max's cabaret
alex and i had our tango performance last night at max's cabaret (an annual fundraiser for the market hall theatre in downtown peterborough). for those of you desperate to see it, don't worry- i expect videos will be showing up on facebook or youtube shortly. the whole show was tremendous- lots of uber-talented, attractive women wearing lingerie.

interAction
i've found that the people in peterborough, more than any other place i've lived, are like characters in an interactive advent calendar- each day there's at least one unexpected exchange with someone. maybe it's me, and my gravitational force has shifted in a way that makes others more prone to stop (or run me down, in some instances) and chat me up. on the bus, in the store, on the street, at an event- it doesn't matter, but i find myself frequently caught up in 20+ min conversations with strangers. even brief exchanges involve more meaningful banter than i'm used to, leaving my grinning and re-running the dialogue in my mind.

earthlings
i ran 'earthlings' as the OPIRG documentary this week, and ended up with tear-stained faces rearing for change. all but one of the people present expressed interest in getting involved with a vegan group, and although i really don't have the time to start one- who else is going to do it?
contrary to the cynics, i believe people want to be compassionate and thoughtful. no one wants to be contributing to unnecessary suffering and planetary destruction, and few recognize our modern traditions are founded on cruelty and self-indulgence. the hard part is encouraging people to step out of their comfort zones and acknowledge the repercussions of their/our behaviour.