Category Archives: musings

A quick note to myself




The Berkeley Diaries Cont….



















My drug den home :)

so here is a story that I was told today about Casa Zimbabwe, aka, the drug den…..
long, long ago (last fall) the residents of CZ were divided up into two sects. the democratic-y sect, and the anarchists. the anarchists would sit on the smokers balcony hating life and being hardcore and organizing parties for the house. the other group would go about things pretty much regularly, partying here, going to uni, getting drunk there. All in a days work.

Each group had its affiliates; the people who would vote for its policies at council meetings, support it in house decisions, hang out with it at parties. Much like a mucked up situation in Australia that I know of, there were those independent parties, free rangers, one might call them, who swung from group to group, never realizing their affect on the politics of the co-operative drug den.

Then came a new group decision. the anarchists put forth the motion that CZars should be able to break bottles and glass in the common living space. If any member wanted, they should be able to smash a bottle, and create mess. or chaos. which is what the anarchists believed in. Free autonomy. The ability to do whatever one pleases, as members of a free society and democratic house.

However, there was conflict. the liberal co-opers did not agree with the obvious, nay, necessary notion of broken glass shards all over the floors of their kitchen. They put forward arguments that people could get hurt, that glass is indeed, rather sharp, and that smashing and breaking things promoted violence in the house. These opposing views had house members at odds with each other for months. Bottles went unbroken, floors remained suspiciously clean, but workshifts too, were done slackly by the anarchists, who felt crushed by a higher authority who did not care for their needs.

eventually, the co-opers of yore (last fall) came to the mutually beneficial agreement to reserve an area of the courtyard specifically for the smashing of bottles. Many co-opers will go there daily to get their smash on. It is a much beloved facility that Casa Zimbabwe has to offer.  And those who do not partake in activities involving broken glass do not have to be involved, which keeps a light an cheery atmosphere for all!

isn’t that wonderful?

This is how things work in the house I have moved into. Co-opers put forward motions, about aspects of life they feel need changing, for the good of all. Eventually, we come to group decisions about them. As well as cooking and cleaning co-operatively, people try to live co-operatively, and that involves some serious politics. better than anything I think I could learn in a political science class 🙂

Joking aside, though, this is a wonderful place. I shit you not that that story is 100% true (with my dramatic embellishments, of course), but this is a colourful, loud, awesome place to be. Right across from campus. And the community feel and culture of the place is unlike anything i’ve ever experienced before. It’s run by students, therefore noone here is older than, say, 26. very different from kibbutz, with many a responsible adult deciding what is right, and what should go. The system here is constantly changing, and adjusting as people move in and out. First council meeting is tonight, and then I am signing up for IKC, intensive kitchen clean, my first shift.


p.s. congratulations to all my lovely AUSTRALIAN JITTERBUG CHAMPIONS! you rock my socks. especially one particularly awesome SHOWCASE event. 😀 😀 😀 😀 :D!

A second attempt!!

so I think i’ve jinxed myself up and down….: its friday the 13th, I slept through my alarm, my vital visa form almost did not arrive, I told a whole lot of people that i’d probably be back in 2 weeks, and to top it all off, I walked the dog last night and forgot to being a plastic bag, so was unable to pick up some dog business, so major bad karma as well as jinxing.

but my theory is, I am currently SO jinxed up, that the jinxing has counteracted itself and I am back to neutral. yeah? does that make NO sense whatsoever?! I thought so 😀 hooray!!!

as much as I whinged the whole week, it was really wonderful to see you all again, especially it was amazing to spend so much time with the family. being together really makes me happy, and even though it was under terrible circumstances, I feel very blessed to have you all.  and that goes to all the friends who showed themselves to be so much more than expected this week.

Zaida Arie taught me to keep taking on new challenges and to keep learning new things about life and yourself even after everyone else seems to have stopped or slowed down.  so America should freaking watch out! (in a non threat-to-homeland-security-way.) last time I was nervous to go, but right now, GET ME ON TO THAT PLANE. 😀

other than that, heaps of excellent things came of coming home, full list to come later (or likely, not, as I hopefully wont have time to write it.)

but in the end, nothing is really lost, Im still making it to the Seattle Lindy Exchange tonight!!!

YAY!!! what could be better?!?!!!!!

On Leaving, and Plane Letters

Its a really wonderful thing that in life there is no limit to the number of people and things that you can love. love isnt something you have to save, or guard, its not running out, you can always, always make more, and most important, you can give it to as many people as you want, all at the same time.

the more you make, the stronger it grows. what else is like that?

and when you give it, you get some back, even if indirectly. it always finds its way back to you somehow. so you can give it without worrying.

people are too careful with their love. they worry it will be wasted, but can it really ever be a waste? loving things makes us more beautiful and the world more beautiful.

I go away a lot. and often, Im amazed by the sheer number of people I know, people who are important to me. I’m looking back on 2008 and thinking how I was so sure I knew and loved as many people as was possible.

lies. just look how that number has grown. youre all very much wonderful.

sorry for my random musings, this was the cotents of my head whilst on the plane.

have officially touched down in LA!

Mbali, let me tell you now that getting off the plane at LAX is not nearly as awesome as miley cirus makes it sound… that airport is like being beaten over the head with a lion.