I covered the BYOB West Kowloon Promenade Festival event for Holistic Asia. It was a privilege to participate in the 54 Sun Salutation challenge, and be apart of the event. The organization reminded me of some of the grassroots interest groups at Florida State, invoking creative ways to manipulate recyclables into functional works of art, and still celebrating how much fun it can be. They invited all kinds of exhibitions; music, art, architecture, yoga, and dance.
Here's a small blurb from my article for the event.
Located at the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade, beginning on December 4, 2009, the park’s open spaces has allowed impressive exhibitions, ranging from a 30m equilateral Pavilion made of paper tubes, to an entire wall structure resurrected with toilet industrials, and a boat made out of plastic pipes. The organizations’ efforts tackle social questions about cultural identity, particularly addressing what the future has in store for art and architecture in Hong Kong. By inviting exhibitioners to reveal their own creative ways to make the city greener and more beautiful, BYOB’s efforts have showcased ways to manipulate recyclable materials and resources into both remarkable and functional works. Such innovative ideas provoke even deeper ethical questions; what are we doing to impact our city, what is happening to our wastes and recyclables, and how we can come together and find creative ways to redefine their uses. As simple as reusing plastic water bottles for plant potters or creating a wind chime out of aluminum cans, the possibilities are endless.
Find me a George!!
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I went out to dinner afterward with two Yogis from the Russia and the UK that also attended the BYOB challenge. The couple has been traveling all over the world for 18 months now, and are still going. With $5,000UK and one backpack, they told me they're just huffing it, getting to and from places by foot and train, aside from their flights they have to take across islands or continents. We discussed Mozambique, Somalia, Nigeria, Jordan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, each in quite wonderful detail as well as all the different types of Indian curry, where to find it authentically, and what to do when rushed by an African rhino.
Their spirit was incredibly infectious and inspiring. George was full of stories, never allowing for a dull moment of conversation. Where as Corsica, the Russian girl, was stoic. She sat quietly and let her partner do all the talking, but still stayed present in the conversation, which is more than I can say for most girlfriends along for the ride. Every so often she would interject, and advocate the 'simple but lavish life' of travels. She also mentioned how she didn't leave her family and friends behind, she just left the house and the car, the income, and so forth, explaining what immense leap of liberation it is.
So, I'm just not sure at what point in life I will find that similar peace and liberation within, but I know one day I'll have a Corsican revelation and decide that I too have had enough conversations, enough jobs, and enough money. One day, I will too just shutup, and leave.
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