I’ve been spending all the time I can lately down Village #Occupy Vancouver. It is so lovely to have a new-old village in the middle of the downtown! I have mostly been listening to people, I have heard complaints about the system from all kinds and I have heard complements about the movement from all kinds as well. I feel Vancouver has a special opportunity especially as we are on Unceded land that has been consecrated for this movement and we have Elders from the people of this land who are willing to work with us even if we are an ignorant bunch.

Today I spent some time helping out in the kitchen. An amazing lady came down around 2 pm with a whole cart full of food. Delicious rice, made with veggies, a large bowl of hummus, a big salad, which she was very upset about as it had somehow spilled on the bus ride. Tons of pita bread and bags of grapes! People loved it. She happily headed off home to get ready to start cooking again the next morning! Incredible. That is one fantastic way to help support the movement.

I recommend, if you want to have a say in what this emerging culture will look like — get your butts down to the Art Gallery and just spend some time there, get to know each other and listen to each other. I need to get to bed so I’m just gonna toss out a few ideas to get you started….

If you can’t get down there to show your support in person, I have another idea which came about because of the Art as Money project I posted about earlier. For folks and families who are working all the time and just can’t make it down there themselves. There is a fun family activity that everyone can get involved in to show their support for #Occupy Vancouver:

During dinner ask everyone in your family to think about what they would like to do for the #Occupy Vancouver movement — if they would like to donate time, food, money, art, music …etc…. Let everyone think about this for a while because you never know what they might come up with. Then ask everyone to think about how much money they would like to donate to the movement…it can be a realistic or unrealistic amount — the amount doesn’t really matter. When dinner is finished cut out pieces of paper whatever size you like, but don’t make it too big, so it can be potentially used in a practical manner — bust out the crayons, pens, markers, paints or whatever and everyone can create their own beautiful pieces of artwork to donate. If someone wants to just create one note that is worth $1,000,000,000 that’s cool. If someone wants to create 20 $100 bills that’s cool too. Once it’s all done put it in an envelope, address it to:

Village #Occupy
Vancouver Art Gallery
750 Hornby Street,
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H7,
Canada

I think if enough people do it the Post Office will deliver them. It can be kind of like writing a letter to Santa Claus asking for what you want for Christmas. But instead you are making an artwork to support your future that can potentially be spent.

Today I took down some lactic-acid fermented carrots and olives, as well as some kombucha and my favorite date and nut balls. I was put to shame by the lady who brought the huge meal I spoke of earlier, but everything is welcomed with a hug at the #Occupy kitchen. I added my carrots to a salad, the olives were devoured by everyone and the date and nut balls went really fast. I had made some of them with butter from cows I know and love and the Food not Bombs kitchen, which is mainly vegan as it is concerned about ethical treatment of plants and animals, appreciated the fact that the butter came from cows I knew were treated humanely.

I personally think it is very important to get as much fermented foods into people in general these days, especially in moldy conditions such as Vancouver harbors, so I hope to see lots of bottles of sauerkraut donated (one example). I was delighted to see a steaming pot of miso soup being served up, especially after learning how good it is for detoxifying radiation.

Tomorrow I hope to give some cranio sessions if it isn’t raining.