Saving trees one blog at a time

Off to the Disney place

2009-05-06T11:33:00.004-04:00

I'm leaving for Disney World in 2 days; a gift from the in-laws for the whole fam-damily.

Initially, I was horrified. An an environmentalist, activist, and general resister of all things commercial, I wondered why in g*d's name, with only one child (and a baby) in the family at the moment, would they bring seven adults to a children's theme park for a week of shiny, hyped, fancy neuroticism?

I was 95% sure that I was going to decide not to go on this trip. Everything in me was yelling not to go. I am at the finishing stages of my bachelor of science in environmental studies. I've listened to colleagues give presentations on environmental impact assessments of Disney's various "development" projects, which usually consists of introducing foreign plant species to a region, importing exotic animals from their native habitat (something that usually leads to the death of an entire groups of animals; that group being the one who is trying to defend their youngest family members from these strange white, two-legged creatures. This, and the fact that they are restricted in their new homes, eat when the captors decide it's time to eat, and are surrounded by noisy, smelly human-things all day long).

Other effects are the local degradation of ecosystems, the vast quantities of waste produced by tourists, the commercialization and commodification of "happiness", the questionable working conditions and code of ethics that employees endure, the toxic substances that leach into groundwater, the high cost of energy for running such a massive theme park, the fossil fuels used by consumers to get to the theme park, the delusional euphoria that it puts people in, the anthropomorphism of the animal kingdom and huge, blatant propaganda messaging and stereotyping... etcetera. Gee-rosssss.

After some discussion with some close friends, I decided, after all, to accept the lofty and generous gift form my in-laws and, *sigh*, go to Disney world.

My main reason for okaing this extravagance is mostly due to the fact that it's a great opportunity to spend time with my partner's family. They are, for the most part, really cool people whom I really like and enjoy spending time with. Another reason was prompted from my mom. She told me to remember my inner 4-year old, who would delight in the dawn of a new day, and walk around sighing and singing about how beautiful the day was.

I'll try to keep that in mind.

Whoa there life force!

2009-03-17T16:24:00.009-04:00

There are SO many changes happening all around me right now. A good hearty handful of friends are getting married (Cat, Amanda, Christi, Lydia, that I can remember), friends are going to grad school, I am almost finished my last full semester of my undergrad, we might be moving to Boston, an old friend of mine is even changing genders as you read this.

At the time I am writing, these changes are wholesome, for the betterment of lives and I am very proud to be sharing the same life-space as these wonderful, inspiring people. I have to admit I feel a little overwhelmed, and I think it's weird that I feel so vulnerable to change right now. It's like I have a stack of cards that are turning out to be something else, as though I turn the card around to see if I have a face or number, and turns out not to be a card at all, but something like a broom, horse, or butterfly.

I accept and embrace these changes. I know they're good, but there are some changes that I DON'T like, which I'd like to tell more people about, so please read on.

I go to school on a beautiful campus, and some important regions of it are largely unexplored. Macdonald campus in Sainte Anne de Bellevue has a horticultural center, which is also the location of the seasonal Mac Market. You can buy all the apples, squash and vegetables that your heart and palette desire. Behind the "hort" center is an orchard if you're ever in the mood for a sweet-smelling stroll, and there are pumpkin patches abounding. As a side note, it is also important to mention, and you'll see why in a second, that Macdonald campus already has a freshly renovated gym facility that is free for McGill students to use. It's right on campus, and is refreshingly hardly ever full. The neighboring school, John Abbott College, also has a gym facility that Mac students can access for a reduced fee as well as a pool. So we're covered. Gym, 2 of them, free or cheap, plus pretty local orchards for another little walk.

What I'm getting at here is that the pretty orchards and pumpkin patches of Macdonald campus are in danger of being paved over to build a NEW gym facility, that Mac students will have to pay for to use, and will be open to the general public. The plans for these facilities are being mapped out by the Macdonald Athletics department, by two of the administrative employees there. Why does Mac need yet another gym complexe? What we need is more student space, and to practice the conservation that is taught to us in class on the very same campus. Rather than a new gym facility, which has no concrete sustainability considerations, or the surprising news that the centennial center's cafeteria will be closed to students within the next few years, a community center for students where ideas can be shared and possibilities explored is a much more feasible idea that would be supported by the student body. More importantly, it's time to take McGill administration to the task of making environmentally sound decisions, even if that means leaving things as they are, and promoting the responsible use of campus green spaces.

Maybe this was the straw that was making my load feel heavier. Change, I can accept. Personal development and progress, and support for the environment are wonderful and noble. Making a facility that will not be helpful to what students really need, and forging through a development project that will decrease green space on the "environmental campus" are changes I will not sit idly by and watch. I plan to meet with the two gentlemen who are involved with the blueprints for this project and ask them politely to please not go forward with this development. If they say no, or dance around with defensive and justifying words, then it's time to build with the support of the student body. If we show opposition, there's no way they can go through with it, and if need be, that's what I intend to develop as my exit strategy from this school.

Calculus and drama can go together

2009-01-20T14:43:00.006-05:00

I am about to embark on my second semester of night school. Last semester, I was thankfully taking calculus 1 at a cegep just down the road from my house. I am not so fortunate this semester, and I have to use about 3 hours of my day in travel.

The good news is that the end is in sight. One more semester, then three more classes in the summer (fingers crossed) and voila, degree in hand.

Calculus has a special place in my books. I failed it the first time I enrolled. It was my first semester of University. I had just moved out, officially, for the first time, and I had a painful falling out with a dear friend, thus, I had other things on my plate. I forgot about math for the time being, and pursued my education without caring about the end of the road, where I would have to re-encounter the calculus demons once again, or drop out and dismiss all of the work I had put into obtaining a science degree from McGill university (snooty plug-in).

After my first or second class of calculus 1, the second time I took it, I called my co-star in a complete panic. I didn't think I could do it. I was convinced I was going to fail a second time around, and especially since I got a failing grade on my first assignment, I was sure I was destined for another semester of misery, and was contemplating dropping the class. My love gave me courage, however, and I succeeded in the course with a final grade of 82%. I've never been very good at math at first, and I usually have to fail something once to do well in it eventually, but I'm pretty happy with this grade, and proud of all the work I put into it.

During the course of taking calculus 1 the second time, at night school, I was crushing big-time on my teacher, who wasn't that much older than I was. I am in a committed relationship, and I know my partner was hurt by this, especially when I went out for diner with my teacher (strictly platonic dining), but it turns out I am dangerously attracted to guys who are good at math. Lucky for my boyfriend, he's also very good at math, so there was no question of me leaving him.

I pray that my new teacher is 1) an excellent teacher 2) non-intimidating 3) knows night school students don't want to become mathematicians per say 4) is someone I am not attracted to. I don't know if my heart can take much more ups and downs, so rest my soul, math is for science, not for lovin'!

Saint Andrew's by the sea

2008-08-11T17:21:00.005-04:00

I am in New Brunswick right now for a marine mammals course. What better way to kill 3 credits!?! Whale watching, seal observing, sea-bird gazing... woo hoo!

I'll be in Saint Andrews for 2 weeks, then my boyfriend will be meeting up with me so we can venture on our first vacation together :-)

The Huntsman Marine science center seems good so far. I haven't explored much of the campus yet because we got in from our 10 hour drive from Montreal and ate supper. In half an hour, we have our official starting time. A meeting after a sleepy day-long drive and a tummy full of carbs? I detect a little dreary-eyed short attention spans in my near future.

We're all staying in an old summer home, which is right next to a golf course. I'm sitting next to a nice faux-fireplace in a sunny room with friendly people, most of us immersed in our individual worlds, either through laptop computers or a book.

I'm concerned about my food situation. They weren't too pleased with my gluten sensitivity and told me that us types are supposed to bring our own food, which made me a little mad. I'm paying for food to be included with my tuition, and have a food allergy that I didn't choose to have. Plus, I wasn't told that I had to bring my own food, in which case, I would have suggested strongly for a partial refund for what I have payed so far. Sometimes, this world isn't made for people who don't fit the cookie mold.

Publi Sacs

2008-07-18T12:32:00.004-04:00

Transcontinental, the company the produces/distributes Quebec's most irritating commodity, the Publi Sac, had a little piece of news saying that they were going to begin using biodegradable plastic bags in early 2008. Check the article out right here:

http://www.transcontinental-gtc.com/en/5-news-centre/07-11-13.html

Although I encourage this shift in a greener direction, it still doesn't solve the following issues:

Carbon emissions
Deforestation
Pollution from printing mills
Household waste; Unwanted, unsolicited large-scale SPAM
Landfill space (for those who choose not to recycle)
Landfill space (for those who do decide to recycle... );Montreal only recycles 17% of what CAN be recycled

Biodegradable plastic bags are great, but it's a smokescreen and dare I say, a sort of green-washing for some bigger issues. It's a good step in the right direction, but not good enough.

Click this link for a good Montreal environmental forum

http://green514.com/

My boss wants me to draft a letter to give to different boroughs in Montreal asking them to ban the Publi Sac. I'll post it here when it's done.

Brace yoursleves for the whammy!

2008-07-10T15:09:00.007-04:00

I've been working at the Urban Nature Information Service (UNIS - a free hotline offered by McGill every year) this summer. Most days are ssssssssllllllllloooooooowww, but it's a good way to put what I've learned to task, and remember that there are llittle pockets of information and knowldge stored away int he crevices of my grey matter (without sounding too pretentious...). One of my bosses beleives that I am a translating whiz (from english to french and vice versa) so I've had a bunch of that dumped on me, but it's pretty cool to be getting paid to talk about animals all day. I've also been witnessing some crazy problems that people are having with their gardens and nature that I thought significant enough to splash out here.

K, now that I have the generic introduction out of the way, I'm writing with a message:

CLIMATE CHANGE IS MAKING THE INSECTS GO CRAZY

We are going to be feeling it more and more, but here are a few stories in the meantime:

The Pine Spittlebug has no controls in this part of the world (Quebec, Canada) because it's always been considrered a minor pest. We had one woman come into the office this week bringing some with her for us to identify and give advice on what to do about it. The evergreen trees (such a pine, hemlock, spruce) are dying from having high numbers of this bug, and there's nothing we can do about it for now. Last winter's freeze didn't go deep or long enough which lets pests like these to persist. Trees can't just pick up their roots and travel north where temperatures are cooler to avoid these bugs, and it takes a very long time for trees to adapt to changing temperatures. It's usually supposed to happen over thousands of years, not a decade. They're weakening and dying.

The Rose Chafer has also never been that much of a big deal. Most people have maybe 5 of them in their garden each year, but now, they're numbering in the hundreds. They're constantly copulating and I'm kinds freaked out over what things will be like next year. This population explosion is around for the same reasons - our winters are too short, things are warming up generally, and where pests couldn't survive the colder months, they are now moving northward where our winters would prevent this onset of problems.

When the Montreal General Hospital opened, it was flooded with malaria patients. Yes, right here in Montreal. There used to me many many swamps before we drained them all for housing and other massive eyesores (like shopping malls), but our cold winters have kept them at bay. For the same reasons I've outlined above, they're going to become a threat again.

So, yeah, what's the big deal? Garden pests shouldn't make one think that the urgency is any less important, but it is. Gardens are one thing, but if you have been paying attention to the news, and to the G8 meetings, there is a food crisis right now. We can up the pesticides (and the cancer treatments...) to try to control these things, clear more swampland, clear more forests... and create more spectacular problems until we're so plasticized and processed and numbed until these pests are gone, or, we can join in and fight and change ourselves and our consumer choices. The coal plants have alot more to do with your backyard vegetable patch than you realize. A food crisis exacerbated by an increase in pests in any part of the world does hold significance that we should be paying attention to, and thinking about, and not being passive with.

Back to the pesticide thing for a minute. There is a trend, a good trend, towards organic farming and produce. The plants sown here tend to be hartier, closer to the real thing, and more resistant to certian kinds of pests, but there's a big but. BIG BUT: With the encroaching pests that previoulsy could not survive our winters, a real threat is posed to organic (and non organic) food is pretty nasty. The only food we'll have left to eat will be cheeze-whiz from Wal-Mart because it's all chemicals (and grey before they put in the food coloring), after a global nuclear crisis, only cockroches and cheeze-whiz will rmain to repopulate the earth.

So, it's now officially time to run around screaming like out hair and asses were on fire. This is big, bad, ugly and serious. Start talking about it, and start doing something about it. Here are some things so easy that an impaired monkey with one eyeball could do it:

Shop locally:
Look at the lables to see where your food is coming from. Water from Fiji is kindof unecessary, we have water here, in Canada. Buy a water filter and SHAZAM, you're saving on massively produced plastic products that are shipped half way around the world, using tons of fuel just so we can have a pretty bottle that you're just gonna throw out eventually anyway. Whoop-de doo.

Think twice about driving:
The bus is lame only cuz car drivers are spoiled little brats who think they're too good to sit on a seat that some stranger just got off of, so they try to frame the issue to make themselves look more sophisticated than the rest of us. It's a hell of alot cheaper to take the bus, the train, the communal kayak, etc. Walking and biking is good for you and gets you there anyway while allowing you to have a moment to yourself. And hey, if you just have to go around the block, get of your ass and use the legs that we evolved to make us more efficient than other animals, be proud of them and make them work! (little side note, I don't mean to berate those who have a disability or pain who are dependant on a vehicle, just everyone else.)

So, let's recap. Climate change=crazy insect overpopulations+imported Fiji water+driving your car just down the block... badness! Personal mitigations that will go a loooooooong way=check your food lables+walk, bike, train, bus+talking about it... alot better!

2008-05-19T19:19:00.009-04:00

I was canoeing this weekend, and while in the middle of an adventure to get to the other side of the lake, my cell phone rang. I laughed as I was digging it out of my life-jacket "ah, enjoying nature" and saw that the number was from Ghana. Phone calls from friends and acquaintances overseas have been dwindling over the past 6 months, as they always do over time with any travels. This time, it was my old friend, Cheif Antony Awiagah, the chief of a small rural village in Kpandai, Mbowura. He was calling to send his greetings to me and my "husband" and to thank me once again for the gifts and books I had sent months earlier.

I stayed with Cheif Antony for one week last summer for something called a "village stay". This as to allow us to experience the lives of the people we were truly going overseas to help. Not only did I find that all of the women I met there more capable and motivated than myself, I found that what we call poverty, to them, was the lack of opportunity to live as a westerner. There was no running water or electricity in the village, and they seemed to get along just fine without it. I didn't, not that well, of course. I had been living without a refrigerator for the past few months prior to my village stay, and the only places that had running water of any sort were the hotels in the wealthier areas of the country. People thrived, but would have done better with a hospital in the vicinity, and, of course, running water. The environmentalist in me, sometimes a little harsher than my humanitarian side, sees the ecological benefit of having no electricity, but as nobody has the right to take away what others want, I keep that as my opinion and put no attempt towards any action on my part.

This time last year, I was in Accra, Ghana. It took me a long time to settle into where I would eventually stay for the entire summer. It was a very stressful time, and I think I have been riding on the same emotional stress wave ever since then, and probably even before that. Since 2006, almost way back to when I started university, I have been under the guise of two large and powerful non-governmental , not for profit organizations. While I have learned and benefited immensely from my experiences, I am still sifting through the emotional frameworks and guidelines of each organization, trying to piece myself together amidst it all. I am insanely jealous of all of the friends I have made in this time who have managed to DO something with what we learned during all the trainings and workshops. I feel the need in me to do something purposeful and selfless with my life. It would be great if I could do that from the comfort of my bed and be served fair trade, organic peppermint tea b my handsome boyfriend, whose life would revolve around ensuring my comfort and happiness. Ha haha.

In addition to emotional side effects, somewhere along the way, I picked up whipworm, which I have been treating naturopathically, i.e., the long and painful way. I will benefit from this by having a super-immune system when I am done, but in the meantime, I spent my Victoria day-off work resting in bed. I'm exhausted from getting my first colonic... yaaaaaaaaaay... Bathrooms be close. It hasn't been all that bad, I hate to sound ungrateful for my experiences, but there is always more to the picture than meets the eye... the motivation behind the painting or the landscape design. The reason behind the party on paper. I'm beginning to feel restless and am in denial of having to go back to work tomorrow, however, my job is completely wonderful and it is only the obligation of having to be somewhere that I am unhappy about. That, and, I begin my two solid months of summer school - calculus - in two weeks, so it's time to take it easy and only scheme, not plan, how I will execute greening my borough next year.

Safia, el gato

2008-05-08T20:24:00.009-04:00

Walking along the path to enlightenment with cats

2008-05-07T23:25:00.003-04:00

I can't believe how sleepy I am tonight. Usually I am up late bugging my boyrfiend while he tries to read, but we had company tonight so we're up later than usual. Tyler washing the dishes, me putzing around on the internnot.

So, we bugged the cat alot tonight, poor kitty, but it's almost good for her, helps her avoid boredom in our little apartment.

The things I am wondering right now, though, are: What am I going to do with my life? Why are things always so uncertain? Am I becoming too cocky and overconfident? Why can't I seem to be able to put in a full day's of work in the greenhouse? Why can't I just be happy with the things that make others so happy and comfortable in their lives? Why do I have damned parasites and gluten sensitivities when I'm a freeking vegetarian who tries really hard to take care of herself?

I suppose it's because life is a journey, and I am supposed to be learning valuable lessons along the way. I think it all boils down to being comfortable with who I am no matter what, despite scary dreams where my mother in law shoots down everything I say, making me feel stupid. I also think the cumulation of my university education has led me to think that I am unqualified to express myself because I haven't been able to express to the ultimum, the scientific relevance of why I think some things are better left untouched.

Whoops! abit of a rant... it's the wine, I swear!

2008-05-01T19:30:00.007-04:00

http://www.endcancer.ca/site/TR?team_id=65406&fr_id=1252&pg=team&JServSessionIdr007=9hlm2tv8s4.app24b

Breast cancer.

If you know a woman, it's a worthwhile cause for supporting research and treatments. Mrs.McKay, a woman on my street when I was growing up had her left breast removed because of cancer, and I will never meet my biological mother-in-law. Her life was taken by breast cancer in 1986. There are probably others who I am indirectly connected to, but anyway, this is something that changes families, and is a way to honor the women in your life.

The link at the top of this posting is for three friends of mine who will be doing the breast cancer walk this coming August. They need to raise $2000 (Canadian) each for a grand total of $6000 (Can) to do this walk. They don't know anyone directly who has, or had breast cancer, which I find quite noble. What a bunch of great gals! If you would like to donate, you can do so online by visiting the site I've put up here. There's also a link on the right under "some stuff".

Deeni, Audrey and Marsha

I guess I like supporting causes! I started this blog just to write, have fun... little did I know... mwa ha ha

Jenna

2008-05-01T08:51:00.009-04:00

The link presented here (which you should visit, of course) is of my apprentice, Jenna, who completely kicks ass.

She is in Toronto right now, going through pre-departure training with EWB (engineers without borders, Canada) in order to be prepared for a 3.5 month stint in Malawi, Africa. She'll be working with a water and sanitation NGO (non-governmental organization), improving best practices, going to live in an extremely rural community for a week here and there, doing some cultural learning, and see the conditions of how most of the world live in (note: non-judgmental, non-classificatory statement, it's just the facts. We have it good in the west. You have no idea how good we have it, and it's a crying pity that we're making it so bad for the rest of the world because we can't see this).

I remember my pre-departure training this time last year. I remember saying goodbye to my boyfriend who had driven me to Toronto, and who I wouldn't see for four months (I cried. In the past, when I would go on one of my adventures, leaving a boyfriend behind, it was understood that the relationship was 90% likely to be over, and that was fine, the awaiting adventure was far more important, and no hearts were broken... well... mine usually wasn't ;-) This time, though, I would be apart from someone worth coming home to, and we're still together today).

Pre-departure training is an intense experience, and Jenna is well prepared, she's a very impressive young woman. She was the co-president of the Macdonald campus' McGill branch of Engineers Without Borders Canada, and a die-hard change-worker. This past April, Jenna and two other members of our exec shaved their heads to raise the money needed to support a junior fellow overseas for four months. The event was called Engineers Without Hair, and was one hell of a fund-raiser, far surpassing the goal of raising $3000 (I think the final total was close to $5000... not bad for a small campus!)

I find it incredibly inspiring that these three ladies delved into the world of no-hair in order the raise awareness for the work that EWB does overseas. The didn't think it was that bog of a deal... hair grows back, right? I don't know if I would be so willing to trade my long flowing locks for a tactically pleasing fuzzy head... maybe one day! Actually, right before the event began, I jokingly said that I would shave my head if we raised $4000 (we were still at the $2000-ish mark). Then, the student council said they would match our donations, bringing us to $4000-something. Tatjana (striped shirt) then came up to me with the shaver, trying to make me keep my word. I thien had to admit that it was just a ploy to raise more money (I have been trying to grow my hair out for a few years... I'm not ready to let it go just yet!)

Picking things up from where I last left them

2008-04-30T15:29:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since I've had a blog. My last one was very purposeful, documenting the ups and downs of the life of a shirt-term volunteer development worker in Ghana, Africa. It's still all there at http://www.melinghana.blog.com.

It was a great way to filter through my emotions and thought processes, so, as I enter a short period of time between the end of the winter semester and the beginning of the summer semester, I find myself back in blog-land.

What inspired setting up a new blog was a very revealing visit to my naturopathic doctor. As you can imagine, coming back from Africa can cause one to want to get their body thoroughly checked out for any residual bugs, parasites, imbalances, etc, and this is what I did. After having an emotional break-down that lasted several months starting in October 2007, one that my relationship almost paid the price for, I decided it was time to pick myself up and get things checked out.

I really appreciate my naturopath. During my emotional upheaval (described briefly above), during which I had an appointment with her, she looked at my mental and emotional condition in conjunction with the physical. My weight gain is probably linked metaphysically with having all of these new burdens in my life (both good and bad). I come back from Ghana, which is very different from Montreal, move in with my boyfriend, automatically fill in the role as a step-mother, then go to school full time and work part time while fulfilling my commitment to the organization that I went to Africa with (Engineers Without Borders, Canada, www.ewb.ca).

The relief I felt just by having a whole body check-out was immense, and, I was going to pay a little over $300 (Canadian) to have my poo analyzed by Metametrix clinical laboratory. Their methodology was to do a DNA analysis, GC/CM, Microscopic, Colorimetric, Automated Chemistry, ELISA to get my gastrointestinal profile.

Lo and behold, they found a parasite. A protozoan Trichuris sp. ... whipworm. Eeewwwww, but fascinatingly cool. I can hear my parasitology teacher talking very matter-of-factly about the life cycle, symptoms, and what kills it, but for the time being, I checked it out through a google search. The bury into your large intestines and in severe cases, can cause anemia and bloody poo. My case is light, I guess, but it would help explain some things! (which I will kindly not detail for you).

Also in my poo-test results was that I am not digesting my fats very well, a danger for my liver and gall bladder, which is scary because my mom had her gall bladder removed, and I want to keep mine. Damn potato-chip weakness! The test also showed that I have a gluten sensitivity. I don't eat all that much gluten, so, for it to show up as an almost-big-deal on this fancy test makes it a big deal. I, of course, googled gluten sensitivity and found a blog called "gluten free girl" etc., and realized that I was reading a blog, and I though "oh, what fun" so here I am, rekindling my public thought processes for random people who I do not know and potentially never meet, and I like it alot :-) so enjoy!

Mel