Pulse Editor
Jacquelyn Lewis
jacquelynlewis@dailyemerald.com
Tuesday, February 4,2003
Oregon Daily Emerald
On Thursday
Eugene's artistic
Mecca: From
trash to flash
Look beyond the
candy, cupids on
Valentine’s Day,
befriend gay ex
Dear Nat: I’m spending my 20th Valentine’s Day sans
boyfriend next week. How on earth do I combat falling
into the depths of despair?
— Valentine's Grinch
Dear Grinch: Here’s the best recipe I can muster:
Combine one devil’s food cake mix, one bag of chocolate
chips, one jar of marshmallow cream and one cup of
peanut butter. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with one can of
whipped cream. Serves one.
Of course, there are some less
bloating options — like working it at
the gym or gathering some friends for
an anti-romance movie fest. How
about going shopping for a hot new
outfit with the money you would have
spent on chocolates, flowers and bal
loons for some undeserving guy?
Natasha
Chilingerian
Ask Nat
But really, letting Valentine’s Day
turn you into a sourpuss is like allow
ing that bully back in first grade to
make you feel like a wimp. If walking
by a display of paper cut-out conver
sation hearts, courtesy of corporate
weasels, is enough to ruin your day, then I see a serious
problem with inner strength, sister. Learn to see beyond
what is thrown in your face and get on with your life.
And who’s to say that Feb. 14 should be a day beyond
all others to show love? In a relationship, I say every day
counts, not just a 24-hour time period in February. So
curb your jealousy, because chances are, those lovey
dovey couples you’ll see next Friday will be putting on
their pressured best, and will return to quarreling the
next day.
So this Valentine’s Day, indulge yourself if you have to,
but please try to be stronger than all that love nonsense
in the media. And don’t forget — when a guy does come
along, he should shower you with attention every day of
the year.
Dear Nat: I broke up with my boyfriend of a year and a
half two weeks ago, and I just discovered he is gay and
now has his own boyfriend! I feel so hurt and betrayed!
All of my memories of him are tainted. Any words of wis
dom would be appreciated.
— Saddened and Straight
Dear Saddened: I know most of my advice is rather
blunt, but this time, I offer all my sympathy. For a long
span of time, you were enveloped in a seemingly aver
age, heterosexual relationship, and now, just daydream
ing about the past brings resentment and disappoint
ment. Like the entire memory of your romance has —
Poof! — disappeared.
Your ex is finally free — he is acting on his true ro
mantic and sexual impulses and is probably happier
than ever. You, my dear, were unfortunately in the
wrong place at the wrong time during the tail end of his
confused stage. He may have stayed with you because
he was unsure about his sexuality, or if he knew, was
trying to ignore it. I’m sure he had no intention of hurt
ing you.
But please, don’t allow that spot in your brain that
holds photographs of the past year and a half turn to
stone. Enjoy a reminiscent fantasy now and then, even if
the thoughts initially lead to guilty pangs. But do keep
these fantasies to a minimum, because consumption
could lead to a wall between you and your next roman
tic interest.
Also, don’t squander the potential of your ex
boyfriend as a friend. Now that he’s 100 percent comfy
in his own skin, he’s probably more of a blast to hang
out with than ever. It would take some time, but who
knows? You two could be buzzing about your hot new
boyfriends together.
Contact the columnist at natashachilingerian@dailyemerald.com.
Her views do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald.
Send questions to advice@dailyemerald.com.
Mind, body, soul
Yoga exercises a persons
mental and physical health
while increasing self
awareness and relaxation
Helen Schumacher
Pulse Reporter
From ancient Indian spiritual
custom to Madonna’s exercise of
choice, yoga has been practiced
for centuries in order to gain
understanding of the inner self,
toned muscles or both.
Eugene Yoga Center instructor
Sara Alevizos said she first learned
yoga as a way to keep fit on the go.
“I was doing a bunch of traveling
at the time,” Alevizos said. “I
went to a month-long retreat for
instructors so I could have the
skills to teach myself while trav
eling.” From there she began
teaching at the center, located
at 1244 Lawrence St.
“(Yoga is) purifying for the
mind, heart and body,”
Alevizos said. “It gives you flex
ibility, tone of muscles and it
helps with mental ailments like
anxiety and depression. It relaxes
your mind and increases your
energy and concentration.”
Yoga is a Sanskrit term that
Alevizos defined as “union.” The
word union describes yoga’s blend
ing of exercises for mental and phys
ical health through careful breathing
and postures, or poses.
Four Winds yoga instructor
Michele Bulgatz said yoga is the sci
ence of self-awareness. She leads
classes throughout the week at the
studio, located at 1840 Willamette St.
“Yoga teaches you how to become
quiet enough to learn what you’re
really about — how to let go of
external distractions,” said Bulgatz,
who also teaches yoga at the
University. “Breath and body
become a tool to bring us to a quiet
place.”
There are several different branch
es of training within the practice.
Bulgatz teaches Hatha, which focus
es on the postures yoga is best
known for.
“Hatha is a broad name for the
yoga that focuses on breathing and
stretching muscles,” Alevizos said.
Senior business major Jim
Hemming is enrolled in one of the
University’s yoga classes this term.
“I wasn’t flexible and I was having
a lot of aches and pains before I start
ed the class,” Hemming said. “I like
the class a lot. It’s a good workout.”
Junior David McGarry also took
Hatha yoga in order to increase his
flexibility.
“I didn’t anticipate the spiritual
part of it,” McGarry said.
“It completely removed
me from the craziness and
over-stimulation of life. It
really opens you up.”
Kundalini yoga, which
Turn to Yoga, page 6
Photo illustration Jessica Waters and Adam Amato
Bookstore sells used, local works
t
Adam Amato Emerald
Foolscap Books sells used books along with inexpensive handmade
items by local writers and poets.
Locally owned Foolscap Books sells a variety of used
books in Eugene and online, and serves as a hub
for the community’s poetry scene
Aaron Shakra
Pulse Reporter
Independent booksellers are an endangered species. While
their corporate brethren thrive comfortably detached from any
one community or place, local stores are slowly thinning out.
There’s nothing new to this story.
However, there are still some strong local haunts — Smith
Family Bookstore and Tsunami Books to name a couple.
Foolscap Books, located at 780 Blair Blvd., also functions as an
important hub of activity for the community, especially regard
ing the poetry scene.
“I’m staying here out of spite to corporate businesses,” Foolscap
Books proprietress Marietta Bonaventure said. She opened the
store in 1999, after spending some time with the Peace Corps in
Africa. Bonaventure, also a singer in the group Son Mela’o, said
opening the place was a natural process for her because she came
from a family of booksellers. She collected books for a few years
before the doors opened.
Foolscap contains 25,000 books, but doubles as an online book
seller, with an inventory of 10,000 books on its Web site,
Turn to Bookstore, page 7