Has it been that long?

Can we just say that it has been a while since I wrote anything and I want to make amends? Cool? Allright, well I will slowly try to play catch up and let you all in on my stories, thoughts, dreams, and trials over the last few months. I want to warn you however that this might take some time and several different posts to get around.

I really want to talk about my trip to Thailand with my cousin Daniel, and I will very soon, but that kind of story will take more time to wrap my head around. It was an amazing trip, a wonderful vacation, and a challenging time for me as we traveled so well through a country whose average day laborer made about what I paid for 2 beers. The moral and ethical questions of travel in the "developing world" were my constant companions, but as I said more on that in another post.

I have been back at ARI for about a week, I am working on 7 and a half months in Japan, and starting to peer around the corner at October and wonder what the future holds. Various ideas over the past few months have included; a bike ride across the desert Southwest stopping at various bouldering meccas for rock climbing before stopping in California to see what all the hubbub is about. Or moving to Costa Rica to paddle, learn Spanish, and find a non-profit to work with. Possibly picking up a non-working motorcycle for cheap, rebuilding it and driving on back roads around the country for a while, enjoying those last fossil fuels before they are too expensive. Maybe moving back to Thailand to work as a divemaster until May when I want to head to NOLS. I have kicked around the idea of catching a job at a ski resort but I think the cold would depress me, the culture shock might be too much for my idealistic sensibilities, and I might get mountain fever and opt for a tropical beach somewhere. Speaking of beaches, the international sailing season starts up around October in Ft. Lauderdale and there are possibilities of paid crew jobs on boats heading out to sea... Along with my usual desire for the vagabond adrenaline junky lifestyle is my new found interest in food (Food Generation post coming soon) and my continued interest in saving the world, which should play a vital role in my upcoming adventures. I have come to the simple conclusion that I was not built to be a full time farmer, it takes a much more patient, organized, and down to earth individual than I, but I am extremely interested in the social aspects of food systems and their organization. So as you can see I am hopping gleefully from one idea to the next and not quite sure where it will lead.

The weather here is incredible, not too hot not too cold, the frogs are singing all night and the balcony view is starting to take on jungle proportions. There is a huge full moon tonight, which I am told is sending off very strong energy for everyone so go soak it up we could all use a little good energy. We have been having almost daily jam sessions after dinner as we gather around the couches with drums, guitars, flutes, and maracas and spend hours rehashing all the old songs we love. I have adopted the Myanmar-styled Lo-gee and find it extremely comfortable evening wear. It is basically a sarong that is sewed into a tube, very conservative down to the ankles, in the West we might call it a dress but in the Southeast it is the height of manly fashion, and I love it (pictures should be circulating soon.)

Tomorrow morning I am heading out to the mountains for a little wild flower viewing, so I will have to leave you with wishes for a happy day, good food, and good friends.

Peace and Love

Mike

The 5 Minute Talk: Procrastination

I was going to do this one about five weeks ago, but you know how it is...



Leave a comment in the blog or on the video if you have an idea for another topic. This one was sent in by good old snail mail which is always an option.

Peace ,Love, and good food

Mike

Pictures and Reflections

I guess vulnerability is a funny thing, when you show someone the cracks in your armor you show them a little more about yourself. In a morning gathering this week I heard a man say that when we are at our weakest point we are strong. Through our weakness we can find more strength than we ever thought possible. The last few weeks I have been in that hazy area of vulnerability, heart split open, hoping for strength. What I find funny now is that even when you are sad, and lonely wondering when it will stop, there is always hope. As we finish Lent and move into the Easter season we have a chance to focus on that hope and see it work in our lives. As I work in the field, and feel the sun, and see the flowers I can’t help but think about the resurrection and hope for new life. The spring is a beautiful reminder of hope, happiness, and love. If you don’t believe me just go out and listen to the birds, they never lie.

Peace and Love

Mike

Rumminations

Today was a good day. Today was the kind of day you hope for during the winter, and miss during the fall. Today was a quintessential spring day, and I loved every minute of it right down to the full moon. God is good.

Peace and Love

Mike

April

Well, I hit the half way mark last week which consequently was also my 24th birthday and the first day of new participant arrivals. It was a loaded day.

Spring is in the air here at ARI and that is a great thing for a agricultural institute. We have 25 new community members, all of our seedlings are sprouting, one of our sows will have piglets this weekend, the cow will give birth in two weeks, our duck eggs are incubating, and all of the fruit trees are starting to blossom. All of this to say, our life is getting very busy very fast. After the long lazy winter (farmers don't get lazy summers) this is very exciting.

Last week I spent a week working with a volunteer from Nebraska who worked here 33 years ago for over a very. Charles and I spent many many hours in the workshop repairing weed eaters, tractors, hand tools, small trucks, and just about anything else he found interesting. Throughout all of these projects he taught me all about machines and systems and how to diagnose and fix them. We replaced a clutch throw out bearing and put the truck back together before breakfast on my birthday. After breakfast I learned how to weld and by lunch I was welding the tailgate back together. He went back home yesterday but I will be a fixture in the shop now for the rest of my stay.

I hope everyone is enjoying the changing weather and finding ways to get involved in their foodlife. I look forward to hearing stories. Peace and Love

Mike

The 5 Minute Talk: Bread

The 5 Minute Talk: Bread

Thank you Alex for requesting this one. I apologize to those of you who actually enjoy my rambling, the internet and I have been in negotiations for some time about uploads but we have it worked out so hopefully I can add more soon.

These first few talks are warm-ups for me and I hope to increase quality and content as I move along. The rules are simple, one subject, 5 minutes, you can request subjects through comments on the blog, the video, or through hand written letters (thanks Hannah) my address is posted to the right of the screen.

Peace and Love,

Mike

Picking up the Pace

I have made a discovery recently, and I would like to share it with you my faithful readers and friends. I like to come up with new ideas, and I like to write, but it seems that the best time for both of these activities, falls between the hours of 10 AM and 2 PM. So, when I sit down in front of my computer at 9 PM, my best has abandoned me and you poor folks (at least the ones that stick it out and read on) are stuck with whatever drivel I can drag out onto the screen. With this in mind I will keep tonight’s post short, and work diligently to adjust my schedule accordingly in the future. I just have a few points I wanted to touch on.

It feels like we have been inundated with Americans recently and I love it. We have had some great working visitors on exchange from Wasilla University in Tokyo (Rachel, Charlie, Brandon, and David), a bamboo expert and former long term volunteer from Oregon (Dane), and two world travelers formerly from the D.C. area (Ely and Savannah). The conversations have been deep and bountiful, the laughter has been common and relaxing, and the food has been shared by all. ARI draws some great people together.

The participants start arriving in a few weeks (on April 1^st no less,) and we are gearing up for their company. Last week we had 3 teaching assistants (overseas graduates) arrive, and our 3 graduate interns (Japanese graduates) came back from their study tour in Indonesia and the Philippines. It is starting to feel festive and exciting after a long quiet winter.

This weekend I went to a Couchsurfer’s gathering in Utsunomiya and had a great time eating Gyoza and singing karaoke with fellow travelers. After church today a few of the Couchsurfers from last night (Nori my host for the night and Megumi the organizer of the gathering) went with me to a climbing gym I heard about in Utsunomiya. It was awesome, the gym is part of a small non profit community center. There was a collection of walls in three different rooms and bouldering seemed to be the order of the day. I took some pictures and a video I want to post soon.

I have been having some trouble uploading videos recently this is rough because I have at least one 5 minute talk ready to go and a few more projects in the works. I am trying a new program to upload the videos so maybe this week. I hope everyone is doing well and I look forward to hearing from you. Go get some good food and give someone a hug. Peace and Love.