Thursday 30 August 2012

Parrhesia: Suck It Up!





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A reader in Vancouver sent me a recognition, an acknowledgement of this blog - which blows me away to put me in my place - literally. A gift: one word! There actually is a descriptive term for my writing-process - focus, content/form and urgency behind it.




I have never been particularly concerned with cuddly validation from readers, simply having written what needs to be written. But - of course - what follows is that there would be those who feel safer hiding behind form than facing content, and they uniformly express this with a by now predictable monosyllabic reaction - pouting.

Done with vague institutionalized spirituality and Eastern religious dramatics, it's come down to integrity - the place to be for me now - but I still am not averse to a reassuring poke. Getting that with this hook - an added bonus is that there's no person attached to it: no conditional rewards.
In a word .....




Parrhesia

With two possible applications of this word, the one I refer to relates to rhetoric and originates in Greek. In Wikipedia it is a figure of speech described as: to speak candidly or to ask for forgiveness for so speaking. In the Greek-language word's construct: all + utterance literally means saying everything; this extending to saying it freely, with boldness. It implies not only freedom of speech, but the obligation to speak the truth for the common good, even at personal risk.

Parrhesia was a fundamental component of democracy of Classical Athens. In assemblies and courts Athenians were free to say almost anything.

Democracy in the original.

More recently, in his Fearless Speech, Michel Foucault, French philosopher out on a limb, says In parrhesia, the speaker uses his freedom and chooses frankness instead of persuasion; truth instead of falsehood or silence; the risk of death instead of life and security; criticism instead of flattery; and moral duty instead of self-interest and moral apathy.
Weeell, I don't see myself going as far as risking death within the Nelson-context - but I certainly choose life. Security not so much, as for the rest - bring it!

Also see post:
Nelson - Speak-Up!
6 Oct. 2011





                                      It is what it is.






Thank you, Margot!


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Sunday 19 August 2012

Canada's Comfort in Racism





...
The previous post - immediately below this one - segues seamlessly into today's: from local institutionalized racism into national institutionalized racism. It seems the colonials had it right all along: white on white in white is the way to go!

Even though the Harper declared otherwise or not at the G-20 Meeting in Pittsburgh, Sep. 25, 2009:
We are the country everybody would like to be. ...We also have no colonialism. So we have all the things that many people admire about great powers, but none of the things that threaten or bother them.




Recently obtained through the Access to Information Act: The Canadian Press (CP) has now made public information based on a report commissioned by the Bank of Canada (B of C) from The Strategic Counsel(?), 2009.

And it goes like this: Prior to letting loose the new, improved plastic-money, Nov. 2011 - this Counsel ran focus groups in Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Fredericton to gauge the public's feelings around the new designs. Members of these (such) groups were (customarily are) strictly profiled and sign-up for the money. In this case to the tune of $53.000 overall. Their opinions are hardly spontaneous, definitely not random-samplings.




The image of a scientist - sitting at a microscope, with a bottle of Insulin nearby - is getting much attention in Bank bans 'Asian' woman from $100 banknote, Dean Beeby/CP, Aug. 17. Because some thought in these focus groups - how much is not mentioned here - objected to her Asianness as doggone Uncanadian.

I do not want to get into the stupidity of that one, nor do I want to get into the stupidity of said Counsel and the stupidity of the B of C for immediately pulling the design and modifying it into "neutral" ethnicity, so that now Her light features appear to be Caucasian. But neutral ethnicity does not connect comfortably with her light features appearing to be Caucasian. You want neutral - you get Caucasian?
The hole is getting deeper!

In the write-up, Jeremy Harrison - spokesman for the B of C - is quoted as saying that as a matter of banknote-design policy The original image was not designed or intended to be a person of a particular ethnic group. But obviously when we got into focus groups, there was some thought the image appears to represent a particular ethnic group, so modifications were made.
Some thought!




While there was additional thought - all this thoughting could make a man dizzy! - that a strand of DNA next to the scientist was a sex toy. And on all the notes the clear-plastic insert was a female body.
You get the picture!
Both also modified just like that - the strand of DNA now being a nothing twirl.

Particularly frightening here is that - what with modifications presumably not made to the overall design of the woman - louping something Asian in her small facial features must be coming from a very deep place very close to the surface of the observants' minds!
The original design is not available - the design shown here is post nip & tuck.
That multi-culturalism thing - over and done with once and for all!




Upon leaving his post in Ottawa in 1984, Lord Moran - British High Commissioner - tells his bosses in London in a valedictory dispatch that Canadians are deeply unimpressive.
Anyone who is moderately good at what they do in literature, the theatre, skiing or whatever, tends to become a national figure. And anyone who stands out at all from the crowd tends to be praised to the skies and given the Order of Canada at once.
                                                                         Associated Press, Oct. 18, 2009
                                                              
Oh, my Lords - could it be that Mum has not been amused with us all along?






Back to the CP write-up.
One person in Fredericton commented: "The person on it appears to be of Asian descent which doesn't represent Canada. It is fairly ugly!"












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Thursday 16 August 2012

Redfish Grilled and Deboned





...
Redfish Grill
formerly
Amanda's
formerly
Seven Seas
formerly
Ken's
formerly
New Star
formerly
Commodore
formerly
LD (Little Davenport?) Restaurant,
this started by Gee Pong's father, who also put-up the building itself in the 1910s.
The building has been Chinese-Canadian-owned since its beginning - as was the restaurant on the groundfloor, until that was taken over by an Anglo-Canadian as the
Redfish Grill.
Sometimes there was a single owner, sometimes a family, sometimes a partnership. Partnerships always based on a mutual understanding - no written contracts - and profits were shared equally, regardless of a partner being dishwasher or chef. All partners did what they were good at and were respected for it.

This restaurant, in all its incarnations - like others Chinese-Canadian-owned here - was of great importance, because over many years it gave work to large numbers of Chinese when they arrived in Nelson: often with no skills - like English. Here they learned about pies and BLTs - they also learned the language. It was not only a place of employment but also meant companionship and safety. Many of them are still around, uniformly having become successful in Nelson and area, in Vancouver and Calgary.




In the 70s, the Wong family became owners of the building, running the restaurant as well. But the order of all the restaurant/cafe names and owners - between the beginning and yesterday - may be remembered a bit vaguely now among them. We are looking at about 100 years.

The upstairs was a rooming-house, mostly for single Chinese men but sometimes also for those with a bride brought over from home. Families were started here. Sometimes there were whites.

The history of this building is of remarkable depth - richer than that of most buildings here. But it does not figure within Nelson's one-trick-pony heritage.


A while ago the Redfish Grill building burned down, with the shell left more or less intact. So for a short time there was idle talk of seeing something built here with the facade kept: the ruin immediately becoming more interesting heritagewise than the whole building ever had been.
A representative of the Wongs came to Nelson from Vancouver to initiate the gutting: the shell was declared sound at the time. Also their cheapest right-now option. Then the facade began to crumble - to be unsafe for pedestrians to pass - and as per agreement a temporary covered walkway was put in place.

Now the City wants to see a permanent solution in the matter - a choice of three possibilities: stabilize the existing structure to extend its life-span safely; tear down whatever is left; build.

Councilors became vocal in their meeting, Aug. 13, preferring to keep the shell for now - but bypassing the surely enormous costs for such vanity-project of a surely limited run - only because it is anxious to retain Baker Street's homogeneous heritage-facade, without the blemish of a gap and hole in the ground. A make-up job. Potemkin's villages!
The City can't force any of these options, but it can insist on certain safety-measures. What these would be for securing a thin remaining facade is not known to anyone at this point.
We're probably looking at brick-by-brick and gobs of superglue, with major structural supports behind.



The Star's write-up City takes aim at Redfish structure, Aug. 15, is largely inconsistent with what was discussed in Council, at its end ascribing to David Wahn, City Planner: Obviously a lot of people in the city feel that it is a heritage building and it needs to be preserved, but we have no tools within our legislation to encourage them to rebuild its old glory. Horse-puckie!
I didn't hear him say that, and why would he: Obviously there's really nothing left to be preserved, and neither a lot of people's feelings on this nor the building's old glory have been an issue anywhere at any time. Furthermore, no legislative tools are needed to just encourage.
Au contraire - what did come up in this meeting is that the building is not part of the ubergroup of registered local heritage buildings: of the blood - so to speak. Before the fire this building was of no particular interest to any Anglos.

Also, not once - while discussing this - did anyone on Council mention the very real socio-historical importance of the building, within the context of a very productive Chinese presence locally! Or the very real cultural heritage of several thousand years these people came/come from. Contemplating that could make clear why Nelson-heritage aspirations are probably of little concern to the owner.
I could totally understand that perspective and am embarrassed for Nelson, in view of The Honorable LIU Fei, Consul General of the P.R. of China, recently visiting, based on her (mistaken) assumption that Nelson connects with the Chinese part of its heritage.


A letter with an ultimatum for a decision on the three options to the owner - Su Ying Wong, who died several years ago - is to be crafted now: carefully nudging her away from the wrecking-ball. Most of the attention/time this item got during the meeting was spent on just how to soft-pedal the tear-down option - while having no choice but to mention it.


So there's the kettle of redfish City Hall is not yet dealing with: the property and directly attached funds have been in Probate for ages - there are 5 possible heirs waiting in line. Even if they should all miraculously agree on anything - there's no money to build: the building was underinsured, and the clean-up thus far has been very expensive. They all made their homes in Vancouver years ago - it's just business here. That and the more pushed - the more stubborn they may become! Cultural!

Anybody want to buy a chunk of property? Put-up a faux-heritage building and open a store?

                    


                   Please?







                                                

           Location! Location! Location!





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Sunday 12 August 2012

Nelson (Shooting) Star





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Next time you're strolling down Baker Street put yourself in the flip-flops of a tourist. Think about how you feel when you visit Venice or Portland or Belmopan.

This is the first paragraph of an editorial in the Nelson Star, Aug. 10, 2012, Our greatest resource. Clearly addressing a very specific Nelson demographic, while just as clearly stereotyping tourists en masse.
If a tourist's flip-flops are not within your reach; if you don't stroll on Baker to begin with; and if Venice, Portland or Belmopan are not on your map: stop reading right here. Unless the weirdness of the Star's proposition makes you curious.
From simple weirdness to bizarre logic - bizarre English, too!



Nelson is a tiny spot on the map, but when you arrive here on a holiday for the first time it's no different than any other strange city. Though exciting to soak in new sights and sounds, there is inevitably feelings of anxiety when you look upon a place with fresh eyes.

Anxious fresh eyes upon Baker. Right!

That's where you come in. ... If someone looks like they're from out of town and a little lost, a simple " can I help you find something?" is a great jumping off point. Most times a little conversation will break out and you can share some of your special places in our area. If you have a favourite spot to eat or a tucked away beach, odds are this stranger would be extremely grateful to hear about it. It only takes a moment, but the impact can have a lasting impression.

I'll say! Lasting impression, indeed! If someone came on to me like that in Venice - where I actually could feel lost, what with all those canals every which way, a strange lingo and the zombie crowds - there I'd definitely think:  Here we go again! The old guide-come-on - for you cheap, and I've got a sister.

But a little lost on Baker?
- You like naked beach?
- Get off me, creepo!

Are we that desperate to flog our goods and goodies? Should we maybe take the sandwich-board idea to the next level: have touts lure flip-flop-profiled tourists into my casbah?

Then this editorial - an editorial commonly expressing the views of a newspaper as a whole with emphatic oomph - gets down to listing where we are lacking in what:

In today's paper there are several items that remind us just how important tourism is to the foundation of our economy. The front page features stories on the slow start to summer and the huge influx of visitors for Shambhala. The letter page provides critical voices from outside who tell us we need to do better.




The front-page article Tourism numbers take a dip tells readers that because of the weather and resulting conditions in early summer tourist numbers were down. But that these numbers were higher in June - by a percent or 2 so it was relative - than last year. So where was the dipping? And was it 1 or 2 percent? Relative to what? Then the reader is told promptly that it is not clear what caused the decline! I'm so confused!

Apparently things picked-up in a big way in August, but seeing that we were into August less than 10 days when this article was put together - a connection between the seemingly sudden influx of tourists and the explained advertising-push during the last week of July and first two weeks of August seems spurious. Particularly as - again! - this article was published on Aug. 10, probably put together around/before the 8th. So what's with the first 2 weeks of August time-warp here? 
Aside from the weirdness with dates: tourists don't pack and go on vacation that spontaneously - just because they're told the weather now is nice! And the visitor's centre had one of the busiest days it ever had here in Nelson in early August. Like one of the most super-enormous rushes of tourists ever wanting in-person info during the first week in August? What!

If the sun is shining here - it probably is shining in other places as well. So that and the also listed as reasons Kaslo Jazz Festival (over!), Shambhala (almost over and not your average tourist-fare!) and markets (now standard in most places) can't possibly be what will bring tourists to Nelson in days to come - as envisioned by the director of Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism, via the writer of this article.


So to determine the movement of it all, my suggestion is to put together a hand-out with basic questions like: why Nelson; how long in Nelson; planned how and how long before coming; what is interesting/what is not; what do you want/want more of; size of family traveling; accommodation? Handed out throughout the year at the camp-ground and in hotels - answered and collected  there. All to be used as a constantly updated base from which to operate.

No amount of advertising is going to bring enough tourists to keep Nelson's economy afloat indefinitely - let alone make it grow - if what's advertised is available pretty much everywhere else in the interior. Making Nelson sound like a miracle destination ultimately will have to backfire if it doesn't deliver! Ultimately will be the proverbial flogging of a dead horse.
Nelson as such needs to reinvent (not repeat!) itself to become truly unique and because of that a must-see destination - then they'll come!
For detailed thoughts on this see post
Nelson In Living Colour
1. Dec. 2011
in this blog.




Back to the editorial, pointing us to the letter-page. There are two letters. How convenient! How convenient that these particular letters should arrive in tandem with the tourist-dip article's publication!
Unless they were pulled from the dead-letters file to suit exactly what purpose, Nelson Star? To begin with: how authentic are letters submitted by e-mail, even snail-mail, as criticism from the outside? I mean, anyone in Nelson  - pretending to be an out-of-towner - may send-in or initiate having sent-in such a letter, what with Nelson - all the way up to City Council - immediately giving it particular gravitas just because it's from out there.

1. Letter
Supposedly from Edmonton - every summer in the Kootenays! - this family spends little time and money in Nelson, because Nelson is so cruel to Rover! Which immediately brings up that Nelsonites and those from the area bring their dog - often several together - downtown without a hitch. All the time. But the Edmontons have never yet noticed that!
Even if tourists were aware of the downtown-dog bylaw and wanted to follow it: how much time would they have to spend on Baker, for Rover to have a nervous breakdown, waiting in the car - parked in the shade, with a window cracked and a bowl of water? What happens to Rover if a hotel somewhere else in their travels won't allow him inside? Or stores? Or restaurants?
Get over yourself, Rover!
Within the last few years the Daily News and Star - bless their little-doggie hearts - may have published maybe 5 such doggie-heart letters - and the earth shook! - with nobody here ever openly questioning their source/motive or their assertion that Nelson as such is not dog-friendly!
The heading of this letter Is Nelson trying to drive away tourists? is the usual vaguely inflammatory heading provided by the Star to make something - anything! - more interesting than it is.



2. Letter
This woman - also a regular visitor! - writes about how disgusting things used to be  with all the crude hippies and that - after a temporary clean-up - Nelson is now again into that with Baker Street back to being full of dirty young people asking for money. ... In fact there was a write up in our Seattle paper from a travel reporter about Nelson  and he kind of stated the same thing about the bohemians, dogs and bikes on Baker Street.
Yet her last sentence being It is an interesting place. Go figure! And this topped with an extra-large 4-Star heading Time to clean up Nelson.
So these are the two examples the Nelson Star uses to tell us we need to do better. The Star's words - not the letter-writers'.

What makes it an interesting place are in part the not-so-white-bread young people, many of whom with money and their particular way of dressing often a fashion-statement. The Shambhala crowd is good for the Nelson-and-area economy!

Last time for the editorial:
This is a great time for swapping flip-flops. This weekend the Nelson Rowing Club is hosting athletes from across the west and soon the Shambhala refugees will start rolling into town after five days of partying.

Calling people refugees is rather insensitive - in this trifacta of cover-story/editorial/letters silliness - considering the image probably brought up by the term for many: those displaced in current armed conflicts.
But when the Shambhala crowd - with its money - hits Nelson again, by all means: let's swap flip-flops with them! If they care to!

After some strong editorials recently - the Star seemingly becoming a better paper - this issue takes several steps back into the dark ages of ignorance and misinformation by - at best - carelessness. If tourism is indeed Our greatest resource - the Nelson Star is supporting it awkwardly!



Maybe it's the heat!








Copies of the Fri. Aug. 10 Nelson Star are available at the usual places until Tue. Aug. 14 and after that at the Star's office on Hall Street.







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