Anyone still around here??

emzati

Why? More people from my "real life" are getting livejournals.

If you're still interested in reading my journal, add me. If not, comment here and we'll go our separate ways.

So we had a nice anniversary. We didn't do anything special, but at least were both in good, loving moods.

I've been crying to the song 'A Lifetime' by Better Than Ezra. I've been crying over Elizabeth Berg's short story 'What Stays.'

I've also been listening to 80's music. It makes me feel like a kid again to hear Sam Brown singing "Stop" or "Electric Blue" from Icehouse. Why have I always detested the 80's and its music? If you've never heard 1927's "If I Could" then you're missing one hell of a classic 80's love ballad. There is a videotape of me buried away in my mother's linen closet, where I'm dancing along with that music video, imagining that man with the sexy 80's hairdo is singing to me.

Glenn Medeiros in that white suit, standing of a cliff, singing "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" will always remind me of my sister Chloe, and the time we saw The Land Before Time, went to Pizza Hut for tea and got those very awesome Land Before Time hand puppets.

Writers...

When you're given a theme (for a competition etc.) to inspire a short story, where do you start? God, I've brainstormed and brainstormed and I'm having a hard time.

I've been wanting to write a poem about how I feel when I see other women as passengers in cars. How so few of us drive when there is a man to do it. What I feel when I see them is this urge to wave. It's solidarity. It makes me wonder, on a very basic level, how far have we really come? Do aliens look down and think the majority of us women incapable of driving?

Instead I've been reading books about Italy and getting all of Todd's visa shit together. It's a pain in the ass but we should have it all sent off by Thursday. I really believe that mass prayer/benevolent thoughts must have some impact on the universe. So maybe you could send some good thoughts for us.

I have several little crafty gifts I've been meaning to make and send to people (and a card for the beautiful indighost , which will, unfortunately be a little late, but happy birthday Em) but yeah, when I haven't been busy I've been lazy, or decorating/designing the interior of our future house. My internet time has been dedicated to working on a story where one of the characters reminds me of Sofia. The other day she burnt a chocolate cake...Seriously, you should all watch out because you just might appear in this one ;)

It pisses me off when women in their fifties/sixties refuse to acknowledge the women's movement, or dismiss it as "women's lib... I don't agree with that" after all it has done for them.

I'm also getting myself mentally prepared to work again -- especially if I could be home as soon as June. So far, my ideal first job back would be in a bookstore. So, who of you have worked in bookstores before? Because once I took my resume in (before I was much of a reader) and they said they wouldn't take me because I hadn't worked in a bookstore before... How would I get a job in a bookstore?

Shy little Emma just talked about feminism on the radio.

And there are feminists in London.

And it's silly, but I'm proud of myself.

1. What are you writing currently?
I started a separate writing journal just over a week ago. Every day I've been spending two hours writing there - character studies on random individuals I encounter and other writing exercises. I just started working on a (possible) novel, titled "The Cat Burglar."

2. What is your favorite album?
Tori Amos - there's one for every mood, I love them all equally, but I'll say Little Earthquakes. Non-Tori album - probably Moist's  Machine Punch Through. And one I'd love to listen to right now is Recurring Dream: The Very Best Of Crowded House

3. Do you have kids?
No, not yet.

4. What's your day job?
I don't really have one. Before I came to Canada I worked myself to the bone with two jobs - as a receptionist at a nursing home and as a cashier at a fast food restaurant. I enjoyed not working for about a year, but now I wish I had something to make a bit more money and occupy a bit more of my time, but I haven't been able to get a work visa here.

5. Why did your parents name you what they did? (I thought it could make for an interesting story).
I honestly have no idea - I really should ask. I do have the same middle name as my mum though - Louise. When I go through my brother and sisters' names I think up little stories for each one... Mum's favourite perfume (Chloe)? favourite gemstone (Ruby)? biblical martyr (haha) (Timothy)? a desirable quality (Grace)? from a song title by a favourite band and covered by a favourite artist (Lucy)? So maybe I'm named after a favourite book? Or maybe my parents just liked the sound of my old fashioned name... I'll have to ask them.

1. Where does your username come from (I mean, was it just random b/c 'Emma' was gone, or what)?
My nickname has always been "Little Em" - because I've always been the shortest in my year and one of the youngest. Little Em was already taken on LJ, so I went with Little Emsy - because Emsy is what Todd calls me.

2. How long have you been with Todd?
We got together on May 29, 2001. Feb 12, however, will be our 3 year wedding anniversary.

3. How old were you when you had your first (proper) kiss?
I seem to remember having a tonguey with a twelve year old boy (son of family friends) when I was about ten or so. I don't really count that, so I'll tell you that I was 14, and it was at "Shelley's" -- a kind of nightclub/disco for people under 18. His name was Bruno. I never heard the end of it.

4. Who is your favourite singer-type person (other than Tori Amos)?
Elton John, John Lennon or David Usher, Ani Difranco... I used to love Jewel. There are many bands I especially love - but this is about singer/songwriters...

5. What is your favourite tv programme (or radio if you don't watch the telly)?
The X-Files or Star Trek: Voyager. Followed by the other Star Treks (except Enterprise, the latest one). Also love Seinfeld, SNL, Cold Case Files and I never could get enough of Law & Order. Fave radio programme is Coast to Coast AM with George Noory (http://www.coasttocoastam.com/)

1. What first attracted you to Star Trek?
Before I met Todd, I was NOT a geek. I'd only seen bits and pieces of The Original Series on late night TV, and knew my dad loved it (which REALLY meant it was geeky). Then Todd showed me the movies on DVD, starting with one of the TNG ones, and I loved seeing women in command, women who were fit and athletic and not just pretty faces with tiny waists. I loved Data - and his quest for humanity. The characters sucked me in. The hard characters like Worf who have moments of softness, the serious character who cracks a smile - those little tiny paradoxes within the characters. That's what really keeps me intrigued and entertained. And it's why I couldn't get into Enterprise.

2. Who is your favorite artist? What do you like about their work?
I have never really been much into art, but I love Frida Kahlo's work and have only just started learning about her. It's hard for me to say what I like about her work... it's intriguing and something I'm new to. I like her self-portraits and what they reveal about her character. I like seeing how an artist (singer/writer/visual artist/theatre-maker) comes through in their work.

3. Would you choose to become immortal, if you had the opportunity, and even though no one else you know could be?
This is so tough. I heard this question on the radio the other night and the host (Art Bell) was uncertain for himself, and I have to agree. I'd love to be alive and to watch humanity develop. I'd love to see us eradicate racism and sexism and I'd like to see us make first contact with aliens. I'd like to just learn learn learn. But losing everyone I'll ever love, watching civilisations fall - that makes it hard to choose. I wouldn't mind living for another hundred years or so, but for now I'll pass on the forever part.

4. When you were ten or so, did you think you would be living a life similar to the one you live now? What did you think you would be doing?
When I was ten I mostly played Barbies with my friends and loved school. I didn't really have any visions about my future. I do remember that somewhere around that I age I promised myself I'd never get married. I wanted to be what my mother referred to as a "free spirit." When I was ten I also got my first real taste of theatre - when I played the lead role of "Igor Overact" --a male vampire gameshow host on the 'tv show,' Monster Faces-- in my grade 5 play. Part of the reason I got the role was probably because of my atrocious teeth at the time (rather fang like), but I did a fantastic "Transylvanian" accent (kind of like the Count from Sesame Street). From then on I wanted to be an actor. For about 8 years after that I fully pursued that avenue, so who I was then definitely influenced the rest of my life, if you know what I mean...

5. What is the first book you remember reading and loving?
I had a book called "City Mouse, Country Mouse" as a child and wrote in it "This book belongs to Emma. No Touchies!" Other than that it was probably something by Enid Blyton - like The Naughtiest Girl in the School or The Adventures of the Wishing Chair, or The Faraway Tree (I think those are some of the titles) and one of the Famous Five Adventures - The Mystery of the Secret Room (or something... I know they used invisible ink! I loved that!). As a teen I read my mum's V.C Andrews books - Melody was one I loved. The book that really got me back into reading every day was Memoirs of a Geisha - a friend lent it to me when I was 18, I read it again a year later, here in Canada, and I'll probably read it again here soon.

1)What is the name of your autobiography?
I thought of a good one the other day, but it's gone now. Something like "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" - I often feel like I'm living in the wrong time, and I'm always in the wrong place - somewhere I don't quite belong. If I think of something wittier, I'll get back to you.

2) Of all the labels you give yourself, which is your favorite?
Feminist - for sure. I was a selfish, masochistic and confused girl for years, and then finally figured out that I needed to be a feminist. Finding and claiming that label changed my life, my outlook, and it broadened my horizons.

3) If money/time were not an issue, what would like to become an expert on?
Astronomy, astrophysics. I hate maths and I never was very good at science, but I'd love to be an astronaut, or at least involved with various space exploration projects. I'd also like to know about 40 languages. I decided today that I'm going to teach myself some basic Italian, and eventually take classes.

4) You get to declare an international holiday--what is it and when?
December 6, the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.

"For 45 minutes on Dec. 6, 1989 an enraged gunman roamed the corridors of Montreal's École Polytechnique and killed 14 women. Marc Lepine, 25, separated the men from the women and before opening fire on the classroom of female engineering students he screamed, "I hate feminists." Almost immediately, the Montreal Massacre became a galvanizing moment in which mourning turned into outrage about all violence against women."
from: http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-70-398/disasters_tragedies/montreal_massacre/

Apparently there are services and stuff that happens on the day... but I've never heard of anything happening near me. It'd be a day to remember the victims but it would also be a day to celebrate women and participate in events to end violence against women.

5) Who were you in a previous life?
It changes every day. When I was a teenager I thought I was Marilyn Monroe in a past life because I did an assignment on her for history class and really felt like I connected to her. Haha. I like to think I was a strong and sturdy woman who lived on a farm or by the sea - and lived a simple, but satisfying life filled with family and hard work. A woman who never turned away from a challenge. Some days I think I was an Italian tailor (male).

http://www.willthomas.net/Investigations/Articles/cellphones.htm

http://www.stevequayle.com/C2C.index.dead.scientist.html

zorah is not allowed to sell tickets to Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues on campus because 10% of all ticket sales are going toward CounterCrisis Northwest - her start-up abortion fund "for women who have experienced rape or domestic violence."

If you haven't read The Vagina Monologues, READ IT NOW. I can't put to words how wonderful it is - how moving, honest and enlightening the monologues throughout the book are. The Vagina Monologues are synonymous with helping women.

Anyway, there is a way you can help zorah, click here to find out how, and spread the word.

I dream about hairy legs and holodecks.

I have decided to start collecting mix-cds and/or mix tapes. I love them. I love the ones Juliet, Sofia and Lauren have sent me. I love the unique packaging and handwriting of each one. I love the track lists. I have a special place for them. I want more. If you want to send me one, or do an exchange, please email me (edarragh@gmail.com) for my address, and if you want one, give me yours. If we've set up an exchange and I've forgotten about it, please remind me (missmae , you still wanna trade political mixes?)! Please note, I can't do tapes right now, but I can accept :)

Feminists, I have a question for you.

How far do you think we need to take correcting language? You saw my last post on the word "girl" and that's the kind of thing I'm talking about. I'm also talking about the words/terms: bitch, motherfucker, son of a bitch, whore... anything else you can think of. How do you react when you hear/read words like those? What words do you use and why are they ok? What don't you use and why? Me - I don't use any of the ones I referred to up there unless I'm trying to make a point. Because what does a man's mother have to do with his actions (son of a bitch)? Motherfucker - what is this really saying? Where did it originate? jet gives a great rundown on the word bitch here  (scroll down), and I think most of you know that I find this calling-myself-a-[insert fandom here]-whore, phase rather asinine. But what are your thoughts?

If any of you haven't posted on this entry from way back, I'd really appreciate it if you did :), I'm trying to build up the most kickass reading list ever.

1. What is your favorite thing about Australia?
There are so many things I absolutely love about Australia. I guess the biggest thing is that it's home - and it's where my family is. Other than that - the diversity of climate. In Wollongong where I grew up, I could go swimming at the beach or I could travel in the other direction and go hiking up Mt Keira or Mt Kembla.

2. If anything, what is your favorite thing about Canada?
Other than meeting Todd's (and now mine too) family, my favourite thing about Canada is that I've been able to experience the awesomeness of the seasons. In autumn, the leaves are brilliant, the treetops appear to be on fire, and a couple of weeks later I wade through them along the sidewalk, crunch them underfoot. The winter - I've never been so cold. I'd never shovelled snow or scraped ice from a windshield. White Christmases are magical, even though the real way to do Christmas is with a water gun in one hand and a sausage sanga in the other ;)

3. What is your favorite animal?
Swans are my favourite, but I also have a thing for giraffes, elephants and kangaroos.

4. Why do you want to be a mother so young?
When I think of what is important to me, of what is essential to my happiness, family is the first thing that comes to my mind. I didn't start thinking seriously about having children until 2003 and a late period. I took an at-home pregnancy test, and although ostensibly I was hoping my period was just late, this feeling in my gut came up and surprised me and I realised I was kind of hoping to be pregnant. Since then I've been doing research and lots of day dreaming. It's going to sound cliched but honestly, raising a child is an immenseley important "job." I am totally at ease around children, teaching them and playing with them and communicating with them is a talent I've only recently disocovered - and I love it. Todd and I are at this stage in our relationship, in our lives, where having children is a perfectly natural progression for us. Not only that, it's a way to change the world. There is one other reason - Todd is 14 years older than I am. We want for him to be able to watch his children grow, we want to be able to see grandchildren together. In the end, my age is kind of irrelevant to my situation, and besides, I've always been an "old soul."

5. What is your favorite meal?
Raisin toast with margerine/butter. Or meat pie and potato bake. I also love chicken with dumplings. Comfort foods. Eventually I'd like to become a vegetarian, though looking at this list you wouldn't think so. For dessert I love home made chocolate chip cookies and a huge glass of milk. Or hot fudge cake and frozen vanilla yogurt. I love to cook :)