Sunday, February 7, 2010

India Bound

Feb 7, 2010

I am sitting here on yet another dog (Greyhound) heading to New York to hang with my buddy James this evening, and then catch a flight tomorrow to Doha, Qatar then onto Delhi, India.

The last couple of months I have found myself going a little stir crazy due to no work, the winter conditions keeping me indoors more then usual, and of course my lil brain. There have been numerous times where I have thought to myself "I am not really doing anything" which is a pattern I let myself fall into of course. Obviously there is ton's to do on this little rock that we inhabit but sometimes the motivation gets a little weak when you aren't working, and when it's -20c outside. The last time I actually had some set schedule was the last trip I was on which was in Dec so I figured 2 months was enough and it's time to do something....India is that something.

Now that I am "officially" on my way the adventure that lies ahead is starting to become a reality and is starting to hit me. Ha. People have asked over the last couple of weeks "Are you excited?" and I would answer "Yes" (obviously) but it wasn't something I thought to much about.

So up until yesterday morning-2 days before my departure- I had planned, and bought tickets to go to India for almost 3 months. Originally I was going to land with no set agenda and basically travel around the country evevntually ending up in the north to work on a farm in the Himalayas. I chose to go for 3 months because of not wanting to sit around at home, and no immediate work in the future but I also told myself to leave the option open of returning early if work arose. Well....yesterday morning some work came knocking on my door thanks to my friend Dan. Now I will be in India for 1 month, and return home to become "Production Assistant/ Merch" for a Canadian band named Metric.

So now once I land in Delhi I plan on being there long enough to catch up on sleep, eat some food, and buy a ticket to get out of the big city onto Dehradun where the farm Navdanya is located.

-from the Navdanya website- navdanya.org

Navdanya started as a program of the Research Foundation for science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE), a participatory research initiative founded by world-renowned scientist and environmentalist Dr. Vandana Shiva, to provide direction and support to environmental activism.
1984 was the year of the Punjab Violence and the Bhopal tragedy. This violence demanded a paradigm shift in the practice of agriculture. Navdanya was born of this search for nonviolent farming, which protects biodiversity, the Earth and our small farmers.

Navdanya means nine crops that represent India's collective source of food security. The main aim of the Navdanya biodiversity conservation programme is to support local farmers, rescue and conserve crops and plants that are being pushed to extinction and make them available through direct marketing.

Navdanya is actively involved in the rejuvenation of indigenous knowledge and culture. It has created awareness on the hazards of genetic engineering, defended people's knowledge from biopiracy and food rights in the face of globalisation.

So this is where I will be spending my "almost" a month in India. It definitely would have been an adventure to travel around the country for 3 months but I also need to work so I can continue with adventures as such.

The bus just crossed into "Fortress America" and I think this may be the first time I have taken the bus across the border since ol Obomba has been named the President. Funny as it's still the same routine at the border with these intimidating lil guards walking around grilling you with questions to keep the "borders secure" The only difference on this cross is usually on the bus they ask you to bring your bags/ belongings with you and this time they didn't. At first I didn't think much of it but a little while later I thought "Hey. With your bags not on you anything could happen to them, or anything can be placed in them"..yah yah! Sounds crazy but if your someone who actually thinks the police, and border guards wouldn't do such a thing you must live in a wonderful lil world.

Anyways....

I booked my trip around a show that happened in Montreal 2 nights ago with some good friends, tour companions, and an old next door neighbor coming into town to do their thang. These fine people were the Cavaliers, Dave Haus (with fellow Dave Walsh), Tim Barry, and Chuck Reagan. The place where the show was booked sold out instantly in advance so the promoters added a 2nd -earlier- show at a small lil bar in Montreal.

The show/s that these individuals played was so much fun. Actually it is definitely safe to say it's probably the funnest show I have been to while living in Montreal and this was due to the company of the night for sure. It was also supposed to be my last night at home due to this current trip so it was exciting to hang with everyone and get words of encouragement however it turned out not to be my last night as I drank way to much and there was no way I was going to sit on a damn bus feeling like shit.

Touring is such an interesting fun adventure. If you have never toured/ or traveled with a group of people for weeks on end then it's something that you would never understand. Being locked in a stinky spaceship with numerous people all doing their own thing but also everyone working for the same thing to accomplish the mission. With this comes many different scenario's that bring a bonding which is indescribable and only the people you share this bonding with know can relate.

This is gonna crack some people up-as it should. ha- but Tim and Chuck have always to me been a perfect example of "men"...Haha. Fuck! I just did say that. Sorry to the 2 Dave's/ and the Cavaliers as you all were there that evening as well and do know what I am talking about, but let's face it, non of us will never come close to this. Ha.

I am not going to go into what I mean by this as I know that most people who read this completely know what Im saying.

Again what an amazing show this was and the feeling one get's when an entire crowd is singing along as loud as they can with the biggest smiles on their faces is something that can't be described or replicated in anyway. It's real.