Sunday, January 31, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Lost and Gain
So I was supposed to tutor a student today at Eastmont Mall's library in East Oakland. Due to some problems, the session had to be canceled after I got there.
Eastmont Mall is located in a pretty crime-ridden and very low-income area. I actually grew up a few blocks away from there, so Eastmont Mall brings up a lot of childhood memories. People used to get shot and killed at its parking lot. There used to be a big grocery store that everyone went to, and there were a few small shops inside the actual mall. I remember a decent amount of people going there.
Over the past few years, a lot has changed though--this includes the reconstruction of certain parts of the mall and the closure of stores that couldn't keep up with the financial burden anymore. Today, the whole mall is basically known as a basis for governmental aid agencies, i.e. Eastmont Mall Wellness Center, Planned Parenthood, and others. On the side of the mall, where 73rd Avenue is located, there sits a pretty nice-looking McDonalds/Mickey Dees and a police station. Ironically (maybe), last year, there was a shooting at the mall's parking lot, right in front of the police station. I think a bystander got hit.
As I sat on the bench in front of the library that closes on Monday (all libraries within the city are closed both Sundays and Mondays because of budget cuts, except the main library across Lake Merritt), this really weird feeling tingle inside me. Hardly anyone smiled, and, there was not one single White person--definitely a flashback.
I also got a little weirded out, because I saw the same people walking pass me. I realized that they were exercising around the mall, just walking in a circle. People started to join the group, and you saw Latinos walking with African American folks, and a Black woman chit chatting alongside a fairly young Asian dude. The dynamics were so interesting.
I was tempted to go into some of the governmental aid offices to ask if they had any available positions. Actually, I'll do that next week.
Eastmont Mall is located in a pretty crime-ridden and very low-income area. I actually grew up a few blocks away from there, so Eastmont Mall brings up a lot of childhood memories. People used to get shot and killed at its parking lot. There used to be a big grocery store that everyone went to, and there were a few small shops inside the actual mall. I remember a decent amount of people going there.
Over the past few years, a lot has changed though--this includes the reconstruction of certain parts of the mall and the closure of stores that couldn't keep up with the financial burden anymore. Today, the whole mall is basically known as a basis for governmental aid agencies, i.e. Eastmont Mall Wellness Center, Planned Parenthood, and others. On the side of the mall, where 73rd Avenue is located, there sits a pretty nice-looking McDonalds/Mickey Dees and a police station. Ironically (maybe), last year, there was a shooting at the mall's parking lot, right in front of the police station. I think a bystander got hit.
As I sat on the bench in front of the library that closes on Monday (all libraries within the city are closed both Sundays and Mondays because of budget cuts, except the main library across Lake Merritt), this really weird feeling tingle inside me. Hardly anyone smiled, and, there was not one single White person--definitely a flashback.
I also got a little weirded out, because I saw the same people walking pass me. I realized that they were exercising around the mall, just walking in a circle. People started to join the group, and you saw Latinos walking with African American folks, and a Black woman chit chatting alongside a fairly young Asian dude. The dynamics were so interesting.
I was tempted to go into some of the governmental aid offices to ask if they had any available positions. Actually, I'll do that next week.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Random Thoughts
1) Don't underestimate the power of young people, and if you are a young person, don't underestimate yourself.
2) So two Walgreens store, not even a mile away from each other, got robbed in Oakland in the AM today: http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_14229313.
I have always been suspicious of any media outlets and organizations (including the government) that depict "happy" news/events. By happy, I mean things that inspire only positive feelings from the viewer. Why? Well, for one thing, it's because I am a pessimist. The other half of it is that I truly believe in confrontation. If you don't bring out the negativity into the open, it is dam hard to resolve the problem. It's pretty much like sweeping the dust under the rug, rather than sweeping it out in the open to grab it by the dustpan and trash it. Mind you, the rug just becomes soaked in nastiness.
But, I am also starting to think differently--after reading and watching the news this morning about the robberies. What if the news media don't portray Oakland as this bad ass town the majority of the time? If there was more coverage on the many positive community events that take place in Oakland, maybe residents will start to see that there is some humaneness in this ghetto, and then take part in it.
If you are constantly treated by others in a negative light, and you see in their eyes and actions that they view you in a low-down way, chances are you become what they push onto you.
Oakland has its problems, and all people do is try to "survive". To survive, though, is also to have positive human relationships. Maybe the media can be used in a more conducive way to harbor community development.
2) So two Walgreens store, not even a mile away from each other, got robbed in Oakland in the AM today: http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_14229313.
I have always been suspicious of any media outlets and organizations (including the government) that depict "happy" news/events. By happy, I mean things that inspire only positive feelings from the viewer. Why? Well, for one thing, it's because I am a pessimist. The other half of it is that I truly believe in confrontation. If you don't bring out the negativity into the open, it is dam hard to resolve the problem. It's pretty much like sweeping the dust under the rug, rather than sweeping it out in the open to grab it by the dustpan and trash it. Mind you, the rug just becomes soaked in nastiness.
But, I am also starting to think differently--after reading and watching the news this morning about the robberies. What if the news media don't portray Oakland as this bad ass town the majority of the time? If there was more coverage on the many positive community events that take place in Oakland, maybe residents will start to see that there is some humaneness in this ghetto, and then take part in it.
If you are constantly treated by others in a negative light, and you see in their eyes and actions that they view you in a low-down way, chances are you become what they push onto you.
Oakland has its problems, and all people do is try to "survive". To survive, though, is also to have positive human relationships. Maybe the media can be used in a more conducive way to harbor community development.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Satisfaction
I am starting to appreciate life a bit more and realizing what I can and can't afford
...
at this moment.
...
at this moment.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
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