The Kindness Diaries.
They've been on my mind all day.
The premise is, this guy, Leon, gives up his lucrative job in order to travel around the world on the kindness of strangers.
Just him, his bright yellow motorbike and a back pack filled with tshirts and boxers, traveling across the USA, then across Europe, then across Asia.
(And a camera crew, with all their equipment, following his every footstep, likely in a motorhome. So while he's asking strangers (in some countries, poverty stricken strangers...) if he can sleep in their homes/shanties that night, his team is recording it all then spending the evening in their comfortable, relatively safe, house on wheels.
No wonder some of the folks he met were confused.
"What? You have no money? You want me to buy you a meal?"
(Those nights he slept in the sidecar of his motorbike? Or that night on the beach? Because no one let him stay in their house? Was likely a 5 minute photo opp. Once the cameras were off, he probably snuggled up with his team, wherever they were sleeping.)
In a few of the European countries, savvy businessmen saw the cameras and played along; offering a meal, a bed, an experience ... while gaining some free publicity.
And some of the folks, especially in the poorest of countries, saw the cameras and took full advantage of the opportunity to have some international exposure on issues that were on their hearts.
By the 11th episode I stopped being amazed at The Kindness and was more awestruck by the breathtaking scenery. PLUS he traveled through Cambodia and Vietnam and was in the exact same place I was last June. I love being able to say (to myself), "HEY! I was there!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news this was the forecast a few minutes ago:
That's SEVEN DAYS OF SNOW AHEAD.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My favorite time waster?
I'm loving instagram these days.
It used to be for it's photographs.
Now? It's for anything artistic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three things I'm thankful for:
1.Unexpected night at the lake. I came up after work planning on cleaning out the fridge and washing the cupboards. But by the time I arrived (there was a car in the median on the freeway. We all had to stop and look)
(plus I needed gas)
($1.22 a gallon IN CHILLIWACK. Last weekend it was $1.08)
(And I needed a few groceries)
... by the time I arrived, it was after 8 pm.
By the time I'd prepared some eats, and then eaten them, it was 9 pm and the couch was calling my name. Next thing I know? It's 12:30 am. Dishes from supper still need to be washed. Forget about doing the cupboards and fridge (SIGH. A pastor and his family are using the cabin this weekend and I should probably spend the rest of this night washing and cleaning, but. But I just don't want to) and there's a bathtub in a big bathroom upstairs and I'd love a bubble bath. And there's a QUEEN SIZE bed... my arms won't fall off the sides when I sleep in it. Hahaha. Nothing like sleeping in a twin to help you appreciate the fact that all your body parts stay on the mattress when you stretch out on a queen.
So, all that to say. I'm thankful that The Pastor and His Wife have stayed here before, in less than ideal conditions, so they'll likely be able to handle it again.
2. In case I wasn't clear in the point above, I am thankful for bathtubs and beds.
3. And I'm thankful for the peace I feel when I enter this space.
xo
No comments:
Post a Comment