Sasha:
From today we will be on the road for over two months so we take our time for packing and loading the van. Ehm, did I say van? I call it Dodge space ship. An automatic strong engine american looking van with only two seats. Yes we are 6. The plan is to sit on the ground or lay on the bed. Knocking on the wood three times and on the dash board three times at least once a day!
After picking up our friend Eliana in Durham (next town) and fixing some cosmetic bugs we are ready to leave. Our tour crew is me from Czech Republic, B from USA, Ramona from Slovenia, Z from Brazil, Eliana from Argentina who won’t be with us all the way and Ketsi from Sweden. For the trip we got some “nice” present from our friend, funny but might be useful. You never know! Thank you anyway.
Starting big – Richmond, Virginia. Richmond is the former capital of Confederation. A place where people fighting for their right to use the Southern flag and the statues of Generals of Confederacy are still all over the downtown being protected by armed militias against people who would like to get rid of them by any means. In Richmond was the biggest slave trade place and when import of people became forbidden Richmond started to be a place where white businessmen bred people in captive to export them further south to states like Mississippi and Alabama etc.
The event took a place in Rags & Bones – a DIY bike place. Nearly 40 people came and among them first Maoist trying to kidnap the discussion and talk about differences between communist, socialist and anarchist theory and practice. That is for sure not the topic what most of the people want to talk or hear about.
I want to say big thank you to organizing crew for their hospitality, food, cool hang out till late and nice sleeping. It was great to meet you guys.
Ketsi:
Though there came some other questions that was pretty interesting. Some where also expressing the contradiction they felt in our lives when it comes to lifestyle habits contra values and principles we desire to pursue,. For example being against mining but still using cellphones and other technology that consists of extracted materials. This topic can become long, my take on it is that it is definitely important to be aware of these connections but not to fall into thinking that the problems will be solved if we (some of us) just stop using phones. This goes for veganism as a consumer-solution as well. I am totally supporting every step away from ‘modern’ capitalist material society but I think engaging directly is crucial for changing these processes of oppression rather than sitting passively somewhere and just not having a phone or not talking milk in that coffee.
After the group discussion we broke up into more informal talks, which was also very giving. We where fed by a friend of the lovely group of people that had invited and welcomed us. The person itself wasn’t present (was working in a restaurant that night). Thanks a lot for that delicious stew!
I was really inspired by the DIY bike workshop and can’t help to miss my bike who is on the other side of the Atlantic ocean…
