Racism and Discrimination
During the long weekend, I had a chance to catch up with my high school friends from whom I haven't spoke to in a while. We met up at Mirage because I couldn't finish my desert at the last place. One of them in particular, of whom I knew since grade 7, was recently dismissed from the Canadian Army due to prejudice towards minorities. Before that, I was filled with excitement from what goes on with training and stuff because it's what I've missed due to my kidney. My ol'friend describes of his experience as one that thickened the skin, built confidence and understood where his physical limits are (2-3 hrs/night of sleep for a week). The only draw back from what I saw was the resentment left in him towards white-ness. I really didn't know what to say except to refer to how believers are also resented in the name of the Lord. It's a cheap response to something so dramatic. I felt actually kind of guilty trying to normalize his bitterness as if it could be diluted with biblical references. What can you really say in that situation?
I don't know how it is to be singled out due to my color, only out of place on some softball teams and pubs where there's only white people, but yet still having my fun, relieving myself of the pressures of thinking too much. As much as I can recall my presence in a lot of white towns outside T.O., I've never felt any pressure to work harder so to make myself an equal of someone else's eyes, especially to prove the worth of my pigment. Besides that, I wished I had gone to the army to toughen my skin up but the big guy up there had other plans (I still don't know what those big plans were). Now that everyone has practically left Toronto, I'm stuck going nowhere. Going away to live sounds so fun except in Andy's situation, who has to work 70 hours on a relatively relaxed week in the Bahamas. I can't consider my backpacking trip a comparable experience to living aboard - living aboard has a certain ring to it I like (which reminds me of all the pictures I wanted to frame up but haven't had a chance to; I bought them on the third day and it was a constant annoyance for the next 3 weeks because wherever I go, I had to make sure the corners weren't folded or creased). Here are some highlights:
London:
Florence (Boboli Gardens - huge garden): Some queen didn't like the house she lived in so she had a cottage made. This place was so big I got lost for 30minutes before I could find a way out. Looks like one of those things you only see in movies.
Venice:
Switzerland: Sean, guy from front with his hand up. Not the guy with the hat. That night, me and Sean and some other guys were finishing up the hot pepper liquior - entire bottle - after which we threw up over balcony on the flower bed and steps into the motel. The hosts weren't very happy with us in the morning.
Lastly my long lost cousin: I haven't seen this guy in like 16 years back in HK. He was taking an astrology masters or degree in a city 4 hrs west of London. I remember him crying alot when he was young. Right now, he's in HK leading wilderness camping tours and astrology/star sighting at night. Pretty cool guy I must say - he didn't want a hair cut because it costs 20pounds over there (50CND or 55/60USD).
posted by chiubacca @ 7:04 PM
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