Womanizers

Hurrah! The trend of negativity that has been plaguing my posts will meet its end today. I concluded my previous entry by highlighting the line between a respectful introduction when a woman catches a man's eye and blatant harassment. Again, I do not think that this issue is unique to Windsor and I know this does not include every man you will encounter here, but I think you all deserve a forewarning of what being an underage girl often entails in this city.

To begin, I am sure you all have induced that I love to ride my bike. If you didn't know, now you know. Typically, my cycling remains in proximity to the Downtown or Walkerville areas. My bicycle tendencies are only relevant because, needless to say, one does not wear pants whilst cycling in our humidity. I don't know what it is about these men needing to hurl obscenities as bare legs cruise past them, but it is deeply disturbing for the bearer of said legs. Such perverted things that I dare not mention have been screamed to me or to girls that I know for the simple reason that we are female. These men are not limited by language or whistling either, oh no! There have been cases during which I've been barked at following these remarks. I don't get what is so rewarding about doing this. No female in their right mind would turn around after they've been blatantly objectified and invite the orator to make their acquaintance. It is not fair that no matter how modestly one tries to dress, no matter how one attempts to avoid the situation, the attention is hardly minimized. It frightens me that I actually need to sit here and select which anecdotes to share because there have been countless instances during which social boundaries were not respected.

A picture from the E-Bike man day.
My friend and I had cycled to the Peace Fountain,
taking advantage of the fresh warmth of the air.

I was cycling at my leisure up Riverside Drive during one of the first days of spring last year. A man who could not have been any less than thrice my age passed me on his E-Bike, with some accent told me that "on dis bike, I can go like dis so easy," and gesticulated as if he was hitting someone's bottom repetitively. It was repulsive.

A more intimate example of this behavior took place in front of the Milk Coffee Bar. It must have been a Monday in September, because the jazz improvisation band was playing and I couldn't listen to its entirety because I cherish sleep on school nights. Details aside, I was unlocking my bike when a man of perhaps my father's generation approached me and began teasing me about "stealing his bike" and asking me where I found his key. I halfheartedly chuckled before he proceeded to ask me if I knew any bars suitable for such Monday evenings. I told him about the jazz band that was playing and, evidently lacking his interest in that department, pointed down the street towards Phog. He then did the unthinkable: offered to buy me drinks if I were to tag along with him. I kindly refused with the excuse that I had high school the next morning, putting emphasis on the age reference. He did not seem in the least perturbed and wondered at my hesitation, trying to persuade me with "just one won't hurt!" and such. Thankfully, since he did not attempt to stop me by physical means, I was able to hop on my Nishiki and, with pseudo-apologetic salutations, make it out in one piece. Surely it wasn't my brain that enticed him to come and say Hello.

You now see that these things don't just happen to voluptuous or under-dressed girls, though they likely face it more often. I can honestly say that I cannot think of one female whom I've had the conversation with that has not been harassed in such a way in Windsor. Imagine how horribly creepy it is when things like this happen! Physical harassment is a whole other discussion - luckily this one is much less common, as far as I am aware.

Nanda Dimitrov,
University of Western Ontario

In order to understand how this situation differs in other places on the globe, I did some research and came
across an article by Nanda Dimitrov on Eastern European women and their views on the battle of the sexes in American culture. She stated that European women take such interest of men as a validation of their femininity and not as sexism. In her opinion, the root of the problem exists because American men are so accustomed to hostility from the surrounding female population that at the slightest sign of warmth or sexual opportunity they cannot restrain their excitement. In my opinion, American women would be far more flattered by this attention if it were of the respectful sort, and the hostility is but a defense mechanism because these men have painted a picture of what their priorities are.

However, it is never fair to generalize: not all men's intentions are impure. With that said, I rest my case. I give you my word, dearest reader, that you can expect far more pleasant observations in posts to come!!

Blue Mistresses

Hallelujah! 

Spring is oozing from every brittle branch and frozen inch of earth and I am ecstatic. It's been a tough winter, especially tough for those who do not know how to bundle themselves properly... Which introduces you to the second category of people that I have come across. This group of individuals is definitely not unique to Windsor, and in no way do they comprise the entire female population. Perhaps they only stand out to me because of the ethical conflicts they arouse. For that reason, this entry may feel more rant-like than others.

As the world thaws, pants are sure to shrink and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, if you feel inclined to prance between clubs downtown in summer time apparel while in the midst of one of the most brisk winters our city has known (1), perhaps you should review your priorities. It is not rare that I have been Downtown, freezing in my multiple layers, when a girl walks past me in what one could scarcely consider a jacket over a hardly more viable dress, drunkenly stumbling in her heels and leaving me completely bewildered. If I only had the nerve to inform these girls that alcohol promotes hypothermia and frostbite even in those adequately dressed; they are putting themselves in extreme danger. These girls are also potentially going out for smoke breaks and shivering in their not-so-winter-appropriate boots. Smoking is a vaso-constrictor, which means it can interfere with your circulation, causing a decreased blood flow travelling towards your extremities to keep warm (2). I understand that clubs are sweaty and that constantly worrying about your coat or bag being stolen while on the dance floor doesn't necessarily seem appealing, but neither does this:

Frostbite.
This can happen ALL OVER.

Maybe the root of my concern lies with the fact that "clubbing" doesn't seem to be very fun, especially not the entailed route in between locations during a night of blistering cold. I am certain that it would feel much nicer to sip some vino in a turtle neck and shake your warm limbs to some jazz, but I am getting ahead of myself. It is just that I struggle immensely when trying to understanding how this is an appealing hobby - I have seen such sorry sights stumbling and squealing past me. Last summer, a girl of this breed even had the nerve to ask me to double ride her on my bicycle because she could barely walk! It makes one giggle in retrospect, but where is the dignity in this charade?

What's worse is that these girls will often spend hours before a mirror, perfecting every minute detail of their appearance to impress men who they probably don't even know. Perhaps the attention feels nice on the ego. I, for one, would much rather not associate myself with men who scan the room for women in the same mind set as they would scan the bar for which drink to purchase. To be so overcome by the wish to be physically desired is intellectual and emotional suicide. What especially irks me is when these girls log onto their social networking sites and complain that men are pigs. If I were a man and I saw a woman scantily clad, sexual parts poking out of skin-tight clothing everywhere, I would probably take that as an open invitation for a salutation. There is a fine line, however, between a respectful introduction and harassment. Which leads us already into our next topic... Stay tuned!

 (1) http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2014/01/06/brr-coldest-weather-in-20-years-coming/
 (2) http://whyquit.com/joel/Joel_02_18_circulatory_damage.html

The Homeless

I see that you've come back. No surprise there... They always come back.

I've decided that I will probably begin on what some may consider a sour note. No matter how one wishes to ignore it, homelessness surrounds and saturates many city dwellers. I've noticed that homeless life here is much like that of larger cities. The shameless beggars, buskers, drug-addicts… Although their motives are not always honest, the homeless are not as much of a threat as they are put out to be.

I am not free of sin: I have turned down many an inquiry for change. There are reasons to be suspicious. Just the other day, my friend told me of how she was walking down the street when a homeless man approached her for some spare change. She denied, offering him her sandwich and a free Tim Hortons donut - he turned down the food. One could easily assume what the change would have been used for.

Allow me to share an anecdote. For anonymity's sake, no names will be revealed. It was sometime in the summer at the beginning of my high school career. I was at my friend's house. Her mother had always been involved in Windsor's drug scene, and favoured funding that habit over adequate shelter or food, bumming such needs off of male friends. We were hanging out at her father's one day when her sister called, frantic about how her mother's state. My friend and I rushed to the apartment she was staying at. Her sister met us at the front door and warned us of the scene: Completely delusional, her mother was defecating on the carpet, feeding raw eggs and ketchup to the cat, leaving all of the faucets running, answering the door to no one, and unable to have any coherent conversation. Not to mention her frail physical state; she was clearly malnourished and yellowed in the eyes and nails. The unraveling of the story serves no purpose to my blog, but this was the first time I had intimately encountered such a reality. The moral is that we must be aware of the things we cannot see.

The people that you see standing on the sides of the roads with their cardboard signs are tricky. I've seen faces plastered with genuine anguish, ashamed at where life has lead them. On the other hand, I've heard that the majority of these people are not necessarily homeless. Supposedly, as an aside from their real jobs, people will beg in such a fashion, and end up making a whole wad of extra cash.

Once you have familiarized yourself with Downtown Windsor, you begin to see patterns in the people you run into. Whether it be the same bearded man on the same street corner, or the same straight-faced, straight-gazed elder solemnly rolling by on an electric wheel-chair, they scarcely leave the area. For this reason, the cops are very well acquainted with the homeless. I have often see them keeping tabs and lending open ears.

I have noted that there exists some rather peculiar behavior among the homeless. Once, I was at the bus terminal, and a disheveled man in a wheel chair was speaking with a plastic plant as if it were Jesus. On a separate occasion, I was at Milk Coffee Bar to watch a jazz improvisation. My seat was next to the large window at the front of the café, which was wide open thanks to the warm weather. The same man rolled up on the sidewalk and began flailing and singing to the music, very tastefully, might I add! I also frequently encounter many of his kin, but none have been able to make a name for themselves as Feather Hat Man has done.

There were recent rumours about Feather Hat Man being a disguised sociology professor from Toronto, but that article was proved to be sheer satire (1). Surely many who roam the streets of Windsor have wondered at this character - he has been around for years. Though I've never summoned enough courage to begin a conversation with the man, I found a Youtube video that had it covered:
(WARNING: The following video may contain what some will find offensive. Swearing, drugs. I feel it is necessary to include the video in order to fully portray the character at hand.)

Furthermore, human trafficking is not lacking when the sun sets. Although illegal, many young people, particularly young women, will sell sexual services. It is needless to say that this is a very dangerous occupation. I watched a documentary on Youtube where a man would circulate the streets of Windsor, notably Wyandotte, and would interview the females who made approaches to him. The girls' stories were very diverse, though some more saddening and brutal than others. There was the common element of a lack of money and homelessness. Unfortunately, I have no proof of the documentary having existed because it was deleted shortly after it was posted for reasons unknown.

Oftentimes, we will pass by someone on the street who does not seem in the slightest despair. I feel that, more frequently within the homeless youth, people will be ashamed of their situations and are at a constant internal battle between survival and potential humiliation. Thankfully, the Windsor Youth Centre opened downtown and immediately knew success. You can read for yourself in the following article:

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/05/25/more-homeles-youth-than-first-thought/

It is a shame, however, that the WYC has no places for the homeless youth to stay the night. I imagine it wouldn't be ideal to rest your head on a park bench or in a bus terminal, which I have known some people to do. I have made friends with a handful of the homeless youth in my city, and each one of them copes differently. Performing live music, or busking, is a very common way for them to attempt at picking up money. One of them, a self-proclaimed Buddhist, collects and sells hand-crafted jewellery. Another of the bunch builds himself canoes and jaw harps to pass the time, selling them occasionally. However joyful the prior hobbies may seem, they are not always necessarily fruitful. The stress that comes with constantly scrounging to sustain oneself can easily lead to mental ailment, which would explain sometimes irrational behavior in many of the homeless.

To wrap up the post, I would like you to listen to a song by La Dispute. It discusses a man's discovering the dichotomy between a city at night and the same city during the day, it also sheds light on the ignorance of one half towards the other. You can read the words in the video description; I find that they are well dramatized, and the story, eye-opening. Do share your thoughts, comrades!

On a side note: Look, Windsor was ranked 162nd on MoneySense magazine's list of best places to live!

http://windsorite.ca/2014/03/windsor-ranks-162nd-on-list-of-best-places-to-live/





(1) http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/04/11/cant-believe-everything-you-read-satirical-story-on-windsors-feather-hat-guy-spreads/

Introduction

Hello and welcome, Monsieur and my fellow classmates!

I think it would be fair to begin this blogging ordeal with a warning: Beware. Once you enter the city of Windsor, it pulls you in. There is no turning back. You are doomed to become entangled in the abyss of concrete, broken glass, metal and wood scraps, light pollution, smog... Wait, don't go! It's really not that bad. Once you get past the factors that led it to be called the "Earth's rectum" by Stephen Colbert (1), the place has a certain charm to it.

Photo of Detroit from Windsor's riverfront that I took
on an early morning bicycle ride in 2013.

I was born and raised in a rather central area of my town. Despite its near horrid reputation, I have grown to
love the place. Being a border city makes us more appealing, I'd say, although I assume those benefits have lessened as of the late bankruptcy of Detroit. It is not every town that is blessed with a river, no matter the murkiness, that runs along their entire Northern front and that is dotted with parks, picnic benches, gardens, sculptures, pathways, memorials, and far more. Not to mention that dashing Detroit sky-line! Even when one heads South, there are several quaint places to make oneself at home.

Myself at the Fall Tweed Ride of 2013,
organized by The City Cyclery.

Although we are not the biggest town (according to Wikipedia, the population has been fluctuating about the 200,000's for quite some time) the multiculturalism here is absolutely booming. (Consequently, all those I know that have moved away miss the abundance of eating-out options ever so dearly...) As a whole, we are far from a closely-knit community, but there are occasions where we come together and it is absolutely beautiful. Among others, there are events such as the Gay Pride Parade, the Tweed Ride, the Santa Claus Parade, the Red Bull Air Races, the Fire Works, the Carnival, the Carousel of Nations, near constant music shows and art exhibits... There is almost always something to feast your mind on. In my excursions, an element of my town has never ceased to intrigue me: The people.

Humans are such curious creatures, how varying we are! This is why it amuses me so to people watch. I have met some very admirable folk here but I have also been saddened or disgusted during various encounters.

So come along! I want to take you on a trip through my city. You can explore the aesthetics for yourself some other time. I will finish my introductions with a splendid poem by a lad who calls himself Moddi. It has been translated from the Norwegian and it preaches that where you were born affects who you become. Now to elaborate on what Windsor's soil has made of its inhabitants...

Not all of the seed flowed where the soil was best

Some took root where the rocks were steepest

All of them wanted to go out into the world, dreamed big

But fate did not give everyone the same soil

Some were straight poles in the sunny side

Others curled up on the hillside in the shadows

Many kind of tree varieties I could mention

But look not in the sunny hillsides for hook-rod types

(1) http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/stephen-colbert-takes-another-poke-windsor-calling-earth-155642160.html