Stolen underwear - AGAIN!

That's right!

AGAIN my underwear has been stolen!

Learning from my last experience of leaving my vulnerable washing unguarded, I dolled myself up in my bikini, marched my washing down to the apartment complex's community laundry facility and perched outside to bask in the sun of yesterday's magnificant sky and catch up on some study.

I saw one old Indian lady leave the laundry area and a young couple come and go.

Some time later when I estimated my washing would be done, I went to retrieve my clothes and discovered that yet again, matching bra and underwear sets had been stolen!!!

I confronted the old Indian lady and the couple when they came back and if they are to be believed, they did not steal my underwears but have previously caught some balding Mexican man going through people's washing in the past. Apparently this man (who is said to wear a ProTurf shirt) snuck past me while sitting outside the room and stole from me again!

Gah!

Now I have no bras and fewer panties.

If anyone would like to make a donation, please let me know... bra-less antics (on me at least) don't look good....

k

Poetry Slam

All inspired by the amazing writing skills of some of my mates here (namely Cristina and Grace) as well as the talent displayed after the Social Justice Summit, I became inspired on Sunday night to experiment with my own form of poetic expression...

It was a flop.

I just didn't have a passionate place to come from and so fell asleep instead.

Monday however... Monday I had passion. Monday I was very, very frustrated. I just couldn't concentrate in class. Monday I wrote some pretty raw poetry about how I was feeling and about a super fly guy in my class.

Yesterday I got roped into a Poetry Slam. Yesterday I read my poetry from Monday to 70-odd strangers (including a judging panel). It was so scary and fun!

Comment of the night would have to be "This poetry things was going okay until you got up. Then it became really hot in here..."

Ha!

k

Korean Cooking Class

Today I met up with two of my Hermanas for a cooking class.

Natalie, who is half Korean and half Mexican hosted a cooking class (by request) at her place for Liz, who's parents are from Chile and Mexico, and myself.

It was ace.

We were shown how to make Miso soup with soft tofu, savoury pancakes with kimji and other noodle and entre delights.

Thank you Natalie!!!

Next stop is Liz'z place to teach out how to make authentic beans and rice...

Fullerton is a piece of alright.

On Saturday was the Social Justice Summit at my school (CSUF). It coincided with Earth Day which is an annual global consciousness day in the States.

It was hot!

It was a day filled with a sweatshop-free clothing give-away, vegan and organic meals, recycled and biodegradable materials, and lots of learning. I participated in talks called "Engaging your Peers", "Environmental Racism" and "Engaging the Media". They were all rather informative and helpful. The highlight of the day came from post event performances by some grass roots hip-hop and rap artists. They were BRILLIENT! Any other expansion on their performances will not do justice so I won't try but if you are interested, I know one of the artists was called Skim.

Sunday I attempted to get into LA to explore the Getty museum but got sidetracked instead in downtown Fullerton. I was delighted to discover that it is not the hole I thought it was. In fact, lots of live music goes down every night of the week, there are lots of cool retro and vintage stores and there are some really cute edgy, alternative stores. I also explored the Fullerton museum, which was fun, and found a group of old people juggling outside who I joined for a little while.

The longer I stay in Fullerton, the more I love it. I can not begin to believe how suckful it will be once I leave the OC in little over a month...

k

Bootilicious!!!

Today was the main fundraiser for the LGBA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance), an on-campus drag show called Bootilicious!

Being the good 'Alliance' member that I am, I helped out a mate - Cristina (the mate that shot me last weekend), and performed in the event. Cristina, as a drag King, performed to "I'm in love with a stripper". I, along with two other girls, were the "strippers".

In this roll I wore 20inch heels. Yes, 20inch heals. While in the spotlight I didn't fall once (the screaming and frequent toppling was reserved for when I was sent out into the audience to perform in the crowd)! I even managed to perform so well that I made significantly more money than the other two "strippers" (I refuse to acknowledge that this was due to the fact that my freakish hair and gigantic heels lead people to think I was also in drag).

To add to the greatness of the night, the LGBA actually managed to more than double their previous record earning amount for this annual event! Woo!

k

Hairy moments...

Yesterday I did what we all do and regret at somestage (I have a history of this...)... Yes, yesterday I dyed my own hair. This time it turned the shade I wanted, a lovely non-golden blonde.... I just didn't manage to get it where I wanted it.... However, I now have an interesting halo-type affect going on....

So after dying it I decided to straighten it. Poor hair. Couldn't take it. In fact, because I have brutilized my hair so much and it was just after dying it, and because the temperature of the straightener was too high, I burnt my hair. And not at the back where no one will notice either. At the front. Centre.

As a result, I thought I should give myself a little haircut. Bad move. Why do I never learn?!

Gah.

Presently I have an interesting glowing mullet thing going on.... I could start a trend....

More likely I scare people....

Love you!

Love me!

Easter Weekend

I am really surprised at how little a deal Easter is over here (especially since I have already mentioned how completely Christian this place is compared to home...). In fact, Good Friday is practically ignored, the shops don't really sell Easter Eggs or decorate and Monday isn't even a holiday!

Either way, I had a fantastic weekend with my American family.

It was spent in Orange County, Hollywood and Long Beach...

Although I piked on party plans for Friday night (because I fell asleep early and was only woken up 14 hours later...), I was left refreshed and ready for action on Saturday. Saturday I was invited by a mate, Cristina, to go to a firing range. Even though I am a total lover (not a fighter), I have been interested in going to a firing range ever since I heard Buddy 'The real estate king' say to Caroline in American Beauty, "When I get like that, I fire a gun" (in reference to her being "so stressed out"). Anyway, I did it. It was horrible. it is now an experience I can cross off my list. Along with being shot. Yes, Cristina, my "mate", shot me. Well, sort of. It wasn't really AT me but a fragment of bullet became imbedded in my right hand ring finger all the same...

Below is a photo of us all before I was shot...


Saturday arvo I made Cristina park at a shopping complex next to a burst water main I discovered so I could strip down into my underwear and run through the water fountain. Cristina was already edgy about the 50 or so randoms standing around watching me do this and so made me put on a pair of boardies and top she had in her car.... it was such a "it's raining men!" moment! Woo!



Saturday night I drove past the most amazing houses in Beverly Hills on the way to The House of Blues in Hollywood. It was a night filled with great music, much drama and pleanty of stories... However I shall cut a ridiculously long email into a shorter one and just tell you that the music was rad and the people interesting and the night fun. I shall also tell you, as I tend to do, that Cyprus Hill was at the House of Blues that night, not performing, just chilling upstairs in The Foundation Room where my crew spent a lot of our night...

Easter Sunday was the maddest day of all. It was spent gayly with familiar and new friends who knew that I am lacking family over here and would likely otherwise be alone. With this insane group of weird and wonderful lezbians I proceeded to dance, chat, chill, laugh, play dominos, and a card game called dirty pig while getting stupidly drunk on margaritas and tequila's.

A great big fat thank you to Cristina and Zena for Saturday's fun and games, and a gigantic thank you and "what up dawg!" to Brigitte, Blue and crew for Sunday BBQ jollies!

k

Sorry for the lack of update.

Since I last wrote I have been going through some intense emotional stuff directly and indirectly. Lately there has been an influx of bad and worse news from friends and family. I have been feeling a lot of intense stuff and just been trying to really experience whatever I am needing to feel, so I can move on.

A couple of things that have really got me reflecting lately have been volunteering in the health clinic last weekend in Mexico, and participating in the Take Back the Night ralley on campus. Both experiences were confronting and grounding and I am glad I participated in both.


Don't be concerned, I'm all good. Life is just full of experiences and sometimes you feel them more and sometimes you feel them less.

Peace and love

k

Getting involved.

I decided to stop pledging for the sorority I was pledging for yesterday because it was just taking up so much more time and energy than I expected. I think the connections I have been able to form with the amazing people I have been interacting with in the various clubs I have joined have allowed me to form my own little American family and made me question my interaction with a sorority...

It was interesting participating in a pledging process though and I am grateful to the girls that let me into their worlds.

Today I took a mate of mine to the on-campus arbaritum. It was nice to get back to nature but I was really surprised at how little my mate, Thashawna knew about the natural world... Highlight of the day would have to be when I took out my camera to take a photo of Thashawna climbing a tree for the first time. Just when she was reaching for an orange so we could eat it, an ant crawled across her hand and she FREAKED OUT. Moment was captured below...

Love her but could not resist laughing until it hurt...

This weekend I am volunteering with the Flying Samaritans in El Tecate, a poor border town in Mexico. I will be one of about 25 volunteers who will be carpooling to a makeshift medical clinic to help treat people who would otherwise not receive any advise and assistance.

Should be good.

k

Madness and other craziness!

Saturday night I hosted a get together before being designated driver for two people who shall remain nameless, to go to another party. These people people have been delegated a role model type role for me so it was of particular interest and amusement when these two people proceeded to get smashed and stoned in front of me... It was even funnier (and actually really scary) when we did a very early morning munchy run and they nearly got arrested for urinating in public. Ha!

Sunday I escaped to Venice Beach (or so I thought). At Muscle Beach (yes, that is actually the name...), my friends and I firetwirled, juggled, hoola-hooped and danced before strolling along Santa Monica Peir and exploring the Bubba-Gump Shrimp Co (SO cool) and other random stores. It was a delicious day!


Monday I tried (and performed badly) in my first Akido class, I have the bruises to prove it! It was fun. This was followed by a live music session in downtown Fullerton and a late night run to 24hr local Mexican take-away place (24hrs! Woo!).

Other than that this week has been pretty stressful actually. It should all be good again from now on...

Be good and twirl!

k
p.s. Shout out and reminder that I am always here for you, friends! (In particular, Lena, Thashawna and Deanna).

All good things must come to a close...

After exploring Volcano Park and making offerings to Pele (the Volcano Goddess), Veronika, Pat and I wondered through a lava tube and eventually down to the freshest lava flows to see land being created and molded into shape. It was really incredible to actually watch Pele creating land and I found it to be a very special and purifying experience. We all then tried to look through low clouds up to stars before sending Alohas and Mahalos to Pele and the world.

Thursday I was able to investigate the happenings of the Honika'a Youth Centre and interact with the kids there. Some of them played computer games, pool and table tennis while I was with other kids playing cards or painting or creating beaded jewelry or helping with a puzzle. It is such a great centre where the kids are off the street and in a fun safe zone. That night I met up with the North Hawaiian Youth Coalition, a group of really dedicated and motivated young people who Veronika has been working closely with. They had lots of questions for me but the main project of the night was to learn about micro-financing as a means of ending poverty and perhaps as a receiving program for their next fundraising activity.

Friday I had my date with the coast guard. He took me to Waipio Valley where we found waterfalls, hiked through rather dense hinterland and climbed (or in my case, got carried) across a river, swam in a makeshift dam, jumped and rock-hunted on the beach, and climbed a tree. He was really sweet and hopefully a future friend. In the evening Pat and Veronika and I headed over to a friend’s place for delicious dinner delights! There was the most amazing daal ever and lots of salads (including one containing PURPLE sweet potato and freshly picked red garden flowers!). We then boogied off some of the immense load of food we (or I) consumed before heading to the airport for my ride back to LA LA Land.

I feel thoroughly refreshed and cleansed even though I have missed an entire night of sleep. It has nothing to do with the fact I just played a whole bunch of April Fools jokes on people and everything to do with the fact that Hawaii, the people I met and the experiences I had were incredible!

Thank you Veronika, Pat, Venica, Rosemary and Lewis for such a great week!

Kristiana