Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Back in Akwaaba House.

The conference is over, and we've made the drive back to our Toronto halfway home: Akwaaba House, 12 Treford Place, a bit south of College.

Yesterday was floor polish and elbow grease. We took this place apart and put it back together piece by piece. What was two days ago a highly lived house where you might hang your hat for a time now feels a bit more like home. The process from 'house' to 'home' was captured brilliantly via the time lapse feature of Nick Jimenez's digital camera. Watching five hours of hard work played out over fifteen minutes of sped up footage might seem belittling, but it was a bit of a rush seeing how things all came together.

At the same time, I think we all came together.

Life at home in Akwaaba House is like bunking with your friends every day at summer camp. We are all fast becoming friends and having a good laugh together as we learn each others' idiosyncrasies. As always, everyone washes the dishes differently: some wash a lot, then rinse, some rinse as they go, some pre-rinse, other over-sud. Nick had never seen milk in a bag before (I was only spared this shock by living in Michigan for two early childhood years) and poured the milk into the jug instead of adding the bag and snipping the corner. Everyone peels oranges differently.

I've never lived with so many other people who love what they do, love the work they've chosen, read so much, work so hard, and are generally such a cheery, immediately likable lot.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I've never lived with so many other people who love what they do, love the work they've chosen, read so much, work so hard, and are generally such a cheery, immediately likable lot."

Forgetting about Joes already Graham?

Defunked said...

Ha ha, shit souray, that's funny.
...
Or were you being serious?

I like the use of the word "undulating", Graham. Please undulate more frequently in your next post.

You're missing the best book club ever - Goethe's Faust. Hope your new friends are as smart as us.

Rebecca said...

Hey Graham! good to hear things are going well!

i thought i'd let you know that i won't be coming to stay at the EWB on friday night like i had planned. i'm still coming to TO to write the MCAT though, so hopefully i'll have time to drop by the house and meet everyone!

ps. U of A won chapter of the year!!!! woot!!! (i know you were at the conference, but i thought i'd give us a woot anyways, lol)

take care
-Rebecca

Anonymous said...

Hey Graham, living the dream hey?

How's your idealogical stance coming along nowadays? Sounds like things are pretty good for you so far.

Do you know where I can find the "House to Home" video of Nick Jimenez's?

btw, this is Mark (make poverty history) but I'm too lazy to sign up for yet ANOTHER account to something.

Anonymous said...

I didn't realize that you had to spend time in Toronto! I know that "without borders" means openness to living in all kinds of challenging environments ... but TORONTO??

Kiddo, I really have to pray harder for you.

TORONTO!!! Gehenna of the North.

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