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hockey-fics · 4 years

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Hockey Players are Bad News ~ Matthew Tkachuk

Summary: Growing up your older brother Taylor Hall taught you many life lessons, but one he made more clear than the rest: don’t even think about dating a hockey player.

Warnings: Language (if we’re still counting that)

Word Count: ~3,800

A/N: We’re just pretending Taylor Hall didn’t move to Ontario as a kid and stayed in Calgary in this.

You were no stranger to hockey. You had never played the game yourself. But when your older brother Taylor got involved in hockey it seemed like the whole family did as well. He was good, but you would never neglect to mention the role your parents had in him getting to where he was. Beginning with the fact that every winter your dad would maintain a rink in the backyard of your childhood home in Calgary for Taylor to practice on. And practice he did, on the rink almost any chance he got. It was in the backyard where you learned to skate as a seven year old. On the few occasions that Taylor, then thirteen, would take the time out of his practice to coax you around the homemade rink, picking you up every time you fell.

You were only thirteen when Taylor was the first pick in the NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. But your family didn’t become less involved in hockey. Things were just quieter after that. With a six year age difference between yourself and Taylor he had always been overly protective and the distance didn’t change that in the slightest.

You made frequent trips to Edmonton and he would come back to Calgary when he had a couple days off. You stayed just as close as you both got older, perhaps you had even gotten closer. And when he went to New Jersey and then eventually to Arizona you still talked just as much, just over text and calls and facetime.

He had come back over the summer but now it was late in August and he had gone back to Arizona to really focus on his training for the upcoming season.

Sitting in your friend’s house you look at the Tinder profile on your screen, Matthew. From the first picture you knew more about him than his profile would provide. Matthew Tkachuk. Right wing for the Calgary Flames. Calgary Flames. Despite the fact that you were born in Calgary after Taylor was drafted by the Oilers you developed a strong distaste for the team from the city you otherwise adored. Not even to mention the reputation Matthew carried with him. But the longer you sat there staring at the profile and flipping through the pictures the more you found yourself intrigued by him. And so eventually you swipe right, your screen flashing to the match screen. Quickly tapping the side button on your phone you let the screen go dark, leaving the situation alone for the time being as you focus on the TV show you were watching with your friend instead.

It was only three days later when you met Matt at a restaurant downtown. The date lasted hours, ending with you two walking around the dark downtown streets just talking. You hated to admit it but the date you had assumed would be terrible was quite the opposite. Matt was charming and funny, he held the door open for you and paid for dinner. He asked you questions about your childhood while you skillfully avoided any talk about your older brother. He told you about playing in the NHL and you nodded along like the inside information was all brand new to you.

When you finally ended up back at your car you stood by the driver’s side door, looking up at Matt with a soft gaze, hoping he would kiss you. The reality of the situation was that you assumed the date would have been over much earlier and ended in his apartment. But now you were just hoping he would kiss you goodnight and ask you to do it again. And you knew it was bad news. Because the stories Taylor told you as you got older got gradually wilder and always ended with the same message ‘don’t even think about going out with a hockey player’. Especially not one like Matt.

But your stomach still erupted with butterflies when Matt kissed you that night. It was in the way he placed one of his hands on the back of your head and the way he pulled back slowly, gazing down at you with a smile before dropping his hands from you and stepping back. And it was him asking you to text him when you got home safe, watching you till you were safely in your car before heading down the street to where his own car was parked.

And text him you did. That night and the day after and the next day too. You exchanged so many texts over the next couple days and each notification from him made you happy in a way you couldn’t explain. No Tinder date you had been on before had ever ended like this and you definitely hadn’t expected to have the best Tinder experience of your like with hockey player Matthew Tkachuk.

Your second date was mini-golf and ice cream. You picked a flavour you hated and Matt traded you his even though you were pretty sure he didn’t like the one you picked either. Your third date was to the zoo. You tried to contain your excitement but only made it to the penguin excitement before exclaiming how cute they were, while Matt spent most of the time watching you instead of the animals. Your fourth was drinks and arcade games at the Rec Room. You had a couple too many drinks and even though you were trying to beat Matt in a game or two you could barely stop giggling long enough to focus properly. Your fifth was a walk in the park, late fall leaving the leaves a beautiful colour. And you held hands in public for more than a couple seconds, through your entire walk. After that day you started to intersperse your dates with just hanging out, almost always at Matt’s apartment.

You two had been seeing each other for two months when Matt finally brought up what you had been dreading. Hall was a common enough last night that Matt had never asked about it. You were sitting on Matt’s couch, your legs curled up beside you as you lean against him, eyes focused on the movie playing.

“Will you come to one of my games?”

Slowly you turn your head to look up at him, forcing a small smile. You knew you needed to tell him. You were pretty sure he wouldn’t care, but as soon as you told him it was real and that meant you would have to tell your parents and Taylor. Telling him was pushing a snowball down the hill, the avalanche at the bottom would come from everyone else you had to tell.

“Matt,” you say, sitting up straighter so you could look him in the eyes.

“Yeah?” He furrowed his eyebrows, eyes glancing down your body, taking in the way you had pulled back from him. “Do you not want to? You don’t have to.”

“No,” you laugh, shaking your head. “It’s not that.” Taking a deep breath you try to figure out exactly which words to string together to bring this up. “You, uh, you know Taylor Hall, right?”

Matt’s confusion only becomes more evident as his eyes squint slightly, nodding slowly. “Yeah...why?” there’s an edge in his voice now, uncertain and already on the defence.

“He’s uh...my brother.”

You watch Matt go through what seems like ten different stages of processing before he finally says anything and all he manages to mutter is, “what?”

“My brother,” you repeat, knowing he didn’t really need you to say it again, just needed more time to process.

“Why didn’t you tell me that? Were you planning on telling me...ever?”

“Ever?” you repeat, pulling back further to turn your body towards him. “Matt, it’s only been a couple months. I though...when this started I thought it would just be a sexual thing. I didn’t expect this, I was assuming you were on Tinder just to hook up.”

Matt glances away from you for a second. “Well I kinda was,” he admits, looking back at you. “But then, I don’t know, I liked you more than I thought I would.”

“So I didn’t think it would matter.”

“It doesn’t,” Matt says, reaching over and taking your hand, gently pulling you closer. “Doesn’t change anything, I just don’t know why you wouldn’t tell me.”

“Because if things keep going like this I’ll have to tell my family,” you whisper as he pulls one of your legs over his lap so you were face to face.

“And?” Matt asks, hands on your waist.

“And they won’t be happy. Taylor is...protective. He’s made it very clear that getting involved with a hockey player is bad news.”

Matt’s lips curl into a smirk as he looks up at you, listening to your explanation. “Am I bad news?”

Rolling your eyes playfully you press your hands onto his shoulders, about to push yourself off him. “Matt,” you whine, knowing he knew that’s not what you were saying.

Suddenly Matt pushes himself forward, one arm around your back as he lifts you up and drops you down onto the couch on your back. “Well am I?” he asks, hovering over you.

Giggling you run your hands around to the back of his neck. “Yes, you’re awful.”

Matt chuckles, leaning down and kissing you. “Guess you like bad news,” he whispers against your lips.

“I’m a sucker for punishment.”

Telling your parents about your relationship with Matt went surprisingly well. After some trepidation about the whole thing they finally came around after having him over dinner, seeing how happy you were around him. Four months, it had been four months. And everytime your parents broached the idea of telling your brother about your relationship you shut it down as quickly as they brought it up. The time would come, you just weren’t sure when.

“It’s disgusting,” Matt complains about the piece of gum he asked for after you took one for yourself. Bubblemint. “Who even came up with it?”

Giggling you shake your head, glancing back over your shoulder at him as you walk up to the door of your parent’s house. “It’s good, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Something is wrong with your tastebuds,” he laughs, stepping inside after you. Your parents had invited you and Matt over for dinner, an almost weekly occurrence at this point.

Just as you're about to call out and tell your parents you were there you see Taylor come down the hallway, the wide smile on his face fading almost immediately. A surprise visit. They didn’t happen often, not with Taylor being down in Arizona now. But whenever he had even a couple days off he would spend most of the time travelling up to see you.

“Hi,” you say, feeling every nerve in your body firing at once. “You’re home.”

“What’s going on?” Taylor questions, his eyes drifting over your shoulder to where Matt was standing.

Taking a deep breath you look over, watching as Matt steps around from behind you to stand at your side. “I didn’t mean for you to find out like this,” you mutter.

“Find out what?” Taylor snaps.

“I-,” you begin, turning your head to look up at Matt, eyes wide with panic. “I, we’re...I’ve been seeing Matt.”

“Seeing?” Taylor questions, eyes squinting, jaw clenching.

You feel Matt slip his arm around your waist and you immediately tense up, knowing that it wasn’t going to end well. “We’re dating,” Matt tells him bluntly.

Taylor watches Matt for a second in disbelief before stepping forward, his hand grasping at Matt’s arm yanking him away from you. “Don’t touch her.”

Matt chuckles with a cold tone, shaking his head. “Too late for that.”

“Matt,” you scold a second before Taylor reaches forward, shoving Matt back against the wall.

“Don’t you dare talk about my sister like that.”

Reaching over you grab Taylors arm, pulling him back away from Matt. He does so easier than you were anticipating, looking down at you with a look of such disapproval you wanted to simply vanish from his sightline. “Matt, go home,” you say quietly, not able to look him in the eyes. Not able to own up to the face that you couldn’t stand up for yourself, for your relationship.

“Y/N,” Matt pleads, trying to get your full attention. He was just as aware as you were that asking him to leave in this moment had meaning.

“Go home, Matthew,” you repeat, using his full name to let him know you weren’t about to argue about it.

You wait till he walks out the front door before you turn your attention to Taylor. But you don’t know what to say, where to begin.

“What the fuck?” Is all Taylor says before there are tears in your eyes.

Not only had Taylor always been a protective older brother he was also the favourite child. Nobody would say it, but you knew it. He was a star in the highest league of his sport, he made incredible amounts of money, he had this whole perfect life. And so you had grown up striving to live up to that, to his standards. To make him and your parents proud of you. But now, standing there under the harsh gaze of your older brother you feel yourself crumbling.

“Taylor, I-,” you begin, your voice breaking slightly. “Please don’t be mad.”

“Matthew Tkachuk. Are you serious, Y/N? All the times I told you to stay away from hockey players and then you go out and start dating...him?”

“I didn’t think, I don’t know, I didn’t think things would get serious.”

“Why did you even want anything with him?”

Shrugging you wrap your arms around your body protectively, blinking away your tears as you stare down at the ground. “I thought he was cute and then we went on a date and I just, I really like him, Taylor.”

“You say that now but in a month or two when you find out he’s been cheating on you then that’ll change.”

“He’s not,” you begin, trailing off as you shake your head. “He wouldn’t.”

Taylor scoffs and rolls his eyes, arms crossed over his chest. “You don’t know, Y/N. You don’t know the way guys act on roadtrips. Just because he treats you well when he’s with you doesn’t mean that continues when you’re not together.”

“I...I don’t know what to say, Taylor. I like him, a lot.”

“You don’t love him,” Taylor states but it’s a question and you know it. He needs to hear you confirm it.

“No,” you whisper, shaking your head. “It’s only been four months.”

“Good,” Taylor mutters.

“Why?” you mutter, voice wavering.

“Because it’ll be easier to break up with him if you don’t love him,” Taylor explains easily.

Furrowing your eyebrows you shake your head. “You don’t get to decide if I break up with someone.”

“No, I don’t,” Taylor replies, stepping away from you. “But I can tell you what you should do. And you should break up with him.” He turns around after that, walking back towards the kitchen and leaving you standing alone in the hallway. Should. All your life you had been doing what you thought your parents and Taylor would approve of, what you thought they would say you should do. But you had never hated the idea of what Taylor would say you should do quite the way you hated this.

After a few minutes of thinking you walk through the house, finding your parents in the midst of a hushed discussion with Taylor, falling silent the second you enter the room.

“Hi,” you mutter, walking slowly to the kitchen island, placing your hands on the edge of it as you stare over at your family.

“Hi sweetheart,” your mom replies, voice gentle and tentative. “I sent you a text earlier, I guess you didn’t get it.”

Pulling your phone from your pocket you look at the notification she was talking about. A warning that Taylor was there, suggesting Matt didn’t come with you right away. To just tell Taylor alone, give him some time to process it. But of course it had only come five minutes before you walked through the door, not having taken the time to read it. “No, I didn’t,” you tell her, putting your phone back away and turning to face Taylor. You’re suddenly hit with a wave of emotions, feeling like you just might burst into tears. Every other time Taylor had come home you had been greeted with a huge hug, with smiles and laughter. You felt like you were going to break under the stare he was giving you now. “I’m sorry,” you whisper to him.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Taylor tells you, his gaze softening as he realizes you were on the verge of crying, knowing you well enough to be able to read you.

“Any guy could hurt me, Taylor. Am I just never supposed to date anyone?”

Out of the corner of your eye you catch sight of your mom grasping your dad’s forearm, gently pulling him out of the kitchen. Giving you and Taylor space to have the conversation alone.

“He’s not just any guy. He’s plays in the NHL, he’s young, he’s rich, he’s famous. He has so many women interested in him because of that. It’s just different.”

“Would you?”

“Would I what?” Taylor asks, eyebrows furrowed as he shakes his head in confusion.

“Cheat on your girlfriend because of all that,” you clarify, stating it unflinchingly, challenging him.

“No.” Taylor sighs, tapping his fingers against the countertop he was leaning on. “But it’s different.”

“It’s not,” you snap. “It’s not different. It’s not different just because you’re being overly protective. You don’t get to decide what Matt would do. You don’t even know him, you haven’t even given him a chance.”

“I do know him,” Taylor retorts quickly.

“No, you know of him. You know him on the ice, you know how he plays hockey. You don’t know him as a person, as my...boyfriend.” It was the first time you were officially using that label. Boyfriend. Even though it had been almost four months and the understanding was there that he was your boyfriend and you were his girlfriend you had never found yourself saying it out loud.

Taylor shakes his head, stepping away from the counter. “I clearly can’t change your mind so I’m going to let this go for now so we can have dinner as a family but just know that doesn’t mean I approve of it.”

Turning your head you watch as Taylor walks out of the kitchen to find your parents. And for a few minutes you just stand there, speechless, motionless, like you couldn’t comprehend anything that had just happened. But when your parents come back into the room you try to push it all away. Because Taylor was right, he was back for a short amount of time and even though things weren’t great with you two you needed to let your parents have their time to be just that, parents.

The dinner passes by slowly and you try to stay engaged in the conversation. But it doesn’t take much for your mind to be pulled to other thoughts. To thoughts of Matt. At first simply worried about him being upset. But your worry begins to merge with Taylor’s words and suddenly you’re concerned about so much more. Other people. Would Matt cheat on you? Would he have left tonight, upset at you and called someone else? Someone who wouldn’t tell him to go home.

After dinner your parents move on to dessert before then convincing you to stay for a little longer to visit. And by the time you manage to get yourself out of there it’s almost 11 and you had yet to hear from Matt. You texted him at 10:30, getting nothing more than a ‘delivered’ to signify it had even gotten to him.

After the night is over you walk outside, getting in the Uber you had ordered. Matt had driven you both there, anticipating you would end up back at your apartment or his. It didn’t matter where but you two were supposed to be together all night.

When the Uber pulls up in front of your apartment you climb out, feeling an emptiness in your chest. You had never felt such disappointment from your brother. You had never pushed someone away so coldly like you had with Matt. Walking up to the lobby door you open your purse, fumbling for your keys at the bottom.

“Y/N.”

Spinning around quickly you watch Matt jog up towards you, only now noticing his car parked in one of the visitor spots. “What are you doing?” you exclaim, your eyes taking in his appearance. Ruffled hair, heavy eyes. “Why didn’t you answer my text?”

“Sorry, I fell asleep,” he admits. “I didn’t think you would be there that long.”

“You were sleeping in your car?” you ask in disbelief.

“Well I wasn’t planning to. But you try spending five hours in your parked car with nothing else to do.”

“Why?...Why didn’t you go home? Oh my god, have you just been here this whole time? Matt, what the fuck? You’re such an idiot.”

“Well I did go and have dinner a couple hours ago,” he mutters sheepishly. “I was just worried...I don’t know, I just needed to talk to you, to see you.”

“You were worried...worried about what?”

Matt looks around, not making eye contact with you. He seemed suddenly flustered, panicky. Stepping closer you reach over, sliding your hand into one of Matt’s. “What were you worried about?” you whisper.

Matt finally looks down at you, squeezing your hand as he pulls you a little closer. “Losing you,” he says quietly, reaching over and pushing a piece of your hair behind your ear, his hand slowly dropping back down to his side.

You’re speechless for a few minutes, doing nothing more than staring blankly up at him. Taylor’s words suddenly didn’t seem as loud, didn’t carry as much weight. Because the way Matt was looking at you, the vulnerability in his words, you felt like you could trust him completely. “You won’t,” you finally manage to get out, letting go of his hand and wrapping your arms around him.

Matt’s arms circle quickly around your waist, pulling you into his body till you're balancing on your tiptoes, clutching at him like you were trying to physically prove he wouldn’t lose you. “Can we go inside now? It’s cold out here,” you whisper.

Matt moves his hands from your waist to the backs of your thighs, suddenly scooping you off the ground. “Matt,” you shriek in surprise, grasping onto him tighter as you wrap your legs around his waist. “Put me down,” you giggle, looking into his eyes.

“Fine,” Matt huffs, slowly lowering you back to the ground. “But only because we’re going to pick it right back up when we’re inside.”

Shaking your head you roll your eyes playfully, fishing your keys out of your purse. Grabbing Matt’s hand you pull him along behind you into your apartment building, glancing back in time to see him smiling as he watched you. And seeing the way he was looking at you, so enthralled by you, only cemented your knowledge that maybe for the first time Taylor wasn’t the older sibling with all the knowledge.

A/N #2: I’m not going to ignore the fact that waiting for someone outside their apartment could be a huge red flag. If that ever happens to you and they don’t leave after you tell them to. Call. The. Police.

#matthew tkachuk #matt tkachuk #matthew tkachuk fic #matthew tkachuk fanfic #matthew tkachuk imagine #m. tkachuk #hockey fanfic #hockey fic #hockey one shot #Hockey Fanfiction #nhl fanfiction #nhl fic #nhl fanfic #nhl imagines #nhl one shot #matthew tkachuk one shot #hockey imagines

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randomoranges · 3 years

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i wanted to do this 3 weeks ago, but time flies etc.

Day 1

Edward rolled over in bed and opened bleary hazel eyes. He came face to face with the radio-alarm-clock on his nightstand and smiled. For the first time in what felt like a really long time, he hadn’t had to set it and he was pleased to see that it was well past nine and that he hadn’t had to hear to that unfortunate announcer’s voice. He furrowed his face in the cold side of his pillow and grinned to himself. At last, summer vacation had started and he had nowhere to go. No lessons. No kids. No discipline. No schedule. No emails. No grading. Nothing. Bliss.

The first twenty-eight days of the month of June had dragged on long enough and after twenty-two of them being glorified babysitting and then a plethora of useless ped days, he was free.

So long, M Édouard, he would not be missed.

Edward indulged in the quiet morning and allowed himself to do nothing for a change. The only sound that filtered in was the quiet snores of Étienne, curled by his side, their hair a halo of wild curls. Had it not been for the fear of waking them up, Edward would have pulled them close to breathe in the scent of their shampoo and splurge in the pleasant weight of his partner dozing by his side.

Instead, he laid on his back and thought of all the things they both wanted to do over the next few weeks. He would be going to Edmonton, for two weeks, to catch up with his friends and family. Étienne would join him for the second week and then they would return home together. Sometimes, they would have other travel plans, but this year, they had decided to stay in the province instead. Edward always made it a point to go back to Edmonton as often as he could. Having one week to himself gave him the opportunity to do what he wanted and reconnect, while Étienne could go whatever they wanted on their end. Then, once Étienne would join him, Edward would take them to his old hangouts and newer places they would both enjoy. It worked, it got them both out of the house, and Edward would be able to get his dose of back home. They’d been known to stay for a week or two extra, depending, but this year, it would only be two weeks.

There were also the myriad of other places and events happening in Montréal that Étienne wanted to go to and Edward wouldn’t mind seeing. There were also their friends they both hadn’t seen in what felt like too long and then the spontaneous, last minute things that always popped up.

He looked forward to it all and he already knew that even if they managed to hit every last spot, summer would swing by far too quickly and the end of summer would show up soon enough. However, for now, August was far away and his mission – both their mission – was to focus on the now and enjoy their time off. The school year would come for them before they knew it.

He heard Étienne yawn and watched from the corner of his eye as they turned over and sought him out, before they splayed half of themselves over him, using the crook of his neck as a pillow of sorts. Content, Étienne let out a sleepy sigh and resumed whatever blissful dream they’d been having. Edward chuckled to himself and gently pushed back a curl or two from their face and let his thoughts roam free for a while longer, savouring the peace and tranquility of their bedroom.

He must have ended up dosing again, for when he next opened his eyes, it was to find Étienne smiling softly at him, while they drew inconsequential patterns on his chest. Edward stretched and then rearranged them both so that Étienne could be comfortably draped over him, while he could hold them close, legs twined together.

“Morning,” Étienne said, some time later, voice still thick with sleep. In response, Edward kissed the top of their head and ran a hand through their hair, appreciating the little sigh that escaped their lips, “D’we have plans?” They asked with a smile, knowing full well that they didn’t, but this had turned into a little game of theirs over the years and Edward was more than happy to participate.

“No, we don’t,” He matched his partner’s smile and chuckled when Étienne let out a triumphant laugh and settled themselves down.

“Excellent.” They added, reaching over to caress his face, and Edward had to agree – it was the most excellent of plans.

FIN

#teacher au #pc: montreal #pc: edmonton #edward murphy #étienne maisonneuve #au #ficlet

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maybe-seggy-will-be-our-always · 4 years

Video

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A Transcript (lol)

Okay, so this got kinda long but here is my try at a translated transcript of this interview. I cropped Freddie’s part (sorry Freddie:/) but did most of the rest. It’s obviously not word for word and I did a bad job at inserting when they laugh and whatever but let me tell you! The entire thing is so lighthearted and Leon and Freddie’s interactions are drenched in sarcasm! This was so much work but so much fun so here you go @konecnynerd! Everyone who’s only interested in reading the ASG part or the Leon exclusive part might want to skip down to the very bottom, I tried to mark the different sequences! But let me tell you, the entire thing was so entertaining and I love their friendship so much, they are always a blast to witness!

They talk about the Battle of Alberta and the All Star Game in the end!

Goldi: You’re both a bit lazy in regards to social media I’d say but your dog, Leon, seems to be an omnipresence!

Leon: Ha, yes of course! That’s the only reason why I am on social media.

Goldi: How do you have such a small dog? What do you say, Freddie, do you know him (the dog)?

Freddie: Yes, Bowie is super cute of course! Uhm… Personally, I did not meet him yet but am excited about my first encounter with the small guy (sorry, didn’t know how to translate this!) And when Leon looks the other way I’ll see what I’ll do with him but yes… It’s nice for Leon to have a loyal friend when he’s alone.

Leon: The best friend I’ve ever had! (Aw don’t shade Freddie like that!)

Freddie: Aha… After such a short time you say something like that.

(Okay but they’ve been talking like the entire time!)

Cut to the N.ICE intro woosh woosh swish

Goldi talks about N.ICE Showtime and introduces Leon and Freddie (Freddie doesn’t know about Leon joining them)

Cut to them golfing and their trick shot challenge and I’ll just point out some highlights:

Leon: Did you catch that (on camera)?

Leon: Boahh Junge (which is something that transcends translation

Leon: Jausa!

Leon: Jau Ciao!

They recreate their goal

Leon: Aw that rolled to the other side – poor you (in a very soft voice but he says “Du arme Sau”, which is uh “You poor pig” literally)

Leon: Backhand is always better.

Cut to the Freddie only interview (but I’ll skip that, tell me if anyone wants that?)

They talk about golfing, how training during Covid looks for the Kölner Haie, college hockey, the progression of the DEL season, and Leon visiting him or Freddie visiting Leon

Leon joins them and Freddie is not really surprised

Freddie: Sadly I can’t see him… Ah now

Leon: Ahhhh

Goldi: Can you hear us?

Leon: I can hear you!

Freddie: Is that a playoff beard or what?

Leon: Yes, I’m already letting it grow! (Goldie cackles) What about you? (Low blow leon aha)

Freddie: (Is offended but is laughing)

Goldi: So after hearing the season will be progressing you just thought you know what, I’ll just let it grow…?

Leon: Hah, I’ll just let it grow from now on.

Goldie: Was that something NHL PR gave you? A stick on beard for interviews to advertise the playoffs?

Leon: Maybe everything gets a bit hurried along if we push it like that (with the beards).

Goldi: Yeah, that’s it. So I’ve heard… You lastly talked a week ago or something, did he (Freddie) at least congratulate you properly for officially being top scorer?

Leon: Mnnnnhh yah, but then had to say something dumb in the end again. A no-go I thought (laughs). But that’s Freddie as we know him and that will probably never change.

Goldi: Now, you were so punctual… (Freddie interrupts) Sorry, what did you want to say Freddie?

Freddie: Something I wanted to add. I didn’t congratulate (him) obviously but didn’t want to be rude so I said something dumb – to balance it out.

Goldi: I think you’ll be able to cope. Who’s the better golfer between the two of you?

Both laugh

Freddie: By now I’d say me

Leon: Freddie took two lessons with a coach where he chipped the ball 25 m and suddenly he thinks he’s Phil Mickelson. But no, Freddie is the best, for sure.

Goldi: Freddie, what do you say?

Freddie: Uh

Goldi: What do you think (mumblemumble) Will you be able to meet in the summer like planned? Will there be a moment for you to overlap? Anything planned?

Freddie: Uhm, I thought, well, Leon has to say something on that matter, but they might be off in September, then I think we’ll manage (to meet up) for sure. But that’s Leon’s call.

Leon: Uh yah, so. I myself don’t know how it’s going to progress here. But I think for sure that I’ll be able to go home for a month or a few weeks after the season. And maybe the DEL will be starting off then too and I can cheer on Freddie in Cologne!

Freddie: (I don’t know what he said here exactly but) You’ve been saying this for years but you never managed until now!

They talk over each other a bit

Goldi: Because you’re usually back (in Edmonton) by now then?

Leon: Yes! Because I then have to… Usually I only see some of their practice games but I really want to see a game in the Köln Arena… sorry LANXESS Arena again.

Goldie: Now…

Leon: Otherwise Freddie is going to be mad!

Goldie: So you both are not that big on Instagram, you’re both a bit lazy in regards to social media (so that’s just the opening sequence again!) I’d say but your dog, Leon, seems to be an omnipresence!

Leon: Ha, yes of course! That’s the only reason why I am on social media.

Goldi: How do you have such a small dog? What do you say, Freddie, do you know him (the dog)?

Leon: The best friend I’ve ever had! (Aw don’t shade Freddie like that!)

Freddie: Aha… After such a short time you say something like that.

Goldi: That’s what I was getting at. Leon, I heard you play (he said “zockst” which is usually used for like video gaming) with him sometimes, you put down a ball and then the dog chases it while you play. You said he’s the best defense man, as a joke. That reminds me of street hockey as kids, when you played with the Tiffels brothers, so Bowie is a Tiffels replacement.

Leon: Haha, yeah I just wanted to say. It’s almost the same, they (Tiffels brothers) also chase the ball (Freddie laughs) and I just thought to myself “man, what’s up with Freddie”. No, Freddie and I used to play at…

Freddie: Kirschplatz.

Leon: Kirschplätzchen, we always brought a goal and rollerblades and always took 6 or 7 other boys and then… played them 2 against 6 and the 6 boys always had a 9 point lead in advance and we always won 10:9.

All laugh

Goldi: I always love when you tell that story because you’re still excited about it today.

Leon: Amazing! The feeling… insane!

Freddie: I’ll just add… My brother went with us all the time too. And we had a theory. I became such a good ice skater because when we were thirsty… my parents lived maybe 800 meters from there… I always was the one who had to go get water because I was the fastest of us all.

Leon: Dominik and I just chilled… we relaxed.

Freddie: And I sprinted, always thinking how fast can I be home, maybe I learned something from that (as a skill).

Leon: Mh, I think so Freddie!

Freddie: Thank you!

Goldi: Ah yes, Old school in early childhood… brings quality when you’re older.

Freddie: yeah for sure.

Leon: Like the Russians.

Goldi: In the USA it (the season) will resume, here in Germany we’re a bit worried but what unites us a bit maybe is how the NHLPA had a say in the process over there and helped discuss how that would work, in Germany we don’t have that, what I don’t like because I think there always should be a player’s representative present to listen and maybe voice their opinion. What’s your opinion on that. Leon, regarding the NHL and DEL and Freddie, here in Germany?

Leon: I’ll just start off now. I find it important. Of course I understand the business part of it all and of course that’s part of it, the owners and stuff. But in the end the boys, the players are the ones who present the game to the fans and that’s why I think the players should have the right to have their own opinion and having things just bypass them. And, as I said, that players, who represent the game, are able to voice their opinions and have a say in things. And I think they are great about that in the NHL.

Goldi: So that means there’s a selection of players, for example Connor McDavid, a friend of yours, and you’re not part of it but there’s certain players who attend meetings, that’s how it is in the NHL?

Leon: Yesyes! But the players who are in that committee, like Connor, they always report back to us and want to hear what we have to say and have millions of conference calls and what-not. They want to hear opinions of every single player. What we have to say plays a role like that.

Goldi: So what do you say Freddie? Especially looking at the DEL, regarding planning or the idea of a players union?

Freddie: I can only agree with Leon, I like how the NHL does that. We don’t have something like this here in the DEL. But that’s what we are trying to change right now. I’m still new, relatively new in the league but especially the boys who have been playing here for years, they have so much experience and know everything about hockey and I’d find it extremely valuable if they could join in on the discussions. Because in the end we are the product and it’d be reasonable to let them talk too in order to make the product better. And I don’t know why anyone would exclude that knowledge, the knowledge of the players.

Goldi: That’s what I think too, interesting that you’d both agree. And you, Freddie. Were you excited to maybe being able to play in the World Cup, with a not too stable season in Cologne. Maybe you would have been able to see Leon too, what Leon might now have wanted (the sarcasm has to be pointed out here, they love each other okay) Were you excited or did you know after the cancelation of the DEL that the possibility of a World Cup was slim?

Freddie: Well, after they canceled the DEL it was practically clear they’d cancel the World Cup too. Generally, yeah Cologne had a shit season and I personally wasn’t on top of my game either. So I couldn’t be sure I’d be playing. Would it have been the case I of course would have been super exited about that! Niederberger said that, the World Cup is like the icing on the cake at the end of the season. We know the boys for years and it’s just great together for Germany. Great fun at the end of the season. And go into summer break after.

Goldi: Before I say goodbye to you and talk to Leon for a few more minutes, what do you say about his season. He sounds great! Playoffs with Edmonton, Top Scorer of the League, All Star Team, re-live the Battle of Alberta, that’s what we’ll talk about later! The hate in this duel! And so on… What do you say about his season? Are you happy for him

Freddie: Yes, for sure! Insane season! We texted, when we were younger, that’s just, you look up to all those best players of the world and try to catch up to them and it’s so crazy that he’s now on top of that list. That’s sublime. And just a great thing. I already told him, he can be so proud of himself and yes, probably I am also proud of him, yes. Even if that maybe sounds a bit dumb (dude what no! be proud of your bro!)

Leon: Thanks brother. (In the softest voice, what)

Goldi: But that’s nice. Normally, we as hockey players, don’t say things like that as often but that’s nice that it can be like that. And not only you are proud but the entirety of hockey Germany can be proud.

Freddie: And the crazy thing is… I’d say we’re best friends and I am so close to it (him) , that’s why Leon is normal to me but so far away for others and that’s… again cool and so different in a way.

Goldi: Cool.

Freddie: (Jokingly, but who are you kidding with that voice) I’ll start crying soon. (pretends to cry)

All laugh

Freddie: Sign me out! For today.

Goldi: It’s not that bad.

Leon: Ciao!

Goldi: Thank you for your time! I’ll talk to Leon for a bit now. Have a nice summer and I hope your golfing skills progress so we can test who’s better at it.

Freddie: Thank you. We can then make anther video and we’ll see who’s the better (golfer).

Goldi: That’s how we’ll do it!

All say their goodbyes

Goldi: I’ll try to sign him out.

Freddie: Yeah, kick me out.

Goldi: Or you’ll hang up that might be easier, ah found it.

Freddie: Just do your thing.

Switch to Leon only interview (and that’s probably what you wanted to see^^)

Goldi: That’s how it is in life, you’re out in a second. You’re still in Canada. Did you ever entertain the thought of coming back home or did you think that might be to risky, maybe they’d resume earlier than anticipated?

Leon: Yeah sure, I of course thought about going home. But somehow it didn’t work out and the days just dragged along and the reason why I didn’t fly home… oh now there’s Bowie…

Goldi: Oh he’s there now?!

Leon: (Picks Bowie up) and yeah, I didn’t know when we’d go back to playing so I didn’t want to fly all the way to Europe just to have to return to Canada two weeks later. That’s why we decided to stay here.

Goldi: Did you chose the dog after your beard? They look kinda similar even through the bad screen.

Leon: I’m trying to recreate his look right now.

Goldi: Looks kind of the same. Do you have the opportunity to skate on ice right now in Canada or is it just work outs? Do you have different opportunities over there, like the Swedes for example?

Leon: Yes, I’m currently at my girlfriend’s parent’s house in Ontario, close to Toronto and luckily I found a small rink and have been on it for the last few days. The first two days complete “Hackstock” (stiff and everything) but we’re getting there slowly.

Goldi: That feeling you’re talking about, going back on the ice, totally stiff and feeling like you don’t have any puck control, is that the same for the Top Scorer of the NHL?

Leon: Yes! I mean, of course! Especially the first 15 to 20 minutes feel like you’ve never been on the ice before. And you think, if we resume, I have no idea how I’m supposed to play in this league. But it’s all coming back fast.

Goldi: Coming back to you being Top Scorer of the League, really great and I am happy for you, and it’s for sure great publicity for German hockey. But overall, this season is for sure something you can be proud of! Not only are you Top Scorer (if they say that one more time I stg), you were at the ASG, Edmonton is in the Playoffs. Even with the shortened season, how satisfied are you?

Leon: Very! Mostly because we had such a successful season with the team and finally made people pay attention to us. We played successful hockey, which is very important and personally I am proud to having played such a great season. But still I think there’s a lot of room for improvement and without the entire team I’d only been half as good. Big thank you to the boys.

Goldi: Room for improvement, that’s what you always say. Someone who doesn’t know you might say that’s just a truism you say because it sounds nice but you are convinced that that is the case. You work your ass off even during the summers. Working and repeating important things. You’re not necessarily the person to compare yourself to others, you’re more one to say “I want to get better, what the others do is not my concern”. Do you think it’s part of attitude, that one does just always go on?

Leon: Yes, I think so for sure. In my opinion, even if it’s a cliché, you can always work on yourself and better the little things every day. That’s what I’m trying to do and that’s why I know I still have room to improve. Maybe in points or goals that’s not the case for me, no one knows that. But with the small things: Defense, bullies, penalty kill, power play and so on. The small things where I believe I can still get better.

Goldi: Getting better, that’s what I talked about to you last summer. I liked you (Oilers) getting James Neal into the team, then I think you did some good moves concerning the trading deadline, Yamamoto, who had been playing with you for a bit, who played a great season, who fit right in. I felt like you were pretty set for the playoffs but now with this big pause in between… Do you think that’ll be like a complete restart? Like you won’t be able to hold onto that good wave or do you feel like you’re still the same group that knows what they are doing?

Leon: Yeah, I for sure think that we’re still the same group and that we know that we, as a team, know we are were we are rightfully. Rightfully so in the playoffs. But of course the flow as a team and as an individual player might be a bit over and I think I’ll speak for everyone. Two and a half to three months have passed since we’ve been on the ice together and that’s (the flow) is getting a bit lost like that – you know that yourself Goldi – but the good thing is that that’s the case for everyone, for every team so there are no advantages for anyone.

Goldi: One more question, because I’m interested and I loved to see it – Battle of Alberta. It’s always talked about, Edmonton against Calgary, a lot of hate and aggression but I felt like that wasn’t as bad the last years. Now this year there was a messy move that, in my opinion, didn’t get punished in a way I believe it should have. From Tkachuk against one of your players. That brought back that rivalry in a way- where I saw you with a kind of grittiness, putting in even more effort – How much fun was that or was it over the edge and not good?

Leon: No, that was phenomenal. What it did for the entire World of Hockey (around the world). Amazing and I think, like you said, that this rivalry had been kinda lost over the years, this Battle of Alberta, because both teams didn’t have a lot of success and both teams didn’t have a big reason to give the other any grieve. That just was not the case. Now both teams fought for the playoffs, both teams were successful. Same, or similar standing in points and then something like that happens and things get unruly and yes, I think that was great for hockey, for the NHL and it definitely was a lot of fun being a part of.

Goldi: I’d imagine! And as a joke, you kind of took that with you into the ASG, when you’re “Kollege” (fellow player I guess) passed you the puck. Did you know you were mic’ed up or did you only realize after?

Leon: Haha, no I knew! For that weekend, that was only fun and games and we were all there for the same reason and it was fun. The funny thing was our first game after the ASG was against Calgary and it just continued as aggressively as before.

Goldi: Resumed to previous things!

Leon: Yeah.

Goldi: Last thing maybe. How does the plan for the playoffs? Are there any specifics? Or are there no tangible ideas yet?

Leon: No. NHL is still at the beginning stage of planning and we don’t know more than you all can read everywhere. I’d imagine we’ll be able to practice in small groups on the rink again the following weeks and from then on I think they’ll look from week to week how things go. How and when the season will resume

Goldi: Thanks for your time Leon! Good luck for the playoffs! Do your thing! Maybe we will be able to catch up in the summer, play some golf – did you play a little?

Leon: Yes, a few times! Last weekend I went two times so my game is getting better too.

Goldi: You still got some time!

Both say their goodbyes and out

—

I think I wrecked my wrist doing this lol

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crownedcams · 5 years

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no one asked but here’s my ranking of every hadestown audio we have from concept to bway preview

1. bway -- minus hermes’ dynamic with orpheus & epic iii, i literally love every single thing about it and the change to lover’s desire is surprising but not unwelcome! everyone has such power, the fates have an intense bite to them, and the harmonies are incredible i need to get myself to see it asap

2. nytw -- my first love tbh. sure it’s very simplistic but in its scale it works with the intimacy and also i love how damon & nabiyah’s voice complement each other and make the experience very heavenly

3. concept -- the folksiest of the versions. you really get the other worldly feel that makes the story feel old and untouched.it’s like a story passed down through generations it’s not a completely fleshed out tale, but you get the myth and the lessons

4. london -- it’s almost the same as bway, but i dunno. i feel it’s still finding its place with the changes and story so it’s not as solid as bway. also this is the step where they changed epic iii and i dont like that even if harmonies and unison are nice additions

5. edmonton -- muddled mess. it’s a big ol yikes. reeve & tv were not good here especially not together. they really tried to over explain things that didn’t need to be said.

random stuff:

i used to think any way the wind blows should’ve been kept as the opening number bc it sets the mood as a myth, but the way they integrated the story into it in bway makes it flow really well!

still not a fan of the black costume for persephone like i get it but.. not a fan

also wish we kept the whole great depression vibe with the costumes for the ensemble but i digress

amber grey needs her tony but i know the american theatre wing will let me down like it always does

“oh it’s about me” fucki AFLKDGHJDFHLJSHFLAHJLF

not sure how i feel about persephone/hades being absolutely venomous to each other instead of a little jaded but it still works

i STILL miss “you’re early / i missed you” i’m never gonna NOT miss that line

also miss “let the world we dream about be the one we live in now” but that’s a different line for a different orpheus

When the Chips Are Down has become my favorite song it’s just so WOW. it’s intense. it’s powerful. it’s mocking. it’s everything you need the Fates to be and more

#deletey #hadestown

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geeangel · 6 years

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k.d. lang at the Studio Bell National Music Centre in Calgary, AB

(transcriptions below cut)

First Image:

For over 25 years, k.d. lang's remarkably rich voice has earned her a reputation as one of the world's greatest and most innovative artists. She was inducted [into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame] in 2013 Grâce à sa voix d'une grande richesse, k.d. lang est considérée depuis plus de 25 ans comme l'une des plus grandes et innovatrices chanteuses du monde. Elle a été intronisee [au Panthéon de la musique canadienne] en 2013.

Second Image:

"I had a vision of how I wanted to perform country. And I just went ahead and did it." - k.d. lang (plaque beneath not pictured) 1989 k.d. lang and Roy Orbison win a Grammy for their duet "Crying." The outspoken lang, who playfully donned a wedding dress and cowboy boots to accept her 1985 JUNO Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist, will come out of the closet in a 1992 interview with The Advocat magazine, making her the world's first openly lesbian pop icon.

Third Image:

How exactly did a cowpunk raised in Consort, Alberta, captivate Nashville, end up on the cover of Vanity Fair and redefine what a pop star can be? The answer, of course, is that voice. Deeply resonant, sultry and with astonishing range, power and pitch, k.d. lang’s voice prompted legendary singing partner Tony Bennett to call her "the best singer since Judy Garland." It's a natural gift; lang had little professional training aside from vocal and piano lessons her mother, a schoolteacher, enrolled her in as a kid. Born November 2, 1961, in Edmonton "The voice is just like a living organism. It's such a weird, volatile instrument." She's a powerful vocalist, but lang describes her singing style as "minialist," something she attributes to growing up on the praries.

#k im done for now #kd lang #lgbt history #lesbian history #canadian musicians #cowpunk #herstory

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bthenoise · 4 years

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Noiseworthy: Here’s Why Rare Americans Are Your Next Alternative Obsession

As much as you think it might be an easy task, it’s not always that simple to showcase new, up-and-coming artists. Usually when it comes to these sorts of things, if you aren’t familiar with the band’s name, what’s going to make you click our story versus the 231 Best At-Home Get Rich Quick Tips? Yeah, not always that simple.

However, putting all doubts aside, we’re going to keep highlighting emerging bands we believe in. Bands that stand out against the tiring monotony of our music scene. You know, bands like Vancouver risk-takers Rare Americans.

Blending alt-rock, hip-hop and ska like some zany Twenty One Pilots, grandson and Streetlight Manifesto science experiment, James Priestner and Lubo Ivan (along with Jan Cajka and Duran Ritz) have concocted something uniquely their own with Rare Americans.

With infectious, mind-bending tracks like “Brittle Bones Nicky,” “Cats, Dogs & Rats” and “9 Times Out Of Ten,” the crafty Canadian crew is a refreshing addition to the sometimes-stale alternative genre.

Now, in order to get to know a little more about the promising performers, we reached out to Priestner to hear all about his musical influences, dreams and aspiring hockey career. To check out our chat and discover your newest obsession, be sure to look below. Afterward, for more from Rare Americans, like their forthcoming LP Rare Americans 2, head here.

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Where did you grow up? And was there a music scene where you grew up? James Priestner: I grew up in Edmonton, AB, Canada. It’s a city of one million people so we had all the major acts come through, plus a ton of mid-tier bands playing in the 500-1000 seat venue range. I have to say since moving to Vancouver, I realize there is a lot more of a “scene” here than in Edmonton though. I notice more musicians, more artists, filmmakers, managers, labels, more venues to play at, and more shows. I notice lots of US based mid-tier artists will only play major markets in Canada and Vancouver is one of them. What were you and/or your bandmates doing before your band formed? Jobs? School? I was an athlete. I was a goalie in the Western Hockey League, a developmental league that the NHL drafts from.

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Who or what influenced you to start playing music? While playing in the WHL I had a lot of free time when I wasn’t at the rink. We had a 10pm curfew every night so after practice I would go home and try to be creative. When I was 17 I bought a guitar, took some lessons, and very quickly wrote a song. From there it was all over for me, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I had a lesson once a week, and I tried to bring a new song to my guitar teacher each lesson. 10 years later and I’m still doing it!! If you could collaborate with any artist of your choice who would it be? I would love to work with Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys. He’s an all-time favorite of mine. I think his voice is super captivating from the New York crooner type of vibe to his soft airy-tone, and his more punk rock side. I also love his lyrical wit and musicality. What’s the best live performance you’ve ever seen? I really liked Oliver Tree at Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. I was just getting into him at the time and his show really sold me. He uses a lot of animation on stage which is something we do as well, and the costume changes, theatrics, and just his overall confidence and energy was really inspiring.

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Are there any recent releases or performances that have inspired you? I went to so many shows last year to take inspiration for Rare Americans. Super sad about the demise of the live industry with COVID, really makes me appreciate live music. As I mentioned, Oliver Tree’s show, Arctic Monkeys' show after they released Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino was fantastic as well. I’m late to the game on this one, but I also got into J. Cole this year who I really have come to love. If you could have one of your songs be on a TV show or movie of your choice what would it be? The Wire!! One of my all time favorite shows. Unfortunately they aren’t making any new seasons, but if we could go back in time... Three bands or artists that would be your dream to tour with? Gorillaz, Twenty One Pilots, Oliver Tree. What would you like to be remembered for? Musically or not. Deep question. I would say I want to be remembered as someone who really gave my all. Someone who tried to inspire those around me to believe in themselves that they can accomplish what they never dreamed they could. I love talking to fans that have wild dreams but no belief, and trying to inspire them to change that, to work towards their goals.

Best piece of advice anyone has given you? You have two ears and one mouth. Listen and try to put yourself in someone else's shoes before assuming you know what they are thinking or going through. What have you learned since being in the music industry? The more I know, the more I don’t know!! It’s like a spider web. You never know what's going to hit at any time. I also don’t think you can ever know what fans are going to resonate with. The minute you say “this is going to be a hit” it probably won’t be and that song you were thinking of not including on your album might be the one people like the most. I also realized the music industry, especially for a DIY band, is so much more than just making music. You have to be a high-level marketer and entertainer to make it in this industry. Artists are characters, fans are buying into their entire worlds, their artwork, their brand, their message, not just their song. The best thing currently on the internet is? The ability for anyone to make a career. The fact that one of the top Youtube earners in the world is a 9 year old who unboxes toys is wildly fascinating. I think it’s pretty cool that the internet provides this ecosystem for people to make content, be themselves, develop followings, and ultimately make a living from doing what they love.

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#Rare Americans #Noiseworthy Artist #Noiseworthy #interview

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facesofcsl · 4 years

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Jessica, Student (Sociology)

Jessica is a sociology student aiming to get the CSL certificate, read more about her CSL journey below!

Please trace your involvement with CSL

I started with CSL in my third year, so I started pretty late because I learned about CSL in my second year. Someone was tabling and I went up to them and asked about the program. It was the first certificate program I had really thought about participating in! A friend of mine was doing it at the time, and I was super interested.

I took CSL 100 first to get a feel for what CSL was. In the class, I worked with HIV Edmonton and it was unlike any organization I’ve ever worked with. I am currently in another CSL Sociology course, my placement is with Extinction Rebellion. It’s really cool to see different communities and to be involved with them.

Why did you decide to take your first CSL course?

I thought CSL would be really interesting because it’s outside the university.

What CSL placements have you completed?

I have completed one placement at HIV Edmonton, and I am currently with Extinction Rebellion.

In CSL 100 at HIV Edmonton, I met a lot of people that I never would have come into contact with at all. They serve a lot of people from African, Black, Caribbean communities who were middle-aged or higher, so nothing like the community I interact with. It was really interesting being around a different community and seeing the dynamics of that and how they support each other. I worked with the cooking circle so it was a very casual environment and it definitely was all about peer support and just being open with your community.

Currently, I am with Extinction Rebellion, and it's a really fluid group! They are horizontally organized, so it is unlike anything I have worked with. Everyone’s voices are heard, and it is really community focused. CSL students are brought on to do outreach but it seems like we are all really branching out. The group is really flexible, and if we are interested in something we just have to let them know, and they will add us to the chat and we can start participating and show up to meetings. The other stuff we can get involved in includes direct action, art builds, workshops, and planning that I am all really interested in! Right now, I think I will do mostly outreach work, because they definitely do need more people. I also want to participate in some art builds, because I love being creative. The group pushes me to get involved and put my ideas out there, which I find very valuable.

How did CSL change the way you think about certain things?

It changed my view of non-profits, because I had been part of non-profits before, but didn't get this close of a look at them. I had this romanticized idea that they were somehow separate and better than a typical corporate environment. That was part of the reason that I kind of want to be involved with non-profits in the future. CSL gave me a little bit of a reality check, which showed me that non-profits are not all perfect, but they try their best. Mostly, I think I learned that there are lots of barriers for non-profits as well.

In a way it’s helped me become more realistic and more ambitious. It has also helped me learn that helping people has many different meanings. I really wanna make a difference in a way that is meaningful to me.

What really changed the way I thought about non-profits was meeting the people that were there and hearing about what they have to say about the field. A big thing was the organizational structures, or the issue of barriers within the organization. I now know that just because it is a non-profit, it doesn’t mean that it is without its flaws. I have learned that there are many different types of non-profits and you may not agree with how they are doing things, but they are trying to help people at the end of the day.

What is the most important or memorable lesson you learned in your CSL experience?

Being able to see in the real world how privilege works. In classes there’s always talk about privilege, and how we as university students are privileged to some extent because we are in university. Usually that discussion in classrooms lacks a connection to the larger world. Working with marginalized groups and just hanging out with diverse people from all over the world showed me how privilege operates. Being among a group of people who are from all over the world, who have a different cultural knowledge than what I have, seeing how it influences their life, and hearing their stories was really illuminating for me. It helped me humanize the discussion of privilege. As a student, privilege feels like it’s so distant because you are up in your ivory tower. Engaging with the community and hearing about people's daily struggles in the contexts of their lives was very cool and eye-opening.

Did CSL expose you to new experiences and knowledge? How and what?

As a CSL student with Extinction Rebellion, their horizontal organizational structure was very new to me. It gave me a different idea of what leadership can look like. It also showed me how people who have knowledge or experience about a topic can really take control and lead the meetings, because of the organization’s decentralized structure. If you wanted, you could come into your first meeting and propose a working group for a project. If you know enough about it, and if you can tell other people about it, then essentially you have the floor to teach the rest of the group! I’ve always believed that everyone’s ideas should be heard and everyone has something valuable to say, but to actually see that in action is amazing. In other structures, there’s not much of a chance for new people to share their ideas in the way that will be welcomed and heard, so seeing different forms of organization was new and exciting for me.

Has CSL affected your academic or career goals in any way? If so, how?

CSL has affected my goals for what I wanted to do academically. I used to have a bit of tunnel vision of what I wanted to do when I graduated. I wanted to essentially help people and directly improve the lives of others, and I saw non-profits as one of the few ways to do this. After doing some CSL placements, my idea about what this kind of work can look like has broadened a lot more!

I now see how my goals can be achieved in many different ways. CSL opened up my ideas about my academic and professional future from a sociological field of study to many other areas. I also see how helping people can look different for example, helping someone learn to speak a language; that can really impact someone’s life!

CSL gave me an idea of what it looks like to be involved in my community. I really saw value in being involved in the local community, which I feel I’ve largely been removed from throughout my life. I started to value involvement more and I see a lot of opportunities for personal growth within the community!

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allthecanadianpolitics · 7 years

Link

A bunch of Feminists across Canada have endorsed Niki Ashton for NDP leader:

We are voting for Niki, and encourage you to do the same. We want a strong feminist voice to represent our movement. We want someone who sees the diverse issues facing our country and communities through an intersectional and empowering lens. We want someone who understands the work that is happening on the ground and will fight for that at the federal level. We want someone who we can connect with and know our voices will be heard. We have that in Niki. We each remember the first time we met Niki: "When I first met Niki, I told her about my political goals. She gave me a hug, added me on facebook, and told me to message her. I waited a few days because I wasn't sure if that was just politician talk. I finally messaged her and she set up a time to call me that day. While waiting to board her flight, she gave me some really good pointers on getting into politics. That was the moment I knew I wanted to vote for her and wanted her as a leader. She wants to help pull other women up. It isn’t a ploy.” “When many of us first met Niki, it was when she asked to meet local feminists to hear about the work we were doing and how she could support us. She sat next to us at our dining table, shared tea, and simultaneously celebrated our work while committing to make space for it in government. She cared. She gave us advice when she had it, perspective when it was required, and encouragement always.” Niki Ashton is our choice for a feminist vote because she works to support and create social, racial, economic, and environmental justice across issues, knowing that these things intertwine and must be led from the grassroots. She uses the lessons of intersectional feminism to tackle topics like Indigenous rights. She commits to respect and amplify the strengths of Indigenous communities while living up to commitments of the TRC and UNDRIP, something our nation has failed at until now. In particular, she is working to seek justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. She sees the potential to strengthen the power of the MMIW Inquiry to investigate police misconduct, empowering our government to hold systems of power accountable. While the signatories here are not Indigenous, we recognize our power and privilege and work to raise the voices that have asked for this action, in solidarity with our siblings who are Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour. Niki has our vote because she knows it’s not about starting work on issues like racial justice. The work is already being done. By us. In our communities, in our streets, at our tables, and at our workplaces. It’s time we had a leader that understands us and represents our work. With Niki, together we can build a movement. Learn more at www.nikiashton2017.ca - and support Niki Ashton to be the leader of the NDP and the next Prime Minister of Canada, by volunteering or donating $25 today!

In solidarity,

Kristina Larkin, Lethbridge Alberta

Shandi Bleiken, Lethbridge Alberta

Aileen Burke, Lethbridge Alberta

Laura Collison, Edmonton Alberta

Kendall Yamagishi, Toronto Ontario

Stef Desrochers, Lethbridge Alberta

Ashlea Golding, Lethbridge Alberta

Morgane Oger, Vancouver British Columbia

Heidi McDonell, Vancouver British Columbia

Jenn Jefferys, Ottawa Ontario

Brittany Griffiths, Lethbridge Alberta

Kristin Krein, Lethbridge Alberta

Angèle Pineau-Lemieux, Montréal, Québec

Jacqueline Thibodeau, Toronto Ontario

Emily White, Vancouver British Columbia

Fartun Mohamud, Brooks Alberta

Nina Amrov, Gatineau Québec

Christina Cuthbertson, Lethbridge Alberta

Analisa MacIntosh, Vancouver British Columbia

Karyne Vienneau, Gatineau Québec

Geneviève Nevin, Victoria BC

Malaya Powers, Montréal Québec

Dejana Knih, Calgary Alberta

Arushana Sunderaeson, Scarborough Ontario

Chrissy Lynn Trudel, Elliot Lake Ontario

Cheri DiNovo, Toronto Ontario

Amanda Lathlin, The Pas Manitoba

Alice Gaudreau, Montréal, Québec

Jacinthe Gagnon, Laval, Québec

Fae Johnstone, Ottawa Ontario

#Niki Ashton #NDP #feminism #Canada #cdnpoli #canadian politics #canadian #canadian news

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musevassal · 7 years

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Papa on Tickling

Papa. My grandfather. I've mentioned him here a couple times before. (Once funny, once sad.) He was full-on German. And by full-on, I mean full-fucking-ON. Born and bred Prussian aristocracy: a real Von from Berlin. I'm not bragging, it just is what it is, and very relevant to who he was. Unless you've been pinned under the gaze of a man who's had that kind of upbringing, you can't really understand what all comes with that. In his world there was a crushing system of cruelty and trauma, so-called discipline, applied to children. To create men, the psychotics of the ruling class, to wield privilege and power for the state. This is how the Europeans dominated, and the Prussian system was their template. At the age of sixteen, Papa had gone to war to fight for Germany in World War Two. Captured by Americans, he spent a few years in a POW camp in England. He said the camp wasn't as bad as I might have heard (the fake Nazis in today's lockups have nothing on the real ones that were in those camps); since he was Luftwaffe and a Von, the hero fighter-pilot aristocrats took him under their wing. When he was released, he returned to Germany to find his family dead and their properties clamped down behind what would later become the iron curtain. Nothing left. Riches to rags. A while later, he met and knocked up my grandmother, moved in with her family (also displaced persons, DPs, from what is now Poland), and sold radios he built from scratch and newspapers to get the money to move to Canada with his (then) three kids. Luckily for me, Canada and age had mellowed him by the time I came around, because I spent a lot of time with him when I was little. I really worshiped him. My parents were typical hippy types with very few consistent boundaries, and he quickly became the authoritarian in my life that I looked to for stability. Later, I would hear about how he used to be from my mother and aunts. About the terrible, regular beatings he would lay out as a matter of principle. But he was forbidden from laying a hand on my sister and me, upon my mother's threat of his being banished from our lives, and he never did. His voice, however, that vehicle of his displeasure, was all he ever needed to reign me in. There was no fucking around with this man. Even so, he loved us deeply and taught us what he could. He was a giant in my formative years. Now, as I just mentioned, I spent a lot of time at my grandparents' “farm:” a small cattle ranch in northern Alberta. There were always a lot of relatives there too. My grandparents had five kids and both of my grandmother's surviving sisters followed her to Edmonton. I was the eldest grandkid, so as I aged there were always cousins underfoot, like noisy, mobile pylons. There were two uncles, Nick and Dave, both in the family by marriage (although at that time, I suppose, they were just boyfriends), who dominated my early life at the farm. One in a good sense, and another not so much. Both were macho, 70s, hairy, manly men, and very physical. Uncle Nick was, and is, one of my favorite uncles. He was around a lot, dating my youngest aunt who was probably about eighteen when all this happened. Some of my earliest memories are of great fun with Uncle Nick on the big sofa in my grandmother's living room. He'd read to me and also do that snuggle-wrestling that toddlers and young kids love so well. He was great at it too; a big bear of a man who was both strong and gentle. He did, however, discover that I am insanely ticklish. He never pushed it too far, but he did throw a good tickle into his repertoire. As I got older, there was less snuggling and cuddling, and more serious wrestling. That was a lot of fun, but he never failed to give me a good tickle as the finish to a pin. I didn't like that part of it, to be honest, but it also wasn't too bad. Definitely worth suffering through as a price for the wrestling. Then there was Uncle Dave. He was different. He started dating one of my mom's cousins, and was more of a toxic masculinity type. I was about four or five years old at this point, and I guess he observed how ticklish I was during one of my wrastles with Uncle Nick. This seems to have piqued a predatory impulse in Uncle Dave. Uncle Dave was never around so much, but when he was, he would track me down and forcibly tickle me to that point where I would want to die. For way too long. It was sadistic and horrible. There was never any pretense of fun as a lead in to it either. It was always just a straight up, dominating physical assault right from the second he got his hands on me. The big problem with Uncle Dave's tickling was that it ruined the fun time I would have with Uncle Nick. Now there was trauma connected to tickling. After Dave's treatment, when Nick tickled me, gentle as he was, I went straight back into the same place where I wanted to die. It was now intolerable. So I bit Uncle Nick. I remember pretty clearly that I felt safe with Nick, and made the conscious choice to practice biting as a defense I thought might work against Uncle Dave. I figured out pretty quick that there was no way to stop me curling up into a ball around some part of a leg to get my face into position to attack. I don't think I bit Nick hard, but he got the message. He looked a bit wounded, but he stopped tickling me after that and didn't hold it against me. He's a good man. The next time Uncle Dave came to the farm, I was ready. I didn't avoid him like I had been before (he always cornered me anyway): I sat down on the living room tickle sofa and waited for him. I don't remember exactly what I was thinking, but I was fiercely determined that this was going to be the last day he tickled me without paying a price for it. Sure enough, Dave zeroed right in on me and got to work. His big, strong hands pinned me down as his fingers drilled into my armpits and ribs. I didn't hesitate either. I turned into him and turtled; sliding my chest and head down his leg until I reached his calf. Then I got a good hold around his leg and bit his calf as hard as I could, for as long as I could. I don't think I actually bit him for long, since he yelled really loudly and wrenched his leg free of me. If I recall correctly, my teeth rather hurt from his flesh getting yanked out from between them. I don't know if he was bleeding, but he probably was. Reared on good, tough, German sourdough bread, I was. Strong jaw. I look up at Uncle Dave and he is white with rage, his fist clenched and raised up behind him. I don't think I even had time to get afraid before Papa, my grandfather, was in the room. He had been at the dining room table in the adjacent room, doing his paperwork. “Vas is zis?” he asked in his normal, quiet, terrifying way. “Your grandson bit me!” yelled uncle Dave. Papa gave this a measured think, with his usual inscrutable expression. “Did he?” Papa finally said, turning his gaze to me. I met his gaze, thinking the equivalent of, “well, fuck it, at least it was worth it.” But there was just the slightest twinkle in Papa's eye that let me know everything was going to be okay. And something new, that hadn't ever been there before. Respect. Papa turned his gaze back to “Uncle” Dave, and I'm sure there was no twinkle there for him. Probably something closer to what Bob Dylan referred to as, “steel-eyed death.” “And vat were you doing ven he bit you?” Papa asked. “Tickling him.” This earned another thoughtful, pregnant pause. This time with a slow nod of judgment at its finish. The Patriarch had reached his decision. “Vell, if he bites you ven you tickle him, maybe you shouldn't tickle him.” Dave didn't like that one bit, there was no doubting that. But he only met Papa's eye for a second before he deflated and got the fuck out of there (while he still had the legs to carry him). Papa just gave me another quiet look, this time with a friendly little nod, and went back to his seat at the head of the table to return to his paperwork. He had not said another word. Now that I think about it, I do believe that shortly after that he started teaching me the game of chess. In thinking about this whole exchange now, as a father myself, I wonder at my grandfather's approach. He was always right there. He saw everything. And he never stopped it. As a child in that position of being victimized, it never occurred to me that some adult might be looking out for me. That someone would come to my aid. I just assumed that to be victimized in that way was my role. Because, clearly, it was. That is, until I figured out a way to protect myself. Then, and only then, my grandfather extended his protection. I was never beneath his notice; he had simply made the decision not to intervene. So what was his lesson to me? You're on your own. When it comes right down to it, you can only rely on yourself. And if you're going to let someone treat you this way, then that is how you are going to be treated. But, when you figure out the right lever to protect yourself, when you've finally had enough and make that proverbial prison shank, at that point I'll have your back.

Maybe it wasn't a good lesson, in certain senses of the word. But it was definitely an important one. Oh, yeah, and Dave never tickled me again either.

#family #tickling #german #prussian #childhood

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abbreview · 4 years

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Music for the soul 🎵🎸🎹 Although this melodious small Albertan business officially started in 2019, the foundations of the business have been laying down for the last 16 years, by Daniel Jackson, founder of and lead educator at “Revolution Music International”. Revolution Music International teaches various aspects and instruments of music, to name a few: guitar, bass, piano, drums and voice lessons. Their focus is on four basic elements of musicianship which are emotional quality, music theory, practicality, and mathematics while combining it with leadership and character-building principles, because these are traits that need to intertwine with being a well-rounded musician. They not only provide music students with excellent teachers, but also provide online videos to accompany the lessons. They have successfully created a hybrid service model that helps students learn in person, then augment their learning with an online video recording of their newly acquired skills, thus, bonding the two together and solidifying the learning experience. Another distinct competitive advantage they enjoy over their competition is the combination of the leadership development and character building into music lessons so that students, especially children and teenagers, would be able to go out into the world and be effective in whatever they do, even if it had nothing to do with music. They want to see their students become more than just musicians but become well-rounded effective persons in their life. . . . . #edmontonentrepreneurs #edmontonbusiness #edmonton #westedmonton #yeg #yegbizowner #yegbusiness #yegbiz #yegbizowners #yegdrummers #yegdrums #yegguitar #yegguitarist #yegguitarlessons #yegmusic #yegmusicschool #edmontonmusic #yeglife #yegliving #edmontonalberta #yegconnector #yeglocal #yeggers #yegsmallbusiness #yeglocalbusiness #stalbert #sherwoodpark #stonyplain #sprucegrove #yegmusic (at Edmonton, Alberta) https://www.instagram.com/p/CABq-ffpkcC/?igshid=189tgbeu2bjta

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theseadagiodays · 4 years

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April 20, 2020

No more muzzling my words

OK, so I’m just going to say it. There are times when this really stinks. And it actually feels good to give myself permission to admit that.

One of my favorite novelists, Anne Patchett, author of Bel Canto, also wrote a memoir called Truth & Beauty about her lifelong best friendship with someone who struggled with cancer since childhood. What I remember most is her friend’s very unusual way of enduring horrific hardships that included having her jaw surgically removed, (no less in the middle of self-conscious adolescence). To feel better about her own situation, she would regularly re-read The Diary of Anne Frank in a sort of schadenfreude effort to remember that there were people who’d had it far worse than herself. However, these contrived gestures only took her so far.

I guess the truth is, there is only so much glass-half-full thinking any of us can exercise. Realizing this, I was relieved to hear Brene Brown’s recent podcast about Comparitive Suffering,

https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-on-comparative-suffering-the-50-50-myth-and-settling-the-ball/

Here, she recognizes that while the daily news barrages us with crises much greater than our own (lost jobs, health, and even loved ones), many of us feel guilty for bemoaning our own losses at this time, because we think we should be grateful for what we have. Certainly, this universal suffering has allowed us to gain some clearer perspective on our lives and our blessings. And the fact that the entire world is experiencing some similar aspects of this reality has enabled us to build real global empathy. However, it is also true that each micro-loss deserves its own relative mouring period. So, I am going to give myself a little license to acknowledge what I am grieving at this time. But I wanted to find a creative way to do this. So, I am going to write a love letter to the time before COVID, identifying the things I truly miss. This idea came out of an exercise we led with my non-profit’s Women Rock group. They are co-writing songs to express the myriad of feelings they are having during this period. In one song, they plan to write about the solace that nature brings them right now. But they also want a vehicle to communicate their challenges. In other words, they want somewhere to “deposit the negative,” because this can actually be very healing: to name what’s wrong, genuinely feel the impact of it in your life, and then let it go. The etymological root of the word de-posit means to put (poner), away (-de). Ironically, this is similar to the origin of the word positive, which is to formally lay down (or to state absolutely). So, perhaps by absoluting stating what we feel bad about, we leave room to feel good about what’s left.

But in case this is just a little too sad for some people to read, try imagining the theme song to Jimmy Fallon’s regular Thank You Notes segment, for a bit of comic relief while you read. Here he is in his At-Home Edition, writing some with his daughters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6x2UgPVYJs

Vancouver Mural Festival on Main St

Dear pre-COVID days,

I remember how good it felt to walk down Main St and hug everyone from my neighbor, to my colleague, to the barista. You were so open in the way you invited human touch on a daily basis.

I was so grateful that you allowed me the opportunity to interact with people from all different walks of life. You let me work in so many different environments, from elementary schools, to prisons, to seniors centres, where I was privileged to hear people’s stories as they found their own creative voices.

I loved being free to spend time with my family even though they live far away. You made it possible to see my parents in Arizona, and my brother in NY, and my uncle in Colorado, and my in-laws in Ontario, every year, despite the distance.

I enjoyed all of the opportunities you gave me to experience live art. You animated my world and made it technicolor, with concerts, dance clubs, galleries, theatre performances, and different arts festivals every week.

I loved how healthy I felt running around the tennis courts at Queen Elizabeth Park. You made it so easy to exercise my lungs, my legs, my arms, my focus, my flexibility and my stamina all at the same time.

I felt so much passion for the adventures that you brought me to. You generously satisfied my infinite curiosities with music projects in Zambia, and holidays in Hawaii, and cultural immersions in Guatemala.

I miss all of the the ways you let me love and live and work and play freely. And I long for the day you return,

Laura

April 21, 2020

Neighborhood Art

There are so many signs that we are all missing connection and stimulation during quarantine. But the human spirit is extremely buoyant. So, we’ve found remarkable ways to share artistic moments through the walls of COVID.

In Rome, locals are projecting classic films against their apartment building facades: https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/lockdown-rome-lights-up-with-cinema-by-night.html

In Berlin, neighbors are displaying art installations from their balconies:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/berlin-artists-turn-their-balconies-mini-galleries-180974677/

An art installation by Raul Walch, created for the “Life, art, pandemic and proximity” project

In Ohio, kids play cello duets for an elderly neighbor:

And right here in Vancouver, people lead streetside Zumba classes as seniors home residents dance along:

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1716406851557

April 22, 2020

Earth Day in Isolation

I am hardly the first to note that while this virus has taken so much from mankind, it has also given Mother Earth the long-awaited rest she so deserves. There have been plenty of photos of Himalayan mountain tops viewed from Indian cities for the first time in decades, or Orcas returning to Vancouver’s shores to prove this.

In another gift to our planet, appropriately on Earth Day here in BC, where it has oddly not rained for 30 days, it appears that Gaia is being showered with much needed rain for her day of celebration. And even a sun-worshipper like me has been doing rain dances lately, to ensure that our city will not be shrouded in smoke from a fire-ravaged province, as we have been for the past two summers.

On a different note, a more distorted personification of nature has been touted by many a cynical observer in recent weeks, citing Covid as retribution against humans from a vengeful Mother Earth. I do not subscribe to such punitive thinking. But I do believe there are environmental lessons to be learned from this crisis if we listen closely enough.

Writer Kristin Flyntz makes this point more beautifully than I ever could, in her Greatful Web post: https://www.gratefulweb.com/articles/imagined-letter-covid-19-humans Here, instead of a love letter to pre-Covid days, she has imagined the letter that Covid might write to humans. The tone is intentional and generous but also insistent. It is spoken as if from a friend not an enemy. And it proposes that we ask the hard questions: “As the health of a tree, a river, the sky tells you about the quality of your own health, what might the quality of your health tell you about the health of the rivers, the trees, the sky, and all of us who share this planet with you?”

Another letter, falsely attributed to Bill Gates, whose proven himself to be a true leader of responsiveness in this critical time, also had similar things to say. The anonymous writer claims that this time: “is reminding us that this Earth is sick. It is reminding us that we need to look at the rate of deforestation just as urgently as we look at the speed at which toilet rolls are disappearing off of shelves. We are sick because our home is sick.”

And as usual, artists are responding too. The NY-based NGO, Earth Celebrations has postponed their Virtual Earth Day Pageant for May 9th in the interest of garnering more public participation, with a callout for anyone who wants to craft a costume, mask, puppet, etc. All are welcome. And more details can be found here: https://earthcelebrations.com/?fbclid=IwAR30nj7NtS52E-RLjpvz739L-3fcp-DtnJ1YeVE8Roln4vJXPC7bzBLxew0

April 23

Virtual Festivals

If you’re looking for an alternative to Netflix and chillin’, there are endless arts festivals that have moved content online, for your streaming pleasure. So, I thought I’d recommend a few interesting ones here.

If it’s efficiency you’re after, when browsing thru infinite entertainment options, the Social Distancing Festival does all the work for you, by scouring the globe to curate the best livestreamed events they can find. Links include everything from modern dance to virtual gallery tours to musical theatre:

https://www.socialdistancingfestival.com

Myseum of Toronto’s Art in the Time of Covid - work by Evgeni Tcherkassk

For some lighter fare, this Edmonton Series hosts nightly cabaret, music, and comedy acts performed by local artists from their homes.

https://www.citadeltheatre.com/2019-2020/stuckinthehouse?utm_source=Citadel+Theatre&utm_campaign=67600c620f-Stuck-in-the-House&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_482a5c3fca-67600c620f-80741247

And if you’re looking for a bit more sophistication, Toronto’s Festival of Literary Diversity has managed to move online, and it starts next Thursday. Their line-up features many of Canada’s finest emerging and established voices. My personal favorite, Mona Awad will be reading from her new novel, Bunny, which was the funniest read I’ve had in ages. In this high art version of Mean Girls, she nails the pretentious banter of grad school writing cliques with a dash of magical realism. https://thefoldcanada.org

April 23

Creative Gratitude

Florida police thank-you

Our shared appreciation for front line workers has become a true muse for collective community creativity.

Clockwise: Navajo muralist Ivan Lee; local Vancouver sidewalk; Long Island artist, Kara Hoblin

But this one takes the cake for audacity!

https://gfycat.com/magnificentabsolutegosling-health-workers-coronavirus-thank-you-meme

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coffeebreakstatement · 7 years

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Poland Summer 2017 #7: Goodbyes

I used to be really afraid of change. I used to mark the boundaries my comfort zone and stay well within them. I have always admired people who are motivated to try new, different, and even scary things. In my admiration, I have been working on becoming this kind of person. I have been trying to push the boundaries of my comfort zone and make myself uncomfortable because all the best experiences of my life so far have begun with some sense of uncertainty and fear. I don’t want my fear of what could go wrong to eclipse the possibilities of everything that could go right.

Maybe I am still a bit afraid of change, even if I try to embrace it at every opportunity. Change and I have come to an agreement, but it is still something that I am working on and we are not yet the best of friends. The worst kind of change is goodbyes. I don’t think I will ever get over my aversion to saying goodbye. This week, I had to say a lot of goodbyes.

My teacher left this week to return to Katowice so we got a new teacher who will be with us for the remainder of the summer school. There needs to be a certain level of trust built up between students and teachers for them to work well together, especially language teachers since constant communication is an essential teaching tool. It takes time for both the student and the teacher to learn how they can best help each other and for me, it takes time for me to get comfortable speaking freely with a teacher and speaking up when I don’t understand something. I was afraid for my teacher to leave because it would mean starting from scratch again with a new teacher. It was difficult to say goodbye to my wonderful, kind teacher. Fortunately, my new teacher is also very lovely so the transition has been easier than I thought it would be.

The biggest goodbyes I had to say this week were to my two friends from Croatia who left on Wednesday morning. They were only staying for half of the summer school and even though we were all anticipating it, saying goodbye was really hard. On their last night, after we had all said goodbye to the girls who were leaving and started to go to our rooms, my friend and I just starting crying in the hallway together outside our rooms. The next day was the worst because I was trying so hard to not cry all day. During the break between classes before they left, we would always sit on the benches in the hallway and talk. The first break after they left I came to the bench to find my friend crying there alone. We all hugged and ate chocolate to comfort her (and ourselves).

I spent a lot of time with the girls who left because we would study, go to the afternoon activities, and eat meals together. I was really afraid of doing things alone once they left. I got so used to them always being around all the time that since they have been gone, I keep expecting to see them when I go the cafeteria to eat or sitting on the benches in the hallway during our break. Beyond being sad that they wouldn’t be here anymore, I was sad to say goodbye to them because I didn’t know when I would see them next.

When I left Vancouver, I had made friends from all across Canada and even though we had a two-day sob-fest leading up to our departures, it didn’t feel like we were saying goodbye forever. We live in the same country and we knew we would get opportunities to see each other (and I have already gotten to see a number of my friends since then). Goodbyes are easier when you are saying “see you later”.

I am already bracing for the end of the summer school because now I have friends from all over the world. There is no guarantee this time that I will see any of them again since most of them literally live halfway around the world. I have met some of the loveliest people here and it is hard to imagine that in two weeks we will all be scattered throughout the world again. I don’t want to have to say more goodbyes.

I think you get the picture. This week was really sad. But even though a lot of goodbyes were said and tears were shed, a lot of good things happened too.

Earlier this week, it was the birthday of a guy in my class. He organized a party and invited the whole class. We sat outside at a picnic table with food and drinks and we talked. Bear in mind that in my class we are not completely fluent in Polish so we often have difficulty communicating ourselves clearly. However, everyone in the class can speak either English or Russian so we still have some commonalities. Two students in our class (one a native Russian speaker and one a native English speaker) are fluent in both Russian and English so they worked really hard as translators to keep everyone involved in the conversation.

I learned that Russians don’t have something like “cheers” to say when you’re drinking. For occasions like birthdays, everyone at the table takes a turn to make a toast and everyone drinks after each one. Everyone speaks from the heart and offers their birthday wishes; it is definitely more sincere than the simple English “cheers” and it was a really beautiful thing to be a part of. Since the birthday boy doesn’t speak a lot of English, my toast had to be translated into Russian.

Later in the evening, our teachers even came to join us for the birthday celebration. They spoke to us in Polish (which they do almost all the time), but in any case, our translators had gone home so we needed to speak mostly in Polish for everyone to communicate. I learned that my professor from Edmonton had emailed to check up on me and hear how I was doing so I was touched by that.

This week we also had the Wieczór Narodów (trans: Evening of Nations), which was an event where all the students at the summer school had the opportunity to present our countries to the school and the residents of Cieszyn. It was held in the main square in the centre of the city and I was really surprised at how many people were there! I performed with France and Cyprus and even though I was really nervous to read my speech about Canada (my hand was visibly shaking even if my voice was not), I was proud of myself for speaking in front of such a big crowd for 3 minutes entirely in Polish! I also helped my friends from Korea with their performance. There are only two of them, but they wanted to dance Gangnam Style and needed a larger dance team so we were all recruited. I was nervous because we didn’t have a lot of time to practice and I didn’t know all the steps, but nevertheless it was really fun! People really got into dancing along with us. We even got to dance the Polonaise a couple times which I really enjoyed.

Last week, we wrote our first test, which was essentially the mid-term exam. Most people I know got the test back earlier, but my class didn’t get it back until yesterday. I received the highest mark in my class, which I was very happy about because I studied a lot for the test. I know that I am good at Polish grammar and orthography (which is why I can do well on tests), but I still struggle with speaking. We have been doing a lot of speaking exercises so I have noticed improvement and I feel more confident when I speak because my vocabulary is much bigger. It’s still my biggest weakness in Polish so I know that when I go home I need to find more opportunities to practice listening and speaking.

Yesterday was a really good day. For the first time since I have been here, I skipped the afternoon seminar so I could dedicate a few extra hours to studying. I worked on translating a poem and reviewing some new grammar rules we learned this week. Two students from my class came into the student lounge while I was studying so we started to study together. After studying with them, I had a consultation with my teacher because we had a lesson this week that I didn’t really understand. Although I was the only one who had talked to him about coming in, I kept running into people from my class who were also interested in more clarification so almost half the class ended up at the consultation.

My friend had decided earlier in the day that she really wanted pizza so my friends made plans to eat pizza together and hang out in the evening. It was a nice break from all the studying. Pizza toppings continue to be a contentious issue because apparently it is weird to put pineapple on pizza (not that I eat it like that but I guess it is mostly a North American thing). I don’t think Poland has much room to talk because they put corn on their pizza.

There were a lot of sad things this week, but also a lot of small blessings and beautiful moments. Goodbyes are still hard, but life keeps moving forwards. There is even a happy ending to this story. I didn’t have a plan for what to do after the summer school ends so my friend and I have decided to tag along with our Croatian friend as she goes home. I will be fulfilling my childhood dream of going to Croatia (which is a long story involving a coin, a book of flags, and a school project) and I will get to see the country that gave me the best gift of the most wonderful friends. I guess that not all goodbyes are forever.

#b: travel #t: poland summer 2017

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jessicakehoe · 4 years

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My Story: Ashley Callingbull on Smashing Stereotypes and Finding Strength in Her Indigenous Culture

Born in Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta, Ashley Callingbull became a household name after becoming the first Indigenous woman — and Canadian — to win the Mrs. Universe title in 2015. The historic victory marked so much more than a beauty pageant win for Callingbull: Her moment in the spotlight turned into a prime opportunity to shed a light on causes that hit close to home. During her time with the crown, Callingbull used her Mrs. Universe platform and budding social media following to bring much-needed attention to human rights issues affecting Indigenous communities, including raising awareness around the inquiry into the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across Canada. She’s also been very vocal about the domestic violence crisis, something she endured as a child, along with her mother.

Since emerging from the beauty pageant scene, Callingbull has never stopped using her voice to make a difference, and has gone on to become an actor, philanthropist, public speaker, model and brand ambassador for mainstream fashion brands. Here, she shares, in her own words, her role models, major life lessons, and why her big pageant victory felt hard-won.

On being a model muse for mainstream brands like RW & Co.:

“I love that I’m able to do these big campaigns for these [type of] organizations because they actually let me have a voice; they let you be an ambassador for them, and you’re an ambassador of what your platform is. RW & Co lets me donate back to the different charities that I volunteer for. Not very many organizations will do things like that. And it’s amazing what you can do with modeling if you do have a voice — it’s all about giving back. Campaigns are not just about you; they’re about who you’re impacting and what lives you’re changing. And as so long as I have a voice, I’m happy, because I don’t like to be silenced. I always like to speak my mind because I’m speaking on behalf of other people all the time. Being a face of a campaign and being an indigenous woman is rare to see; it took a long time for that to happen. I’m glad we’re finally being recognized.”

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The gals are back! I’m proud to be able to collaborate with these inspiring women. Thank you @rw_co for bringing all of us together to create positive change. 💙

A post shared by Ashley Callingbull (@ashleycallingbull) on Feb 24, 2020 at 4:02pm PST

On being from Enoch Cree Nation:

“I’m really proud to be from Enoch Cree Nation — to be a Plains Cree woman. To be from the small community where I’m from, to do all the things that I’ve done — and to see more Indigenous youth coming out of my community and being successful — is a proud moment because there’s a huge stereotype on us that we’ll always fail. I love to prove myself wrong; I love to prove other people wrong. Nothing will change me, no matter where I go or what I find success in. I’m still that girl from the reserve, and I carry that pride everywhere I go.”

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Thank you so much @hometownhockey for acknowledging our people and bringing this event to my home! It was such a wonderful experience and the youth were so uplifted knowing that their dreams are within their reach! Thank you @sportsnet for having me in studio in Toronto and on site in my community for this historic event! ✨ #Indigenous #HometownHockey

A post shared by Ashley Callingbull (@ashleycallingbull) on Mar 25, 2019 at 7:57pm PDT

On her beauty icons and role models:

“The two people closest to home: my mom and grandmother. They were the ones that kept me straight. I remember growing up, a lot of people would make fun of my skin, make fun that I looked different and that I came from the reserve. People just called me out on everything that I wasn’t. And whenever I felt bad about the way that I looked or where I came from, I would talk to my grandmother and my mom. My grandmother always made me feel beautiful. She always told me that it’s beautiful to look the way that we do and to be proud of our background. It’s crazy how culture can make you feel strong and beautiful.”

On the power of being different:

“Growing up, I was pretty much a tomboy and didn’t get into makeup until I turned 18. When I did my first pageant, that was a completely different world for me in regards to fashion, makeup and hair. I never experienced anything like that before. And it became a big thing right off the bat that no one around me looked like me, which made it hard to look up to people. I told myself, ‘If this is going to happen, I’m going to be one of the first, but I’m not going to be the last.’ I basically just started doing my own thing. Now, seeing more indigenous models and designers, everything is finally being acknowledged in the right way.”

On competing for the Mrs. Universe 2015 crown and her pageant experiences at large:

“I remember right when I joined, there were no Indigenous women competing. It was rare even to see other women of colour in the pageant because pageants had this standard of beauty: tall, white, blonde. It felt like, as women of colour, you had to work harder to break that mould. I experienced racism at a whole new level: A lot of people were telling me to go home, telling me I didn’t belong here because I didn’t dress like them, look like them, or didn’t present myself in the way that they wanted. But I always thought to myself, I’m not going to change myself for anybody. I’m just going to give you the best of what I have and who I am. And if you like it, you like it. If you don’t, that’s not my problem. I’m proud of who I am. I remember when I became the first Indigenous woman to be Miss Canada in 2010, I thought, ‘Wow, this is crazy!’ I never thought I’d see that coming. And when I competed in international pageants, no one ever thought I was Indigenous. They always thought I was Latina or Filipino — they always thought I was something that I wasn’t. Now, I see a lot more Indigenous women competing. Pageants are definitely becoming more diverse and have more purpose. Like, when I was competing, there were maybe only a handful of us who were doing it for charity reasons. But today, you have to have a purpose.”

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Representing First Nations on the international stage was the best feeling in the world

A post shared by Ashley Callingbull (@ashleycallingbull) on Aug 30, 2015 at 2:44pm PDT

On her definition of beauty:

“Beauty to me has a lot to do with culture and just being proud about the way you were created. I wouldn’t want to ever look like anyone else because I was made this way for a reason. Beauty is about embracing who I am every time I wake up.”

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@reclaimyourpower 👽

A post shared by Ashley Callingbull (@ashleycallingbull) on May 15, 2018 at 3:43pm PDT

On beauty rituals she’s adopted from her grandmother and mother:

“My grandmother never had wrinkles. I couldn’t believe it! She always moisturized her face every night and never wore makeup. She always told me, ‘Don’t wear makeup if you don’t have to. Give your skin a break.’ So when I’m not working or doing any events, I never wear it. I like to go to the sauna a three times a week, but when I can’t, I boil hot water in a pot, take it off the stove, rest my head at a distance over it and place a towel over my head so that the steam opens up my pores cleans out my skin. My grandmother and mom taught me that, and mom does it a lot. It’s almost like a little sauna for your face. I do that maybe twice a week when I can’t got to the sauna.”

On future goals:

“I want to create my own foundation, and I want it to be focused on women and children who are facing homelessness and have gone through domestic abuse. I do a lot for Edmonton’s WIN House, but it would be amazing to have a foundation strictly for Indigenous women and children, because that’s the highest rate. A lot of times there’s no room in shelters, and that was the problem me and my mom had when we I was growing up and we tried to escape domestic violence. There was no room for us. So I know what it’s like not to have somewhere to go, and I don’t want our women suffering like how I did. If they can get another chance at life, give it to them. That’s a big goal of mine.”

The post My Story: Ashley Callingbull on Smashing Stereotypes and Finding Strength in Her Indigenous Culture appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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