State of the Lu

[elucreh]

• Powwow: Friday was that grand Mormon/Utahn holiday, Pioneer Day. Part of that is an American Indian (or whatever the politically correct term is, CAN ANYONE TELL ME?) Powwow in the city's biggest park. I had to go for my class on that culture.
  
  
  • I bought two frogs! They're completely water-dwelling and a little less than the length of my little finger. I will take them to my class of two-year-olds and be hailed as a conquering hero
    
    
  • I had a henna design put on my hand and it's SO PRETTY!! I mostly did it because I so badly want my next tattoo and I can't afford it; I was hoping to kill the urge a little. Mostly, however, this has resulted in no less than four remarks on how real tattoos are so tacky/ridiculous/irreligious from various members of my family, which is...not killing my desire for the next one AT ALL. *rebel*
    
    
  • I was an idiot about sunscreen and as a result have second-degree burns, complete with blisters and swelling, on my neck and shoulders. So. much. OW.
    
    
  • The powwow was really interesting in some ways and really commercialized in others; I think I want to write my reaction paper about the contrast and how it's representative of life for them (as I understand it) now.
  
  
  
• Family: Friday also was the arrival of my mother's younger brother and sister and their families for a week.
  
  
  • This is the side of the family I relate to best, and my favorite aunts to boot. In some ways I'm just really HAPPY to see them and talk to them.
    
    
  • In some it's frustrating, though, because dude, I need my weekends. I am not home most of the week! Literally, I work 8-5 and then three nights a week I have class until (or past) my bedtime. I need to bake and do laundry and write and stuff. That's hard to do when you spend all of Saturday driving to family reunions and helping your youngest cousins cheat in hide-n-seek.
  
  
  
• WRITING!
  
  • I keep ficcishing with sunsetmog and harriet_vane, which is awesome; Niagara Falls elopements and Spencer-the-Mormon-daughter-in-law ftw!
    
    
  • I am somehow actually accidentally WRITING and not just ficcishing the desperate!Bden fic which, Idek how that happened
    
    
  • I am making major progress on ETW but not posting it in bits anymore because apparently my muse wants to work on the ending and I don't want people to read the ending ending before they read the middle bits, the surprises are important.

Comments

[openmydoors.livejournal.com]

I THINK IT'S NATIVE AMERICAN. BUT I COULD BE WRONG.

And lol @ you helping your cousins cheat in hide-n-seek. I ALWAYS SUCKED AT THAT GAME. I could never find a good enough place to hide and be left in the open. :/

[libgirl.livejournal.com]

Generally, Native American is a nice inoffensive thing to say. People will tell you if they'd prefer to be called Indian or NDN as it's frequently written. Or, you can refer to them by their tribal name, if you know it i.e., Lakota, Cherokee etc. Though I'd suggest making sure it's the tribal name and not a name someone else gave them. The Lakota are frequently called the Sioux and some of them will use that name (like Indian) because it was good enough for their ancestors, but the word Sioux is actually an insult. There are a lot of pitfalls in this nomenclature. Sorry, didn't mean to go all lecture on you. This is something I've done a lot of public speaking and teaching on so it's a bit ingrained. :/

Anyway, I'm glad that you had a good time at the PowWow. I'd be interested in seeing your reflections. :D

Hope you manage to get some time away to do what you need to do! :)

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

Take care of your sunburn! Aloe vera gel, some aspirin or other anti-inflammatory, and lots of liquids.

[the-randomist.livejournal.com]

...Lamanites...
(just kidding, i swear!)

ouchhhhh, sunburn! D: lots of aloe. And if you can get your hands on an actual aloe leaf, it's 342745 x better than the gel(EVEN AS AWESOME AS THE GEL IS)

[ny-for-life.livejournal.com]

It's good to hear from you once in a while. I don't think I've spoken to you in months.