The Tree and Her Friends 1 - 3
On my most recent trip to Penang, which was over a year ago, I wanted to visit a site that had personal importance for me. It was the Hin Bus Depot that I wanted to see. This was a central location used in the creation of Expression: Dance Activism Documentary nearly three years ago. But this post isn't about the documentary. It's about what happened as a result of returning to the Hin Bus Depot in 2018. I wanted to sit in the artistic environment of the Depot and breathe in the atmosphere as well as reliving the memories of having co-created such an important project at this lively location. Before I got a chance to do those things, real life stepped in. And it's a good thing I was being in the present and not reminiscing yet because an awesome opportunity presented itself.
I walked into the inside component of the Depot and only a few steps in, I was greeted by a friendly face who introduced herself as the manager of the art gallery. The Hin Bus Depot hasn't been used as a bus depot for a long time. And the new and updated location is an art gallery. For their full story, check out this page. Once I began chatting with Wanida, the manager, it wasn't long before I revealed my true reasons for being there. And once I told her about the documentary that featured me dancing, she then revealed that she was a dancer herself.
We were excitedly talking about dancing when an idea knock-knock-knocked on the doors of my mind. Why not co-create a project together with Wanida? And that's exactly what ensued. I returned there the following day ready to film. And I had scheduled to film with Wanida that day and another couchsurfer the following day. Unfortunately my shots with the other couchsurfer haven't yet been produced and uploaded.
These three videos were shot together with Wanida. It features her awesome expressions as well as my creative movement. This story of meeting and dancing with the manager of Hin Bus Depot is also a lot about enabling the dreams of others. Wanida's friendliness and openness to new ideas let her enable my dreams. She consented and we made these videos and had a lot of fun in the process. But there is another related story that wasn't as enabling during my visit to Penang that year.
I think it was the same day that I had discovered a corridor of art in Penang. I don't want to discuss its details because I don't mean to defame the curators of that artspace. I discovered the space and walked through it all taking it all in and refraining from using my phone. I wanted to be present and that's when I got the idea to make a video there. I walked through the space a second time, this time taking photos of the illustrations on the wall that really took my imagination by storm. Then I went around looking for the manager.
Finding the manager wasn't easy. She wasn't there at the parent company of the artspace and I was told to go visit a shop nearby. I went and there I was told to go back to the parent company to wait. I did so and after waiting some time when I finally did speak to the manager, I was told to write an email to the company making the request. I sat down in a quiet space upstairs and wrote an email with great hope.
Later in the day, I received a reply in which my request was declined. That's a bad example of enabling dreams. In fact it's not enabling dreams at all. Had the company allowed me to make a short film in their artspace, they would have also benefitted. However, their bad example makes Wanida's good example shine bright. And because of that the Hin Bus Depot becomes an even more special place, one capable of enabling the dreams of others. Ask the artists who have had their art portrayed within the walls of the Depot and I'm sure they feel the same.
So this is what I really want to talk about. Enabling the dreams of others is an important aspect of my life. By enabling the dreams of others, we enable our own dreams as well. This idea was first shared with me by Randy Pausch in his book The Last Lecture. And he certainly does enable the dreams of others through the book itself so check it out if you are seeking inspiration on your dreampath. Recently I re-read it in Thai to help me practice for the test I took last month. So the idea of enabling the dreams of others is active in my mind.
One way I like enabling the dreams of others is through my Current Mission on Couchsurfing. I invite all surfers staying with me to co-create together. I have had the pleasure of co-creating with many surfers. With most people, we record some audio. Usually it's a piece of audio spoken by them in their own language. These pieces of audio have ended up in my music and actually I have a lot more audio to work with than what I have released. One other thing I like co-creating with couchsurfers of mine are making dance activism videos. This blog is littered with the videos I have made so check them out if you're looking for more inspiration. But just like the audio, I have many more videos that I haven't yet produced and uploaded.
It's not a horrible thing that the owners of that artspace didn't allow me to film there. Like I already stated, the Hin Bus Depot shines brightly in their shadow. Some would say that a door opens when another closes. This experience pushes me forward to be an even greater enabler of the dreams of others. If there's something I can offer someone on their dreampath, I will. Oh and for future CSers who are wondering what I could offer you, I am happy to do a Dream Raven Tarot reading when you arrive. But really, I just want to dance with you and record you speaking in your native tongue.
And I want to finish off the article by asking you what you have done or are willing to do to enable the dreams of others. I want to hear new and fresh ideas. I want to live in a world of people who enable each others' dreams. Sometimes just talking to people about their ultimate dreams is enough to get their dream engines revved up. Sometimes I ask new people I've met what their dream is. And it's always inspiring to hear about the stories of travellers who are currently living their dream of travelling the world. I look forward to your answers in the comment section!
I walked into the inside component of the Depot and only a few steps in, I was greeted by a friendly face who introduced herself as the manager of the art gallery. The Hin Bus Depot hasn't been used as a bus depot for a long time. And the new and updated location is an art gallery. For their full story, check out this page. Once I began chatting with Wanida, the manager, it wasn't long before I revealed my true reasons for being there. And once I told her about the documentary that featured me dancing, she then revealed that she was a dancer herself.
We were excitedly talking about dancing when an idea knock-knock-knocked on the doors of my mind. Why not co-create a project together with Wanida? And that's exactly what ensued. I returned there the following day ready to film. And I had scheduled to film with Wanida that day and another couchsurfer the following day. Unfortunately my shots with the other couchsurfer haven't yet been produced and uploaded.
These three videos were shot together with Wanida. It features her awesome expressions as well as my creative movement. This story of meeting and dancing with the manager of Hin Bus Depot is also a lot about enabling the dreams of others. Wanida's friendliness and openness to new ideas let her enable my dreams. She consented and we made these videos and had a lot of fun in the process. But there is another related story that wasn't as enabling during my visit to Penang that year.
I think it was the same day that I had discovered a corridor of art in Penang. I don't want to discuss its details because I don't mean to defame the curators of that artspace. I discovered the space and walked through it all taking it all in and refraining from using my phone. I wanted to be present and that's when I got the idea to make a video there. I walked through the space a second time, this time taking photos of the illustrations on the wall that really took my imagination by storm. Then I went around looking for the manager.
Finding the manager wasn't easy. She wasn't there at the parent company of the artspace and I was told to go visit a shop nearby. I went and there I was told to go back to the parent company to wait. I did so and after waiting some time when I finally did speak to the manager, I was told to write an email to the company making the request. I sat down in a quiet space upstairs and wrote an email with great hope.
Later in the day, I received a reply in which my request was declined. That's a bad example of enabling dreams. In fact it's not enabling dreams at all. Had the company allowed me to make a short film in their artspace, they would have also benefitted. However, their bad example makes Wanida's good example shine bright. And because of that the Hin Bus Depot becomes an even more special place, one capable of enabling the dreams of others. Ask the artists who have had their art portrayed within the walls of the Depot and I'm sure they feel the same.
So this is what I really want to talk about. Enabling the dreams of others is an important aspect of my life. By enabling the dreams of others, we enable our own dreams as well. This idea was first shared with me by Randy Pausch in his book The Last Lecture. And he certainly does enable the dreams of others through the book itself so check it out if you are seeking inspiration on your dreampath. Recently I re-read it in Thai to help me practice for the test I took last month. So the idea of enabling the dreams of others is active in my mind.
One way I like enabling the dreams of others is through my Current Mission on Couchsurfing. I invite all surfers staying with me to co-create together. I have had the pleasure of co-creating with many surfers. With most people, we record some audio. Usually it's a piece of audio spoken by them in their own language. These pieces of audio have ended up in my music and actually I have a lot more audio to work with than what I have released. One other thing I like co-creating with couchsurfers of mine are making dance activism videos. This blog is littered with the videos I have made so check them out if you're looking for more inspiration. But just like the audio, I have many more videos that I haven't yet produced and uploaded.
It's not a horrible thing that the owners of that artspace didn't allow me to film there. Like I already stated, the Hin Bus Depot shines brightly in their shadow. Some would say that a door opens when another closes. This experience pushes me forward to be an even greater enabler of the dreams of others. If there's something I can offer someone on their dreampath, I will. Oh and for future CSers who are wondering what I could offer you, I am happy to do a Dream Raven Tarot reading when you arrive. But really, I just want to dance with you and record you speaking in your native tongue.
And I want to finish off the article by asking you what you have done or are willing to do to enable the dreams of others. I want to hear new and fresh ideas. I want to live in a world of people who enable each others' dreams. Sometimes just talking to people about their ultimate dreams is enough to get their dream engines revved up. Sometimes I ask new people I've met what their dream is. And it's always inspiring to hear about the stories of travellers who are currently living their dream of travelling the world. I look forward to your answers in the comment section!
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