Day by Day: February 2014

It feels like a time travel when you cross the waters from Buckley Bay on a 10 minute ferry ride. You pop out on the other shoreline and you're back in the late 60s or early 70s or even further back in time, whenever Astrid Lindgren's 'Bullerbue' was set. I can't really decide which one it is.

Just a pretty sight

That's a real pretty gate...

...and a pretty fence!

A juvenile Bald Eagle

A general description of Denman Island could be that it has beautiful spots with pristine nature and endless beaches (basically all the way around this little island) which is true but that is not really what it makes it so special. I mean, we're in 'Beautiful British Columbia' like our number plates on our cars state so we got lots of pretty spots, right?! It's the slowing of time and the feeling of community that makes it special. So, if you go to the General Store and you pick what you need and proceed to the cash register you most likely will stand in line. Not because there are so many people in the store at the same time but because there might be a customer who needs help with a Windows 8 problem or a discussion about a painting someone painted with the whisker of a mouse was started. However, it doesn't really matter since you will be involved and you're not really standing in line but having a nice chat with some people you just met.

The General Store

When we arrived at our guesthouse too early to check in according to our booking information, we had planned to have a coffee and warm up in the Bistro. To our surprise, the owner offered to show us around right away and informed us of all activities going on during the weekend. Odd however, for my German soul, was the lack of rules. Being German and especially being me means to look out for rules you have to follow, because you want to make sure not to break any. Now we were told 'Ah, we don't have a lot of rules'. How refreshing and...complicated! Living in Vancouver/North Vancouver means to have heaps of rules you have to follow or if you break them, you have to calculate the risk being caught. So, I let my dog off leash even though it is not allowed and take her to the beach to play in the water and I am accompanied by a little anxiousness. That's fine, I can live with that. It's calculated rule breaking. But no rules, how can that work? To be fair, this concept works way easier with 1000 people compared to 1 million people. However, what happens is responsibilities are given back to every single person which at the same time creates freedom and a feeling of community. So, no rule following but deciding what is the right thing to do or not to do. Not everyone necessarily must come to the same decision in a similar situation, but hey that's what we have tolerance for, right?! I mean, yes, my German soul was slightly stressed out, because it needs time to adjust to use such a system to its full potential. For this short weekend trip, I subconsciously kept trying to figure out the rules potentially lurking around the corner.

The Guesthouse of the Earth Club Factory

The Entrance

The Living Room

The View

The first evening, we were told that there was a Comedy Night at the Bistro of the Earth Club Factory, the guesthouse we stayed at. The stand up comedian was also one of the cooks/kitchen helps and he had grown up on the Island. And man, he didn't hold back at all! Even though, he probably didn't spare a single person in the room, except us two tourists, people loved him. There was great acceptance and support for his art and his passion to give this kind of performances. Real quick, I was wondering how he could insult people like that and at the same time have their support in that way. But the answer is pretty easy. He is part of this community and he identifies with it, so it is not a real insult, he just makes fun of himself. Josh, that's his name, is going to Winnipeg at the end of this month to take some classes, I think related to his comedy career. He is supposed to be there for three months and I asked him if is coming back to Denman and he just looked at me and said 'I live here'. Well, no further questions.

So, the evening went on and it was decided to do some impro theatre. I don't know, I tried it back when I was in highschool and it's not as easy as it sounds. In the first place, I was surprised that when Josh asked around who would participate some people actually raised their hands. When they started, I couldn't believe how good they were at it and more and more people joined in. They were so creative and funny I couldn't stop laughing.

The evening came to an end and people started leaving. The lady sitting next to me had prepared a little poem for Josh's going away about his everyday life and how they would miss him (seriously, he's going away for three months). Someone else had just grabbed a guitar and started playing it. So, instead of reading the poem, the lady decided to rap it instead and again I couldn't believe it; it was so good and funny! Matt and I went upstairs to our bedroom and we were just flashed.

Student protest, because their school was closed

I think, this it the most community life I've ever seen! In a way, probably most people are looking for some kind of community and some put more effort in and others (like me) less. In projects where people tried actively to form more community I noticed that it brings problems. Often those communities are formed with people who have the same believes (and I don't necessarily mean religious believes) and at least after a while the urge arises to protect this 'good' community against all the bad things happening 'outside'. In my opinion, that's the point where it goes wrong and I don't want to be part of it anymore and usually I'm not welcome in the first place. Now, on Denman diversity is embraced and welcomed because they believe that this is what brings a community to life. I am inclined to say 'YES'! We were there for three days and I heard people tell each other how happy they are to have them in their community and how important it is for the diversity. I've never lived anywhere where people told me that!

I don't want to glorify Denman Island because they do have their battles and it wouldn't be real life if they hadn't. Battling the school's principle because the school on the island was closed is just one of them. Alcoholism might be another one.

BUT, it is a lovely place on Earth and we definitely be back on another short trip, a longer stay, or maybe even to woof there for a bit and help some people out.