The Big Day Arrives
June 2, 2011. Exhibit day. In the days leading up to the event, I felt a great combination of emotions: excitement, trepidation, anxiety, and more. We had put our blood, sweat, and tears into this project for months and the fruits of our labour were now going to be on display for friends, family … Continue reading
Making Dollars, Creating Community
Have you ever heard of Calgary Dollars? Until recently, I hadn’t either. Calgary Dollars (CD) is a local initiative designed to promote the local economy where the national economy cannot. What does that mean? Well, in simplest terms, it’s a way to buy and trade goods and services outside of conventional money. While not very … Continue reading
I know I’m human, I think
Let’s get uncomfortable. The entire Urban Exposure experience has, in a large part, brought up discomforting situations and issues. Take racism for example. The “r” word invariable reeks of unsettling feelings and emotions. In Canada, we are proud to proclaim that we are a multicultural country that accepts all religions, cultures, and ethnicities. Yet issues … Continue reading
Love for all, hatred for none
This is what a mosque looks like. It wasn’t what I expected. This hallway looked like any other generic building I have been in. Granted, a much larger facility with Arabic writing everywhere. Having never been to a mosque, it felt a bit anti-climatic, like I was in my neighborhood recreation centre or community hall. … Continue reading
Looking through the lens
During the middle of February, a particularly cold patch of winter hit Calgary. Piles of snow covered the city and the temperature fell below -25C for what felt like forever (but was really only 2 weeks). I woke up on a Saturday morning and the weather report forecast a nice, sunny day. Oh and a … Continue reading
Everyone has a story
Words are such a powerful thing. They evoke feelings and connotations and meanings that can affect how you feel, act, and think. A few weeks ago, the Urban Exposure Group made a trip down to the Calgary Drop-In Centre. As an exercise during our visit, we were asked to each come up with one word … Continue reading
Let’s Shake on It
It always starts with the best of intentions. When I began the Urban Exposure Project, I was set on sharing my experiences in this blog. It was going to take some creativity, effort, and time on my part to get accomplished, but I figured it couldn’t be that hard. I was wrong. I didn’t actually … Continue reading
The Essence of Hinduism
It’s amazing how you can live in the same city your whole entire life and still find so many hidden gems and unexplored areas. Case in point was Tuesday night’s visit to the Hindu Society of Calgary. I’ve never had the opportunity to enter a Hindu temple before (and likely won’t again) and was both … Continue reading
Learning the art of photography
Taking silly pictures for your Facebook profile is one thing, but capturing imaginative and captivating images is a whole other thing. Photography requires a mixed bag of skills: technical expertise with the camera, along with proper composition and focus all wrapped around a storyteller’s eye to catch the scene. Our first photography lesson last week … Continue reading
Winter…
… has prevented me from getting to the UEP brunch 😦 I will be taking refuge under some warm blankets and a cup of hot cocoa.
Urban Exposure Project 2011 