Well folks, climate change is among us! For
the first time in years, Nova Scotians woke up to a rainy, brown Christmas. I,
being in Nova Scotia, was saddened not to be surprised by a light covering of
overnight snow.
I spent Christmas Eve at my Grandmother’s
on the South Shore. It’s one of my favourite spots in the province, as it’s
surrounded by trees on three sides, and St. Margaret’s Bay on the other.
Usually, when we wake up on Christmas morning we are greeted by white, this
year was much different!
This year Santa brought us THREE natural swimming pools!
At least we had a nicely decorated tree to
sip our coffee around!
Grammy and I opened up our gifts and made
breakfast. Michael joined us later on, just in time for lunch. The three of us
spent the bulk of the afternoon reading (and nodding off), before we made what
can only be described as the garlickiest Christmas dinner ever. Dinner
consisted of garlic-roasted chicken, with roasted garlic baby potatoes, and
garlic and bacon brussel sprouts. Afterwards, we. Smelled. Awesome. Once the dinner dishes were done, we began the initial stages of prepping a turnip casserole, and of course, heart-attack mashed potatoes (a 2-day process!). Boxing day has always been spent at Grammy's. On this day each of Mom's siblings and their families would converge for a day filled with food and up until a year or so ago, an episode by episode recap of the Simpsons. This year was quite a bit different. For starters, there was still no snow, BUT a pretty massive difference from the previous morning!
Just after 7:00 am.
An hour later!
The water was very still...so peaceful!
Secondly, only about half of the usual crowd was able to attend (11, down from the typical 18 or so). We almost fit at one table, which was pretty neat! And, I (along with a little help from a few willing hands), prepared my first ever 4kg prime rib with all the fixin's! I have finally succumbed to my role as a woman... seen and not heard, and busying away int he kitchen preparing food for my family! It doesn't take much to realize just how much I have become my mother...and that's one thing I will never be reluctant to accept (except for the constant worrying...that can go away at any point!). It made for quite a busy day, and by the time everyone left, Grammy and I could only find the energy to grab a cup of coffee and sit by the tree.
The next morning was once again beautiful. I spent the bulk of the day working on essays with quickly approaching deadlines that I have been neglecting for the past week and a bit. Panic mode is starting to sink in. In the afternoon, I went for a walk along the trail close by. It was a bit later than I had planned, but it ended up being the perfect time. I only encountered one other person, which happened at the beginning of my adventure - which was probably a good thing, given the amount I have taken to having deep conversations with myself out loud! Usually I get a wonderful afternoon in the woods in the fall, but being as Manchester has a tree population of -94 875, this walk would have to do. There is nothing more cleansing that being surrounded by nature! Here's a sampling of my walk:
Last year the tree line was snow-covered, and the water was partly frozen!
Clear-cutting for the new highway exit!
St. Margaret's Bay
The trail head
The view from the top of my grandmother's driveway!
The evening consisted of a little childhood reminiscing with Grammy in what we refer to as "Craig's Room" which is pretty much a closet off of my grandmother's bedroom. I learned last night that it was originally designed to be a kitchen, and that the entire upper floor was supposed to be an apartment! Although it was never completed, it became the storage facility for many books and toys I used to enjoy while visiting Grammy when I was a small child (or a month and a half away from being 30!). Anyone remember these gems?
I'm now back in the connected world, and days away from my return to the UK. I'm not sure if I'll have any new posts before the end of this year, so I'll wish everyone a safe and happy New Year! 2014 has had many ups and a few downs. I lived in three countries, and I have grown immensely! 2015 is sure to be another exciting year, and I hope you will all continue to follow me on whatever adventure lay ahead! -the Orange Canadian
Many of my Canadian readers will surely
know of a little organization called Hope Blooms. I made
reference to them in an earlier post while I was in Ghana.
The last two days I have spent helping out at their new headquarters, in a
number of capacities. Having not worked in a number of months, I was pretty
worn out after the first day. It’s a high-energy work environment, and I wasn’t
quite used to it – but this didn’t stop me from making a one-day voluntold
position turn into a two-day movie-making extravaganza.
My brother Michael, is heavily involved
with this group. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this organization
(the website is linked above), it’s a group of 50-ish kids between the ages of
5 and 17, who plant, grow, and harvest a plot in a community garden in an area
of Halifax known to be rough. A number of years ago, with the help of Jessie
Jollymore, Hope Blooms transitioned from educational/keeping-kids-out-of-trouble
gardening to salad dressing producers/sellers. Earlier this year they
successfully obtained $40 000 from the Canadian reality TV show, Dragon’s Den.
Since then, their creations have been even more in demand.
A few days before I arrived home, they
opened a new facility, which meant they kids now had their own hangout space,
store front, and most importantly – kitchen! My task on day one was to help
fill orders, by both producing dressings, and running errands collecting a
number of items, such as ingredients and bottles. That morning, they had
purchased 10 cases of bottles, which sold out shortly after I arrived at noon.
The 15 cases I picked up that afternoon sold out by lunchtime the next day!
Day two was a bit more labour-intensive,
but in a different way. I was tasked with one of my favourite roles –
filmmaker/director. The team wanted to make sure that the countless friends,
family members, businesses and strangers that helped make this new spot
possible were thanked. So, with the help of a few of the ‘Bloomers’ we created
a vision, and began filming. I made sure to get each of them involved as much
as possible. After several takes, and a few different locations, I'm quite pleased with the final product (which I will upload once it has been officially launched on the Hope Blooms website!).
An important message for the community to pay-it-forward, as a means of saying 'thank-you.'
Also, the focus of the video!
The truth about Hope Blooms is that it is
far more than just a group of inner-city kids who grow things and turn it into
delicious dressing. It’s about building capacity and community. My biggest take
away from my two days with these guys (and gals) was that with the right people
and attitudes, anything is possible. In just a few years, these kids have
redefined the area in which they live – turning it from an undesirable, some
would say, dangerous area, to one that has come to exemplify the very meaning
of community. Sure, it may not have removed all the negative perceptions of
that part of the city, but it has brought such positivity and, well, hope, to a
community that would have otherwise been cast aside. The profits from sales go
to a scholarship fund, which provides these students with opportunities beyond
what may have been possible, all while teaching them a variety of skills, such
as agriculture, leadership, and how to run a business. I am still in disbelief
of the number of community members who stopped in just to congratulate and wish
them a Merry Christmas. And, even more in awe of the non-community members,
many of which would have gone out of their way, to do the same. I left on day
two feeling cold (we filmed a lot outside, plus it started to flurry as we were
wrapping up), but so inspired! There is still a lot of opportunity for these
guys to grow their business, and I can’t wait to see what 2015 brings. The best
gift I got this year, was the opportunity to be a little part of this
incredible story.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or have a good day-like-any-other to all who read and follow my blog!
-the Orange Canadian UPDATE: Here's the video we made!
One of the things that I was most excited
for upon my return to Nova Scotia for the holidays was the endless amount of
freshly fallen snow I had been anticipating for weeks. Much to my
disappointment, the days leading up to my arrival involved very little accumulation
of the fluffy white stuff. In fact, it had been raining…heavily for days! So,
when we cleared the heavy fog and touched down on the tarmac in Enfield, I was
pretty confused and disheartened. But, I thought to myself it is Nova Scotia, the weather will change, I will see snow before I go
back to the UK! Well, the forecast suggests otherwise…and so far, the
unreliable Weather Network had been accurate.
The first week since I arrived involved
countless hours of Netflix, and little else. Thursday I made my way to my
former stomp-grounds – Wolfville, to visit with some friends, professors, and
to execute Operation Tampon (my one Christmas gift purchase – unlikely necessities
purchased in Wolfville, for the local food bank). Unfortunately, it was rainy on
this day too, so I didn’t get to snap pictures of the beautiful views that I
have come to know and love over the past three or so years. It took only
seconds before familiar faces were waving hello and making me feel, once again,
at home.
After a busy day of many of the people I
love, and my one and only shot at the gluttonous festivities of Sushi Fang, I
braced myself for the drive home…with the company of my favourite winter
friend, SNOW! I was pretty pumped to see the delicate flakes, although I was a
little concerned about having to drive in it (the snow I had imagined would
only fall when I was snuggled in a warm blanket next to the fireplace, with a
cup of tea, and a good book). I attempted to take some pictures when I arrived
back safely to my brother’s, but it was far too dark.
Luckily, I was able to snap a few photos for photographic proof of this
light snowfall, before it melted away a few hours later.
Morning...
A few hours later...
On Sunday, I joined my step-dad Scott for a
game of Midget Triple ‘A’ hockey – the team he and Mom followed for years. Some
things never change…the waft of sweat that both comforts and nearly suffocates
you the moment you enter a rink, and the nostalgic mural that has existed on
that one wall since you can remember. As a Canadian, I had to fulfill my duties
of at least one game… and of course, who can resist the intense moments involving the Zamboni?
Anyone remember this?
Our team won, and Scott and I made our way
to Costco, to brave the masses shopping for last minute Christmas ‘essentials’.
One of the highlights of my time home, will most certainly be the amazingly
decorated car, consisting of a sleigh on the roof, with a fully decorated
Christmas tree (lights and all, presents under the tree), and a small hitch
with 4 tiny reindeer on the back. Each of the family members in the car were
wearing reindeer onesies, while Christmas music bellowed cheerfully out of
their rolled-down windows. There isn’t much about this season that I enjoy, but
this was certainly one for the books.
All in all, it was a fairly low-key, but
good first week back in Canada! A new week is about to begin, and I’m sure the
rest I have been stocking up on over the last number of days will be needed…
On my first full day back in Nova Scotia, I had the pleasure of checking out what some have been referring to as "the Eiffel Tower of Halifax" - that's right, I went to the Halifax Central Library! Unfortunately, I didn't snap any photos of the outside, as there were lots of people hanging around, and it was dark by the time I left. I did manage to snap a few from the inside, though.
Photo credit: CBC
Now, to call this spectacular building "the Eiffel Tower of Halifax" is a pretty big stretch! Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic - but...it's also a library. I haven't seen the Eiffel Tower in person, mind you, but, I think it's fairly safe to say the two are not comparable.
I arrived just before 4:00pm. The grand opening had taken place around 10:00am that morning. You'd never know how much time had passed if you weren't aware of it, by the amount of people still flooding in to check it out! Luckily, I had a friend closely connected to the new facility to give me a personal tour, while we caught up.
Just inside the front entrance is a small cafe, that sells a range of hot beverages and a good assortment of treats to accompany them. I was treated to a nice cup of tea to enjoy whilst we walked throughout the building. Our first official stop was the top floor, which is home to an outdoor rooftop patio and the beginnings of a garden. It was a bit cool outside, so a few pictures were snapped before we made our way back in!
Photo credit: Julia!
(ESSTers - don't tell Glyn!)
Photo credit: Julia!
View from the roof
View from the roof
We toured around each floor taking in the swarms of people, book titles, and of course, trying out all of the various types of seating. I will tell you this - there are super comfy computer-esque chairs that have a cushy grey mesh, and some wonderful 'not too hard, not too soft' green sofa/chairs, which I would highly recommend you take a few minutes to test out!
Other features of the library, everyone should check out, include:
The Friendship Circle
Puppet theatres anyone? (yep - that's right, I said theatreS; there's two!)
One of the two puppet theatres
A massive Lite-Brite wall
Sorry that it's sort of blurry - I had to move fast in an attempt not to snap any
pictures of the many children using this fun feature!
A Lego table (sorry no pictures - too many children!)
And, a super sweet play kitchen!
My parents failed me by not giving me one of these as a small child...
Two things struck me about the overall feel of the place. For one, it's very open, and bright, and user-friendly. It was kind of like if a mall and a university library had a baby. The stairways and corridors across the floors were as much a part of the artwork, as they were serving a practical purpose.
The other thing that really amazed me was the large presence of books! Now, I know what you're probably thinking - it's a library, there should be books - but the way this place had been talked about, made it seem like community space was more of the focus than physical books. It was a component of the planning that saddened me a bit. Of all the environmentally conscious decisions I make regarding reducing my consumption, books are one thing I simply cannot give up. There's just something comforting about the feel and smell of a book in your hands - I don't know how else to describe it! Anyway, the fact that there were many books on each level immediately erased all sadness. In fact, there's a good balance between traditional library, and community-oriented space. And, judging by the range of people getting their first glimpse on opening day, I'd say it will be well used. There were families with small children, older couples, teens, university-aged students and everyone in between. It's a great addition to the Halifax area, and I'd recommend a visit to anyone who hasn't! To learn more about the new facility and/or see more pictures (including some indoor shots!), check out the Library's website at http://halifaxcentrallibrary.ca.
