The real question upon return is how to best speak of the event. How to best capture, seal, and use as a foundation for our local conversations and action. I’ve found it difficult. Speaking with many of the delegates there are similarities of not having just one thing but a peppering of tens if not hundreds of little moments that remain indelible.

The Beginning of Terra Madre

We arrived in Torino after a short stay in Lucca by way of an overnighter in Pollenza where we had visited the Slow Food Universita di Scienze Gastronomiche, eaten at Osteria Boccondivino, & Slow Food HQ in Bra. (We know how to move around.)

Picking up our passes and checking in with the US liaisons we were able to meet some of the other US delegation and see a plentiful and diverse group of peoples. The opening ceremonies was long yet brilliant.

Beginning with a procession of Sardinians showing off one of their rituals (impressive, daunting, and powerful) to follow was the marching of the flags. Many countries of the world were represented and as we later found out from Winona laDuke a hope that indegenious cultures will be able to fly their flags next session.

Passionate Speakers, We Listened in Awe

Speakers included those in Slow Food and beyond, Alice Waters introduced a video of Prince Charles, UN Asst. Secretary General Carlos Lopes spoke on behalf of Ban Ki-Moon, Vandana Shiva was passionate and fiery in her remarks, a student Sam Levin blew us away with his youth, determination, vibrance and step-taking, Carlo Petrini brought it all home in the poignant thoughts of our development and rich diversities.

We were awash in the power of the people.

I had chills so many times I thought my brain was going to fry out. I’m not sure everyones world view is ready to accept what is going on. The world is being dominated by those with power and we are constantly seeing large companies leverage that power into poor decisions; squeezing the bottom of the chain, selling consumers marketing and bad health, while replacing nature with man management which is leading us down a very bad road.

United States Delegation, 800+

America will always amaze me. We are a super culture, a mixing pot of everyone. Including the great diversification of the indigenous countries within our country. How often we forget our own brief history.

The meeting of the US delegation was huge and very long. I understand why Slow Food Nation was conceived. We have a lot to talk about. With over 300 million in our borders we have a lot of work to do to corral this great nation.

We heard from many great regional speakers (session notes from Robin):

Josh Viertel, President of SF USA
We cannot take out without putting back in.
Our priorities: #1 The Youth, #2 Social Justice.
We are a movement, not an organization.

Farmer Dominic
We feed the community, and the community feeds us.
The importance of teaching.

Green Mountain College Farm and Food Project
Initiated under three goals: #1 Food, #2 Minds, #3 Ideas
Community supported agriculture (CSA) in the classroom to the kitchen and dining.
Common goals with continued partnership and community building.

A rule on foragers. They know the value of a secret and are good to keep their best ones close to their heart (or stomach). I don’t want to give any more than I have to on where we were or Reed’s full name. I respect this self-proclaimed lummox and want to keep the integrity of the wood, per say.

Stay Away from Brown and Whites

We weren’t but a few yards away from civilization when Reed shouted out that we should stay clear of all white and brown mushrooms. Unless of course you know what you are doing. Of course we don’t, and not knowing, this gave us our first framework to work in.

There are plenty of good white and brown mushrooms, there are also plenty that will do you harm from indigestion to liver failure. There have been many families snuffed out by collecting of simple white mushrooms with a death cap mixed in. The difference between a species being identified is of extreme importance.

There were six of us, as we got comfortable with the terrain we learned a little bit more about each other. Educators, chefs, executives, and more. One goal in mind, to learn more about the wild around us and how to better scout for the delectable within. We couldn’t have been paired with a better local guide.

Reed is an impassioned man who loves being outdoors. He is a living tome of knowledge that was first catalyzed as a small child. When asked where he got started thinking about mushrooms he recalled a science fair project and how after that he never stopped looking into the natural world around him.

So Much Knowledge!

I wish my mind could have held it all. He pointed at trees that would have different species at different types of year. Bushes that held edibles, and wild roses that might have the greatest little blooms. Everywhere he turned he could practically tell us something else about the landscape around us. It was impressive and inspiring.

We eventually came to a set of stream-beds. Reed found some small red/orange chanterelle and had us all get a good eyeful. We were then instructed to fan out and look for more based off of a kind of grid search heading north along the stream. Slowly we began to spot little patches here, there, all in a fairly juvenille state, but chanterelle’s none the less.

Over the course of a few hours, a couple of miles, and a few of us getting famous left or right, mud-foot, we learned so much. We found good species and bad, the edible and the repelling. Reed even found a few new that might be good. He would take them home for spore printing and testing. We also stumbled upon an old homesite marked by giant oaks and the remnants of the stone foundation for a wood cabin.

Injury Count, Zero^b^b^b

We came, we saw, we got stung. Oh yea, the only real injury of the trip was when Laura and I, third through a wasp nest finally pissed them off enough to send out a full on assault. We danced violently with spurts of run walking before shedding a portion of clothing and asking the wasps to please go home. While we got the brunt and large amount of stingers I think everyone got stung once. (Which for the record wasp stings take up to 6 days before they fully stop itching.. what a drag!)

While we harvested only a small amount on this trip Reed thought it was a great success. We all now know what to look for on a few edible species. We now know what to not touch from panthers to death caps and a host of bitter bites.

We will try and continue to do this in intervals so that more can become a bit more forage worthy and collectively we can understand more of Charlotte’s natural bioculture.

For more pictures check out my flickr forage gallery. You can also join the Slow Food Charlotte community, find out more about our local agriculture and how you can get involved.

When you are a child, or young adult, being locked in a dark place is probably the closet to panic you get. The overwhelming fear of the unknown, a confined space, darkness, can usually evoke a pretty good shriek from many people whereupon you are released by teasing siblings or friends from your torment.

In scuba diving many people cannot do it. Whether it’s the water, a bunch of gear on you, breathing apparatus, or something more simple many people I speak with do not have what it takes to submerge themselves.

Being a Floridian I’ve always loved the water. My mother affectionately called me part fish for my comfort and never ending joy I found in pools or the sea. I started diving in 1992 at Seacamp. While I have more skydives than water dives I have always considered diving like riding a bicycle. Once I learned it’s all fairly rote in my memory. Gear assembly and testing, signs, the only thing I have to reference is my dive tables.

Heading to Cayman this year I found myself with a sinus headcold. For the first two days on island I thought my eyes would never stop tearing due to the unwanted pressure in my head. We scrubbed a few dive days to allow this to work itself out. During which time my wife and I took to snorkeling and free diving. Free diving allowed me to test what parts of my head were clogged and not by having to equalize multiple times and varying depths.

On the third day my head felt clear with minimal if any pressure build ups. We decided to make a comfortable dive at [Eden Rock](http://www.edenrockdive.com/). Robin and I were buddies following my father and step-mother down to Devil’s Grotto (a series of little tunnels and such). Like normal I felt comfortable, breathing was zen like, everything felt good. Robin and I stayed down about 55 minutes in total.

We then went to lunch at the [Sunset House](http://www.sunsethouse.com/), calculating our surface interval we prepared for another dive. I wanted to see the Mermaid again and my new dive buddy Beth and I were going to visit the wall at about 60ft. We swam out to our marker with family, submerged, and slowly found our way to the Mermaid standing tall in waters clear to about 50-60ft. Taking pictures of my dad being a hooligan we turned and began to make our way to a sunken deployment craft.

We descended further and I began to swallow what I was thinking was salt water. I began to think there was a light leak in my mask and somehow during breathing I was inhaling water. Diversionary thoughts began to enter my head as this sensation increased over the next few minutes. My mind was starting to echo really stupid thoughts of, ‘Sure would suck to have to emergency ascend’, or ‘How do I breathe again?’. Slowly but surely my mind began to get on a tear as this fluid—drinking—sensation built. My heart began a sympathetic response and began to race.

With Beth in the lead and my father next to me I motioned that I needed to stop. I was starting to hyperventilate at about 45ft and my logical mind could not for the life of it get my emotional self under control. I knew I could breath, I knew the life line of tubes connecting me to my can of air was worthy so I sank to my knees, motioned unease and held my mask and my mouthpiece. I know stupid things happen in the moment so I just sat there with my eyes closed, letting the sine wave of panic pass through me. I motioned that my heart was racing but how it was perceived I can only guess. I was blowing so many bubbles I went from 2400psi to 1700psi in moments.

We split the group up, Beth to go with my step mother Page and I would return to shallower waters to exit with my father. We turned and parted ways. A few minutes later my heart stabilized, the fluid in my throat stopped running, and my logical self retook control of my senses. I communicated with my father and we tooled around for a few minutes more then exited for what would be a short 27m dive.

When I took my mask off I found out I had a nose bleed, my medical father thinks I had sinus rupture and I was swallowing the drainage / blood from the blow out. What an amazing and frightening experience.

When you find yourself in an alien environment, or maybe just out of your situational comfort zone, and your body begins to abreact at something it can’t internalize properly it feeds your emotional mind a lot of dark fodder. The more I try to be my rational, logical, normal self, the more tenuous the feeling of actual control is when a situation is spinning out of your control.

The best thing one can do is stop and hold on. We are a thermodynamic device so inputs will be cyclical and responsive to what is happening. If you can ride out the wave you will probably see yourself safely through to the end but going all out emotional, or reptillian mind, will only cause you harm. Can you imagine if I had bolted to the surface? I would have put myself from a bad situation to worse in heartbeats.

The next best thing you need to do is extract yourself from the situation. Once I regained some function of mind the safest thing for all of us was to abort the dive. With clear instructions and good buddies I was able to make my way back to safer waters and further regain my faculties and composure. Am I disappointed I didn’t get to see the wall this time? Sure. Am I forever happy to have my health and know I can dive another day? Undoubtedly.

The older I get the more I understand that sometimes we have very little control of ourselves. When the amplitude of panic rises you have to be ready to react in safe manners. Whether it’s deploying a canopy, diving the seas, or driving the highway, you have to be ready for any situation and be ready to try and handle it, or escape from it, like a pro.

Here’s to a safe return and a new story to tell.

-a

What do you do in the city that never sleeps and can offer you nearly anything. Actually not much if you don’t have a clue (i.e. analysis paralysis). Luckily through trial and error we’ve figured out a loose organization of ideas, recommendations, and select guidance can make a trip perfect. Like I said when we were [heading](http://andy.ciordia.info/articles/2007/01/29/heading-to-nyc/) out we took our [Slow Food](http://www.chelseagreen.com/2003/items/slowfoodnyc) book and a few itinerarys.

Places

Cafe Grumpy

I love the Grumpies. How can you not? Chris parachutes (figuratively) with his wife, Caroline and a severance package to open the first Grumpy in Brooklyn. Then they lateral and open into a great slice of Chelsea. Each location thumping a soul of great people and coffee. The world needs more of these powerhouses. They know the coffees they serve and happily educate those who enter their halls.

Chelsea Market

We had heard the tales and had to see what it was like. My mental map and it didn’t align. I thought it was America’s answer to the [St. Lorenzo Market](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/tags/mercato/ “Flickr Pics: St. Lorenzo Mercato”) in Italy…well…a guy can dream right? It did however have all a foodie could generally want. I could not stop jibbering about finding frozen & dried porcini. A bunch of bakeries, a great wine shop, butcher, Italian importer, and a few other good things in a neat corridor/concourse of a building.

MoMa

A first timer to any MoMa museum. Target’s sponsoring “Target Fridays” that let the public in for free during Friday afternoon/evenings (4p-8p I think). We like the idea of saving a little cash while seeing some culture. The culture was on the walls and in the halls as the place was packed with people. We saw some fantastic [artwork](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/tags/moma/) but couldn’t help wonder why there weren’t many (any?) modern artists in the modern museum.

Theater

Mary Poppins

Robin and I had a fun time seeing Mary Poppins. It’s childhood classic that had us comparing memories to the show. Ashley Brown does a stellar job while being supported by a well polished cast. We thought about waiting around to say hi, but this day the wind and chill really penetrated and ripped that heat off us. We also wanted to get another show in but felt like it would be crowding an already bouncy trip.

Restaurants

Nusantara

_651 Ninth Avenue, between 45th and 46th Streets._
Aka Bali Nusa, an Indonesian restaurant with the tastiest ginger tea. Bring cash and a to-go cup (if you want some tea for the road) at this little establishment. We dined on beef satay, corn shrimp fritters, a shrimp vegetable curry, shrimp crackers, jasmine rice squares, and for dessert a steamed coconut custard with palm sugar.

Barbetta

_321 West 46th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Aves._
This place is over 100 years old and straight out of Italia. They even claim to have been the first family to bring the espresso machine to New York. It was a great restaurant and took us back to a more formal side of Italy. The wait staff was attentive and polite, serving up a nice array of dishes. Robin fawned over the softness of the gnocchi and I really got into their savory porcini risotto. The prices ranged from $16-$50 per piece or main entree, but it’s not every day you can say, “Gratzie Mille”.

Victors

_236 West 52nd Street, between 7th and 8th avenue on 52nd st._
I happen to have a great soft spot in my palate for cuban-carribean-puerto rican influences. Whenever we visited my Grandfather he often cooked up some of these dishes. We enjoyed a meal of classics, fried yuca appetizer followed by ropas vejas and arroz con picadillo with fried egg. Washed down with a crisp white sangria. For dessert we needed something soft and found it in a coconut rice pudding (arroz con crema) with a few spicey cafe con leche’s to go with it.

Pink Tea Cup

_42 Grove Streeth, between Bleecker and Bedford Streets._
A place to grab some soul for cash. I wanted a good breakfast and we found it in this perfectly sized restaurant. Can’t beat a place that will serve you some fried chicken and pancakes. We had a ham and cheese omelet, grits, strawberry stuffed pancakes, buttery home-fries, and some biscuits that’d make you cry. Fast service made possible by some hard working and smiling individuals. This might become a regular stop from here on out hehe!

db Bistro Moderne

_55 West 44th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Aves._
From the famed Daniel Boulud this restaurant puts the fine in fine dining. Each location db has creates a burger like no other as a specialty. In the bistro he has the Burger Royale; where else can you throw down seventy bucks for a sirloin burger stuffed with braised short-ribs, black truffle and foie gras topped with shaved black truffles? It was two of my favorite things, fine ingredients and a burger. A really exquisite experience, and I told the manager so. We finished our dinner with a roasted pineapple, ginger cookie, coconut sorbet concoction which was beautiful as well.

You can find all our photos of our trip over on [flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/sets/72157594518153454/ “Flickr NYC Set”). Now it’s time I turn my focus on what I learned during our eight hour intensive with David Allen. It’ll be up on [Nuance Labs](http://blog.nuancelabs.com) as soon as I condense my mind-map into text.

The [GTD](http://www.davidco.com) seminar was fantastic and I’m processing notes for a writeup on [Nuance Labs](http://blog.nuancelabs.com). As well once home I’ll need to process a few hundred shots and get them up on flickr.

The fun never stops and it’s great! Catch you all in a few days.

-a

Our family friend Ashley Brown is the lead in [Mary Poppins](http://disney.go.com/theatre/marypoppins/) so we’ll be seeing her for a Saturday matinée, maybe try and catch [Avenue Q](http://www.avenueq.com) after [Chuck](http://www.cuppscafe.com)’s recommendation.

As well it wouldn’t be a trip to the big city if we didn’t try and hit some [major dining](http://www.chelseagreen.com/2003/items/slowfoodnyc “Slow Food NYC Guide”) and attempt a good tour de cafe. I’d like to see Chris & Caroline stopping in on our friendly Grumpies new location. Maybe catch up with some flickerites. If you’re in the area let me know. Our schedule is fairly flexible.

-a

Before our trip we spoke to many people about where we were going. Have you heard of [Burning Man](http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_man “Wikipedia: Burning Man”)? 9 out of 10 people had no idea, and the 1 would have only heard of it but didn’t understand it. Due to the nature of that I don’t expect everyone who reads this to understand it. Transformus is a regional offshoot of Burning Man. The same tenents are in place, there should be no spectators but participants, a [gift economy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_economy), and ecologically [leaving no trace](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leave_No_Trace).
None of these little ideas give it anything but some basic ephemeral bounderies. You can call this event by a number of names, experimental, self-actualizing, random peculiarity, human acknowledgement and expression, acts of kindness and absurdity which is what it is, what it isn’t and the myriad of terms in between. That is the reason why explaining the spectacle is so difficult. It is really something to just experience.

We were asked to attend by our friend Mike, a member of the [Tiki Torchures](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/sets/72057594140450404/). A bunch of metal oriented people who were gathering a drama-free zone of self-reliant behaviors along with a stage-show for some metal mayhem. A counterpoint to other touchy feely [groups](http://www.transformus.com/event/themecamps/camps.html) that generally exist. The point is very tongue-in-cheek, but makes for excellent polarity. Most of the core group arrived on Wednesday to begin assembling the last few months of work. We came out on Thursday packing up the Pathfinder from trunk to roof full of equipment and toys to last us the duration.

It’s time to get the gears rolling again and find traction for the coming quarter. To those many people I met at SCAA man it was a pleasure. To those I missed, lets try harder next time! Now I’m sitting on a ton of aggregate data from the conference and need to find a way to piece it together.

-a