MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you beautiful, compassionate, incredible Tree Kisser followers! Thank you so, so, so much for your time, support, passion, and encouragement! Just came across this quote on Twitter, which I found super appropriate:
“The best gift you can open on Christmas is your eyes.”
I truly hope each of you has a beautiful day full of open eyes, open hearts, and open arms.
Love you!
xoxo,
TK
Today we are officially launching our INTERMIX Fur Free Photo Campaign! In an effort to bring more attention to our pleas for compassion and to apply more visible pressure to INTERMIX, we’re encouraging all of YOU to download & print out a copy of our sign (or create your own!), take a picture of yourself holding it, and tweet it at INTERMIX (@INTERMIX) or tag them on Facebook!
Can’t wait to see what you all come up with! We’ll be posting some of the photos on our campaign page, so be sure to “like” us to stay up to date! Tell your friends to join in!
On behalf of the bunnies & foxes shivering alone in fur farm cages, THANK YOU!! ♥♥♥
“…eat for peace, breathe for peace, and dance for peace, and make love for peace…have peace like a mantra going round and round in your head”
- John Lennon
So, as I’ve mentioned, I’m a huge huge fan of Tristan Prettyman (you can find her awesome blog at www.icecreamisbetterwithafork.tumblr.com). Over a year ago, I went to see her play live in Venice and was delighted to discover a new band- The Makepeace Brothers. Since that night, I’ve probably seen them play 5 or 6 times, and every experience has been absolutely magical and inspirational. To my understanding, the Makepeace Brothers first came into fame when they opened on tour for the phenomenal Jason Mraz and befriended his musical buddies (like Bushwalla and Jason’s now-fiancee Tristan Prettyman).
Fast-forward a bit. My brother and I decided to move to Venice, CA in November. We knew the Makepeace Brothers lived in the vicinity because they played a couple concerts on this block, but we were pleasantly surprised to find out that not only do they live in our building, but we also share a wall with them. Because of this lovely twist of fate, we are often treated to some rad, albeit slightly muffled, live performances. Last night my brother and I were fortunate enough to run into the guys in the parking lot, and they gave us a copy of their new album, “Slow Down, Feel Love”. We went inside and listened to the entire thing at 2 am- it’s amazingly beautiful.
I really really suggest you check these guys out. Not only are they incredibly talented, they also have amazing hearts. They frequently perform at fundraisers and charity events and they are involved with some awesome organizations like Feeding the Soul and Free the Slaves. Also- for you vegans- their bassist (Conor Gaffney) is vegan, and I’m told the brothers are pretty veg-conscious as well. They play live shows pretty frequently (especially in LA and San Francisco), so if they’re coming to your town anytime soon you should absolutely go see them.
The song I’ve posted here, “Thank You,” is a song I’ve seen them end most of their concerts with recently. Usually they call all of the other musicians from the night’s lineup onto the stage to sing with them, and it’s always a unique performance. I’m pretty sure I hear Tristan Prettyman, Jason Mraz, Bushwalla and maybe more chiming in on the album version, but if you want to see it live (highly recommended), see the video HERE (the music starts around 2:45). The lyrics and spirit of this song should give you a pretty good idea of what they’re about.
For more updates about the wonderful Makepeace Brothers, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. And DEFINITELY check out the rest of their music (available on iTunes and I believe through their website).
If the sky above you,
Should turn dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together,
And call my name out loud,
Soon I’ll be knockin’ upon your door
Recently I was wandering around the San Jose airport, killing time before a late flight home from a business trip. My boss had departed, and I realized I had just enough time to squeeze in two glasses of wine before boarding. I easily found an inviting wine bar within hearing distance of my gate and snagged a seat in front of the bartender. After pretending to read the intricate details of each red wine offering (if there’s no Chianti on the list, I’m at a loss), I feigned an opinion and ordered a glass of their least expensive Cabernet.
I was ecstatic to look up on the giant plasma screen above the bar to see not an obnoxiously loud sports highlight show (baseball season is over- RIP- and it wasn’t a Sunday, so no Broncos) but instead the radiant, ever glowing face of my childhood idol, Carole King. I soon realized that I was watching a DVD of VH1 Divas Live. Now- before you laugh- I too was skeptical. However, I was immediately sucked into an ensemble performance of Carole’s own “You’ve Got a Friend”, performed with fellow divas Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, and Shania Twain.
Once I got over the sheer magic and talent I was observing, I started thinking about not only the meaning of the lyrics, but also the significance of the team of women singing them. In a world so full of female cattiness, backstabbing, gossip, jealousy, conniving, and competition, it is truly a rare gem to see such pure, respectful, mature, female camaraderie. Sure, we (hopefully) all have a best friend or two to whom we are eternally loyal, but in general, we ladies still have a pretty bad rep as far as respecting our fellow women. I tend to think of myself as pretty decent in that regard, but I’ve absolutely caught myself over the years, skimming through facebook, thinking/saying things that I’m not proud of.
I’m not the type to rant about men, but I’ll just summarize my point as such- at the moment they as a group are really failing at leading the world. Of course I know there are many, many brilliant, compassionate, progressive exceptions to the rule (my personal hero Jeff Skoll being a big one), and it’s always dangerous to make blanket statements like that, but because men are still running most of the world’s governments, large corporations, and organized religions, and because we seem to be moving further from global peace and closer to nuclear war, religious/cultural intolerance, and irreparable destruction of the environment, I think it’s only fair for it to give the ladies a shot at it. Who knows, maybe the presence of the maternal instinct and the absence of the male competitive gene (I know- women can be brutally competitive- and I’m not claiming to be any kind of gender expert here- but I just can’t see most women pulling a Napoleon or overseeing a rape-ridden genocide) will give us a better chance for survival?
The point I’m trying to make is that if women are going to have a chance at applying their intelligence, compassion, logic, hearts, and priorities to make a real dent in global issues, we’re going to have to take better care of one another. There’s room for all of us on that stage. There is plenty of love, attention, success, and respect for all of the Celine’s, Shania’s, Gloria’s, and Carole’s of the world. We’ll all have the time for our solos, but when we’re fortunate enough to share the floor with other beautiful, inspirational females, we need to remind ourselves that taking away from another’s happiness can only take away from our own-it will never enhance it.
Sorry I’ve been a little heavy on the videos recently…I’ve been too busy to write (I know, I know, we’re all busy- it’s the worst excuse in the world) but want to make sure I stay connected with my lovely followers who I appreciate so much. I stumbled upon this trailer in the middle of the night last night and was of course compelled to share it. I feel the need to mention that it’s not a graphic video- I wouldn’t do that to you guys…at least not without warning…
It’s beautiful and inspirational to watch such a transformation and journey to enlightenment :) Is it just me?
As a gesture of good faith that I’m going to get one of the Venice apartments I’m applying for, I’ve decided to start preparing my decor. Hopefully my brother will have nothing to contribute, since I have plans for all open wall space. So here’s a start, from left to right:
1) An oil painting I did a few months ago when unemployment was driving me insane. I’d been saving some leftover film from college for a piece like this, and finally I bought some supplies to make it happen. It’s supposed to symbolize my desire to improve the world using the medium of film…but also I like it because it’s hot pink :)
2) Pig “Hope” poster from the film Bold Native. I bought it at World Fest and I’m obsessed with it. I believe will be in the kitchen.
3) “Mermaids Welcome” sign. I got this from the set of the film “The Details” that I worked on last summer (I’ve been working on a post about it- look for it soon!); this particular sign was hanging in Laura Linney’s character’s eccentric home. I love it. Maybe it will go on the front door?
4) John Lennon beach art. My roommate bought me this from a lovely fellow on the Venice boardwalk. Though the lyrics aren’t exactly accurate, the message is- and it’s from my absolute favorite song in the world. (“Imagine”- in case you weren’t aware)
5) Sunflower photo. My beautiful roommate took this photograph of my absolute favorite flower in my favorite country (Italy) and framed it for me as a gift. I suspect there will be more sunflower related items around the house because I can’t get enough of them.
6) Oil painting of my baby, Shoof. The aforementioned roommate’s mother painted it for me as a Christmas gift. It captures his crazy eyes so wonderfully. I can’t thank her enough for immortalizing my little mutt man.
7) On the bottom of the frame, you’ll see an intricate red wall hanging. It was made by Arab Bedouin women. I believe I bought it in a Jerusalem market. Anything I can do to support the local economy and cooperation (I’m lead to believe) between the Palestinian and Jewish community makes me happy. Plus, it’s gorgeous, so I would probably buy it regardless.
This is just the beginning, but it gives me a pretty good idea of the abundant color and energy we’ll be surrounded by! SO excited.
Recently I posted about the annual Animal Acres Gala, an event I’m helping to coordinate. It’s going to be an amazing evening and I hope some of you are considering attending! Ciddy, one of the head volunteers at Animal Acres, just helped create a beautiful video that can show you even more about this phenomenal safe haven and why it’s important to attend the Gala (or simply visit the farm) to keep the doors open and the animals fed/sheltered.
Feel free to stay informed and keep up with their news on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/animalacres or twitter @Animal_Acres
Arriving in Bethlehem is no easy feat. This is where we encountered the first of the infamous check points (of which I took no photos because I didn’t want to get shot- they have BIG guns). The check points exist all along the West Bank, to ensure that no one enters or exits without permission. Palestinians living within the West Bank must obtain special permits to leave (rarely given, and usually only given if their profession demands it), and Israeli citizens are not allowed in due to safety concerns. The enclosure is enforced by a giant, thick, grey wall, peppered with watch towers full of IDF soldiers (more about the wall in a moment). Fortunately for us, we were all American citizens (with the exception of our two green card holders- but they had all the appropriate paperwork), so after a brief inspection we cruised on through. Regardless of the amount of hassle you encounter while crossing the check point, it’s pretty uncomfortable having two armed soldiers board your bus and patrol the aisles.
My experience in Bethlehem was unique for many reasons. It was where we stayed in the nicest hotel of our trip, which was a welcome gift after the Negev mud huts. It’s also where any pre-existing stereotypes I had about the Palestinian people were shattered. I’ve spent my life reading about Palestinians, talking about Palestinians, defending Palestinians- but truly interacting with very few. Though I expected them to be kind, welcoming, and hospitable, I expected them to be very different than us. As a people with a culture rich in tradition, I guess I thought they would feel…foreign? Between our time at the hotel pool and our evening in the hookah bar watching the World Cup (and of course through interactions with students for the remainder of the trip), I was continuously surprised to hear American top hits, to see women dressed like me, to watch young people flirt, to witness as much or more sports enthusiasm than I see at a Denver Broncos Superbowl playoff, and to simply observe as our students and their students interacted as though they had no differences. However, the people have not lost their identity- they have simply added to it. We were still surrounded by an abundance of hummus, hookahs, and traditional Palestinian dancing. We still learned useful Arabic phrases and were taught how to properly wrap a hijab (head scarf). This evening was the first of my many bouts of spontaneous, embarrassing, and uncontrollable tears, as I looked in the smiling faces of these young dancers and thought, this is who people are afraid of?
The next day in Bethlehem was spent at the Wi’am Conflict Resolution Center. This is where we met Zoughbi al-Zoughbi (what a rad name), who I personally think should be the leader of the Palestinian people. The little time we had with him was, for me, probably the most valuable experience of the trip. His compassionate words, his passion for non-violence, his commitment to relieving the suffering of his people, his wisdom, and his lack of defensiveness were an inspiration to all of our students. He said so many things that resonated with me, but my favorite was when he was asked his opinions about emails that circle around comparing photos of the Holocaust to photos of current living conditions in Gaza and West Bank refugee camps. The emails of course intend to draw comparisons between both horrors, making a pretty harsh and controversial political statement that brings out forms of anger in almost every viewer. Zoughbi thought for a moment, and then told us that he prefers to avoid contests of victimhood, as he sees that to be a weapon that can only destroy peace. Emails or conversations such as this only serve to enrage people, putting them in a position to defend themselves or accuse others. Instead, Zoughbi would rather focus on ways to alleviate suffering, not publicize it. He would rather focus on the positive experiences and attributes of all people in Israel so as to encourage these actions and behaviors to continue. He would rather focus on peaceful, compassionate dialogue, not on destructive blame games. Zoughbi, who has to recycle the used water from his washing machine to fill his toilets, has only love to give and ideas to share. I think everyone could learn a lot from spending time with Zoughbi, and I hope his program continues to grow and prosper.
Zoughbi :)
Now here I go contradicting everything I just said, as I share a little about the wall and the refugee camp. While I feel it’s important not to dwell on these situations, and rather to think about ways to make progress, I think people at least need to know the facts to be able to accomplish anything. First, we walked along the wall that divides Israel and the West Bank. Most people living within the West Bank find it to be oppressive, degrading, demeaning, and unsafe. Most Israelis find it to be necessary as a means of protection, after years of enduring bombs and rocket fire. It’s a very touchy and complicated situation. As one Israeli put it to one of our students, “the wall will not come down until every Palestinian can guarantee that not one Israeli will be harmed”. I do understand that logic, but that will never happen. No matter what occurs, as with any political or social issue in the world, someone will be unhappy and may act out. It doesn’t mean that their actions reflect the mentality or desires of their entire people, just because they happen to share a nationality. Are you responsible for Sarah Palin’s helicopter wolf hunting? Do you want Timothy McVeigh representing you? I know I’m coming off one sided here, but it’s not because I don’t understand the severity of the security risks that Israelis fear, and it’s not because I don’t sympathize with people who lost loved ones to terror attacks. It’s because I don’t think any true, peaceful progress can come about while the wall exists. I don’t think Palestinians and Israelis can truly come to the table and discuss solutions while the Palestinians feel like second class citizens being babysat by guns. I feel this way because I want comfort and safety for Israelis, and while the intentions behind the wall make sense, they aren’t constructive. I think it is a band-aid, a temporary solution that won’t fix a larger problem. Two nations will never be at ease with a giant wall diving them. I really didn’t intend for that to be such a rant, I just wanted to post some photos of graffiti…so here they are:
Next we ventured into Ayda refugee camp- I’ll try to keep this short because this post is going on forever. Primarily, people are living in this camp for one of two main reasons. The foremost is that they can’t afford to leave. Job opportunities are rare, and the Palestinian economy has difficulty developing in the West Bank due to isolation and lack of resources. The second reason is that some people choose to stay in these camps, because if there is an eventual reconciliation, inhabitants of refugee camps will be the first groups allowed to return to their family’s hometown. I don’t entirely understand this concept (concept? law? promise? rule? I really don’t know), but I’m trying to learn more about it. Life in the camp is pretty awful. The main fact that got to me is that people living here are only allowed two hours of running water per week. This is the water for cleaning, bathing, drinking, cooking, etc. If they aren’t able to collect enough in those hours, they’re out of luck, because there sure isn’t a freshwater river running through Ayda. What struck me most about the children living here is that they were still full of love, joy, and energy. When we approached a group of young kids and asked permission to take photos of them, they immediately ran up, surrounded one of our students, took his hand, and started posing. It was almost as though they sensed that he was having a rough day (he was very ill), as they enthusiastically grabbed at him and smiled.
Holden with his new friends
It’s moments like this that make me truly believe that the future of this peace process is in the hands of the youth. They are still young enough to feel compassion for all people, and they are still relatively colorblind when it comes to race and religion. The problem is that we need to get to these children fast, before they become jaded and biased. Today’s children quickly become tomorrow’s angsty teens who quickly become the next day’s resentful adults. I am hopeful that programs like Zoughbi’s can make a dent in this cycle.
So, that’s Bethlehem. I understand that my not entirely unbiased reporting of this trip can be controversial and that many people probably have strong opinions about my opinions, and I always welcome discussion or debate. I certainly don’t know all the answers or solutions, and I’m eager to learn more. I’m of the opinion that the more stories I hear, the better equipped I will be to compassionately understand all perspectives, so feel free to comment here or email me.
Thoughts?
Those of you who follow my blog or my life closely know that I recently returned from a 2 week trip to Israel/Palestine. Just to get it out in the open, I call it “Israel/Palestine” for a number of reasons. Mostly it’s the fact that we traveled not only within Israel, but also to the West Bank, which isn’t technically Israel- though it’s controlled and occupied by the Israeli government. It’s a lot more complicated than that, but basically it’s populated by Palestinians and run by the Palestinian Authority. Also, it was Palestine for a long time, and many of its citizens or residents still consider it to be Palestine in their minds and hearts. I understand this sentiment, as I think if my hometown of Denver had its name changed overnight to a word and language I didn’t understand, it would probably remain Denver in my heart. I don’t mean it as a controversial political statement suggesting that I think it should go back to Palestine, or that the name Israel is invalid, but rather I mean it as a gesture of progress and peace. I hope that the further we move from debates over things like the composition of letters and imaginary land boundaries, the closer we can get to real discussions of people, children, rights, and love. Additionally, if I call it Israel, I hurt some people, and if I call it Palestine, I hurt some people- and I prefer not to hurt anyone. I’ve considered the notion of an eventual “Israelestine” (which I think sounds better than Palsreal)- but more about that in a later post.
So, first stop- the Negev Desert.
Sunrise over the Negev Mud Huts (our bedrooms)
We stayed at the Desert Shade Eco Lodge, run by our good Israeli friends Ziv and Maya. The Eco Lodge by nature serves only vegetarian food, with the exception of occasional fish. I believe this decision is not based primarily on animal welfare (though I could be wrong), but rather on the immense ecological damage that meat-consumption causes. Desert Shade itself serves many functions, and is often visited not by student groups but rather by families or adult groups seeking a peaceful, back-to-nature trip. For us, however, it served as a place to start the trip, get our internal clocks adjusted, spend time in the silence of the desert, and get to know one another. The students had spent the year in classes together already, but they didn’t really know one another outside of those few hours per week. Ziv organized a number of activities that helped bond the kids as well as helped them focus on their personal goals for the trip.
One afternoon was spent in the nearby town of Mitzpe Ramon, interviewing locals. As I stood nearby with my video camera, students asked these desert dwelling Israelis about their opinions on not only the larger Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but also about more local issues, such as the relations between Jewish Israeli Negev-ites (I made that word up) and the nearby Arab Bedouins. The Bedouins are a nomadic people who, due to the encroaching of modern civilization and the expansion of Israeli cities, have had to drastically change their ancient lifestyle and establish more permanent villages. This causes all kinds of problems for the Bedouins, such as limited access to water, unwanted advice from the government (our Bedouin friend Solmon told us a very entertaining story about his family’s first experiments with prepackaged, pre-ground coffee), and the inevitable decisions about which traditions to keep and which traditions to compromise.
Adorable Bedouin Boy
Solmon telling us about his life, in the comfort of his home tent
Rather than delve into the responses of the interviewees, I mostly want to point out how maturely the students lead these conversations. One key buzz-phrase in SIPP’s organization is “compassionate listening”- an essential skill for students to develop before embarking on this trip. Rather than interject with their personal opinions (I nervously held my breath when one man stated factually that there is no need for humanitarian aid in Gaza**, and that they are “fine”- however, the kids held it together and stayed silent), the students just kept on giving one of the greatest and most rare gifts available- listening. It’s such a powerful, underrated tool, and I think that if more honest conversations like this could take place between Israelis and Palestinians, and if people could check their defenses at the door, we could actually make a real dent in this situation.
One person of note that I, for my own biased reasons, am compelled to share with you was a member of a group referred to as “The Black Hebrews”. This is a group of Jewish African-(originally)Americans who in the 1960s, decided to leave their homes in Chicago and return to what they consider their natural homeland, Israel. There has been quite a bit of strife between these people and the government, but all that aside, what I loved about them was their veganism.
This group believes that the true laws of Judaism demand a life free of animal cruelty. I’ve actually heard that a lot (VERY good article about it here, “Chicken Soup or the Jewish Soul?”, by my love Jonathan Safran Foer), so I found it inspirational that an entire sect has decided to live this way. I forget this guy’s name, but he made me a delicious smoothie, and for that I love him.
After we said our goodbyes to Ziv, his amazing family, their beautiful horses, the breath-taking landscape, and the kind American volunteers, we hopped on our bus and headed for our next destination- Bethlehem…
**This quote didn’t really fit into the body of my post but I enjoy it and feel it’s worth sharing. From the ever-wise, ever-witty, ever-smarter-than-everyone-else Jon Stewart:
“You know, whatever you may think of the respective leaderships, the Israelis or Hamas, whatever Gods you pray to or whatever direction you pray to them in, if you can’t even look at Gaza, and agree that there is suffering there that needs to be alleviated, no matter who’s to blame for it, then your heart is so dead tourists flock there to float on their backs in it.”
