La Politesse, la Poésie, les Politiques and French Language Love

Today- while, I am ashamed to admit, eating breakfast at McDonalds- I encountered possibly the nicest series of people ever. From the courteous and patient cashier (sam is a little slow in the mornings), to a TTC employee who was charming and funny to the shy woman who politely asked for the time. It is these kinds of people who give me hope for this city. When we don't speak eachother's language, but we still smile kindly, or when we paint the sidewalk to make a few bucks and share art with our neighbours we create a community. Yes we are all different, and refuse assimilation, but la politesse could really save us from divisiveness and lead us to true diversity.

For many years now I have been taking all the words that clog up my head and writing poems on scraps of paper. I have many notebooks, and alot of poems tend to get writen on assignments and that sort of thing. Lately I have been find my poetry pretty stale and redundant so in an effort to squeeze out the few remain drops of my creative process I have decided to partake in NANOWRIMO, or national novel writing month. Essentially over the course of november it is my goal to write 50 000 words. It is a big scarey tastes that haunts my dreams, but I think it will a good exercise for me. I will post my word count updates when I post blog entries, but it would be kind of you to check in and make sure I haven't forgotten to write every now and again.

It is a commonly held belief (that I agree with) that students and young people are not politically active enough. Today, I am not going to yell at all of you for not knowing who Clifford Siffton is. Instead, I want to give props for the young and politically involved. Some how it is always the youth who are willing to dress up and stand on a street corner making clever puns about Dalton Maguinties sexuality and his tuition policy. Also they give out candy.

Finally I have to distinct pleasure of writing a french paper in class today that I am not at all looking forward to. But the more I speak, read and listen to music in french the more I am transported by the language. There is something about in so inherent in me; it is comfortable and natural. But i will likely fail anyway.