Week 6 - 6.10.23 - Michaelmas Day

At Triform Camphill Community, we are not only working, but also celebrating together. The first holiday we celebrated together was Michaelmas Day.

In Camphill communities around the world, each season is celebrated by a festival. Christmas (winter), Easter (spring), St. Johns (summer) and Michaelmas Day (autumn). 29.9 was chosen because of its proximity in time to the Autumn Equinox, the sun's transition to the southern equator and the astronomical beginning of autumn. Michaelmas marks the end of the harvest, the end of the fishing season, and the beginning of the hunting season. St. Michael vanquished the dragon and cradled the souls of the dead. The core message to the residents is that Michael teaches us to face the inner dragons, to stand firm between heaven and earth, and to face the coming darkness of winter with a brave heart. During the dark winter months, some residents struggle with depression, so they are encouraged here. At the same time, the darker half of the year brings many new challenges to work in the forests and fields.

Actually it was planned that we celebrate on Friday 29.9 at noon in Camphill Ghent and in the afternoon in the Triform Camphill Community. Due to heavy rain we celebrated on Friday only in the Triform Camphill Community and went to Ghent on Monday. But we were very happy about this, because this way we could celebrate together on two days.

Michaelmas Day is a Christian feast day dedicated to the Archangel Michael. However, since Camphill does not exclusively house Christian people, there was no classical church service, but an anthroposophical program.  Since I myself did not attend a Waldorf school, the schedule was very new to me. Weeks before the festivities, the householders prepared us for the holiday by reading the relevant passages from the Bible and singing songs about St. Michael together. On Friday, everyone dressed festively and went to the auditorium together. There, three householders led the ceremony and read from the Bible. After that, we were silent for five minutes, which was a big challenge for some of the young people. I was surprised how well it worked anyway, since the holiday means a lot to the residents and they are already used to the routine. Afterwards, a householder went through rows and touched the foreheads of people, who then had to say "I may receive the Spirit of Christ." This part was optional, yet I participated to develop a deeper understanding of the celebration. Afterwards, all the houses met in the pavilion and sang and ate together. Some of the residents' parents were also present here, so I was able to meet the father of the resident I care for every day. He was the boss of a shell refinery in Texas and also speaks a little German, so I was able to talk to him about his vacation in Berlin.

On Monday we went by car to Camphill Ghent, 16 miles away. The residents are people with disabilities who are in retirement age. An incredibly beautiful site with impressive views of the surrounding rolling countryside. 300 people showed up, in addition to Triform and Ghent residents, Camphills Hudson and Copake also showed up. We all sat down in a huge circle and enjoyed the program, to which I was also able to contribute. For the past few weeks, I have been attending "Speech Class" twice a week where we have been practicing a speech by Rudolf Steiner as a group:

Human Soul!

You live within the limbs,

Which bear you through 

the world of space

Into the Spirit-Ocean-Being:

Live remembering Spirit

In soul-depths,

Where in majestic sway

Of World-Creator-Being

Your own I

In God's I

Is begotten:

And you will live truly

In the Being of the Human World.

For there reigns the Father-Spirit

of Heights

In World-depths, creating life.

You Spirits of Force

Let from the heights resound

What in the depths an echo finds;

This speaks:

Of the Divine is Mankind born.

This hear the Spiritual Beings in

East, West, North, South:

May human beings hear it!

To speak so loudly and clearly that the speech could be heard by 300 people on an open-air lawn was quite a challenge, but according to the audience we mastered it. Before the speech, the "Movement Class" performed an anthroposophical dance. While we gave the speech, the "Sign Language Class" translated our words into sign language. This allowed each resident to contribute a part to the celebration. Seeing how some residents went above and beyond impressed me very much. The presentations by the other Camphills captivated our residents with singing, dancing and costumes. For example, Michael's fight against the dragon was re-enacted with beautiful costumes. After the program we enjoyed the rich buffet, to which each Camphill contributed something. Unfortunately, there was little time for the exchange with other Camphills, the program lasted about 2 hours, the common get-together and meal no longer than 30 minutes. Personally, I would have liked to have more time for the exchange with coworkers from other Camphills. Overall, I enjoyed the two celebrations very much, I am very curious how the upcoming holidays will be celebrated in the Camphill community!

I can't share photos with the residents here on my blog, but you can find them on the Triform Camphill Community Facebook page:

Celebration in Triform: 

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=696073709222765&set=pcb.695582492605220

Celebration in Ghent:

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=696074425889360&set=pcb.695716005925202

Week 7 - 13.10.23 - Bronx Zoo

This week I didn't go to Manhattan on my day off, but to Yonkers. The city of Yonkers borders directly on New York City to the north and is located on the Hudson River. Right by the train station is a nice cafe, Paxos Cafe, I tried "Chicken and Waffles" there. It is not a new food trend, but very common in the south of the United States. It combines fried chicken with breakfast waffles, served with butter and syrup. Warm breakfast is always very unusual for me as a German, but it tasted wonderful. A nice idea that I will take with me to Germany for upcoming Sunday breakfasts.

I then walked through Yonkers to the Bronx, the northernmost borough of New York City. The name "Bronx" comes from the Swedish settler "Jonas Bronck", who settled in the area in the 17th century. The Bronx is very different from Manhattan, as the borough is very multicultural. 41% of residents were born outside the United States, with many coming from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, Africa, or Kosovo. Half of the people speak English, the other half Spanish. Beginning in the 1960s, the Bronx became internationally known for gang crime, muggings and drug trafficking. The origins of hip hop and breakdancing developed in the borough, and crime has since declined sharply. In the neighborhood, you still meet few tourists, which was very pleasant.

My destination was the International Wildlife Conservation Park, the Bronx Zoo, founded in 1899. It is the largest zoo in New York and the largest urban zoo in the United States with 4300 animals and 765 species. The zoo is very well laid out and the wayfinding was very pleasant. Especially compared to the Berlin Zoo and Tierpark, I really enjoyed following a main path here and seeing the majority of the animals without having to backtrack paths and make many decisions. During a ride on the monorail, I could observe many animals and hear interesting facts from the friendly zookeeper. The ride reminded me a lot of the monorail in Jurrassic World.

One of my favorite books is the 1990 book "Last Chance to See" by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine. In search of the world's most endangered species, the authors visited Madagascar, Indonesia, New Zealand, Zaire, China and Mauritius. The book impressed me so much as a teenager that I presented it at school. It made me realize how threatened our environment is and how urgent the need for action is. In the book, they also describe their encounter with the Komodo dragon, a very fascinating animal. The lizard, which lives on Komodo, grows up to three meters long and weighs 70 kg. The lizard hides and bites its victims, including wild boars and deer, who then run away, thinking they are safe. But with the bite, the lizard transmit venom, from which their victims die. They also pursue their victims for several days until they find the corpse. At the zoo, I was able to observe the animal described in the book up close, which was very fascinating.

In the Catskill Mountains, where we were already hiking, live 1500 to 2000 bears. Luckily we didn't meet any bears while hiking, but in the zoo I could have a look at the bears from a safe distance. The bear reminded with very much of the "Charmin bear", he scratched himself at a tree and sat down afterwards on his butt, which resulted in a funny picture. Nevertheless, one should not underestimate the animals, as some newspaper articles about bear attacks in the Catskills prove.

During my last two visits to the zoo in Berlin, the red panda had always hidden. But this time I was lucky and could look at two red pandas, just beautiful animals that I could watch forever.

After the visit to the zoo, I took the train and visited the "Pizza Barn" in Yonkers, as this place was recommended to me by my guidebook. The pizzeria is advertised with the slogan "Biggest Pizza Slice in the world". In fact, the pizza had dimensions that would have convinced even Jumbo Schreiner. The pizza was not only large, but also incredibly delicious. I didn't make a large portion and took it with me to treat myself to a nice movie night or two of pizza the next week after a long day at work. Arriving in Hudson, I was then faced with the problem of how to transport the pizza home. The box didn't fit in the backpack, nor does the bike have a bike rack, so I ended up riding one-handed back to the Camphill Community at 23:00 with a pizza in hand. Must have made a funny picture for the drivers, but it was worth it.

Week 8 - 20.10.23 - Family & Friends Weekend

The weekends are mostly similar. On Saturdays we clean the house and then go on excursions in the surrounding area. On Sunday, the householders have the day off and we take care of the horses. The coworker T. from Scotland brought her own horse to the Triform Camphill Community, which we feed and wash together. In the afternoon there are creative workshops. I assist in the theater workshop where we prepare a theater drama for Halloween.

But last weekend was not a normal weekend, because it was "Family & Friends Weekend". The families of the residents were invited to visit Triform and celebrate together with us. A great opportunity to get to know the parents.

On Saturday, the day started with parents, residents and coworkers tackling bigger projects together. There were three projects to choose from: tearing down an old and broken pasture fence (which will soon be rebuilt by us farmers) , painting the picnic tables in the pavilion and laying a new path. The Estate Crew regularly cuts down old trees, these were turned into wood chips before the weekend. Together with the residents and their parents, we put the wood chips into wheelbarrows and drove them to the path between the Farmview house and Stewardship. The muddy forest path has now become a beautiful trail that will benefit us farmers in the future. While working, the residents were able to show how independent they have become by working in Triform, which made the parents very proud.

After work, families were invited to have lunch in their children's homes. We had a small feast with bagels and delicious cakes. The parents were very happy to meet the new coworkers who have been accompanying their children in work and leisure since August. One mother approached me and thanked me for my volunteer work. Resident E. talks a lot at home about the female coworkers, but rarely about male coworkers. They were all the more surprised how much he talked about the new coworker Damon and the nice evenings together with him. This feedback from the parents really touched me and shows that my work is bearing fruit.

After the meal we went to the Phoenix Center. In the Phoenix Center there is a sauna, a small gym, the bakery and a large sports hall. In the gym sat several musicians and an animator who led group and couple dances. Dancing here with colleagues, residents, and family members was a fantastic experience. My favorite dance was the dance in the shape of a snake, where we moved hand in hand through the hall. After the dances, we were all asked to leave the gym and stand in a circle outside. Here, each house was given the opportunity to introduce themselves. Afterwards, we coworkers were asked to come to the front. During introductions, it became clear how international our team is. Volunteers come from California, New York, the Caribbean, Brazil, India, Scotland, Thailand and Germany, which is especially reflected in the varied cuisine at Triform. An American father came up and spoke Swiss German with us, which was very entertaining, as there are some similarities here, but also distinct differences. You can find Photos of the event here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CymOp-gxk9r/?img_index=1

After the festivities, some residents went with their parents to eat together, watch movies and sleep in nearby hotels. In our house, all the residents left the house, so we had off until Sunday 11:00 without duties. We coworkers took advantage of that to do something together for the first time in two months. The days off are scheduled so that there are always two to three volunteers from the house working, so otherwise there is never an opportunity to do anything as a house without the residents. We went to Casa Latina Mexican in Hudson and had delicious nachos, tacos, and quesadillas (my favorite). After we got back, we chatted in the kitchen for over an hour. As nice as it is to be with the residents all day, you are grateful for every minute you get to spend with other coworkers. When residents are present, topics such as politics and current world events are not discussed, nor are topics of conversation chosen that exclude residents from the conversation or put them in a negative mood. Mostly we talk about work, such as current projects at the pottery, or news about family, upcoming festivities, or events within the community. Many residents have no connection to foreign countries and cultures, politics and history, so I sometimes miss conversations about these topics. The next "Family & Friends" weekend will take place in June, then we will see the parents again. A successful day!

Week 9 - 27.10.23 - Albany

What is the capital of New York State? 

It's not its largest city, New York City, but Albany. So I set out with two other coworkers on my day off to explore this city. Coworker F. is from South Korea and worked as a teacher before coming to Camphill, and G. graduated from high school this year and wants to work as a police officer in Germany after the year. 

On the way we were stopped by the New York State Police. I wrote my first term paper in college about Rodney King and police violence in Los Angeles in the 90s, also you often read about police stops in the US and how to behave, so I was very excited. However, the police officer was exceptionally friendly and chatted with us about where we were from and what we were doing in the US. He seemed very interested and wished us a good time. After that, we continued on the highway to Albany, 43 miles or 46 minutes away by car.

Our first stop was the New York State Capitol, the seat of the New York State legislature. A huge building from 1867, which was under construction for more than 32 years and, in today's terms, swallowed half a billion US dollars. Especially impressive is the staircase "Great Western Staircase", also called Million Dollar Staircase. It looks like a staircase in a medieval castle and creates a very nice atmosphere.

Before you are allowed to enter the house, you have to pass a small security check where your bags are screened. There was no entrance fee or queue, also you can move unhindered through the whole building.  Upon entering, I felt reminded of the movie "Idiocracy" as it is named "Dunkin Donuts Entrance". There is a large Dunkin Donuts outlet in the building, and there are many signs in the hallways directing you to the donut store. This is not at all in keeping with the venerable staircase and its status as the seat of the legislature. We were even allowed to go into the session room, the chamber of the New York State Assembly. This is where the 63 New York State legislators meet; with 42 seats to 21, the Democrats have the majority here over the Republicans. The supervisor in the otherwise empty room even allowed us to sit in the Speaker's seat, who presides over the session and is allowed to wield the gavel.

Afterwards, we walked around the city and wondered about the design of the downtown. The outdoor areas look a lot like Hudson and have a small-town feel, but the downtown looks like a modern artist's experimental meadow. "The Egg" is a large theater that shapes the panorama of the city like a giant egg. It is joined by a few skyscrapers surrounding a large plaza, which make a strange picture in contrast to the old buildings. 

We walked to the shore of the Hudson and visited the ship "USS Slater".  It is a Cannon Class destroyer escort that was commissioned into the US Navy in 1944. Named after Frank O. Slater, a sailor killed at the Battle of Guadalcanal, the ship was used as an escort for Atlantic and Pacific voyages during WWII and has several weapons to fight German and Japanese submarines as well as kamikaze planes. The ship was used for the movie "Guns of Navarone" (1961) and served as a training ship for the Greek Navy after WWII. Volunteer club members have restored the ship so that one can understand the life of the sailors during WWII. It was interesting, for example, to see the cooks stretching out their hammocks in the dining room after work.  Unlike the museum ships I have visited so far, here you were allowed to try out and touch many things. For example, I was able to operate a gun that was used against enemy planes.  We were also allowed to lie down in the beds and try out how hard the job of a gun loader is.

After a nice tour of the ship, we made our way to the Corning Tower, which offers an observation deck on the 42nd floor. To our surprise, the visit didn't cost any admission and there were hardly any people there, so having your day off on Thursday has its advantages.  From the top we saw that the city with its 99,000 inhabitants is really not very big and resembles more a small town than a capital. But the view of the Hudson River and the surrounding landscape was very nice.

After the beautiful view we got into the car and drove to the restaurant "Illusion Restaurant and Bar". The restaurant was recommended to us for its excellent burgers. I chose the "Empire Smash Burger" because it was once voted the second best burger in New York State. Two Angus Beef Smash Patties, caramelized bacon, sharp cheddar, honey bourbon BBQ sauce, pickles and onions between two toasted brioche buns. A fantastic burger, along with properly seasoned fries and a nice view of downtown with the skyscraper we just looked down on.

After the restaurant visit, we visited another mall in Albany as well as the Wallmart in Hudson since we don't have time to shop for ourselves outside of the offdays. A wonderful day that we enjoyed very much!