Myth of Arrival

When I was in Peace Corps I volunteered at an orphanage for disabled babies in the city of Gyumri, Armenia. Recently I had the good fortune of reconnecting with the director of an Armenian aide organization that works directly with my orphanage, Caritas. I had been wanting to raise awareness of the plight of the orphans of Gyumri for some time and now with the Internet letting me send money directly to Caritas' bank account in Yerevan I can do just that (sadly, donations sent through snail mail never seemed to reach their destination).

The fund raiser's title comes from the song Babylon Crashing by the Detroit, MI, artists Orka Veer & Silent Violet. It has the lines, "You speak my language/ I don't speak yours." And yet, by coming together, we can make a difference in the lives of those who desperately need help. That is a language worth learning.

To that end over a dozen musicians, bands and spoken word performers have donated their time and music to help create a CD whose proceeds will go helping Caritas. This is very exciting for me, it is wonderful to know there are so many generous souls in the world, most of whom have never been to Gyumri, never been to the orphanage in question and yet eagerly offered their assistance.

I am still waiting for two more tracks but a tentative play list of the CD would look something like this:

Thomas Tye, “Psycho Vac' – 1” [poem: English]
Alice in Flames, “Psycho Vac' – 1” [poem: Armenian]

Sonya Varoujian, “Friendship”

Arax, “Hov arek sarer djan”

Thomas Tye, “Psycho Vac' – 2” [poem: English]
Alice in Flames, “Psycho Vac' – 2” [poem: Armenian]

(the) Fundamentalists, [work pending]
R-MEAN, “Open Wounds, featuring Soseh”

Cougar the Tiger, “She Walks On”

Katuner, “After the Phone Call”

Thomas Tye, “Psycho Vac' – 3” [poem: English]
Alice in Flames, “Psycho Vac' – 3” [poem: Armenian]

Essenz [work pending]

60 Second Crush, “Sister Suicide” [instrumental]

Thomas Tye, “Psycho Vac' – 4” [poem: English]
Alice in Flames, “Psycho Vac' – 4” [poem: Armenian]

C-rouge, “Dle Yaman, featuring Shaké_Baghdassarian, radio edit”

Gor Mkhitarian, “Qaylir indz het”

Sarine Balian, “Siroun Manoushag”

Thomas Tye, “Psycho Vac' – 5” [poem: English]
Alice in Flames, “Psycho Vac' – 5” [poem: Armenian]

Ithaca Afales, “Amazing Grace”

Thomas Tye, “Psycho Vac' – 6” [poem: English]
Alice in Flames, “Psycho Vac' – 6” [poem: Armenian]

capital Z, “Come Close, featuring Apeh Jen”

Thomas Tye, “Psycho Vac' – 7” [poem: English]
Alice in Flames, “Psycho Vac' – 7” [poem: Armenian]

Ani Maldjian, “Oror”

I will keep posting more information and release dates as they happen. In the meantime, if you would like to read more about the fund raiser, the people involved and their music, please click: Babylon Crashing. Thank you.

"the ghost girl that said no" ZJC (2007)

Now the dead avoid me. How miserable.
Language irks me. I wish it gone. I wish
all that binds me, gone. Schoolchild kisses, fuel
for the hungry ghosts, the livings' fetish
with its own wretchedness, all this barley
and blood, all this tea and bile we anguish
over, I wish it gone. Yes, I'm hungry
but not for you, love. Yes, I am selfish
but for golden plums and brilliant foxtails,
not you. I wish you gone. The dead confuse
me when even the saddest of them fails
to turn up. Why can't I ever refuse
language or ache? all that will ever shape
me, name me, bind me? There is no escape.

"I love gentle things and I love warm things, that is why I love humans!" cries the little swallow spirit in the anime Natsume Yuujinchou. I love the bittersweet in stories; that which reminds us that being alive and human is not a curse but rather a reason to celebrate and yet we should never ignore the pain we cause those around us through our own greed and ignorance.

The stories revolve around a lonely young boy, Natsume, who has the ability to see the spirit world; a gift that has alienated him from friends, classmates and even family. It is a gift that apparently runs in his family since some fifty years earlier his grandmother, Reiko, had spent her time befriending, tricking and bullying ever spirit she ran across into giving up their names which she kept in a little green notebook.

Now that the book has fallen into Natsume's hands every manner of spirit begins turning up in his life begging for their names back. Often, as a nurse aide, I wonder how I can help others; the show's main message seems to be that no matter who you are recognizing and honoring the good inside others is the proper way to live … even if you appear at first glance to be the sort other people would normally shy away from.

This is episode 6; so far there are only eight episodes available though I hope more are on their way.

Watch Natsume Yuujinchou Ep 6 - Eng Sub in Animation and Anime  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com