Banana Goes Visiting

A few months ago we spent a weekend at grandmas and we had some fun with filming in her backyard. Sasha wanted to create something starring her fave monkey Banana, so we gathered footage of him making his way here, there and everywhere.

Once I finally got around to editing the randomness into a bit of a story sequence, we created a quick script and recorded the voice over. A little more tweaking and here we go:

Banana Goes Visiting. A Sashaland Production! :)



The process was a little bit backwards trying to piece things together, but we learned a lot trying to work together on this quick and easy piece to practise with.

Now she is busy writing scripts for plays and movies she can make with her friends. I shared with her that one lesson I've learned while trying to develop skills to create a documentary, is that editing is much easier if you know what you're filming first! lol

Song for a Cloudy Day

While we walk to school, or anywhere actually, Sasha often makes up songs as we go. She is really good at off the cuff rhymes and melodies. However, we never remember them.

"Sunshine Song" is one easy little ditty she wrote when she was about 4 years old that stuck, and we sing that often. I should post that one one day...but here are the lyrics:
Sunshine sunshine
Shine in the morning
Sunshine sunshine
Shine at lunch time
Sunshine sunshine
Shine in the afternoon
Sunshine sunshine
Now you set

The other day it was a particularly cloudy morning, so naturally the song she started making up was a cloudy day song.

This time there was one line in particular that totally embedded itself in my head. As I walked to work after dropping her off the tune repeated in my mind over and over. Then a follow up line came to mind. I shared the 2 line combo with her when I picked her up and we determined we had a nice chorus for a song!

We have many musical friends in our life and I thought it might be fun to invite them to help her finish a song. I asked her if she would like to try a collaborative music project with some fellow creative folks who can add a line and continue building on the tune she started. She thought that was a great idea!

So, here's what we've got so far with our "Song for a Cloudy Day":



Sasha's line that started it all is:
Yes, there are grey clouds over the city
and it's about to rain

My addition was:
but when you live in a rainforest
why bother to complain

We welcome all of you to add a line, create a verse, show us how to play this tune on the guitar (for me) or piano (for her), funk it up, rock it up...play with it however you feel inspired to and then share your contribution with us! :)

Then I'm going to compile all the bits we receive from folks to edit the final "Song for a Cloudy Day" video with Sasha for her to share. I will work with her through the editing process so she can learn from it, and also share her own amazing and imaginative ideas.

Sasha says she will share updates on what she learns on her blog, and if you want to play along with us on this collaborative musical adventure, here's the link:
welcometosashasworld.blogspot.ca

(July 25 - noticed that Mark has added a new verse on Sasha's blog. Now it's your turn!)

why smile :)

The day I took this pic was a beautiful sunshiney day and I was strolling along the seawall, feeling a whole lot of happiness. Finding this little golden nugget only made my smile even bigger. :D

Later on that same day I had an interaction with a homeless person looking for spare change near the skytrain. I said hello as she passed me by, even though I didn't have any money to share that day. She turned and I looked at her and smiled, though I felt that pang of guilt to not be able to offer her something. 

Her response was to grab my hands in gratitude. She thanked me for not only looking at her, but also for smiling at her. "I'm lucky if people acknowledge me. No one ever smiles at me anymore. Thank you! You have made my day!"

There have been many times when I have luckily smiled at the right person at just that moment they needed it. The power of a smile or small act of kindness is amazing. It is the only power I know I have that is easily shared. So I share it. I smile and acknowledge everyone I make eye contact with, because for me that is the gift of being human. We are all here together. And yes, every smile can make a difference for you and those you smile at.

Don't wait for people to smile at you first - create your own ripple that starts a wave of happy! All energy is contagious, so are you spreading grumpy vibes or positive ones?

My life is full of reasons to smile, something I am grateful for every day. Family, friends, community and a good home with good food to nourish us. 

I'm also lucky to work at a community centre I love, so it's easy to smile when I'm there too. The best places to work have always been the places where the team of people around you are good at lifting each other up by lending a hand and supporting each other. No matter what the job, when approached with a positive attitude it will always be more enjoyable. Cheesy but true. ;)
 
When I was a server at the Keg I had an awesome co-worker who would sing the Smile Song when we got in the weeds which always helped me laugh and get over the stress. (and the song still brings back memories of her adorable smiling face!)  
Happily, Sasha has become a fan of singing this song too! Enjoy, and be sure to spread a little happy with your own gorgeous smile today.  :)

"A smile costs nothing but gives much.  It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give.  It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.  None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it.  Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.  Some people are too tired to give you a smile.  Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give."  ~Anon

A Super Sasha Story

A fun collaborative creation on a lazy Sunday morning.

Sasha says "let's make a book together!" She tells the tale. I write it out for her. She draws the pictures. She narrates while I film. I edit and post for your viewing pleasure.

Hope you enjoy "Super Sasha and the Power to Help"   : )

zombie talk

Over the long weekend we were lucky to have Keyan staying with us (while his parents enjoyed a weekend get-a-way they won in the folk fest raffle - remember you can't win if you don't play, hehe) and I particularly enjoyed a nice lazy Monday morning hanging out with him and Sasha.

While a birthday card is made (and I play with the camera), Sasha and Keyan talk about flowers, fairies, zombies, werewolves and ghosts. Then I had a little fun playing with the footage. The result: this cute moment in time you may enjoy : )

Tales of a Green City Racer

Tucked behind the the Great Northern Way campus, and the BCIT Green Roof Research Facility, you will find a new Evergreen project - an urban orchard!

 And here is where we began one of the most enjoyable and challenging family adventures ever!!

 I enlisted Mark and Sasha to join me on a team to compete in the inaugural Green City Race organized by Evergreen, which is one of my ultimate favourite environmental organizations that focuses on bringing all kinds of awesome greenery to cities and schools around Canada.

The little orchard just happened to have a small stage, so while we waited for the race to begin after registering, Sasha chose to pump us full of positive green energy with a spontaneous green song.




As the "Whittam Greens" our family joined 55 other racers (in teams of 2-3 people) on an Amazing Race style journey around Vancouver by foot and transit.

One of the organizers took to the stage next and shared a summary of the rules: After we complete the first challenge we will be given a bag full of clues, and other useful things we may need during the race - like a day pass for transit! Once you reach the destination of your first clue you will be able to answer the follow up question on the clue sheet. The answer to the question will some how reveal the number for your next clue. Keep going til you answer all your clues and make it to the finish line.

In between random clues there will be a couple of challenges for your team to complete before you can be given your next clue number.

There was a Hint Line we could call if we found ourselves stuck, but it costs you a few points. And we were not finished all of our clues by 2:30, we were to call this number for help to find our way to the finish line before time ran out.

Smart phones had been recommended because some clues would require internet access to solve, and the other option was to have someone you can call to help look things up for you. Our phones are pretty basic, so we went with option B and enlisted a few 'phone-a-friend' back up helpers for our team. (a couple of my Britannia co-workers and Marks library staff network)

With the race basics covered we were introduced to our very first challenge - plant an apple tree! As a team we had to dig a hole, plant the tree and make sure it was done right so when the volunteer checks your work the tree doesn't come out.
Done. Gravenstein now added to our list of apples to try. :)

Once we collected our bag of tricks we were on our way!

Another way of earning bonus points during the race was to capture a team member within a photo from a list of ideas they provided. The list included things like 'holding a reusable mug/drink container'. Have you ever seen this done with such pizazz?

Sasha earned us some extra funky points for poses like this one. ;)

We also captured 'using a cloth bag' and 'examples of recycling and garbage containers'. Yes, I actually had a reason to take pictures of these things this time! (unlike all the pics I've acquired over the years just because waste management and its various containers is a fascination of mine)

Our first clue was related to the number of goals in the Greenest City 2020 Action plan for Vancouver which I have read a bunch of times. If I had trusted my gut we could have saved a half hour of time getting to the destination pretty quick. However, once I second guessed myself we called for help and hearing conflicting info we took the Canada Line up to King Edward instead.

Another back up call ended up confirming my original instinct to the answer, and then we walked up Cambie back to where we should have been while enjoying the beautiful day and taking pics for bonus points as we strolled.

We found a coffee shop where we could get a pic of Sasha holding some 'fair trade coffee beans'  (sorry Kirsten! we didn't find any Cafe Etico while we raced around!)

More funky funk poses from Sasha with another garbage bin (I love these Big Belly solar compactors!), with an electric car power up station, and the food garden outside City Hall.

 

With this herb garden from the Green Streets program finally found, our next clue informed us we were up for a challenge on the lawn of City Hall. I wish I had a picture to show you from the water race we completed together as it was a lot of fun! Sasha and I first used our 4 hands to carry the bucket of water to the half way point of the field marked by flags to show the distances we had to travel. Once to the first flag I hopped on one foot with the bucket to the 2nd flag. Mark then ran around a tree with the bucket before all 3 of us ran back to the starting point.

(Update: my wish was granted by Evergreen who sent me pics of our family racing! yay! So here is your action shot!) 

Surprisingly, we barely lost any water and also earned a few points for funk and team spirit. Then they stamped our point collection sheet and gave us our next clue number. Our next clue took us to the Baxter House, a heritage house built in 1913 as the home for Truman S Baxter who was the mayor of Vancouver at that time.

This was when we ended up calling the hint line for help as we were having a difficult time finding the "sign of inspiration in the laneway" next to the heritage house that our clue eluded to. It didn't help that there was a garage sale going on before this door, as well as a construction fence. If we had walked further down the lane we eventually would have found this sign which says "Be the change you want to see in the world".(We did find it after we were told it was on a door a few garages in...oh. there it is!)

After a snack, some hydration and a few deep breaths to re-energize and get back into race mode we were on to solve the next clue which I figured would be found at the Neighbourhood Energy Utility serving Southeast False Creek down at the base of the Cambie Bridge.

As we made our way north it was awesome to stumble across a random flash mob practise by the latest artist installation by the Canada Line at Broadway.

The clue to find the energy station would have been tricky if I wasn't one of those people that actually explores the city web site in my spare time. (the site honestly has lots of interesting things to discover!) Especially around the time of the Olympics I was following development around Southeast False Creek (aka Olympic Village) so the energy plant was another thing I already investigated, and even visited on one of my walks along the sea wall. The little garden wasn't there when I check it out last time, and was a nice addition to the area.

 

Nearby we got this pic of Sasha pointing at an example of 'illegal dumping' off in the distance.

Here are 2 more of my fave bonus point photos we collected on our travels to the site of our next clue: 'gesture of thanks to a transit worker' and the 'random act of green kindness' we stumbled upon. Glad we were able to sign the petition from Youth for Climate Justice Now to stop the expansion of oil development on the coast, which is something we support completely.

Our next destination was the MOBY garden which I have been a fan of for years. Passing this garden once during a wave of negative emotion at the end of the civic strike (that had both Mark and I on the picket line for 3 months) re-inspired my hope that things can get better...even when it doesn't always feel like it. Genuine positive change is a generational struggle that will continue til we get it right, or we don't. Garden projects like MOBY are proof anything is possible when community organizes together, and provides plenty of reason for hope. And it has a cob building! C'mon. What's not to love about this place?

After the garden the next clue was to find out what kind of fruit Bandidas Taqueria has stopped serving because of its unsustainable food miles. I've yet to sample the food at this restaurant but have had it on my list of places to try for a long while as it is one of those places that emphasizes  local, organic, fair trade and every other ethical consideration we value when it comes to our food. And they support community groups and artists to boot. If you are curious about which fruit got the chop off their menu it is pineapple.

From there we were unable to decipher the next clue to find the spot for our last challenge of the race. Part of the clue we figured out was Germany with the help of two phone back ups (the question was to do with which country had the highest rate of solar energy per capita at 43%). But not even our super skilled librarian or community info staff contacts were able to figure out where in Vancouver we could find a plaza with connections to Germany and  'foursquare' based on the wording of the clue.

Thankfully for our intellectual egos, we found out at the end of the race that we were not the only ones who struggled with that one! Google really does work differently for everyone after all.

As it turns out there is a lovely garden by 29th Ave station called the German-Canadian Heritage Garden. One day we'll go check that out now that I know it exists. :)

So there was one clue and one challenge we didn't get done, but Mark quickly determined the solution to the final clue in our bag was the Woodwards building.

Back on the Skytrain and away we go to the finish line!

...and a final couple of bonus photos before we check in. "find a public water fountain' and 'leave a thank you note on the handlebar of a bicycle'. check and check. (Our note said "Thank you for riding your bicycle! Cheers to a greener world :D")

The Whittams Greens were not the first team in, but we also weren't the last!! Haza! Prizes were given for the team that brought the most funk to the race - undeniably the Loraxettes (we speak for the trees!)  and for the top 2 teams which scored insanely high points overall and mastered the race in every way.  I loved that the trophies were repurposed trinkets from thrift stores, while the prize gifts were things like eco spa packages. Quality where it matters ;)

After 3 1/2 hours as Green City Racers we were exhilerated and exhausted. The journey was intense yet totally wonder-full!! Our goal when we began was to simply enjoy the challenge, see how many clues we could solve before time was up, explore and learn some cool things about green initiatives in our great city. This mission was completed with gusto! We got to play in a friendly competition with passionate keen-to-be-green folks, put our critical thinking skills to work, visit some of the spots we already love, find many new things we didn't know about, got a dose of history and a dose of a visionary green future...and plenty of sunshine and exercise!

We learned more about how we work together as a team and are more aware of our strengths and weaknesses. (you'd think after all our years together that we would have figured out how to avoid getting cranky with each other under pressure...but we sure have gotten better at getting over it quickly, lol) Next year we will have a smart phone with us for sure, as I found there were a few things I could have easily found with internet at my fingertips. We are full of gratitude for all the help we did get by phone as it was nice of people to share their time to help the Whittam Greens make it to the next level of the race. (Sandy and Kia, you rock ladies!) It broadened our team and added to the overall race experience.

At the end of it all, the best part for Sasha was that they awarded her a small trophy for being the youngest racer (the only child actually) to complete the Green City Race! She was totally overjoyed! While waiting for the bus home she says "mommy please take a picture of me loving my trophy". ummm, ok.

 

We are totally looking forward to racing around town again next year in the 2nd Annual Green City Race, and hope you will join us for the fun. Gotta warn you though...the Whittam Greens will be upping the funk factor, and if we have our own smart phone (like everyone else)  we know we've actually got what it takes to win it next time! Win or not, it has proven to be a fabulous family fun adventure indeed! :D

Many thanks to all the great staff and volunteers at Evergreen for their hard work pulling off a terrific event! Cheers to all of you from the