Tête en bas

It’s the story of a canadian girl, an american guy, an indonesian girl, an australian girl, an australian guy and a french and canadian guy, who are in a campervan. Sounds like a joke, but it was not one. It was one of the most audacious sociologic experiment I ever tried. Gathering 6 peoples, who doesn’t know each other, and let them leave all together in the same van. Traveling 2,278 km in less than 5 days. Being sure that everybody is happy, and enjoy the trip. Yes, it was really audacious…

Once a year, my father organize an event called “les dragonneries”. This event gather thirtyish people during a long week end. Once, I heard him says that one of the reason he was proud of this event, was because it gathers peoples from all different kind of environment. People who would never meet if it was not of this event. It’s probably when I heard my father telling that that I start finding those “sociologic experiment” interesting. I tried some of those a few times, at a very small scale. It was one of the idea behind this trip. There was, of course, the wish to travel from Melbourne to Alice Springs keeping the cost as low as possible. But there was also a clear willing of getting to know others, in order to understand them.

Rachel.

Joshua.

Cassie.

Ben.

Indri.

And I.

Something in common? We all want to go to Alice Springs. We don’t want to spend to much cash. Nothing else. Randomness (or my subconscious, who knows!) wanted that we were three guys and three girls. Everybody seems to be happy about that, as if we were feeling that it will bring a kind of balance. And we will definitely need balance! As the organizer, my goal was simple: I wanted this small trip to be a good souvenir for everyone, and avoid as much tension as possible. No suspense at this time: this was clearly achieve, way over the expectations!

The meeting was on saturday morning, at 10 AM, at Totenham train station. Five minutes walk from the place were we had to pick up the van. To my surprise (there were couchsurfers involve!) no one was more than 10 minutes late. I knew everyone, a little bit. I met everyone quickly during the week. But it was the first time everybody gather at the same place at the same time. Knowing everybody a little, I was anticipating everyone roles. Planing how the tasks would be shared. Who would react how. We discovered, with Cassie and Rachel, that everyone respect the stereotype from his own country (countries for one of us).

Taking the van was an easy thing. The girl who take care of me was the same, one more time. She knows me quite well by now… it was the 3rd time after all.

He didn’t take long before the van was full with backpack and people. To my own pleasure, Rachel was the first one to take the copilot seat. In this trip, we were two with no plan for after the festival. Two who were thinking we might want to travel a little bit together after that. It was the perfect opportunity to get to know each other.

Rachel helped me to discover something about me I didn’t know, and definitely didn’t expect. I lived in Quebec for 10 years. During those 10 years, I’ve kept saying “Canada, I don’t know what it is. I’ve always been in contact with Quebec”. When I traveled to British Colombia (where Rachel come from), I realized that those people at the far hand of the country where not so much different than “us” in Quebec. A few months later, when I was driving across Canada, I realized that if British Colombia and Quebec where quite the same, all those between were definitely different. Strange feeling… that I discovered again with Rachel. As I did, she was trying to avoid tension, and make everybody happy. I felt that we were following the same stereotype. We were both… canadian. I was not french anymore. Neither was I quebecer. I discovered a citizenship I didn’t know I had. Rachel and Cassie both told me a couple of time that they never met any french like me. Maybe because from my french side, I just keep the passport. And some roots, really deep, and really localized.

He didn’t take me a long time to understand that there will be two different way of life in the van. The cabin, quiet and relaxing, and the van, in the back, more lively and on a party mood. In my previous relocation, I was alone with Iris, who didn’t really like to be in the back on the van when moving. As we were only two, it was quite easy to stop when one of us need something. With 6 people, it was definitely an idea to forget. Quickly, all passenger started to leave there seat, moving around. Moving, grabbing something to eat, watching from an other window, enjoying the back seat (transform to a bed for the first night, and until the end of the trip).

I liked this feeling. I liked to have those two difference feeling. Having people happy and partying in the back, and talking and relaxing in the front. When copilot started to change, I wondered if being in a front was a punishment (obliged to spend some time with the driver who doesn’t speak so much) or a reward (enjoy the landscape, relax, take it easy…). Links have been created quickly. And strongly. No one was has been forget in the process. The small family was doing well.

My role, I already knew it, was obvious. Anyone who know me knows that I always end up in this “position”. I was the father, the organizer, the driver. The one who has to think about everything, check that everything is okay, and that the van keep moving. All that was stressing me, a little. I know how slow a 6 persons group could be. I know how difficult it can be to move a group, even as small as this one. I was expecting to spend most of my energy doing that. I didn’t plan that I was going to be helped in my task. Cassie mothered all of us, checking that everyone was feeling okay. Rachel was definitely the older sister, who supervise everyone in the family, because parents are to busy. She took care of me, providing me with sandwich/water/music each time I had a special little query. Perfect copilot, available pour short little chat sometime, and sometime quiet, reading her book or writing. Ben was the teenager in crisis. Passionate by energy, electricity, battery and solar panel, he was giving as much information as anyone want to listen to. And disappear from time to time when someone disagreed with him. Josh, as a preteen, tried to take is room to. To show that he existed, and can tell interesting things to. Indri was the youngest one, quiet, trying (and managing!) to take her place in this crazy family.

Don’t think I’m saying what I didn’t say. I had great time with everyone. I would not have swap anyone for someone else. The result was not perfect, but was really inspiring. But there was still a question remaining. What was going to happen in Alice Springs? When a group form, a dynamic starts. And usually stop at the end. Everyone was it’s own plan at the end of the adventure. I had to find an other couchsurfer, Cassie was going to a friend. So was Ben. Josh had already booked a hostel. Rachel was a little bit lost, thinking that we were going to have the van for the festival. And Indri had no idea what she was going to do next. We could have stop at Alice Springs, everyone going on his own after that. That’s what I was feeling. When Cassie said that we could have a debrief dinner, I was sure. Once everyone settled down, I was not sure if it was a good idea to see us again so soon. I was thinking that everyone might need to breath alone for a little while…

It’s not really easy to sum up 5 days of interaction between 6 people without writing pages. It’s not really easy to describe the trip either. But it’s coming… soon.

I met this girl a little while ago, in an other neighborhood. She was dancing with birds. I met her again tonight. Not far from where I’m staying. I usually turn just before the corner, in order to take a shortcut. I have no idea how long she has been here, as I have been taking this shortcut for the last four weeks. It probably saves me 12 seconds of walking. Those who knows me know that I like routines. For the pleasure of breaking them. Today, I decided not to turn right. I decided to continue. And because of that, I saw her again. “Be Free”. How can I disagree with that !

Richmond results are now official. The dream will have to stop here. Another one. As usual, I suppose it’s for the best… I’ll see… the good news for all the readers is that this blog will stay bilingual. I like it this way.

So… what’s next?

Plan B is already on the rail. Next saturday, I’m leaving Melbourne. I booked a relocation van a little while ago, heading to Alice Springs. 5 days to drive 2,200 kms. But I won’t be alone. The campervan is a huge one, with room for 6 persons. And it is full. Cassie, Josh, Indri and Rachel, 4 couchsurfers, and Ben, the guy I met a few days ago at the prom. 5 days with 5 almost complete strangers. This is going to be a really interesting experience.

Desert has been calling me for a little while now. After the first time I drove through an amazing never ending emptiness in New Mexico, I discover that desert could be such an awesome place… so quiet… just perfect, sometime, to be alone. To much dreams had fall apart on the last few months. Keeping quiet for a little while, just relaxing, just by myself sounds the thing to do at the moment. Putting my ideas back together.

I might not be that much alone… I have a friend, Mara, in Alice Springs. We first met in Melbourne, for christmas. It will be nice to see her again. And there’s also Fan Fan. I met her in Hobart. She’s somewhere on the north west coast. Could be nice to visit friends… there’s also one or two other possibilities… who knows?

And there’s also the Wide Open Space festival. Starting on the 4th of may.

Desert is coming…

Back in Montreal, when I was organizing guided tours, I discovered that walking in a city was a great way for people to get to know each other. When you are in a bar, sharing beers, or in a restaurant, sharing food, or even in a show, listening to music, you’ll stay almost always at the same place. with the same people on your side. You might be in an event with 15 persons, but you’ll probably end up talking to only 4 or 5 of them. Because the other are just to far, and because it’s hard to talk to someone who is behind someone else. But when walking in a city, the shape of the group is always morphing. A red light, and everybody is back together. You can walk at your own speed, and have a one to one conversation for a little while. And then, start talking with someone else.

I love watching people interacting with each other. I love to see how a group react. How everything goes. Others passion me, and I was really exited to organize my first event in Melbourne. The idea was to walk randomly in a neighborhood, in order to discover it, and to take picture. One more time, the choice was quite obvious. I like Richmond. 16 peoples subscribe to the event. 10 come. That’s the way it works with couchsurfing.

And everything was just nice. I had a couple of really nice chat, and definitely meet interesting people. I was also happy to answer to a couple of questions. There will be a second one next week. This time, it will be about light painting and fire photography. Lots of fun coming on !

“Confest is a life changing event”. I heard that a few time already. Well.. I heard a lot of things about Confest, and I was really interest to participate in one of the “hippiest festival in Australia”. I’m not really a hippie myself, but there usually a lot of interesting thing to discover and to learn in these kind of festival. Meeting new people, sharing new way of life, new philosophy, new idea, all that are definitely part of the reasons I love traveling. My first and only experience for those kind of event was Burning Man. It definitely changed my life. In a way I won’t even try to describe.

Confest happen twice a year. For Easter long week end and for New Year Eve. In the middle of nowhere (which can be almost everywhere when traveling in Australia). I went there with a lot of expectation. And came back with some sadness and disappointment.

Sadness? Why? Hard to explain… I found in Burning Man a temple for creativity, originality and imagination. A place where idea were blooming. At Confest, most of the workshop were about the same themes. Open your heart, be in harmony with yourself, yoga, healthy food… I have no problem with all that. I like hippies, I like there way of life. But I find sad that they always want to be in the same box. As if there was only one alternative life style. As if there was only one way to be in peace and in harmony with yourself. Do half an hour a day of yoga, eat balanced food, forget meet, meditate, connect with your inside you. I find all that so complicate! Can’t we be in peace without doing all that? Am I so much unbalanced? I was feeling the total opposite…

I like smiling to stranger. I like being happy with me, et I do find really sad to see that other person need someone to tell them “smile to other, be happy, love your fellows”. Maybe because it seems so natural for me… I don’t need someone to repeat for one hour that I’m awesome. I already know that. Presumptuous? Maybe a little…

It reminds me an experience I had, not so long ago. Someone who told me “you should says nice thing to people, they will stop to talk to you, and then it will be easier for you to sell your produce”. I feel exactly the same way… “You are at Confest, you have to love everybody, and you have to tell them”. No. I’m sorry. I won’t. And want to tell others how I feel when I want to. Not because I’m at Confest. For the same reason, telling a compliment to someone suddenly lose all its natural aspect. “He’s so good. He likes me. He’s so much into Confest spirit”. Non. I’m not into Confest spirit. I’m me. And only me. But it seems that you don’t want to see that. You just want to see me in a box.

All those cliches annoyed me a lot. Because altogether, their were way to much. I finally understand what annoyed me the most on sunday evening. There was those two young girls, doing light poise. They were not specially good, but they were having so much fun and pleasure! It was simple, fun, funny. And it made me realize that it was the first time I was seeing people playful. Having fun. Until now, I had just seen people being so serious trying to be perfect hippies! They had to be in contact with there inner themselves, they had to smile to everyone, they had to cuddle with stranger… so much complicate constraints, when I was just looking for simple exchange… I was just looking for fun… to enjoy my self a simple way… all that was way to serious for me. As if everybody has its own todo list to experience a perfect Confest. Everybody in the same box…

Don’t make me say what I did not say. I liked my Confest, and I took it as an opportunity to do a couple of experience. I went to a spontaneous quire (which was at a specific time, strange concept) who showed me how a crowd can be a great musical instrument. I participate to a “corridor of love”. I don’t remember the exact name… people form two raws, making a tunnel, that other people cross, closing there eyes. While you’re walking, strangers keep telling you that they love you. Really interesting and strange experience, as so many voice seems to be so true… perfect tons, beautiful voice… we just want to open our eyes, to stop, and meet this stranger. Until we realize that all that is only artificial. For be, it’s just a way to banalize love, to remove all its meaning, “I love you” becoming just a few word that anyone can tell to anyone else. I don’t want a stranger to love me. I want a stranger to be interest by me, to want to learn and exchange with me. To want to know who I am… I won’t say anything about parents who bring there child to those kind of experiences… I just saw kids who were looking bad, unhappy and oppressed…

I think one of my mane disappointment came from the complete lack of didgeridoo. The only one I heard during the 4 days of Confest… was mine. No, in Australia like everywhere else, hippies play djembe. I don’t have anything about the drum. After all, I love playing djembe to. But I was feeling that, in Australia, in the middle of people who want to be in touch with earth, with there roots, there was nothing more natural than a didgeridoo… ironically, while I was doing my best to have my didge heard in a drum circle, someone come to tell me “sorry, we would like to have to other drums where you’re sitting”. I almost told him that I was playing music to, explaining him that the instrument I was playing was a better one than an african drums to be played here… I didn’t see any reason to say that, and preferred to leave, disillusioned. Drumer were taking themselves to seriously too.

Conclusion came to me on the last day, while I was attending a workshop just before leaving. “Fairy tales and how to use them to heal personal wounds”. The workshop, really interesting by the way, finished with a visualization exercise, in order to see our inner monster, and talk to him. It works pretty well. Definitely better than I was expecting. I was really surprise to discover that my inner monster was an picture from my childhood, picture that I had forgotten a long time ago. But its message was quite simple “I left quite a while ago, you’re in peace with yourself”.

Maybe all the problem lays in this only sentence. I’m in peace and in harmony with myself. I found a balance that needs no yoga, no meditation, no forcing smiles. My smiles are natural, because I’m naturally in peace. I’m free. I’m traveling following the wind, the opportunity, going at my own pace. I’m a hippie with no material bounds, who likes others. My inner smile is auto fueled. I’m me. I’m happy. And I love sharing my happiness.

The very first time I heard Yann Tiersen, it was when I was staying with friends, in Paris. I was discovering the city as a tourist for the first time. A few years later, Amelie Poulin was in every theater, and everybody was in love with its music by Yann Tiersen. A few years later, again, I was listening, fascinated and touched, my friend Danielle playing “Comptine d’un autre été” on her piano, in her Portland’ shed. And finally, I was lucky enough to see him live, at “Festival de l’îlophone on Ouessant Island” last automn. His style has changed, evolved a lot, becoming more and more electronic. I loved it. So two days ago, while I was visiting Drew and Tammy, when I heard that Drew was not able anymore to go to the show Yann Tiersen was giving tonight in Melbourne Recital Center, I was more than happy to take its ticket. That’s one of the reason I love traveling. Because souvenirs mix with other souvenirs, bringing me from one place to another around the world. Remembering and living again… While Yann Tiersen was playing, I was at the same time in a music temple and in an old village hall, on a lost island, somewhere in Brittany.

Music temple? Really?

Not only the place just look gorgeous, with this very neat wood finish, but the sound quality is just awesome. A few time, I was just totally and completely immersed into the music. Surprising myself once, trying to “see” the sound around me.

Yann Tiersen’s music has evolved, with more synthetic sounds than before. But I have to confess that I like it even more!

And I even decide to be a real fan!

For the first 30 years of my life, I’ve been staying in the north hemisphere. Traveling a lot, but always on the same side of the world. And then, I’ve decided to try being upside down. Everybody knows that downunder, the water turns anti clockwise when you’re emptying your sink. So many people says that, that I haven’t even watch the water leaving my sink yet… I take that for true, I suppose. Or maybe I’m not passionate by sink holes.

I’ve kept saying that the hardest things when traveling/moving to a foreign country are not the big cultural clash. No, the hardest things are all those little details you’re so much use to. I was quite surprisee in Sydney, when I saw that apartment owners were advertising places with windows facing north, which was, for me, a nonsense. Until I realize that yes, in the south hemisphere, the sun still goes from west to east, but heading north instead of south. I knew that when a few weeks later I made my first time lapse of a sunset. I was watching it, feeling that something was wrong. One more time, it took me a while before I understand what was going on. I mean… when you watch a sunset, you’re expecting the sun to move slowly to its right. I checked the video again. The sun was obviously moving to the left. There was no mirror, no reflexion. I didn’t flip my video. That’s the way the sun goes here. Well… it makes sense. If you want to go from west to east via north, you have to go left. I suppose my brain might understand that one day…

Same for the seasons. When it’s winter in the north, it’s summer in the south. I didn’t have a winter this year. Interesting experience. But then, last night, it was the night when we change time by one hour. I knew the date since a few weeks now. I noticed that there was not 10 hours time difference between France and Australia anymore, but only 9 remaining. I lived the same experience when I was in Montreal. For a few weeks, there was one more/less hour difference. Knowing that we were changing time last night, I was expecting that everything was going back to normal. I wake up at 9:30 this morning. So it was 10:30. But when I opened my computer, it told me it was 8:30. My computer having a bug? Making a mistake? I checked quickly online. No, my computer was right. The hour change didn’t go the way I was expecting it. Something was wrong. I checked the time in France. Only 8 hours difference remaining. The south hemisphere didn’t move. Neither did the north one. But now, they suddenly seems to be two hours closer.

Where have those two hours gone? Did they just disappear? That sounds really strange, I know. And then, I though about this  imaginary line, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. A line where you don’t lose one hour, but a whole day. If you fly from Melbourne to Vancouver, you’re going to live your day twice. If you fly the opposite way, you lose a day.

2012 is supposed to be a 366 days. Could be nice to fly to Vancouver in a few weeks, to try to understand where that extra day come from. And then having a 367 days in 2012!