Editor’s Note: tomorrow at UBC there will be Terry Talks, which are kinda like TED Talks, but different because they’re organized and delivered by world-changing UBC students and faculty. The Terry Talks will be held in the Life Sciences Institute at UBC on October 2. And they will be awesome. If you haven’t signed up already, please do so and have some fun with it.

Hey, speaking of “awesome,” the TEDx Terry Talks team kicked things off last Friday, September 24, with a special guest speech talk presentation ecclectic-and-semi-ridiculous-performance by K’Naan. For information about K’Naan’s awesomeness, please read this previous post from Michelle and I. Honestly, I don’t know what to say about K’Naan’s talk – obviously it was sincere, thoughtful and amazing; however, it was also a totally discombobulated, kinda-jerky, mostly-confused, very-funny celebration of “community-engagement” rather than “speaking to an audience.” As a humble hommage to K’Naan’s style, flare and off-the-cuff fearlessness when it comes to saying things, I’ve simply copied and pasted the notes I took on my B-Berry below. Enjoy yourselves.

Popular musicians become Troubadors.

“This is not the school that hates me.”

Have a conversation with you rather than talk. Need to have a dialogue.

Don’t do a lot of talks. Sometimes do it as a form of therapy. Took
experiences and – in an honest way – use them to examine myself.

Somalia gave me poetry. “I feel sorry for the people who can’t speak
Somali…there’s more to the language … A lot is lost in translation.”

K’Naan brought Starbucks: “we’re stuck between our values and
convictions and, well, shit that tastes good.”

K’Naan supports iclickers – democracy in the classroom.

Fetima got played – he wouldn’t play Wavin’ Flag. Fair enough.

University – study the things you want and meet hot girls.

Who are “they”? “White People”. They are… It’s hard to explain
songs. The power and the powerless. The privileged and unprivileged.

“Songs are feelings”

“Only after I’ve written something do I know how I feel about a subject.”

Dusty foot philosopher is carnivalesque. Turns the sad African concept
on its head. “I liked haveing dusty feet. It made me feel connected to where I came from.

“Best thing about being in Canda…meeting Justin Beiber. He’s professional.”

Writers must write. Like a leech on your body. Writing is exercise for
the soul.

University is communal.

Leaders must always have it forced upon them. When you “want” to be a
leader you are no longer a leader. You MUST do it. You get busy by
wanting to be a leader. “It’s because no one else will do it, so I must do it.”

Share the fascination of traveling around the world with people you struggled with ten years ago – it keeps you grounded.

Takes a toll on your inner most core.

Country music is making the best music right now, so I’m going to go
to Nashville and get inspired.

If I don’t stop the shenanigans of this success then I will never make
a good album again.

For me, the soul is the left corner room in my mom’s house … Small light
appears in a blue room dusty with sun catching particles.

He was so, so, so shy – would just not come to school to miss talking in front of people. Irony of the world that he talks to people now.

Got called “Keenan” by ESL teachers – hilarious.

HUGE ego. So sincere, honest and good that it will bring hope instead of alienating resentment…as long as he puts down the friggin’ Starbucks next time!

So there it is. Thanks for being you, K’Naan. And, hey, you. Enjoy the TEDx Terry Talks this weekend!