I had the great privilege and opportunity to the attend Canadian Festival of Spoken Word (CFSW) in Montreal, Quebec. CFSW is a National Spoken Word competition accompanied by a week of side-competitions, feature performances, and a wide range of professional development workshops for artists and organizers alike.
SO! Terminal Politics at the Greyhound bus station…bus stations are rampant with stigma. Acting somewhat strange? “Get out”. Come out of the bathroom and look like you might have slept there, even though you just went in 10 minutes ago? “Perhaps you should leave, sir.”
I know that people take advantage of the hours that greyhound is open, especially during the colder months of the year, but good grief!
leg 1: On a brighter note, this sort of transport brings out the old school tech. as well as the brand new gadgets. I’ve seen original gameboys, walkmans, even the one with the troll on it (remember trolls? They ruled my childhood).
But then you’ve got the PSP group, the new handheld wii things, and the multigenerational coverage of phones.
It seems like no one just takes a nap on the morning bus anymore.
But some do make new friends, which is nice.
leg 2: Being sober has removed me from the bar scene, maybe this is why it hasn’t really sunk in that my generation has become almost entirely alcoholic. I mean, I knew it was an issue, but I was not aware of the details as the 17 year old beside me was explaining to me when you should make yourself throw up while drinking so you don’t die of alcohol poisoning / so you can go out and drink more. The 19 year old beside him telling story after story of getting fall down drunk and wandering away from her friends to wake up in the trunk of a cab or some other equally horrible place.
I’m glad that leg of my trip and my life is over.
leg 3: Panic attack in a bus full of people who mostly speak mandarin or french. Dark, crowded, and I was having a deaf day (for those who don’t know, I’m hard of hearing, and when I get a cold or congested for some other reason my hearing gets even worse, hence Deaf Days). But I made it back, bought a metro pass for the week, and I’m ready to get terribly lost with a bunch of poets in a beautiful city.
With that I wish you a good morning and good day! Stay tuned for more relevant adventures to come!
Over and out,
Inali