Brock { Abroad }

TeaTimeMorocco by WhatTookYouSoLong

The first in a four-part series of podcasts from the WTYSL North African leg of their camel cheese quest.

The What Took You So Long Foundation is a team dedicated to filming grassroots NGOs, untold stories, & unsung heroes in some of the more remote corners of the globe. They screen their work and host workshops & lectures all over the world in order to bring these messages to as many influential movers as possible.

“Anne Lamott’s book, Bird by Bird, has a great chapter called Shitty First Drafts that’s all about getting over those internal voices that tell writers that what we’re writing sucks. The essay is all about accepting those voices, realizing that they’re going to be there for as long as you’re doing something creative, and then doing the only thing you can do: press on.”                                                                                      -http://thewriterscoin.com

On that note, here is a “shitty first draft” from a recent trip I took to Rome. More to come on the venue the Short Theatre Festival was at. Called the New Economy, it was quite an inspiring location. Check out the photography from the location here. Until then, however, here are my initial impressions:

Like sardines packed in a tin can, our Easyjet landing provides me with a view of land on one side and sea on the other. Sun seeps through the window as some turbulence creates a stir in the cabin full of Romans returning home. This will also be my home- at least for the next 48 hours. The first set of boisterous laughs and raucous remarks from the cabin mark the beginning of an entirely different atmosphere. Leaving behind an already rainy and cool autumn in Amsterdam, shrub-like trees scattered along a dry landscape remind me of a Van Gogh print in my living room.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from living in northern Europe compared to southern Europe, it’s a certain “keep it short, simple, and close to your self” attitude. Pondering this, my first burning question of the trip has entered my brain. Thinking about the old adage,”when in Rome, do as the Romans do,”  I wonder: what is the difference between the Mediterranean lifestyle I am entering compared to the Dutch culture I have grown so fond of? My first quest? Find the Romans.

Upon leaving the hectic center of ancient Rome, I was able to explore not just what the Romans themselves actually do, but how they really do it. It was my hypothesis that they weren’t so different from their northern counterparts (minus the climate) after all. Following my intuition, I found myself wandering back to where my bed&breakfast was located in Trastavere. Upon finding said locals, I surveyed a variety asking them to describe their city in three words.

I drifted back to the previous afternoon, just minutes after disembarking the plane and getting picked up by a gregarious gentleman chatting on his cell phone holding a sign with our names on it. Smiling and waving to the distracted fellow, we passed him to avoid holding up the flow from behind us. Catching up with us, we were soon swept out of an air-conditioned airport into humid still-summer air.

Loading luggage and all piling in, our theatre troupe was heading into terrible traffic with a man I assumed was a Roman himself. Soon, after sharing scraps of conversation between the five of us and him, he quickly corrected my mistaken assumption when I asked him to be the first of many to describe his city to me.

Although a non-native, I got my answer in one sentence. It’s chaotic, fascinating and… he was interrupted by a tiny smart car almost sacrificing it’s life for our beast of a machine loaded with theatre production artillery. Shouting a loud swear word I hadn’t heard since my great-grandmother who hailed from Verona, I asked him about the third word. Shouting, he said, as we sped past the tiny bug of an automobile giving one last call in typical Roman style.

When I actually asked him if those would be the three words he would to use to describe this city, he gave a long drawn out speech, unable to keep it as simple as it was when the answer just came naturally.

Simplicity in expression, such as a short gesture that speaks sentences, isn’t the only thing the Romans come by naturally. Simplicity in their food is an act of heavy patriotism. However, not observing the siesta isn’t a complete act of treason as it used to be. Although a seemingly extravant eating culture is actually wound together by a simple web of fresh, local, and all natural ingredients that keep the Roman’s dishes not just close to their spices, but also close to their hearts. {edit}

That’s not to say all things in Rome are that simple. The word I heard most when asking the Romans to describe their city in three words was… chaotic. Although the girl who spent her whole cigarette with us after only asking for a light seemed calm, cool, and collected, she was quick to admit that she hailed from chaos.

The next morning leaving the laid-back residental neighborhood in the outskirts of Trastevere, the chaos suddenly became clear. The fountain di Trevi wasn’t as beautiful as I remembered it to be. As a matter of fact, it was downright claustrophobic.

Trastevere, however, brings the chaotic feel of Rome without the pantheon or Fountain di Trevi from clogging it’s clustred but elegant piazza. Patched along a neighborhood where the urban vibe of eclectic street art and graffiti meets gold-sheathed domes of ancient Roman churches, Trastevera is the real Rome. Eating a slice of pizza while washing it down with a cup of gelato, I listen to the soothing water of the fountain in the center of Piazza di Santa Maria. The bell of the tower strikes twelve as a flock of pigeons fly overhead.  Punk youth camped out with their dogs along the walls of the piazza frame passing tourists walking toward the attractive church, a gyspy woman awaiting them, rattling change in a cup. An Italian family next to me shares a box of pizza.

My friend’s guidebook mentioned this neighborhood as having received the biggest surge of expatriate residents in all of Rome during recent years. Perhaps this also adds to the diverse style found not only in it’s transient inhabitants, but also on it’s labyrinths lined with tattoo parlors, pizzerias, postcard shops, and even a punjabi sweet shop.

Still recovering from Roman excess as I write this my first evening back, I am reminded where it all started to go wrong. After a heavy lunch, I pass a frenetic pizza and pasta take-away shop full of screaming locals at lunch hour. I can’t help but have a taste of food that seems to be leaving the pans faster than the four scrambling men behind the counter can weigh and collect on it. Although I get the awkward stare from a man next to me as I fumble over Spanish disguised in Italian accent, I fake my way through to order a fried ball of creamy risotto. Biting through the crunchy exterior into the core, I am treated to steamy chunks of spinach scattered around the al dente pasta.

Later that evening at Cafe del Moro, a bar blaring MTV music videos from the 80′s, I enjoy free aperitivos. Enjoying Italy’s answer to tapas, I admire the place. It has a sort of nostalgic feel with only two or three tables outside lining a particularly disordered four-way curve of pedestrian-only traffic. Grabbing one of the few spots any good people-watcher would envy made us feel exclusive and the huge glasses of house red they served alongside free mini-sandwiches, chicken nuggets, olives, and other international finger foods made Trestevere seem all the quirkier for the typical Roman holiday.

After a great run at the festival, we celebrated over a bottle of bio Belgian honey beer. It was there while chatting up the locals and attempting to break a bounty of language barriers that I heard the best answer for my Rome in three words question: Love, hate, live. Hell, we may have been a little drunk, but at that moment it couldn’t have been a more logical answer to such an illogical city.

Chris Guillebeau’s homepage instantly draws you in. Branding himself as “challenging authority since 1978”, Chris is a writer, traveler, and the biggest role model I’ve never met. Fighting the status quo is an art. Chris’ writing and way of life demonstrates that the art of non-conformity is not just writing about settling for less, but actually doing it!

Case in point; Chris has traveled to over 100 countries and has determined to travel to all the countries in the world by 35. When applying to Knowmads, I stumbled upon his site and it literally changed my life.

He’s written two incredible manifestos: A Brief Guide to World Domination and 279 Days to Overnight Success.

He’s a creative, resourceful entrepreneur who knows how to market his knowledge products that include: 25,000 Miles Guaranteed (become a frequent flyer master), Art + Money (yes, it’s possible!), Freelancers! (less stress. more pay.), Hail, Caesar! (build an empire), Create Your Own Freedom (break out of 9-5)

When Chris isn’t building his empire while traveling the world, writing a book (coming out next month!), or meeting other “world-changers,” he is usually running marathons and must be drinking incredible amounts of coffee! Some of his other popular articles include:

A Short Collection of Unconventional Ideas
How to Conduct Your Own Annual Review
Why You Should Quit Your Job and Travel Around the World

Could Chris be any more inspiring? I’m sure he’s trying and I’m happy to dedicate this post to a man who doesn’t even know my name but has dramatically changed my life. Perhaps, this man will inspire some change in you. Thanks, Chris! Happy travels!

Perhaps the best way to describe this city is like Amsterdam’s bitchier sister who is just as hot, but more in the ‘I can kick your ass’ kind of way. Rotterdam has chewed me up and spit me out, yet I still keep coming back for more. With gusts of salty wind, huge skyscrapers, and an impossible grind of cars, trams, and bicycles, she doesn’t give you the time to think. People aren’t strolling canals in circles, but crossing bridges with a direct destination in mind. Here, you work hard and you play hard. Any questions? If so, catch the nearest train back to Amsterdam; maybe someone up there will give you the time of day.

“The Glimpse Correspondents Program is for talented writers and photographers with a passion for storytelling and a knack for finding truly unique stories. The program is open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 36 who will be working, volunteering, or studying outside of their home country for at least 10 weeks.”

Here is a artistic statement written from the prompt:
“Why you are interested in being a Glimpse Correspondent? We also want to know what issues you hope to explore and/or what kinds of cultural adventures you hope to embark on.”

On Pilgrimage:

The ability to craft stories that create a meaningful connection between author, reader, and the snapshot moments spent with people on the path makes up my life. When it comes to using my talents in a passionate way and making a positive impact on the world, storytelling is more than my medium. Storytelling is my passion. There is a Zen belief affirming that upon leaping, a net will appear. This seems a fitting statement for the story. My extremely brief life has been a journey of leaps that led me to Amsterdam. After a long and bitter cold winter squatting with circus performers in Montreal, I became a Knowmad. As a nomadic knowledge worker at The New Business School for the World, my other passion for travel is used on a daily basis.

Joining an international team of young social entrepreneurs working and learning from each other has challenged me to “combine, passion, business, and playful learning,” as our motto states. Studying process design, social innovation and sustainability, new business design, personal leadership, and international project design, Knowmads aims to “educate change-makers.”

I continue exploring my learning journey that has brought me on pilgrimage with purpose. From Santiago to Varanasi, Palestine to Paris, I view life as pilgrimage. I’ve realized now on this journey that the destination never seems to arrive. Taking this approach to heart, I find myself constantly exploring this theme in my writing while listening to the life philosophies and stories of people from all over the world.

When it comes to travel, it’s often the people that make the place. As we continue flowing into an increasingly chaotic world, there’s a certain silence in the stories of people, all over the world. I believe this creates a story in the telling that no other medium can quite replicate. In story, a voice is given to the voiceless. In telling, a much louder sound emerges. This is a sound that holds more power than any army could possibly provide. As a storyteller, I am seeking autonomy from a society that has mastered the art of fear in the unknown through mass-management and hysteria in media and politics.

As I explore myself further through my craft, I also want to explore the broader implications travel has on socio-cultural interactions and innovations. Through bringing people together, there lies a necessity for an authentic cultural understanding. Through story, I attempt to break down the barriers and stigma modern culture and society has been spoon-fed by mainstream media. Through their telling, I hope to close the border between places and their people. I believe this responsibility is the natural step that can break down not just borders within myself, but also the borders within this world.

The ninety two year old and wildly alive owner of Shakespeare & Company, George Whitman, requires a one page autobiography be written by everyone who stays in his library. Below is the one I wrote. George lives in a small apartment above the store. The place is a clutter of books, newspapers and autobiographies written by the 70,000 plus others who came before me.

Hunting is a rite of passage for young men in my town. I was raised on ice fishing and skiing on the border of Canada and a large lake. It was a small town called International Falls with the unofficial expression: “if you don’t know what you’re doing, at least somebody else does.” It was there that I discovered that, although I didn’t pass deer-season weekends at a hunting shack, I was still a hunter. Fortunately, my territory was much closer to home and full of much easier prey.

I served up coffee on the weekends at the only cafe our little town claimed smack dab in the middle of our historic “downtown.” Those long winter days were spent hunting for things I consider superior even to deer. What I hunted for were stories. About people. Who they were and what they were about, and what made them that way. I was fascinated by the history that the quaintly decrepite building held not just in its own stories echoing into the tin ceiling, but also in the stories of the people who had seen it so differently.

My coming of age wasn’t when I killed my first large buck, but rather when I heard a story of the most recent local student who had studied abroad, a completely new concept for me. It had been almost ten years since International Falls had sent a student away. Upon inquiry, I happened to meet the man in charge of the local foreign exchange program who, like the majority of locals, I actually already knew from childhood. However, I never envisioned him as a man who could get me a ticket out of there!

Soon, I was on a plane to Torrevieja, Spain, to experience the Spanish culture that I could only imagine through reading. I felt more a citizen of the world after leaving and was lucky enough to be accepted to a boarding school for the arts to pursue a passion in theatre. It was a relief knowing that I would be returning to a metropolitan environment instead of a town with a ratio of 7,000 hockey sticks to zero theatre. It was there that I discovered storytelling and creating with its elements. I fell in love that year with Shakespeare, Chekhov, and a girl. It was where I discovered sex and we rehearsed it together whenever we could.

Closing that chapter on my life, I determined that there is more to my life than just experiencing the steps that many walk in without any clear direction. I decided to postpone my planned studies in New York. Two weeks from now, I will be on a plane headed to Mumbai, India to help those less fortunate than myself. Above all, I am a hunter. I am a listener, I am a teller. I know there are too many unheard voices in India and the rest of the world. These are voices that must be heard. I want to give a voice to the voiceless.

Whatever this future holds for me, I want to leave it knowing that I made it just a little better than the way I found it. Thank you, George, for doing the same. Thank you for making this world just a little bit better. Thank you for giving me a place to rest my head. Last, but definitely not least, thank you for the opportunity to tell my story.

Keep on hunting.

{MOVEMENTS!}
because… “Everything has been figured out, except how to live.” – Jean-Paul Sartre

Contents: Mind, body, and spirit
Number of Players: 1
Length of play: To be determined by you, but a minimum of ten days is recommended.

Who wants to play?
Do you find yourself often confused about if life isn’t giving you everything it could? Are you often plagued with worry or distracted from being happy the majority of the time? Do you stress about financial situations, spend money, and often regret it later, or find yourself poor, in general? Do you wish you could eat better, breathe better, want less, and live a simpler, healthier and happier life? Do you think you deserve more in life and want to re-evaluate the way you’re living yours?

Game Preparation: Your First {Movement!}

Alfred North Whitehead once said that “religion is what we do with our solitude.” Therefore, solitude, or inward {Movement!} is the key to making proper outward {Movement!} Make this first {Movement!} by listening to what your heart is telling you and answering these questions using a pen and paper. Keep these in mind throughout the game. Always remember that when you follow your bliss, spaces on the board will open up where there were no spaces before.

What went well this year? What did not go well this year?  What is the best praise you ever received?

Imagine your memoir as if you were 65 years old and had accomplished everything you wanted in life. Write it.  Write your obituary as if you died tomorrow. How different are they?

What do you want to get out of life? What can you offer the world that no one else can?

What is absurd in my life right now? When understanding the root of the word as deaf, begin to listen a bit more intently to your first inward {Movement!}

Remember! “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” -Goethe

That being said, are you ready for the next {Movement!}? Remove your complete self from your current life, put what you feel you need on your back, and walk. Choose a place, preferably outside your own culture, and determine to arrive by walking only. Think of a place, rooted in nature, that you’ve always wanted to see. Think back to your childhood, to a place you’ve read about possibly, or perhaps been told about.

Let’s Play!

Move your game pieces both inward and outward into available spaces to increase value. The more movements you make, the wider your perspective becomes. This increases value of your game pieces and ultimately leads the player closer to a win! Make measurable benchmarks, or rituals, to mark progress. The next village is a possibility, but so is the tree you can see ahead of you. Where you will end up at the end of the day can often be a reach.

Game Strategy: Use rituals to develop the ability to take time seriously and elegantly; intention of attention and quality curiosity are also key strategies.

How to win: Make both inward and outward {Movements!} away from how you currently live, into the life you imagine yourself living to attain ultimate synergy.
What is Synergy?
Simply put, synergy is balance. When playing, your goal is to create a balance between both inward and outward {Movements!} Think like a fish moving in current. You must be quick enough to fight the water, but smart enough to know when to be taken with the tide. Keep in mind that when seeking synergy that everything connects to everything else, and sometimes the straightest lines to what you want pass through the most unexpected but pleasant connections.

Rules:
1. Accept the fact that everything in life is the result of an action or lack of action.
2. Keep all contents (mind, body, and spirit) open in order to collect pieces in    the various spaces.
3. Don’t confuse your comfort with your safety or your expectations with your intentions.
4. If a player has bit off more than he/she can chew, they may ask for help upon admitting that they need help. This is a noble and recommended action if used correctly.
5. Don’t sing victory in the middle of {Movements!} However, if you don’t stop to rest, you’ll eventually fall down. If that happens, at least take a minute to enjoy the view.
**Want a more Difficult Challenge? Do not bring money. It is always necessary not to need money, however…

The Game Pieces/Rituals:

Mind- While playing {Movements!}, prepare a daily moment to stretch your thinking by journaling your experiences. Before departing each morning, write a few sentences to meditate upon during the day ahead.
Support material: The Dali Lama’s Rules for Living, United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Body- While playing {Movements!}, prepare a daily moment to stretch your physical being.   It can also help to remove outside stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, tobacco, and drugs. Record experiences using a pencil instead of a camera.
Support: Daily exercise and stretching.

Spirit- Imagine your departure as a metamorphosis. Slow down and treat each {Movement!} as part of the process. Understand that you have very few actual needs and that the world needs you to need less.
Support: patience, silence, trust, faith.
Remember! “If fate throws a knife at you, you can catch it either by the blade or the handle.” -ancient   Persians

The Board: The board is comprised of spaces and pitfalls in a labyrinth-like manner. Pieces move forward from space to space in either a random or pre-planned positions. Encountering pitfalls may hold a player back, inhibiting growth and often keeping him locked in one space. The goal is to pass by spaces which you do not love. The board neither has form nor size, but moves in a circular structure. The board is your life.

The Board in Detail: Spaces and Pitfalls

(1) NATURE Spaces- By displacing your pieces in nature, you are able to stand strong and better understand the world around you.

(2) URBAN Spaces- By displacing your pieces onto an urban area, you risk encountering pitfalls. However, you also are at a higher chance for encountering PEOPLE.
Pitfalls for Mind: Mass Media, mass consumption.
Pitfall for Body: Pollution, lack of natural space.
Pitfall for Spirit: Confusion, frustration, chaos; “Métro-Boulot-Dodo” mentality.
“Métro-Boulot-Dodo” is a French expression to describe urban life. It literally translates to “subway, work, sleep”.
Remember! The easy way is not always the best.  Be mindful of bumps along the way. When you get stuck in a spot, there will always be a way out when it’s time for it to be over. If possible, try wearing someone else’s shoes for a day. Always choose curiosity over certainty.

(3) PEOPLE Spaces- Attempt to land on as many “new people” spaces as possible.  Upon landing on a “new people” space, you will discover if it will be a “positive influence” or a “negative influence”.

Positive influences nurture your three pieces and help you continue moving. Negative influences are pitfalls and inhibit growth. For extra {Movements!}, be willing to seek out friends from other cultures and from across the globe.
Remember! You’ll eventually meet your unmet friends in the often most unexpected, but necessary moments.

Collecting “positive steps”
When one positively reacts while in a space, {Movements!} are made in collecting the positive steps. Collecting positive steps is done by following the golden rule: do unto others as you would want others to do unto you. Steps forward include:

Being generous. Saying thank you often. Complementing one “stranger” a day.  Sharing good information.  Praying positive. Recycling. Eating an apple from your surroundings. Imagining other cultures through art, poetry, and novels. Listening to music you don’t understand. Dancing to it. Cooking your meal from what you’ve gathered while walking. Smiling at the people you pass. Planting a tree along the way. Getting enough sleep. Doing something for nothing. Camping. Carrying a permanent water bottle.

Game-storage:
When finishing walking, ask yourself if you feel you are a different person, and is so, in what ways? Here are some other positive steps to continue playing the game:

Understand the workings of power and privilege in your culture. Act locally. Question consumption. Learn how your lettuce and coffee are grown. Look for fair trade and union labels. Help build economies from the bottom up. Become multi-lingual. Travel to people, places, and cultures- not tourist attractions. Play games from other cultures. Watch films with subtitles. Honour everyone’s holidays. Understand the global economy in terms of people, land and water. Know where your bank banks. Refuse to wear corporate logos: defy corporate domination. Question military/corporate connections. Don’t confuse money with wealth, or time with money. Judge governance by how well it meets all people’s needs. Be skeptical about what you read. Pledge allegiance to the Earth- question nationalism. Know that no one is silent though many are not heard. Work to change this. Write to people who have inspired you in the past. Learn your heritage. Never believe you have a right to anyone else’s resources. When eating, eat adventurously, and enjoy vegetables, beans, and grains. Learn where your water comes from and where your wastes go. Assume that many others share your dreams.

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”                                                                                                                     - Leo Tolstoy

I just took  a long bike ride through Rotterdam to say goodbye. I even took some photos of the brute beauty. The train ticket is bought. The bag is packed. I find myself yet again in another moment of movement. Read the rest of this entry »