occupy cal

 Singing with the gospel choir for occupy cal has been a highlight for me since i returned last year to finish my architecture degree.  maybe i waited so long to finish is so that i could be at this university during this period in history..as i am close to finishing i feel gratitude for what a wonderful, dynamic place this school is..i can feel the minds buzzing all around me..when i left to live abroad i was disillusioned with the USA, especially its politics and consumer culture..it took me 15 yrs in Europe before i felt it was time for me to return..after arriving back to live in california once again, i realized that what i missed most of all was its smell...the combination of white sage, artemisia, and hot rocks brought tears to my eyes as i breathed in deep...when my first husband , our 1 yr old daughter, Freya, and I went to Mexico City for a two months artist  in residence they gave us lodging close to the main plaza, el zocalo...we walked through the plaza everyday to get to the gallery...Freya would begin to bounce many blocks away and it wasn't until we got closer that i could make out the aztec drumming...during the day a small group adorned with feathers and sparkling costumes conducted ceremonies.. Freya would watch mesmerised, swaying and stepping to the beat...in the evening many locals joined them, dressed in everyday clothing..they would dance the dances of their ancestors..occupying the plaza and reclaimed their right to worship..

day of the dead

 a sacred space for the evening bringing old friends together to build this alter, inviting new friends to join in celebration and ritual in the evening, the carpets in front of the alter command respect and the crowds pause to gaze at the alter's beauty, some stay longer, take off their shoes, sit down and join in the communal music making that takes place later in the evening, we pass the mike around as people take turns singing and rapping their thoughts backed by electric tamburas, african drums, ethereal guitar and middle eastern scales on the accordion, what a blessing to create beauty and attract the sacred

occupy berkeley

i grew up feeling like the 1 % in the San Fernando Valley.  the 1 % of the LA culture that wasn't into consumerism, most of my peers wanted to hang out at shopping malls,  i avoid shopping centers and when i enter into a supermarket i put on my sunglasses to shield my eyes from the flourescent light and race around frantically to grab every thing i need quickly or i wander around aimlessly for a while and leave with nothing having forgotten what i came in for. are we really the 99 %?  marching in oakland yesterday confirmed to me that at the moment we are still the 1 % or maybe even less than 1%, as a few thousand of us wandered around the city center i kept wondering how many people live in the bay area, how many millions?  trying to do the math in my head to figure out what percent of us were in those streets yesterday.