POBRE ALACRANE

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It was late, I was dead, well alive dead, and lying down on the floor with my dog Zero. I see this 4-5 inches being ...pass right in my eyes angle. A SCORPION. Panic! of course. Except, I don't kill beings. But this one could kill me. Someone was going to die right there, and I didn't feel ready. I didn't even have time to wonder if the town's little hospital would be able to save me.

Only a guy could do that I thought. Grab a broom, hit it, and think its dead. I asked -him- to kill it -again-, to make sure. Shoe. Shovel. Better twice. That is when you see what humans are capable of.
Of course, internet comforted me that it was him or me. Or my dog. I read:
Deadly 10 to 20 minutes, among the worst killers, Mexican ones.
Those were not Academic sources, just the kind of source my conscience needed.
That was day 3. Now, a month later, with my friend bullying me for being voluntarily responsible for an insect's death, I wonder. Couldn't I have stayed clam and find a fair issue for him, had I known then, that he wouldn't kill me for sure. That's what some people say from burglars isn't it?

After still worrying about seeing his whole family crawl up my bed for revenge, I have asked for the scorpion's forgiveness tons of times since. Now looking back, I now he was just walking away after all. I have tried recovering from my guilt through drowning dragonflies savings and wings repair. It seems it wasn't deadly after all and people here say they haven't seen any in 20 years. The poor guy was just not lucky...

In a world where we are all interconnected, I figured a little bit of my sorrow accompanied the little creature. I owed it to him.
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CULTURE AS AN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Our first cultural event, last Wednesday, nov 16th 2011.

As Andre was pointing it out, our firend Luc Baranger, seemed he was here as well, asking himself if his last book would be in the new library, translated and in multiple copies.

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BIG EVENT AND JAMAICA JUICE FOR CULTURE
Inauguration of a cultural center in Aticama, neighbor pueblo to San Blas’s, is not taken lightly. Library, computer center (3 computers) and intergenerational place at the same time, brought together officials from neighboring towns, farmers, academics, a few gringos from the area, donors, and entire families. School children were authorized a leave to attend and assess the importance of access to culture was occurring here. Modest means, but the colorful festivities honor a most respected fiesta. Drums and horns, flag, national anthem, red ribbon, local singer, poet, no one, nothing was forgotten

A native peasant with his cowboy hat, silvered tooth and eloquent words, gave a living, moving and proud speech. He compared the cultura he had witnessed form the wisdom of his 70 years, a culture marked with pesticidos to this culture type that, through the center, his grandchildren would have access to. I wiped away a tear. Our brand new amigos, Anne and Gilles, who had invited us, were responsible for the visual appearance of various elements of the place. ____________________________________________________



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ABCD
Illustrated a la mano, by Gilles. Anne was in charge of the visual identity. (missing picture.)
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Single shelf for filosofia and psicologia.
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A full shelf for literature and rhetoric. The covers seem to plunge us into the past, but are actually quite recent and very pretty. The paper almost felt 100% recycled and the feel recalled Quebec’s Pascal publishing house, 1945. I thought of my friend Patrice and his biliothéca which, to himself, would have filled that modest but inspiring place.

Our wealthy system felt as though even culturally, we had everything to be over satiated . Some people here where trying to make a reinforcing loop towards more equity, but
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SYSTEMS THINKING
Chosen in regards and respect with my actual course and interests, Charles Darwin becomes Carlos Darwin. Is it to say origins are not immutable. I would think that Fritjof Capra must have read that book himself.
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CARAMBA
The classifying system may seem archaic, but reminded me my youthful joy finding the coveted book in these magic of these little boxes. The entire library could fit in 6 small drawers, but some scanning would not be long before it happened was I told. And here I am, lucky enough to study at a distance without many worries except scorpions, moskitos, mange...
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LEAVING THE -CULTURAL- INAUGURATION
Rather modest little house but satellite dish imposes itslef. As elsewhere, TV is watched in the Aticama's homes. Will the Center manage to attract young people within its walls?
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ECONOMICAL SYSTEM

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CUANTO CUESTO POR FAVOR ?
The best SanBlas platano bread it seems.
It's price, as often for the rest, varies whether (but who could blame them):
1. Your Gringo features show or not (hard to hide)?
2. The quality of your Spanish accent?
3. Your gender (M/F)?
Him: 60 pesos
Myself: 45 pesos

For bottled water in big container -refill-, who would think we would but, no choice here, no one drinks tap water. Agua purificada.
Him: 25 pesos
Myself: 15 pesos

I believe it's the accent :-)
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In an economical system where you can hardly feed all your kids with your fishing, what kind of feedback loop could we put in place to avoid feeling like western ricos when trying to participate in local economy (or should we, to start with, react, wobble, feedback loop I mean, I am not questioning participation.). Communication feels like the best asset. I am not the type to negotiate under -wealth- perceptions. Paying 20 pesos instead of 15 because I am considered more financially at ease seems fair enough. I am here, therefore I am. I defend and encourage fair trade of course. Was gender the issue, I would -fight-, under recognition of my strong desire to adapt myself and share a culture, I would manifest myself. Otherwise, I just wish to slowly build some trustful relationships. As Kauffman would perhaps say, it is a complex system where energy is spent to maintain itself and the need to be pro-active in order to initiate changes in its environment is needed and very precarious.

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SOBRE LA PLAZA
Beautiful San Blas bells, feels like being in a Pagnol novel or film. Will add bottom of the church later, otherwise it would be indecent.
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SOCIAL OR MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

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LIVING OUTSIDE
Hydro or Internet, can seem like same complicated task in San Blas. We can wonder what would happen if we turned off the switch. Probably not much ...less.
As Kauffman (1) puts it, «mechanical systems (car, furnace, or this here ) can be switched completely off for a while and then turned back on again. The same is true of some very simple living things. Plant seeds that can wait for decades for the right conditions to start growing and some microscopic animals can be frozen solid and then be brought back to life.» Certain frogs, per example, put themselves on -low heart beat- for as much as 7 years in the ice before coming back to life. Life is such an amazing system.

(1) Draper L. Kauffman, Jr.
Systems One: An Introduction to Systems Thinking (1980)
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BOUNDED REALITY
Bounded reality is one of Meadow's concepts explained in —Thinking in Systems. A primer.— It has to do with being informed and therefore, being able to take informed decisions as well. She has a great story in that sense of an Amsterdam neighborhood of similar housing and families. «Some houses were built with the electric meter down in the basement. In other homes, the electric meter was installed in the front hall. It was discovered that some of the houses in this subdivision used one-third less electricity.» Being able to witness or be aware of their energy use brought front hall families to change their behavior.

I suspect not many really spend much lighting energy here anyhow. Lights are warm and out all day and night. Awareness finds all sorts of different ways. But bounded realities or being informed, doesn't necessarily lead to decisions that will benefit -the whole- as Meadow's shares, and as we will see later. I will talk about other environmental issues later...

Meadows gets into a lot of financial details to explain Systems in the early chapters. In is not my favorite part, although I'm doing my best to understand it all, I feel I don't always get it, too many stocks and flow charts for someone who usually likes diagrams they give me the turnover... I felt much more at ease reading Capra. I also really appreciated Kauffman simplicity in vulgarizing basically the same ideas in a much friendlier way, to me that was. Still, I am really enjoying this class.

CULTURAL SYSTEMS AS MUCH AS TYPE?

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NO ESTACIONAMIENTO
Identity and language as a Cultural system.
Mexicans often say Parking, rolling the r, but -No Estacionar or No Estacionmiento- in terms of signage, is presented with E and not with a P. Why don't we have a striked S in Quebec for -Pas de Stationnement ?
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Pan or playa...Decisive program.
Mine calls me to readings today.
Of course, nature is the pleasure of the eyes here. But there are many other. Fine looking home made signs per example.
Typography on San Blas walls or signs is also among its visual appealing richness to my eyes, but unfortunately for its inhabitants, it's not worth much in terms of pesos exchange as a job. (Type fans might notice a detail...). Is a STOP sign a system? Perhaps even an international one? The red and the octagonal shape, from what I have seen so far, are worldwide. Is there any feedback loop in the sign and its understanding? Could the added word be the adjustment needed to make sure it is understood if you are alphabet savvy?
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TYPE AS A SYSTEM

photo: Lefebvre San Blas
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Una loncheria in red, the hardware store in orange, where a water gardening gun (70 pesos- +/-6$). Type influenced my confidence in the business. Is that a system operating? Among the rare businesses to have a -price system- shown or in a catalog.
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DAILY SYSTEMS

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LA PLAYA IN FRONT OF OUR CASA
Many have daily rituals. A daily system could sound as it were boring. I am not much of an organized system person for daily activities since my usual life as many various unpredictable events in it. Teaching can occur from morning til midnight, social events happen all the time in the city, and I am always tempted to go encourage creative friends. 3 kids even though now adults, still has its share of surprises, and lunches and diners are often a late or skipped activity.

Here, with nothing of the previous mentioned sometimes stressful random system, it became healthy and relaxing to deal with a very calm but efficient course oriented schedule. It seems I always have to do 2 things at once to make it with readings and forums so far, but it is done with peacefulness. Waking up and coffee at 7h30 (coffee + peak at team emails), dog walk + moskito bites (jejenes they are called, tiny ferocious), breakfast + contemplation. Readings + taking notes, reading forums + answering team members.
Another ritual in the daily system, jogging at 4h30 before sun sets + dog run and swim.
Relaxation and waiting to see if -green ray- will show up.

Looking right or left, there is not much to disturb the peacefulness around here.
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On a weekend, still waiting for the green ray, this beach stand had me realize there might be a competition positive feedback loop here. Corona or Pacifico. (positive feedback loop, as opposed to its name, is not always a positive thing.
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TASTE OF MARGARITAS, LIBERTY AND CARCERAL SYSTEM
When we arrived, first week, it was vacation time for me. While discovering the little -pueblo- that would become our new home place until January, trying Margaritas seemed a good option among others, to taste various local habits. Billy Bob's, backyard terrace was suggested to us for the quality of its drink and the strangeness of its crowd (for Andre's novel). A poor cocodrilo was the age of her imprisonment 67 years old. Billy Bob, the owner, didn't really care for my compassionate but still too discrete comments. She's too fat now anyway...she wouldn't survive...
Human access to equity being already quite questionable, (although it is not a judgment in human happiness or equilibrium), there is no such thing as animal rights in San Blas.
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«PAZ Y TRABAJO» Incognito

photo: Lefebvre / San Blas / 2011
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SAN BLAS, NAYARIT, MEXIQUE.
It has been 8 days now that I have landed here, and my boyfriend soon after. I might go back in time at some point. Mexican way. Lentamente. We had made sure, inquired and explained how important it was times that the house we rented had efficient internet from day one, but...internet didn't quite work. We could only get it from 2 nice guy's place, Ken et Luis, whom own and operate bungalows called Casa Roxana.

This is a new start for 2 months and a half where I will be doing this 4th master class*, my boyfriend will be writing and Zéro the dog, will relax, swim and follow. Isolated, end of playa Borrego, right on the beach. I am starting classes tomorrow. Systems perspectives instructed by Bob Kull. End of margaritas aperos perhaps and maybe not that much time to post on blogs. I might leave here my french blog address, intended mostly for our 3 kids, as a souvenir, or for some friends to follow. I might not publish much if the course is very demanding, which although very interesting, it sounds like it will be.

* MAEEC / Environment Education and Communication / School of sustainability / Royal Roads University
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SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVES

Instructor professor BOB KULL 2011
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NEW COURSE / NEW START
EECO504 Systems Perspectives [ENVEDCO-MA 2011]

I am both excited and a little nervous to be starting this new class given by instructor Bob Kull. I am just listening to the first podcast with a lot of difficulty, since my Mexican internet connection is not what it had promised to be. Same goes for one of the book references - Thinking in Systems- by Donella Meadows, which I ordered from Purolator for 95$...to make sure I received it on time. 5 days. It's been 10 and they can't seem to find it, but I see it in the tracking... I realized an online version existed, (thanks to Bob Kull) so I downloaded that in the meantime...

The home I will be spending the duration of this class from, is located directly on an isolated beach, and was supposed to be well connected. I sent at least 10 mails, to the least, of questions in making sure it was understood how THAT was basically my only needed condition. It isn't yet. It's been 8 days of -tomorrow-. I have to sit here with the Jejenes (little ferocious mini insects) at some nice people's place, Ken and Luis, to be able to take messages and get as much as I can, in a hour's time or so. I certainly won't be able to Skype from here at midnight...

Monday is the real course START, and I need this connection to be perfect. Otherwise it would mean moving which, in San Blas, doesn't have that many interesting places to stay at. And their is no other house on the beach. Everything except 2 homes were destroyed by hurricane Kenna, a few years back (2002).

I am not sure this course will offer me much time to post on this blog, but I will see as it goes.

The readings that will be cited all along this blog, will most likely be all part of the readings suggested to us by our professor, Bob Kull.
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