Today has been a very good day.
We got up early to go to the Eastern Market where Greg is part of a Local Agriculture Co-op called Grown in Detroit. There really wasn’t anything for me to do there as they had plenty of volunteers so I spent a few hours wandering around the three ’sheds’ that make up the largest produce market in North America.
Inside Shed 3
Then I wandered further afield to experience a bit more of the decay of Detroit. As I walked through what, at the surface, appears to not be the nicest of neighborhoods people smiled, said hello and a very dapper older man even waved to me from his bicycle. I’ve been called ‘Ma’am’, ‘Miss’ and ‘Cupcake’.
The not so nice bit of the Eastern Market District
In each province I have chosen a piece of jewelery to remind me of that place, so I decided that I should get myself a Michigan memento too given what an impact this place has had on me. The Market sells fresh produce only, but I managed to find a small stand outside the market selling jewelery in colours totally unsuited to my skin tone. I asked the vendor to choose something for me and, after giving it careful consideration, he picked out what must have been the most hideous pairs of earrings on the stand, which I graciously bought from him and have been wearing ever since.
Friendly Michigan Farmers
I was out with my camera taking lots of shots of the produce and their merchandising which always gets me attention, some positive, some less so. Today I had really great conversations with three of the vendors who stopped me to ask if I was a journalist. They told me that there are two Canadian farms selling at this market because they are closer to Detroit than to Toronto, but the American farmers can’t sell in Canada. Apparently Canadians can bring fresh produce across the border to sell in the USA, but they can’t bring anything much back with them. The farmers weren’t sure exactly why this was, but were confident that the issue lay with the US side of things not the Canadian.
One of the many Farmers who had lots of positive things to say about Canada
I also saw quite a few of the people that I’ve met over the last few days. It’s amazing how quickly I’ve slipped into this community and I think that says a lot about the people who live here. Maybe it’s just the sunshine but I spent the entire morning feeling thoroughly happy to be alive and have to this opportunity to experience Detroit. Greg brought his camcorder to the market this morning because he claims that he wants to make a documentary about all of the people making documentaries about Detroit. I’m not surprised by the interest. Detroit has got to be one of the most exciting cities to be in right now. It’s a fascinating opportunity to see what happens when the money runs out. Will communities go crazy or come together?
After I got back from the market I took a walk over to the old Detroit train station. It was designed by the same architect who designed Grand Central Station. Its dramatic profile dominates the Detroit Skyline and yet it is being allowed to crumble and decay. It has a private owner who is refusing to do anything with it besides sit on it and in the mean time kids get in there and set fires so they have to pay a security firm to watch over the place. It’s a great symbol for the city. Opulence followed by decline. Several people that I’ve met in Detroit describe themselves as being like the Romans, at the tail end of the empire.
The Detroit Train Station
On the way back to Greg’s I got a little lost and found myself standing outside one of the many tiny urban farms that this city plays host to. For five minutes or so I stood and watched a man try to catch a goat with a large butterfly net. I’d like to say I helped, but I was too helpless with laughter.
Professional Goat Catcher
This afternoon Karthik and I built a fort in the back yard. We’d already made the frame out of 2 by 4’s , brackets and woven tree branches, and we’d tried unsuccessfully to liberate an abandoned tarp from one of the many decrepit buildings, so today Karthik came back with a tent with no frame. He’d bought it from the Michigan Militia store in Lansing which provides the people of Lansing with everything they need should things have to be returned to Martial Law. They also sell a fabulous ‘Babes with Guns’ calendar should that kind of thing appeal to you.
Karthik with his homemade tent frame
2 hours later and we had dismantled the frame, dragged it into the tent, attempted to rebuild it, accidentally stood in a load of dog poop, been hit on the head several times as the prototype roofs collapsed in on us, and finally created something that seemed able to support the tent fabric and not blow away in the wind. Then Karthik announced that he wanted to light a fire in it. I left at that point and told him to be sure that he put himself inbetween the fire and the door.
And the finished product
We’re going out this evening to a Harvest Supper at one of the other Urban Farmers homes. They are a really social bunch and it’s great to see that they are available to support one another in rebuilding Detroit into a structure that works for people and not just for industry. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve learned that I may not like America and pretty much everything America stands for right now, but I really like Americans (or at least the ones I’ve met). Everyone I have met here has been so sincere, so friendly and so interested in me and my travels. The humour sometimes doesn’t align exactly (I hate explaining jokes and quite often I’m not entirely sure if they are serious or not) but I’ve been having a heck of a lot of fun here and can’t believe that I’m moving on tomorrow.
So Americans, I’m praying for you to turn a corner in your history and rebuild a nation based on your sense of community, kindness and respect and leave your ugly consumerist past behind.
Let's have a bit less of this
And a bit more of this
