Remembering Grandma

Grandma Hermione Moore 12/4/1914 - 7/21/2006

Sometimes when you’re in a relationship, you meet the other persons friends and family and you instantly click and get along really well. So well that even after your romantic relationship has ended, you keep in touch and stay friends. Such was the case of Hermione Moore, grandmother of my on-and-off-again boyfriend Chad. Even when we fought and I swore off talking to him, I couldn’t imagine not calling the house anymore to chat with Grandma. She was always the person to answer the phone because she loved talking. When telemarketers would call she’d give ‘em a run for their money when they’d ask how she was doing because she would do just that – “Well, lets see. I lost my son and I can’t walk. Plus I been getting these coughs… What was that? I can’t really hear too well so you might have to speak up”. Got’em everytime.

Grandma loved crossword puzzles but would not give into the internet and its answers. She chose instead to ask the people around her, because she knew that even if they didn’t have the answers they’d have a story to tell her, and that was an even enough exchange. Grandma also loved acrostics. If you listen to the 2nd CD she’s the one who does an acrostic with my name. I knew when I was asking people to say a little something about me, she would come up with something creative. Now that it’s my turn to write something creative I am at a lost for words, the right words, because she was so giving, generous, warm, social and active, so much more than an octogenarian confined to her wheelchair. Because that was the thing, she wasn’t confined to anything. She was never bored, never needy. She took joy in all the things she could do – knitting, reading, watching TV, solving puzzles. Even when she had to prick her fingers to check her blood sugar, Chad said she had a favorite finger. But I wouldn’t say she was content with the things she did, it wasn’t like she settled. It was more like she was saving her energy until we came around so she could give us extra love. I’m happy and blessed to have been one of them. I only hope I can live a life as rich as hers. I love you Grandma.

Catzie

Congratulations to Kathryn Xian, Honored by Soroptimist International!

MM

Kathy Xian, Founder and Non-Executive Director of the Safe Zone Foundation in Hawaii and GiRL FeST Hawaii and GiRL FeST Bay Area, was honored on Friday by Soroptimist International of the Americas for her work on human trafficking and sexual slavery. We were fortunate to have been able to attend the awards ceremony--and thanks to Kathy and Soroptimist for giving us the opportunity to share our human trafficking and modern-day slavery poems with them. We have added both orgs as links to our site, along with Polaris Project and Free the Slaves. Please learn more about the work they do to improve the lives of women and children all over the world.

Thanks also to all the wonderful women from Soroptimist who spoke to us after our performance and who even gave us gifts. I have to say this was a really special experience for us in so many ways. First of all, we had no idea there would be so many of yall! I mean, I knew that this is an international organization, but I had no idea there would be over 1500 of you at this event. When I walked into the Grand Hall Ballroom at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and saw all the tables, I was like "Oh, Shizzit!" Catzie's reaction was similar to mine. This was definitely the largest live crowd we've ever performed for. And when these 1500 women so graciously gave us a standing ovation, I almost cried. All of these women--from Brazil, England, Japan, Korea, Philippines, U.S. and more--are doing amazing and important work on behalf of women who are poor or abused, have been raped or trafficked, and that they listened to our poetry and responded so sincerely, really moved Catzie and me. After the protests and petition letters written against us this year and all the criticism we get, to have a multinational, multilingual, multigenerational group of women show us such heartfelt support really makes us feel as if what we do is worth it. We cannot express our thanks enough.

Special thanks to Lori Blair and Eva Matyskiela from Soroptimist and Kathy Xian for making it possible for us to be part of this event. And BIG UPS! to Kathy--for all the important work that you do and the wonderful person that you are.

Nevermind

Okay so it wasn't really Kimora Lee Simmons, the former model-turned-soon-to-be-ex-wife of Russell Simmons. It was a 16-year-old girl from Cali.

So I got a little excited and blog-happy. Sue me. I swear the picture looked like her, so I didnt check the profile all like that. Damn. So that means the real KLS doesn't know we're on Myspace, lets go find her...

Catzie

Kimora Lee Simmons asked to be friends...

I opened up our our Myspace account and saw that we had new friend requests and there she was, glammed for the cam...


I'm not lying... I don't even know how she found us, we're still updating the profile! Well if anything, we thank her for the support and for being a fan of our work. I think I might write a piece about this.

Catzie

Help Yellow Gurl Out!!!

Our girl Kelly Tsai is conducting a little project and she needs your help. Here's a little bulletin she sent out on, where else, Myspace.

Hey family:

I'm doin' a little project for my website about what: "Spoken word is..."I WOULD LOVE IT :) if u sent me a 2-3 line blurb (be as freaky and creative as ya' want or straight-forward as u want or cranky as u want, whatever)... FEEL FREE TO REPOST AND FWD -- ppl can hit me back on myspace (http://www.myspace.com/yellowgurl_poetry) or reply to me at my e-mail kz@yellowgurl.com. I want to get as many as possible, as diverse as possible, as conflicting as possible, voices from people who do spoken word, who hate spoken word, who love to hear spoken word, who aren't sure what spoken word is... So please, if ur bored or inspired wherever u are, hit me back with your "Spoken word is..." and I will love u forever. Well, not really. But I'll try. In strength, in solidarity, in summertime trying not to melt...

Smooches, Kells
http://www.yellowgurl.com

Kelly's mad cool and friendly (she's my sister in gossip), so if you have any question what this entire project is for, feel free to hit her up.

Catzie

Yellow Rage interview on APA Compass

Recently, Wes Wong from APA Compass, a group of community radio volunteers who put together an APIA radio program airing out of Portland, OR every first Friday, invited Catzie and me to do an interview for their radio show "Angry Asian Hour." This Friday, July 7 from 9-10am Pacific Time (Noon-1pm EST), you can hear the interview I did (Catzie was in LA) on 90.7FM KBOO in the Portland area, or live on the web at http://www.kboo.fm/. If you go to the website, click on "Listen Now" on the homepage. Listeners are also welcome to call in: (503) 231-8187.

You can find out more about APA Compass and the APA Compass Collective by visting their website at http://www.apacompass.org/. Archives from past shows can be accessed on the site.

Thanks and blessings to Wes and everyone at APA Compass.