Just a brief post today.
Earlier this week a good friend of mine sent me an excerpt from Pablo Neruda's poem, Ode to a Bicycle. Here it is:
I thought about evening when
the boys
wash up,
sing, eat, raise
a cup
of wine
in honor
of love
and life,
and waiting
at the door,
the bicycle,
stilled,
because
only moving
does it have a soul,
and fallen there
it isn't
a translucent insect
humming
through summer
but
a cold
skeleton
that will return to
life
only
when it's needed,
when it's light,
that is,
with
the
resurrection
of each day.
Sadly, my bike has not been moving much this past week due to a rather nasty puncture that has yet to be fixed, and she won't be moving much this week either as I'm off to Montreal tomorrow. I hope she won't mind if I cheat on her while I'm away... I promise when I'm home to give her some much deserved attention.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
2 wheels are sexier than 4
This weekend downtown Flint was a little more occupied than usual, due to the annual back to the bricks festival. For those unfamiliar with this event, it's an annual gathering of cars and car enthusiasts. People park their cars all along Saginaw Street and those not fortunate (or fortunate, depending on how you look at it) to own one of these classic vehicles wander up and down the street admiring these truly American inventions.
I had been joking with some friends about riding my bike up and down Saginaw with a hand-written "2 wheels are sexier than 4" sign attached to the back of my bike. While a lot of folks said I should or thought it would be hilarious, in the end I chose not to partly because there were so many people downtown that it would have been pretty difficult to ride, but also because I'm pretty sure it would not have gone down well with some people there and I didn't want to end up being pelted with empty beer cans.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking this event. I get that people put a lot of pride and hard work into restoring their cars, this is an opportunity to celebrate an important part of our city's history, and it's great to see so many people out in Flint on a summer's evening. However, as I walked along the bricks with some friends Friday night, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness amongst the celebration. Yes, the car helped to make Flint; to put us on the map so to speak. But it also played a major role in the decline of this city. Strolling past the cars, I felt as if we are clinging to a past that has proved both economically unviable (it's cheaper for cars to be made overseas) and that is keeping us from embracing a more sustainable and lower impact future.
Perhaps back to the bricks is simply for the old-timers of Flint. Those who remember when every Friday night downtown was buzzing like this weekend because everyone had a job and money in their pocket. These folk deserve a chance to celebrate. To be proud of what their city used to be. But I (and I know I'm not alone) still dream of what this city can be. Who knows, in many years to come those who travel to Flint especially for back to the bricks will be showing off their hybrids or electric cars. Or better yet, their sexy bicycles!
While I might still believe that 2 wheels are sexier than 4, I also understand that this city that I once again call home wouldn't be around if it wasn't for the invention of a certain 4-wheeled vehicle. For that I guess I'm sort of grateful.
I had been joking with some friends about riding my bike up and down Saginaw with a hand-written "2 wheels are sexier than 4" sign attached to the back of my bike. While a lot of folks said I should or thought it would be hilarious, in the end I chose not to partly because there were so many people downtown that it would have been pretty difficult to ride, but also because I'm pretty sure it would not have gone down well with some people there and I didn't want to end up being pelted with empty beer cans.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking this event. I get that people put a lot of pride and hard work into restoring their cars, this is an opportunity to celebrate an important part of our city's history, and it's great to see so many people out in Flint on a summer's evening. However, as I walked along the bricks with some friends Friday night, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness amongst the celebration. Yes, the car helped to make Flint; to put us on the map so to speak. But it also played a major role in the decline of this city. Strolling past the cars, I felt as if we are clinging to a past that has proved both economically unviable (it's cheaper for cars to be made overseas) and that is keeping us from embracing a more sustainable and lower impact future.
Perhaps back to the bricks is simply for the old-timers of Flint. Those who remember when every Friday night downtown was buzzing like this weekend because everyone had a job and money in their pocket. These folk deserve a chance to celebrate. To be proud of what their city used to be. But I (and I know I'm not alone) still dream of what this city can be. Who knows, in many years to come those who travel to Flint especially for back to the bricks will be showing off their hybrids or electric cars. Or better yet, their sexy bicycles!
While I might still believe that 2 wheels are sexier than 4, I also understand that this city that I once again call home wouldn't be around if it wasn't for the invention of a certain 4-wheeled vehicle. For that I guess I'm sort of grateful.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Birthday Bike Rides & Glorious Gardens
It's 2 am and for whatever reason I am awake, so in an attempt to use this time productively I figured I might as well post an update.
Quite a lot happened over the last week. For starters, I turned 28 last Friday. It wasn't as scary as I had once imagined it might be, although it was rather odd spending a birthday in Michigan. I couldn't quite recall when the last one was spent here so I guess that means it was a) rather uneventful or b) I'm definitely getting older if I'm struggling to remember things like this.
This year's celebrations were simple, but it's true that often those are the best. I spent the day with the folks down in Fenton where my lovely Mum made me pancakes for breakfast (a tradition that began in my old house in London). Next we had a quick visit to a nearby consignment shop where I picked up a few bargains for my little rooftop garden (more on that later). The afternoon was spent in Kensington Park, where after a little picnic (again, thanks to my lovely Mum) my Dad and I proceeded to go on a birthday bike ride around the lake. Are there such things as birthday resolutions? Well if not I'm making one anyway, and that is to go on more bike rides with my pops.
Then we continued south to Ann Arbor, where a viewing of the flim The Kids Are Alright and a pretty fancy dinner finished the day off quite nicely.
As I finally got paid at the end of July, this past week I was able to get around ordering some worms to begin a mini worm farm in my new home. After a few days worrying they may not arrive alive, they finally did and are now munching away on my veggie scraps and coffee grinds.
With my new-found riches I was also able to purchase a few more plants for my rooftop garden (which I mentioned earlier) so it's now looking like this:
For now I'm growing a few tomatoes, some red bell peppers and lil' chili peppers and a variety of herbs (pronounced with a hard H). The photos don't really do it justice, but when the sun is shining and the butterflies are flying I'm certainly very pleased with it.
In other garden related news, yesterday marked the 2nd annual Edible Flint Food Garden Tour. In addition to my interest in the tour, I had also arranged to take approximately 60 students from one of my classes to give them a glimpse of some of the beautiful things happening in the city. I do have to say a massive thanks to the folks who arranged the tour who organized an awesome event and helped me get approximately 60 freshmen registered, fed, and on a bus around downtown Flint! Of course, most of the class opted for the bus tour but a few adventurous souls joined me on the bike tour! We got to visit some glorious gardens (including a couple right in my neigborhood) and even got to taste a few goodies along the way.
After the recent Critical Mass bike ride, it was great to be cycling around the city with a large group of people again. On the tour I bumped into an old friend who I met while a member of the students for social change organization at UM-Flint (ah, the memories). It was also wonderful to get a glimpse of some of the amazing work being done in this city to equip and empower local people to grow (and in some cases sell) their own produce.
Since moving downtown almost three months ago and as part of my attempt to live a more simple and lower-impact lifestyle, I've been doing most of my shopping at the Farmer's Market and choosing to buy food that is both in season and that has been grown right here in the heart of Flint. Both my conscience and my body feel better for it, although I have to admit I'm running low on fresh ideas of what to do with a zucchini so any recipes would be much appreciated!!
The more I get out and about and see the amazing things that are happening here in Flint, the more I envision myself sticking around for longer. While this recent birthday made me very aware of how blessed I am to have made so many wonderful friends during my six years in London (and how much I miss them all so dearly), I'm also aware of just how much I learned from so many of them. I may not see much of them these days, but with every bike ride, cup of fairtrade coffee, stab at a new vegetarian recipe, attempt at knitting or even a listen to the sound of the smiths, it feels like they're right here with me.
Quite a lot happened over the last week. For starters, I turned 28 last Friday. It wasn't as scary as I had once imagined it might be, although it was rather odd spending a birthday in Michigan. I couldn't quite recall when the last one was spent here so I guess that means it was a) rather uneventful or b) I'm definitely getting older if I'm struggling to remember things like this.
This year's celebrations were simple, but it's true that often those are the best. I spent the day with the folks down in Fenton where my lovely Mum made me pancakes for breakfast (a tradition that began in my old house in London). Next we had a quick visit to a nearby consignment shop where I picked up a few bargains for my little rooftop garden (more on that later). The afternoon was spent in Kensington Park, where after a little picnic (again, thanks to my lovely Mum) my Dad and I proceeded to go on a birthday bike ride around the lake. Are there such things as birthday resolutions? Well if not I'm making one anyway, and that is to go on more bike rides with my pops.
Then we continued south to Ann Arbor, where a viewing of the flim The Kids Are Alright and a pretty fancy dinner finished the day off quite nicely.
As I finally got paid at the end of July, this past week I was able to get around ordering some worms to begin a mini worm farm in my new home. After a few days worrying they may not arrive alive, they finally did and are now munching away on my veggie scraps and coffee grinds.
With my new-found riches I was also able to purchase a few more plants for my rooftop garden (which I mentioned earlier) so it's now looking like this:
For now I'm growing a few tomatoes, some red bell peppers and lil' chili peppers and a variety of herbs (pronounced with a hard H). The photos don't really do it justice, but when the sun is shining and the butterflies are flying I'm certainly very pleased with it.
In other garden related news, yesterday marked the 2nd annual Edible Flint Food Garden Tour. In addition to my interest in the tour, I had also arranged to take approximately 60 students from one of my classes to give them a glimpse of some of the beautiful things happening in the city. I do have to say a massive thanks to the folks who arranged the tour who organized an awesome event and helped me get approximately 60 freshmen registered, fed, and on a bus around downtown Flint! Of course, most of the class opted for the bus tour but a few adventurous souls joined me on the bike tour! We got to visit some glorious gardens (including a couple right in my neigborhood) and even got to taste a few goodies along the way.
After the recent Critical Mass bike ride, it was great to be cycling around the city with a large group of people again. On the tour I bumped into an old friend who I met while a member of the students for social change organization at UM-Flint (ah, the memories). It was also wonderful to get a glimpse of some of the amazing work being done in this city to equip and empower local people to grow (and in some cases sell) their own produce.
Since moving downtown almost three months ago and as part of my attempt to live a more simple and lower-impact lifestyle, I've been doing most of my shopping at the Farmer's Market and choosing to buy food that is both in season and that has been grown right here in the heart of Flint. Both my conscience and my body feel better for it, although I have to admit I'm running low on fresh ideas of what to do with a zucchini so any recipes would be much appreciated!!
The more I get out and about and see the amazing things that are happening here in Flint, the more I envision myself sticking around for longer. While this recent birthday made me very aware of how blessed I am to have made so many wonderful friends during my six years in London (and how much I miss them all so dearly), I'm also aware of just how much I learned from so many of them. I may not see much of them these days, but with every bike ride, cup of fairtrade coffee, stab at a new vegetarian recipe, attempt at knitting or even a listen to the sound of the smiths, it feels like they're right here with me.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
nerds on 10 speeds
First, a note on this weeks title:
This morning while attempting to get out of bed I was browsing through some articles on my treehugger iphone app and I came across this rather interesting article.
I had a bit of a chuckle reading this, and as a proud "nerd on a 10 speed" I can testify to often getting the feeling that folks think I'm a loser/hippie/tree-hugging queer simply because I've decided to live without a car. Do I agree with the writer of this article that "there is hope for cool carless protagonists after all"? Well as much as I'd like to say yes, I just don't think I have the faith in Hollywood that this will happen anytime soon. However, I guess there are plenty of folk out there who will change their hairstyle/clothes/car to keep up with the latest celebrity trend so if we do see Brad Pitt on a bike on screen someday and it does motivate a few individuals to follow suit, I'm down with that.
This past weekend along with a few other bike-riding losers I took part in the first Flint Critical Mass. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept go here. In short it's a bicycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month that aims to draw attention to how unfriendly cities (and drivers) can often be towards cyclists. Here's a pic I pinched from the facebook page of the first brave few who braved the streets of downtown Flint:
It was great to get out on the street with a few other like-minded folk who enjoy the pleasures of a bike ride but who also want to see this city become more aware and accepting of it's ever growing cycling community. Unfortunately I will likely have to miss the next one as one of the courses that I'm teaching has it's final exam the same day (which I feel is officially the worst time ever in the history of exam times: a Friday night!). I will however certainly be at the next one, and the one after that and hope that the numbers will continue to grow.
I'm slowly learning that it's perfectly possible to have a very enjoyable and productive existence in this city while relying only on a bike. Highlights of this past weekend included:
Friday: After Critical Mass I had dinner at 501's with on old friend followed by a visit to the Torch and then to the Loft for Flint Ninja Night and a rather late ride home.
Saturday: Once I was finally up the day commenced with a leisurely ride down to the farmer's market to stock up on some yummy goodies. This was followed by a not so leisurely walking of my bike (and shopping) home as I had inadvertently given myself a flat tire while attempting to lock up my bike (I know, how does this happen you might ask?) The day was finished off with a ride down through the cultural center to see a performance of the Neverending Story at Flint Youth Theatre.
Sunday: After a short ride down to Church and back, a lazy afternoon at home I once again jumped on the bike for another visit to FYT for a rehearsed-reading of the play boom by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. I enjoyed the show and the fun times at the White Horse Tavern after with a few more old friends I haven't seen in a while.
I'm aware that before I know it the summer will be drawing to an end and then it may become harder to get around with just the bike. But for the time being I'm enjoying the weather and the riding and don't have plans to stop anytime soon.
This morning while attempting to get out of bed I was browsing through some articles on my treehugger iphone app and I came across this rather interesting article.
I had a bit of a chuckle reading this, and as a proud "nerd on a 10 speed" I can testify to often getting the feeling that folks think I'm a loser/hippie/tree-hugging queer simply because I've decided to live without a car. Do I agree with the writer of this article that "there is hope for cool carless protagonists after all"? Well as much as I'd like to say yes, I just don't think I have the faith in Hollywood that this will happen anytime soon. However, I guess there are plenty of folk out there who will change their hairstyle/clothes/car to keep up with the latest celebrity trend so if we do see Brad Pitt on a bike on screen someday and it does motivate a few individuals to follow suit, I'm down with that.
This past weekend along with a few other bike-riding losers I took part in the first Flint Critical Mass. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept go here. In short it's a bicycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month that aims to draw attention to how unfriendly cities (and drivers) can often be towards cyclists. Here's a pic I pinched from the facebook page of the first brave few who braved the streets of downtown Flint:
It was great to get out on the street with a few other like-minded folk who enjoy the pleasures of a bike ride but who also want to see this city become more aware and accepting of it's ever growing cycling community. Unfortunately I will likely have to miss the next one as one of the courses that I'm teaching has it's final exam the same day (which I feel is officially the worst time ever in the history of exam times: a Friday night!). I will however certainly be at the next one, and the one after that and hope that the numbers will continue to grow.
I'm slowly learning that it's perfectly possible to have a very enjoyable and productive existence in this city while relying only on a bike. Highlights of this past weekend included:
Friday: After Critical Mass I had dinner at 501's with on old friend followed by a visit to the Torch and then to the Loft for Flint Ninja Night and a rather late ride home.
Saturday: Once I was finally up the day commenced with a leisurely ride down to the farmer's market to stock up on some yummy goodies. This was followed by a not so leisurely walking of my bike (and shopping) home as I had inadvertently given myself a flat tire while attempting to lock up my bike (I know, how does this happen you might ask?) The day was finished off with a ride down through the cultural center to see a performance of the Neverending Story at Flint Youth Theatre.
Sunday: After a short ride down to Church and back, a lazy afternoon at home I once again jumped on the bike for another visit to FYT for a rehearsed-reading of the play boom by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. I enjoyed the show and the fun times at the White Horse Tavern after with a few more old friends I haven't seen in a while.
I'm aware that before I know it the summer will be drawing to an end and then it may become harder to get around with just the bike. But for the time being I'm enjoying the weather and the riding and don't have plans to stop anytime soon.
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