hummingcrow: one squall voice » videobloggingweek2007

Ta Moko with Rangi Kipa

cherylcolan — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 21:41:57 +0000

For my seventh video during Videoblogging Week 2007, I’m showing you something really special to me.

It’s video from when I received my moko in June of 2006. I was in the Taranaki region Aotearoa as part of an intercultural exchange. I handed my good friend Wendy my video camera and she captured the experience for me.

This was a very personal experience that’s hard to put into words. I have been interested in ta moko for a long time. I have a couple of tattoos, but never felt they were a true and deep expression of myself.

Mahinekura Reinfeld arranged for us to meet the artist who designed her moko, Rangi Kipa. Mahinekura explained that instead of picking out something pre-designed, Rangi works by listening to you tell a story about yourself, which he translates into Maori iconography, and that he aligns his artwork with the muscle and skeleton structure of your body. She believes he channels from the spiritual realm as he works. (So do I.) She told us about her own preparations for receiving her moko, including spending three days fasting and purifying herself in a sacred place.

Since I knew I would have the opportunity to receive moko I decided to fast for three days and meditate as much as I could during our busy schedule. With the exception of Wendy, I didn’t tell my travel-mates I was doing this. I didn’t want to dramatize it. I wanted to honor this tradition. And it’s a good thing I did. I waffled about what story I would tell, but on the third day, a mere hour before we were to meet Rangi, the story came to me, and I knew it was right. I’m not sure that would have happened without my fast.

For those tattoo artists and aficionados who copy Maori designs, all I can say is don’t. Ta moko is a highly personal, spiritual process. Stealing a design is akin to crass identity theft, and totally inappropriate. It is more than worth your time, resources and energy to do it properly by working with a Maori artist.

Speaking of which, Rangi Kipa will be in the U.S. during May. At least I hope he will. Keep your eyes open for his visit, and come support his art.

More about Rangi:

Burrowing Owls

cherylcolan — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 03:54:25 +0000

I found myself in an unusual staring match today. These beautiful burrowing owls live at Scottsdale Community College in a parking lot behind the Performing Arts Center. They stay year-round in our mild climate, and use little drain holes to make their nests. Across the main road is an agricultural field where they can find plenty of bugs and mice. I worry about them because pesticides are used on the crops, but they seem to be managing. I just adore them. They’re a great topic for my sixth Videoblogging Week 2007 post.

I’m sorry about the shaky camera work, but it’s my little Xacti zoomed all the way in telephoto, because I didn’t want to frighten my friend. The video is too long, but it needs to be for you to have any inkling of what it was like today to sit with this little fellow for awhile. Enjoy the connection.

Hoo Li

cherylcolan — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:26:59 +0000

This is my fifth post for Videoblogging Week 2007. I feel good about vlogging, so I’m posting a feel-good song I recorded January 27, 2007. The song is called “Hoo Li” and was written by my good friend Don Charles, of the dynamic duo D-Squared. They’re performing the song at a House Concert at West Studio here in Phoenix.

This tune set the tone for the evening, and the chorus is so catchy I want to share it with all of you. It will get stuck in your head if you like the music.

Enjoy! And if you like it, consider checking out D-Squared’s tunes, and maybe buy a CD!

Again, since I don’t own the music, I am releasing this performance video under a different CreativeCommons license than my usual.

“Hoo Li” Performance by D-Squared by Cheryl Colan + D-Squared is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at dsquaredmusic.com.

Bottled Sunshine

cherylcolan — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:19:14 +0000

This is for Jen Simmons, who wanted to see the sun today.

Videoblogging Class

cherylcolan — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:36:32 +0000

For my fourth entry for Videoblogging Week 2007, I’m showing you my videoblogging class. We meet Monday nights from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. I didn’t have a full class this past Monday, but those who showed were on a roll. … Continue reading →

Little Iraq

cherylcolan — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 08:01:01 +0000

Here’s my third post for Videoblogging Week 2007. This is a guerrilla music video I made with my friends Don Charles and Deb Gessner. Together they are D-Squared. I think they’re the best songwriters in Arizona. I think you should give them a listen.

So, Don and Deb went camping north of Phoenix for Don’s birthday, and instead of the tranquil beauty Don remembered from when he was a kid, they encountered people abusing the desert with ATVs and massive debris and all manner of guns. Don got mad, and then he got even. He wrote this tune.

I really like it. I hope you do, too.

Addendum: I have to license this differently because I don’t own the copyright to the music.

Little Iraq (Music Video) by D-Squared + Cheryl Colan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at dsquaredmusic.com.

Update on July 3, 2007: At the request of Verdi during the recent critical review flash meeting, I have added a 640×480 version of the video – see the link under the video player above.

Two Pupil Sizes

cherylcolan — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 22:26:45 +0000

Click to Play

As predicted earlier, my pupils are now distinctly different in size.

This video was originally shared on blip.tv by cheryl colan with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license.

Cat Hair in Eye

cherylcolan — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:30:32 +0000

Click to Play

This just happened. It sucks. Even if I wash my eye with saline solution, it stays swollen. I have to use special allergy drops, which clears the problem but dilates my pupils for hours.

Bright side? I’ll look like Ze Frank (different sized pupils)

This video was originally shared on blip.tv by cheryl colan with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license.

Driving Miss Rosie

cherylcolan — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:55:47 +0000

I shot this footage a few weeks ago and am just now making time to edit it, so it looks like my theme for Videoblogging Week 2007 is “getting caught up on editing.”

I don’t have a lot of years left with Rosie, my true companion. It makes me want to document her personality while I still can. In this video we were on our way to the vet’s office for getting stitches removed. If you have cats, turn up your volume. They’ll probably go running around the room looking for my cat.

If you don’t like cats you should probably skip this video.

Grandma and Me

cherylcolan — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 08:18:03 +0000

This is my kickoff post for Videoblogging Week 2007. I’m posting a video I made two years ago, before I started vlogging. If Videoblogging Week had started any other day, I probably would have made something new. But on April 1, there is only one video I want to post.

April 1, 1903 was my grandmothers’ birthday. She used to call herself an April Fool. She lived to be 96 years old. After she died, it took me seven years to be able to tell this story. If you want to know what I’m made of, it’s all right here. If you listen, you’ll hear more than my words in my voice.

Happy Birthday, Grandma. I love you.