From: karina van der linden <kvanderlinden@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Date: Monday, December 3, 2001 11:49 PM
Subject: Canada-U.S. sign agreements on visa controls, fingerprint sharing» Arafat called ‘godfather of terrorism’ at pro-Israeli rally in Montreal» Former Saskatoon cops who dumped man on edge of city denied sentencing circle
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
After a few days of intense work The Women’s Collective Exhibition is up and doing fine. A great turnout tonight for the opening. Stayed ’till the end and washed dishes. There was lots of food. They had a lot of the documents and files hanging from clotheslines criss-crossing the gallery. We went to the Khyber afterwards, of course. Took the bus home with Jacob and Lucie, but got out at Charlies Pub to meet Sheila for some late-night photo shoot. Her model had backed out on her. She took photos of Karina running up and down on top of an abandoned and deteriorating vehicle.
Yesterday I helped Karina with the setup of the show during the day. Ray picked us up and helped us move our couch and coffee table and we picked up an ancient photocopier. Had a selection meeting last night for the Liveart performance night in February. Went out for drinks at the Diamond with Spencer and Gordon afterwards. Paul and Cal stopped by and joined us and we talked about the NSCAD lease and the plans to buy the buildings they are in, and Paul sounds hungry to buy the Khyber, though I can’t see how that would ever happen. The city would re-claim it before selling it to anyone else. Then we debated the differences or lack thereof between Khyber and eyelevel.
Today I met with Sally and we worked through the technical and logistical problems associated with the performance night. It was a nice afternoon, we met for a long time at Big Life.
I tried to get the Women’s Collective a better photocopier today, but I didn’t here back from our dealer.
Planned the Timberlea school visit a bit more with Andréa. We need to develop further the Khyber Kids brochure for the January semester.
Have to catch up on my accounting and bookeeping tomorrow, as well as a bunch of administrative and programming items. Tomorrow is also my teaching night. I collected a couple of my paychecks from Con Ed today so we could pay our rent. I now owe two months for my studio. Still haven’t made our X-mas calendars. I have just spent an hour on the computer catching up on my email. Am looking forward to the vacation to the West Coast.
-Chris
From: karina van der linden <kvanderlinden@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Date: Tuesday, December 4, 2001 11:55 PM
Subject: Auditor rebukes government for military neglect, rebates to dead» Day of talks ends with native chiefs at odds over Indian Act changes» No need for further limits on anti-terror bill, McLellan tells senators
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Got mired and stuck with the accounting this morning. It is the payroll remittance that gets me screwed up. We missed a payment in July and I am trying to make up for it and none of the amounts add up. I hate math.
Woke up to an awful radio advertisement. Karina and I have our bedroom radio set to a really annoying commercial radio station, the idea being that the more annoying the station, the faster we will get up in the morning. It doesn’t always work that way; we still make heavy use of the snooze button. But this morning I awoke to the voices of two guys talking about whether or not to buy a car, and how it was so important to buy things with the economy the way it is. What bothered me was the way in which rampant consumerism was wrapped around this joyful, almost duty-bound rhetoric to shop. Shop ’till you drop. The radio woke me from a strange dream where I was golfing. I don’t even like golf, though I think I was having fun in the dream. Golf courses are such a big waste of space.
Anyway, had a mostly non-descript day. Took my small laminator to class and everyone got a big charge out of laminating small collages. Went by the club on my way home and shared a cab with Sarah and Becka. Karina is still not home, she must be printing, as she has final projects due and is leaving for BC next week, a few days before my flight.
-Chris
From: karina van der linden <kvanderlinden@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Date: Thursday, December 6, 2001 11:18 PM
Subject: Get tougher with undocumented refugees, committee recommends» Canadians remember 14 women slain in Montreal on Dec. 6, 1989» Residents fear visiting Montreal Massacre monument on Edmonton’s skid row
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Felt a bit bogged down with everything that has been going on lately. Feel quite useless, actually. Made a brochure for the next Khyber Kids sessions, starting in January, so there will be some for the group of kids coming into the building tomorrow. I’m doubtful it will help much, as the kids are all coming from Timberlea and it may be a bit of a stretch to expect them to come downtown for after-school classes. Eleanor helped to get some materials together for the Artist Trading Card workshop, which should be fun. I am nervous about not being prepared enough.
Finally rode my bike home after work. It has been locked up outside the building for the past few weeks. My helmet has been long gone, as I had only hung it from the handlebars. It wouldn’t fit over my touque anyhow. I’ll start getting bus passes in January.
Karina and I made supper, then I had a nap. Woke up to my grandfather calling; he wants to drop off a large box of art magazines that my grandmother has picked up for me tomorrow morning. Should be interesting; there could be some interesting magazines, or there could be a box of “the new watercolourists”.
Am trying to sort out the info on current zip discs, email and computer hardrives. It is a daunting task; there is too much information, too much duplication. It takes too long to sift through.
-Chris
From: karina van der linden <kvanderlinden@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Date: Saturday, December 8, 2001 12:05 PM
Subject: Suicide, teen pregnancy side-stepped as native affairs ministers talk jobs» Media, opposition share blame for jump in hate mail, Caplan suggests» Saskatoon officers granted bail after getting jail terms for abandoning man
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Had fantastically intricate and vivid dreams this morning. About looking at large photographs of a segemented coast that turned real, and I walked into them, and thene the coastline started to move, and I was swept along with it, but not in a scary way. Then I was standing on a beach, watching cables stretched taut along the horizen that spanned the ocean. It was a nice way to wake up, with these images in my head.
Karina stayed at school all night finishing her final project, and I helped her add some of the Letraset text to the photographs this morning. Am currently in the process of washing the laundry.
Went to the NSCAD dance for a brief while last night, talked to Swintak and Greg about the Queen Charlotte Islands. They told me of places I should see, like Toe Hill, the birthplace of the world. Sounds interesting, and I am very much looking forward to some R & R.
The kids visit went over really well yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t sure how the event would manage, never having seen 52 elementary kids in the building at one time, but it went well. Eleanor and Andréa made Trading Cards with the kids and I gave guided tours, talking about Drew’s hanging caccoon and Sandra’s Closet gallery installation. Kids always seem more receptive to contemporary art for some reason. Like they are less inhibited, or less burdened. They are more in touch with their imaginations. Maybe that is something that artists try to capture.
Anyway, I have to run and collect my laundry, then head down to work and prepare for the Arts Atlantic party in the Club tonight. I also want to get some housecleaning done, maybe buy some groceries, and get started on some Christmas gifts. A tall order, especially when what I really want is to sit quietly with a good book all day long.
Last night Lucas drove me out to Bayers Lake so I could process some film Karina needed. The only place that would still do 1 hour was Wal-MArt. We went to Chapters while we were waiting and I bought Karina a copy of Naomi Klein’s book No Logo. It had come in the discussion earlier with Mary Lou Stirling. Her talk was under-attended, but I guess Goody’s presentation at noon was quite successful and busy. I think the issues of violence against women are somewhat hidden from view, and young people today are missing them. It is too bad, because from the statistics, there is still a lot to be done. If more effort was spent on early childhood development and education and support, there would probably be less violence and we would be living in some sort of utopia, ha! Like that will happen. Only if the many small groups fighting Capitalism, Patriarchy and Injustice continue to band together and show their strength in numbers and knowledge.
-Chris
From: karina van der linden <kvanderlinden@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Date: Sunday, December 9, 2001 10:27 PM
Subject: Location of emergency instruments could have stymied Swissair pilots» Martin walking tightrope between security demands and slow revenues» Martin’s first hard-times budget to feature less spending, little for debt
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Just came back from Trevor and Tamara’s place. Was helping them decorate their new Christmas tree. they went out to someplace near Musquadobit and cut it down themselves. It is a full tree, lots of sap. The decorating went smoothly. It was very homey.
Spent the afternoon at Andréa’s ‘All-Ages Christmas Party’. A full kitchen party for young and old. Many a cookie were decorated. There was lots of icing.
Karina was at school again all day today. We both slept in until noon. Woke up to the doorbell ringing. At first thought it was Jehovah’s Witness or Mormons, but the bell kept ringing and then there was knocking. That generally isn’t the religion sellers method. It was Mary for Courtney, but he actually wasn’t home. He came home after she left.
Yesterday evening Ray and I helped move the photocopier and our furniture out of the Anna Leonowens’s Gallery after the tear-down of the Women’s Collective show. After a couple trips I went back to the Club to set up a small table to sell raffle tickets for the Holiday Toast next week. There was a launch party happening in the Club for Arts Atlantic. I bought a subscription, even though I can’t really afford to do so right now. The magazine bought the other drawing of Lucy’s from the 50/50 show to present to Joe Sherman to recognize his years of hard work and dedication to the magazine. I think he is still miffed about the take-over.
The Launch party started to die down at about the same time it was crashed by a bunch of Sixtoo’s hip-hop crowd. They took better advantage of the free food. I walked up tot he Marquee for the Neuseiland CD launch. Caught the last two songs of Pegasus Plus’ set. Erinn can really hold a note. I felt like I was watching some NY Art-Rock band from the late ’70’s. Lucas was playing clarinet with them.
Neuseiland put on a great show. After hearing them record the CD for the past year upstairs in the Mullet I was looking forward to hearing them play live. I bought the CD and have listened to it a few times already. Am thinking of asking them if they would consider playing at the Gala. That is, if all works out with the Turret room. I had to leave right after their set, as the place was starting to fill up and assume the persona of ‘meat-market’. It is strange to be in that environment stone cold sober.
Am going to try to develop a plan to get some Xmas gifts made this week, before I go away.
-Chris
From: karina van der linden <kvanderlinden@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2001 10:33 AM
Subject: Manley and chief of American homeland security meet to iron out border issues» Day stepping down as Alliance leader; Reynolds to fill in for interim» Transport minister says new security surcharge is not a tax grab
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Been a busy few days. Aren’t they all. Karina attended an end of class party at the Fireside for her Beyond the Frame photo class on Monday Night. I went with her for a little while, after viewing some of the videos from Courtney’s class and the opening of the grad show before that. Spent most of Monday cleaning my office and trying to plan for my departure this weekend. The party at the Fireside was nice but I felt a little out of place and eventually left to hang out in the Club. Things really were hopping there, a dub-reggae band was playing intermittently with Sixtoo and there were scads of people there. I had to throw out a kid who had smuggled in a flask. Big fines for that sort of nonsense. Not that it would have been beyond me at that age. God I feel old sometimes. By the time Karina showed up she had gone through five Manhattans and was loopy. We split a cab home with Jacob. Didn’t get anything accomplished in terms of making Xmas gifts for anyone.
Tuesday I managed to accomplish some financial business, payroll remit, banking, the fun stuff. Organized my files a bit more. Tried to secure a projector from CFAT for the performance night in February. Had supper with a tender Karina at the Bluenose. Went to my now drastically under-attended mixed media Con-Ed class. Only three students for the last class. A bit dismal. I’m a lousy teacher, I think.
We caught a bus home and packed and cleaned up and organized. We were up late, until well past one. Set the alarm for five o’clock and had a big scare this morning; I woke up. the alarm had not gone off and the clock read 7:24. Karina’s flight was scheduled to leave at 7:20. By some bizarre twist of luck, it was actually just before five, and Karina had time to shower before Trev arrived, honking outside. He drove us to the airport and Karina boarded her plane with little trouble, from what I could gather. I’ll see her in Calgary on Sunday, and then we fly to Sandspit on Monday.
Took advantage of being up early and got some computer/internet/email work done. Now it is off to work.
-Chris
From: karina van der linden <kvanderlinden@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Cc: <khyberarts@hotmail.com>, kdmc <kdmc@hfx.eastlink.ca>
Date: Saturday, December 15, 2001 12:23 PM
Subject: Canadian troops unlikely to get to Afghanistan before the new year» Quebec Liberal MP quits caucus after being sentenced in hit-and-run case» Alberta’s Klein apologizes for midnight argument with homeless at shelter
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
It is almost time to go. Have a lot of loose ends to tie up today. I agreed to finish a small painting for Kyle Shaw today, but it isn’t going to happen. Maybe I can hire Sarah or Rebecca to finish it for me. It had completely slipped my mind.
Jan called me at work yesterday with some great news; she is trying to get the Critical Art Ensemble back for a visit in July and wants to know if the Khyber would be interested in hosting a tactical media workshop. Would we ever! So I need to get her all the info she needs for her grant applications today.
Stayed at work really late last night working on the calendar project. Spent about $40 in printing. Realized that at 12 colour copies each, these calendars are going to be costly. Still have to find a calendar that is 81/2 x 11 inches that I can copy. But I think they will look good when completed, and will make nice gifts. But then there is the problem with money.
I haven’t made it in to Heritage Credit Union yet, which means I have no access to a bank account. I have a cheque to cash, but the last time I tried to do it at a Money Mart they wouldn’t cash it because I was one of the signators. Maybe I’ll try again.
We had a Gala meeting on Thursday night. Spencer and Sarah convinced me to drink beer again. Only the second time this whole year. I only had a few, and the surprising thing was that I didn’t even feel drunk, even though I had only eaten once that day, at breakfast. Beer as meal replacement, I guess.
Have been eating horribly the past while. Need to work on that. Had breakfast with Sarah at the North End Diner on Friday morning, then rushed downtown for a KDMC Board meeting. The weather was freakishly warm. It was so nice out we had the board meeting on the benches outside in front of the public library. Sat there in a T-shirt with the sun in my eyes. The chirping birds and passing buses made hearing a bit difficult, but the fresh air was needed.
Talked with Jacob about Global Warming. It’s odd how in the twighlight of our history, with humans precariously balanced on the cusp of their extinction, everyone can go about their lives as though they are separate from history, as though they are not affected. It doesn’t help when those in power try to de-historicize their actions. And it especially doesn’t help when there is such an obvious nutbar running the White House. George seems obsessed with oil and missiles, has dropped the US out of the ABM Treaty, has pulled out of Kyoto, and is on an impossible quest to rid the world of “evil”. It is depressing, how the US rolls over anything and everything in its path.
What with the Holiday Toast tonight, and all the running around I have to do today, I don’t know how much time I’ll have to pack. Am planning to travel lightly. Looking at the trip as a bit of an adventure, an exploration, an excursion. Am really looking forward to some peace and quiet; I hope I find some. Packed up my paints from the studio, just in case the I get the urge to capture some of the scenery on the West Coast. Will try to bring a few good books with me, as well as some of the January deadline grant proposals. No reason not to bring a little bit of work along with me, just in case.
-Chris
DEAR PM 