"Despite my fears, travelling in China taught me a lesson in human kindness"/ "Defined by mixed race"

I'm posting this in honor of February which is Black History month. Here are 2 life essays by Black people and their experiences:

Sept. 25, 2016 "Despite my fears, travelling in China taught me a lesson in human kindness": Today I found this article by Boma Brown in the Globe and Mail:

Dispatch is a series of first-person stories from the road. Readers can share their experiences, from the sublime to the strange.

I chose to visit China for a few reasons: First, I like to travel. Second, one of my closest friends is Chinese and I wanted to see what his city looked like.

But when I told my friends and family that I was visiting China, I got mixed reactions. From “Don’t forget to take a mask with you to help with the pollution,” to “I hear China is super racist and anti-black.”

Being black in China was very confusing. I knew I was going to be hyper visible. I expected that people would be curious about me, mostly because of the colour of my skin. Not to mention my hair.

I am not entirely sure what it is about a black woman in braids that draws people in. 

Wandering around Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the country, numerous staff complimented my hair. I’d never met such friendly airport security in my life. Compliments in China were short and didn’t pry (unlike what I hear in the United States and Canada: “It must take so long to braid,” “You do it yourself? Amazing,” “Do you wash it?” and so on).

What surprised me was that Chinese curiosity came with such politeness and grace, which is not always the case back home. At first, I didn’t notice that people were taking pictures of me until my friend pointed it out. I say this somewhat sarcastically, but people were discreet in their photo taking. 

Or maybe I was just too preoccupied taking in the sights, sounds and smells to notice cameras. After spending four days in Wuhan with my friend, it became easier to spot the subtle camera action. I oddly got used to it.

Something I did not get used to was hearing people gasp whenever they saw me. I was on a bus to the Tiger Leaping Gorge in Southern China, when it made a pit stop in a tiny village for passengers to pick up fruit and other snacks. At first, I stayed on the bus while every other passenger got off. But then I changed my mind. 

And when I stepped off the bus, I never heard so many gasps in my life. A few women walked up close and just stared at me for a few minutes without saying anything. They eventually said, “Hi,” smiled broadly, gave me a thumbs up, and walked away.

 This was a recurring scene during my trip. Another group of women walked up to me at the snack shop, stared, smiled, and asked where I was from in broken English. Everywhere I went, people smiled and said hello. I found this level of friendliness, despite language barriers, impressive.

Before I arrived in China, I was concerned about what sort of preconceived notions people would have based on my skin tone. China turned out to be a lesson in human kindness. In the city of Kunming, when I got lost, two young women did not just take me to the train station, they stood with me in line for over two hours to make sure I got my ticket. The only words we exchanged were “Hi,” “Oh my God” and, after I got my ticket, “thank you” and “bye.” I never saw them again.

When I got to Shangri-La in the northwest Yunnan province late on a Sunday evening, the owner of the bed and breakfast I was staying at graciously invited me to dinner with her family.

 She didn’t want me to go out for food alone. The owner spoke excellent English, introduced me to her family at the table, and then gave me her coat, because I foolishly underestimated how cold Shangri-La would be due to the altitude. It was heartwarming.

That my time in China was filled with immense kindness does not negate the experiences of anti-blackness faced by others. There is no cookie-cutter black travel experience. A few of my black friends had remarkably different experiences in the country, especially with airport security.

Anti-blackness is not only limited to North America. It happens internationally as well. In China, it looks very different than it does in North America . People’s references to my race were mostly based on what they saw on TV and tied to pop-culture images. 

For instance, black protesters were shown on the news and a young man said to me, “I like your people. They are very strong.” Someone also compared me to Rihanna. I look nothing like her.

Although I am a black woman, I hold a great deal of body privilege: I am tall, slim and fashionable in a conventional way. I believe that the way my body looks affects the way people treat me.

Looking back, I am grateful for my time in China and the lessons learned about the politics of race, identity and intersectionality.

Despite my fears, travelling in China taught me a lesson in human kindness

Despite my fears, travelling in China t...

Jan. 24, 2017 "Defined by mixed race": Today I found this article by Mckenzie Small in the Globe and Mail:

She just keeps staring at me – as if I’m from another dimension – and then she asks the all-too-familiar question: “So what are you, exactly?” 

I have to ask myself: Is she asking about my race or my species?

I’m mixed with more than one race. It has defined me a lot more than you would think. This part of my life shaped the way I grew up and I never really noticed until I got older.

Ever heard of the guessing game?

Probably not. It’s a game people play where they try to guess where you’re from, because “Canada” is never sufficient.

When asked, I could show my birth certificate that clearly states I was born 17 years ago at Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga – on Father’s Day, 1999 – but that will likely still be followed by: “But where are you really from?”

I explain that my mom is Ukrainian and Polish and my dad is from Barbados.

“Wow! That’s so cool!”

That’s synonymous with most of the responses I get, with eyes that look at me as if I’m from another planet.

You might think I’m exaggerating – and I wish I was – but this is my life.

I remember travelling to Florida with my mom when I was 10 years old.

Looking back on it now, passing through customs was funny. I was pulled to the side and asked if I was my mother’s daughter.

“Of course,” I responded.

The officers just stared, as if it was impossible for a Caucasian woman to be walking around with a curly-haired, mixed girl. It takes two, last time I checked.

As time passed, I started to become more used to it.

This is what life is like. A blessing and a curse. Two cultures, two Christmases, so much good food – but a lot of questions.

Writing provincial exams is always fun, especially when you get to the survey and can only circle one answer for each question.

Simple as A, B, C, and 1, 2, 3, right? Not so much for me. When I get to “circle your ethnicity,” I circle both “Caribbean” and “European,” but that voids the question because you can only pick one. What happens when you have two or more?

When my friends see my father pick me up after school, I hear, “I always forget that your dad is black.”

Yes, he is. (I didn’t think it was something they tried to remember.)

I’ve lost track of how many times someone has said that to me. Or this: “So, which one of your parents is black and which one is white?”

Common to a lot of mixed children, I have tanned skin and curly hair. Yes, it’s time to talk about the hair. Mine is a huge part of my life, believe it or not.

Of all the questions I get, most of them are about my hair. Most are complimentary and I appreciate and am grateful for them. But – I don’t mean to be rude – sometimes I would rather not have your hands in my hair. Ha, ha, yes, it’s hilarious how I could hide anything in it. Yes, I do brush and wash it. Nope, I’d rather not straighten it, I kind of like it. Fine, touch it. My hair is a mobile museum for some people.

Every time I go out it’s the same series of questions from at least one person.

One incident I adored was the time I was in a lineup – waiting for funnel cake – when a woman asked for tips on how to do her daughter’s hair. I gave her a list of what I use and do to keep it healthy and she was so thankful.

Or once when I was sitting in a café and a mixed woman came up to me and told me that I’ve inspired her to start embracing her natural hair. This community that I’m a part of gives me the opportunity to have many interactions with people that I otherwise wouldn’t have had without my genes coming from two different places in the world.

Differences make you stand out.

No matter if you’re tall, green-eyed, black, white, Asian or all of them. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through my experiences, it’s that it’s something to be proud of. I have two very different sets of genes inside of me and I feel lucky to say so.

It’s okay that I look a little different, my hair is a little bigger and my parents don’t look like they’re related to me, because, like Michael Jackson said, it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white (or both).

Mckenzie Small lives in Mississauga.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/being-biracial-has-shaped-my-life-but-i-feel-lucky-to-bedifferent/article33702913/

This week's theme is articles about Black people and by Black people in honor of Black History month.   

I guess I could have posted this in Jun. 2020 when the Black Lives Matter in the news increased.  I went through my blog and and that month was all job articles.  Well I'm posting these race articles now.  

There is the usual rule that I'm not supposed to post about really controversial topics like race. However, I'm posting articles that other people wrote, and I didn't.

"Without Peele, Key turns to the future"/ "Disney star finds her voice" (Keke Palmer)

Tracy's blog: "Without Peele, Key turns to the future"/ "Disney star finds her voice" (Keke Palmer) (badcb.blogspot.com)

"Aunt Jemima to rebrand as Pearl Milling Company starting in June"/ "Rice brand Uncle Ben's changing name and logo because of racist connotations"

Tracy's blog: "Aunt Jemima to rebrand as Pearl Milling Company starting in June"/ "Rice brand Uncle Ben's changing name and logo because of racist connotations" (badcb.blogspot.com)

My week: 

Feb. 19, 2021 "Toronto seeks injunction to stop man from putting tiny shelters for the homeless in city park": This is by Liam Casey on CBC:

The City of Toronto is asking a court to order a local man to stop building small wooden shelters for the homeless.

The city filed an injunction application on Feb. 12 against Khaleel Seivwright, a carpenter who has been building small structures for those living outside.

The city wants an order that permanently stops Seivwright from placing or relocating structures on city-owned land.

It cites bylaws that prohibit camping and living in city-owned parks.

Seivwright did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He has been building the shelters since the fall and has raised more than $200,000 on GoFundMe for materials.

Homeless encampments have popped up throughout the city as hundreds fled shelters last year for fear of contracting COVID-19.

Seivwright's insulated, wooden "tiny shelters" are in numerous parks around the city.

"I'm makin this post to let you all know that we have stopped building Tiny Shelters but will continue to do maintenance and relocating of shelters as people staying outside get into housing," Seivwright said on his GoFundMe page on Feb. 11.

The city said in a statement that the structures are not safe.

It pointed to a wooden structure fire this week at an downtown encampment that claimed the life of a man as proof of the dangers.

It isn't clear who built the structure involved in the fire. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

City spokesperson Brad Ross said the injunction is needed.

"The structures are making it challenging and difficult to encourage people who are living outside to come inside where it is safer, where the issue of fire for example, is removed," Ross said.

Homeless advocate Lorraine Lam, however, disagreed, saying it's the city's responsibility to provide options for unhoused people.

"We just need to provide good options for people and when people are given the right options they will take them, so the city needs to step up." 

Toronto Fire Services, for its part, said it has been working to raise the issue of fire safety with encampment residents.

Encampment residents say they have nowhere to go

Those living in encampments have said they have nowhere to go with shelters at or near capacity and concerns about the novel coronavirus.

A COVID-19 variant has made its way inside one of the city's shelters and there are currently outbreaks in seven shelters.

The city has carried out a massive relocation effort to reduce the population at its shelters, which are mostly congregate settings, by moving individuals into hotels and apartments and permanent housing.

Unhoused people have said that is not a solution for everyone as many of the hotels are far from services they use, which are largely clustered downtown.

The city said a hearing date for the injunction has yet to be set.

Toronto seeks injunction to stop man from putting tiny shelters for the homeless in city parks | CBC News

My opinion: I like that Khaleel Seivwright is helping people by building these shelters and the people who donated to his GoFundMe campaign.

The city does want to help people by putting them in hotels.  The solution is average.

"A yellow penguin has been photographed for the first time on South Georgia island": Today I found this article by Lisa Walden on Yahoo:

A "never-seen-before" rare yellow penguin has been spotted by wildlife photographer Yves Adams on a South Georgia island for the first time ever.

Sharing the images on Instagram, Yves said that the beautiful yellow king penguin walked straight up to his camera in the "middle of a chaos full of sea elephants and Antarctic fur seals" on the remote beach — and his images are just stunning.

While the images were first taken in 2019, Yves released them this week to bring a little joy to his followers during lockdown. Among a colony of over 120,000 king penguins, you can see the sweet yellow bird (who also has bright yellow eyes) standing and swimming on the shore.

A yellow penguin has been photographed for the first time on South Georgia island (yahoo.com)

Snacks: 

Pop chips: At Shoppers Drug Mart and they were selling this 2 bags for $4.  

1. I like sour cream and cheddar.

2. It was on sale.

3. I want to try something new.

My opinion: This was average.  Each bag was 85 grams.  I probably won't buy this again.

Why Popped? (popchips.com)

White Cheddar Cheeto Puffs: There were 2 bags for $6.  I bought one and the other Cheddar Jalapeno Crunchy.   

My opinion: This was average.  I like crunchy more than puffs, and I like orange cheddar more than white cheddar.

Holidays with candy:

1. Valentine's Day

2. Easter

3. Halloween

4. Christmas

The day after the holiday is when all the candy goes on sale.  On Nov. 1, 2020 I went and bought some Halloween candy.  Valentine's Day was on Sun.  By Sat. I went to Shoppers Drug Mart and there was some candy still on sale, but I didn't buy any.

2021 Feng Shui For The Year Of The Metal Ox!:

The 2021 Lunar New Year of the Metal Ox Feng Shui is all about the power of your creativity, decluttering, being consistent and growing your abundance!

(372) 2021 Feng Shui For The Year Of The Metal Ox! - YouTube

My zodiac sign is the Ox.

Feb. 23, 2021 The Good Bean: My mom bought sweet chili chick peas from this brand.  They're vegan and gluten-free.  I didn't like them.

Taco Bell: I hardly ever order takeout, but I went out with my friend Cham because I had these coupons.  4 beef and cheese burritos for $8.  If you eat 2 of them, it's very filling.  It tastes good.

Feb. 24, 2021 "B.C. student who wore dress over turtleneck sent home for inappropriate attire": Today I found this article on Yahoo:

The father of a high school student in Kamloops, B.C., who was sent home for wearing what was deemed an inappropriate outfit, says the incident was absurd and should not have happened.

Chris Wilson's daughter Karis, 17, was wearing a knee-length black dress with lace trim over a full-sleeved white turtleneck. He said her teacher pulled her out of class Tuesday and escorted her to the principal's office because of the outfit.

"[Karis] was told that it could possibly make the male student teacher feel awkward and it could make [her female classroom teacher] feel awkward since it reminded her of a lingerie outfit," Wilson said on CBC's Radio West.

"It's actually a very modest outfit when you actually look at it ... I think the the initial comments were based on the fact that it had lace."

Wilson said the incident felt a little "surreal" and upset his daughter.

"[We] kind of saw the aftermath of her coming home in tears and just really broken up, confused," he said.

"There was a female who was singled out because what she's wearing could make someone in a position of power over her feel uncomfortable. And the more you think of it, the more you say it, the more you understand that this is absurd.

"It shouldn't happen."

Fellow students show support

Wilson took to social media, with his daughter's permission, and his post on Facebook has been viewed over 40,000 times.

On Wednesday, Karis's classmates staged a walkout in her support.

"If there's a silver lining to this, [after feeling] that centred out and awkward, [it's to] have everyone stand up, stand beside you and say, no, this isn't OK, we're with you."

Wilson says the vice-principal and principal have handled the situation well, and the school district superintendent has reached out.

"We could definitely learn some lessons from it," he said. "I know for a fact that they're taking this very seriously and it might be an opportunity to promote learning for the teachers as well."

The school district told CBC News that it is aware of the situation, but has no comment on the event itself. The school has not responded to requests for comment.

B.C. student who wore dress over turtleneck sent home for inappropriate attire (yahoo.com)

My opinion: The outfit was appropriate because it wasn't showing a lot of skin.  The lace part was what may have made this seem sexy.

Enneagram test: This is a personality test.  I emailed a few people and started to guess which number they are.  I read a whole book about this: 

The Enneagram: Palmer, Helen: 9780062506832: Books - Amazon.ca

I emailed my sister S: You're enneagram is a 3.  Take the test to find out.

I emailed my friend Jessica: You're enneagram is a 3.  Take the test to find out.

I emailed my friend Angela: You're enneagram is a 2.  Take the test to find out.

This is a fun test.  These are my guesses.

The Enneagram Personality Test (truity.com)