The thirteen exploring expedition...

Dear readers,

Today is another beautiful under the bright sun here in Grand Rapids. It was a great day to be out and do some exploring. I started my journey on South Division as I will be volunteering for a ministry there on the street, so I want to park my bicycle there. As I head to where I left off yesterday, a middle age man stopped me right on the track. As conversation went on, I found that people on the street call him Sergeant due to his accomplishment in military services. He asked me about my camera and my project. I answered the question with great details. Then he suddenly switched the topic asked me to believe in one thing, that Jesus Christ love me. I was quite surprise by the sudden turn of the topic, but I quickly recover from the shock and nodded my head in agreement. He seem quite happy with my response and at the end of the conversation, he told me to tell my people what he just told me to believe. Then before he turn and leave, he asked me do I remember who told him to tell my people about the good news of Christ. I smiled and said, "Sergeant". Sergeant reminded me something I did not really spent much thought on about this project, the religious part of the city. I forgot to factor in the aspect of religious belief to the this project. I forgot that one of the most visible communities one can see in the city is the communities of different faith. Also, a great part of religion is that yearning, accepting and believing in that one truth. The aspect of searching for the truth is another one of my focus in the project and religion definitely is a great part of that journey for everyone who seeking the truth. Also, the notion of progress, another of my focus in this project...  can be traces to the moral code that all religions had established for its follower, the notion of making the world a better place and individuals a better person is embedded into each faith. Also, the notion of a creator and its creativity is a popular topic within the religious realm too. Wow, religions is such a interlocked part with what I am seeking to find in my project. I need to spend more time researching that for sure. Thank you, Sergeant for enlightened me about that.

As my journey continue, I came across the recycling material treatment plant. It is truly a fascinating place with its big machine, moving vehicle and obviously, the huge amount of recyclable trash. As I ready to leave, I struck a conversation with a lady name Irma. She is probably at her late thirty or early forty. She was there to put her recycling materials into the great mountain of trash within the building. Since she is living in a mobile home, the city would come out to retrieve her recycle materials, so she do it on her own. We struck a conversation about photography as she is very interested in it. At the end of the conversation, she invited me to her church and also this small photography group that she is a part of through her church. The group periodically come together and go take pictures together. It was so kind of her to invite me. We exchanged our contact informations and we parted with best wishes to each other's journey with photography. As she drove away, I asked myself if I am really going to call her and accept the invitation and join her photography group on an outings. I did not have an answer there and then, but deep down I don't think I ever will contact her and join the group. I asked myself throughout the day, "Why not?" To be honest, I don't really know. Maybe I think it will be awkward, unnecessary... I don't really know. One thing I did come to realize is that what if she is my neighbor next door. I think there will be a great possibility for me to join the group if she live next door to me. I think the fact that she is does not live in close distance with me and the fact that I don't really know her, had contributed my idea of not want to join her. Also, I wonder, in a world where we are connected with so many people, come in contact with so many strangers a day... what is a community to us? Irma was inviting me to join her community, but the distance and unknown had scared me away from the thought of join her. There is so many communities out there waiting for me to join, and so many of them wanting me to join... which one do I chose, which one should I devote my limited time to be a part of?

Here is some pictures taken within the recycling center:

These are the things that I marked on my map:

• 86 Crabapple trees
• A Amtrack railroad station
• The Grand Rapids City Recycling Center 
• The Rapids Bus headquarter 
• The Grand Rapids City Traffic Street Department Complex 
• 3 potential sleeping spot 
• 15 Dumpster
• 6 Dumpster for cardboard 

Here is some of what I saw today:

 

 

 

Thanks for your readings and supports again. 

The project is going very well. 

I cannot wait to start the nomad life. It is only 28 days away. 

Patrick

The twelveth one... now I am three - fifth of the way done.

Dear readers,

I woke up this morning with surprisingly large amount of energy and after a quick breakfast of rice, I headed to the North part of the city. As the exploration going on, surprises keep jumping up at me. There is this part of the Northern city that I came to know very well as a high schooler since I would go there every tuesday night in the winters to do a little swing dancing that was taking place there. But the dancing was at night then and I drove, so I never really know what the area looks like in the day. When I ran into that place today, I looked around and I was surprised by the fact I was there again, there in the place where a lot of my teenagers memories had made. As I walked around that community church that hosted the dance floor, I felt a bit sad as I realized that I no long a child, or a teenager like back then, but a young adult that with more responsibilities now. That sadness sunk deep and I needed to stop and digest that emotion. Coming of age was definitely not as easy as I thought it would. I thought that it would be smooth and glamorous, but turned out to be hard and at times ugly. Nevertheless, I had grew up to who I am today and I cannot and not willing to turning back now. The sweet years of my youth will continue to lives within me and at times, it might still take its place and shines thought me and radians out like the burning sun. But those will only be rare occasion as I inevitably had grew up with and without my will at the same time. Those were surely sweet years.

I traveled through a small industrial district filled with small and big factories today and come to face to face with different type of production structures, products and workers. The factories surely vary in size, from a one person work shop to 5 people metal shop to a factory so big that I swear it is as big as a football field. The streets in this district were quite quiet until when it was lunch time then different group of men and women came sitting outside of their work place with their plastic bag or container full of food. It seem as that the district was once more vibrant and busy than today as I observed a fair amount of abandoned buildings along my walk.

As I slowly moved westward, closer to the river of the Grand, the landscape changes from industrial to residential. There were big apartment complex, small buildings with beautiful lofts, art galleries and dance studios all along the river. Something about a moving water that attracts people to build their living space by. By the river, there is this beautiful park that ran along the river for quite a way. It was surely a nice walk in the park by the river. As I was enjoying my walk along the river, I came across fishing poles after fishing poles. I guess that section of the river is a pretty popular fishing spot. Fishermen of all ages were there casing their line and wishing for the best. It was fun to watch. I learned that there are good Catfish in the Grand river now and in the spring and fall, Salmons is quite populated.

Overall, it was a great day of exploring with beautiful weather.


Here is what I marked on my map today:

• 46 Fruit trees 
• 5 abandoned buildings 
• 3 potential sleeping spots 
• the super post office 

Here is some of what I saw today:

Thank you for your reading and support

All the best

Patrick