Hello Everyone,
Happy belated Easter! I know I haven't updated in a long time but I have just gotten back from a week long retreat on the isle of Erraid. A roughly one square foot island with eight full time inhabitants. The island is mainly self sufficient, so my class (there are 18 of us) spent our time there helping in the garden, chopping wood, making candles, helping them cook and one day we went on an island wide sheep round up! This sounds far more exciting than it actually was. What I pictured when I heard we were going on a sheep round up was a chaotic scene involving chasing sheep and stampeding sheep herds. What actually happened was we all lined up in a giant row (there were 38 people altogether) and walked across the island until we encircled the sheep. It was more like a leisurely stroll that happened to involve sheep.
More facts about our stay on Erraid: we drank rainwater, washed/showered in water from a peat bog, ate food that was grown there, our houses were heated by wood stoves, used composting toilets and some people had milk that was still warm from the cow! As a disclaimer, they did have electricity (for lights/fridges etc) that was provided by a nuclear power plant.
Robert Louis Stevenson (yes the author of treasure island) used the island of Erraid as the place for his novel, Kidnapped! The hero of the book David Balfour is shipwrecked and comes ashore on the south coast of Erraid at a sandy bay. (Stevenson's uncle built lighthouses and cottages on the island) So it was generally a fun week. It was basically our spring break as we had no academic work, just physical work. Pictures will be up shortly, no worries.
On Sunday I laid outside in the sun all day and ended up getting sunburn on my face! Since it was April Fools my house snuck into the boy's house and put logs in their beds. I realize that it doesn't sound funny, but it was slightly humorous Nobody did anything for April Fool's day and we decided around 11PM that we had to do something. At that point, logs were the best thing we could come up with.
Monday was the only day that we didn't have beautiful weather. I worked in the kitchen in the morning to help make lunch (I made flapjacks, exciting, I know) and in the afternoon I helped turn over a garden plot by pulling up the turf/grass.
Tuesday I don't remember. I think I worked in the Garden in the morning and took a nap in the afternoon?
Wednesday was the sheep round up. Don't worry I have pictures.
Thursday was our free day. Most of our group decided to take the ferry to Iona. The Island of Iona is the symbolic center of Scottish Christianity. In 563 AD Saint Columba landed there to establish a monastery and to convert Scotland and Northern England to Christianity. Iona is known as a place of learning and Christian mission spread throughout Europe and it has become a major site of pilgrimage. Several Kings have been buried there, including Macbeth. It was a very beautiful, holy and peaceful place. If the opportunity arises for me to go back there again, I'll do it.
Friday we cleaned up in the morning and hiked to a prayer pole that Tim had made earlier. We all wrote out a prayer and tied it to the pole. The idea is that future generations of FCS students will return to the pole and be able to read what we prayed for and also add their own prayers.
Erraid was also beautiful with white sand beaches, coves, and turquoise water. All the girls hiked to Balfour's Bay (named after the character in Kidnapped) and sunbathed and read and just relaxed. It was so surreal to be on a tropical looking beach then look over and see sheep grazing.
Saturday we came home.
The past few days have been pretty low key. I have a lot of academic stuff to do. This is a long update so I'll post more later. Thanks for bearing with me and this 'simply the facts' post!
xoxo
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
History, Sweating, and Camping
Hello again,
So I know that I haven't been updating regularly, who wants to be inside with a laptop when it is sunny and beautiful and 70* outside?
I will admit that it is hard to remember what happened the past week, but I will do my best. In one of my classes we talked about alternative energy and then we got to go inside (but not up) one of the wind turbines. That was kind of cool. I also learned about tidal power and wave power, which was interesting because I didn't even know that those were possibilities. I also learned that bat's get killed flying into wind turbines, which was not cool. However, if you put out a radar signal (one as weak as a radar gun) from the top of the turbine then they will avoid it.
In another class (group dynamics & conflict facilitation) we learned about non violent communication. It is difficult to explain but is basically a way to communicate based on focusing on what you are observing, feeling, needing, and then making a request. I know that's not a good explanation, for a better one click here. Part of the idea is that behind every feeling there is a need that is not being met and non violent communication focuses more on the need than the feeling.
On Thursday, we went on an outing to Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairn. Culloden Battlefield is the site of the last ever battle to be fought on British soil. It was a giant, bloody battle; many people view it as a battle between the Scots and the English but it's slightly more complex than that. If you are really interested you can click here. Clava Cairns are 4000 year old burial mounds/astrological awsomeness. They were originally beehive shaped burial chambers or mounds but are roofless now. Two them were built with such precision that the passageways leading into them align with the point on the horizon where the sun sets on the summer solstice so they sun rays shine right into the cairn.
On Friday we sweat our prayers in a sweat lodge. We had to take off all of our jewelry because it would get so hot that it could burn us. I have never sweat so much in my life. It was like being back in the womb, pitch black and incredibly hot. We sung and prayed and it was incredible. Words would not do it justice and so I will not even attempt to explain it. You will just have to trust me.
On Saturday a few of the guys in our group decided to bike an hour and a half to caves by the ocean that have pictish stone carvings in them and to camp there. The rest of the guys went to the pubs so we had a girls night. We had girly talk all night and looked up our astrological charts and ate popcorn.
Last night, (Sunday) I decided to sleep outside (in the sand dunes) with my friend Nicole. We managed to find two sleeping bags from people in the community AND someone showed us this amazing hidden shack in the middle of the sand dunes. Andrew and Debbie (a girl my age who we randomly met who is staying with Mo) came out with us and they started a little fire for us and we all hung out for a while. I slept with my thermals, leggings, flannel pants, two pairs of socks, three shirts on and a winter had and STILL woke up cold throughout the night. While it is nice and warm during the day, it's still freezing at night and when we woke up around 8 am everything outside was covered in frosty dew. Then we ate breakfast on top of a roof and then had work departments (cleaning at Cluny) all day. We actually hitch hiked there (we wanted to have lunch there and the bus only goes there after lunch) and ate lunch with Wilhemina; this amazing old(er) woman who used to do homecare there with us but now works in the dining hall. She's kind of a motherly figure to us and listens to us and gives advice.
Every day here the sun stays out longer and longer; yesterday was actually daylight savings time. It's 8 PM now and STILL pretty light out, I love it. I feel like my entire personality has changed since it started to get warm and sunny outside. Everyday is amazing and wonderful and sunny; I love love love love LOVE it. I've been taking long walks down the beach, swinging on swings, laying in the grass, just soaking up the sunny goodness.
I almost forgot! I'm learning how to play the Didgeridoo! Well, kind of. Craig, one of the community members plays it and he taught me and a few other students a little about it. There's no use playing it until you can circular breathe, which I can't. Yet. I've been practicing. So I'll keep you updated on that. I guess I'm not really learning how to play the didgeridoo, I'm learning how to breathe right, but it's a step in the right direction.
Anyway, Aunt Kay- Some zoning regulations and policies are just stupid. I say build it anyway and practice civil disobedience! I think that you know way more about alternative energy than I do. And build Tinytown so I can move in and live with you! I'll help build it! I hope that your goats are all awesome. I have decided that one hundred years in the future when I have my own house and job I want to have one (pygmy) goat, a sheep, a horse and a dog. Maybe two of everything so they don't get lonely. Do goats get lonely?
And finally, new pictures are up. Check here.
Cheers!
So I know that I haven't been updating regularly, who wants to be inside with a laptop when it is sunny and beautiful and 70* outside?
I will admit that it is hard to remember what happened the past week, but I will do my best. In one of my classes we talked about alternative energy and then we got to go inside (but not up) one of the wind turbines. That was kind of cool. I also learned about tidal power and wave power, which was interesting because I didn't even know that those were possibilities. I also learned that bat's get killed flying into wind turbines, which was not cool. However, if you put out a radar signal (one as weak as a radar gun) from the top of the turbine then they will avoid it.
In another class (group dynamics & conflict facilitation) we learned about non violent communication. It is difficult to explain but is basically a way to communicate based on focusing on what you are observing, feeling, needing, and then making a request. I know that's not a good explanation, for a better one click here. Part of the idea is that behind every feeling there is a need that is not being met and non violent communication focuses more on the need than the feeling.
On Thursday, we went on an outing to Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairn. Culloden Battlefield is the site of the last ever battle to be fought on British soil. It was a giant, bloody battle; many people view it as a battle between the Scots and the English but it's slightly more complex than that. If you are really interested you can click here. Clava Cairns are 4000 year old burial mounds/astrological awsomeness. They were originally beehive shaped burial chambers or mounds but are roofless now. Two them were built with such precision that the passageways leading into them align with the point on the horizon where the sun sets on the summer solstice so they sun rays shine right into the cairn.
On Friday we sweat our prayers in a sweat lodge. We had to take off all of our jewelry because it would get so hot that it could burn us. I have never sweat so much in my life. It was like being back in the womb, pitch black and incredibly hot. We sung and prayed and it was incredible. Words would not do it justice and so I will not even attempt to explain it. You will just have to trust me.
On Saturday a few of the guys in our group decided to bike an hour and a half to caves by the ocean that have pictish stone carvings in them and to camp there. The rest of the guys went to the pubs so we had a girls night. We had girly talk all night and looked up our astrological charts and ate popcorn.
Last night, (Sunday) I decided to sleep outside (in the sand dunes) with my friend Nicole. We managed to find two sleeping bags from people in the community AND someone showed us this amazing hidden shack in the middle of the sand dunes. Andrew and Debbie (a girl my age who we randomly met who is staying with Mo) came out with us and they started a little fire for us and we all hung out for a while. I slept with my thermals, leggings, flannel pants, two pairs of socks, three shirts on and a winter had and STILL woke up cold throughout the night. While it is nice and warm during the day, it's still freezing at night and when we woke up around 8 am everything outside was covered in frosty dew. Then we ate breakfast on top of a roof and then had work departments (cleaning at Cluny) all day. We actually hitch hiked there (we wanted to have lunch there and the bus only goes there after lunch) and ate lunch with Wilhemina; this amazing old(er) woman who used to do homecare there with us but now works in the dining hall. She's kind of a motherly figure to us and listens to us and gives advice.
Every day here the sun stays out longer and longer; yesterday was actually daylight savings time. It's 8 PM now and STILL pretty light out, I love it. I feel like my entire personality has changed since it started to get warm and sunny outside. Everyday is amazing and wonderful and sunny; I love love love love LOVE it. I've been taking long walks down the beach, swinging on swings, laying in the grass, just soaking up the sunny goodness.
I almost forgot! I'm learning how to play the Didgeridoo! Well, kind of. Craig, one of the community members plays it and he taught me and a few other students a little about it. There's no use playing it until you can circular breathe, which I can't. Yet. I've been practicing. So I'll keep you updated on that. I guess I'm not really learning how to play the didgeridoo, I'm learning how to breathe right, but it's a step in the right direction.
Anyway, Aunt Kay- Some zoning regulations and policies are just stupid. I say build it anyway and practice civil disobedience! I think that you know way more about alternative energy than I do. And build Tinytown so I can move in and live with you! I'll help build it! I hope that your goats are all awesome. I have decided that one hundred years in the future when I have my own house and job I want to have one (pygmy) goat, a sheep, a horse and a dog. Maybe two of everything so they don't get lonely. Do goats get lonely?
And finally, new pictures are up. Check here.
Cheers!
Monday, March 19, 2007
a two week long update
Hello everyone-
I know that I’ve been absent for nearly two weeks. As everyone knows, Grandpa died two weeks ago and I took an online hiatus to process through it. When I found out, it was the first sunny day in a week of gray drizzle. I believe that Grandpa is in a better place and I feel very peaceful because I feel that he can finally see where I am right now in Scotland, instead of just reading about it. I like to believe that I'm carrying his presence around with me, it's a very good feeling. His funeral sounded beautiful, I wish I could have been there to see Nate in full uniform present Grandma with the flag. I bet it was amazing to see all of the people at the funeral whose lives Grandpa had touched. I am genuinely sorry that I could not physically be there, however I was there in spirit.
So that was the beginning of a long two weeks. Schoolwork has picked up quite a bit, and while I complain and procrastinate about it just as much as I did at University of Vermont, the workload is honestly much lighter. It's all relative. We watched an amazing movie called "The Power Of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" and it was so eye opening. I think that if our society doesn't change our value system or start to address the fact that oil WILL run out then we will be taking lessons from Cuba. How ironic would that be?! Cuba is the only economy in the world to have transitioned from being dependent on petroleum and natural gas to reducing to a fraction of former use. The government actually rose to the challenge and helped the transition. The government provided food for everyone initially and also FREE healthcare AND education. Oh Cuba. So, that was interesting. Part of me wants to sneak into Cuba and start a life there so I’ll make it through the peak oil crisis.
Besides that, all 18 of us students decided to sign out of dinner and cook our own. We had a potluck dinner, which was quite the ordeal as everyone in the group has different dietary needs. Actually, my friend Nora describes it way better than I ever could, so I’m just going to be lazy and paste what she wrote about it: "For us, this meant a lot of steps: signing out of dinner so the cooks could adjust quantities, getting passwords and keys into the other food sheds (besides the one where we get all our oatcakes and apples), being aware of all the different dietary needs in our group, coming up with enough ingredients for some semblance of a dish, preparing it, and organizing enough dinner utensils for everyone to join together in one house. I was prepared for it to be really shabby, thrown together, and our house opted to just make a raw dessert (apples, soaked sunflower seeds and raisins, dried coconut, and cinnamon, delicious!) and bring some food from the Community Center (CC, where we eat all our other meals), just to make sure we would all have enough food. I was blown away though, as everyone prepared loads of delicious food, all with an awareness of who could eat what, and spent money (not very much at all) and spent all afternoon baking spelt bread and EVERYTHING you could possible think of. We set up our classroom in a big, clean circle and attuned and everyone shared what they were bringing and what was in it and we all made toasts and there was so much joy. It was one of the first times we have really felt like a family to me." It was really touching and I felt like I was home. Afterwards we all just lay on the floor digesting food and sharing funny stories. Eventually we had a little dance party. It was quite different from any Saturday night that I would have had in Burlington, but everyone left feeling very happy and full of love. There are a few pictures of it up on my website. It was by far the best potluck I have ever attended.
(P.S. AS I WRITE THIS, IT IS SNOWING!)
During some point last week, we organized a showing of "the revolution will not be televised” which was a documentary about the coup surrounding Hugo Chavez in 2002. It was filmed by people who just happened to be in the right place in the right time. The film has been withdrawn from commercial distribution and Amnesty International confirmed that it was withdrawn from their 2003 Vancouver film festival due to threats of violence, not due to claims of inaccurate content. It was most definitely a radical viewpoint that depicted the coup as being US backed with the Venezuelan media in on the scheme, lying to the people about the coupe and taking the state owned channel off the air so it was unable to broadcast the truth. Chavez was taken out of Venezuela with the help of the CIA and the people rallied to support Chavez, once the military realized what was happening they too refused to support the coup. I'm not saying that Chavez is perfect, I will admit that I don't know anything about the situation, but I have realized that you can't trust the media AT ALL and need to do your own research on everything and not take anything for what it says. (Including this documentary) But it is worth seeing. I love how the showing of this was organized independently of class and how we all discussed it afterwards. It sure beats watching mindless movies to just pass the time.
Speaking of passing the time, we are running out of things to do here. Recently someone had a few sips of their own urine on a dare, it was the most entertaining thing that had happened in quite a while. This Wednesday there has been talk of a hard-boiled egg eating contest among the boys. That will be quite interesting/disgusting. Once you've been to the dances, the findhorn village store, and the two pubs, you really have to use your imagination to entertain yourself.
I recently bought the documentary (we're really into documentaries here) "Favela Rising". I actually saw the movie in class back at UVM. It is the amazing story about a former drug trafficker who lives in the slums of Brazil and how he gets fed up with all of the mindless violence and death around him. He starts a grassroots movement that uses hip-hop music and Afro-Brazilian dance as a tool against oppression of the poor, teenage drug armies, and corrupt police. The story is incredibly moving and inspirational. It shows how music is a tool for grassroots social change. EVERYONE needs to see this movie, and as I now own it, I will bring it home with me so everyone can borrow it. So I watched it with everyone here and they all loved it. It was a good choice to follow the Chavez movie with. I felt good that I could share this inspirational story with everyone; it is kind of a testimony that anyone can make a difference if you make the effort.
And Saturday was Saint Patrick's Day! I had (as I’m sure you can all guess by now) the QUIETEST Saint Patrick’s Day ever. There are a total of two pubs in the village and I did not feel like squeezing into one of them along with everyone else, so instead I made tea with a bunch of friends and we just hung out. We made tea out of the Gorse flowers, which are locally known as Joy Flowers. Their essence supposedly stimulates vitality, enthusiasm, and motivation. However as far as I am concerned, it was just another cup of tea.
This has been quite a long entry, so I'll wrap it up.
Aunt Sue & Grandma- I'm glad you're enjoying hearing about what I am doing. I hope that you both enjoy the sunshine and the sand at Myrtle Beach!
Aunt Kelly- we have four windmills here at Findhorn, they power all of our electricity and there is surplus that they sell to surrounding power companies! So if nothing else, perhaps Hamlin could turn a little profit. I think it's a great idea, keep me posted and send my love to everyone!
Oh, I almost forgot, I cut my hair recently too. It is VERY short. I don’t have any pictures of it up though, I just haven’t taken any. I’ll let you know when I do though.
Blessings!
I know that I’ve been absent for nearly two weeks. As everyone knows, Grandpa died two weeks ago and I took an online hiatus to process through it. When I found out, it was the first sunny day in a week of gray drizzle. I believe that Grandpa is in a better place and I feel very peaceful because I feel that he can finally see where I am right now in Scotland, instead of just reading about it. I like to believe that I'm carrying his presence around with me, it's a very good feeling. His funeral sounded beautiful, I wish I could have been there to see Nate in full uniform present Grandma with the flag. I bet it was amazing to see all of the people at the funeral whose lives Grandpa had touched. I am genuinely sorry that I could not physically be there, however I was there in spirit.
So that was the beginning of a long two weeks. Schoolwork has picked up quite a bit, and while I complain and procrastinate about it just as much as I did at University of Vermont, the workload is honestly much lighter. It's all relative. We watched an amazing movie called "The Power Of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" and it was so eye opening. I think that if our society doesn't change our value system or start to address the fact that oil WILL run out then we will be taking lessons from Cuba. How ironic would that be?! Cuba is the only economy in the world to have transitioned from being dependent on petroleum and natural gas to reducing to a fraction of former use. The government actually rose to the challenge and helped the transition. The government provided food for everyone initially and also FREE healthcare AND education. Oh Cuba. So, that was interesting. Part of me wants to sneak into Cuba and start a life there so I’ll make it through the peak oil crisis.
Besides that, all 18 of us students decided to sign out of dinner and cook our own. We had a potluck dinner, which was quite the ordeal as everyone in the group has different dietary needs. Actually, my friend Nora describes it way better than I ever could, so I’m just going to be lazy and paste what she wrote about it: "For us, this meant a lot of steps: signing out of dinner so the cooks could adjust quantities, getting passwords and keys into the other food sheds (besides the one where we get all our oatcakes and apples), being aware of all the different dietary needs in our group, coming up with enough ingredients for some semblance of a dish, preparing it, and organizing enough dinner utensils for everyone to join together in one house. I was prepared for it to be really shabby, thrown together, and our house opted to just make a raw dessert (apples, soaked sunflower seeds and raisins, dried coconut, and cinnamon, delicious!) and bring some food from the Community Center (CC, where we eat all our other meals), just to make sure we would all have enough food. I was blown away though, as everyone prepared loads of delicious food, all with an awareness of who could eat what, and spent money (not very much at all) and spent all afternoon baking spelt bread and EVERYTHING you could possible think of. We set up our classroom in a big, clean circle and attuned and everyone shared what they were bringing and what was in it and we all made toasts and there was so much joy. It was one of the first times we have really felt like a family to me." It was really touching and I felt like I was home. Afterwards we all just lay on the floor digesting food and sharing funny stories. Eventually we had a little dance party. It was quite different from any Saturday night that I would have had in Burlington, but everyone left feeling very happy and full of love. There are a few pictures of it up on my website. It was by far the best potluck I have ever attended.
(P.S. AS I WRITE THIS, IT IS SNOWING!)
During some point last week, we organized a showing of "the revolution will not be televised” which was a documentary about the coup surrounding Hugo Chavez in 2002. It was filmed by people who just happened to be in the right place in the right time. The film has been withdrawn from commercial distribution and Amnesty International confirmed that it was withdrawn from their 2003 Vancouver film festival due to threats of violence, not due to claims of inaccurate content. It was most definitely a radical viewpoint that depicted the coup as being US backed with the Venezuelan media in on the scheme, lying to the people about the coupe and taking the state owned channel off the air so it was unable to broadcast the truth. Chavez was taken out of Venezuela with the help of the CIA and the people rallied to support Chavez, once the military realized what was happening they too refused to support the coup. I'm not saying that Chavez is perfect, I will admit that I don't know anything about the situation, but I have realized that you can't trust the media AT ALL and need to do your own research on everything and not take anything for what it says. (Including this documentary) But it is worth seeing. I love how the showing of this was organized independently of class and how we all discussed it afterwards. It sure beats watching mindless movies to just pass the time.
Speaking of passing the time, we are running out of things to do here. Recently someone had a few sips of their own urine on a dare, it was the most entertaining thing that had happened in quite a while. This Wednesday there has been talk of a hard-boiled egg eating contest among the boys. That will be quite interesting/disgusting. Once you've been to the dances, the findhorn village store, and the two pubs, you really have to use your imagination to entertain yourself.
I recently bought the documentary (we're really into documentaries here) "Favela Rising". I actually saw the movie in class back at UVM. It is the amazing story about a former drug trafficker who lives in the slums of Brazil and how he gets fed up with all of the mindless violence and death around him. He starts a grassroots movement that uses hip-hop music and Afro-Brazilian dance as a tool against oppression of the poor, teenage drug armies, and corrupt police. The story is incredibly moving and inspirational. It shows how music is a tool for grassroots social change. EVERYONE needs to see this movie, and as I now own it, I will bring it home with me so everyone can borrow it. So I watched it with everyone here and they all loved it. It was a good choice to follow the Chavez movie with. I felt good that I could share this inspirational story with everyone; it is kind of a testimony that anyone can make a difference if you make the effort.
And Saturday was Saint Patrick's Day! I had (as I’m sure you can all guess by now) the QUIETEST Saint Patrick’s Day ever. There are a total of two pubs in the village and I did not feel like squeezing into one of them along with everyone else, so instead I made tea with a bunch of friends and we just hung out. We made tea out of the Gorse flowers, which are locally known as Joy Flowers. Their essence supposedly stimulates vitality, enthusiasm, and motivation. However as far as I am concerned, it was just another cup of tea.
This has been quite a long entry, so I'll wrap it up.
Aunt Sue & Grandma- I'm glad you're enjoying hearing about what I am doing. I hope that you both enjoy the sunshine and the sand at Myrtle Beach!
Aunt Kelly- we have four windmills here at Findhorn, they power all of our electricity and there is surplus that they sell to surrounding power companies! So if nothing else, perhaps Hamlin could turn a little profit. I think it's a great idea, keep me posted and send my love to everyone!
Oh, I almost forgot, I cut my hair recently too. It is VERY short. I don’t have any pictures of it up though, I just haven’t taken any. I’ll let you know when I do though.
Blessings!
Monday, March 5, 2007
The weekend
hello again!
So it is Monday...another week of classes is about to begin tomorrow. We don't have classes on Mondays because we have our 'work departments' from 2:00-5:00 every monday. I don't know if i said this or not yet, but i do 'home care' at cluny castle campus. this involves, random cleaning projects (cleaning windows, vacuuming or 'hoovering' as its called here) and restocking the 10 cleaning supplies closets....the castle has 30 bathrooms, lucky for us only 20 of them get cleaned by homecare, and lucky for ME, i haven't had to do that yet). This weekend was pretty relaxing. Friday night I stayed in with a few of my housemates and we just did homework and relaxed.
Saturday during the day i took the shuttle bus to the nearby town of Forres with my friends Nora, Dana, and Sarah. It turned out that Forres is mostly one main street with a park and a bunch of thrift stores & pharmacies. The area is not a wealthy one clearly. We did find a used book sale in someone's garage and a neat little health food store, but that was about it.
Saturday night we watched a movie together on my laptop and THEN we had a bonfire on the beach to watch the lunar eclipse! It was pretty amazing. It was high tide at the beach and our bonfire was only about 7 feet from the ocean but also climb up a giant sand dune and watch the moon from a better vantage point. The whole eclipse took a few hours but time went by pretty fast. I got to the bonfire last with 2 of my housemates (Nora & Charlotte....we needed to finish the movie we were watching first) and we tried to get to the beach in the dark. We got lost in the scrub brush and sandy paths and walked in a giant circle (it was 9:00 PM and we didn't have flashlights) until eventually we found someone who offered to steer us in the right direction. When we followed this person, she led us to a path we hadn't taken yet we ended up walking by someone who was sitting down that we had already passed but this time we were walking in the other direction! I had no idea how we eventually found the beach, sheer luck really. Last night I talked to my mom on skype (the most amazing invention ever!) and did some homework. Today I have decided to stop eating peanut butter (which is nothing like the PB back home, this is just ground up peanuts, no added ANYTHING but still delicious!) AND muesli. I have developed a muesli addiction and it is getting out of hand. I did buy some instant coffee though, so it's more of a replacing one vice with anther than anything.
Aunt Kay, self sufficiency IS the name of the game! the only problem is that it is SUCH a huge investment, it's pretty much not financially possible unless it is a community effort instead of an individual one....and with the way that people are thinking today, i don't see communities rallying together to get a wind turbine put up anytime soon. Keep working on uncle ron!
and my dear friend corey beach-first off i would like to say that your shout out needed to be amazing and i was working on it in my head and refining it. (okay that may only be slightly untrue) but second i DO enjoy CDAE's doomsday movies. it scares me into action. or at least it scares me into hopelessness! the cool thing is that my professor here showed us 'the end of suburbia' and after the movie said how he knows a lot of us feel depressed but not to worry because this week he's going to show us a movie about Cuba and how Cuba dealt with it's peak oil crisis. Unlike the Josh Farley's of the world, the professors here are all about positive change and hope, not about preaching about everything that is wrong with the world and making us feel like we're all doomed. which is cool. i'll update you on the cuba movie after we see it. and corey beach, while i have given up sugar, i miss cheese. i dream about it. I fantasize about when we bought the block of cabot vintage cheddar and then slowly peeled off the purple wax coating...MmmMmM. so who knows how long this cheese ban will last when i get home. i love you dearly and wish i was taking bowling with you right now for gym class! more updates later my CDAE friend! xoxo
Mom & Dad- it's funny you mention maple syrup because someone a few houses down heats their house with a woodstove and whenever i smell it i think of when you would make syrup in the sugar shack. we should do it again! if i get a summer job in Connecticut i am going to build a sugar shack. if you provide the evaporator! :) It's easy to get swept up in the idealistic environmentally friendly utopian world thought process here, but i'm doing my best to stay grounded. i think a healthy balance of both ways of thinking will be necessary to ensure a positive future. Dad, i will admit that i was sad when i unpacked and didn't find a letter in my suitcase, but getting one in the mail was MUCH more satisfying, so thank you! it definitely made my first week! I'll put more pictures online later today! i love you all! oxoxo
So it is Monday...another week of classes is about to begin tomorrow. We don't have classes on Mondays because we have our 'work departments' from 2:00-5:00 every monday. I don't know if i said this or not yet, but i do 'home care' at cluny castle campus. this involves, random cleaning projects (cleaning windows, vacuuming or 'hoovering' as its called here) and restocking the 10 cleaning supplies closets....the castle has 30 bathrooms, lucky for us only 20 of them get cleaned by homecare, and lucky for ME, i haven't had to do that yet). This weekend was pretty relaxing. Friday night I stayed in with a few of my housemates and we just did homework and relaxed.
Saturday during the day i took the shuttle bus to the nearby town of Forres with my friends Nora, Dana, and Sarah. It turned out that Forres is mostly one main street with a park and a bunch of thrift stores & pharmacies. The area is not a wealthy one clearly. We did find a used book sale in someone's garage and a neat little health food store, but that was about it.
Saturday night we watched a movie together on my laptop and THEN we had a bonfire on the beach to watch the lunar eclipse! It was pretty amazing. It was high tide at the beach and our bonfire was only about 7 feet from the ocean but also climb up a giant sand dune and watch the moon from a better vantage point. The whole eclipse took a few hours but time went by pretty fast. I got to the bonfire last with 2 of my housemates (Nora & Charlotte....we needed to finish the movie we were watching first) and we tried to get to the beach in the dark. We got lost in the scrub brush and sandy paths and walked in a giant circle (it was 9:00 PM and we didn't have flashlights) until eventually we found someone who offered to steer us in the right direction. When we followed this person, she led us to a path we hadn't taken yet we ended up walking by someone who was sitting down that we had already passed but this time we were walking in the other direction! I had no idea how we eventually found the beach, sheer luck really. Last night I talked to my mom on skype (the most amazing invention ever!) and did some homework. Today I have decided to stop eating peanut butter (which is nothing like the PB back home, this is just ground up peanuts, no added ANYTHING but still delicious!) AND muesli. I have developed a muesli addiction and it is getting out of hand. I did buy some instant coffee though, so it's more of a replacing one vice with anther than anything.
Aunt Kay, self sufficiency IS the name of the game! the only problem is that it is SUCH a huge investment, it's pretty much not financially possible unless it is a community effort instead of an individual one....and with the way that people are thinking today, i don't see communities rallying together to get a wind turbine put up anytime soon. Keep working on uncle ron!
and my dear friend corey beach-first off i would like to say that your shout out needed to be amazing and i was working on it in my head and refining it. (okay that may only be slightly untrue) but second i DO enjoy CDAE's doomsday movies. it scares me into action. or at least it scares me into hopelessness! the cool thing is that my professor here showed us 'the end of suburbia' and after the movie said how he knows a lot of us feel depressed but not to worry because this week he's going to show us a movie about Cuba and how Cuba dealt with it's peak oil crisis. Unlike the Josh Farley's of the world, the professors here are all about positive change and hope, not about preaching about everything that is wrong with the world and making us feel like we're all doomed. which is cool. i'll update you on the cuba movie after we see it. and corey beach, while i have given up sugar, i miss cheese. i dream about it. I fantasize about when we bought the block of cabot vintage cheddar and then slowly peeled off the purple wax coating...MmmMmM. so who knows how long this cheese ban will last when i get home. i love you dearly and wish i was taking bowling with you right now for gym class! more updates later my CDAE friend! xoxo
Mom & Dad- it's funny you mention maple syrup because someone a few houses down heats their house with a woodstove and whenever i smell it i think of when you would make syrup in the sugar shack. we should do it again! if i get a summer job in Connecticut i am going to build a sugar shack. if you provide the evaporator! :) It's easy to get swept up in the idealistic environmentally friendly utopian world thought process here, but i'm doing my best to stay grounded. i think a healthy balance of both ways of thinking will be necessary to ensure a positive future. Dad, i will admit that i was sad when i unpacked and didn't find a letter in my suitcase, but getting one in the mail was MUCH more satisfying, so thank you! it definitely made my first week! I'll put more pictures online later today! i love you all! oxoxo
Friday, March 2, 2007
caterpillers & castles
Hello Everyone!
So let me tell you a little bit about what has been going on lately.
Yesterday, we went to a beach with caves and then we went to the ruins of a castle! It was so incredible to be tossing a frisbee around in front of a giant castle. Most of the castle was made of wood, so there wasn't much left but it was still daunting. It was on the top of a high hill and there was still remanents of a watery ditch around it.
Later that day, my friend sarah was eating fresh, organic salad greens, when suddenly, under them there appeared a caterpiller. a black hairy one that was still alive! if that doesn't demonstrate how fresh our food is, i don't know what does. in true 'middle school' fashion, another friend, Kirk, decided to eat the caterpiller, claiming it was good protein. after that, we all carried on with our meals as if nothing had happened.
There is another group here at findhorn learning about eco-villages. They're called the EVT group (Eco-Village Training) and there are about 30 people from all over the world. Each person in that group cooked a dish for dinner and we had an AMAZING multi-cultural FEAST. There was soooo much delicious food that afterwards i didn't think i would walk.
I decided to stop eating sugar (in addition to the vegan diet) and it has been getting harder and harder. it is scary how much my body craves it constantly. even in the form of white bread. MmMmmMmM. but i am staying strong.
we also watched this documentary/movie (that i've also already seen) called "The End of Suburbia: oil depletion and the collapse of the american dream" It was a brutually honest outlook that explored the American way of life and possible future scenarios as the planet approahces a critical time period when the demand for fossil fuels and natural gas are creating an increasing gap with the supply. it was actually very eye opening and slightly scary and it made me want to become completely self sufficient again.
i HIGHLY recommend watching the movie. it definintely makes you think. i think everyone needs to see it. it's that important of a movie.
Aunt Sue & Aunt Kay- thank you so much for keeping Grandma & Grandpa in the loop! It makes me happy to know that they are staying in the loop. it makes me feel like they are somehow here with me.
Also, we had our first 'creative expressions' class. whenever i try to even think of art, all i can remember is m C+ in middle school. maybe this time will be different, i'll keep you updated Aunt Sue!
And Aunt Kay, i am getting so afraid of the future! food security, should we run out of oil, is NOT secure at all and i think that the future will be dependent on locally grown produce and low-impact architecture. we are ahead of the game! if you do build this cabin i would LOVE to know how you did it! keep me posted!
Bret- i'm happy that you're enjoying this blog. to be honest, i'm not much of a blogger, but i'm trying. classes here so very non-traditional. we sit (or lie!) in a circle on the floor and have tea breaks every hour. i can't wait to leave the 'classroom' to actually visit wind turbines and go on other exciting field trips. you are always welcome to visit!
and now it's a long weekend. a friday night and what am i doing? curling up on the couch with a book and a cup of tea. i feel like such an old lady! thanks for all of the comments, i love and miss you all!
So let me tell you a little bit about what has been going on lately.
Yesterday, we went to a beach with caves and then we went to the ruins of a castle! It was so incredible to be tossing a frisbee around in front of a giant castle. Most of the castle was made of wood, so there wasn't much left but it was still daunting. It was on the top of a high hill and there was still remanents of a watery ditch around it.
Later that day, my friend sarah was eating fresh, organic salad greens, when suddenly, under them there appeared a caterpiller. a black hairy one that was still alive! if that doesn't demonstrate how fresh our food is, i don't know what does. in true 'middle school' fashion, another friend, Kirk, decided to eat the caterpiller, claiming it was good protein. after that, we all carried on with our meals as if nothing had happened.
There is another group here at findhorn learning about eco-villages. They're called the EVT group (Eco-Village Training) and there are about 30 people from all over the world. Each person in that group cooked a dish for dinner and we had an AMAZING multi-cultural FEAST. There was soooo much delicious food that afterwards i didn't think i would walk.
I decided to stop eating sugar (in addition to the vegan diet) and it has been getting harder and harder. it is scary how much my body craves it constantly. even in the form of white bread. MmMmmMmM. but i am staying strong.
we also watched this documentary/movie (that i've also already seen) called "The End of Suburbia: oil depletion and the collapse of the american dream" It was a brutually honest outlook that explored the American way of life and possible future scenarios as the planet approahces a critical time period when the demand for fossil fuels and natural gas are creating an increasing gap with the supply. it was actually very eye opening and slightly scary and it made me want to become completely self sufficient again.
i HIGHLY recommend watching the movie. it definintely makes you think. i think everyone needs to see it. it's that important of a movie.
Aunt Sue & Aunt Kay- thank you so much for keeping Grandma & Grandpa in the loop! It makes me happy to know that they are staying in the loop. it makes me feel like they are somehow here with me.
Also, we had our first 'creative expressions' class. whenever i try to even think of art, all i can remember is m C+ in middle school. maybe this time will be different, i'll keep you updated Aunt Sue!
And Aunt Kay, i am getting so afraid of the future! food security, should we run out of oil, is NOT secure at all and i think that the future will be dependent on locally grown produce and low-impact architecture. we are ahead of the game! if you do build this cabin i would LOVE to know how you did it! keep me posted!
Bret- i'm happy that you're enjoying this blog. to be honest, i'm not much of a blogger, but i'm trying. classes here so very non-traditional. we sit (or lie!) in a circle on the floor and have tea breaks every hour. i can't wait to leave the 'classroom' to actually visit wind turbines and go on other exciting field trips. you are always welcome to visit!
and now it's a long weekend. a friday night and what am i doing? curling up on the couch with a book and a cup of tea. i feel like such an old lady! thanks for all of the comments, i love and miss you all!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
first day of class!
so today we had our first day of class! it was "applied sustainability" and went from 9:15 to 12:15 and 2:15 to 5:15. which was an EXHAUSTING day, since i have gotten used to being lazy and taking a lot of tea breaks. it was a pretty normal 'intro' class. we watched a movie (that i've already seen) about a small mountain town (Ladakh) in India near Tibet. it showed how 'modernization' destroyed the community's way of life. The town became 'modernized' so fast that it was easy to 'draw the line' between the causes and effects of such a change. The movie was called 'learning from ladakh'. We also went over the sylabus and discussed a research paper that will be 33% of our grade.
I'm very excited to write the paper. I'm going to write mine about food security. What makes it so interesting is that we have to write the paper as if if is an 'energy descent' plan; or how to wean ourselves off fossil fuels (down to 50% of what we are using now). I decided to write about food security at an individual level; as opposed to a city level or village level. Every man for themself! (but not really, because that's mean!)
A few days ago my roommates decided that they really wanted cookies, however we don't have flour or sugar in our house. they decided that if they mixed together a little bit of everything in our kitchen and baked it, then somehow, cookies would magically come out of the oven! They ended up mixing muesli cereal (oat flakes, chopped dates, raisins, sunflower seeds & almonds), a cut up apple, two mushy bananas, candy coated hershey kisses, eggs, cornflakes, milk, and cocoa powder. when they came out of the oven, they smelled exactly like a wet dog! We named them dog bars. (needless to say, they were not a hit) however, i did post a few pictures of the process at www.webshots.com/user/findascot
being here is exposing me to all of these wonderful ideas like permaculture, sustainable energy, alternative building.....there are so many things i want to learn and not enough time!
I'm very excited to write the paper. I'm going to write mine about food security. What makes it so interesting is that we have to write the paper as if if is an 'energy descent' plan; or how to wean ourselves off fossil fuels (down to 50% of what we are using now). I decided to write about food security at an individual level; as opposed to a city level or village level. Every man for themself! (but not really, because that's mean!)
A few days ago my roommates decided that they really wanted cookies, however we don't have flour or sugar in our house. they decided that if they mixed together a little bit of everything in our kitchen and baked it, then somehow, cookies would magically come out of the oven! They ended up mixing muesli cereal (oat flakes, chopped dates, raisins, sunflower seeds & almonds), a cut up apple, two mushy bananas, candy coated hershey kisses, eggs, cornflakes, milk, and cocoa powder. when they came out of the oven, they smelled exactly like a wet dog! We named them dog bars. (needless to say, they were not a hit) however, i did post a few pictures of the process at www.webshots.com/user/findascot
being here is exposing me to all of these wonderful ideas like permaculture, sustainable energy, alternative building.....there are so many things i want to learn and not enough time!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
a sleepy sunday
so today i slept in until 11:00. (i've been getting up at 9) then showered, went to brunch and went BACK TO BED for a 1.5 hour nap. it was glorious. i met with my contact person Mo (short for Maureen) today. i brought 2 friends, seth and nicole. Mo baked us a date & cherry cake, which was delicious. she has traveled everywhere and is still very active for a 71 year old. she was telling us how she is against genetically modified crops/organisms (GMO's) and how she joins in protests against them and digs up fields of GMO crops with a bunch of other people in the middle of the night. crazy. she is a firm believer in working with the system for change instead of being angry and trying to oppose it (despite that previous GMO example) and referenced Joanna Macy quite a bit. (someone i will have to look into) Mo was also pretty into the Maya calander and the 'world is going to end in 2012' belief. you can't put stock in everything people say. still she was a very sweet woman and i am going to visit her next sunday for some tea and to do some weeding for her in her garden.
after that, was dinner. (dairy free mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, brussel sprouts and tofu slabs that somehow tasted really good) then most of our group watched a movie called 'waking life' it was amazing. if i tried to explain it, i wouldn't be doing it justice, but the following is copied word for word from the wikipedia entry on the movie:
"In a broad scope, Waking Life is about a young man in a persistent lucid dream-like state. The film follows its protagonist as he initially observes and later participates in philosophical discussions that weave together issues like appearance and reality, free will, our relationships with others, and the meaning of life. Along the way the film touches on other topics including existentialism, posthumanism, and the film theory of André Bazin. The young man eventually comes to the realization that he is dreaming and that he is unable to wake up. By the end of the film, he fears that he might be dead."
it definitely gave me a lot to think about. anyway, classes start tomorrow at 9:15 (!!) so happy dreams to all!
after that, was dinner. (dairy free mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, brussel sprouts and tofu slabs that somehow tasted really good) then most of our group watched a movie called 'waking life' it was amazing. if i tried to explain it, i wouldn't be doing it justice, but the following is copied word for word from the wikipedia entry on the movie:
"In a broad scope, Waking Life is about a young man in a persistent lucid dream-like state. The film follows its protagonist as he initially observes and later participates in philosophical discussions that weave together issues like appearance and reality, free will, our relationships with others, and the meaning of life. Along the way the film touches on other topics including existentialism, posthumanism, and the film theory of André Bazin. The young man eventually comes to the realization that he is dreaming and that he is unable to wake up. By the end of the film, he fears that he might be dead."
it definitely gave me a lot to think about. anyway, classes start tomorrow at 9:15 (!!) so happy dreams to all!
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