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.

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.

The Bicycle Thief

Don’t worry; my bike is still in my possession.

My title is referring to the 1948 Italian film of the same name, directed by Vittorio De Sica.

I watched the film for the first time about a week ago. I’ve just joined Netflix so I’ve been watching a lot of films. Mostly foreign.

This really is a lovely film, with such a simple plot. In my playwriting class I’ve been talking about how all characters in plays, films, novels, etc go on some sort of journey. Whether that journey takes the character across oceans, to the moon, or down the street to fetch a pint of milk doesn’t matter. It’s what happens to them on their journey, what they learn about themselves along the way and how or if they are changed in any way at the end of their journey. The journey in this film is not a long one, but boy is it an important one.

As I’ve been told in the past that I often spoil films for friends by revealing the ending before they’ve seen it, I won’t say anymore about the film. Although there’s a big clue as to what happens in the title and if you haven’t already seen it you should as soon as you can.

Incidentally, my housemate Tom almost had his bike stolen this week. He was visiting a couple in our neighbourhood and came out to find a guy about to ride away on his wheels. The bike wasn’t locked up so I guess you can’t really blame the guy (I think my viewing of the aforementioned film has made me a little more sympathetic towards bicycle thieves) but I wish we did live in a neighbourhood where you can happily leave your bike outside knowing it will still be there when you return.

I love my bike and don’t want to take any chances of it getting stolen, which is often why I use two locks when I leave it out for an extended period of time. One is my old D-lock I used with my previous bike in London. The other is a Mega chain lock that must weigh about 10-15lbs and cost me half of what I actually paid for my bike! If someone was able to break through both of those locks and take my bike, I guess I’d have to take my hat off to them for their excellent thieving skills.

In other news, this week I’ve finally got around to exploring part of the Flint River Trail, which has been on my cycling to-do list for a while. Yesterday I rode down to the Farmers Market to pick up some fresh milk, bread and a few veggies. The glass milk bottles made it home safely in my panniers, much to my relief. I can make pretty much the whole journey there and back on the trail as it winds through the UM-Flint Campus towards the Market. Then last night I ventured out a little further on the trail towards Kearsley Park as I was going to a concert there. I have to admit the ride there and back was more enjoyable than the concert itself, but it was nice to see a lot of people out in the park making the most of a rather overcast summers eve.

With the addition of cycling lanes downtown and the soon to be completed bike path on the west side of the city, it’s good to know this city is starting to take cycling a little more seriously.

On yer bike to fight climate change!

Just last week I stumbled upon a pretty awesome website about a new initiative called the 2 mile challenge. It’s sponsored by CLIF bar, makers of some yummy organic energy bars.

I was really happy to discover this, as I have to admit since I’ve arrived back in the US there has been little in the way of climate change related activism to get me really excited. Living in London for six years it was virtually impossible to go a day without seeing or hearing about another creative way to get people to wake up to the realities of climate change.

What’s this 2-mile challenge about then? Well if you haven’t already, stop reading this and check out the website yourself: www.2milechallenge.com

Or if you’d rather keep reading for now, here’s a little summary from yours truly along with some rather startling statistics that I found on the site.

In short, this challenge is all about encouraging folks to give up the car now and then and jump on a bike instead. You simply register online, join a virtual team (riding for one of three wonderful causes) and log your miles. The winning virtual team gets a $25,000 grant for their charity. I’m riding for the alliance for climate education.

So why should you do it? Well it’s better for you and the planet of course!

Alarmingly, in the US 40% of all trips are 2 miles or less. What’s worse is that a whopping 90% of those trips are made by car (grrrrr).

Something else I learned? That the US has more bike owners per capita then most countries, but it is near the bottom of the list for using them.

That statistic in particular makes me rather sad for several reasons.

On my first visit to Kenya I remember quite vividly walking along a dusty road with a group I was working with when suddenly a boy appeared on a beautiful old bicycle. The sheer excitement the sight of a bicycle brought to many in our group was incredible. There were plenty of smiles and laughter as we took it in turns to ride the bike.



In places like Kenya and many other African countries, bicycles are often the only means of transportation for health workers and teachers to travel huge distances to reach out to some of the most needy people in their communities.

The image of thousands (perhaps millions?) of bikes sitting in dusty old garages across America really breaks my heart. There’s something lovely about getting on a bike that many Americans are missing out on. A gentle breeze across your face or a reminder of a time when things were much simpler. I could go on…

If I chose to, I could certainly afford to own a car. Some still show a little smirk when I try to explain why I don’t. This week however I’ve been reminded of what a gift it is to simply own a bike, let alone ride it! And I’m reminded once again of what an incredible gift our planet is. Okay, riding in the heat this last week has not been fun but knowing I’m doing what I can to curb my carbon emissions is worth it.

So if you’re one of those Americans (or insert your own nationality here) who have had a bike sitting in the garage for a while, I urge you to dust her off and take her for a ride this week.

Or if not, donate it here: www.bicycles-for-humanity.org and send it to someone who can really use it.

Happy travels.

Happy Independence (from Oil) Day

Okay, so I know I'm officially two days late, but I just saw this image on the guardian's website and felt the need to share it.

It's a heart-breaking image, but one more reason why I'm going to get on my bike again today despite the 92F forecast.

Click here to see the image in it's original location.

un-packing

I am now one of the newest residents of Oak Street in Flint.

Last Saturday I moved the rest of my stuff up from my parent’s house in Fenton. After several months of living out of suitcases and having all of my books and other precious things boxed up, it has been lovely to finally unpack and settle into my new home.

I’m living with my old friends Tom & Rachel Wyatt, their four-month-old daughter Hannah, Esther and Dewey (the cats) and Lucy the Rottweiler. Both Tom and Rachel work for the Salvation Army and are committed to developing an incarnational ministry here in Flint, which is a passion I also share. The neighborhood is certainly an interesting place. Just last night Tom and I shared a bit of a laugh at the drama unfolding between a husband and wife next door. Forget reality TV-our neighbors provide plenty of real life drama. Aristotle believed that Tragedy was the highest form of Drama. If that were the case, the cast of characters that make up this street would certainly not be out of place in a Greek Drama of epic proportions.

Now I am living downtown, I have been able to bid farewell (for now) to the long Fenton-Flint bike rides. I no longer have to carry a change of clothing and various other bits in my panniers. The weather has been pleasant enough that I can ride from point A to B and not even break a sweat. It’s been lovely to cycle to the University (where I begin teaching next week), down to the local market to pick up some bits, and even to get a well-needed haircut.

I even had my first night-ride since arriving back in the US. I’ve been a little nervous to ride at night here, as there just isn’t as much street lighting as there is in the UK. Of course I have my bike lights, but they only do so much. I may have to invest in some sexy high visibility clothing if I’m going to continue with the night riding…

I’ve had to improvise when it comes to bike security a little this week. There is plenty of bike parking at the University, but elsewhere it becomes a bit of a problem. Thank goodness I invested in a mega chain that weighs about 10lbs and can securely lock my lovely bike to a small tree, fence, or lamppost when necessary.

I have to say I have been missing a lot of friends and London quite a bit this week. I’m not exactly sure where it’s come from, but I suspect it may have something to do with my un-packing. It might also have something to do with the sheer shock most people display when I tell them I’ve just moved back to Flint from London! While I was still living out of a suitcase I felt in somewhat of a transitional stage, but the act of un-packing has brought with it a new sense of permanence. I don’t know how long I’m going to be here, but I am determined to make the most of it.

expectations

I’ve not been back in Flint for that long. I’ve probably only been here about five or six weeks, but already many of my expectations for my return to Flint have been proved wrong.

I’ve been cycling from my current home (with the parents) in Fenton up to Flint for a few weeks now. I don't ride every day, but when necessary. It’s a long ride (approximately 28 miles round trip), so I’ve been trying to take it easy as I get back into riding after a pretty long break while I was making my way across the Atlantic. I'm moving to Flint in around a week, so the long rides are just a temporary thing.

One of the things that has surprised me most is how bike-friendly Flint is slowly becoming. Cycle lanes have recently been added to most of the downtown streets. Even my rides on some of the busier roads on the outskirts of the city aren’t as scary as I imagined them to be. Perhaps I should knock on some wood before I write this next thought, but I have to say that for the most part mid-Michigan drivers have shown me courtesy and shared the road with me in a rather polite manner. I often see other cyclists (especially downtown), but many of them ride mostly on the sidewalks and no one except me seems particularly fond of helmets.

The ride from Fenton to Flint is tough but I do enjoy it. I’m not loving all the road-kill and potholes I have to dodge, but the dead animals are a gentle yet often smelly reminder of why it’s important to be careful on the road. One especially hot days when my destination seems incredibly far and I start to doubt my plan to live without a car, I try to think of the oil spill and images of other animals who given the choice, might rather have been a victim of the road and not the oil ridden ocean that was once their home.

I’ve been able to have a few short conversations with people about why I do not plan to buy a car, and even though I often sense a little cynicism I hope some aspect of my story might cause them to look at their own lives and see if even simple changes can be made.

Another thing that has somewhat surprised me upon my return is how busy I am suddenly becoming. In a community where unemployment is rife, I am very much blessed to have several work opportunities coming my way all in my chosen profession. (Take that those who say a degree in the arts is a wasted degree!)

Just a few days ago I rode up to Flint to meet a few folks at the Glenwood Cemetery who are part of an awesome project I'm now working on called “Restoration of Spirit.” It’s a site-specific piece of theatre, meaning the play takes place in a location other than a traditional theatre. In this case, it’s a cemetery. The play will explore the history of Flint and the stories of the people who built this city, but also explore the concept of how places such as this cemetery have (and can) serve as a place to restore both our spirit and our city. The sexton and caretaker of the cemetery gave us a tour and one of the first things he discussed was how the industries in Flint changed significantly over time. In the very early days Flint was a lumber town. Soon the lumber was used to build carriages, which eventually gave way to the automobile. Walking around this magical place, I couldn’t help but think how the timing of this piece seems to fit so well. Here we are with a wonderful opportunity with acres of space and jobless people who could become a part of another new industry. One that puts the planet and people first. I know I’m a bit of an idealist, but as one of my favorite blur songs goes “it really, really, really could happen.”

Riding home in the heavy heat later that day, I couldn’t help but smile thinking of what the future of this fine city might be.