I’ll be blogging on the things which interest me personally – and that involves sustainability. Environmental, yes – but also social. Hopefully this year will also see the publication of my first book – so I will be using this space to preview some of the things I talk about there.

Expect posts on: Social Media, Spirituality, Energy, Climate, Technology, Psychology, Creativity, Change and Argument.

Matt

Wrapping up my time in Canada, I was treated to hear the national anthem for the first time while watching a CFL game (CFL is their version of NFL – with only three downs, bigger fields and endzones, and a general panicked weirdness about it which I couldn’t put my finger on). Prior to this I had only read the first line, and it can be interpreted in so many different ways. So here are my observation of Canada – that which delights, and that which disappoints (!)

Oh, Canada!

1. Public Transport is run as a service

   This is the single greatest source of joy for a recent ex-pat. Not only is public transport reasonably cheap, it’s just, well – sensibly run. An utterly alien concept.

   Some concrete examples:

   a) You travel in zones, not fares by distance. You have 1:30 to make your journey for a flat fare in one zone or a slightly more expensive two zone journey. You can take whatever combination of bus, train, monorail or boat you wish. Which leads me to

   b) The transport system is integrated. You get off the train and there are buses ready to go to all points of the compass. You get off the bus and the boat is ready to go in 5 minutes. You miss one bus, there’s another along in 10 minutes.

   c) Finally, and gloriously, the people running the service regard it as that; run for YOU, not profit. This works itself out in any number of ways, but here are two I’ve experience. First, I was late leaving the house. I was in between bus stops as the bus came round the corner. I ran a bit and resigned myself to another 15 minute wait. That was until the bus driver pulled over right by me and let me on – not at a bus stop. Second, the opposite situation. Stopped dead in traffic, going nowhere, 2 stops from home. Would anyone like to get off now and walk, you’ll be quicker? Third, a lady gets on the 214 to blueridge at 5.30pm. She can’t find her pass, and is panicking; the bus driver waves her on, saying “you’re a frequent flyer, I recognise you. Hop on!”. Bus drivers of British Columbia, I salute you.

   British bus drivers are officious and constrained by health and safety from being helpful. God bless you, Canada.

2. View corridors.

   Even in the heart of the city, you can look North and see the mountains. This is helpful for navigation, but more importantly, is god for soul. You feel connected to creation. This is all enabled by intentional planning requirements which restrict the construction of buildings in the way of key views – possible in a young city which was planned rather than which evolved in a more higgeldy-piggeldy manner. It you’re going to build a skyscraper, you have to build a park and finish it first before you can start construction of your office edifice. Finally, there is a huge block of forest right next to Downtown, preserved for all eternity by local by-law. Stanley Park is a lovely place, full of runners, dog-walkers and in-line skaters all taking advantage of the 5.6km sea wall. This is topped off by a picturesque suspension bridge, which all in all makes for one of the most liveable city centres I’ve seen.
   

3. COFFEE

   Oh my, but the coffee is good, if you stay away from Starbucks. Cafe Artiggiano has served me about 20+ lattes, all of which were delicious and were marked by beautiful latte art. Not as epically good as NZ, but how could it be?

4. Trail Running.

   It really is trail running paradise out here. Right behind my house is the Baden Powell Trail which I got happily lost exploring on many occasions. On one morning in the rain I got a bit lost, and ended up running a half marathon; such things can happen in the middle of stunning scenery. The real kicker is how close it all is, and how accessible it all is by the aforementioned public transport.

5. Multi-culturalism.

   Canadian immigration welcomes skilled workers. It is an astonishingly multi-cultural place – from all over Europe, sure, but with a massive Asian population and culture. This makes for fantastic food, and created the environment for “Japadog” to come into being.

Oh . . . .Canada . . .

And now some things I don’t get . . .

1. Commitment

   This is in some ways a second hand observation, based on the experiences of friends who’ve been over here for a little while. But with so much going, there is a real sense of semi-permanent transition going on, with long-term roots less preferred. People I know involved in church plants over here talk of a rolling 3 year change in church population, which must make planting very hard indeed.

2. Lifestlye worship

   Which can be explained by number 2 – when you live in paradise, you need to enjoy it. So the weekends, and to an extent most weeknights are filled with beaches, swimming, triathalon, running in the summer, and skiiing, kayaking, sailing and snow-shoeing at other times. Again, this is more observed from hearing from others – but since there is so much to enjoy, people are a bit less up for committing to serving things. A huge generalisation, and I’m sure some of my new Vancouver acquaintances may wish to set me straight.

3. Tatoos

   Yeah so I haven’t got ink done. I really did see a lot of tatoos. British friends just passing through even ended up with one. The tatoos are part of the hipster scene which is pretty strong out here. Commercial Drive and South Main are trying to be Camden and Portabello Road, and doing a pretty good job of it. Cafe Gene on Main Street was the most hipster place I went to. 8 Macs on display, crazy funky music, leather upholstery and people with piercings and tatoos making ‘artisan’ coffee.

4. Polarisation

   The grid street pattern does odd things to a City, even one as genuinely muti-cultural as Vancouver. On my bus ride home, you pass from Downtown into the Downtown East Side, an area notorious for its high rates of drug use and general poverty. In truth it reminded me more than a little of Stokes Croft – even down to the street people having sleep overs in Oppenheimer Park, which could have easily been King Square.

5. Food Prices

   It’s not just that the food is slightly different or generally pricier – you expect that when you travel. But to a Brit the food prices here are just plain weird. In the final wee, we bought (on sale) a massive loin of pork for $8 (about £5). We cut this up into 18 or so pork steaks. Amazing. Steak was a similar price. For the same money you could buy about 150g of pretty ordinary ‘cheese’. Tinned tomatoes also ridiculously expensive – so the upshot is that a poor man’s diet is steak, and a middle class one’s diet is past, a polar opposite to the UK. The whole thing is odd; if it were just the steak thing, this would be a mega plus. You have to be a coupon hawk to live at anything like the same level of monthly expenditure on food as the UK. And internet shopping doesn’t work – you have to scour the newsletters every day for new deals, buy in bulk and drive 4 or 5 hours a week just looking for deals. Which is fine if you have a big freezer. Finally, bread is also very pricey unless you make it yourself.

6. Rain.

   I come from Manchester, and so have a pretty decent tolerance for inclement weather. I’ve been blessed with 3 weeks of awesome weather, but when it was poor, it was pretty dismal. Like the Eskimos supposedly have many words for snow (they don’t, actually), Vancouverites have 101 different words for misty precipitation. There is so such thing as poor weather in vancouver; only inappropriate apparel.

All in all, I’ve loved it, but can’t wait to get back to community and ironic humour. And I miss cheese toasties being an affordable snack. And if you can’t have a cheese and pickle sarnie (because you either haven’t robbed a bank that week, or you’ve just plain run out of the pickle your friends smuggled over for you) when you go for a hike, then what’s the point?

It has been a fantastic place to visit, and I’m grateful for the investment in public services which has enabled to get around and use a well-stocked, new library with free wi-fi to do my book research. Canada – you’ll be getting a mention in the foreword, that’s for sure.

I have installed scrivener on my newly updated MacBook.

I have started to grow a beard.

Better write a book, then . . .

I took a day’s holiday last Monday to stay up all night and watch the superbowl. I have been doing this every year since I was 11 – 1992 was my first.  Since that first bleary encounter with the American championship of the world, I have an uninterrupted streak of sleepless nights until his year when sickness got the better of me and I went to bed after the first quarter; but the joys of iplayer meant I could rehash the whole thing in 4 hours in the morning.

Many a friend has asked me the questions – why the NFL? What’s the appeal? Isn’t having a football team, a cricket team, a penchant for Rugby and a joy of running enough sport for a lifetime?

No, say I, for the NFL deliciously combines much that I admire in professional sport, often in counterpoint to the worst aspects of football, cricket and the like.

So, NFL – how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

1. A man’s game

American Football – when you mention it to a Brit, the first cliché you hear is that Football players are somehow soft. Because they wear pads, they are somehow weak.

Nothing – literally in the case of nose tackles like Big BJ Raji, or the tormented soul of James Harrison – could be further than the truth. They look normal sized on TV – much in the same way a big mac looks normal next to other big macs. Believe me – these guys are the biggest, fastest, strongest physical specimens you could imagine (although small skill players still thrive; see Benjarvus Green Woodhead for the Patriots this year). They wear helmets and pads – because people were getting killed. Seriously. NFL is fast, clinical, deft and utterly brutal. It balances the hard hit with the soft hands. If someone goes down, the opposition help them up. Diving and simulation simply do not exist in pro football – mainly as TV is welcomed, and instant replays are the norm. There is no point feigning injury when the play will be broadcast within seconds to the whole stadium, and crucially to the officials. In this sense, NFL is an honest to goodness physical tussle, and I love it for that. (Although, it has its dark side; concussions)

2.  A Team Game.

Speaking after the Cheesehead’s glorious victory in Superbowl XLV, Clay Matthews – himself from a genuine football dynasty – referred to the cohesion and brotherhood forged in the Packers’ dressing room over the year. The most successful teams are just that – teams; a football family is the way they refer to it. The plaudits always go to the running back or the QB who throws up the numbers – but no play – and I mean NO PLAY – which works does so without perfect coordination across all the guys in the field. You can’t get open as a receiver unless you’re teammates have run a route perfectly so that you have a chance to get open. You can’t run for a first down unless your blocker clears a path for you. You can’t have time to get open unless your offensive tackles have protected the QB from ravenous linebackers seeking blood for long enough for him to make the throw. The same goes on defence. The 3-4 scheme (sorry for the technical) replies not on one superstar trying to hit the QB, but a whole unit looking to disguise its true intentions, give a false ‘look’ to the QB , force a mistake or a mis-read in the coverage to make a play.  You cannot win in NFL without your team mates. It is impossible to have a long term successful career and not be a team guy – just ask this guy .

3. A fair playing field

In the last thirteen years, thirteen different teams have represented the NFC in the Superbowl. Is this maddening inconsistency? I mean, compared to the dominance of United in the EPL? No – it is not. The NFL is designed to guard against dynasty building by means of the draft and free agency. Firstly – all recruits come out of college. The worst teams get the best picks and the best players. They can trade their picks for more lower picks, or trade them for players. Either way, their hand is strengthened every year. Sure you can still blow it by poor management (Buffalo? Hello?!) But by and large you see teams get their moment. The Broncos were a laughing stock; they won two superbowls. Detroit didn’t win a game for two seasons; last year they beat a whole heap of teams including the Pack! It gives fans hope, and that’s what I love. The talent is shared around, but it still takes commitment to grow a team. The equivalent of Man Yoo can’t nick your best players JUST BECAUSE THEY FINISHED HIGHER THAN YOU, AND HAVE MORE MONEY! I say this is as a disgruntled City fan, unhappy with our “we’ll buy your club” mentality (to be fair, we learned it from the best, eh Fergie?) ; in contrast, my beloved Packers are community owned, and hardly ever dabble in trades or free agency. They build from the draft, and increasingly from outside of the draft.

4. MOMENTUM

Aside from the organisation of the game’s institutions, football at its best is about as utterly compelling as sport can get. Little pockets of intense emotion, not the fluid 90 minutes of football. Big moments come and go, but you always have time to prepare yourself, for the crown to go crazy as the 3^rd down comes. Tension, and relief, like no other sport delivers. But the beauty of the game comes from the scoring system. Your offense is designed to score you points, but your D can come up big for you. Nothing works in your favour to shift the game like the magical “pick 6”. An interception or a turnover by your defence which leads to a score. They kill the opposition dead. It’s no coincidence – no team in the last twenty years has scored a pick 6 and failed to win the superbowl. Greenbay scored pick 6’s in all four of their playoff game, and won the lot. The last was off Pittsburgh’s first play from scrimmage after the Pack scored. In a blink of an eye, the score was 14-0. In two plays. Stunning. But then back came the Steelers, from 21-17 down. You can get on a roll. There is no ‘given’ in NFL.

5.  They move with the times

The NFL has widely adopted technology, and video replays in particular. In a half of football, the coach can challenge any play within 30 seconds. Do so successfully and you keep your challenge. Lose, and lose a Timeout. Its not perfect, but at least you have the chance to right a wrong. Plus, in the final two minutes, all plays are reviewed. Fans will always find plenty to whinge about – but by and large, the big calls are correct, and the results are more often than not, fair. Which means you don’t have ridiculous situations like in the Premiership, where everyone in the English speaking world knows a goal was off side within 5 seconds of the play – everyone except the one guy who’s opinion matters, the ref. NFL has accepted that with money and mass followings, the elite professional version of the game is just different to the game played at college or high school (although  not so much these days!). The ridiculous excuse from the FA not to embrace TV technology is that it would no longer be the same game as played on the park. Which is a nice rose tinted view of the world, completely divorced from reality. Tevez should come to the Down’s league and wonder as his legs are smashed to pieces and the centre backs hoof long balls ad infinitum. It’s not the same game.

6. Playoffs

The final game is always between two good ish teams. This is not a guarantee that it will be a good game – but at least the best teams progress. If you, you can’t say you got lucky ALL the way.  

Despite all this, I have some beefs – although they pale into insignificance compared to the joys of the regular season. But for balance, here they are:

1. The draft – most hyped player gets most money, no guarantee of success.
2. The rule book. It is illegal to celebrate a TD and go to the ground. Even one knee is too much. Crazy.
3. The TV Time outs: 60 minutes of action into 240 minutes of TV is too much – although it does provide ample opportunity for refreshment.
4. Rex Ryan
5. Labour issues and a Lock-Out Looming

Which means I will have nothing to write about next year . . . but I reccomend the NFL for one final, glorious reason. Just when your partner or significant other finally puts their hands up and thinks “SURELY this weekend of sport (football, rugby, cricket) can go on no further – come 5pm Sunday UK time you can settle in for 6 hours of NFL with glorious impunity.

C’mon – Give gridiron a chance.

Blogging is soooo 2009 apparently. My lack of attention to this blog is matched only by my lack of worry about said lack of attention. But I do miss pondering and wondering, and so will restart semi-regular blogging in 2011.

As is traditional I’m going to have a look back at the year that was 2010, in numbers:

Weddings: 6

We kicked things off in Yorkshire for my cousin, moved on to Chi-town for Joy and Matt, stopped off via Chris and Antonia, Paul and Hanna, Si & Ellie and wrapped things up with Tom and Olyia. Wow. What a set of weddings! Never partied harder or more consistently than in Chicago (still got the credit card debt to show for it), nearly killed a frog at Chris’s and danced like a fool with the Reddecliffe’s at Eako’s. A vintage year.

Conferences: 1

It barely seems real, now, but back in May our tiny little community put on a conference for 2,000 hungry people, and hosted Bill Johnson from the states. I will never forget getting absolutely lampshaded on the HS with Hannah, Lucio and Johnny B on the Thursday night, being barely able to stand to lead the worship. Wowzers, what a privilege.

Addresses: 3

Only three this year – although another will come in two week’s time. Although if you zoom out wide enough, I’ve moved house 9 times in 18 months, which is crazy. 2011 will see a period of stability; hopefully.

London days: 36

I spent more and more time traveling with work this year, and loved it. I got to speak at the House of Commons, and also several much less exciting or exotic locations. In fact I’ve actually spoke at lots of things this year – which has been a growing experience. Not where I saw myself going. It turns out I like the sound of own voice; whether in vocal or internal monologue form.

Races run:1

A poor show this year; injured my knee at the tough ten, despite running a good time, this knocked me out until the summer and I’ve been easing my way back. Robbed me of a cricket season, too. Next year, we will play more cricket and run more half marathons in the mud. Yes.

Countries visited: 3

Had another jaunt to my favourite place – the states. I don’t know why I like it so much. Loved my pilgrimage to Kansas city and both IHOPS, and chilling in the apartment with M@, chewing the cud and discussing life while going out every night. Kinda helped me stop thinking about the specter of girlfriends past. You might guess from this that i am now flying again. I know, I know. But haven’t  you heard of the prisoners’ dilemma?

Funerals: 1

Matt Hurlin, I miss you so much, but I’m at the point where I smile when I think of you. Which is whenever I see SA on the telly or smell meat being cooked. I missed you more in the summer – as I realised I had not only lost a cricket pal and a golf buddy, but a good friend to chat about life with as we waited to bat, stole a cheeky net at Clifton college or wandered round Ashton court chasing golf balls,. Sorely missed, but I will see you again.

Fringe events attended: 6

Had a ball in Edinburgh for the Festival with TNS, Jimbob and Ana. Definitely going again; highlight was “Baby Wants Candy” and their improvised musical. In fact, having never been to Scotland before in my life, I managed to go twice in 2010, one for ECCR’s annual conference (still company secretary, and successfully converted into a charity in 2010) and the other time for fun.

Albums bought: 7

Yes, only seven. For 2010 was the year in which I upgraded to spotify premium, thus changing life forever! Albums of the year are somewhat obvious – The XX, The Suburbs and I speak because I can by Laura Marling.

Gigs: 17* (*including Glasto)

The National with Lyds and Ellie was my highlight. Melancholic, yet tinged with hope, and the most achingly beautiful encore ever.

So there you have it. 2010 in numbers. Merry Christmas to you all!

Matt

What began as a brief period of blogger’s block has resulted in my most prolonged period of blog neglect for several years.

For this I can only apologise, and state categoricaly that, having paid another year’s domain renewal fee, I will be blogging again soon.

If it isn’t far FAR too arty farty, I have actually been writing some potery recently, which I will be sharing. I’ve really enjoyedf the freedom & the form, and playing with the sounds of words.  There has been lots going on in the *real* world of late, which gives me no shortage of subject matter.

All of which may / may not be of any interest to you whatever.  In which case, you should probably remove me from your RSS feed.  M

It’s time for an end of year list, as is now traitional in blog land:

Biggest regret: Buying that Swedish Phrase book!

Biggest disappointment: Don’t want to got too deep here, so I’ll settle with a work thing. Passing all my exams with a distinction, then being missed out and forgotten when it came round to the office exams drinks thing. Just a small thing, but it would have been nice to have my hard work recognised – all safely tucked away in the back of the mind, informing what kind of manager I want to be in the future.

Discovered new talent: The ability to grow a convincing tache in 7 days.

Biggest spiritual high: There’s a few up for the award here – but I’m going to go for the glod fillings incident. Just bonkers grace and power in the atmosphere. Still causes a lingering worship moment whenever I brush my teeth. For a full theological explanation, please see here.

Biggest “ground swallow me up now” moment: Probably when I met a fairl senior figure in the SRI world and then proceeded to use this word in conversation . . .

Wedding of the year: Hmm, limited choice this year. As I recall there were only a couple, but the standout for me would be the Dennisons. Awesome speeches, venues and some awesome jamming with the Leroys. PLus, the view over the hills all the way to Wales – come on.

Most interesting person discovered: I was invited to the Churches together conference looking into the financial crisis, and heard this guy speak. Incredible wisdom, on the highest plane of economic thought.

Best unexpected moment of bliss: The last night of the Southampton Conference, the band all playing percussion, led by this guy. It just exploded. Joy, joy, joy. Then on the way home, eveyone stopped out of the Thompson Mobile to get drinks while I stayed in the van and got a little blasted by the HS. It then spread in the van on the way home and we had a full on HS party the rest of the way home. Wakey wakey!

Best song: Oh No, Andrew Bird OR Daniel  by Bat for Lashes.

Best Film: I rather enjoyed Bright Star  . . .

Best Live music Moment: P J Harvey at the Anson Rooms was ethereal, angry, delicate and curiously ugly.Incredible. Or Rolf Harris at Glasto . . .

Best new instrument learned: I didn’t really get on that this year, although I’ve been having great fun with the Boss RC-20XL looper, which has even found its way into the worship set.

Best coffee bliss: Copenhagen, -2, incredible pastry in one hand, clear blue skies, 100,000 protesters.

Remember kids, we make our own future. Or at least download as much of it as we jealously desire.

Matt

Looking forward to the 17 hour trip back . . .

Matt

And for once, I’ve decided to break ranks from my usual grouping of detached observers and and actually get involved. And true to my one flight a year rule (which has more often than not been a no-flight a year rule), a colleague and I will be getting to Copenhagen by rail.

This epic journey begins in Bristol Thursday night, and rolls into Copenhagen in the early hours of Saturday via Brussels. The same 19-hour joy ride gets us back in at 11.30 just in time for my birthyday drinks and the office christmas party.

http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=602&ArticleID=6378&l=en

I’ll be blogging from the road – hope to see you there.  If not, I’ll see you in the Highbury Monday Night.