Good music often provides the perfect background songs for our ordinary daily activities. Music also allows us to relive a story narrated by lyrics in our imagination or allows us to escape to the beats and sounds of different instruments. By making some songs very personal to us, we often forget to acknowledge the inspiration that made it possible for these songs to exist. Here at the Clog, we’re taking the time to acknowledge the meaning and inspiration that went behind some of today’s popular songs:

John Mayer’s “Gravity:” Mayer’s “Come Back to Bed” was actually an early attempt at creating “Gravity.” It took some time for him to actually put the words and instrumentals into a cohesive and powerful song. In a concert in December 2005, Mayer explained that “Gravity” is a song so important to him that he could listen to it for the rest of his life. When addressing where the song came from, he stated, “I was in LA, and I was there for the summer, just writing tunes, and I was in the shower. And I don’t know where it came from, but it’s the damn truth you know, and I just sang, ‘gravity…is working against me.’” He also expressed that “Gravity” took on a more significant meaning; this was a song about “making sure you still love yourself … making sure you still have your head on”.

Jason Mraz’s “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry):” Mraz’s musical remedy would not have been created if it wasn’t for his friend Charlie Mingroni. Mingroni was a close friend of Mraz’s who had cancer. This significantly impacted Mraz. When facing your own personal battles, Mraz sings that “the tragedy is how you’re gonna spend the rest of your nights with the light on.” This song was made to relax the mind and soul even through one’s hardest times.

Ed Sheeran’s “The A Team:” This song was inspired by a gig Sheeran did at a homeless shelter at the age of 18. When listening to people’s stories, Sheeran was fascinated by the extreme struggles that many faced. This was especially the case when discussing substance abuse. Drugs like cocaine, a “Class A drug,” had been discussed and served as the direct inspiration for the song’s title. In an effort to mask addressing the serious issue of substance abuse, Sheeran successfully attempted to make the song upbeat.

These artists show us that by taking inspiration as it comes and transforming it into art is something very powerful. By sharing something you personally created, you can offer someone else an interesting set of lens to look through.

What inspired a work of art that you’re proud of? Share with us in the comments!

Image source: Kia Clay under Creative Commons 

Contact Karen Kwaning at kkwaning@dailycal.org.

The post Hidden inspiration behind songs appeared first on The Daily Californian.

When I first met the guy I was going to marry, he told me he had a book called “Dating for Under a Dollar.” I didn’t believe him until he showed me. His parents had raised him in a lifestyle he cheerfully called “frugal” rather than “cheap.” Most of the ideas in the book were things we would never do — for example, camping in the TV display area of an electronics store for the free movies. We kept the spirit of the book alive, if not the letter. Some of our very best dates have cost us little or nothing to go on, and we never run out of good ideas.

His favorites have been literary dates. Once, we went to the public library and picked out our favorite books for a set of ages. We picked books for kindergartners, for 10-year-olds, for 16 and for high school graduation. We pulled our three current favorites. We talked for a long time about what we loved and why, compared how much we had read out of each other’s stacks and basically decided what books we would give as gifts for years to come. One year, for his birthday, we spent the whole day in a huge and friendly used bookstore where the owner didn’t mind if we hung out and read books. At the end of the day, we picked one book apiece and walked to a place where we could get a slice and a Coke. Total cost of both those book dates: less than $10.

My favorite dates have been a little more varied. Most galleries and a large number of museums are free. Viewing art of all kinds for free is one of the incredible benefits of a society that values expression. We’ve seen music, poetry, paintings, sculpture, performance art and dance performances at no cost. We’ve walked into galleries where owners treat everyone like a potential buyer, put glasses of wine in our hands, tell us about artists and processes of production and ask for our views. I keep tabs on the calendars of nearby community colleges and universities, watching for spoken word events, author readings and performances. The ones that aren’t free are usually cheap. We’ve always been able to go out and find culture without giving away all our cash.

Stay-at-home dates and staycations have also become more popular. It’s always cheaper to cook at home than to go out, and it’s something you can do together. Trying out a new recipe from the Internet or attempting to recreate a childhood favorite always starts conversations. When I introduced my husband to my mom, we had a stay-at-home date with an Italian theme. We cooked pasta and made salad together and watched “The Godfather,” which he had never seen. We’ve had other themed parties centered around movies, including whipping up competitive batches of butterbeer during a Harry Potter marathon and a rum-tasting arranged to accompany the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films.

It goes without saying that drinking at home is cheaper than going out. If you’ve ever seen those obscene bar tabs posted on the Internet, you know there are people out there who drink their tuition in a single night. Learning how to mix cocktails and figuring out what you like is a process best undertaken among people you trust in an environment you can control. Plus, bartenders may laugh at how much grenadine you want in your drinks — your significant other will think it’s cute. Drinking at bars and clubs only seems more fun because of the crowds and music and low lights. Hit the switches, invite some friends over and turn it up.
Game night is the old standby. People have been doing it since Monopoly was new, but it doesn’t have to be dull. Look up alternate versions of games you have, or make up your own rules for a more interesting time. Ever try strip Jenga? There are fantastic game stores within walking distance of campus. Need something new? There are great game reviews on YouTube, including shows like TableTop. If board games aren’t your style, download cheap or free games on your cellphone and try to beat each other at Fruit Ninja or Candy Crush. Then you can help each other through rehab for your terrible addiction.

Lots of people think that you can’t have fun dates without a lot of money. Some even hold back on asking people out because they can’t impress them with cash to burn. Dates aren’t about money, and relationships won’t be stable if you base them on what you’re willing to buy. Even if you’re broke in Berkeley, a fun night depends more on your creativity and sense of fun than what you can pay for. If you’re as lucky as I have been, cheap dates can pay off — with interest.

Meg Elison writes the Monday column on financial issues affecting UC Berkeley students.Contact Meg Elison at melison@dailycal.org.

The post Can’t buy me love appeared first on The Daily Californian.

The book: 

“Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Tracy Chevalier

Suggested for:

Anyone who is a fan of the painting and would be interested in a fictional story of its inception. Or anyone who likes art history in general.

Clog rating:

There are a few paintings that almost anyone who has ever been exposed to art will recognize. One such piece is Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Even without knowing the name of the painting or the name of the artist, the subject’s ambiguous smile from over her shoulder is completely recognizable. No one really knows who the girl is, but Tracy Chevalier attempts to create a historically accurate — yet fictional — account of the woman.

Chevalier prefaces the story (in some editions) by explaining how she came to the decision to elaborate on the woman in the painting and the in-depth research that she undertook to do so in the most accurate manner possible. While there are some known facts about Vermeer, his personality remains a mystery, as does the woman that he so intimately painted. This is where the fiction comes into play. The stage is set with historical and geographic accuracy — ensured through Chevalier’s trips to the Dutch town of Delft and extensive study of Vermeer and his contemporaries’ paintings of the time period. The facts lay the foundation for the building of the protagonist’s life.

In the novel, the woman is given a name, Griet, which is perhaps the most critical part in establishing her humanity. From there, the novel takes you through her journey, culminating in her famous (or in this story, slightly infamous) portrait. She takes on the role of a maid in Vermeer’s household who is charged with cleaning his precious studio. Her place in the household is precipitous at best, due to her unique duties and apparent favor from the master. Her interaction with the other members of the household are in constant flux.

The most fascinating part of the story is hearing how Griet felt about the painting. Understanding her perspective, even if it is fictitious, gives new depth and intricacies to the piece. Chevalier writes in a manner that allows the reader to understand Griet’s unyielding duty to her family, which overwhelms her hidden passions and personal desires. The story moves quickly and provides great resolution — and is definitely a worthwhile read.

Image Source: chillbill under Creative Commons.

Contact Mackenzie Bedford @mbedford@dailycal.org.

The post The Book Nook: possible backstory of ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Maura Chen/Staff

Contact Maura Chen at mchen@dailycal.org.

The post Oakland Art Murmur Summer appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Maybe you’re from the bay and just want to kick it at home. Maybe someone’s coming up to visit you!  Maybe you’re an international or out of state student and the cost of going home is simply out of the question. Or maybe you simply procrastinated on buying plane tickets and your parents don’t want to drive and pick you up (hey, that’s growing up!). Regardless of the situation, you’ve found yourself in the Bay for this upcoming spring break: without access to meal points, (maybe) alone and wondering what’s out there in the bay to enjoy. Have no fear, the Clog is here!

Music

March 23 — Matt Costa @ Slim’s: If cheery folk rock is your thing, check out Matt Costa at Slim’s in SF. It’s on the first “real” night of break and it’s pretty cheap! If you feel like putting some more cash down,  Slim’s are known for their catered dinners at the venue beforehand. Who knows, you might bump into Mr. Costa himself?

March 25 — Iceage @ Popscene: Popscene at the Rickshaw Stop in SF has built up a reputation for being the premier “indie dance club” of the area. The many times we’ve been there, it’s lived up to that moniker. During this break, they’re hosting a dance party featuring Danish noise punk band Iceage, plus their resident DJ spinning tunes between sets. Get your mosh-dance on!

March 28 — 4th Annual Haight/Ashbury Battle of the Bands: The second installment of a 5-part series culminating in the final duke-out, this BOTB show features some of the best local acts from the city, shredding hard to make it to the final round. Like any Battle of the Bands competition, the winner is up to the audience. Winner goes to the act with the loudest applause. It’s a super fun interactive thing.

Comedy

March 25 — Funny Mondays @ the Deco Lounge:  Local comedy master Victor Torres hosts a weekly open mic comedy show at a swanky lounge in the Tenderloin. Nothing too fancy, but it’s sure to be a laugh! Plus there’s some cheap drinks, so something unfunny could become funnier as the night goes on …*wink*.

Film

March 24 — Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much“ @ the PFA: It’s a well-accepted fact that Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense and our very own Pacific Film Archive realizes this. All this semester, they’ve hosted a Hitchcock film series and during the break they’re showing his classic spy suspense thriller made in 1956. Plus, compared with the normal price of movie tickets, it’s quite a deal at $5.50!

March 24 and March 31 — Berkeley Underground Film Society : So maybe it’s not underground, but it must be like Fight Club, ’cause we’ve haven’t heard anyone talking about it. But it’s a thing! It’s simply a gathering from film buffs and anyone with an interest in film in general to come together and watch/discuss films. During the break, they’re showing Chinatown and The Warriors.

Arts

March 27-31 — Ongoing exhibits @ the Berkeley Art Museum:  If you haven’t yet checked out our own art museum conveniently located right across from campus, then this is the perfect time to do it! They have a plethora of ongoing exhibits, plus admission is completely free for students. FREE.

March 30 — Open Mic Night @ Nick’s: If you’ve been writing some poetry to show off to that special someone, or brushing up some acoustic Katy Perry covers — or would like to see any of this go down — then this open mic’s for you! Free of charge (well, except for drinks) and 20 open mic slots, so get there early to ensure your place.

Sports

March 23 — Spring Football Game: The season may be over (a good or bad thing, depending on who you talk to), but the Cal football team hasn’t been taking any breaks! Now that Tedford’s been given the axe (not the good one), the team has been practicing under new coach Sonny Dykes for the semester. See how they’re shaping up at the Spring football game! For free!

March 25 — Salsa Social Dance Class @ I-House : Mmmm. Sizzle. No, we’re not talking about IHOP, but pretty close! I-House is hosting some extra sizzling salsa classes with professional instructor Timea Potys from Sizzling Latin (we’re assuming that’s highly esteemed in the Latin dance world). You may just find your soul mate there! (well, that’s how it happens in movies, right?)

March 28 — Argentine Tango Practica @ Hearst Gym:  Speaking of dance classes, here’s one that’s for an even cheaper price to Berkeley students! For just $1, you can learn another awesome dance form. Exercise is always better when it’s fun, right?

The Great Outdoors

March 23-24 and March 30-31 — Constellations Tonight, Lawrence Hall of Science: So this  isn’t technically outdoors, we know. But perhaps it is the greatest of great outdoors. In this hands-on planetarium extravaganza, participants locate constellations in the planetarium sky. And planetariums are cool. It’s like seeing the night sky without all those pesky city lights!

March 23-24, March 28 and March 30-31 — Botanical Gardens Docent Tour: Did you know our campus has its very own Botanical garden? It’s a ways up the Northside hill — sore legs! — so it’s no wonder why it’s such a well-kept secret. If you have the time, they offer free tours three times a week!

March 23 and March 30 — Free Yoga in Golden Gate Park: Free things are good. Sunshine is good. Exercise is … good (depending on what mood we’re in). If you dig all these things too, then you’ll really enjoy the free Saturday morning yoga classes right in GG Park. The perfect combination of good thing.

Food

March 29 — Off the Grid: Perhaps you’ve seen the row of trucks and picnic tables in Downtown Berkeley on Thursday nights and wondered what the deal was. This is Off the Grid, the Bay Area’s own “mobile” food festival. Making a stay in SF, their vendors include delicacies like fish tacos, chicken adobo and gourmet cupcakes. NOM. The last time we were there, they had s’mores cupcakes, just to give you a figurative taste.

Beach

Ocean Beach, SF — It wouldn’t be a break without a beach! Or so the movies say. And yes, contrary to popular belief, the bay has sandy beaches. If you’re in the mood for some classic sandy fun, this is the go-to spot in SF city. So very conveniently named.

Image source: WSK_2005 under Creative Commons.

Contact Hailey Simpson at hsimpson@dailycal.org or follow her on Twitter at @hailey117.

The post A guide to staying in the Bay this spring break appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Jessalyn Aaland/File

The title of Jessalyn Aaland’s show, “Thank You for Your Waiting,” now at Swarm Gallery in Oakland sounds like an awkwardly translated phrase. But instead of the name sticking in your head immediately, the tiny yet surprising details of her collages do.

But these assemblages of miniscule cutout vintage ads, holographic and felt stickers of mini pizzas and other food we loved as kids aren’t kitschy or haphazard. In fact, one doesn’t even realize the pieces are mixed media at first.

Aaland poses the piles of objects and flora in spaces without regard for classic perspective. The resulting flatness is awkward, quirky and is what makes her pieces unique. She combines ridiculous details of a brick cell phone in a potted plant, jarring one’s expectations of an interior scene while also reminding us of the hilarity that such a large object would ever be a mobile device.

In “Point of Entry,” a pair of eyeglasses only a little larger than a fingernail clipping rest on a quilted leather chair, but the scene surprises overall because nearby lies a cartoon cat’s face getting squished by a trashcan.

Another piece, “A Way In,” involves the image of a landfill of Roman warriors mixed with Life cereal boxes, retro televisions and Nike cleats, topped off with the cheerful mixture of flowers, which seems to be Aaland’s signature touch. These images aren’t nostalgic subject matter like the glorified ’90s Nickelodeon shows that we get from Buzzfeed daily, but are the toys from Grandpa’s house that weren’t the best but still held value.

Aaland writes on her website to describe another one of her series, “Sometimes the person you need the most to talk with is yourself.” The reflection and nostalgia experienced when sifting through the details in each of her canvases are gentle and cute, reminding us of childhood’s inexplicable phases such as obsessions with smiley faces and desperation to win a blue ribbon. Most importantly, we are reminded of the imagination paired with the era of those objects.

Aaland describes these as “accumulations,” which is literal in one sense but in another sense explores what we accumulate due to our physical location, sexuality, gender, religion and ability. “A portion of what we accumulate is tangible, but most of it is not,” she writes on her website. What we choose to do with what we compile in our lives matters, and Aaland’s new material demonstrates a coupling of mild regret with optimism about recovering what we have decided to reject, forget and mark unimportant in our past.

The title of the show talks to these objects of our history as if they knew we had forgotten them but would return to them eventually. Now we remember these images and feel ashamed to have forgotten them in the first place. All we can express is our unexpected gratitude that they stayed the same despite our selective and fading memory.

Perhaps we are glad for these objects’ unchanging facades, which contradict the instability in our lives. So again the unusual title comes to mind: “Thank you for your waiting.” It’s a cluttered phrase that doesn’t make sense grammatically, at first. But this space that we live in doesn’t make sense all of the time either. The question of how and why we surround ourselves with things is one that Aaland politely, but cleverly, points out to us.

Many of her pieces seem to be the imagined dream interior design of a sticker collector and often include chairs. These chairs seem to ask for someone to fill them and be still for just a moment. We can finally look at what we may have missed and what we have forgotten a bit too easily and a bit too hastily.

When: Through April 21
Where: Swarm Gallery in Oakland

A.J. Kiyoizumi covers visual art. Contact her at akiyoizumi@dailycal.org. Check her out on twitter at @Ajkazoo.

The post Collage collection is a recollection appeared first on The Daily Californian.

UC Regents/Courtesy

Construction is finally beginning on the new UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, nearly 16 years since the project’s proposal.

BAM/PFA, which was founded in 1963, is currently located on Bancroft Way and will be moving to 2120 Oxford St. in Downtown Berkeley, a block away from the Downtown Berkeley BART station. The center will join a section of Berkeley that already has a reputation for the arts, with institutions including the Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life.

“I believe we will add a tremendous amount not just to the arts community but to every resident and visitor to downtown,” said Lawrence Rinder, director of BAM/PFA, in an email. “The museum will be a cultural hub, presenting excellent art, film, and performance of just about every imaginable type.”

Some of the early construction now under way includes salvaging reusable material, disconnecting utilities and preparing for the demolition of the nearby parking structure to be closed in the beginning of March.

Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2015, with the center opening to the public by early 2016.

The decision to relocate was prompted by a 1997 engineering survey that found that the current building did not meet seismic standards. To this day, the building has a “poor” rating, according to the BAM/PFA website.

“We’re incredibly excited to get this project under way after such a long time,” said Aimee Chang, director of engagement at BAM/PFA. “It’s a very important kind of museum for the city of Berkeley. I think this museum will really put Berkeley on the map in terms of cutting-edge art.”

The new facility will contain exhibition galleries, a learning center, a participatory art-making studio, a 230-seat theater and a screening room, according to a BAM/PFA press release.

Currently, BAM/PFA annually screens 400 films, hosts 15 exhibitions and provides a venue for public speakers, performers and other programs. All of these activities will continue at the new Downtown facility.

Plans for the center were designed by New York City-based firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, which previously blueprinted the Museum of Image and Sound in Rio de Janeiro and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.

Mayela Rodriguez, a co-chair of the BAM/PFA student committee, said moving the museum Downtown may make it more accessible to the Berkeley community as well as entice students who live on the north side of campus to attend more museum events.

The entire project costs $100 million and will be funded by private donations, $95 million of which is already accounted for.

Once the current BAM/PFA center is completely emptied, the old location will continue to be managed by the University of California, which must then decide what to do with it.

Gladys Rosario covers academics and administration. Contact her at grosario@dailycal.org.

The post Construction begins on UC Berkeley Art Museum appeared first on The Daily Californian.

I have always been enamored of the human body and all that makes us human. It’s the variation in the human experience that intrigues me. It’s the stories we yearn to tell, the values we have fought to keep or learned to let go and the insights we have gained from our individual experiences — which I believe the human body physically encompasses. And I find that beautiful.

I did not fully realize the extent of my appreciation for the human form until last spring, when I attended figure-drawing sessions held at Kroeber Hall that I had found out about through a friend who had similar passions. Open to the public for $2 to $4, these group sessions gathered every Friday at 6:30 p.m. for the simple act of appreciating the human figure and translating that appreciation through any artistic medium of choice. I would sit myself down amid an orchestra of artists ranging from performers within the practice of art major to composers motivated by sheer recreation like myself to aged and knowledgeable Berkeley artisans.

We would all wait patiently with modest eyes for the model to conduct his or her own unveiling, and then the gradual five- to 20-minute increments would orchestrate themselves in silence. With my instrument of choice — either a piece of charcoal or a set of complementary prismacolors — I would compose gestural studies and candid illustrations in my large, red sketchbook of the all-exposed, natural human body.

With every detailed curve and delicate arch of the body, my charcoal would speak intricacies my mind could not easily translate into words or speech. It was as though I were directly reading the narratives of these models with my eyes and transposing their stories into pages upon pages of gestural literature. And they, in turn, were indirectly contributing to a chapter in my story, affirming that this recreational tendency of mine was not one to be ashamed of, censored or suppressed.

The bodies towering center-stage in that classroom, as well as the surrounding eyes perceiving them, all had a story to tell. They all shared a history of dissimilar experiences that led them to stand confidently erect or sit self-assuredly free, just as I was led to that very time and place and circumstance, unapologetic in what came naturally to me.

Figure drawing became a pleasure of mine that I felt no guilt toward — and I indulged in it, fully and intentionally. It became an outlet in which I could observe and explore innate, physical complexities inherent to the human body that I was initially forbidden as an adolescent to acknowledge. It became the source of my own self-actualization, awakening me to the idea that we as humans were naturally designed to be and act as freely as we make possible.

I had not always been this way. I was born into a strictly conservative and traditionally Catholic family. I was raised with an infinite set of values to keep, an exact definition of morality to live by, as well as marred conceptions of virtues to practice and vices to pay heed to. I am the middle of three daughters and a youngest son of Filipino immigrants who imparted to us a cultural collection of stringent gender expectations, familial responsibilities and obligations, and heavily yet humbly outlined notions of respect. And yet, while this upbringing sketched safe, secure and sedentary lives that our parents had planned for us, our American-bred environment gave us the means of exploring otherwise.

Instead of concealing what one naturally feels inclined to do, like allowing the naked self to be read by and exposed to others — or even allowing oneself to realize that there is nothing inherently sinful with the former — I learned to embrace it.

My figural framework became an exhibition of my own self, showcasing the nakedness of beings similar in shape and size and design like you and me. We physically embody a collection of tangential displays of past experiences and future ambitions, all in a curated gallery of the self. The human condition, in both its physical form and mental capacity, is thus a multifaceted work of art that calls for celebration.

What makes this exposing of oneself ring so powerful and true in figure drawing is the actual openness and willingness in vulnerability of the actor before an audience. Self-expression becomes more than just self-fulfillment. It inspires. Like the model positioning his or her self in the center of the room to be seen and observed by surrounding artists, here I present my introverted self in my writing to be read and understood by beings such as your self so that you, too, will be inspired.

Contact Aleli Balaguer at abalaguer@dailycal.org.

The post Off the beat: Figures and self-fulfillment appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Artsits/Courtesy

More than 10 years ago, a woman from Japan walked into a Bay Area art studio and met a man from Boston who shared her strong interest in sculpture.

At the time, Jonathan Russell had moved from the East Coast to establish his own art studio, and Saori Ide was doing art consulting in San Francisco after attending school in New Mexico.

“Saori walked in, and that’s how I met her,” Russell said. “It took about five years for us to get to know each other better.”

The friendship gradually blossomed into something more, and eventually the couple married, merging their lives and their art. Now, years later, the Berkeley-based artists’ latest work — a dozen abstract copper sculptures — will soon adorn the street lights of San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito.

One of the sculptures is currently being displayed in front of City Hall, where it is installed temporarily before it will be taken down to be worked upon further. The rest of the artwork is expected to be permanently installed by early next year.

“We feel great,” Russell sad. “It has been a lot of work. For the artist, it’s a very tricky needle-to-thread (process) to get your vision through a group of people who have very different ideas.”

While the couple differs in aesthetic styles, they considered how the art will blend in El Cerrito with the surrounding environment and designed their sculptures accordingly.

“We drove back and forth many times on San Pablo Avenue just to get a feel of what the street is like and where the people are,” Ide said.

In 2009, the Arts and Culture Commission for the city was tasked with finding an artist to create a public art piece for the San Pablo Avenue Streetscape Project — which aims to distinguish the area along the avenue.

“The city of El Cerrito had $100,000 for public art, and we put a call out for proposals,” said Nancy Donovan, co-chair of the commission. “We had a committee that reviewed all the proposals, and we narrowed it down to four artists that we met with personally and then chose Jonathan and Saori.”

Donovan said the couple submitted initial designs to the commission that were deemed to be too much like “clip art.” The final designs feature 12 sculptures using copper and stainless steel with a kinetic component that moves with the wind.

Russell and Ide have worked together on public art installations for cities like Boston and Charlotte in North Carolina, following their first art installation in 2000 for San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

“Our relationship has been based on this kind of cooperation right from the get-go,” Russell said. “We’re doing now what we did on our first date. On our first date, we were drawing sculpture ideas on paper napkins.”

Russell said people are often amazed when they find out that he works with his wife, but he and Ide both said that their working partnership has been beneficial for each other.

“There are a lot of challenges, but I have to say that the good thing is, we each have our own thing that we are good at,” Ide said. “It’s really hard to get a huge project done by yourself, but by having a partner, we spur each other on to get things done.”

But despite working on difficult art installations, Ide said that raising their two sons — 5-year-old Kizuki and 9-year-old Satsuma — is their most difficult project to date.

Russell said they chose to settle and work out of Berkeley for the benefit of their family, saying the city offers a certain type of multicultural education that cannot be found anywhere else in the area.

“It’s the hugest collaborative work we’ve ever undertaken — our 5- and 9-year-old boys,” he said. “That was a serious collaborative effort — it makes the sculptures look easy.”

Contact Andy Nguyen at anguyen@dailycal.org.

The post Berkeley couple’s sculptures to adorn San Pablo Avenue appeared first on The Daily Californian.

My parents have always instructed me not to talk to strangers, and, as a kid, I took this command with utmost seriousness. In fact, I would say I took this instruction to an extreme degree. I’d shut my mouth, lock it and throw away the key.

When I was a child, we would go to Tijuana to visit family, and on our way back from Mexico, the officers at the border would ask us the standard questions regarding our citizenship: On what business were we crossing the border, what was our citizenship status … the list goes on. And, as always, they would address my brother and me directly. They would ask a separate set of questions, each designed to, as I now know, figure out whether my brother and I were being illegally taken into the United States. And on more than one occasion, we completely refused to answer these questions. It was only after the officer asked why we couldn’t respond that we would answer, “Our parents told us never to talk to strangers.”

Now, clearly I made it back into the United States somehow, but this issue persisted regardless of country; I would simply refuse to speak to anyone I didn’t already know.

Needless to say, it’s a terrible way to go about making friends.

It took a lot of effort to get over this problem. It was parenting gone too far, and, even consciously knowing that, I couldn’t figure out how to just get out there and talk.

While I know that I’m not completely over my communication problem, I will say that Berkeley has been an incredibly effective start to a solution. Yes, there is that initial crazed rush to make friends (kind of similar to being thrown into a pool in order to learn how to swim), but while that certainly helped to get me over my problem, it’s more of a quick fix than any real change. It’s just being here at Berkeley, meeting people I normally wouldn’t meet, getting to know them and realizing that maybe strangers aren’t all that strange.

Take, for example, a new friend of mine who I met in a cafe I now frequent. He’s an older man, somewhere in his 60s, the kind of person who is instantly associated with a lifetime of experiences. Normally, I see these kinds of people, label them as “other” and resume my day in a typical fashion, mostly pretending they don’t exist.

Except, on one of my usual evenings of caffeine-assisted studying, I noticed that the man was drawing the people in the cafe — and absolutely beautifully. As someone who enjoys drawing, I took a lot of interest in his manner of practice and decided to try it myself. It was after seeing a few of my sketches that the older man asked if I wanted some tips.

He sat down at a table adjacent to mine, began giving me warm-up exercises, tips with what materials to use how to hold my hand. Noticing my interest in Batman and comic books in general, he even began showing me techniques that comic book artists use, always relating back to his own time working on similar art projects. He gave me one of his pens, a pencil and paper, all with the promise of teaching me more.

And that’s how I came to know an incredible artist, one who has worked story-boarding movies, designing cartoon characters and is currently writing his own graphic novel — none of which I would have known had I sat there in silence, frozen by the idea of an unknown person approaching me.

It’s not even about being a cripplingly shy person (that’s an entirely different beast); it’s the idea that anyone you haven’t met yet falls automatically into the category of “stranger,” a word with unfavorable connotations. It’s a prejudice based solely on the fact that this person hasn’t accidentally been happened upon before.

Having realized this, I’m trying to get around these preconceived notions about strangers and boil them down to the facts: There’s nothing inherently weird or strange about someone being unknown. Being someone unknown doesn’t make a person any less worthy of your time. Most importantly, there isn’t anything necessarily negative to someone unknown. In fact, the only thing that can really be deduced about someone unknown is the fact that you don’t really know them.

While I’m not advocating going out there and talking to every single stranger on the street — not only would that be exhausting, but there is still some merit to that “don’t talk to strangers” adage — keeping an open mind is essential. It might be important to starting a career path, crossing over into another country or just making a new, helpful friend. And, rather than looking at it as talking to strangers, think of it as tapping into one of Berkeley’s — or anywhere else’s — greatest resources.

The post Talking to strangers appeared first on The Daily Californian.