Unthunk

A wolf and a deer confined in a white-cube gallery space, in a poignant display of natural tension and fear.

A collection of “footprints” of visitors, as they pass through the gallery, to symbolize the human footprint on earth and environment.

A story that organically grows as some of the passing-by audience contribute to it, and is simultaneously translated into various languages.

A luxury hotel created – literally – from trash, including “stay” in the suite and a relaxing massage, reminding everyone to rethink what we consider ‘waste’.

A giant locust pegged down a la Gulliver, depicting “disproportionately enlarged” human fears.

A brave few of passing-by audience trying their hand at over-sized origami using corrugated cardboard sheets.

For one sleepless “white night“, Toronto was transformed by artists. Shakespeare would have been proud of us. The world truly was an extended theatre, where the audience were themselves “works of art and curiosity” at times, and in many cases integrally a part of the displays they were witnessing.

If only there were more street-side tikka and chat stalls, I’d have felt both my beloved cities – Lahore and Toronto – merge together under one bright starry sky. Ah the crazy heart that continues to wish for everything.

On the other hand, it distinctly felt like Lahore in moments where all 5 million of Torontonians were walking from one exhibit to another, spilling on to the streets, causing traffic jams and gridlocks at 4 AM. So much for the dedicated shuttle bus service. It was faster on foot. Thank humans for the global warming and delayed Toronto winter; the weather was perfect.

But I missed my tikka and chat. Did I mention that?

Free to be free

Courage is defined as not the absence of fear, rather as actions taken in spite of fear.  We’re all afraid of “the different” (a.k.a. everyone else).  Because they’re not like us.  And therefore we don’t know what they’ll do and why.  The fact that this gem of knowledge eludes us about ourselves at most points in our lives isn’t something on which we usually dwell too much.  Or we do and fear ourselves.  In which case, me, myself and Irene find it hard to get along very well.  But I digress.

It takes courage to listen to someone else.  Especially someone so significantly different.  Columbia University deserves at least honorary mention.  How many of our beloved countries would offer the same opportunity to Rushdie, or Olmert, or Elton John, or Irshad Manji?  Now of course it’s another story if a Ricky Martin concert is held the same day, and the audience is split, or redirected entirely.  That’s freedom too, innit?

The trouble with consistency is that it’s not fun to practice!  To continue my illusion of the person I think I am, I’ll have to allow one antithetical thought / opinion to reach me to live up to my own message.   Fortunately, it’s easy to tune into any TV channel.  About 5 minutes should give me enough to justify another few weeks of uninterrupted narcissism.  So here goes… steady… breathe deep… I can do this… maybe.

Teach me faith

Ontario is debating whether to further spend our tremendous budget surplus on doing the same thing umpteen times, i.e. teach kids that 1+1=3 (or however many you want it to be – at any point in time – if you’re an accountant, or statistician, or politician, or Conrad Black). Because we can’t figure out a way to take a bunch of kids, put them in the same school, teach them all the same common subjects, and give them the option to take some specialized subjects based on their interests or preferences. That’s a highly sophisticated concept of “electives” that hasn’t made its way to the education system yet. Oh wait… unless you’re opting to study in French. In which case you’ll get triple the funding and honorary citizenship of Quebec.

Of course offering electives does not address the core problem: why in God’s name would we want to teach our kids ANYTHING about that social pariah of subjects… the R-rated word… “religion” (shudder!!)? They should grow up knowing less than a common snail in Pakistan what the whole fuss is all about, or what are all the glorious reasons each faith (and its remotely visible followers) should be avoided like the plague. Ignorance and avoidance are the mature approaches to resolving social segregation.

IMHO, a politician in this time and space would have an easier win if s/he fought for “workplace safety regulations” for prostitution (a legal profession in Canada, mind you) than trying to get children actually informed and educated about religion. They (kids, politicians and prostitutes alike) might grow up and (another shudder) choose to be religious, heaven forbid!

Humility

“I am not perfect, but I’m so close it’s scary.”