Dance floor at Electric Showroom.
Fact: It is easy to fill your nights with fun in London. I’m still exploring the London club, bar, and lounge scene, now that I am actually in London on weekends. I don’t know if it’s because I’m still a bit of a tourist, or because I can’t help thinking, “I’m partying in London”, or because the nightlife here is truly amazing, but I’ve had successful nights two weekends running. Here are some highlights. Continue reading
Group photo: YES 2009 Culture Night. Photo by Dana Guzman.
It’s been two weeks, two days since I left Braunwald, the kitschy little hotel, and of course, my fellow YES mates. I think there were 38 students representing 25 countries, and it was such a treat to learn about other places and spaces directly from the people who live there. There are 24 countries at the top of my “to visit” list; I just have to find a way to get to every one! Continue reading
Tagged Britain, Canada, sustainability, Switzerland, Toronto, YES 2009
ETA: Here is another entry I wrote a little while ago for the Daily Loaf, about energy systems. Click the link – that’s how I get paid!
Phew, am I ever busy these days. I came home to London around supper time on Monday, after spending the day in Zurich. I have collected some great pictures and I have some post ideas, but no time right now to bang anything out! Anyway, here is a quick run-through of the end of my trip, coming home, and my plans for this week. Continue reading
Funicular at the top of Braunwaldbahn.
On Wednesday, October 28, we began a journey, from Braunwald to Glarus and back, with the most sustainable forms of transportation we could use. First, the funicular, above, took us down and through the mountain to Linthal. The funicular uses very little energy, relying on gravity to pull it down the mountain. You can see the drums in the above photo; they each weigh 1.5 tonnes and are filled with milk. As one train moves down the mountain, it provides energy to pull an identical train up the mountain, like a pulley system. It’s not emission-free, but it is energy-efficient. Continue reading
I’ve been here for three nights, four days, and yet, I still marvel at the beauty that surrounds me. We’re having a break during our day’s lectures, and no matter which window you look through, you see mountains and trees and grass and snow. It’s very beautiful here.
Glarus Alps during sun down.
From my hotel balcony: Glarus Alps. Yes, really, that's what I wake up to.
ETA: I am being profiled by Creative Loafing on their blog, the Daily Loaf. You can read my pre-essay for this conference by clicking here.
Remember that seemingly one-off post I wrote about Pedal for the Planet almost two months ago? It isn’t as random as it appears. That post was actually a re-wording of the essay I wrote as part of my application to the Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES), a course designed to engage participants in understanding environmental challenges in their communities and abroad. I am one of 40 individuals (mostly students) who are being hosted in beautiful Braunwald, Switzerland for this conference. The actual learning part of the trip hasn’t started yet, so let me tell you a little about my current location and my trek here. I arrived last night (with some difficulty), and I have already re-affirmed my love for all things Swiss.
