16 Sunday Aug 2015
Posted in Articles, Reflection
‘Why’ is an important question that is often forgotten, overlooked and neglected in conversations. ‘Why’ is an expression of our critical thinking; it is a sign of our conscientiousness; it is an engagement with our intention to become fully aware of self and others. Enjoy…
11 Tuesday Aug 2015
Posted in Photos, Reflection
Tags
cloudscape, Freedom, landscape, my pics, nature, Ontario, Photo, photography, Space
12 Sunday Jul 2015
Posted in Photos, Reflection
20 Friday Feb 2015
Posted in Articles, Reflection
Tags
Birdman, Constructing Future, Constructing new realities, culture, Male Culture, Masculine Culture, Movie Review, Reconnection, relationships
Birdman is a black comedy; it tells a story to expose us to dominant parts of the male culture. As we may know, the masculine male culture includes stories of superheroes- gladiators, hulks and terminators- inventions and achievements; it is a culture that re-tells stories of power and domination; it is a culture that portrays images of competitive, insensitive and disconnected men.
The male culture doesn’t just influence men in our society; its narrative has shaped, shape and will continue shaping all of us regardless of our gender. This movie is about a man and his relational struggles/ challenges with himself and with the world around him; i.e. his daughter, ex-wife, job, coworkers and etc.
Birdman is nostalgic! It shares men experienced when he lost his status in public eye. The movie also suggests ideas on what men should do to gain confidence and regain the public trust.
Due to many social changes in the past few decades, the male culture was affected significantly and consequently its powerful status and entitlement in society tremendously trembled. In the past few decades, the behaviours/ actions taken by men- under the influence of male culture- have been scrutinized, criticized and monitored significantly; very precise attention given to the masculine male culture and its application in people’s lives. Many eyes continue monitoring and criticizing actions of disconnection, insensitivity and irresponsibility that speak to male supremacy and patriarchy. Men, themselves, have also begun to watch and examine their own actions towards others; they have taken critics’ comments seriously and joined them to enhance their roles in others’ lives.
I enjoyed the movie very much. It is about redemption; it is about a new realization; it is about regaining power and respect in a more sensitive, humble and connecting way! The movie is an invitation to all of us (men and women) to become part of something larger than self; it is an invitation to participate but not dominate; it is an invitation to be present and treat others as equals and with care and consideration.
I do believe that all of us, men and women, need to catch up with the recent changes and adjust ourselves with the new thinking about relationships. I believe that we need to continue re-examining our actions and participate in co-constructing new relational realities for a better world. I believe that we have resources, strengths, and knowledge to respond differently and effectively to the today’s expectations of us as human beings. I believe that we have to take deliberate positions to not repeat the past but to make new realities that are more equitable, sensible and responsible.
Let’s reconnect and build a better future for self and others.
Happy possibilities,
Tahereh Barati
08 Friday Aug 2014
Posted in Articles, Reflection
Tags
Balance, connection, culture, Disconnection, Equilibrium, Future, Future of man kind, Generational Knowledge, Greed, Human Brain, Human capacity, human relationships, imagination, Logical thinking, LUCY, Modernism, Modernsim, Movie Review, Nietzsche, Past, Post Modernism, Power and Control, power imbalance, Rational thinking, relational beings, society
The movie, LUCY, is a masterpiece; it portrays human as the powerful species. LUCY is an embodiment of a modernism; a dream/ idea about an intelligent victorious man conquering others, time and space. It is about what Nietzsche said ‘God is Dead’. LUCY is about knowledge as a source of power and control.
The age of modernism is over and LUCY gets to its 100% presence and disappears. The age of modernism gets to its full potential and eventually destroys itself; it leaves us its achievements and disappears. The time for a rigid, logical/ rational insensible thinking is coming to an end.
LUCY is about the rise and fall of logical/ rational/ intellectual mind that controls others, information, time and space. It is true that human without brain are not human but the exhaustion of human intelligence and exaggerated use of power and control will have led us to destruction of human species, environment and morality.
In the movie, the main two engines/ motives for human species to survive are: a) immortality b) reproduction. In the history of mankind, human have swung between these two. In modern era, the force to increase immortality was intensified/heightened and consequently, the reproduction rate became decreased. We are at the end of this era.
We are going to swing back and forth to find equilibrium. This will not be achieved when power and control run the mind of human beings. Equilibrium is achieved when power and knowledge are shared and interpreted relationally.
Yes, LUCY is a great example of what Michelle Foucault predicted. Yes, we have become LUCY. Yes, it is in all of us who were born into the rigid, logical, and rational world of modernism; it is in all of us who perpetuated modern thinking and implemented it in others’ lives and ours. Yes, LUCY is everywhere; LUCY is in all of us!
When I was leaving the theater, there were a young couple sat in their chairs looking puzzled. They said that they didn’t understand LUCY and they weren’t sure what LUCY was all about. Now, reflecting back on the young couple’s words, I have more appreciation for them.
It seems our new generations ask questions and scrutinize the presence of power and control in human interactions. The answer is new generations that question the achievements of technology, that look with suspicious upon greed, knowledge, and power. Their questions will bring the lost equilibrium back to life.
Yes, equilibrium will make us human, again, connected and engaged with each other relationally and ethically. Equilibrium will allow all paradoxical pieces of understanding to co-exist; it will put an end to use of personal/social/technical/intellectual power over/against each other. Equilibrium will connect us not rationally but relationally.
Yes, the new era has begun!
Happy Possibilities,
Tahereh Barati
20 Sunday Jul 2014
Posted in Articles, Reflection
Tags
1984, Ballet, Billy Elliot, British Movies, culture of patriarchy, Dancers, Films, Gay Children, Masculine Culture, movies, relationships, social change, Social Norms, Stories, Story Telling, Union
Billy Elliot is a great movie and a great story that got me thinking about the challenges we face when our purpose/ desire doesn’t fit with what the dominant culture of masculinity. A talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance, the cultural pressures, and the disintegration of his family.
The movie takes place in County Durham, during the endless, violent 1984 strike against the Thatcher closure of British coal mines. Billy lives in a family where his mom passed away, his father and brother rules the household and his grandmother suffers from mental deterioration. Under these conditions, Billy sneaks to the girls- only- attended ballet class to learn dancing. Only one schoolmate, closet-gay Michael, encourages Billy’s desire, aroused by the teacher, who judged him talented enough for private lesson, to train and try out for the world-renowned Royal Ballet audition. Billy through dancing frees himself and ignites his inner electricity in his own life and others’.
There are many scenes in the movie that brought emotions to audience. Moments such as when Billy re-reads, by heart, his mom’s letter; when Billy dances with anger against the social norm; when Billy’s father, who is emotionally distraught, is torn between supporting the union or supporting his older son’s beliefs; when Billy’s father breaks the piano to warm up their house in winter; when Billy’s father cries out his loneliness at the Christmas night, and so on…
Watching the movie brought the following questions to mind:
Any ideas? Looking forward to hearing from your!
Happy possibilities,
Tahereh Barati
15 Sunday Jun 2014
Posted in quotations, Reflection
Tags
awareness, community, connection, empathy, Mindfulness, Poverty of spirit, presence, relationship, The Buddha
A poor man asked the Buddha,
“Why am I so poor?”
The Buddha said, “You donot learn to give.”
So the poor man said, “If I’m not having anything?”
Buddha said: “You have a few things:
The Face, which can give a smile;
The Mouth, you can praise or comfort others;
The Heart, it can open up to others;
The Eyes, who can look the other with the eyes of goodness;
The Body, which can be used to help others.”
So, actually we are not poor at all.
Poverty of spirit is the real poverty.
Happy Possibility,
Tahereh Barati
12 Thursday Jun 2014
Posted in poetry, Reflection
Tags
1922 documentary moives, Aboriginal Culture, Canadian Aboriginals, Documentary, history, Injustices, Inuit Throat, Nanook of The North, poetry, Silent movie, Singer, Songs, Sounds, Voices of history
Sing Sing Sing!
Your song has a taste of history
Your song has a smell of blood
Your song carries messages of unity!
Sing Sing Sing
with your body
with your heart
with your Inuit throat!
Strike me
Shake me
Shock me
Don’t let me forget what happened to you
Don’t let me repeat the past!
Sing Sing Sing
Your voice brings back the history
Your voice brings back your blood/bread back
Your voice brings back your children home
Sing Sing Sing
Be with me
to the end of time!
Tahereh Barati
11 Wednesday Jun 2014
Posted in poetry, Reflection
Tags
Generational Knowledge, knowledge, Life Experiences, Life Hardship, Life Lessons, poetry, resiliency, Roots of Wisdom, wisdom
Come here near me
Sit beside me
Have to tell you something, my child!
Listen to what I have to say, she says:
“Life is too short
don’t sweat on small stuff.
When one door is close on you,
look into the other doors in life
Don’t star at the close door, forever!
Move on and make the best of what you’ve got.
Remember, you can make a difference
Remember, what you’ve got is enough
Remember your dream, when you fall”!
I shall remember your words every day
I shall remember your wisdom when a door slams on my face
I must remember you!
Hello to you again!
Tahereh Barati
07 Saturday Jun 2014
Posted in poetry, Reflection
Dream never dies even if it is old
Dream never dies even if it is not popular
My dream never dies even if it is not supported by you!
Dream Dream Dream
Without dream, life has no meaning
Without dream, life has no direction
Without dream, my time is wasted by you!
Dream dream Dream
Tahereh Barati
