currently reading

During the school year it feels impossible to read for fun. I am sure all you students can agree! However, a few weeks ago Sam and I were talking about trying to disconnect more, and since then I have been trying to cut back on my TV time and replacing it with for-fun reading time. What I have been reading is Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I am about halfway through the memoir right now, and I am absolutely loving it so far.

It is a memoir chronicling one woman’s decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail alone during a time that she thought of as ‘bottom’ in her life. It’s not a typical hiking memoir, and details the emotional journey she goes through during the time. I am a huge fan of memoirs and people sharing their stories, and this one is one of the best that I have read so far.

Another reason why I am loving it so much is that I have this idea/dream that Samantha and I will hike the West Coast Trail next summer. We have zero back country camping experience, and the WCT is pretty intense. I don’t think we are going to be able to do it just based on my schedule and plans for this summer, but I am hoping to do it in the next few years. It’s a bit of a pipe dream, but something that I really want to do. Reading Wild has given me a pretty big longing to travel and hike, especially since the weather is turning here.

I strongly suggest watching the book trailer—it summarizes and explains the novel and highlights why you should read it!

-g

A number of years ago, I read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. A great deal of the book follows the lunatic farmer, Joel Salatin, on his sustainable farm in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. This was my first introduction to the guy, and boy was I ever hooked on what he was doing. Earlier this year, I jumped at the opportunity to see Salatin speak at SAIT here in Calgary. It was everything that I had hoped it would be, and (to continue on the pipe dreams…) inspired me to one day give farming a try. Yeah, that. There is a lot in the media that romanticizes farming, which I think is what I'm after. In reality, I would likely last one day working on a farm before calling it quits due to the substantial amount of labor. I spent the summer doing some half-assed gardening instead and ultimately abandoned that dream, until I finally picked up a copy of one of Salatin's books: Folks, This Ain't Normal. Salatin talks a lot about the decline of society as the market economy took over, a topic that is becoming increasingly near and dear to me. He offers suggestions for improvement—some doable, some a bit far-fetched for us city dwellers. Salatin is careful not to romanticize the labor involved in farming, but highlights the relationship with the animals that comes with this sort of sustainable agriculture. He goes on to talk about the perils of the industrialized food system, touching on the usual topics, with a different perspective due to his profession. Joel Salatin is truly an inspiration for "holding his ground" and traditional ways of life as the world has modernized. I dare say that there is a lot to be learned from him.

- s

What are you reading?

so, how was your day?

In lieu of our typical “Currently” posts, Samantha and I thought we would switch it up by following the template of the blog “So, How Was Your Day”. We are both huge fans of the blog, and love reading about people in different capacities and how they organize their days. I was also a huge fan of Design for Mankind’s “Dailies” series—I love reading how people live!!

This was what my (Gabi) Friday looked like, and the questions at the end are what Sam had for me.

On their website, they get people to post a photo of themselves on their bed. Here's one from when I was home for the holidays at some point—when my hair was all one colour!

 So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast: Cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese. Water.

Lunch: Scrambled eggs with cheese and salsa.

Dinner: Butternut squash risotto and wine.

Morning: I am so not a morning person. I am slowly learning to adapt into being one, but since our Fall reading break came along my routine was kinda shot down. I’m working at bringing it back though. So this morning my alarm went off at 9am, and I rolled out of bed around 10. Typically one of the kitties has burst into my room (they’ve been fed at 730 when my roommate leaves for work) for some attention, and that’s a sign that I’ve been in bed too long. I quickly get ready (check the weather and pick an outfit, and listen to the radio while I attempt to do my hair and makeup), and then eat a bagel while one of the cats (Wilbur) watches me in hopes I will drop something. This morning I went to drop off a plant at work on my way to meet a friend.

Noon: The friend I met this morning does Reiki (which is a type of energy work that balances your chakras and energy) and I met up with him and we came back to my house. He did reiki with me, and I came out of my little meditative trance feeling super calm. One of the cats was super intrigued by what was happening and while I was laying down having reiki done, the cat came and jumped up all around me and absorbed some of the energy too. Apparently animals are super in tune with the energy and Sheldon was super calm this whole afternoon/evening. Very cool. After my friend left, I had lunch while catching up with some blogs, and left my apartment for an appointment.

Night: After, I met up with a former roommate/really good friend and we went and got a coffee and ran some errands. This also included a trip to Chapters to look/ogle all the things we want, as well as make some purchases (a book on American Sign Language for her, and the game Jenga for me). After a couple hours, I went to meet another friend I met through volunteering for a beer to catch up and chat! Val (my current roommate) came and joined us, and then once we were done there, Val and I went to the grocery store to pick up goodies for dinner. She made a trade with me: Val cooked dinner (risotto) and I cleaned/polished/sprayed all our shoes and fed the cats. After eating, I Facetimed with Sam and we talked about dogs and cats and pets and just overall being silly. Now I am writing this post and will have a relatively early night as I have to be up early tomorrow for a volunteer shift.

This was a really nice Friday for me. The last month I have been totally booked up on Fridays; but since training finished up for one of my volunteer gigs, I now have my Fridays free. It’s really nice that my weekend starts on Thursdays! Also, in response to my mom’s comments from my last post: I am having some wine now, and I already had a beer. No, I am not an alcoholic :)

1. Now that your Fridays are freed up, what does your ideal day look like?

Hmmm… I am still learning what an ideal day in general for me looks like. I am still learning how to balance work and play—what too much or too little of each means to me. But for right now? It’s likely to include a relatively early rise, but still a bit of a sleep in. Breakfast, time with the kitties, possibly a volunteer shift, and then spending some time with friends. Ideally with no school work to be completed… I like to take Fridays off.

2. Tell me more about this reiki stuff.

Well… Reiki is basically an “alternative” therapeutic treatment that aims to balance your energy and to restore you into your body’s homeostasis. At least that is my understanding, anyway. It is done by a reiki practitioner who transfers energy to you through their palms. Basically you enter a meditative state and the reiki practitioner balances you out by “hovering” their hands over various areas of your body and placing their hands on others. It was pretty neat, non-evasive, and I felt really refreshed after. I’m interested in having it done again.

3. What are you favourite shops (clothing, coffee, misc) in Ottawa?

That’s a really tough question! I have so many! For coffee… I am a Bridgehead fan. It’s an Ottawa-based coffee shop that has many locations across the city and a couple years ago they opened up their own roastery (which also has a coffee shop inside) and they do a great cup of coffee. I also love Planet Coffee (which so happens to be conveniently located next to my work) for their pastries and food. Food wise… I love a La Bottega sandwich, indian from Basmati on Somerset W, Pho in Chinatown; as well as the many local restaurants we’ve tried out (Town, Sidedoor, Cafe Absinthe…)… there are just SO many to choose from. Clothing… I love all the local shops in the Byward Market and on West Wellington. OH and my favourite used bookstore: The Black Squirrel on Bank past Flora. Gems. Pretty much anything that can only be found in Ottawa, I like to frequent. There’s a big “Support Local” following here, and I am definitely a fan.

Check back soon to read how Sam’s day was. How was your day?

currently thankful for

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!! Thanksgiving is typically a holiday revolving around food—as most are—yet we find that sometimes the "real meaning" of the holiday is sometimes lost. Because of this, we decided to take our post this week to reflect on what we are thankful for.

Growing up Thanksgiving typically just meant going to my grandma's house and having dinner with my family; something that was pretty common on the weekends during that time. Just another dinner and day. The only difference being that my parents had work off so we all got to spend time together on a weekday. About 8 years ago I gave up eating meat, which made Thanksgiving and most other family meals a little more difficult. I was never a huge fan of turkey or the "traditional" Thanksgiving foods in the first place, so I never really felt like I was missing out on anything. This has changed! 4 years ago I moved into my own apartment, and the nature of the holiday shifted for me. Each year my roommates and I have hosted a variety of Thanksgiving meals. Our first Thanksgiving, we had 17 people in my unfurnished apartment, used all my cutlery and ate off paper plates. We made a turkey, 2 tofurky's, 3 pies, and our guests brought a giant table of food. The following year, we had less people, but more food. Same with the next. Because of this, I have developed a love for Thanksgiving and it includes—time with friends, and lots and lots and lots of food that I can eat!

However, this year is a bit different, since our Fall Reading Break falls with Thanksgiving, most people have gone home to visit their families, as well some have moved away since graduating. So what am I doing? I spent Saturday with my former roommate on a day trip down to Syracuse, NY to do some shopping, and will be enjoying a "homeless" Thanksgiving with a friend that is in town. It is definitely not the same as the other years, but I am excited for it nevertheless.

So what am I thankful for this week? That all these years I have always been able to spend this holiday with those that I care about. That I have always been supported in everything I've ever wanted to pursue (as crazy an idea it may have been) and that I have such fantastic people in my life. I am grateful for the personal connections I make each and every day—whether it is with people I chat with on a day to day basis through work, volunteering and school; or through my close friendships. I feel grateful and thankful that I am given these opportunities, and the fact that I get to share different aspects of my life with so many people. And as usual, I am especially grateful for the company of my family, best friends (and roommate), and our three pets, who get to deal with the day to day crazy that is my life.

-g

“I actually attack the concept of happiness. The idea that - I don’t mind people being happy - but the idea that everything we do is part of the pursuit of happiness seems to me a really dangerous idea and has led to a contemporary disease in Western society, which is fear of sadness. It’s a really odd thing that we’re now seeing people saying “write down 3 things that made you happy today before you go to sleep”, and “cheer up” and “happiness is our birthright” and so on. We’re kind of teaching our kids that happiness is the default position - it’s rubbish. Wholeness is what we ought to be striving for and part of that is sadness, disappointment, frustration, failure; all of those things which make us who we are. Happiness and victory and fulfillment are nice little things that also happen to us, but they don’t teach us much. Everyone says we grow through pain and then as soon as they experience pain they say “Quick! Move on! Cheer up!” I’d like just for a year to have a moratorium on the word “happiness” and to replace it with the word “wholeness”. Ask yourself “is this contributing to my wholeness?” and if you’re having a bad day, it is.”

- Hugh Mackay

It used to be a big fuss to get my brother and I to family gatherings, but the one meal that I did enjoy partaking in was Thanksgiving. Every year, it was held at my grandparent’s house. My mother’s whole side of the family would be there, and in recent years came the addition of a new uncle and cousins (two littles and two new pups). We would gather in the living room over a table of appetizers: the usual deviled eggs, quiche, and an experimental dish from my aunt and uncle (they are the “cooks” of the family… As a kid I found their dishes too “out there,” but now I look forward to them). My grandmother would be in the kitchen busying herself with the feast, with the occasional helping hand making their way into the kitchen to chip in. Eventually, my brother and I would go up too, and would fight over who got to ring the bell to sound for dinner. In the feast, you were sure to find a hodgepodge of potato dishes, an exquisite salad from my aunt and uncle and my grandmothers signature jelly salad. When we were a smaller group, we would eat around the dining room table. It was a small room, no doubt, but we cozied up around the table. More recently, we’ve dined in more of a potluck style. Mosey up to the kitchen to collect your food and wine, and progress down into the living room to eat off the coffee or card tables. It doesn’t matter where we eat though, because the conversation always starts flowing and laughter ensues. Once we are stuffed to the brim with seconds and thirds, my grandmother and dad have argued over the turkey heart, and the dried wishbones have been cracked, dessert is broken out. Pumpkin pie, always, with the second option changing by the year. It’s after this that we collect ourselves in the front entrance and say our long-drawn goodbyes. The next time we’ll be together like this isn’t until Christmas.

This year is different, though. The whole year has been in fact. Long-standing traditions like these have almost entirely ceased to exist. From what I recall, we have hardly gotten together at all. My grandmother passed away earlier this year, and it’s not hard to see how much she really held us all together. It makes me so sad for my young cousins who will not know of these traditions that are so vivid in my mind.

I am thankful for my health, and the health of those around me. It’s been a really tough year with far too many friends and family ending up with a variety of ailments. It’s so unfortunate, and it’s all too common these days, it seems. I’m thankful to have such wonderful people in my life, perhaps not living within the same city, but just an e-mail away. I’m thankful to have this life of plenty, to be so fortunate to live here, in this city. I'm thankful to have known a woman so strong, so caring as my grandmother, and I will forever remember her on days like today. No, Thanksgivings and other holidays are not going to be the same as they used to be, but is that so bad? If anything, our loss should strengthen our bonds and bring us closer together. My cousins will not know what I knew, but they will know a whole other kind of love. Perhaps not this year, but next, will bring new traditions to life.

- s

What are you feeling thankful for this holiday weekend?

currently thinking about

Okay, not to sound like a total crazy and constantly talk about pets.... But let's get real. Take one look at my Instagram and it clearly looks like all I like is bunnies, cats, and wine. Occasionally the mountains and my family too. However, my thoughts right now are on the nature of pets. We love them, they're our companions, and we treat them like family. My roommate and I recently rescued a stray (with the kind, kind help and heart of Kim) and he is the prettiest kitty. According to neighbours who helped feed the little guy, at one point he had owners, had a healthy coat etc. until one day they noticed him looking scraggly and realized that he had been abandoned. That just breaks my heart. How can somebody just leave their pet?! All our pets have been adopted--Sheldon, from the Ottawa Humane Society; Waffles, from a classmate who was moving (and had another owner before her); and now our newest addition, Wilbur. I understand that there are reasons in which you aren't able to care for your pet anymore—fine. But please have the heart to try and re-home them, or at a last resort, take them to a shelter. Don't just leave them to fend for themselves. I always loved the saying that we aren't pet owners, but pet guardians. They're not disposable items—they're living, breathing, eating, cuddle machines. I could go on and on, but I won't.

The creator of Maddie On Things is currently doing a project called Why We Rescue, and I love it. It makes my heart all warm and fuzzy inside.

Welcome home Wilbur!

-g

My degree is a combination of economics, political science and public policy. It’s a relatively general degree in the realm of public policy, as opposed to a program at other institutions such as Kwantlen or UBC. I chose this program over the one at Kwantlen in part because of my finances, and also because the generality of my program at MRU will (hopefully) allow me some variation in work post-degree. Part of the program at MRU is taking upwards of 30% (I believe) of your degree in what is called “general education.” I roll my eyes at this on an almost daily basis, because these courses have absolutely nothing to do with what I’m studying, but I get it. That’s the point—to give students a breadth of knowledge other than solely their degree focus. One of these gen ed courses that I’m enrolled in takes a good hard look at the issues that our society is facing with emphasis on the economic system. I find it partially laughable that I start my day sitting in economics and finish it in this critique class. Not only that, but it’s slightly uncomfortable to know that I’m essentially doing my degree in something that is seen as so inherently bad. We talk a lot about the system and how it is something fictitious that we are more or less slaves to. The thing: the market system. The institutions, the government policies, the class system, and the great inequalities that have risen from this very thing that is supposed to allow us equal opportunity. Is the current system something that needs to be debunked? As class inequalities grow and we all become more in debt, is restarting the system even a possibility? Can we, this generation of young people, do anything?

The last question goes back to the topic of Millennials thinking that they are special and entitled, because hell, we grew up being told that we are special. In a personal perspective, what I want to do is make some sort of an impact on policies regarding food and agriculture. Do I think that I am single-handedly going to change the system? Will I even make a dent into it? Hell no. Probably not. There is so much systemically wrong with those sectors that actually changing them would mean entirely changing the way that the system works.

The UN recently released their 2013 publication on Trade and Environmental Review, and I have been giving a slow read-through. My thoughts are that it does not provide drastic enough solutions to problems pertaining to agriculture. It seems to be a lot of what we already know: Big Food and Big Ag are fucking up the Global North and the Global South due to soil depletion, obesity, climate change, wrongful allocation of resources, hunger, poverty, job loss, trade agreements, and so on. It makes me sad to say, but I don’t see an end to these issues on a systemic level. There is so much for countries such as the United States to give up—so much to lose—that unless the system were in fact debunked, it’s hard to imagine a food system that is just to the land and the people.

What do we do about this then? I like to think that every little bit does count, at least in a personal way. There is a rise in consumer interest in organic, local, sustainably produced products. Of course, only a select wealthier portion of the population can actually afford these types of goods. These are the sorts of issues that I think about on the daily. I’m thankful for my gen ed class, because it enforces the reality that yeah, the system kind of sucks, so what are we gonna do about it? For now, I’ll continue to be critical in my studies and hope that somewhere in there, there is a glimmer of hope for our society.

- s

What are you currently thinking about?