So the busy days continue, but Maxime still thinks we're not doing enough. Sorry if we miss so many dinners at our host families and are late because many of us are tired. Geez.
So Saturdays business. I found myself at the Farmer's Market once again, only this time with group members. We had homework, that is, to find ingredients for a salmon / salad dish. We were split into 4 groups; two were at the Farmer's Market finding ingredients either local or local and organic, and the other two groups were at Safeway finding the same, all groups finding the cheapest. After, a few of us went to Parkinson Rec Center to volunteer and help set up for a little kids Halloween Howl event. Met a girl with an interesting name: Bogey, short for Boglarka. Cute. We got dressed for Leah and Kassie's halloween party after. I went as the ever-stealthy Canadian ninja (I say Canadian because, well, I AM, and I wore my black long johns) Gary went as the fearful Chinese pirate. His ARGH could use some work though. The party was sweet! Great food, good costumes. The Chinese participants got right into it. It was a party, so a few of us were drinking. It was so much fun, lots of us, all of the Canadians as well, decided to stay the night. We stayed up late, watched Candyman; it was one big spoon fest in that tiny basement. So, in my opinion, a good night! Some of us went for breakfast the next morning. I returned home to find the damage from my host sisters halloween party. Apparently some; stolen shoes, mysterious water damage to xbox, lost cell phone. But I felt way better after I made an after-party mondo burger! Sunday was just recharging. No, I was not hungover. Monday, I started my new volunteer job at the Rotary Center for the Arts. Wendy and I helped put together straight wreaths for a very posh Christmas party of sorts that we haven't heard much about. I spray painted Christmas decorations gold for the morning and then helped assemble the wreaths. It was a pretty basic day. Very little excitement, but nice people. The hour lunch wasn't bad either. And then there's today. We went to a Bed and Breakfast run by a communist organic farmer. His views on todays farming methods and forms of selling produce were a little pessimistic, but seemed very accurate as far as I thought and believe myself. But he wasn't our CAD. Actually, his B & B was just the hosting place for a small discussion from a woman. We brought up our two homework assignments (the other one being to stand in a room and list absolutely every object we could see: book, alarm clock, deodorant, table, MP3, everything!) We listed that and the ingredients and we discussed how we really don't need all of those things. We labelled them as necessary, useful but not necessary, making us happy or comfortable, or useless. We found a good few necessary, most useful but not necessary and lots for comfort, but could label next to none useless. We discussed the reasoning for this, exceptions, and just how society dictates and provides the situation for us to call these things useful or necessary or just for comfort. It was a very enlightening conversation. Although I'm sure none of us will just give up our consumeristic lifestyle like that, it was an eye opener just doing the excercise. It was a good bike ride back to the Friendship Center where we watched Beijing Bicycle, a good movie about 4 lives interconnected through a bike. Those asian bike gangs sure can deliver one hell of a beat down, but that's nothing that a good ol' brick to the back of the head won't fix! They sure love their bikes! Worth renting. And by a series of misevents, I missed volleyball. Damn't. I love volleyball! Ugh. Tomorrow's another EAD, at Summerhill Winery again actually. So that means getting up early. Another pillow on the bus. Sigh.
So Saturdays business. I found myself at the Farmer's Market once again, only this time with group members. We had homework, that is, to find ingredients for a salmon / salad dish. We were split into 4 groups; two were at the Farmer's Market finding ingredients either local or local and organic, and the other two groups were at Safeway finding the same, all groups finding the cheapest. After, a few of us went to Parkinson Rec Center to volunteer and help set up for a little kids Halloween Howl event. Met a girl with an interesting name: Bogey, short for Boglarka. Cute. We got dressed for Leah and Kassie's halloween party after. I went as the ever-stealthy Canadian ninja (I say Canadian because, well, I AM, and I wore my black long johns) Gary went as the fearful Chinese pirate. His ARGH could use some work though. The party was sweet! Great food, good costumes. The Chinese participants got right into it. It was a party, so a few of us were drinking. It was so much fun, lots of us, all of the Canadians as well, decided to stay the night. We stayed up late, watched Candyman; it was one big spoon fest in that tiny basement. So, in my opinion, a good night! Some of us went for breakfast the next morning. I returned home to find the damage from my host sisters halloween party. Apparently some; stolen shoes, mysterious water damage to xbox, lost cell phone. But I felt way better after I made an after-party mondo burger! Sunday was just recharging. No, I was not hungover. Monday, I started my new volunteer job at the Rotary Center for the Arts. Wendy and I helped put together straight wreaths for a very posh Christmas party of sorts that we haven't heard much about. I spray painted Christmas decorations gold for the morning and then helped assemble the wreaths. It was a pretty basic day. Very little excitement, but nice people. The hour lunch wasn't bad either. And then there's today. We went to a Bed and Breakfast run by a communist organic farmer. His views on todays farming methods and forms of selling produce were a little pessimistic, but seemed very accurate as far as I thought and believe myself. But he wasn't our CAD. Actually, his B & B was just the hosting place for a small discussion from a woman. We brought up our two homework assignments (the other one being to stand in a room and list absolutely every object we could see: book, alarm clock, deodorant, table, MP3, everything!) We listed that and the ingredients and we discussed how we really don't need all of those things. We labelled them as necessary, useful but not necessary, making us happy or comfortable, or useless. We found a good few necessary, most useful but not necessary and lots for comfort, but could label next to none useless. We discussed the reasoning for this, exceptions, and just how society dictates and provides the situation for us to call these things useful or necessary or just for comfort. It was a very enlightening conversation. Although I'm sure none of us will just give up our consumeristic lifestyle like that, it was an eye opener just doing the excercise. It was a good bike ride back to the Friendship Center where we watched Beijing Bicycle, a good movie about 4 lives interconnected through a bike. Those asian bike gangs sure can deliver one hell of a beat down, but that's nothing that a good ol' brick to the back of the head won't fix! They sure love their bikes! Worth renting. And by a series of misevents, I missed volleyball. Damn't. I love volleyball! Ugh. Tomorrow's another EAD, at Summerhill Winery again actually. So that means getting up early. Another pillow on the bus. Sigh.
No comments:
Post a Comment