week one

Greetings from sunny, beautiful Berkeley. To answer the question: how are things in Berkeley? Things are wonderful, albeit a bit overwhelming. After a week of class shopping, I have decided to take (1) Neural Control of Movement (grad), (2) fMRI Methods (grad), and (3) Neuroanatomy (undergrad), and a couple Bioengineering Grad Seminar in Teaching and Ethics. I have begun working in The Cognition and Action Lab, directed by Rich Ivry in the Psychology Department, and by begun working, I mean I've been reading papers. I'm anticipating more direction concerning a specific project this week. Aside from reading research papers and my neuroanatomy text books, I've been swimming, sailing, biking, and attending a variety of social events.

Since my current blog evolved from my bike tour blog, I'll take this time to talk about the biking. Friday afternoon I went on my first cal cycling ride, the pigtails (all girls) ride. It was a nice, not quite leisurely ride, down to and along the bay trail to Richmond. Saturday morning I went on my second cal cycling ride to Grizzly Peak. The first part of the ride was a 8-9 mile climb up Tunnel Road into the hills at which point the group stopped at a park and split off for different rides. I took the "easy" route with my friend Jack, Lauren (who led the pigtails ride), and Arthur (a math prof), It was tough, and while I felt guilty about setting such a slow pace (from the back of the pack), everyone was really encouraging. Yesterday, after brunch at the Thai Buddhist Temple, I went on the lazy Sunday Berkeley ride to Richmond (a bit further than we went on Friday) with my friend Ted from Michigan and a bunch of sffixed.com kids.

Hope all is well in Michigan, New Jersey, or wherever you are.

Cheers!

rainy day

As a team, we've been talking a lot about personal committments to sustainability. Here are a few simple actions I plan to take upon returning to "real life:"

*Outfit my new place with second hand items
*Eat local and organic food as much as possible
*Only drink fairly traded coffee and only eat fairly traded chocolate
*Buy all recycled paper products

What sustainable actions are you committed to? Leave a comment!

We've started doing street/community impromptu performances. Wednesday we performed at the Comox Valley Farmer's Market, after which I danced my heart out to some awesome drumming. We're hoping to perform at the Goats on the Roof Market in Coombs (yes, there are goats on the roof) some time in the next couple days. Folks seems genuinely interested in and excited about what we're doing... it's inspiring!

On another note, lately I've been sporting Pearl Izumi tights with a sun dress quite frequently. It makes me feel like a badass.

On a non-Otesha related note, I've done a bit to make post tour plans. I'm taking a ferry from Victoria to Seattle on July 1. I'll spend a day in Seattle visiting with my friend Erica, thenk train down to Portland to visit friends there, and then it's off to the East Bay to find housing. Finally, I'll head back to New Jersey, where I'll be 'til I drive out to Michigan with my Dad on July 25. Hope to see folks in the midst of all that before I move out West on August 15.

Hope you're all getting the sunshine that we're missing. Cheers!

Photos

photo update here: http://picasaweb.google.com/beccastoloff/VancouverIsland/

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Paradise

Sunday Ashlee and I conquered the 7% grade that we had been so anxiously awaiting / dreading since we so gleefully flew down it just two weeks before. Later that day, after a glorious swim in Keta Lake, we went down the longer 8% grade that we had climbed two weeks earlier. This proves that climbing hills is 99% mental and 1% physical.

Our 240km journey that started Saturday morning brought the team to beautiful Quadra Island yesterday evening. Yesterday's 78km ride in the rain was a challenge, but invigorating too. Last night we all went out to the pub and today Leah and I went for a wonderfully long stroll to and along Rebecca's Spit.

Now, some thank yous are in order. Thank you to...

My sister Sarah for my gortex booties.
Greg for his brakes.
Til and Joby for insisting I invest in good brakes.
John for creatively affixing fenders to my bike.
Jimmy for all his help with my bike.
Alex for my pedals and encouraging me to ride clipless.
My mom and dad for all their support.
Betsy and Sarah for the fun phone convos.
The Sunshine Otesha Tour for being my companions and teachers on this extraordinary journey.
+ many more

Cheers!

North Island

Yesterday I saw a bear. Aside from that, the 42km ride from Port McNeill to Port Hardy was not terribly scenic, but provided enjoyable rolling hills nonetheless. We are now 3 days into our 10 day camping stint, with about half the time spent in rain. While the team was a bit grumpy yesterday morning working on the performance in the rain, spirits are up once again and the sun is shining.

A group was planning on making use of the day off and the guiding expertise of Charlotte to go kayaking today, but the wind is too strong. Currently, I am at a fair trade coffee shop that has a Book Nook downstairs and a Community Craft Shop upstairs. It's charming.

My Birthday was surrounded by Jadis' birthday on May 24 and John's birthday on May 26, and thus full of celebration. It was complete with a visit to Gus' Pub, cake, pie, and a birthday song written by Gillian especially for me to the tune of Tom Petty's "Free Falling." It went:

shes a good girl, loves to go swimming,
loves the ocean and her bicycle too.
shes a good girl, gonna be a scientist,
and a doctor, and a hot biker chick too.
now shes free, free riding...

after long days of riding to north campus,
on her fixed gear, mile after mile.
she decided to take a break from her research,
gonna ride with otesha for awhile.
now shes free, free riding...

Along with the tears the song brought to my eyes, the whole team had an emotional day.

We spent all day at a logging site, a fish hatchery, and in the forest on a tour lead by a couple managers from Western Forestry Products. As the team fired questions, I listened closely as simple jargon such as clear cuts and old growth, relatively new to my vocabulary, were thrown around.

Speaking of listening (and learning), I am going to finish this blog entry and join Jess, Ashlee, and Leah's conversation. Sending lots of love from the top of Vancouver Island. It's all down(hill) from here (haha). Cheers!

villages

Today we biked from the bustling metropolis Sayward (Population: 341) to the even more lively town Woss (Population: 70). We are staying next door to the one room school house (which I'll have you know is more than one room, but apparantly only has 14 students grades 1-7) in the teacherage. In Sayward, we enjoyed a 3 night stay at the Rec Center complete with showers and saunas. A day off and the amazing hospitality was just what we needed to have a really productive work day yesterday. Now, after a 80km ride and a lovely organic amber all at the Lucky Lager, the team is feeling energized and excited to spend tomorrow with the students.

on the island

Yesterday we took the ferry from Powell River (on the Sunshine Coast) to Little River (on Vancouver Island) and biked up to Campbell River. On the way up, a few of us stopped to swim in the ocean, which is actually the Georgia Strait. Being the water bug I am, it was certainly one of the highlights of the trip thus far. The water was beautiful and suprisingly warm.

Today was spent at a local high school performing, doing workshops, and chatting with students and a local reporter. I'm finding that talking about the purpose of our tour is a great way to clarify my own values. I'm continually being challenged not only by my teammates, but by students and other memebers of the communities we're visiting. It's fantastic.

Currently I'm downtown at the public library. I just went to the local art gallery and treated myself to a beet, carrott, apple, spinach, ginger juice. I'm hoping it will provide the energy I need for an evening full of performance workshoping.

Local Loco's

Last night a bunch of us (read: most of us) went to the blues jam at local loco's, a music and arts cafe (http://www.locallocos.com/home.html).

"Located just off the beaten path of Powell River’s busy downtown commercial district, Local Loco’s provides an escape from the ordinary where creativity and self-expression thrives. The cafe serves healthy, beautifully prepared dishes, as well as an assortment of healthy beverages including herbal teas, real fruit smoothies, and maté (a healthy alternative to coffee).The decor of the cafe is comprised of consigned artwork from the numerous artisans throughout the region. Additional ambience is provided by live music from Powell River’s many talented musicians as well as various acts touring up the coast.Local Loco’s works to promote self-sustainablity by growing vegetables and herbs organically for use in the menu and producing as little waste as possible by maintaining a strict recycling program.Become a part of Local Loco’s by sharing in the enjoyment of art, music, and healthy living!"

After a wonderful evening, Gillian and I enjoyed a lovely long walk home. Sometimes I find I get so caught in the efficiency of cycling that I forget how nice walking can be. We returned 'home' to the Rugby Club to find the room lit by bike lights and the team circled around fresh baked cookies having an intimate conversation.

Life is Good.

potential energy is not my friend

The tremendous downhills make the climbs worth it, but let me tell you, it's hard. That being said, I still have the energy to go use my afternoon off to go for a 50km leisure ride to Lund, another small town on the Sunshine Coast, with one of the high school students.

We've been on the road for just about a week now and done five performances and two workshops. The response we've gotten from the communities has been really positive, the group's in good spiritis, and the food's delicious.

Hope all is well in the States.

Lots of Love. Cheers!

photos

http://picasaweb.google.com/beccastoloff/

Our first few performances and bike days have been fantastic.
The weather is perfect for a biking 90 km this weekend.

I'm off to cook dinner with my super squad: the spicy spatulas.

Organic Beats

The Otesha Project is a youth run organization that uses theater to mobilize young people to create local and global change through there everyday choices.

My first week with the Otesha Project was spent on the University of British Columbia (UBC) Farm with the 20 members of the Sunshine Coast Tour (my tour) and the 20 members of the Rocky Mountains Tour. We spent the week doing team building exercises, learning the performance we will do at schools, working on the farm, and just generally building our community and having fun. It has really been an incredible week of learning about myself and others.

This trip is going to be so much more than the magnificent bike tour I envisioned. The skit we are performing illustrates how our everyday food, clothing, water, entertainment, etc. choices affect our world. As we go through practice, I am realizing how much I still have to learn. While my current environment is so supportive of a sustainable lifestyle, I am excited for the challenge to live more sustainably when I return to the States.

Staying on the UBC Farm has been a really neat experience. The last three days I weeded an orchard, planted seeds, and collected brush as work exchange for the privilege of being able to use the farm as a campsite. It was great to get our hands dirty and see how well we already work together as a team.

Tomorrow is a day off (for showers and errands), and then Tuesday we will do a performance in Vancouver and then set off for Gibsons (Ferry and a 24K bike).

The tour journal will be here: http://otesha.ca/journals/tours+2007/sunshine+coast.en.html
and the route can be found here:
http://otesha.ca/bike+tours/tours+2007/sunshine+coast/route+calendar.en.html

I hope this post finds you all well. Cheers!

P.S. Organic beats is the name of our awesome clapping, stomping, singing circle that spontaneously formed our first night.

slow and steady won the race

Tuesday I road with all my gear to Whitmore Lake (approximately 25 miles round trip) with my friends Sarah, Ben (part of the way), Luke, and Eric. The first five miles or so were very challenging, which I think was a combination of the grade and it being the first five miles I had ever ridden with a fully geared up bike.

Unforunately, with graduation and my family coming in to town, I''m afraid I won''t get any more long(ish) geared up rides in before the trip. Oh well, I have two months of it ahead of me, and I couldn''t be more excited. Cheers!