“LIKE” “SHARE”

Tags

"LIKE" campaigns, "Share", slacktivism, slacktivist, UNICEF Sweden

“LIKES” don’t save lives, according to UNICEF Sweden. (http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2013/05/unicef-strikes-back-against-slacktivism-likes-dont-save-lives.html)

I beg to differ.  “LIKE” campaigns do make a difference.  “LIKE” campaigns on Facebook and other social media sites create awareness of social issues and of crises that people around the world are facing.  Sometimes it translates into real dollars, sometimes it doesn’t.

Sometimes it is a corporation that says “LIKE” this, and we will give $1 to “insert name of cause”.  Well great, I support the cause.  I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to donate $ to the cause, so I will “LIKE” this and the cause will still get $.  Win-win.

Sometimes it is just an individual asking for “LIKES” to show support for their own individual goals, such as quitting smoking.  These kind of “LIKE” campaigns don’t do much, because as much as it is great to see that hundreds of thousands support this person’s efforts to be healthy, it really is up to the person’s willpower to make that change in his or her life.

While I do agree that the simple act of “LIKE”-ing something doesn’t mean that a life is instantly transformed, there is still power behind these campaigns.  There is a portion of the population what would never actively donate anything, to any cause.  A “LIKE” campaign actually gets these people to do something, even if it is just to click a button and help promote the campaign, and that is who these “LIKE” campaigns usually target, because ACTtivists are already involved in their causes and do more than just “LIKE” something.

Anyway, those are just some thought that I wanted to “Share”.  🙂

The Strategy for Play

Tags

allergies, bring back play, environment, environmental allergies, national play strategy, parks, parks and recreation, play, play initiative, play outdoors, recreation, sun sensitivity, sunburn, unstructured play' national play initiative

Perhaps I AM getting old and reflecting back on my younger, and much more care-free days is just part of the process.  Or it’s because I’m a parent and I’m lamenting on all the things that my kids are missing or seem to be missing in their experience as toddlers in the city. Or it’s because as I experience more, I seem to value more and more the many wonderful things nature and the environment can offer us. And I know part of it is because I work in a sector that is trying to revive outdoor play, and letting kids actually PLAY outside.

What in the world am I talking about?  I am talking about bringing nature back into our lives, and letting kids play….and not just play, but play outdoors, play the fun games we played outside like red-rover, riding our bikes to the park, and kicking the ball or balls in the backyard.  These are things that I want my kids to experience.  But at least for my family, it’s more complicated than just letting the kids go out to play.

My little girl sunburns very easily.  How easily?  Well, she can get sunburned in 15 minutes with the UV rating at 3 or 4.  I know because it’s happened, so she doesn’t get to play outdoors in the middle of the day.  When she goes outside and it is sunny (or even cloudy) she wears a wide-brimmed hat.  We keep sunblock in our bag at all times and have some at home.  We cannot enroll her in outdoor activities although I’m sure she would love it.  She loves to play, like all kids.  But it’s not as simple as letting our kids play outside.

As a care-giver, I too cannot go outside at times.  I am allergic to grass.  I also have allergies to trees.  Going outside when someone has mowed their lawn is not a pleasant experience with me.  When my husband mows the lawn, I am usually not home, or I stay indoors with windows closed, even though it may be 25 Celsius.  When he is done, he changes his clothes and leaves them outside before he comes in, and immediately proceeds to the shower.    My husband also has seasonal allergies.  Before opening any windows in the house, we always have to check with each other how we are doing.  It is not as simple as letting our kids play outside, because if we can’t go outside for a walk with the kids, then the kids can’t go outside.

Where are all these thoughts coming from?  They come from reading comments about outdoor programs disappearing from some communities, and comments about urban areas not understanding the importance of environment in recreation, and about the importance of bringing nature into play.  I am well aware of these things, but if recreation programs transform into mostly outdoor programs, you will not see my kids there, and I think a lot of kids who suffer from allergies, and parents who worry about sun-burn will not bring their kids there. Recreation professionals should do well to recognize that there are other issues that parents and caregivers take into consideration in whether their kids play outside, or whether they enroll their kids into outdoors programs.

Maybe I do worry too much about my kids, but I already feel enough guilt every time my little girl gets a sunburn because we wanted to walk to the park or the library, and I feel enough guilt that I don’t let her go to the park in the afternoon when she wants to, or when I can’t enroll her in a summer soccer program because they play outdoors.  Letting my kids play outdoors involves more than just taking them outside and watching them.

There are many mental and physical health benefits to play, especially unstructured play.  But I also have to consider all the risks that are involved every time we want to go outside to “play”.

If you surround a girl in parks and recreation…

Tags

exercise, inspiration, inspire, parks, parks & recreation, parks and recreation, recreation, spin, spin class

So it seems I have become somewhat of a driving force behind a now growing group of small people becoming more actively fit.  Well, perhaps the ignition.  I don’t think I’m much of a motivator although I do possess the enthusiasm.

It all started soon after I started working for a parks and recreation organization.  i suddenly found myself working with people who are knowledgeable about parks and recreation, and who were full of nutrition and fitness knowledge.  Not only did they have knowledge, they actually talked the talk.  The fridge at work was full of healthy food.  I barely ever saw anyone drinking pop or eat junk food at work, aside from home-made baked goods.  I felt guilty purchasing a bag of chips for my snacks, and eating them in front of my health-conscious colleagues, even to the point of feeling guilty just bringing it into the office.

My colleague who sits next to me bikes to work.  One of my managers also bikes to work when the weather is nice.  My direct manager actually teaches a spin class and leads a weekly walking group.  The CEO bikes on the weekends.  And then of course there was the nature of my work.  One great aspect of my job, is that I get to administer a teen physical activity grant program.  I get to promote teen physical activity programs. I get to see all the applications and programs that community organizations are developing to get teens moving, all over the province.

And of course the greatest motivator of all for me, is my kids, and wanting to be a good example to them of how to live a healthy life.

The next thing I knew, I was researching walking routes near work, so I can go for walks at lunch time (for the times that I CAN go out to lunch), then I was reading articles on healthy eating and healthy living, and the pandemic of the `sitting disease`.  Then I actually bought a pedometer.  Then finally, I brought forward the idea to my sister of joining an exercise class.  And now I go to a spin class on Mondays and Thursdays, and in May it will become spin on Mondays and cardio-kick-boxing on Thursdays.  And its not just my sister.  My sister`s colleague is joining us.  And now another wants to join.

Lead by example.

Surrounded by such health-knowledge people, I can`t help but be inspired to live the life they preach and practice.  And it feels good, especially since now it seems the spinning idea has gained momentum.  We just have to keep on trekking.

Who knows….maybe I`ll actually do the 24 hour relay one day.  That would be an awesome goal.  Forget a marathon or the Sun Run.  I`m thinking big, like climbing Mount Doom big (which I`m hoping I get to do someday).  But one spin class at a time.  I am just beginning afterall.

But if you immerse a girl in a parks and rec culture, chances are, she`ll be inspired to be healthy too.

I just hope I can keep up this new-found enthusiasm.

 

Hello, nice to meet you

Tags

pet-peeves, sky train, Transit, TransLink

Since starting my new job in December 2012, I have since become a regular public transit user.  Since becoming a transit user, I have made some nice discoveries, and not-so-nice discoveries.

1. Public transit is faster than sitting in traffic, and for the most part, a lot calmer.
2. Morning rush hour on the public transit system is very very quiet.  No one talks to anyone unless they know each other.  Often, this means I can close my eyes and not overhear any conversation.
3. Afternoon rush hour on the public transit system can be very hit and miss.  This is when the rudeness and selfishness rears its ugly head as people are trying to get home, and away from work.  Or maybe its because its a lot more noticeable on the crammed buses.  Ahem. Please take off your backpacks, and watch your arms please. Don’t invade my personal space.
4. It is very surprising when someone does talk to you, and has a nice conversation.  Sadly, I find myself wondering what this person wants from me.  Fortunately for these occasions, it always ended with a “nice to meet you” and “I’ll probably see you again.”

For the most part, taking public transit isn’t that bad.  Its a good system for getting to where I need to go – point A to B travel when you’re on a mission.  But, I wouldn’t use it as my main mode of travel with the family.  With kids in tow, I’ll take the minivan thanks.  I’ll stick with public transit for work only.

With transit, I think I’m only as committed as “Hello, nice to meet you,” and “I’ll probably see you again.”

I have a sinking feeling

*CRUNCH* *SMASH*

The sound of metal-on-metal crash interrupts my nightly computer play.  A sinking feeling and knowing thought enters my brain.  “Oh no!”  I try not to finish the thought.  I look out the living room window and there in the middle of the road is a dark coloured SUV in the middle of the road (on the wrong side of the road) and in a position it shouldn’t be (but still upright).

The neighbour’s car alarm is going off.  Yes, that car hit my neighbours car.  Actually, it hit one car, and caused that car to hit the car in front of it, which both belong to my neighbour.  My first thought is to call 911.  My husband’s first action (after telling him that I’m calling 911) is to go out the door to see if he can help with his first-aid training.  Thankfully, his first-aid training isn’t needed.  I go outside to let them know the ambulance is on the way, but there is also someone else on the phone, which I later found out is a witness.  We both go back inside the house since there is nothing else we can do, and I become a “lookie-loo” from my home, although just occasionally as I do have other things to do.

The police arrive, and firetruck arrive shortly.  Traffic is re-directed.  Oh look, pedestrians.  Are they really pedestrians or….wait, yes they stop at the cars.  Lookie-loos from down the street.  REALLY??  I mean, really??  You just HAD to come out of your house and look.  You’re not even helping, just standing and looking.  You really have nothing better to do?  And its not just one.  It looks like a family of them.  Three total, most likely from the same house-hold.

Now I really have no idea how long the lookie-loos stayed because I was looking out the window intermittently because that’s where my computer is….right by the window and I am doing my own thing for the most part; getting snacks, playing games, etc., so my lookie-loo part wasn’t as if I spent a lot of time or energy doing.  It was out of curiosity, mostly because it affected my neighbours and they are nice people and we get along with them.  I did not physically get out the door, walk down the street and stand at the accident site.  I have better things to do but whatever, its not my time.

But the husband and I did try to think of reasons a car would hit a parked car at such speed that it would damage two parked vehicles.  Our theories are: the guy was asleep, high on drugs, drunk, or distracted with cellphone or texting.  Since it was a Friday night, it really could have been anything, and he had to have been going fast enough to make a very loud crunch, and damage 2 parked vehicles.  Regardless of the reason, the neighbours who did nothing but park their cars on the street are going to pay for it in time and aggravation.  Now why does this scenario seem so familiar?  And why do people with such poor judgement drive??  Oh, its because they have poor judgement.  *sigh*

Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident.  And it certainly won’t be the last.

A Work in Progress: Written in 2002

Her image flickered before him, and he watched her physical appearance change on a whim, transforming herself into the very image of beauty.

It seemed so strange to react so strongly to a machine.  But a simple machine she wasn’t.  Morgan was more than mechanics, programming and calculations.  The sum of her parts was an Artificial Intelligence, unlike anything the world had seen.  Her ability to travel around the world and through communication channels at the speed of light, her ability to access infinitesimal information from all over the world while holding a conversation with a human and her perfect holographic body were not even comparable to the human emotion and consciousness she seemed to possess or invoke.

What little programs was she running now as she stood there in front of him, and what were they doing, he wondered.

She was perfect – for a machine.  She was everything a Human strove to be.  But when Ryou looked at her he felt awe and disgust.  No matter how Human Morgan appeared, it was the immortality, indescribable perfection, the indestructibility and the omnipotence of the artificial construct that twisted his insides in a knot.  She had no feelings, she had no real-life experiences.  She was a conscious entity, but created by artificial means.  She was an IT, an abomination, a monster that shouldn’t exist, that lived but didn’t have a soul, had a will but no true consciousness.  But he also understood how Dash could have once loved this creature.  As she appeared to him, she seemed the perfection of humanity.  In all actuality, she was a child, and yet nothing more than ones and zeros.  Her façade was perfect.  Aware of what she was, and aware of her abilities of manipulation Ryou remained distant and unimpassioned, but as she walked closer towards him, her body only inches away from him, he could feel her aura penetrate his, in an effort to draw him closer.  It was a battle of wills and she intended for him to lose.

She never did like to lose.

Did she have a soul?  Did she really have a consciousness?  But it was too late to ask those questions.  He knew what had to be done.  He knew what was about to happen, in only a few more hours.

(C) Copyright Connie Mah, 2002

Unfinished Dreams: Gardens and Patios

Somewhere in my head I have all these wonderful ideas of a vegetable garden large enough to sustain my family for the Summer.  In reality, all I strive for is a garden that would be able to supplement our diet, and reduce our grocery bills by just a little bit.  The true reality, though, is that money is needed to invest in that type of garden, as we will need quality soil, and raised garden boxes to grow the kind of vegetables and fruit that I want.  So money savings are out the door.

Then there is the challenge of time, and environment.  I am the mom of two little ones, and also allergic to many things outdoors.  I also have a great fear of spiders and insects, and do not like working under the hot hot sun, or in the rain.

So this is the true reality: whatever garden I work on will probably be mediocre, or just passable.  My veggie / herb / fruit crop this year will not be very much, and certainly won’t be very hearty, as I will be growing things out of pots and putting only the minimal amount of time and effort in them.  And at the moment, as I have no soil to put into my pots right now, my seeds remain unplanted, even though it is the best time to plant some of the seeds now (I believe I’m actually late in starting seeds anyway), so my garden will be even worse than passable.

I really do want to put in the effort though.  I just lack the timing and action, but I am plotting to change that.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  Very often, my plans just remain plans.

Daily Writing: Coffee Time

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coffee time

Coffee time is usually equated with that 15 minute break that you have in the morning during work hours, where you can run out and grab a coffee and a bite to eat, or go for a walk, or take out a book to read (or whatever else millions of people do during this “free” time).

Coffee time for me is now equated with “time to sit down” or breakfast time with the kids.  My 2.5 year old loves to help me make my coffee in the morning.  She will see me boil the water and measure out the coffee grounds into the French press, and she will ask to help.  I always have to remind her that she needs to wait and of course she can help.  And when everything is ready and the hot water and coffee grounds have intermingled for a minute or two, I bring the French press over to her, and she puts her hand on the little knob and pushes down to compress the coffee grounds.  When she has pressed down as far as she can go, a “Yaaaaay!” shoots from her mouth, followed with little bursts of clapping.  And I of course, “YAAAAAY” right along and clap with her, followed with a big “Thank you!  You make the best coffee!”

And when I say that, I’m not lying.  Because she does make the best coffee.  Not only does the coffee taste good, but its made with love, by one of the biggest loves of my life.

Now THAT is a good coffee break.

—–

By the way….is it coffee grounds or coffee grinds????

 

 

Products of the mind

This past week I have been feeling pretty good about myself.  I have been feeling quite lazy these days with the usual routine of taking care of babies, taking care of the house, and playing my fave online video games.  I had been feeling so uninspired and actually useless that I’d decided to abandon Cafe World for awhile (whether that’s temporary or not will be proven in time), and BE more productive.

Aside from blogging, I’ve actually made a few hand-made cards, and I even made birthday invitations for my youngest’s 1-year birthday (which isn’t even happening until late May!).  I’ve even decided that I will do some writing every day.  Although, I actually haven’t started on that task yet.

Not only am I a bit of a perfectionist but I find writing is an actual experience, and I don’t take it lightly.  Often times I will think about what I want to write, and I will dictate it in my head before even writing it down.  Mostly, this happens before bed, and I do end up with these wonderful passages of writing and conversation inside my head that SHOULD be recorded.  But when I am in bed, I am tired, exhausted and/or sleepy, and I am nowhere near pen and paper, so I often end up deciding I would rather sleep than get up to write it.  I think naively that I will remember the subject in the morning, as well as the prose, ideas and thoughts, but I wake up with a blank slate, barely remembering the topic itself.  It happens too commonly and although I would like to have had it written down, I feel no regrets about losing the words because I do value my sleep more, and I have a rich imagination and wonderful world inside my imagination that I can go to any time I want.

As for the actual experience of writing, I always feel that I need to have a specific environment to become absorbed in it.  Although I know that is not true, it is how I feel.  I suppose I equate the act of writing to nostalgia, music, beautiful notebooks and paper pages, pens and words that flow easily, and a mixed sense of peace, and urgency.  In other words, I need to be in an environment that compels me to write out my thoughts and to share the world(s) that I have created in my mind.  Sometimes it takes quite a bit of time before I can actually reach that state of mind, especially if I’m using the computer.

Most of the time though, I am quite content to keep my stories in my head as that imaginary world develops and evolves.

I know I should be more productive though, in all aspects of my life.  At least I’m making a start.  Blogging, writing, card-making, going on adventures and new outings with the family and kids….there is always something to break the routine, and to stimulate the body, mind and soul.

Time to stay out of that rut.

Written sometime in 1998

I don’t have the power to change the world, but that never stops me from trying. Increment by increment, my influence on individuals and on events and structures are positive ones, or at least I hope, That is what I beilieve. That is what I have faith in.

My name is Damian Sui, a thirty four year old history teacher and translator. Deciphering codes is my specialty, which is why the space program has brought me on this mission. They don’t know what kind of culture they will find on Earth, or what language the Terrans will know. I am one of few civilians on this “recovery” mission, but its more like a discovery mission because up until 6 days ago, Earth had been uninhabitable, until The Violet had crashed on to the planet’s surface.

So this is how I ended up sitting across from General Grant Minmei, the great war hero. His hair is a very pale blonde now, almost pure white and his crystal blue eyes are soft and full of sadness. A contrast, to the rumoured intense brown eyes he used to have before and during the war. But this man can change his appearance with a single thought. Maybe this is his true form. Or maybe he no longer knows.

He looks at me as if he knows me. Maybe he does. Maybe I’ve met him in his other forms. Or maybe he knows why I’m so eager to go to Earth. Maybe he was the one who gave in to my unrelentless pursuit to find a position on any mission to Earth because he is going for the same reasons – Ryou Obayashi, his former comrade, his former deity, and his former commander; my lost father.

The two of us eat silently in the mess hall as civilians on my right and soldiers on my left discuss all the possible things we may find on Earth, and all the possible reasons of the sudden appearance of life on Earth. I wonder at the slim possibility of finding my father, and I imagine the world that he had fought for; the world he had also destroyed.

In the middle, the two of us belong to both conversations, but I choose to be silent, as I always am. And I know that —– sitting on my left, Minmei is choosing to be silent with me. I wonder why. Minmei, though, is listening to both conversations, ready to jump in at anytime, just like any trained soldier, ready for anything and everything. Or maybe he is studying everyone, being the Strategos, labelling us and filing our names into his mind. Too many maybe’s. Too many possibilities. But only one reality.

 

(C) Copyright Connie Mah 1998