change the whole world. We can't. I can't. I want. I want to change the world.
Who can? Is it unchangeable? Is it changeable at all? Where do we start? Here. right here?
One person at a time.
You.
Me.
Us.
We.
We can.
I hope.
Hope and despair.
A Fine Balance we all walk.
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