I was born in the outskirts of Toronto where we lived for the first eight years of my life. It’s fair to say that the City of Toronto is very much multicultural. There is no defined “culture” because it’s really a confluence of the world’s nations.
We moved to rural Ontario when I was eight years old. I remember the sense of culture shock, if you will, since it was vastly different then what I was used to. Children at that age don’t like change and this was beyond the sense of the word. I was transplanted into a hill-billy redneck town with a population of about 5,000 people. There was one black family in the whole town. Nope, sorry two. Two black families.
I went from a school of every nationality to a school of white rednecks. The two black families didn’t even have children that went to our new school. I made friends quickly and enjoyed my life in that town until I left at 18. Until the day I left, I couldn’t get over the fact that nothing was open past 6pm as well as to that very day, there were still only two black families and an East Indian family that had come and gone.
Moving back to Toronto was a no-brainer for me. It was in my blood. I belong here. But upon returning I sadly noticed I had inherited much of the close mindedness that surrounded me for the better part of my adolescence. Ashamed as I am to admit it, I had subconsciously succumb to racial profiling. At first I didn’t even realize I was doing it. Then it became more profound that I was bold enough to say something to a friend. Thankfully, a good friend because she corrected me, politely; but it was correction that I needed so much more then I realized. Taking a look back I really feel awful for some of the assumptions I was so quick to make and the judgments I passed without a second thought.
And you know what brought all this back? I went for lunch today at a quaint Vietnamese restaurant. As we sat down the waitress promptly removed the chopsticks and brought over a fork and knife. That’s it. As I asked for the chopsticks back, I began to wonder if my request may have been “the one” and she would realize that she had profiled us as two uncultured white people who wouldn’t have the faintest idea how to use chopsticks. (Wait. Did I just profile myself?)
Maybe I was the one to give her a wake up as my friend had done for me.
:::
So, yesterday I gave people the opportunity to ask me questions if they felt so inclined, and wouldn’t you know, I got a few! So here ya go, I’ll answer a couple everyday, but keep them coming!! We’ll start off light, then get into the hard stuff… kinda like how I drink.Why do you submit your blogs to sites you know are gonna shred them? from Suburban Oblivion
Well, to be fair. I don’t know that they are going to shred it. They could think I am absolutely fantastic. I could be a blog favourite that they shout from the roof tops and the readers will come. I will be shot into Dooce-like fame and live happily ever after.
Besides that, I love a good spanking once and a while. Whips and chains preferably. Nasty.
Honestly, I had submitted my blog to those two sites about mid-summer ’06 when I had started blogging, thinking that it would be fun. The anticipation was better then the climax, that’s for sure.
Who does your hair? (GORGEOUS highlights!) from Suburban Oblivion
Well, thank you! I love it too! Funny you ask because it’s the first time in about 4 YEARS since I’ve had my hair done professionally.
I tend to wear my hair up in messy buns everyday, I get my haircut about once a year too. I have been trying and trying to get better at it and do something about it more often – like a hair cut more regularly. A friend recommended a place near by, so I went and LOVE it! So, I’ll be back there soon. I asked them to call me and tell me when to come back – so that I do it regularly.
Are you one of the Nirvana fans that believes Courtney Love really killed Kurt? From Jia
I sense a tone. Is there a tone? ‘One of those people’ type tone. Yes, I truly believe that Courtney drugged Kurt and shot him. I don’t think I really have to expand on this because it’s all over the internet, movies and books. Maybe I’m gullible, maybe not.
I do wonder though, with all these horrible allegations of murder would Courtney not sue for slander or something to stop people from saying these things? *If* I were guilty of committing such a heinous crime I wouldn’t sue either, for fear that they may actually investigate and find something out. Having said that, if I were innocent and the media was saying that I killed someone I truly loved, I would fight to the death to clear my name and make sure it was known I had nothing to do with it.
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