The Jackfruit Gesture

Even in our darkest moments, the kindness of a stranger can make all the difference. Or, at least that’s what I experienced yesterday.

After a pretty rough week and a half (Trump being elected president, Remembrance Day, and a few less than stellar personal situations that I do not care to get into here), I found myself sitting blankly in my room, head in hands, just focusing on breathing*. It was starting to get dark outside, and I could feel the cooler breeze slowly starting to enter my flat. Then, out of nowhere, my landlady appeared at my window.

I have been living in my current digs for nearly two months now. I live in what I may have already referred to as the in-law-suite of a Ugandan family’s home. It’s fairly quiet minus the roosters and the family’s smallest child crying periodically throughout the day. It’s safe, and I’ve come to really embrace all of its quirkiness (and well, of course the baby goats!). But, the family themselves speak very limited English, and I, of course, speak very limited Luganda and Losoga**. The result of this has been an interesting attempt at communicating with each other beyond the regular good morning, how is the day, thank you phrases. So, when the landlady appeared at my window I was quite surprised.

The thing is, she came to check on me. She had recognized I’d been a little out of character, and noting this, she came over with a fresh hunk of jackfruit that she had been sharing with her family, whilst I sat in my silent wall stare session! And the more I have thought about this simple gesture, the more I am amazed by how non-verbal communication can really tell a person something about another. I mean, the two of us (and her small child) struggle to talk sometimes, and the vast majority of the time we end up parting ways equally laughing and frustrated. Yet, she had obviously established what she thought of as my normal self, enough to recognize that I was acting a bit different.

Life never ceases to amaze me. And jackfruit has never tasted so good!

-the Orange Canadian

*I promise you there is no need to be alarmed – I’m really doing quite well! 

**The two main local languages used in Jinja, although Luganda is arguably the most widely used throughout the country and should probably replace English as the national language…

Too Distraught to Come Up with a Title for This Post

Go back to bed, folks. The world has been cancelled for the foreseeable future.

Yesterday I published an anxiety-filled, depression-laced, yet trying to remain optimistic pre-election result post. It appears the worst case scenario has taken place. People the world over are waking up this morning, sipping on their morning bevvy and trying to digest how such a thing could take place. Or perhaps, they are taking one last swig of their highly alcoholic drink in an attempt to fall asleep and hope that when they wake up it will all be undone… somehow.

I woke up this morning at 8:02AM. The little boy who usually cries between 8:30 and 9:30 every morning had gotten an early start. But the sun was peaking in through the cracked in the window. I heard birds pleasantly chirping, chickens nibbling and cock-a-doodle-doodling, and goats goating…or whatever it is they do. It appeared to be an ordinary morning. But something told me it wasn’t and the countless social media posts about the Canadian Immigration site crashing, Florida’s results, and an array of quotes and comments of friends and family in disbelief confirmed what I’d been afraid of.

I laid there, in the comfort of my bed, for a few minutes trying to process. I couldn’t find anything definitive, so I took to the ‘ol Book of Faces to see who was online. And within minutes, a friend deciphered the cryptic messages I’d read only a few moments earlier. And I could do nothing more than just lay there… stunned.

I felt (and continue to feel) numb. My whole body hurt. I felt that same wave of confusion, sadness, denial and disbelief as I did when my brother arrived at my apartment to tell me my mother had died*. How the FiretrUCK did this happen?

This was a bet I did not want to win.

For those of you unaware of my many useless talents, I seem to have an ability to jokingly make a comment and then *poof* – it actually happens. Usually it’s less impactful, smaller-scale things, like the time I jokingly said to my flatmate after our landlady called and asked to meet with us immediately, “wouldn’t it be funny if she told us she was kicking us out of our flat?” and then when she arrived she tried to do just that**… Most times I do this as a means of playing devil’s advocate, in the same way, I embraced my role of “Stephen Harper supporter” in an environmental studies program so well, that I convinced a good number of students that I really did love his policies and ideologies. I do this to get people thinking, to start conversations, and to attempt to get those who engage to develop arguments that support their stance. This time around, it appears I advocated for the wrong devil. And, for the record, I’d take ‘ol Stevie back in a heartbeat if Trump were the alternative!

In the case of Harper, it began as a means of finding the good out of a bad situation. I was repeatedly heard making statements like: yeah, but he loves cats, or but he’s in a rock ‘n roll band, or my favourite go-to but he’s writing a book about hockey! Leading up to this election, I have been witnessed saying such things as yeah, but just think about how great SNL will be for the next 4 years, or, yeah but, how funny will it be to watch him to try to build this wall and get Mexico to pay for it? So while sitting here, trying to apply that same methodology, post-election, I can only come up with this: at least people came out to vote. The final numbers aren’t in yet, but so far, voter turnout has been indicated as higher than in previous elections. So, even if the end result wasn’t the desired one for the vast majority of people outside of the United States, it is important to recognize that citizens of that country actually exercised their right to do something that many, MANY people in other countries are not free to do. But what that says about the state of said country, and the world, really, is the most troubling bit of it all.

Let’s just take a second to process this… What does it say about the state of the US, or the world for that matter, that “we’d” rather vote for a former-reality star, with a proven track record of bankruptcy and mismanagement than a woman to run the “leader of the free world”? What does it say that a man who relied on misinformation, hate, and fear-mongering, and who routinely made sexist, racist and homophobic remarks (amongst others) could be elected President over a woman? Sure, Hill may not be the model first female President that many of us would have imagined, but even I can see that would have been the better option.

My heart just hurts. My faith in humanity is at a new all-time low***. I am actually afraid of what the next few months and years might bring – and this coming from someone who has spent the better part of the last decade trying to combat the very real environmental crisis that is already upon us. I fear for my friends and fellow humans that do not fit the heterosexual, white male category. I fear for the rights of women. I fear for the already and presently contested rights of indigenous people. I fear for the rights of Muslims, members of the LGBTQ community, and the long list of other disenfranchised and degraded minorities of this world. I am amazed at how overnight the world could go from taking one step forward, to taking far too many steps back to even begin to start counting****. But to these groups I have noted above, I’d like to say: the views that we have been hearing are not a reflection of the Western world as a whole, nor do they reflect my own personal beliefs.

There is a young boy in the US who is known as Kid President. For a number of years, he has been a source of hope that I turn to when my humanity tank has been depleted. The first video of his I ever saw starts by saying, “the world could use a pep-talk” and today, these words ring true. So, I will leave you with this video – one I’m sure I have posted on a number of occasions in the past. And, maybe another classic – Goats in Pyjamas – because we need all the reminders of good that the world can give us right now.

Bonus video: Baby Tedster - a delightful little Canadian kid, and Beliber - reacting to catching his first fish. 

Here’s to Kanye 2020… because it can’t be any worse*****.

-the Orange Canadian

*I’m not saying a country that is not my own making possibly one of the most disastrous decisions not only of my life time, but quite possibly in the history of the human species, is equal to the grief and pain of losing a parent… but at least in the case of my Ma only a small population was directly impacted – even if it felt like the whole world had come crashing down. At the same time, I’m so thankful she is not here to witness the events that will soon unravel, as I’m pretty sure there isn’t enough bread and cookies she could bake to even begin undoing the suffering that will soon result from this decision.

**We weren’t evicted, it just happened that there was another party interested in taking our flat before we moved in. Apparently they were waiting on funds of some sort so that they could rent it, and found said funds some months later. So the landlady was actually asking us if we could switch flats, rather than kicking us out… but still.

***Don’t get me wrong, I know there are a great number of people and things in this world that prove that we aren’t completely hopeless…yet.

****The sarcastic message behind the infamous quote “We’ve come a long way, baby!” sure resonates with me today!

*****Actual campaign slogan… I think.

The Last Day of the Free World

It's election day in the good 'ol US of A. There are no winners this time around. Selecting the next President based on the options available is not a task I'd want to be a part of. Either way the outcome will have devastating effects on the world as we know it. Obviously, there is one choice that is the lesser of two evils, but is that really how we want to go forward into our already complicated future?

As I sit here in a coffee house, sipping in a warm caffeinated beverage, I can't help but reflect. The rains have begun, and everything is becoming an array of beautiful shades of green. And yet, I feel that depression that follows me around every day rearing it's ugly head. Maybe it's because I haven't been sleeping. Maybe it's because I am beginning to fear the world I live in. I don't believe it's really any worse than it was in previous decades or centuries - it's just become more televised. There's no longer an escape. We can't even "just change the channel or turn the page."

A friend of mine recently received the most incredible gift - a daily inspirational quote to get her through each day. The thought that went into that gift was tremendous. But, she shared one the other day, that got me thinking.

"I know the future can be scary and sometimes you can't stop yourself from being scared, but it's going to be okay. You don't have to be afraid."

I feel this is most appropriate for today and really, this week, as I think many of us are feeling uneasy about the uncertainty of what today's result may bring. But, I also feel we really do have reason to be afraid. What we have been witnessing over the last year, but more so in the last coupe of months is nothing short of soul crushing. Open and wide-scale racism, fear-mongering at a new execrated level, and threats on humanity, the environment, and our planet as a whole. There have been far too many days lately that have made it difficult to get out of bed and face the day. 

Yet, as I sit here, acknowledging the dark temperament taking over my brain, allowing me to continue to lose my faith in humanity, I somehow find hope. Because, no matter how bad the world outside of my bubble may seem, I can equally recognize the light - the good that takes place amongst all of these inactions. The laughter I share with many of you, the changes and excitement taking place in your lives for which I live vicariously, the kindness I see first hand - these all maintain my ability to see a positive future. And these days, we need to stay focused on these moments. 

So, as we go forward, lets make a conscious effort to make these rays of light shine through. We need them. Desperately. 

To make up for this bummer of a post - here's a recent shot of my quickly growing baby goats! 

Man I love goats! How cute are these little guys?!

-the Orange Canadian

The New Chicken/Egg Dilemma: Hunger or Overpopulation?

Advanced apologies for the surge of posts either about or related to my visit to Humanity House – apparently it had quite an impact on me!

***

After completing the asylum seeking experience at Humanity House, you realize that you have found yourself all the way at the very top floor of the building. This means, in order to get back to the lobby, one must climb down a few flights of stairs. On the way down, there are several quotes and facts found along the stairwell, all of which are quite thought provoking*. One of these anecdotes read:

“Overpopulation is not the cause of hunger; hunger is one of the causes of overpopulation”

I’ll just give you a moment to let that sink in…

In my first year of undergrad, I wrote (what at that level would have been considered to be a lengthy) paper on overpopulation. It’s one of the things that keeps me up at night, especially as we are quickly approaching 8 billion! It scares me because with the issues we are already witnessing today, and with potentially far more mouths to feed in the not-so-distant future, I think, how are we to deal with this in a realistic and equitable manner? So when I see a quote like the one above, it really makes me think – and it gives me some level of confidence in what I’m doing.

I think, generally, when we think of overpopulation, we tend to see it as the root cause of hunger. This is understandable, because it is logical to connect more people with more hunger. However, when looking at the evolution of the human species, there is evidence that identifies why this understanding is incorrect.

In so-called developed countries, where education is a given – even if only basic (meaning up to high school level) – access to medical services are readily available, and employment opportunities are supported by systems that are intended to assist those who are unable to work, there is a false reality built. We take those social supports for granted. We often forget that access to these things has decreased our vulnerability to, well, survive. Add in the right for women to partake in all of these systems – particularly the education bit – and we have an advanced society. This creates less need to reproduce.

Now, when compared to other parts of the world, where education, medical services and employment are not freely provided, the reality is quite different. This is not an us vs. them argument. This is a reality for a large proportion of the earth’s population. What I mean by this is that, when such services are not present, it places a greater pressure on those living in these areas to meet their basic needs.

For example, a family in a remote, rural area relies on food they produce on their own land to sustain them. But, that work is laborious. There are no retirement plans to be found in this work, other than relying on the next generation to take over. So, maybe this family has a child or two in order to have a continuation of the farming activity that will provide food sources to the parents even after they have discontinued working. Makes sense, right? Well, now add in the fact that because of the limited, if any, medical services available (and assuming they can be afforded), ensuring those one or two children survive to the age that they can actually take over the farm and support their parents becomes increasingly more challenging. So, to offset that potential risk, one or two children turns into three, four, maybe five children, or in some cases, maybe even more than that. Sure maybe one or two do not survive childhood, but that means that more children are likely to survive than their parents**.

That, my friends, is how hunger, or the risk of hunger, translates into overpopulation. It is also why education and medical services are so important – especially for women. Because with both of those services, quality of life improves, and as a result the need to reproduce decreases. The specific note of women obtaining these services relates to the many studies that in doing so it gives her a better understanding of her rights and the choices she has for both her body and her future. There is plenty of evidence to support this, with Western European and North American countries as, perhaps, the most tangible confirmation of such. But if you don’t believe me - and you’re entitled not to - do a quick google search, visit a library or bookstore, visit an academic institution or get your hands on papers produced in these settings – you’ll find countless studies, reports, etc. to support this claim. 

Now, don't get me wrong, this is a fairly simplistic way of looking at this very complex issue. Despite this, it is the basic foundation of what that quote is trying to get across. Recognition of this fact is only the starting point - the way part. Finding the perfect solution is the real challenge. And, as always I don't have all the answers, but I'm happy to search for them. 

-the Orange Canadian

*Not that I need any help (over) thinking…

**Meaning, their parents are two people… so to replace them would require another two people. Any more than those two persons is adding bodies to the planet beyond the point of replacement.