bike grease + cycling goodness

With tulips and daffodils blooming in almost all terrace garden beds, birds chirping loudly in the trees (they’re back from the south), and Montrealers donning the latest in spring fashion, the city is alive with colour – somewhat intensified by the not-so-distant memory of the drab wintery white…

And, as far as I’m concerned, this means one thing: BIKE SEASON!!

[ASIDE: yes, some seriously twisted people who I know (you know who you are!) cycled all winter... insane. seriously.]

I’m currently concocting all sorts of plans for some spring/summer touring. Vermont? Gaspè? Charlevoix? Ah, the list goes on…

This Friday I head off on my first tour for the season: 400km return along the river to Ottawa. I’m hooking up with the Canadian Otesha crew for a meeting on behalf of the Australian Otesha crew. We plan to exchange ideas, swap resources and discuss future projects.

My bike needed a major overhaul – new crank set, new gear + brake cables, new cassette + chain… I popped in to Santropol Roulant‘s bike workshop to use their tools and learned how to replace my cassette and chain… Once I get back to Oz, I’m really keen to learn how to build a bike from scratch.

Santropol Roulant is a really interesting non-profit organisation. They use food as a central focus for connecting people across different spectrums of the community. Their main project is a meals on wheels service, where food is delivered by bicycles to people’s houses within Montreal. Other projects include: a bike workshop, rooftop garden, kitchen workshops, eco challenges…

I like that they put so much emphasis on the community building aspect of their organisation. It isn’t just a charity serving people in need. The people cooking and delivering food are also benefitting by building relationships and skills. It is a mutual exchange of services.

friendship, sunshine + lakeside bliss

I turned 30 last week. Dismissing ideas of giant parties, expensive restaurants and a big night out on the town, I decided the perfect way to celebrate was to gather together all the people in montreal who have impacted, inspired and energised the latest chapter in my life’s adventures and whisk them away to a luxurious lakeside cottage for the weekend.

With the sun shining brightly all weekend, we sunbaked, canoed, danced, played board games, snoozed in the sun, cooked up giant feasts of food, hiked in the forest and laughed ourselves silly…

The cottage itself was beautiful with its open-planned kitchen and living space, exposed beams and stylish wood finishings. The sun drenched the upstairs living space due to the giant south-facing windows, which looked over the lake.

Somehow they managed to surprise me with a cake and balloon-filled room (I’m not easily surprised!). And then to top it off, each guest told me three things they love about me! I was blown away completely. It’s not often that friends share this kind of stuff with each other – especially in a group situation. And everything they said resonated so deeply, which intensified the moment even more. These people haven’t known me for very long at all, yet they knew me so well and understand me!

I feel so loved! And I’m so grateful to have such wonderful people around me. I’m constantly blown away by friend’s energy, spontaneity, nurturing, wildness, lovingness, kindness, intelligence, patience, creativity, truthfulness, centred-ness… so to hear that my friends are inspired and impacted by these things in me was humbling and exciting. It made me cry. Bigtime.

Friendship is something that is so important to me – human connection in its purest form. So I guess, for me, this weekend was about celebrating the love that I share with those around me. It wasn’t just about me and the milestone I’ve reached. Without the support, love and encouragement of friends throughout the many twists and turns of my life, I wouldn’t be where I am and I certainly wouldn’t have developed the courage to be who I am, seeking the path that is true to me.

So this is a big fat thanks to y’all out there who have shared a connection with me at some point along the crazy 30 year journey that is my life. I’m grateful for what you’ve taught me. I’m excited by what we have shared together. I’m inspired by your strength, devotion and determination to seek out your own truth. I’m humbled by your patience. I’m delighted by your kindness, nurturing and support.

And I’m looking forward to creating new memories with you when our paths cross again soon!

theatre of the oppressed

One of my goals while in Montreal has been to expand, explore and develop some of my existing skills and passions. And I’m finding that education and community building are both continual themes in this journey.

So following these themes, I recently participated in a two-day facilitator training workshop on Theatre of the Oppressed techniques.

Using theatre as a transformation tool, Theatre of the Oppressed is a style of community-based education empowering groups to explore social issues, resolve conflict and build community.

Augusto Boal – a Brazilian politician, actor and activist – developed this form of theatre in the 1970s. And one major goal of Theatre of the Oppressed is the transformation of audience members (traditionally passive observers) into ‘spect’-actors where they actively participate in not only creating dialogue and finding solutions to problems but also acting itself.

Boal says that: “Acting can be done anywhere, even in theatres and acting can be done by everyone, even actors.”

I first came across Theatre of the Oppressed last November at the NASCO conference in Michigan State, US where I attended a shorter workshop on the method in relation to power, privilege, space and cooperative living.

Upon arrival back to Montreal, I facilitated a workshop based on what I’d learned at Coop Sur Genereux’s 2009 Skill Share event. Around 15 people participated and we had great fun exploring some of the techniques together.

It would be a gross understatement to say I’m excited about the technique. I’m hooked! It is such a creative way to explore social issued both at the personal and community (local/global) level.

Our instructor – Jessica Bleurer – is also going to send me some material for using these techniques for environmental justice issues as well.

Alongside, a plethora of new warm up and ice-breaker games, over the course of the weekend we explored three different styles of Theatre of the Oppressed: Forum Theatre, Invisible Theatre and Image Theatre. We also looked at street theatre.

Jessica is one of the best facilitators I’ve ever experienced. I feel so lucky to have studied (if briefly) with her. Her insight into group dynamics, ability to modify course material to suit specific groups, ability to facilitate discussion and guide groups to probe into deep analysis was outstanding. I’ve learned so many new things about both myself and facilitation.

Using creative tools such as theatre for social change appeals so much to my psychology. I’m really excited to explore these new tools in my own education and community building practices…

la nuit blanche à monteàl

The entire city of Montreal celebrated well into the wee hours of the morning last week at the 7th annual Nuit Blanche à monteàl

What an exciting night! From 6pm to 6am there were so many events to choose from all across the city – art exhibitions, dance shows, fireworks, live music, design installations, and general mayhem…

My night was full of completely random events. I think I saw more of Montreal in this one night than I have in the last 6 months!

Alongside some Karaoke Opera in a nearby Metro station, a plethora of art galleries including the Musem of Contemporary Art, here’s a snapshot of other things I experienced:

A sound and light installation on a church…

…plus Maple Syrup goodness…

….Country Dancing!

then there were the fireworks…

a random trip to the Science Museum…

Giant light installations…

and Random Street Adventures…

All this in just one night!!!

travelling, privilege and homelessness

In the past, much of my travelling has revolved around – though not exclusively – outdoor adventures, hiking through the Himalayas in Nepal or India for example, or climbing in Thailand. I’ve often volunteered with various places along the way (eg. English teaching and mural painting in India), but these were never the focus of the trip. The flavour of my time spent in Canada is different. While it started out with a bike tour in B.C., it has evolved into a trip where I’m spending a fair amount of time volunteering and learning heaps about social issues from new and intense perspectives.

I started volunteering with the Inter-tribal Youth Drop-in Centre at the Native Friendship Centre last week. It’s a youth centre for first nations people. Friday nights are their music jam night. We organised – and plan to do this weekly – a big vegetarian feast for the youth. Essentially the centre serves to create a safe, non-judgmental environment for all indigenous youth aged 13-29 years old. They have all the usual resources you generally find in a youth drop-in centre: pool table, computers, music equipment, couches, books, video games, and a supportive atmosphere.

I also recently attended the festival for the homeless, which you can read all about a good friend’s perspective here. Basically, ATSA creates an annual urban village in downtown Montreal to provide an eclectic space for the street folk of Montreal to receive support through food, clothing, warm shelter, music, and arts program. A few friends and I spent the week sourcing and cooking food to give to the 24-hour kitchen held onsite.

I’m not sure why, but the theme of homelessness and food seems to be a running theme through my activities lately…

Volunteering with Food Not Bombs, for example, has been a huge learning experience. Each Saturday we organise food donations from local vendors or dumpster dive their bins. We then cook up a huge feast of vegan goodness to serve to street folk at Metro Berri UQAM in downtown Montreal. It’s intense at times, yet I’ve come to realise just how important these kinds of services are for some people.

Finding access to healthy vegetarian food if you live on the streets is not easy, a lady – now a regular – told me recently. Most food banks and soup kitchens serve meat in their main course. Now in her eighties, she proudly introduced herself as a vegetarian for the last 35 odd years.

I like the atmosphere that Food Not Bombs creates during meal times. The food is available to anyone who walks past. The food prep people eat as well. It’s more like a picnic shared amongst friends, the boundary between “us” and “them” broken down and shattered.

Yet despite the fact that food not bombs is easily accessible, popular (we’ve served up to about 60 people on one occasion), and in-demand, it seems there are people intent on putting a stop to it.

The police kicked us out of the metro a few weeks back. Their attitude was something along the lines of: “If we let you serve here it sets a precedent for others. And just imagine if everyone started doing this sort of thing”

Yeah. Sure. Just imagine the kind of world we’d be in if everyone started sharing food, love and kindness to the less fortunate amongst us. Gosh, I shudder to think what would become of our society!

It’s been a humbling experience for me sharing food and conversation with people that I have been conditioned to ignore when they attempt to stop me on the streets to ask for help. Looking into their eyes as I exchange small talk with them, I see someone just like me; someone who deserves love, honor and respect; someone who has just as much right to the basic necessities of life.
It’s also put a lot of perspective on my personal politics. My attitude towards ‘consumerist activism’ is shifting. Yes, we can make a difference by eating less meat, buying local organic food, buying less crap, riding our bikes etc…

I agree with all that…

but…

My work with the homeless has taught me that the ‘we’ in consumerist activism simply doesn’t equate to everyone. Many people just can’t afford to buy local, organic food, for example. Many people are simply fighting for their own survival, often a result of exploitation and abuse by others. Basically, I’m learning about privilege. It is a privilege to have choices when (and if) we shop. Consumerist activism is a concept for the privileged (ie. White, middle-class)…

Don’t get me wrong; it’s important to talk to this societal group about their choices. But I now better understand that this flavour of activism talks specifically to this privileged few. And furthermore, I’m beginning to realise just how crucial it is to include concepts of white privilege alongside these theories in order to provide the full picture… otherwise we’re just perpetuating the neo-liberal attitude of individualism offered to us by our ‘oh-so-wonderful’ leaders…

We don’t all have the same choices. We don’t all have access to the same food, shelter, water, resources and love. We don’t all necessarily have the power to change the world. We don’t all necessarily have the privilege to make a difference.

Rant over.

NASCO conference: part one

I returned from the NASCO conference two days ago now, yet excitement and enthusiasm are still lingering in my bloodstream: energising and inpisiring me to approach life a little differently than before…

And it wasn’t just the three full days of workshops, seminars and intense discussions about cooperative living, anti-oppression, environmental justice, democratic education and community building that left me bursting with life. Though these activities did just that. It was perhaps the other things that happened between the cracks of these larger activities that left the greatest impression – a crazy leaf fight in the park with six grown adults, discovering a giant see saw in the backyard of new found friends, reading books outloud in the car, playing road trip games, a quiet lunch basking in the sun listening to the heart of a new found friend, being offered homemade pizza after a ten-hour drive, immediately feeling safe open my heart to people I’ve only just met, snuggling up with new friends to read bedtime stories together…

being ASKED what my identity is…

and not being defined by other people’s assumptions about my sexuality, gender, marital status… not being defined as the half of someone else…

and not being defined by my education…

and not feeling the need to live up to societal values of ‘normality’…

…feeling safe to be just ME!

A ‘me’ that has permission to evolve, change and morph along with the impermanence of life…

All these experiences that emerged gracefully between the more formal activities reminded why I here in the first place. They reaffirmed my belief in social justice through living cooperatively. And restored my hope that this is possible. We were living it – love, compassion and honesty with complete strangers… Welcoming them as you would a loved one.

So many stories, which I’ll share in time… along with some of the ideas which emerged from the more formal activities… right now I’m off on a random sponteneous hitchhiking adventure to Trois Rivier with some friends…

 

 

nasco conference

I’m heading down to the states on Thursday morning to participate in the North American Students of Cooperation’s annual conference. Providing education and resources to its members and co-op organizing groups, NASCO acts to educate the public in cooperative principles and practices, and promotes the co-op movement as a whole.

Each November, over 400 participants from all over the United States, Canada and beyond converge in Ann Arbor, Michigan to share ideas, learn new skills, and look at issues affecting the cooperative movement worldwide.

Since Coop Sur Genereux is a member, I thought it would be fun to: a. learn more about cooperative principles; b. go on a roadtrip to Ann Arbor, Michigan (11hours one way); c. meet some new, interesting people

Alongside three days of workshops, seminars and discussion groups focussing on cooperative living issues, I’ve also signed up for a full-day’s leadership training in anti-opression and popular education.

This year’s conference theme is In Our Backyards: Defending the Environmental Commons and aims to focus the conference on the social injustices of mainstream environmentalism…

Here’s the conference blurb:

In an era where the word “green” is used to describe everything from construction practices to the economy, environmental sustainability is in the spotlight more than ever as environmental injustices continue to threaten the health, safety and sustainability of communities everyday.

As leaders of the cooperative movement, we must ask ourselves what it means to engage in environmental issues at the local, regional, and global level.  How do we transform mainstream environmentalism into environmental justice and create and support just, sustainable (re)uses of land? What opportunities emerging from economic and environmental crisis exist to grow the cooperative movement?

At the 2009 NASCO Institute, we will build on last year’s exploration of cooperatives and land rights to explore the role and future of cooperatives in the current greenwashed recession with an internationalist perspective.  We will develop strategies for promoting healthy relationships with each other, with our land and resources, and across cultures.  Through workshops, discussions, film screenings, panels, and caucuses, we will rethink how we produce, transport, and consume; share everyday tools for just sustainability in cooperative practices; and create cooperative solutions that spark change in “our backyards.”

So stay tuned for a report from Ann Arbor!

Cabaret Eclectique

Tomorrow night we’re hosting the Coop’s third Cabaret Eclectique…

It will be evening of music, poetry, story telling, dance, theatre performance and more… Yannick Beriault – one of my housemates – will be launching his poetry collection “Bruissement”… All the more incentive for me to learn French!

food not bombs montreal

Last week, a group of friends and I decided to revive Montreal’s Food Not bomb collective. Our first event was last Saturday where we sourced, prepared and shared a vegan meal with over 50 people at Place St Emilie Gamelin in downtown Montreal.

As a political statement against war, this volunteer community-based project advocates peace by providing free food to anyone who wants it. Food Not Bombs is not a charity. The meals that we share are free to anyone in the community.

We hope to move beyond the usual community kitchen concept of serving food to the homeless by aiming for a more inclusive model that not only provides free food, but also helps to build community. It’s a move away from the “us” and “them” mentality. We want to share food rather than simply serving it. We encourage any community member to come to the dinner table as an equal regardless of their background, identity and financial situation.

And while food is the focal point for our gatherings, we hope they become a meeting point for diverse community members to share stories, music, art, experiences and build valuable friendships and networks.

A primary goal of Food Not Bombs is to also work against the enormous amounts of waste generated by our current food industry. Up to 27% of the food in North America is wasted every year. This amount of food could feed 49 million people across the world!

We specialize in the recovery of fruits, vegetables, bread and other food products that do not contain meat or dairy. Through agreements with farmers and store owners we set up a network of donations all consisting of items that would normally be thrown out by the owners as surplus.

The recovered items are then cooked and prepared and shared every Saturday from 5pm at our new location: Parc Compagnons de St. Laurent (cnr rue Mont Royal et rue Cartier). We also serve food at several local events such as the “Festival des Arts de la Rue”, “Etat d’Urgence (ATSA)”, and many other environmental and political events throughout the year.

We are a grassroots organization, striving to use the most environmentally friendly procedures in our projects. We do most of our food transportation with bicycles and bike trailers. We compost all of our organic waste. We recycle everything we use to prepare and serve our meals.

We hope that by setting an example of ecologically conscious food consumption and preparation, we can help promote a more healthy and collaborative community based lifestyle. We also hope to create awareness about the dangers stemming from the currently established system of over consumption .

Everyone is welcome to help source food, prepare meals and eat at our gatherings…

For more information please see our website: http://fnbmontreal.carrster.com (which will be updated shortly!)

cycling adventures with madame m. fox – part one

Vancouver – Victoria (and surrounds)
Distance Covered: 80km

Since arriving in Canada, Madame M. Fox (my well-loved mountain bike) and I have been aching to hit the road with panniers full of camping goodness. But where should we head?

All roads leading out of Vancouver beckoned with promises of beautiful scenery and adventures on the road. To the east, roads wound their way through thick coastal forest and up into the silvery, snow-capped mountains. Beyond the mountains lay the rugged prairies. The coastal mountain range, lakes, inlets of the Sunshine Coast were just north west of Vancouver, while the rolling hills, rainforests, old growth forests (well, what was left of them!), and scenic coastal lines of Vancouver island were just a short ferry ride from south Vancouver… so many choices! what to do?

But when we heard about Victoria’s 2009 Bike Prom, our decision was made. Who could resist an event that not only celebrates bikes, but promises to lure you back to the wonders of your high school graduation. hmmmm I was a tad curious….

So my plan evolved into a month of cycling up Vancouver Island and back down the Sunshine coast to arrive back in Vancouver around the beginning of June.

But first stop: Bike Prom! Bike Prom is an annual event hosted by bike-loving extraordinaires in Victoria – a city on the southern most tip of Vancouver island, the capital of British Columbia.

Held over three days, the event included bike races, art shows, moonlight mystery rides, bike polo games, bike films, and culminated in a massive masquerade-themed ball that seemed suspiciously similar to my high school prom (or ‘formal’ as we’d call it in Australia) only on bikes. One highlight of the evening was the pre-ball mystery ride which saw over 60 dressed-up cyclists weave their way through the streets of Victoria, whizz along the southern coastline of the island and scamper up a small hill to watch the sun go down where we were serenaded by local gypsy band Orkestar Slivovica.

Another highlight of the evening was seeing a performance by the Velovixens – a local bike-themed physical theatre group. Using theatre, dance, music, and imagery, they performed a simple yet effective and provocative piece called the ‘rat race’, which provided commentary on society’s obsession with materialism. With an astounding stage presence, these girls were an absolute hit with the audience who cheered and screamed wildly when they finished their number. It was so clear that the performers were enjoying every minute of being on stage and this enthusiasm, fun, energy and focus trickled back to the audience. We felt it. And that’s what the Velovixens are about. They aren’t interested in producing slick, polished high end art; they’re out to have fun, with a mind to educate and inform their audiences about varying ‘sustainability’ issues as they perform.

And so this was my introduction to Victoria. A sneak peak into the bike/art/activist scene. Quite a fun scene too.

Getting to Victoria from Vancouver was simply a ferry ride and a 30km bike ride from Swartz Bay along the Lochside Regional Trail – a cycling/walking trail that runs parallel to the highway. I was excited. Not only was I finally getting away from the chaos of Vancouver, I was able to do avoid the busy highway! The trail was formerly an old railway line and meanders through farmland, alongside beaches, and wetlands, down cute tree-lined lanes and through the outskits of Victoria’s suburbia. What luxury!

Victoria itself was originally home to several communities of First Nations peoples (including the Songhees) before the English and the Spanish came along. The english began using it as a Hudson Bay Company trading post in 1843, but once the gold rush started (1858) it became the main port of entry to colonies all over the island and british columbia. It became the provincial capital in 1871. It now has a regional population of 326,000 and given its moderate climate and scenic setting attracts hundreds of retirees and tourists alike each year.

May is possibly the best time to visit Victoria. Bright coloured tulips, dafodhils, roses and many more flowers are sprinkled all over the city. Maple trees are slowly uncurling new green leaves. Birds are chirping. People are out walking, cycling with big smiles on their faces. It has a bubbling energy that seems to have just sprung to life… so this is what spring is…

Thanks to the lovely Jenny (and Otesha connections!), I’ve been staying in a cute little apartment near Fernwood. There’s been lots of cozy chats and tea drinking, which has made me feel that home isn’t so far away. And with Jenny being in the middle of her teaching practicum (middle school), I’ve made an excellent guniea pig for various school activities and have learnt many things about the digestive system, life expectancy, the functioning of lungs and more!

next stop? Salt Spring Islands. Stay tuned!

(photo by Chris Davis)