Yey WALRUS!

I was so happy when my first issue of WALRUS Magazine subscription showed up in the mailbox. After two long months, I peered inside to find the type of magazine that I keep between two pieces of plastic! And what were the chances that it is the Special Arctic Issue? That deserves some explaining.

My friend Karen has moved to Iqaluit, Nunavut for a newspaper editor position. As I begin reading through the stories of life in the arctic tundra, it is all very relative to the stories Karen spurted out in one long sentence before she left, her face lit up with curiosity. I highly recommend that everyone goes to the news stand for this issue. I feel as Canadians, we aren't informed or exposed to this part of our country enough.

I'm sure as I read on, I will be more and more fascinated by this area of the world.

It reminds me of the desire to find one place-only one place in this entire world that has not been discovered by man. Could you imagine?

Back in November 2006, while on a flight to Japan, we passed over seemingly endless miles of white mountainous nothingness. The only existence below was one winding string of train tracks, in and out of the mountains. Head glued to the tiny window, I considered that yes, this space had been inhabited, at least long enough to build these tracks for en route cargo. But the empty stillness of a clean slate put a good taste of solitary existence in my mouth. The woman sitting behind me saw my fascination and explained that her and her husband had gone on a month trek through the arctic. I can't remember exactly where she had gone, but she said it was amazing. She was a traveling pianist professor, giving lectures and what not to private school kids in different countries.

Here is the Arctic Issue on Walrus Magazine's website. It's just a sample though!

Also, watch Happy Feet, those penguins can dance.
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I'm going to mention one more thing. A documentary has resurfaced from my DVD collection called Born Into Brothels. This documentary filmmaker went into the red light district of Calcutta and stayed with families in the brothels. The children that partake in her Kids With A Camera classes have priceless personalities. They learn everything to do with composition and critiquing. Basically it is a way of seeing this world in the eyes of the children and the pictures they shoot are amazing. It reveals a lot about their home lives and the brutal realities of these young girl's families forcing them into prostitution for a living at a very young age. These people have to sell sex, drugs and alcohol illegally to make ends meet. Because of poverty and unprotected sex, I got the sense that a lot of these children were merely a means to get the chores done and survive. There didn't seem to be much love in the house hold. One child's mother died during the documentary's filming because her pimp had set her on fire. It is horrifying.

I think I fought back tears every ten minutes in this documentary, but it is also fun and you'll find yourself laughing out loud with these kids. I love seeing the joy that photography brought to their lives.

The documentary's website has more info. You can view their photographs and get a recent update on them. I found this documentary on eBay. I love it!





wwweeeeeee! That's all. Bye now!