tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52996366105393703062024-02-19T02:47:42.532-05:00when we were young and happyinternationally figuring things outAngehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06152559631795492377noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299636610539370306.post-65808571719416424592014-01-20T04:45:00.004-05:002014-01-20T04:45:50.643-05:00Officially moved.Come visit us at <a href="http://www.whenwewereyoungandhappy.com/">www.whenwewereyoungandhappy.com</a>.<br />
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All the old posts are archived, new ones will be coming fast and furious. Join me, now in China on a new adventure.<br />
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<a href="http://www.whenwewereyoungandhappy.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwstiM7V-YKkhdNxHH55k4xPI4YtoHY3e1SvIlA-Cb9GNkRpI7Cykpfg3N-R084Wuf8uKmeGRBQjOnvg8x4F5p5Y2af9SK0qRpw1i-16AngX-Ck5PBl8xyW57MWbHadjrGyKKgoiomfU/s1600/1277521_10102014929053102_891534321_o.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Angehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06152559631795492377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299636610539370306.post-64587686454070993602013-06-16T07:02:00.001-04:002013-06-16T07:10:01.740-04:00How to not be a jerk in London: 10 ways<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">There are a lot of things that newbies, tourists, and clueless foreigners do that Londoners or people who generally live here find irritating. There are two reasons for this: 1) cluelessness and 2) stubborn resolve to not conform to London/English etiquette. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">I can't help the people determined to be jerks. <i>(I'm looking at you </i></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><i>Americans who resolutely refuse to apologise for being bumped into -I have heard your conversations declaring to one another that you will never be complicit in this seemingly backwards system that we also employ in Canada!)</i> But for those of you who genuinely don't want to piss people off or are curious about why someone dressed in [likely expensive] ripped clothing, smoking a cigarette, and drinking a beer on the sidewalk is giving YOU dirty looks, read on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">10. </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Be a conscientious umbrella user</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHh8lcqCkOBkPOToOq6kW9b8oQKDTVekP8UtTsG_aoDmBb9huK3CwhMlnp82JYDaW-lh2RhodJ1dJVSADQfNqpLjOlVGPwmWjNiXPvgr4isYSDiZoG6w-mXbIcgS8cDkWxnppsyXc340/s1600/972364_10151665853146974_1211868963_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHh8lcqCkOBkPOToOq6kW9b8oQKDTVekP8UtTsG_aoDmBb9huK3CwhMlnp82JYDaW-lh2RhodJ1dJVSADQfNqpLjOlVGPwmWjNiXPvgr4isYSDiZoG6w-mXbIcgS8cDkWxnppsyXc340/s400/972364_10151665853146974_1211868963_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Won't hit anyone here!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Being a wee woman myself, using an umbrella on narrow sidewalks is difficult. Raincoats and ponchos are a lifesaver for the vertically challenged. If you must wield an umbrella, hold it as high above the heads of the crowds as you can. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;">9. Be ready to swipe out</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">When you got off any train transport, you will need to swipe out with your Oyster card or put your ticket through. Scrambling in your bag to find your card while dozens of people are trying to get on with their day? Huge London faux pas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Also, if you're on a longer trip outside of London, your ticket will be checked at least once on the train. Keep your tickets accessible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">8. </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Ask for the bill</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">When in doubt, ask for the bill. Service here is worse than almost every where else I have been in the world. Unless you're dining with celebrities and paying triple digits for your meal, you're probably going to have to ask for your bill. If people are queuing at the door, you've finished you're meal, and you think you're being polite by hoping someone will stop by with your bill: you're probably not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">7. </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Cross the street carefully</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyfXQP6nqyw09cqgoHCYEzOyOShnCMNydfz4uQh0lxIuqIOPXI1XnAw0Sb0JovHciWmIdB4apq92uuAuE1DBn-byAW_ln747dGnpgdQpshlZ8QLQgSyeO4tiF0uMbnUJpO4i8EgxPRiM/s1600/6740190241_9a54e25fde_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyfXQP6nqyw09cqgoHCYEzOyOShnCMNydfz4uQh0lxIuqIOPXI1XnAw0Sb0JovHciWmIdB4apq92uuAuE1DBn-byAW_ln747dGnpgdQpshlZ8QLQgSyeO4tiF0uMbnUJpO4i8EgxPRiM/s200/6740190241_9a54e25fde_o.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Pedestrians do not have right of way. Even if a car is turning onto a different street, it has right of way, not the people crossing. Plus, cars drive on the left, so for those of us from the 72% of the world that drive on the right, crossing the street can be particularly frightening. I have stopped many a tourist from walking into traffic since we moved here, despite painted explanations of which way to look on most corners. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Don't stress people out or be a burden on the health care system. Watch your step.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">6. </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Don't travel during rush hour, especially in the morning</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Basically between the hours of 8 and 10, stay off of the main London streets and off the tube unless it's necessary. </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Don't take the tube with your luggage during rush hour. Don't take your pet with you on the tube during rush hour. Just generally let people who have places to go at the busiest times of the day get on with it in the least painful way possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Plus, it's more expensive to take transit during peak times (</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">6:30 to 9:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00 Monday to Friday)! Save a few quid and sleep in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">5. </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Be on time</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Events start on time, or even early, here. I'm continuously guilty of being <i>rightontime</i> for events and squeezing in at the last minute. This is marginally rude but the odd person who is truly late for events is really stepping on toes (often literally). Be early. Everyone else was and doesn't want to watch you get to your seat when the show/talk/whatever has already started.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">(Caveat: this does not apply to clubs, which the Irishman and I learned the hard way. We went to an event on time, weren't allowed in until 10 minutes after the venue had opened, and were the only ones there for over an hour. I have never felt older or more uncool. Spare yourself the embarrassment.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;">4. Don't "red rover" the sidewalk</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Youths_Playing_Red_Rover.jpg/800px-Youths_Playing_Red_Rover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Youths_Playing_Red_Rover.jpg/800px-Youths_Playing_Red_Rover.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This game isn't fun anyway. (<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Youths_Playing_Red_Rover.jpg">Flickr</a>)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">People who walk in a line across the sidewalk on Oxford Street are committing a massive urban sin. At most, walk beside one person. Rows of 4+ people taking up the whole path, walking at a leisurely pace, when there are thousands of people trying to get to their destinations are responsible for blood pressure spikes in Londoners daily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">3. </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Get in line</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Queuing is a British pastime, as we all know. While everyone is in a rush when they are walking places, they come to a screeching halt once the goal is in sight. Butting in to join your friends is probably unwise. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Complaining is also a primary British activity, so feel free to commiserate with everyone else waiting in your vicinity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">2. </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Be quiet</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">That being said, don't be too friendly. Customer service here, see #8, is all about leaving people alone and getting interactions over with as quickly as possible. Small talk happens but it doesn't get personal. Generally, don't talk to people on transit. Keep your voice down when you do talk to people. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Coming from Canada, I feel like the volume here is set on "low" and several times I have questioned whether I am losing my hearing due to the quiet nature of communication. Then I go to a pub once people are a few drinks in and suddenly, my hearing is restored! Magic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;">1. Walk fast, walk straight</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Especially in Central London, walk as quickly as you can and in as straight of a line as you can to allow for people who know where they are going to get there. Sidewalks are full of zigzagging commuters trying to get around clueless tourists. This problem is so prevalent that multiple proposals over the years have suggested "<a href="http://londonist.com/2010/07/pedestrian_speed_lanes_for_oxford_s.php">speed lanes</a>" on foot traffic heavy Oxford Street.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">If you think you are lost and want to check your phone/guidebook/map, treat it like you're in a car and look for a good space to pull over that won't obstruct people before you stop.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Tahoma;">Bonus ways people are jerks that should be common sense:</b><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">If you stand on the left on the escalator, don't be surprised to hear tutting, throat clearing, coughing, or a drunken "get out of the f---ing way!" </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Elevators ("lifts") often have an entry side and an exit side for traffic control. There is a special place in hell for people who jump the queue and enter from the exit side.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Really, this can be summarized as <u>get out of the way</u>. It may seem excessive but, unlike <a href="http://noplanplans.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/hong-kong-and-kelvin-chan-experience.html">Hong Kong</a> where density seems to have resulted in everyone being complicit in getting places very slowly, Londoners still want to get places in a reasonable amount of time. Whether you agree with it or not, you're going to be a jerk if you're taking up space.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">It's inevitable that you will be in someone's way, hit someone with your umbrella, loiter at a restaurant, or generally irritate someone for a reason you can't pinpoint. <b>When in doubt, apologise</b>. The English love a good apology.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">If you have any other tips on how to not piss people off in this excessively dense tourist trap of a city, please share in the comments!</span></div>
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Angehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06152559631795492377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299636610539370306.post-86883736867563065052013-05-30T08:52:00.000-04:002013-05-30T08:56:31.040-04:00Saving cash in London (the fun way): 10 tipsThe number 1 thing most expats I meet in London say about the city is that it's expensive. And it is. Rent and transport are crazy; I can't believe how much we moaned in Toronto! Salaries, especially for non-manager roles, are completely inadequate in a lot of sectors. And if you are here on a working holiday visa, your odds of a decent wage are even lower. <br />
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But being young and having a good time in London can be semi-affordable if you plan a bit and keep your eyes and ears open!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Bring on the emails.</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm74bfb8G79UiairyUXcVNGen8__zVHHaG6GASC5RN-0JwvWyC0zNm6eQPzEG18Yr_gIQZ1tAwEQ9lJjT8pFvxIGwwql1MnuwmqbADW9LL7Hjg3wiW5hg4myJ_jXosqm5AVSls3AlE3IE/s1600/581349_10151384639441974_472382064_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm74bfb8G79UiairyUXcVNGen8__zVHHaG6GASC5RN-0JwvWyC0zNm6eQPzEG18Yr_gIQZ1tAwEQ9lJjT8pFvxIGwwql1MnuwmqbADW9LL7Hjg3wiW5hg4myJ_jXosqm5AVSls3AlE3IE/s200/581349_10151384639441974_472382064_n.jpg" width="150" /></a>You're probably familiar with Groupon and its competitors. While I have found the deals in London much less dramatic than in Toronto, there are still great deals to be had. Theatre tickets, clothing, exercise, spa treatments, and nights out can all be had for steep discounts.<br />
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The Irishman and I got a Wowcher coupon: 6 cocktails and free cover at a club in Soho for £10! Each drink, normally £10 each, was expertly shaken (with 2+ shots of alcohol in each) and there was a comfy lounge area for us to hang out in. <br />
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There are tons but my subscriptions of choice:<br />
-<a href="http://www.groupon.co.uk/">Groupon</a><br />
-<a href="http://www.wowcher.co.uk/deals/london">Wowcher</a><br />
-<a href="http://uk-offers.timeout.com/deals">TimeOut</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Stay fit -no excuses!</span></b><br />
The climate isn't really ideal for outdoor activities and incredibly long escalators in the Underground could make anyone fall out of shape quickly. But even if a rainy jog or yoga in a shoebox of a flat don't appeal, you have no financial excuse!<br />
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Like yoga? Lululemon hosts free classes throughout the week. Many studios also offer amazing intro deals, including <a href="http://www.triyoga.co.uk/">triyoga </a>and <a href="http://www.bikramyoga.co.uk/">Bikram</a>.<br />
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Free exercise pops up around the city if you're looking for it. Boot camps can be pricey but, especially if you`re willing to get up early on the weekends, you can find totally free classes (e.g. <a href="http://www.meetup.com/London-HydePark-Running-SocialCorner/">Hyde Park</a>) and most companies will let you try your first session for free.<br />
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As mentioned above, group buying deals are a good default. And if you can stand the emails and texts, sign up at gyms and studios near your home or work to find out about great deals that may find you at the right time!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Save on transport.</span></b><br />
Speaking of exercise, walking is the best way to get around the city. Avoid any rail service or cabs, leave your heels in your bag, and hoof it! If you're not going far, it can be quicker to walk than make your way deep underground and then surface, anyway. Handy maps are dotted all over the city to help you sort yourself out.<br />
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Get an <a href="http://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/">Oyster </a>card. If you are in the city for a week, get an Oyster card. The £5 card save you money on every trip, you can register it so you get the cash or pass back if you lose it, and you can top up your balance online.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://now-here-this.timeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/plan-london-travel-city-mapper.png">TimeOut</a></td></tr>
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App CityMapper is all the rage now. It gives you your various transport options, including cost and weather at your destination. For free. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/citymapper-london-public-transport/id469463298">iOS </a>and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.citymapper.app.release">Android </a>users, get downloading.<br />
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The bus is way cheaper and can be faster, especially during rush hour. The price is fixed, unlike trains, so you can get pretty far on a couple of pounds. They're usually much less crowded than the tube. You can see the city rather than concrete walls. And they often are double-deckers. Which is cool.<br />
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If you're a braver person than I and have good waterproof gear, cycling is a great way to go. Beware of roundabouts, buses, pedestrians (especially drunk ones), motorcycles, thieves...Just wear a helmet and buy a good lock, okay?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Good shopping.</span></b><br />
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One of the best things about London is the charity shop culture. People automatically think of donating their clothes to the shops and they are EVERYWHERE. Usually named after the specific charity they support, often several will be side by side. Especially for women's clothing, you can find tons of clothes at deep discounts and support charities.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Head outside.</span></b><br />
There are regular <a href="http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/activities/shopping/market">markets </a>in every neighborhood of London. And look for signs for mini-markets in your area. We have at least 3 on the weekend within a 15 minute walk! Browsing, grabbing an inexpensive lunch, catching some streetside entertainment --you can spend only a few quid in an afternoon but have a lovely time just hanging out outside. (Bring your umbrella.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The biggest Chinese New Year outside of Asia. It was disappointing (food was not actually Chinese and the entertainment was awful) but the rest of the fests have been great!</td></tr>
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Especially in the warmer months, free festivals abound. Being a Torontonian at heart, I'm used to spending weekends festival hopping, enjoying free entertainment, samples, street food...It's even better in London with more lax public drinking laws where you can BYOB to many events! <a href="http://www.timeout.com/london">TimeOut London</a> is your source for all London events.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Join the club.</span></b><br />
There are two deal cards in particular that I would recommend to anyone moving to London, even for just a year: <a href="http://tastecard.co.uk/">Tastecard </a>and <a href="http://www.nectar.com/NectarHomeForward.nectar">Nectar</a>.<br />
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The Tastecard gets you 50% off food or 2 for 1 courses at tons of restaurants in London. Pizza Express and Zizzi are two delicious chains included. Combine with happy hour for extremely cheap eating out. They have a great app and after choosing your restaurant, you can have the address and map texted to you.
What's the catch? A one year membership is £80 and you have to make a reservation when you use it. You can get a one month free trial to give it a whirl. They frequently have 50% off the card deals; they will likely offer it after the trial or, if you are patient, you'll get an email offer. £40 will pay off in about 3 outings or less!<br />
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The Nectar card is free and gets you points at tons of places when you shop (including eBay and grocery giant Sainsbury's). You can redeem the points for cash. Simple and costs nothing!<br />
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There are tons of loyalty cards in this city, many of them free, so stock up!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. Enjoy cheap/free cul-chah.</span></b><br />
Most museums and galleries are free. Many have late hours scheduled in. It's a no brainer. Check ahead for tour times, which are usually free and bring museums to life! If you are a student, you can get enviable deals on entry to exhibitions and places that charge admission. The <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/">British Museum</a> (check out free talks by curators or guest speakers at 13:15 Tue-Sat), <a href="http://www.gettyimagesgallery.com/exhibitions/default.aspx">gettyimages gallery</a>, and <a href="http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/">Somerset House</a> are my personal favourites, but I still have several smaller museums on my to-see list.<br />
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Rush seats are the way to go if you want prime seats for minimal dough. Show up at the theatre a couple of hours in advance at many shows, put your name on the list and see if you've been lucky enough to get yourself one of the hottest tickets in town at a massive discount. Book of Mormon front row seats? £20 each. The real seats? Over 6x that price.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. Hang out at pub.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOgF_kI-OTKgO4BI5daJOJfrawnvNsA9XaXC0nuSun9SN7LEuPHYR4NSiu7P0HAdNHfCnfnXFxOG9rTf7wOiBN23eeFxiLCIV9Nxua7Q75DlVhUBVbo3vG9acnmFLcTDmeObxa0sgC6k/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOgF_kI-OTKgO4BI5daJOJfrawnvNsA9XaXC0nuSun9SN7LEuPHYR4NSiu7P0HAdNHfCnfnXFxOG9rTf7wOiBN23eeFxiLCIV9Nxua7Q75DlVhUBVbo3vG9acnmFLcTDmeObxa0sgC6k/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Listening to a Johnny Cash impersonator on St Paddy's day for free? Why not.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sorry Mom. Hanging out in pubs is a British institution. And when your flat is a shoebox, you have few friends, and the rain is making you sad, grabbing a warm ale in a cozy pub is just the answer. Not only are the prices fairly inoffensive by urban Canadian comparison but free or inexpensive entertainment abounds.<br />
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Televised sports, live music, themed DJs, pub quizzes (trivia nights in North American-speak), movie nights, comedy nights, even affordable theatre, can all be found at pubs around the city. Speed dating, speed flatmate hunting, Meet Ups -pubs are hubs for meeting people.<br />
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We randomly stumbled upon <a href="http://www.pintofscience.com/">Pint of Science</a> through Facebook, an event where experts in different fields of science offer free lectures in pubs around the UK. Did you know dolphins sleep with one half of their brain at a time so they don't forget to breathe?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. Don't bother with TV.</span></b><br />
Going out to the movies for £10+ per ticket or paying £145 a year for a TV licence is restrictive if you're on a budget in London. (TV licenses are required if you use a TV to watch digital stations. Not having one is a prisonable offence which people are reminded of quite often. Enforcement drive around inspecting houses that don't have licenses. For an outsider, it is weird, to say the least.)<br />
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If you have WiFi, the world is your cheap entertainment Oyster. Competition is heavy between streaming companies at the moment and you can take advantage. Most providers offer a free one month trial. Group buying deals for subscriptions are common. We got 6 month of <a href="https://www.lovefilm.com/">LOVEFiLM</a> (Amazon's answer to <a href="http://netflix.com/">Netflix</a>) for £10! Netflix is rising in popularity here and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/">BBC iPlayer</a> is free, as are many other channels' streaming apps.<br />
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Renting movies digitally is also cheap; you can get new releases without a subscription with services like Tesco's <a href="http://www.blinkbox.com/">Blinkbox</a>, LOVEFiLM or <a href="http://www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/gb-en/home/">Sony Entertainment Network</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. Keep your eyes peeled!</b> </span><br />
So many deals and freebies pop up every day in the city, it isn't hard to find ways to occupy your time. I had a friend tip me off to a poorly advertised promo by a radio station to see Of Monsters and Men in a private gig. It was supposed to be a contest but we just emailed our names in on the day and we had tickets, including a couple of free drinks for ourselves and our +1s!<br />
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Selfridges was offering free facials a few months ago that I happened to notice in a free newspaper.<br />
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I suggest following groups on Facebook like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WalkLondon?fref=ts">Walk London</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YelpLondon?fref=ts">Yelp London</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/London-For-Free/224203727612545?fref=ts">London for Free</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Handpicked-London/192069374156614?fref=ts">Handpicked London</a> to get the scoop on what is going on that you can take advantage of.<br />
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Enjoying yourself in London on the cheap isn't that hard if you know where to look.<br />
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<i>If you have any tips about things I have missed, add them to the comments!</i>
Angehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06152559631795492377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299636610539370306.post-77820089050314144952013-02-20T08:43:00.000-05:002014-01-20T01:44:44.337-05:00Moving to London for the first time: 10 tips<br />
Booking a ticket is easy but where to start to make sure you make the most of your move, whether permanent or for a year or two?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>BEFORE YOU GO</b></span></div>
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<b>1. Pack smart</b><br />
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We moved to London with a suitcase and a backpack each*. Our poor parents are saddled with a fair amount of junk but we gave away and threw out most of our possessions. So in our limited stock of stuff, why did I bring eco fabric shoes and suede pumps? (I.e. The worst possible footwear for [perpetually] rainy weather.)<br />
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You can get anything you need in London, for the most part. And most of it isn't even that expensive outside of lodging and gas/petrol.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.newlook.com/is/image/newlook/shoe-gallery/view-all-boots/wellies/cream-and-pink-owl-print-wellies/259439412D1?$zoomPopup$&hei=360&wid=979" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.newlook.com/is/image/newlook/shoe-gallery/view-all-boots/wellies/cream-and-pink-owl-print-wellies/259439412D1?$zoomPopup$&hei=360&wid=979" height="146" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Bee, who is above the age of 12, begrudgingly bought these out of desperation with no affordable non-patterned wellies in sight.</td></tr>
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There are three things we did need to outsource: rainboots, can openers, and bottle openers. Rainboots/Wellies, even "cheap" ones, run about £20-30 minimum. And, even in adult sizes, often have patterns more appropriate for kindergarteners. We purchased 3 can openers and 2 bottle openers before we gave up and went North American. No idea why we had such a hard time; I open it to your speculation.<br />
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<b>2. Because it's who you know</b><br />
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You probably know someone who lives in London. Or who has lived in London. Those tips and connections are key to potentially feeling normal in this large and often lonely place. Check your social networks. Put it out there that you're moving here. You'd be surprised!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLtDavGKD5kHbFpV6SUMrz3M43UCHbljXSAWat2HZSMLqYJhQMDmm1-wylM_F-SPmtDoKEUVOzjDEqFY4a516ptFjKOlMHVwuCOkQeifWDrIEH1q31R7n7iQ4PObVfYQy3ID1oqgtyvY/s1600/25_532160534142_4528_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLtDavGKD5kHbFpV6SUMrz3M43UCHbljXSAWat2HZSMLqYJhQMDmm1-wylM_F-SPmtDoKEUVOzjDEqFY4a516ptFjKOlMHVwuCOkQeifWDrIEH1q31R7n7iQ4PObVfYQy3ID1oqgtyvY/s400/25_532160534142_4528_n.jpg" height="133" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toronto 2006 to London 2012. Who'd have thought?</td></tr>
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I have a friend who I only met for a few minutes on stage in 2006 when we shaved our heads for a cancer fundraiser. We had connected on Facebook to share photos and that was it. When Hind saw on her Facebook feed that I had moved to London, 6 years later as she was wrapping up grad school, she popped me a message and I had my first inexpensive and salty Camden Market lunch. She hadn't even remembered the context in which we met. But that's London: the smallest connections can feel like bonds when everyone seems to already have their own friends and are not looking to add to the roster.<br />
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<b>3. Money = problems, period</b><br />
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My biggest regret about my move is not figuring out how to transfer money back and forth to Canada. We have spent way too much time on the phone with our Canadian bank, carried around stupid amounts of cash from ATMs, and wasted more money than I care to count in fees.<br />
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An account where you can transfer currency, travelers cheques, bank transfers through an agency...basically anything beyond doing nothing to prepare for my pound sterling-led financial future would have all been better options.<br />
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I had no idea how difficult it would be to get cash out. Despite having no withdrawal limits in Canada, I was slapped with daily and weekly caps from being overseas. I called and got them increased but not enough to cover first and last month's rent, so we had to take dreaded cash advances from our credit cards. Stupid? Very much so. Don't make that mistake.<br />
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Added 20/02/2013: My friend Leanne, Canadian teacher in London, shared a tip with me this morning that international transfers from one PayPal account to another are <a href="https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/cross-border-and-conversion-fees#crossborder">quite inexpensive</a> if they are linked up to bank accounts! (Disclosure, my employer is funded by a grant from PayPal)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">POST POND-CROSSING</span></b></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>4. Get social</b><br />
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As anti-social as London can feel, there is no shortage of people looking for friendship or love (or job leads). Especially in the case of the former, though, you are usually dealing with expats. Which is great! Most of my friends are Canadian, Australian, and American, simply because we're the ones out there, looking for people to complain about the weather with. (Don't get me wrong, Brits are also filling their leisure time moaning about the cold/rain/clouds/darkness -they're just doing it with each other.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.meetup.com/cities/gb/17/london/">Meet Up</a> is huge here, for singles looking to meet other singles and friendly people looking to hang out with other friendly people. I've made a few friends through the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/London-Canadian-Expat/">Canadian Expat group</a> and gone to other events from emails they've sent out.<br />
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<a href="http://www.yelp.co.uk/london">Yelp</a> is a personal favourite. You may have heard of it as a review website. What you may not know about are its <a href="http://www.yelp.co.uk/events/london">events</a>. There are events you can join to meet other people who like exploring the city and trying out local businesses, restaurants, galleries, museums, etc. You can put up Unofficial Yelp Events and other eager Yelpers will join you to check out a pub, watch a movie, check out an event -whatever! Almost everyone is American, so if you want to get everyone going, mention the quality of pizza and/or Mexican food in London. Always entertaining.<br />
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<b>5. Sort out your paperwork</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/intro/number.htm">Apply for your National Insurance number</a> immediately after arriving if your job situation isn't magically set up already before you get here. I called and had to wait for a form to arrive, fill it out, and return it to the offices in Scotland. Then I had to wait for the number to arrive in the mail. The whole process took a few weeks.<br />
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If you get a job before you get your National Insurance number, your job may take a large chunk of tax off your pay (anecdotal from an Aussie friend who temped under the youth mobility visa). Some people will need to be interviewed to get their card. Essentially, make it a priority to get that done ASAP. I did it as soon as I got to where I was staying.<br />
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<b>6. First thing to do after you leave the airport? Get an <a href="https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/">Oyster card</a>. </b><br />
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£5 for that little guy will save you lots of money on travel in the city. Register the card at a station so if you lose it or if it's stolen, you can get the balance transferred.<br />
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(My upcoming post on saving money in London will go into more detail about saving cash on travel.)<br />
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<b>7. Homelessness is not ideal</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72RltTlpTZWJxgDtLo9Rwk0SRmkm38IWYc2VhxugTbNC1N5epaCUmOPcpIQOIG1IH0w7FcmNooHLJfP0sqvvdPxWyvFDAslBYj8PLSNuuokwgIYZnkCKsmoWxWEdOTHur04AIg8iPZPE/s1600/581520_10151236916461974_488376458_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72RltTlpTZWJxgDtLo9Rwk0SRmkm38IWYc2VhxugTbNC1N5epaCUmOPcpIQOIG1IH0w7FcmNooHLJfP0sqvvdPxWyvFDAslBYj8PLSNuuokwgIYZnkCKsmoWxWEdOTHur04AIg8iPZPE/s400/581520_10151236916461974_488376458_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is seriously our kitchen. And we cook almost all of our meals.</td></tr>
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Basics to keep in mind:<br />
-Living with other people is the default option if you're single and in a non-management role<br />
-If you don't already have a job, good luck renting an apartment that isn't a flatshare<br />
-Watch for what is and isn't included. Council tax, internet, tv license and other utilities can add up! If you are moving as a couple, rates are often higher for both flatshares and whole flats.<br />
-With our Canadian mentality, we got our own tiny, overpriced zone 2 studio. After 6 months, we are moving into a flatshare so we no longer have a cupboard kitchen. Newlyweds with roommates? That's London!<br />
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<b>8. Get a job</b><br />
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This will be the subject of a future post, but in brief: apply, apply, apply. Subscribe to as many of the dozens of job website and agency email alerts as you can manage, pay attention to Twitter and LinkedIn for job openings specific to your field, and work at getting work. There are a lot of jobs in London if you have some experience and are willing to swallow your pride to take a job that pays less or is less prestigious than your last role.<br />
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Researching the local context, the companies you are applying to, and competitors is key to standing out in the massive talent pool. Do not get discouraged and do not be afraid to temp. Get experience in the country, make connections, and impress your recruitment agency!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">ONCE YOU'RE LODGED</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>9. <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/GP/LocationSearch/4">Find a doctor</a></b><br />
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Your mother didn't make me say this, I swear. But it is for your own good.<br />
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If you're in good health, you probably won't even think of it. But with universal health care, visits to the doctor are free and medication is heavily subsidized (if you are working legally in the country, at least). Having yourself set up with a local doctor while you're healthy will make those unpleasant visits later much easier to schedule and get through.<br />
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Explaining your medical history when you are sick or in pain is far from ideal.<br />
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<b>10. Explore your neighborhood! </b><br />
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The first thing we did after signing our lease is get our library cards. Okay, kind of lame, but is part of feeling like part of a neighbourhood.<br />
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I got to know the guys at the local fruit market, the pizza chef at our local bar, and the owner of our local coffee shop. When I see the people who work at the dry cleaners who cleaned my second-hand (Mom's) wedding dress, they ask how the wedding plans are coming along. We don't have much money to spend, but keeping most of it in the neighborhood can help make London seem that much friendlier and like home.<br />
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It's easy to hole up in your apartment or stick to the main spots in Central London. Your neighbourhood has something to offer and you will love this city if you love your neighbourhood!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Do you have any tips or suggestions for newbies to the city? </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Know where to get a good bottle opener? </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Comment below!</b></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*and my fantastic, good looking, brilliant family delivered a big bag of stuff when we met up at a family wedding in November...</span>Angehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06152559631795492377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299636610539370306.post-88230921309150078262013-02-02T07:23:00.000-05:002013-02-05T06:36:32.192-05:00on being a happy 25 year old disappointment to my younger selfWhen I first started this blog, I had some pretty grand expectations for my 20s. I would get an awesome job in development with an ethical organization whose politics I would comfortable with. Or at least a mediocre job with an okay organization that I would leave to do my Masters or a development placement by 25. I would travel and meet inspiring people dedicating their lives to helping others, etc. I'm pretty sure biking across Africa and learning French was in there, too.
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<br />
Instead, I've gone through a couple of 4 month spells of unemployment/temporary work with loads of interviews with feedback like "You were basically equivalent to the candidate we chose", and "You are slightly unqualified" followed by "You are overqualified" when I applied for the position below it. After university, I ended up working in the last place I expected: advertising. Very long days and weeks, lots of stress, and, thankfully, transferable skill acquisition were my life for a year and a half.
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Which is to blame for the dearth of updates.
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Don't get me wrong, I did my best to nudge the world in a better direction while trying to persuade people they really did need to upgrade their home printer lest their children's book reports lack "professional quality colour". Expressing my dislike, disapproval, and disgust to Rob Ford and his peeps as a member of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stclairstopthecuts?fref=ts">St Clair West Stop the Cuts</a> was the closest thing I had to a hobby in 2011 and 2012. But blogging about it seemed like a dilution of that space since the <a href="http://www.thestar.com/search.html?q=rob+ford">Toronto Star</a> and <a href="http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=191027">others</a> most certainly had it covered.
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<br />
For now, I live a quieter and calmer life with my fiance who I met when I came back to Toronto from Canada. We moved to London in September. We found jobs. We are squeezed by wages that don't quite cover a modest yet comfortable existence. And we're preparing for an April Irish wedding. So that's what I know about for now. No Masters. No development work. No life changing travel.
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<br />
But I'm young and happy and hope to be so for many decades more. And hopefully I can start using this space to share what I am learning along the way, as trivial as it sometimes is.
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Upcoming post: A guide to moving to London, 10 tipsAngehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06152559631795492377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299636610539370306.post-56027881922085137312011-01-28T19:21:00.002-05:002013-02-02T06:52:04.620-05:00PEPY Bike Tour - 26 Dec 2010 to 28 Dec 2010<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Day 7 – Sisophon to Battambang</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Finally back on paved roads, this was a pretty easy 60-odd km bike ride for us. Our last long bike ride, there was a celebratory feel to the day. We went to the Madison, Jam’s choice, which is a nice reminder of one of our favourite bars in Toronto. We got to relax with cheap, cold Anchor beers on the patio, playing Take (a speed game that uses Scrabble tiles that Ania and I are now addicted to. Thanks Jam!) while some of the others played pool. It was cool to be in a big city, Cambodia’s second largest, where you can go out past 8 pm and things are actually still open! </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Day 8 – Battambang</b></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">December 27 was our last full day of the trip together as a group. And what a day it was for a development nerd! </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">First we went to<a href="http://www.digitaldividedata.org/"> Digital Divide Data</a> (DDD), an education, job training and job placement NGO that targets the poor in Cambodia. It began with ten people in Phnom Penh in 2001. Today, there are locations in Battambang, Phnom Penh and Laos (Vientiane) with about 500 students in total. It offers scholarships to targeted students, usually from small villages. Most students already have grade 12 educations by the time they are selected for DDD, which provides accommodation, food, funding for school, English language training, job training and career planning. They are also partnered with the Centre of Enterprise and Technology, which provides 6 months of job training.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We were invited to their offices in Battambang to check out what they do. The downstairs is a big room that looks similar to a call centre where each person is at a computer, looking over a document of some kind. Currently, some of the projects that the trainees are working include archiving Dutch newspapers from WWII and recording the answers of American newspaper surveys (filled out by hand) digitally. Some are processing surveys of poor families for the Cambodian Department of Planning.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In the example of the Dutch archives, a computer program puts in word processing format scanned documents from the newspaper. The job of the trainees is to ‘spellcheck’, visually verifying the scanned newspaper and the digitally rendered word processing document match. When the newspapers put the scanned archives on the website, people can search for headlines, articles and even photo captions. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Most trainees spend half a day working in the DDD office (which they are paid for) and half a day in school. In Battambang, most students study banking, finance, accounting, marketing and management. Phnom Penh focuses on IT. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The goal is not for people to be doing , as another example of a current project, data entry in Greek. (As a former data entry clerk, I cannot imagine trying to wrap my brain around Greek –particularly while trying to learn English as a native Khmer speaker at the same time!) Ultimately, the goal is to get people out of the cycle of poverty by giving them educations, work experience and help finding a job. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It sounds like a great plan. Of course one has to be critical. Greek and Dutch typing skills are not going to be practical for Khmer students. DDD gets the work for these people because universities, governments and businesses can outsource for rates much lower than in their own countries. But this is true for many students in Canada as well -we take on jobs that aren’t that applicable to our future careers and accept pay that is lower than what someone with, say, children and a mortgage would be willing to settle for. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">What I think is most bothersome is the projected explanation of helping “the poorest of the poor”. A commitment of a half day of school, a half day of work (plus weekend courses for some) and living in the city obviously limits the number and type of people they can reach. The students targeted are poor but also have grade 12 educations in nearly all cases, which the poorest of the poor students would almost never be able to achieve. While students do end up making about $200 a month on average from their employment following the DDD program (over double the average income in Cambodia), these students are already ones who have shown that they prioritize education and have had the opportunity to complete high school. DDD would be giving them an edge over their peers in similar situations but I am doubtful that those students would be part of the poorest segments of the population without DDD’s assistance. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Something to stew on for a while, at any rate! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIYFmU70YJqWyuveKpmcTAxd8uJhzHUgA_7T8VQanakUE1wFw7f_foZPrAcHA-AL_y1CTDIGEfcGKCD1iwVpEn-sgh_imLoT5rI7iNAanKuFZRiRaGMZdM7IJPSCgu2zjOJsvU37nsRI/s1600/bamboo+train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIYFmU70YJqWyuveKpmcTAxd8uJhzHUgA_7T8VQanakUE1wFw7f_foZPrAcHA-AL_y1CTDIGEfcGKCD1iwVpEn-sgh_imLoT5rI7iNAanKuFZRiRaGMZdM7IJPSCgu2zjOJsvU37nsRI/s320/bamboo+train.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucky really enjoyed the bamboo train.</td></tr>
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Before lunch we got to be some of the last tourists to ride the Battambang's famous bamboo train! <a href="http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/06-06/the-bamboo-train-in-battambang-cambodia.html">This blog </a>does a better job explaining it than I will. We took it in both directions and it was lovely :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1df04b3127ccefc671f3dce7300000030O10AaNWTFm1buGYPbz4O/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=1/rx=550/ry=400/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1df04b3127ccefc671f3dce7300000030O10AaNWTFm1buGYPbz4O/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=1/rx=550/ry=400/" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a snapshot of a piece done by a student for the current exhibition in Phnom Penh with the theme of the new rich in Cambodia.</td></tr>
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Later that day we rode to the beautiful compound of <a href="http://www.phareps.org/index.php">Phare Ponleu Selpak </a>(“the brightness of art”). It was founded in 1986 in a Thai refugee camp by a French art teacher. She worked with the UNHCR to create an art school. Following the 1992 peace agreement, the refugees returned to Cambodia in 1993. In 1994, Phare was officially established by returned refugees. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">From its art school base, it has evolved to become an NGO that seeks to help Cambodian children through culture, social programs and education. Many of its students and beneficiaries are dealing with issues stemming from the war, violence at home and other family problems. The location of the compound was chosen because of the high concentration of those in need and its long distance from public schooling.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1df04b3127ccefc675a2b8edf00000030O00AaNWTFm1buGYPbz4O/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1df04b3127ccefc675a2b8edf00000030O00AaNWTFm1buGYPbz4O/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant sculpture in one of the visual art buildings</td></tr>
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I counted 13 different programs that Phare is currently running. It’s a busy place!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Visual Arts school: Originally the only program Phare offered, the visual arts school has produced artists such as Savann (mentioned in the<a href="http://www.angelafcruz.com/2010/12/pepy-bike-tour-20-dec-2010-to-23-dec.html"> first PEPY post</a>!). Its students are featured in exhibitions across Cambodia and the world.</span><br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Graphic design: This includes projects contracted by businesses.<br />
3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Animation: NGOs and companies hire students of the animation program, as well.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Circus school: I’ll let <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2WwvbJdmGM&feature=player_profilepage">this video</a> speak for itself!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Theatre school: A break off of the circus school, it focuses more on educational theatre about issues such as HIV/AIDS rather than tricks.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Drum school: We got to watch some of the students in action, and they’re incredible! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">7.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Music school</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">8.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Dance instruction</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Children’s house: There are currently 30 children living there, mostly orphans, victims of trafficking or from extremely poor families. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">10.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>5-6 year training program for young adults</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">11.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Food program for the community</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">12.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Community library</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">13.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Public school: Phare, similar to PEPY, helps to improve the quality of education in the public school located in its compound. There are approximately 700 students. They benefit not only from the proximity to the other programs Phare offers, but teacher income subsidies that increase attendance, a major issue at schools in Cambodia.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">All of these are offered free of charge. Donors fund about 60% of the operations with the other 40% coming from tours, touring circus shows and art exhibitions. The school also helps its alumni to arrange shows, exhibitions and sales of their work, taking a percentage (30%) of earnings for the school.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Unfortunately, we weren’t able to stay to watch a circus show that night. If you’re going to be in Battambang, definitely try to <a href="http://www.phareps.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=38:circus-shows&layout=blog&Itemid=75&lang=en">check them out</a>! And if you have the means and the urge, <a href="http://www.phareps.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=289:make-a-donation-online&lang=en">donations are always appreciated</a>. (I believe the donations page is only offered in French but Google Translate does a great job of translating it! And the actual form to put in your information to donate is available in English, once you “cliquez ici”.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For dinner, we ate at the newly opened <a href="http://www.kinyei.org/projects/kinyei-cafe">Kinyei Café</a>. The café is operated by <a href="http://www.kinyei.org/">Kinyei</a>, a one year old community development organization that supports local initiatives. It was created by a pair of Australians who helped with fundraising concert planning out of their home. Housed since May in its current location with free wi-fi, it provides work space, materials (such as a projector) and assistance using social media. Rather than financial support, it’s the human capital and office area that are most useful to assist local individuals and groups to bring their ideas to help Cambodia to fruition. The bottom floor contains the café, which is being used to support its efforts, and the upper floor is a large loft room that can be used as office space, conference space, workshop space or, for PEPY Ride VI, dinner space! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Day 9 – Battambang to Siem Reap</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We returned to Kinyei Café after breakfast to wait for our Soksabike Tour. My excitement was two-fold: it is not an easy task to find a soy latte, Fair Trade no less, in Southeast Asia and a bike tour of local life and production in rural Cambodia would be the perfect finale for the first tour! We were split into two groups to do the tour; I went with the second group so I could glug down two delicious lattes!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Kinyei’s other social enterprise is <a href="http://www.soksabike.com/">Soksabike</a> a bike tour company. Student guides take you through Battambang to check out production of local foods, eat seasonal produce and learn about Cambodian history. It was one of my favourite things I did over my trip. The bulk of the day was spent seeing different types of production: rice paper, rice wine, fish paste and rice cakes. We didn’t interact too much with the locals who were working to produce these items, but our tour guides did a great job of explaining the processes and occasionally translated explanations from workers.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drying rice paper</td></tr>
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We first saw rice paper production, a process that prevents a lot of waste. Lower quality rice is used to create the liquid that becomes flattened into paper and rice husks are burned in order to cook the paper. Rice wine similarly uses lower quality rice. The “wine” is actually a spirit with over 30% alcohol content. Dangerous stuff!<br />
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<a href="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1df01b3127ccefc7d2bddf47300000030O00AaNWTFm1buGYPbz4O/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1df01b3127ccefc7d2bddf47300000030O00AaNWTFm1buGYPbz4O/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We then went to check out fish paste production, which isn’t for everyone. Our tour guide was very enthusiastic about the fish paste. It is included in basically any food product you can imagine, from soups to curries to stir fries to rice dishes. He explained (to only Kayla and I, as the others couldn’t tolerate the smell) that during and soon after the war when food was in short supply, sometimes all they would have to eat is fish paste that they would dry out. The process is not a glamorous one, as women sit under a giant tent crudely cutting the skin off the fish that are then placed in giant tubs to ferment. Which, in weather over 30 degrees, smells exactly as you might expect.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We took a fruit break where we consumed many delicious local fruits and hung out, comparing Western and Khmer marriage traditions. The deliciousness didn’t end there! We then cycled over to a bamboo rice cake maker/vendor. Bamboo tubes, which must be of a certain quality ($2 a stalk), are packed with sticky rice (also high quality), coconut milk, sugar and little red beans to make a tasty roadside snack. Based on the cost of production, I don’t see how they make any money! I resolved to never barter with anyone selling this stuff. The profit margins are extremely low, selling a large tube (over a foot length of bamboo) for about 62 cents. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, we went to what was my first exposure to anything dedicated to the time of the Khmer Rouge. We visited a memorial in Battambang, which was heart-breaking. Piles of skulls were displayed on the memorial, which had carvings and explanations of different ways that people suffered during the conflict. Incense and water offerings had been recently left at the base, remind us of how recent and widespread the conflict was.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious dinner at Khmer Kitchen. Amazing fish amok and decent, cheap vino!</td></tr>
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After the tour, we split, with some of us returning to Siem Reap for a delicious dinner at Khmer Kitchen and others remaining in Battambang. Fortunately, V, Ania and I didn’t have to be too sad because the next day we would be starting the 14 day tour from Siem Reap to Kep!Angehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06152559631795492377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299636610539370306.post-56655026800335041552010-12-29T06:30:00.000-05:002013-02-02T06:50:25.883-05:00PEPY Bike Tour - 23 Dec 2010 to 25 Dec 2010<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After a 5:30 am breakfast, we headed out on a long, bumpy ride to Samraong. It was an uneventful day beyond Ania and I figuring out the words for “thousand” and “hundred” on our own while running errands in the market (<i>pon </i>and <i>roy</i>). We were quite excited as knowing the numbers 1-19 is insufficient when shopping in Riel (4000 Riel = $1 USD). Ania also managed to find a triple chocolate ice cream after much searching in the afternoon. And again at night. So we had a nice time in Samraong!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Day 5 – Samraong to Banteay Chhmar</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This was my worst ride by far. I still made good time but my knees didn’t want to have anything to do with it. The road was extremely bumpy, long and there were long stretches of inclines (nearly hills by Cambodian definition. Flat based on a Toronto long-distance cyclist definition). But the end was that much sweeter and the very well organized <a href="http://www.ccben.org/BanteayChhmar.html">Banteay Chhmar Community Based Tourism project</a> (CBT) nearly made me forget about the pulsing pain going through my legs. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We met up and drank coconut water in the Tourism Centre while the president of the CBT project explained it to us. It was initiated by a French NGO, <a href="http://www.agirpourlecambodge.org/">Agir pour le Cambodge</a>, and is now assisted by the <a href="http://globalheritagefund.org/where/banteay.html">Global Heritage Fund</a>. It is extremely well organized with a detailed map of the town and many local activities that tourists can partake in or observe that showcase Cambodian rural village life, from traditional silk weaving, to seasonal agricultural practices, attending religious ceremonies with host families and traditional music and dance.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The only way to stay in Banteay Chhmar is in a homestay organised by CBT. Everyone was a little apprehensive on the way there, not knowing what to expect. Once again, CBT impressed by setting us up with not only comfortable accommodations, but also families generous enough to welcome us into their homes and their lives for a night. Most homes did not have electricity or, if they did, only enough for a light bulb or two. Showers were out of buckets. Ania, Jam Lucky and I stayed in a large spacious wooden house with a two bedroom loft on the second floor, where we also had the company of the family’s adorable children and pet cat. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Soppain tells us about Tomb Raider Magic at the temple.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We had a shortened itinerary because we’d have to leave early in the morning to beat the sun the next (Christmas) day. First, our guide Soppain took us to the Banteay Chhmar temple. We were all pretty wiped from the bike ride, but he told us interesting facts about the area and described the detailed scenes and symbols carved into the stone. Built in the 12<sup>th</sup> and 13<sup>th</sup> centuries, the Global Heritage Fund is working with the community to ensure it is preserved. The crumbling ruins are mystical, beautiful and inspiring, particularly with the natural environment’s partial encroachment; trees grow on and through the walls and flower petals blow through the air as you walk through the temple complex. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After the temple tour, he brought us to the <a href="http://www.soieriesdumekong.com/site/index.html">Soieries du Mekong</a> Silk Centre. The step-by-step process of creating silk products was well labelled and described orally by a guide. We got to see the whole process from cocoons to scarves. I bought Mama Cruz her Christmas present: a beautiful red silk rose pin.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Ania's many gorgeous sunset shots</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The rest of the group took a bumpy bike ride to check out the sunset. I decided to end the punishment of my knees and stayed back with Jam and Maria. This ended up being a great decision not only because the sunset ride was over very tough terrain but because I got to help set up Christmas Eve dinner.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">With the help of the CBT staff, we set up a table and chairs beside a 13<sup>th</sup> century temple. They put up torches a la Survivor around the table. Jam and I spread flower petals all over the table. He made a funky centerpiece and set out candles. Maria and Jam put out stockings, one per participant, that included a personal card from the leaders, a PEPY book of inspirational quotations, a PEPY t-shirt, a PEPY pin and candy. The CBT chefs brought a delicious Khmer meal. And, the best part, a local group played traditional Khmer music. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vi and Jessie scope their stockings</td></tr>
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From the sunset, the group arrived to the scene already set up. Jam, Maria and I sang ”We Wish you a Merry Christmas” as they approached the temple. Everyone was surprised and touched by the effort the leaders had gone to in order to make Christmas special.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After excitedly opening our stockings and stuffing our faces, Jam brought out dessert. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q_Xdm1ibLE">Smores</a>! Ania literally screamed with delight when Jam made the announcement. A North American delicacy, smores are marshmallows melted over a fire (in this case, over a pot that we lit a fire in) on sticks (chopsticks) and then sandwiched with a square of chocolate in between two graham crackers (vanilla cookies). The North Americans did some capacity building, teaching our Khmer, Australian, Belgian and Indian team how they work. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Making the night even more memorable, we then danced with some of the CBT staff to the traditional Khmer music. They taught us some moves and Jessie showed us all how to boogie like we have never boogied before. Under thousands of bright stars, I knew I would never forget this Christmas as long as I live. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Day 6 – Banteay Chhmar to Sisophon</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Christmas Day was much like every other year. Waking up already sweating because of the heat at 4:30 am, using a squat toilet and hearing Christmas carols in Khmer as I biked through dust and dirt ...same old, same old. At one of our first breaks of the day, Ania commented that usually when people are drinking out of a coconut on Christmas, they’re at a resort and it’s full of booze. We were chugging coconut water in an effort to replace the nutrients we had sweated out all morning. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Christmas was the worst day for many of us over horrible roads and with bright sunshine. It was my favourite day. Maria loaned me her extra pair of bike shorts and it changed the rest of the trip for me from then on. Ah, sweet relief!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I gave Maria the 4 Classic Bad Christmas Gifts: 1) "romantic" coupon (5 hugs), 2) healthy food (an apple), 3) socks and 4) underwear</td></tr>
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Once again, a day of difficult riding was alleviated by a great afternoon in Sisophon. For Christmas dinner, Jessie organized a Secret Santa gift exchange. Our budget was one American dollar, which proved to be a challenge in the market. Walking away from an item because it was 25 cents over budget without being fully able to explain why was an awkward experience. Nevertheless, the group came up with several great finds including a hammock, the CD of an up-and-coming Cambodian pop star who happens to look like a hybrid of Rithy and Justin Bieber and an inflatable toy donkey. Ania picked the donkey from Kayla which, lucky me, makes a squeaking noise. The rest of the night involved Ania making the donkey both dance and squeak. It’s going to be a long rest of the trip. Jessie boogied once more to a live karaoke band with some of the restaurant staff and other drunk patrons to top off the night’s entertainment and finish off a crazy Christmas in Cambodia.</div>
Angehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06152559631795492377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299636610539370306.post-67260600974936944022010-12-25T09:05:00.001-05:002013-02-02T06:48:52.938-05:00PEPY Bike Tour - 20 Dec 2010 to 22 Dec 2010<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ania and I joined the Global Agents for Change trip on a whim. Friends of ours did the <a href="http://www.globalafc.org/Global_Agents_for_Change/europe.html">cross-Europe trip</a> and while we didn’t want to commit to 3-4 months of long cycling days with strangers, we did like the idea of fundraising for vouched for NGOs and exploring a country in a different way from the backpacking we’d be doing for the four months previous. As a bonus, Mama Cruz agreed to train and join us! So two weeks of biking in January were arranged.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">At the last minute, our plans for the end of December changed. Ania decided to add another dive trip and headed to the south of Thailand and I ventured through Laos, trekking, socializing and breezing through Canadian literature in buses and on hammocks. It was a relaxing time for both of us, doing what we both love to do most while traveling. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">PEPY, the organization receiving the funds from the Global Agents for Change trip, sent a message to the participants in the tour offering the possibility of joining a 10 day trip through the north of Cambodia before joining up with the second trip. Wanting to get rid of my Thai food baby and get a few days’ head start on Mom with the biking (she is in better biking shape than I am after months of training), I signed up. Ania jumped on board, as well.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We had no idea what we were getting into. We go off the beaten track, visiting schools that PEPY supports with programs and funding, community-based tourism projects and hidden temples. PEPY’s approach tries to mitigate the problems of voluntourism: we’re encouraged to put our cameras down (and are only allowed one photographer when we’re with the kids to avoid turning them into a ‘human zoo’), given a lot of information about cultural differences, do Khmer language lessons every day and three out of four of our guides are Khmer. As international development studies graduates, this trip was looking like much more than just a good 10 day workout to raise cash for a good cause!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After meeting the cast of characters who would form our riding team on the evening of the 19<sup>th</sup>, we were off bright and early to the PEPY offices Monday morning. Ania and I ate breakfast with Kayla, an English teacher from Wisconsin who has lived in Japan for the last 3 years, and Jessica, a grad student who is becoming a guidance counsellor. They both offer a special perspective on PEPY’s education projects and I’m eager to see them interact with the children at the school and hear their thoughts along the way. At the PEPY offices we were fitted for our bikes, got our equipment together and took a quick tour of the office. Another special thing about PEPY: if you work for it full-time, it will pay for full-time studies (half if you work part-time). Education truly is the centre of this organization, collectively for children in Cambodia and individually for its staff.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We took a quick first ride around town, maybe 20 minutes, before stopping for a surprise good-bye lunch for Mary Ann, a staffer who has been with PEPY for the last three and a half years. We ate delicious salads and curries with rice and got to meet PEPY staff from the school in Chanleas Dai.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The monk and Rithy</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Then the trip really took off. We biked to the Jedey wat and pegoda where we got to speak to a monk who survived Pol Pot’s regime. Jam, a kindergarten teacher in Siem Reap from Toronto who is cycling with us, and Sela, a logistics coordinator at PEPY, came across him one day while they were taking a bike ride. They stopped to speak with him and ended up learning about his life and the history of the temple. This temple is not visited by tourists and we never would have found it without Jam and Sela’s bicycle explorations! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">During the time of the Khmer Rouge, religion was illegal, pushing monks underground. He was forced to live as a farmer for a few years in the 1970’s before returning to the temple to continue to practice Buddhism. For a time he was the only monk in Cambodia. He answered our questions about life as a monk, surviving the regime and inner peace and then performed a water blessing. We were doused with large quantities of water by him and another monk, a special experience that I will never forget. While I was being drenched with refreshing agua, I could not help but think about all that this man had gone through and his determination to live without anger. He is still fighting while refusing to let go of his inner peace –the government is doing nothing to preserve the temple and surrounding pagodas and will also not allow him to take any action to preserve the structures. His worry for the future is that these buildings will be lost. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">From the temple we took an idyllic bike ride through the city, heading to the outskirts. Through the day we had biked through city streets, highways, dirt roads, gravel roads, sand, mud and grass. I’m pretty sure our 3 hours of biking covered any terrain type that we will have to encounter on our journey! Everyone in the group was up to the challenge and besides some sore legs and some bruises on Ania’s bum, we’ll be in great shape for the rest of the journey.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For dinner, we had the privilege of going to Jam’s cafe/art gallery/chill space, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/artdeli">Art Deli</a>. It is the coolest bar I have ever been to in my life. They offer drinks ($2.50 for a cocktail!), food (from nearby restaurants who, in turn, get their drinks from Art Deli), wi-fi and lounge space to chill and either read or watch movies from the large selection of titles. The atmosphere is relaxed and ambient. I kept catching Vi, a woman from Melbourne who develops language teaching software, staring into space, just taking in the delicious dinner, comfortable seating and wonderful atmosphere.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Currently Khmer artist Savann Oun<b> </b>is exhibiting his Adoration project in the upper floor of the cafe. He joined us for dinner and told us how he has made a career out of teaching art in Siem Reap and about his work. The table our incredible food was laid out on was actually a bathtub full of photos of people in his life with a sheet of glass on top! I’m trying to convince Jam to open a similar place in Toronto. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Full of Cambodian nutrition, Maria, a Cambodian-Australian who is an intern with PEPY and is biking with us, and Rithy, a Cambodian who works for PEPY on education-related issues and is also biking with us, taught us how to count to 10 and buy coconut water in Khmer. After an interactive lesson, Ania and I crawled back to the hotel, hoping to pack and get a long night’s sleep. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Day 2 – Siem Reap to Chanleas Dai</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Day 2 was less packed with activities and packed with butt numbing cycling! Fortunately, most of it took place on the highway, so it was smooth roads. There is enough of a cycling lane that we were mostly able to ride two-by-two, so it was a good day to get to know our fellow riders. It was hot (over 35 degrees Celsius) and sunny all day. Dhana and Michael, IT people who work in Dubai (and who brought computers and are helping to fix PEPY computers!), were able to handle the heat easily, compared to the 50 degrees they usually cycle in. The rest of us, on the other hand, were melting in the December (?!) heat. Any relief from the wind was offset by how much harder we had to pedalling. In total, we cycled about 68 km. </span></div>
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After stocking up on snacks in Siem Reap, we headed west to Chanleas Dai, the location of the first PEPY school. We had a rest stop about 18 km into our trip, getting whole coconuts to cut open, drink, and eat. Lunch was after a heavy 5 km of biking, which I loved and everyone else hated. Knowing that lunch was only 5 km away inspired me to speed up and with my heart race racing and endorphins pumping, Rithy and I motored our way through it.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat as a pancake and that's how we like it!</td></tr>
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We stopped at Wat Phnom, a temple about 20 minutes before the PEPY school. Located on a hill (of which there are few in Cambodia, lucky for us), there are 5 giant Buddha statues overlooking the area. If there was any doubt that Cambodia is the flattest country in southeast Asia, it would be dispelled by standing at looking at the beautiful view of rice fields as far as the eye could see.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Exhausted after the long day of biking, with our lungs full of dust from the dirt road we had to take for the last hour or so, we took turns taking bucket showers and lay around the PEPY house reading, snacking and chugging water. The house is shared by PEPY staff and government teachers, with people coming in and out as they need lodging. Some teachers live in the area, so they do not reside at the house. Currently only 2 staff, Lot and Lida, are staying in the house so Jam, Lucky (a competitive Khmer cyclist who is our main leader for this trip) and Rithy are sleeping on the porch while the rest of us take bunk beds in the two bedrooms inside. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ania and I crashed early after covering our bodies in soothing Tiger Balm while the others watched an evening English lesson at the school.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Day 3 – Chanleas Dai</b></span></div>
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<i>(Dec 25, 2010: as we chose to only have one photographer, any video and photos from Chanleas Dai will be posted later)</i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After a hearty breakfast, Rithy organized a “getting to know you” exercise of life mapping. Basically, you draw/write out your life in more or less chronological order, listing the most formative events/activities/places until now and what you want for the future. Presenting these to each other definitely brought the group closer together and taught us a ton about each other, probably more than we ever could have each learned over the course of this trip. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://twitter.com/danielapapi">Daniela</a>, PEPY’s founder (<a href="http://www.yourtravelchoice.org/2009/11/considering-voluntour-ing-tips-for-travelers-daniela-ruby-papi/">check out this interview she did about voluntourism</a>), joined us to take tours of schools that PEPY supports. First, we went next door to the junior high, where PEPY is involved not in the running of the school itself but in its Creative Education and English classes. Beyond the government education and curriculum, the students have a few hours outside of their typical class time per week that they spend in the PEPY room. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We got to watch Lida do a science lesson about chemical and physical changes. When we entered the class, not a single child stopped paying attention to her, enthralled with her experiment. On the other half of the room, we got to see <a href="http://laptop.org/en/">XO laptops</a> in use. (These are the famous “$100 laptops, 1 laptop for every child” computers.) These laptops have microphones and webcams. Jam explained that one activity they did recently was have the children write a story, record it on the computer and present it to their families. The children could even take the computers home and use the webcams to take pictures of their houses to include in the stories! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After lunch, we went to the primary school, right where the house where we are staying is located. Daniela showed us the well stocked library, where the passionate librarian, Srey Touh, has made a great learning environment for the students. When PEPY arrived at this site, the library was locked, damp and had rats. When it reopened with a fully stocked library from PEPY, only 50 books a month were signed out. After creating and finding training for the librarian about fostering literacy and getting 1 hour a week of library time built into the class schedule, it spiked to 2000 books a month. Today, about 1500 books a month are signed out and for this school year, completely independent of PEPY, the principal decided to increase the library time to 2 hours per week. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, we took a short bike ride (though much of it through deep sand), to the Runn school. Dubai Cares, an organization seeking to foster volunteerism in Dubai, came to Cambodia two years ago wanting to help build schools. They asked PEPY to work with them and built three sites. Unable to sustain all three, PEPY chose the one with the greatest leadership, Runn, to implement a new program, SAS, with. PEPY helps to set up a group similar to a PTA and works on plans each year to outline goals for the year and reflect on the year passed. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Daniela shared with us a lot of her thoughts on development and NGO work. Basically, the problem with the big NGOs/international organizations (e.g. Asian Development Bank, World Bank, UNICEF) is that they are looking for quantifiable results. The number of schools built, enrolment numbers, etc. But the reality on the ground is often that these organizations try to achieve these <i>numbers</i> so quickly that the actual human beings who should be helped lose out. Organizations want to buy the water pumps and filters, hand them out, leave and send reports to their donors listing how many were given out. People like Daniela see these pumps and filters break down all the time, with no money to fix them, no parts available if there is money and no one with the expertise to repair it even if there are parts and money. They also see populations that aren’t educated about keeping water uncontaminated –keeping the taps clean, not using dirty glasses, etc- getting sick from dirty water regardless.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">PEPY excites me because of its investment in the communities it is serving. Its primary goal is not one that can be plugged into Excel in 1 year, 2 years or even 3 years. It is in the truest sense trying to built capacity so it doesn’t need to exist in Cambodia. It wants to help create leaders and empowered children to go into Cambodian society and make things better. I truly believe that its motivations are genuine and its methods, having communities invested in the projects, working with the government and revising its approach based on how things are operating on the ground, should be replicated the world over. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Please <a href="http://tinyurl.com/angelacruzcambodia">donate </a>if you have the means to help children in Cambodia have an opportunity to have an organization which listens to them and their communities.</span></div>
Angehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06152559631795492377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299636610539370306.post-22265439456278979012010-06-29T20:21:00.019-04:002010-11-04T23:33:22.187-04:00Open letter about the G20 Protest<a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/notes/angela-cruz/my-experience-protesting-the-g20-june-26-27-2010/404360817332"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The original Facebook note</span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This weekend, I was afraid in what I consider the greatest city in one of the safest, most free countries in the entire world. I ran away from people who were hired, I am told, to protect me, to protect my friends, to protect my neighbours. The only time I ever saw human beings threatened or hurt was at the hand of these "protectors".</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I am sharing my weekend experience because too much of what I see and hear is warped for political reasons or simply false. I participated in a number of peaceful demonstrations throughout the weekend, beginning with the large peaceful People First Rally at Queen's Park boasting around 25,000 people who wanted to share their calls for a better world. After a less peaceful evening, I sat at Wellesley and Bay with a small group as a man did spoken word poetry calling for peace. Sunday afternoon I sat at a prayer vigil at King and Bay and spoke for hours with mostly nice police officers at Queen and Cameron in the rain that night. On Monday, I was part of a passionate but peaceful demonstration against what I experienced when the demonstrations I was a part of were not permitted to remain peaceful by overzealous police behaviour.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I went to Queen's Park, our designated peaceful protest area, on Saturday afternoon to make a statement to G20 leaders. Along with many others, I stood against the excessive powers given to corporations and the agreements between nations that protect rich/corporate interests while neglecting the interests of human beings and environment. We marched peacefully south on University and west on Queen. At Queen and Spadina, things were tense with some protesters going north, others east, and many of us remaining in the area on Queen St deciding where to head next. While there was property damage (an abandoned police car with a broken windshield) it was hardly the chaos that it was portrayed as. My friends and I walked to Yonge and north as we regrouped, deciding what to do. We saw corporate windows smashed but, again, no chaos. Protesters and average civilians making their way around the city wandered the streets calmly. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1-wENWNq3bY80fcnB42_N8BmOkA39MIFsNAzXZvkTlu5zuhs3dYF2E4JjmL5oRwxT_OQBr2CDUD3iClchYIe8sK9-rCBTQ-ib9oMyh27mLg3OL9C_w5cS6etSMMpnqepLgDq94hl4cY/s320/IMG_0533small.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">According to the media, at this point the city was burning. We are on Queen St West as cars are burning after windows had been broken on Yonge. Despite these acts of vandalism, there was NOT chaos. The city was not being taken over by vandals.</span></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1-wENWNq3bY80fcnB42_N8BmOkA39MIFsNAzXZvkTlu5zuhs3dYF2E4JjmL5oRwxT_OQBr2CDUD3iClchYIe8sK9-rCBTQ-ib9oMyh27mLg3OL9C_w5cS6etSMMpnqepLgDq94hl4cY/s1600/IMG_0533small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We decided to head back to Queen's Park to join friends who had returned there to peacefully continue to demonstrate. We were told as we approached the Park by a riot police officer that the Riot Act had been read, which our friends inside had not heard at all. We heard the media reporting no tear gas had been used although a friend confirmed that she was hit with tear gas prior to that report. We joined our friends, still carrying our signs (literally mounted on pool noodles so as to not be threatening), standing on the east side of the Park midway between riot police and the legislature building. Out of nowhere, as a man slept on the lawn and people ate dinner on the grass, we were charged at by horses and riot police. Through two advances forwards where we had to run at full speed lest we be hit by batons or horses, they split the crowd down the middle and cut off the protesters in front of us. Perhaps they were not being so peaceful, we could not see them. Once separated, our 100% peaceful quarter of the Park was still charged at by riot police at least 3 more times. Confused, we stuck around, since this was our protest area. In the video footage we took, the confusion is evident as we ask "Well where are we supposed to go?" and "You told us to come here!" (I have posted footage on YouTube, </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfulDv0cCkE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">click to view</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The emphasis placed in our world today on protecting capital interests was obvious Saturday evening when the media was not with peaceful protesters as we were attacked at Queen's Park but busy filming damage to property. Images of things, police cars and windows, were broadcast repeatedly while footage of protesters being chased by riot police and mounted police out of what was supposedly our space, was absent.</span><br />
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</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Early Sunday morning, I watched a friend get arrested outside the Novotel Hotel. Around 5 feet tall, a small woman, she had no fewer than five police officers around her, arresting her. How is this protecting the public? Intimidating a young woman who was demonstrating for labour rights that police officers, for example, enjoy but others are denied is cruel and unnecessary. (She was let free 12 hours later without charge or trust in the Canadian justice system.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Later Sunday morning, I marched with fewer than 100 others to the detention centre to support those being released without charge and calling for more rapid processing of people being detained. Organizers walked through the crowd where we gathered at Jimmie Simpson Park to remind us to keep things peaceful and to listen to all police orders. The atmosphere was light as we marched down Logan and Pape, ringing our bicycle bells, singing and chanting. The mainstream media was present, wanting to interview detainees as they were released.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A few people were released and were greeted with water, snacks and cheers of support from the crowd. A man played bass guitar at the front of the group and we sang and chanted along. Literally, minutes after singing Kumbaya, two unmarked vans filled with undercover police officers drove into the crowd and threw people into the vans. Those of us who remained sat on the ground to show we were being peaceful and not wanting to cause trouble or fight to get the alleged anarchists back. We were sitting for only a couple of minutes when riot police began to charge. We stood up and backed up as instructed. We were not given instructions to disburse, only to back up (screamed in our faces as we were threatened with batons). Completely terrified, we backed up as police fired rubber bullets and smoke bombs. (</span><a href="http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/g20-aftermath/#clip319040"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Watch the raw footage that CTV captu</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">red. Added August 26, 2010: We were able to recover </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfsM6M8OFYg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">our footage</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> that we had lost off Tiana's digital camera)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOYBbRg19AR-oFb1odxwJtu0n3spp6pQfqSBvc9be-G_GJox8WGsKDaRZE9RkxGqmTjX1zWetF0H59XtvIVYg_Zo4IYGjkWt2Znvqtxixzuf2HpiuXDfTg6mrcQN0b04T8k-aka9H5bc/s320/P6270035small.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After police vans had taken away alleged anarchists, we sat in the street to show that we would not retaliate. Less than 1 minute after this photo was taken, the riot police charged, sending us back up the street, shooting rubber bullets, into a row of riot police who were wearing tear gas masks lined up on Queen St East.</span></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOYBbRg19AR-oFb1odxwJtu0n3spp6pQfqSBvc9be-G_GJox8WGsKDaRZE9RkxGqmTjX1zWetF0H59XtvIVYg_Zo4IYGjkWt2Znvqtxixzuf2HpiuXDfTg6mrcQN0b04T8k-aka9H5bc/s1600/P6270035small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a></div>Fortunately, the footage of these actions was captured by multiple news outlets. What was not captured was the sitting down of protesters as we did not fight to get those detained back. Again, as on Saturday night at Queen's Park, those who were identified as threats by police had already been removed/separated from our group and yet the riot police continued to charge, continued to be the ones perpetrating violence against their fellow human beings and continued to strike fear in the hearts of Torontonians and visitors alike.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I am absolutely against the vandalism that took place this past weekend. However, the media and the public's obsession with damaged property is evidence of the problems of the world we live in. Where our rights and quality of life are secondary to financial considerations. Hunger, poverty, injustice and the destruction of the planet that we live on are not on the front pages. This mentality was able to completely detract from the messages of protesters calling on their leaders and other leaders who have real power in the world to care about the average person and the environment that surrounds us all. I sat with priests and nuns on Sunday who had messages for world leaders about the rights of people in their countries and who trade with their countries and for how they protect the Earth. No one heard that. People keep blaming the violent protesters for "ruining it for everyone". No, the media chose to not report on the messages that the actual protesters had to say. The public chose to fall for the show of vandalism as the story of the day. The police played their part in distracting us all very well by keeping the protesters afraid and giving the media something to talk about other than the real issues. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Wake up, Canada. Stop being entertained by dramatic images of property and open your eyes to the oppression your own government is conducting and endorsing. Realize that those who endorse anarchy are encouraged by your attention, not deterred by your disgust. Look at how the rights of people in your own country were violated this past weekend and then think about the rights of those around the world to liberty, justice and a decent standard of living. Think about the future of our planet and our individual and collective responsibility to take care of it. The status quo is not okay. People and planet must come before the interests of profit.</span>Angehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06152559631795492377noreply@blogger.com1