Airport Time

I've always found that time spent in an airport is free time - different from any other time.  You aren't really in whichever location you started from and yet you haven't yet embarked upon the journey that will take you to where you are going.  It is like purgatory, without the religion, although admittedly, it can be spiritual.

One is in a community of people you don't actually know and yet they inhabit the same in-between space you inhabit.  Wouldn't it be a great community development project for some degree to try different engagement techniques with the people who are waiting for flights at various times.  Some great discussions might take place.  It would stretch the idea of community.

I'm waiting here at YVR (one of the my favourite airports - so far), my checked bag is being transferred to the belly of a very large winged vehicle.  My carry-on is heavy, although I can't really let on.  The important things - some toiletries, the computer, my journal, some food:) and a shawl (why do they keep a plane so chilly?).  Many other things of course, which explains the heaviness of it.  Maybe I could conceptualize it as the psychic weight I have chosen to bring with me.  Gosh.... that certainly takes my mind to a different place.

Usually when I am waiting for a plane I call my friend Kari.  I've done it for years.  No matter where I'm going or how much time has or has not elapsed between us chatting, I spend a quarter (now two) and call to say hi and hey and all that noise of a deep relationship - not much is said and yet the value of it is immense.  But she has a meeting tonight so I can't call her and I feel a bit out of sorts.  Isn't change funny?  Big and small it produces some small impact in our body and soul.

I'm going to take a bit of time to contemplate on my in-between and free time before I board said winged vehicle for ten hours!  (I'm looking forward to catching up on my movie viewing!)  And tomorrow, I'll be on another continent, in a country I've not seen before.  How lucky am I?

Hugs and love to you reader.  May your journey always include some free time, in airports or otherwise.

Chilly Scandinavian Adventure!

I'm headed out!

It feels like ages since my last trip so I am (crazily) looking forward to my lengthy airplane ride!

I'll go from here to Amsterdam and by train to Rotterdam (5 days).

Back to Amsterdam and on to Copenhagen (5 or 6 days).

A train ride to Sweden for a few days. 

Back to Copenhagen and fly to Toronto (4 days) before flying home.

I'll be taking in TWO Deep Democracy courses (Intermediate and Advanced). I get goosebumps just thinking about them.

I also joined CouchSurfing.com and am hoping to meet some wonderful people in each of my adventure stops. If you have never checked it out, please do, it is a wonderful way of shrinking the world and creating community.

Instead of sending emails about the trip to everyone I'll be posting here so I hope you'll join me on my Chilly Scandinavian Adventure!

And send comments! It is nice to know what you're thinking about too!

Hugs and love.

Food Processing, Distribution, Waste Management & the Food Economy

In BC, neighbourhood markets generate almost $4 million in annual vendor sales! Vancouver Farmers' Markets are visited by over 250,000 people each year. Trout Lake Farmers' Market, established in 1995, is one of five farmers' markets in Vancouver.

The food economy is lucrative but until recently, concentrated in the hands of a small number of multinationals. That might be a very optimistic statement. It remains concentrated but more people are asking how they might subvert the mainstream food economy - one way being to access their food directly from farmers. A just and sustainable food system for Vancouver can only be built from thousands, maybe millions of acts of actionism like these.

A food hub is envisioned for Vancouver. this one (http://food-hub.org/) is in Portland but it gives an idea of what a food hub is. An article about the one in Vancouver here: (http://www.granvilleonline.ca/gr/blogs/editors/2010/05/28/three-vancouver-food-security-programs-improve-access-local-food). It is hoped that the hub can be sited where a food market once stood, paying homage to our history. In a mini-visioning exercise in class, we proposed ensuring that the remembered history of place include that of the First Nations communities who once lived on the land.

One challenge we faced in our visioning exercise for the hub (and faced by the agencies/organizations highlighted in our readings) is how to achieve some efficiency of scale without mirroring the organizations/businesses we are attempting to replace/complement. Regular meetings to discuss growth and change ethics was proposed. But it is a question faced, at some point, by everyone who seeks to transform an unjust or inequitable system. How do we guard against becoming that which we have fought against?

Food System Planning, Social Inclusion and Participatory Governance

So, where is everyone?

Food systems planning, in Vancouver, has evolved to involve groups of incredibly committed citizens. What is curious and needs examining is that the cultural diversity of Vancouver is absent from the ranks of those involved in food systems planning.

So, where is everyone? Are they not interested?

Food is integral to all cultures. Everyone eats - for pleasure or for sustenance. And almost all cultures, all over the world, grow or raise what they need to eat. And yet, the various cultural communities (including First Nations communities) in Vancouver are not actively engaged with food systems planning.

The case studies/papers assigned for this component of the course included examples from Brazil and Argentina. And one of the speakers who spoke about urban agriculture provided examples from Columbia. Each of these examples has lessons for us and yet I wonder if we might uncover additional stories and examples about sustainable practices/models when we find ways to actively engage with all the residents of Vancouver. It is worth considering that we don't need to visit faraway lands to observe unique examples of food systems planning. There are many residents from those lands creating lives in Vancouver, using the knowledge and experience from their previous country. Imagine if we could integrate their stories and knowledge into our food systems planning. Or imagine transforming food systems planning - not just tweaking it or stretching it to accommodate different world views but transforming it so that we have a new paradigm from which to operate.

Powerful questions are a tool for social change. So, my powerful question for this component of the course is: What would our food system be like if residents from all cultures participated in the planning and implementation of it?

Food Production in the City - Urban Agriculture and Beyond

Everyone (well, 89% at least), in Vancouver, has heard of or seen a community garden. But I wonder how many have taken time to wander through, ask questions or wonder how they come to be. This component of the course was to look at community gardens, other forms of urban agriculture (although it can be argued that community gardens are less about agriculture and more about community building) and an exploration of what might be possible in the future.


Collingwood Neighbourhood House (http://www.cnh.bc.ca/ca/) is an oasis of community, innovation and a velvet revolution. What else to call a place that is quietly changing the sense of neighbourhood and place?

We met the Coordinator of the local Food Security Institute and she showed us the rooftop garden shared by all the users of the neighbourhood house, the community garden, on Translink owned land, under the Skytrain and the site of a planned orchard in the neighbourhood.

The site of the new orchard is in an area of single-family homes and there are strong concerns by neighbours - they have questions about who will be involved, how to minimize loitering/trespassing/crime and seem unsure about any increased value to their sense of community. The dialogue seems to be ongoing and the experience and spirit of the neighbourhood house bode well for the process of coming to understanding. Hopefully, some analysis can be done of the beginning part of this project, to understand how/if some of the concerns/dissent could have been allayed.


Community gardens have allowed folks without backyards or sunny balconies to grow their heart's desire. As well, they have allowed neighbours to meet neighbours and break down some of the barriers inherent in urban living. The gardens also function as a crime prevention design - more people are using the land, more neighbours are valuing the land, and less crime or harm comes to that part of the neighbourhood. Most importantly, they reconnect people to food (or flowers) - from seedling to meal (or seed).





Another use of available land is practiced by urban farmers like City Farm Boy (http://cityfarmboy.com/). Another one of our field trips was to a rooftop garden on a new(er) building downtown. The garden plots were an amenity, to be sold to owners in the building (like a parking spot but greener:) but this plan went awry after most of the building was purchased for rental. City Farm Boy has arranged, with the developer/strata, to grow vegetables and herbs in the garden. He makes a living (just) and the developer/strata gain the added value of a beautiful space that may, over time, entice owners/tenants to purchase a plot.

What would happen if we farmed all of our rooftops? There are many flat roofs in Vancouver (and maybe in other temperate cities). Imagine all of that square footage under cultivation. Not as a hobby, but actually under intensive cultivation by an experienced farmer. What would happen if we could purchase a share of the bounty (a popular way for farmers to raise $ early in the season) and know where our produce/herbs were being grown?



I know I don't know exactly where my vegetables and fruit come from and certainly not who grew it. Do you? And if we did, would we value our food more?

Community gardens have been a good introduction for the public about urban agriculture. But if we want to work towards a sustainable food system, growing more of our own food will need to be seriously explored and attempted.

What is Food Systems Policy & Planning?

Food systems planning is a relatively new area of interest. One of the first journal articles about this area of planning was one of our readings: Pothukuchi, K. & Kaufman, J. (2000) The food system: A stranger to the planning field. Journal of the American Planning Association 66 (2), pp. 112-24. This article describes how food systems planning is mostly absent from planning practice, research and education.

Food systems planning is a cross-cutting area of interest. In order to look at food systems, a planner needs to involve others from a variety of government departments/agencies. By not 'belonging' to anyone and yet needing to be considered by everyone, food systems planning could fall between the cracks. Within most mainstream planning agencies, areas of focus, especially those previously ignored/overlooked or emerging need advocates - individuals or groups who ensure that the topic is 'alive' for those planning and making decisions. Previous examples, in Vancouver, are the Children's Advocate or the Child and Youth Advocate - positions that reported to Council and had a mandate to ask powerful questions of decision makers and ensure that children and/or youth did not fall off anyone's agenda. Food systems planning needs more advocates - not just in North America but around the world. In Vancouver, we seem to have progressed over the last decade.

A Food Charter was adopted by Council in 2007:

http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/foodpolicy/policy/charter.htm

A Food Policy Council is an advisory group of engaged citizens that reports to Council:

http://www.vancouverfoodpolicycouncil.ca/

They work towards the development of a just and sustainable food system for the City.

One of the co-chairs of the Food Policy Council (FPC) came to class. His passion for food systems planning reverberated in the energy he brought to our room. Everything he said - about his work on the FPC and the work he did for money - seemed to be integrated into his life - he was living the values he was promoting. Individuals like him are inspirational by just being.

Just like our guest speaker's values were integrated into his life, food systems planning needs to be integrated into all planning, by individuals, communities and governments. I was reading an article about the 'fatigue' folks are feeling about having to think about the food they buying and eating. One consumer was complaining about how 'political correctness' was overpowering the information about food. Another about feeling guilty for eating what she chose to eat. The article seemed to be about how we were being asked to think too much about food. Some of those commenting on the story noted that we think a great deal (not to mention watch/read/discuss) about which phone/computer/appliance/vehicle to purchase and yet, until recently, we have been 'excused' from thinking about food. So it isn't that we are being made to think too much about our food, it is that we are once again making food central to existence. I'm sure Mr/Ms Early Human gave food a great deal of thought. Considering the impact of what we have been eating two to three times a day, some moments of thought might be in order.

PLAN 548Z - The Adventure Begins

Have you ever waited and waited to do something and faced challenge after delay?

I've been wanting, planning, plotting to take PLAN 548Z since the spring of 2008. PLAN 548Z, for those non-SCARPies, is a course named "Food Systems Policy & Planning", taught ONLY IN THE SUMMER TERM by Wendy Mendes, Food Policy Planner extraordinaire and part-time professor. The summer of 2008 had me in the Philippines (posts below) for a different wonderful course but the timing of THAT course meant that it was impossible to be part of the 'food course'. And summer 2009 was my summer of transition (no posts, it was that transitory) and I was in Toronto and that meant no 'food course'. So this year I jumped at the chance to register! There are wonderful advantages to being a Super SCARPie (more than 2 years in the program)!

The course is divided into four components - What is Food Policy Planning; Food Production in the City - Urban Agriculture and Beyond; Food Systems Planning - Social Inclusion and Participatory Governance and Food Processing, Distribution, Waste Management and the Local Food Economy. There are three assignments - one of which is to journal or blog about the readings. I'm going to blog here (all the better to share with the two folks who read this site:) and organize it by component and hopefully share some of the three week adventure!

Hope

Open Letter to Barack Obama from Alice Walker

Nov. 5, 2008

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real
success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and
are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And
your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,

Alice Walker

Would I Be Enchanted with Obama if he was White/Beige?

I was thinking about this tonight as I watched the tail-end of his acceptance speech.

Never before (except when I watched West Wing and that wasn't real... right?) have I cared what happened in politics in the 'states'. (Alright, alright, I admit it, I watched to learn who would win the second time GW won - what a sad day that was, for me, in Angola).

I've watched Hillary R-C and her husband speak and have been impressed by their poise and ability to rise to the higher purpose. All might not be forgiven or forgotten but they're all rowing in the same direction. Time will tell what difference that makes.

So back to the question. Some would say that we live in a world that has gotten past race/colour/ethnicity. But my experience in the world is that not everyone has moved past or come to terms or made their peace - whatever string of words you want to use for describing living in a post-race world. Have I moved past it is the more interesting question.

So how much does Obama's colour, his heritage make me follow his candidacy with such interest? Not too much, I think. I think it isn't his colour that attracts me to his ideas. Maybe at first it was.

How many of us were pleased when that 'great' nation to the south finally demonstrated that women and non-EuroCaucasian people are capable of becoming president? I know I was happy to finally see the nation live up to its rhetoric. But I remained captivated because of the message of Obama's campaign. It wouldn't matter if he was white (EuroCaucasian for those academically inclined readers;), beige, purple or green or if he was a woman or a man. What he talks about is what I miss from the leaders of the world.

Hope.

The ability to work together to overcome our common problems. Change for the higher good, not just the individual one. Hope that we are capable of making the world better and more just for more people.

It is the same message that Nelson Mandela provides; the same one that underlies what Al Gore has to say; the same message that Aung San Suu Kyi keeps alive for her nation (she is so patient!) and the same one that the Dalai Lama asks us to consider in his wonderfully gentle way. They know and believe that the same people who have worked together (consciously or unconsciously) to create the challenges we face are exactly the same people that are capable of coming together to create the solutions we will need.

So do I like Obama because he is black (African-American)? No... I like what he has to say and I want to believe that he will do as he says when he lives in the big white house. That is the challenge. Can he live the beliefs in a system that is not built for vision, for change?

I HOPE so.

Now if we could only find political leaders in Canada that were worth listening to (before we even consider believing in them). So much money wasted for so little meaningful change. (Sigh)

Real Life

I opened the blog this morning and realized that the 'ant picture' shouldn't be so all-defining.

Today we are all getting ready to depart Plaridel. Most of us have said, in one way or another, that we can't believe four weeks passed by so quickly. It has been an incredible experience in so many different ways. I'm sure all those ways won't be clear to us until after we've had some time and space to reflect.

Reflection has been a part of this course. We will (by the time we hand everything in) have written six reflective journal pieces and they will be worth 20% of the total mark. It has been interesting to attempt to be reflective in any meaningful way while in the midst of the whirlwind that has been this course. I hope our output has been interesting and useful for Nora. It has been great to have a small way to let off steam in the midst of the 'furnace'.

Here are some photos about how much fun this has been. Thank you to my eleven classmates and my small but terrible professor (I want to be YOU when I grow up!) for a unrepeatable experience!

Ingat!

ANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, before we get too far, this is NOT a picture of

my arm and hand.... I just wanted a picture to

illustrate my story.

Our presentations went very well yesterday. It was an extraordinarily long day, probably due to lack of sleep than anything else. We went out afterwards for a farewell/birthday dinner celebration hosted by the mayor. The band sang Happy Birthday, danced, sang out loud and received a lovely chocolate cake (with another happy birthday rendition). It was a tiring, overfilled, overwhelming, wonderful, joy-filled stupendous day! And at the end of it I spoke to my friends in Toronto which was like a HUGE strawberry on top (don't much like cherries, esp. those nuclear preserved ones:).

I was in bed by one and woke up feeling refreshed.

When I was up I noticed everyone was still asleep and thought "maybe I'll go back to bed". I decided to take this very wise advice (I gained wisdom at the turning of the clock on my years) and returned to bed. I was straightening the sheets and pulled a loose cloth (that I keep on my pillow, as my hair makes my head sweat) off the pillow and underneath was a scene from SWARM! Teeney-tiny ants, just like the picture ALL OVER MY PILLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I must admit, I lost it. I didn't scream or anything (everyone was still asleep) I shook my pillow, banged it against the wall to dislodge the ants and then actually started killing a few through my rough attempts to get them OFF MY BED!

What I can't understand is why they were underneath the cloth on my pillow? Mostly ants like to get something to take back to the nest. What is on my pillow that they want? I don't wear hair products, I don't use fragrance in this weather, my creams are with no fragrance..... And they weren't on my head (well, maybe a few) or on my body (again a few), they were on the pillow case of the pillow..... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Maybe my sweat is that sweet? Isn't that a symptom for diabetes? JUST what I need!!!! No, I'm sure I'm fine but it is most perplexing. I also wonder if there is a nest near or in my bed frame. They enter into a small crack in the bed frame but I didn't pay much mind since they hadn't actually attempted to conquer/colonize my bed. But maybe that is it. I'm on their home.

Anyhow, whatever the reason, it ended my wonderful idea of going back to bed and I headed to sitting hunched in a plastic chair attempting to work on THE REPORT (I'm thinking of it in capitals now).

Each time I tell the story I shudder. A different shudder than the shudder that the flying cockroaches elicit but a shudder all the same.

Eeeeuuuuuue (how does one spell that?).

Hugs.

Reality and my Birthday

Today, in about four hours, we begin the end of our time here in Plaridel.

I woke up about an hour ago but two of my friends were up already, never having reached their beds last night! I like being up before everyone else. It is often the only time I spend on my own.

We will begin the morning at 8 am with prayer and the national anthem and then the "Municipal Development Planning Seminar" will begin!

Raquel and I are last, at 2 pm! We realize that, by that time, folks will be tired, hungry and ready to stop listening to us speak in English. Our presentation is short and sweet and involves a participatory exercise. Just to get people up and moving and to make a point about collaboration.

Last night (this morning?), at two minutes after midnight, everyone came to me singing "Happy Birthday"!!!! It was so lovely! Especially given how tired and stress people have been. It was a great way to begin this shiny new year.

This is a group photo we took after our presentations on Saturday. Just so you can meet the whole group! Our professor is the one in the middle with the long necklace.

Wish us luck!

50 Youth Shaken and Stirred

On Sunday R. and I put on a workshop for the various youth groups and organizations in Plaridel. In our research we were finding that it is not common for youth or leaders to collaborate, coordinate or socialize across group and organization 'boundaries'. We wondered what might happen if we invited 50-odd youth (no adults allowed) from a variety of organizations and across socio-economic layers to participate in a day long workshop to be held on Sunday.

The municipality/school system allowed us to use a large room at a local elementary school and we collectively (all of the UBC students) or we, Raquel and I, funded the supplies, drinking water, lunch and merienda (2 snacks). Food is important, here and everywhere.

40 youth showed up and it was like 'sock-hop' day (do they have those anymore?) in any elementary school - clusters of people standing close together, stealing glances at each other (and of course their cell phones as this is the texting centre of the universe). We eventually persuaded them to join one of the four circles around the room and the adventure began.

We had promised them fun because we wanted to demonstrate that you can learn and laugh/have fun at the same time. Some of the youth haven't been in school for a time and all of them spoke Tagalog better than English (if not only Tagalog!) and all of them were smarter than us in terms of what works in the Philippines.

Our objective was to mix it up as much as we could and have them participate in substantive exercises so that they would hopefully break down some of the barriers that seem to exist. We also wanted to collect information FROM them so the morning was split into four topic areas (Transportation and Land Use, Sustainable Livelihoods, Solid Waste Management and Informal Settlements) and the youth were consulted by our fellow students (7 of 10 of them were part of the day and we COULD NOT have done it without them!).

We made sure that all the exercises were participatory. I even transformed the 'Build a Racist Community" exercise into "Build the Cleanest/Most Polluted Community" for the Solid Waste Management group - it worked like a charm!!!

This is a picture of the Most Polluted Barangay (Neighbourhood) and the youth who participated in creating it. They are explaining to the group how rules, institutions and structures support the neighbourhood to be polluted.

There were some highs and of course, some lows. Trying to conduct a training in a participatory way is much harder when interpretation is involved. And even with interpretation, the exercise might not work. Roleplaying games were the most challenging to implement.

One of the fun games that was also about collaboration and teamwork was "Knots". If you've played it, you know what I mean, if not, try and imagine being in a circle with five to ten people

holding the hands of two different people across from you and then trying to untangle yourself without any hands getting unjoined!

The youth told us after that it was the first such training they had ever been to and asked if we would provide other training. They said they enjoyed meeting their peers but that this was only just the first step. They told us that they wish they had the skills to be as involved as they'd like to be in their country.

Random: Here is a video of youth associated with an "Out of School Youth" organization (some of them pictured above). They performed a number of dance numbers as part of our welcome (last week). I include it because they are so good and they only had a few days notice to create this.

I started this post on Sunday and I am finishing it on Wednesday. Today we had a meeting/workshop with the adults involved in youth development planning - municipal staff and NGO staff/volunteers were invited. It was a very good afternoon. I think we moved forward a few steps, both in understanding and planning.

None of the other groups are holding workshops or coordination meetings. R. and I have decided that the insanity that is this course has infected our brains, especially the self-preservation area. Seriously, how else to explain participating in a four week, six credit (one years' worth of credit in FOUR WEEKS!!!!) in a foreign country to conduct community-based research that results in a report to the municipal government AND then to hold two workshops for over 55 people! Given all of that, we are still pretty tickled to have gone "above and beyond" and know that what we learned from the workshops will ensure we write from a more informed perspective.

We present our reports to Mayor and Council on August 13 (my birthday BTW) and the actual reports are due on August 15 so the pressure is on! Everyone is being extra kind and gentle to each other because nerves are frayed and very few of us are sleeping well. Thankfully the weather hasn't been in extremes, we had a tropical depression turned cyclone for a few days but today was largely overcast with hair-curling humidity.

Stay well and let me know what you think!

Ingat (take care in Tagolog)!

Creepy Crawlies

If you've travelled, or listened to traveller stories, you know that bugs (along with food and bodily functions) are one of the mainstay conversation topics. I'm going to regale you with a few tales.

Along with bats (not really creepy crawlies) and ants (tiny microscopic ones and regular ones that are EVERYWHERE), this past week has seen the emergence of cockroaches in our room. We are in a 400+ year old church in the tropics so I think they were lurking around anyway but we started to see them in the past few days. Along with the normal creepy crawly ones there are big a** flying ones. In North America, if you live a relatively comfortable life, you probably have not run into these creatures. Those living in poverty and other conditions know well of what I speak.

Here, the ones I have seen are about the size of a tablespoon or bigger (described later), brown, with antennae and move quickly. The quick movements are part of the reason I personally don't like them. And the flying ones. I don't like anything that can land on my head. (big shudder)

My way of dealing with bugs is to always use a mosquito net. That way, I will always get a good nights rest knowing the creepy crawlies are only circling my bed and are not IN my bed. Once I am awake, I can deal. Usually I just absent myself from where they are, if at all possible.

In Vietnam, I had two that lived under the stairs. In the morning, I used to stomp, loudly, down the stairs and then stomp loudly nearby. They respond to vibrations and since they don't much want to be around humans, I figured that I was giving fair warning. Given my upbringing and belief in karma, I hate killing bugs unless there is no other choice or if I am completely freaked out. This happened the other night.

For someone who loves sleeping with a mosquito net, I don't have my own. I had planned to buy one but ended up borrowing one from one of the other women until she needed it and then borrowed one from another until everyone needed their nets and I was without one. With a plan to buy one the following day, I was being brave and hoping for the best. Until the TWO-tablespoon-sized flying cockroach landed across from my bed. In a few short minutes I was covered up, cowering (bravely, of course) under my sheets as one of the other women tracked and killed it (with many high pitched screams - HIT it again!!! It's still moving! Oh no, it's over there - QUICK!!!! I slept well knowing I was safe for the night (or so I told myself).

Another way to deal with them is to block up where they might live or come from. Duct tape works well (thank you Red Green!). My first night in Luena (Moxico, Angola) I got up to use the bathroom, flashlight in hand as the generator was off, I opened the door to my room and there were FIVE cockroaches on my door! (amazing what you can see in a split second) I shut the door, none too quietly, all need to relieve myself gone, tucked myself into my mosquito net and went to bed. The next morning I learned they might live in my door as there were several large (fist-sized?) holes in my door. So I did what all good Canadian girls do - I taped over all the holes with industrial duct tape! Never again did I repeat that exact experience. Of course I saw them elsewhere....

Last night two of the other women hunted several down with Death-in-a-Can. Considering we can quote chapter and verse about sustainability and environmental protection and the evils of aerosols and using chemicals, etc. it was slightly ironic :)

This morning I woke with the teeny tiny ants in my bed. Not sure how to deal with them. I make sure there is no eating in my bed space but who knows what I bring to bed. or is blown onto my bed If anyone has an idea of how to gently get rid of them, I'd appreciate it!

Rice Prices

Just like India (wheat) and Mexico (corn), the Philippines is having a difficult time with the rising commodity prices. The price of rice is beyond those living on annual income of $300. At the market today, the price of rice ranged from 33 pesos to 48 pesos. That is 75 cents to 1.10 per kilo. And in Filipino culture, a meal is not complete unless there is rice.

The government provides subsidized rice. It is lower quality but it is more affordable. The church we live in is one of the distribution points. Here is the line up yesterday afternoon:

There are many distribution points around the municipality.

What makes the present reality more tragic is that Plaridel (where I am) and other towns and cities in the Philippines are rapidly converting their remaining agricultural land into industrial or residential land in order to 'modernize' and provide more jobs and prosperity to their citizens and the government.

As planning students we are struggling with this because we know that food security will provide the best choice over the long term but the municipality and the people want to improve, to modernize, to attract business. And for them that means industry, factories, subdivisions and roads. How to provide a sustainable alternative that is a middle ground between these two visions?

No travel blog would be complete without a picture or two of young children. These are photos a colleague/friend took. I've chosen some that don't completely reveal the identity of the children as we didn't ask them if we could post their photos. Enjoy.

Impressions

Now that I've been here almost two weeks, I wanted to write down my impressions and random thoughts as I'm sure they will be forgotten as new impressions clamour for attention considering the pace of our course.

I arrived in Manila on July 15 after a week in Vietnam. The trip to Vietnam was an indulgence. I was going to be SO close and with Petra and others still there I wanted a chance to see them again.

It is strange visiting a country as a tourist when you have lived there in the past. This was my first experience of that and I am unsettled by my feelings. You know so much and yet, as a tourist, you feel more on the outside looking in.

In spite of those musings, it was a great trip. I spent some time in Hanoi and then visited Hoi An - the old city in the centre of the country that is renowned for its tailors. My friends drove down to spend the weekend. Unfortunately, visits with the tailors outnumbered the hours spent with them as I had forgotten the time it takes to get clothes tailored! I'm pretty happy with the results (the clothes). It is such an indulgence to have outfits that fit like they were made for only you :) Oddly, I didn't see anyone I had directly worked with during my stay in Vietnam. Maybe it is true that you 'can't go home again'.

Manila is an experience! Earlier on I had thought that since I had visited Bangkok, Mexico City and New Dehli, that I might have a sense of Manila. Was I ever wrong!

Manila is (at time of writing) not at all loveable. It is HOT. Hot like I've never been hot. Last week I described it as "the heat that rolls off the roads like a vaporous steamroller intent on reducing you to your basics of water and oxygen." Vietnam is hot but Manila is really, really hot!

My friend Celerina (Sister Celerina to most of you) met me at the airport which was a wonderful way to be welcomed. I met Celerina more than 14 years ago. She was already a nun then and a fellow student at UVIC in the School of Social Work. There were six of us, Brandy, Tara, Donna, Celerina, Jeannette and me that comprised a project group that lasted the whole of first year. We named ourselves the Group from Hell because everyone told us that we couldn't manage the group process in such a large group. Those who know me well will know that 'couldn't' is not part of how my world operates. The others felt the same and we chose to complete our project together. Five of us have kept in touch and we try to get together once a year, although this is harder now that one is in Mexico, one is in the Philippines, one on the island, another in the Interior and there is me who never stays long in one place.

I hadn't seen Celerina in over four years so it was wonderful to spend time together and catch up and learn and share about who were now. She is based in Bataan, a province about two hours by bus from Manila. Because of the way the buses are routed, she is more than 1.5 hours from me although we are equidistant from Manila.

After a few days together, I decided that Manila, as a representation of the Philippines, was the noisiest place I had ever been. The jeepneys, the tricycles, other various vehicles, the music from the various businesses together in the soup of pollution and then the intense heat makes one feel rather faint from the sensory overload. (Jeepneys are these amazing vehicles used for mass transit. From the Lonely Planet it says they are reconditioned American jeeps that were left behind. They are decorated by the owners/leasees in the most kitchsy way possible. They are a cheap way to get around).

One of my more peak experiences was in a jeepney, with Celerina. It was my third day in Manila. It had only just rained so that the streets were wet and you could smell the vegetation. Night was falling. We were sitting in the back (near the exhaust and the only door), other people were around us on the bench seats. The driver was honking his horn, as others were in the traffic. The driver had chosen a soft rock station (Philippinos seem to enjoy 80s love ballads) and at my peak moment, the BeeGees were singing "Tragedy" at top volume through speakers that scratched the high notes. There came a moment where I just started to giggle and then laugh out loud. It was just too ridiculous and out of my normal experience. I just had to laugh. This experience encompassed so much of what Manila meant to me, to that point.

Here is a sign that saw from a bus at a random point in the city. Dr. Jose P. Rizal is a national hero. He advocated for reform during the Spanish colonial era. The quote is his.

The First Week Part One

Have you ever been somewhere and the days are so full that you look in astonishment at your nearest calendar when you realize only two days have passed because it feels like a week or more must have already expired? On Tuesday I had just that experience.

For those who do not know, I am in the Philippines on a 'studio course' for my master's program. It is a one month intensive six credit course. It is being held in Plaridel, a small (99,000+) municipality about 2 hours NW of Manila. We are twelve students and one professor and our purpose is to provide assistance to the municipal

government with their development plans in five key areas: informal settlements, livelihood development, solid waste management, transportation/urban design and youth development (my focus!).

We are living in a 400+ year old church that is in the centre of town (as old churches often are). Our accomodations are impressive. As you can see from the photo, there are a number of beds in one room. The ten women are in one room and the two men are in single rooms, one on either side of the resident priest (Father Dennis). Maybe they were expecting some trouble? :) The girls share two bathrooms, the boys have attached ones, one of which is shared. We have fans to cool the rooms (and ourselves!), although considering how much we 'glow' or sweat, depending on your sensibilities, the fans are not quite adequate (I think some of us dream of air conditioners) to the humidity of North Luzon. We have breakfast and dinner together in another large room on the same floor. If you are imagining that we are together almost all the hours of the day, you are right. Building community is challenging but it helps a great deal that we are genuinely fond of each other.

We all arrived in individually or in small groups on Sunday and that evening there was a dinner and welcome cultural performance for us. It is impossible to describe the show the community arranged for us. The dances seemed to all be performed by the same young people and yet they never looked exhausted. There were so many different performances! They were sharing all the different cultures of their country with us. Here are a few pictures (excuse the blurriness, the dancers move quickly):

And some more:

The hospitality and the kindness of the people we have met is difficult to adequately describe. This is not a town that receives many 'foreign' tourists and it seems the whole town is excited that we are here. Before the dinner we were actually introduced at the end of Friday mass to the congregation. We paraded one by one into the church as our names were called and stood in front facing everyone as they fanned the air and snuck peaks at the strangers. Each place we go people are interested in where we are from, what we are doing here and our physical differences. Several of our group are tall and either blond or quite fair and they are especially popular with the Filipinos - they are told they are beautiful, they are touched and of course they hear the obvious - "You're SO TALL!!!!" (many times a day). Those of who are shorter or darker are taken for Filipino, which is also a lovely way to wander in a new country.

Monday morning began at 7:30 am for the flag raising. We, as guests of honour, are seated in the front row. Here is the sign that greeted us:

More greetings. Here is the mayor, Mrs. Tessie Vistan. She is regarded as very progressive and is generally spoken with reverence and respect.








After the mayor, we had more welcoming performances. The children in both high school and elementary receive instruction in cultural activities - art, music, dance, etc. I have before seen such wonderfully confident elementary school children. They are beautiful and so talented.




























I'm going to stop here although I only got to about 10 am on Monday. As you'll notice I labelled this post Part One. I'll come back and give you some other highlights and maybe video a little later.

This is my first blog entry! I hope you enjoy it and I know that as I go along the entries will get better and even more enjoyable. I welcome your comments! Love and hugs.

PS If you notice the time and day this is posted, it is on Vancouver time. I'm about 15 hours ahead (if you want to do the math).