Saturday, February 28, 2009

My Disappearing Act

Sorry to temporarily vanish from the face of the Earth. My bad. I'm currently working as a Sound Technician for a production of Pride and Prejudice as adapted by Jon Jory, and the rehearsals have decided to eat my life for an afternoon snack. Well, I hope my free time was delicious.
Thankfully, the show went up on Thursday, and tonight we do our last performance. I love working on this show -- something I repeat three times every time I yawn -- but I do like sleep. And soon, I'll have my life back and get back to blogging.

Friday, February 20, 2009

The Bandana Chronicles

Bandana Color: Red

So, I learned something interesting today. A bandana for one day is a stylistic move; a bandana for two days is a gang sign. At least, that's what I was informed of by no less than four people -- including a girl who also sometimes wears bandanas! I hadn't expected this at all. I'd thought that any gang related comments would be on the very first day and that by day two or later, the bandana would be treated like any other accessory or a new hair cut -- unworthy of further comment. Apparently, I thought wrong. I do wonder how long I shall have to continue sporting bandanas before they are no longer cause for comment, and I wonder if that common-placeness would extend to others in bandanas, too.
One crack that didn't surprise me in the least today was a pirate reference. Two people told me I looked like a pirate. I guess that makes me Grace O'Malley. I was trying a different style of bandana tying, one that apparently calls to mind the pirate much more than my usual method.
The interesting thing is that both of these responses to my bandana were references to the association people have with bandanas and renegades. Historically speaking, the bandana has been worn by pirates, gypsies, cowboys, and gang members, none of whom are really mainstream, socially accepted peoples. So, despite the fact that none of those people live in my area, and there haven't been bandana sporting pirates or cowboys in a long time -- the Roma still wear bandanas, but very far from where I live -- the connotation remains pervasive. I don't know what anyone can do to combat the image except try not to be the stereotype. Maybe, one day, people wearing bandanas won't have to be rebels. Still, if my recent foray into the world of the bandana is any evidence, that day is a long way off.

Bandana Trivia: Bandana is also the name of a city in Kentucky. (okay, that's not really related to headgear, but I just thought it was really interesting.)

Thursday, February 19, 2009

The Bandana Chronicles

Bandana Color: Red

Today was my first foray wearing a bandana at school. That's allowed, as long as the bandana is removed during the Pledge of Allegiance -- the same rule that applies to any form of head cover. Surprisingly low level of strange glances and no elevator eyes, which was actually surprising based on the weird looks I usually get from adults out in the real world. In fact, kids seemed to have an overwhelmingly positive response to the bandana.
One friend told me I looked very 80s, another called the bandana+hoops look 90s. One friend said I looked like the girl from Save the Last Dance when she goes to the club. (If you don't get the reference, I didn't either. I haven't seen the movie in years, so I had to go check it later. I'll concede it thought; she had a point.)
Best response award goes to my philosophy teacher who said, "Do I have to make you take that off? Is it a gang sign?" Apparently, some foolish and very misguided administrator decided to waste teacher time by educating them on gangs and gang signs (there really is nothing funnier than my Bio teacher trying to make the crip killer sign and failing miserably.) However, since I promised it wasn't a gang sign, I got to keep the bandana. Gave my class a real laugh though. I am 98% sure he was joking.
So, I guess the moral of today is, wear the bandana with friends and teens, because they're chill with anything.

Bandana Trivia: A do-rag was originally used to maintain the style and shape of the hair.

Monday, February 16, 2009

The Bandana Chronicles

Bandana: Green

A friend told I looked like a gang banger. I didn't see it until she did. Apparently, bandana+braids+hoop earrings+ loose clothing = gang member. I would have thought that obscene paleness (if I bleached my hair tonight, tomorrow I could pass for albino) would have diluted that impression, if not completely removed it. Not to make this a race thing, but some things are hard to deny. Yes, I know there are places where there are white kids in gangs, but my neighborhood isn't one of them. In fact, my neighborhood isn't a place with gangs. Still, what can I do?
Admittedly, I didn't get out much today, so I can't comment much on society, but when I did get out, I didn't see much. Certainly, not the elevator eyes like yesterday of the 14th. People didn't seem to act like I was a gang member. Still, I remain curious about how people treat bandana+braids+loose clothes.

Bandana trivia: the word kerchief comes the from French couvre-chef meaning "cover the head."

Sunday, February 15, 2009

The Bandana Chronicles

Last night, I went out to dinner with my friends. (I staunchly refuse to call yesterday Singles Awareness Day.) I wore a apple green bandana that my friends told me made me look like a chemo patient. I disagreed, especially since my hair was long, down, and very visible.
At the restaurant, the waiter stared more than was really necessary, giving me the what are you? look. The look isn't uncommon when people see something they can't quite label -- anyone even vaguely iconoclastic can recognize it. Now, I wouldn't label myself an iconoclast by standard, nor an Original or an Incomparable, but even I could tell what that look meant. The waiter, and other people, were running through the mental check-list of what I could be "trying to say" by wearing a bandana. They want to know what my "message" is.
-Cancer patient? Somehow, and I don't know how, the bandana became to international symbol for I've got cancer and now everyone wearing a bandana gets the elevator eyes. News flash -- you can't see cancer, so staring at me isn't going to help.
Failing proof of cancer, they proceed down their list.
- Conservative religious person? Some have said I look like an Orthodox Jew in my bandana. I guess I can see where they're coming from with that guess, but if that's where they landed, they missed by a couple miles. What happened to everyone telling kids you can't guess ethic groups on sight? These people all seem to be trying.
Lacking conclusive proof (yeah, my pizza really wasn't kosher) of religious motivation, everyone seems to proceed to the final choice.
-Lesbian? Apparently, in people's minds, chicks in bandana are chicks who like chicks. Frankly, I've never noticed a strong correlation, but that seemed to be where most people's minds went. You could practically feel it in some people's elevator eyes. I actually pity the poor confused waiter -- we were all girls at the table -- and his is she or isn't she confusion. But that wasn't my fault.
I don't think anyone managed to guess right.
-Girl who likes bandanas.

When did it change that a bandana had to be a message of some form distance from the norm? When did a head cover become a subliminal message? I don't know. But, I'd really like to find out.

Bandana trivia : The work bandana comes from the Hindi word bandhana meaning "to tie".

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Family

Someone once told me that friends are life's way of making up for family. Personally, I think our friends are meant to be our family, not just an apology for the people to whom we accidentally ended up related.
Today, my technical director taught one of my friends how to drive a stick-shift. It seemed sad to think he wasn't doing it with his dad, but really, our TD is a lot like his dad, so it was really sweet. Today, we all worked to help a friend get a date for prom. It felt so sibling like. We laughed over a shared breakfast. We are family. Sure, we're not blood, but we're closer than that.
Think about it. You talk to your friends more than you probably talk to your cousins. You're more likely to help a friend pick out a new puppy than to hear that your aunt has just started playing the piano. We live our lives with out friends these days. Maybe, in about 75 years, an anthropologist will tell us if that's a good thing for society, and I'm sure in two minutes a shrink will post on a different blog what all of this is really saying about us as a culture, but for now, all I know is that's how we roll.
Together.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Darwin

Today, my biology class had an unofficial party to celebrate Darwin's 200th Birthday. You know why? Because he was important. All controversy aside, what he did mattered. Do you know how I know? Because 200 years after he was born, we still talk about his ideas. Even the things he said that we now know to be incorrect are remembered, because he said them. Isn't that incredible?
People today all seem to be striving for 15 minutes of fame. (yes, even me. I blog and hope people will read it.) People tell the world about their affairs, childhoods, and dreams in the hope of eking out two more minutes of someone else's time. Almost none of us will ever achieve the kind of lasting fame that we secretly crave. But he did. 200 years ago, he was born. He's long dead. Yet, we still remember him. That's fame. That's making a difference. That's amazing.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Words, Love, and Mathematics

It might be the spirit of Valentine's Day, but today I question love. The world knows what to expect when artists fall in love. Poets compose sonnets about each other's hair, eyes, and navels. Painters will create each other's miniatures. Musicians compose to each other and in each other's honor, a la Fur Elise. But what does the world expect of the others? Do mathematicians compose proofs of eternal devotion? Do scientists name elements or animals for their significant others? Do engineers dedicate buildings to their loves? I can't imagine. Has history even the answer to the question? If anyone knows a mathematician or a scientist, ask.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Writer's Block

Speaking of writer's block (and yes, I do realize that I'm the only one speaking or listening right now), one of my friends recently posted that he was suffering for the first time in a while. THat made me laugh. Was that wrong? Probably. I too have suffered from the occasional pangs of writing blocks and the fear that I am secretly writing absolute garbage for the sake of putting black on white. Still, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one, and soemtimes it's nice to see others feeling my pain. What can I say -- I'm only human.

Blogging

This is an unusual experience for me. I've never actually tried to keep a daily blog going -- not that it really matters if I am successful, because there is no one following the blog to be disappointed if I don't post anything today or ever again, for that matter -- and I'm finding it hard to think of things to blog about. This morning, I thought of several things, and now I sit down to type and I can think of nothing. That's odd. I'll have to try writing them down if I want to ever blog about something other than writers block again.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Boredom

You have to know it's a bad day when not even the pull of the cyber-world looks alluring. Right now, I'm staring at my computer screen, willing the device to entertain me, and it's coming up with squat. I think my real pitfall was asking my friend to check out my manuscript over the weekend. Without it, I feel like there's nothing to do. Ouch. It's beginning to look more and more like my only options for entertainment are going to be studying calculus and biology. That's a decidedly depressing thought.