aliakahan-blog

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The work of Ana Teresa Barboza

Graphite and embroidery.  70 x 49 cm   2011

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Without a camera, I find myself writing, and really enjoying it.

Here's a journal of 36 hours in Palenque...

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Been re-watching Twin Peaks and among the many still relevant social issues it touches on it seems this one may be the most timely. 

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The heavy metal cowboy get-ups sported by Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider and Mel Gibson in Mad Max are probably considered more than a little passé in the world of men’s style, better left in the 1970s. But in Sub-Saharan Africa, the art of dressing like you’ve just stepped out of a Metallica concert is still very much alive. [...]

"Don’t be surprised if this unusual subculture sparks a fashion comeback for heavy metal cowboys … I’m personally rooting for it."

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How To Sell All Your Stuff And Live Free And Wild

Photograph © 2013 Hannah Kuo

I should let go of my unused items — ironing board, closet organizers, formal dining-ware — but I think that one day I might want to buy new ones, so why not just hold on to these for now?

So many of my possessions represent perceived future need, and so much of my life is about where I might want to be and what I might want someday. But when I simply ask myself, "What do I want right now?" the answer is plain and clear: “I want to be rootless." 

I started traveling this past year and, upon returning home, I’d feel the weight of all of the things I had to take care of; I missed the simplicity of living out of my backpack. If most of my possessions weren't immediately needed, why was I holding on to them? Fundamentally, my objects represent value i.e. money — and that is something I have very little of. On the other hand, if my objects represent value to someone else too, then they could represent real cold hard cash to me. Cash that I could use to pay off my credit card debt and then travel worry-free. 

Herein lies my plan: I'm giving up my lease on my beautiful apartment and boarding a one way flight to San Francisco on November 21. From there I head south on as little money as possible — favoring volunteering and work-study to cash in hand — as I head in the general direction of Chile. 

From now to then, all I have to do is dissolve the majority my belongings and pay off my debt (combined credit card debt: $6282.81 — I'm ignoring student loans). 

Here's where you come in: 

Follow my story. Adventure with me. I'll be sharing photos and stories online as I go — right here.

Share my story. Much more than financial support, I would love a suggestion of your favorite place to visit, a couch to crash on, a volunteer opportunity, or a local city guide. I've got a fundraising campaign going at www.youcaring.com/aliakahan — a post on Facebook goes a very long way!

Take my stuff. Check out my Etsy store and see if there's anything you fancy. Or join me in person on Saturday, October 26, when I’ll be having a Garden Giveaway And Farewell Fundraiser. You could email me for the address and come by to take some stuff, give some love, and lend some financial aid. 

Send me a gift of some money. You could lend some aid online, simply through PayPal via aliakahan (At) gmail.com or via the widget at the bottom of this post. 

Help me get prepared. If you’ve got an item that will fill my little bit of traveler’s needs, you can donate or trade with me. 

Here’s what I’m looking for:  Multitool received!  Knife Collapsible fishing rod  Lightweight/compact sleeping bag  Day pack/small backpack (for valuables, books, etc)  Highly condensable rain jacket  Spanish lessons (or any useful colloquialisms you care to share)  Biolite stove received!  Any lightweight camping equipment  Waterproof iPhone 5 case  13" Laptop case  Jeggings (seriously, you may regret the trend but they are the BEST traveling pants) 

All the best, many thanks, and here’s to adventure!  Love,  Alia a.k.a. Lili 

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Fire performer in action. In front of St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, New Orleans, during Carnival 1984.

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Truly beautiful bodies: the physical traces of motherhood mark our most essential creative process  — what could be more alluring than that?

Photographer Jade Beall has five days to go to raise money for a project that will contribute to healthier, more positive body images for women. Check it out: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1373438121/a-beautiful-body-book-project 

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All tandem everything. 

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CHICAGO—Calling the overall human experience “poignant,” “thought-provoking,” and a “complete tour de force,” film critic Roger Ebert praised existence Thursday as “an audacious and thrilling triumph.” “While not without its flaws, life, from birth to death, is a masterwork, and an uplifting journey that both touches the heart and challenges the mind,” said Ebert, adding that while the totality of all humankind is sometimes “a mess in places,” it strives to be a magnum opus and, according to Ebert, largely succeeds at this goal. “At times brutally sad, yet surprisingly funny, and always completely honest, I wholeheartedly recommend existence. If you haven’t experienced it yet, then what are you waiting for? It is not to be missed.” Ebert later said that while human existence’s running time was “a little on the long side,” it could have gone on much, much longer and he would have been perfectly happy.

Roger Ebert Hails Human Existence As ‘A Triumph’:  Full Report

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