There’s something to be said about knowing the source of your food and definitely some satisfaction of growing your own- but who really has the time? If a family living in the outskirts of L.A. can accomplish this, it makes you wonder what we could accomplish in other metropolitan areas…
Each sport has it’s own culture and here we get a glimpse of bike culture. Now if only I didn’t feel like I was going to die every time I tried to ride my bike up a hill I might actually try it.
In most cultures, we don’t always appreciate how much the disabled can really do. Unfortunately, we tend to forget about what they can do and instead focus on what they can’t do. That’s why I like this video. It focuses on how even without the use of her legs, Pascale can still live her dreams.
Now that the weather has finally gotten warm, verging on hot for the Pacific Northwest, take a mental cool off:
I’ve never lived in a place with extreme living conditions. I can’t imagine living in the dark for half the year and bright sunshine the other half. Nor can I imagine living in a place that is perpetually cold, except for those few months in the summer where the snow finally melts away.
On the other hand, these people are used to these harsh conditions, and the changes occurring due to global warming are changing their culture. No longer are they able to live as their ancestors have- something that seems to be prevalent across the planet as we use more technology and interact in different ways. But with these changes comes a silver lining- we have opened the world to everyone and not just the few wealthy people who can afford to travel.
But what are we losing by changing our cultures and merging into one?
I don’t know about you but it’s been a while since I really got my hands dirty. I mean up to my elbows working in the mud kind of dirty. I guess sitting behind a desk several days a week will do that to you. This film makes me miss my days working out in the garden. I’ve been so busy lately that I hardly have time to go for a run in the evening, but I’m doing what I can to get outside, but not as much as I would like. We finally have real summer weather and I’m stuck inside… a lot.
I digress…
Growing up in an agriculture rich state, farming is something that I have noticed, but never paid that much attention to. I know that there are a lot of tractors and equipment to plow, plant and harvest the food products. There isn’t as much hands on farming any more. When I say hands on, I mean where we actually had till the earth, plant the seeds and harvest the crop with our own hands. Maybe that’s why Obachan is in her 80s and is still out in the fields every day- she still does everything by hand. She hasn’t let modern invention take over and she is letting her body live naturally. Maybe… she has found the secret to living a long and healthy life? It’s probably not the only reason that she has never been ill- I’m sure genetics and circumstance has had a lot to do with that as well.
What I like most about this film is the use of focus and the black and white footage. It lets the audience look at the rich texture that surrounds Obachan, and not so much the color that often over powers an image. As you can imagine, most of these images are some shade of brown, which in all reality isn’t always the most appealing of colors. By making it black and white it changes the focus away from the color to the content.
I only hope that I can be as active as Obachan when I’m 85. I have some pretty strong genes on my side, but then you can never know what is going to happen.
emfirno 