Joana Markus Neves, from sunny and warm Lisbon, asks,
“What is your favourite cold soup?”
and Andrew Paul Koole, from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, asks,
“We know Mr. Swanson's position on the Great White North. What's your impression of Canada? (An invitation to set the record straight.)”
Joana and Andrew, thank you very kindly for your questions.
Joana, speaking of cold soup regions, I once lived in Cyprus for a couple/few weeks, rehearsing a Kabuki theatre play in an outdoor amphitheater during the punishing heat, which made the custom of siesta an absolute necessity. If only someone had thought to show up with a gazpacho cart.
Andrew, I’ve learned from touring all over the continent and world across the years that I pretty much like every place. There are places that are supposed to suck, or that get a bad rap in the popular consciousness, but I generally find that wherever people are making a go of it, it’s heroic to me. Because if there are people involved, that also means they’re screwing something up, since that’s what we all do, apparently by design.
For example, do these terms evoke anything in your imagination, good or bad?:
The Bible Belt. Detroit. Nebraska. New England. Ivy League. Arizona State. Cleveland. Laughlin. Utah. Canada. Houston.
They sure make me think of things, some good, some not so much, but when I arrive at each and every one of them, I find that there are people there, doing their best. Sometimes what they’re best at is not good, like disenfranchising Black voters, but I find that there are also decent people in those communities, and every community, staunchly combatting whatever bigotry or bigotries are baked into the community.
Myself, I am drawn to the artists and the gastronomists and the boatbuilders and the knitters and the readers, and together we’ll see if we can’t keep eradicating single-use plastics and such. Why do we let corporations sell water to us?
Thanks for the conversation.
Love,
Muleteers, if you want to catch all the scintillating streams of consciousness and also half-consciousness, then by all means subscribe. (Hair and makeup by me.)
Don’t forget to leave me your questions in the comments, including where you’re at, please and thank you.
Canadian Soup Love