In grade 3 Jules Torti wrote her autobiography (largely about her bratty younger sister and Best Dog Ever, Xanadu), and never stopped writing, really. It’s the place where she digests all her travels, interactions and epiphanies. And travel doesn’t always equate a land far, far away, or a plane ticket (although she is easily lured away by Westjet and American Airline seat sales). There’s adventure at Jimmy’s Coffee in downtown Toronto on a Saturday afternoon, or on a soggy run through Koreatown or Riverdale Park. She believes that you can see the world and its rhythms, right here. Look, and over there too!
Her blog, Alphabet Soup was initially created in May 2009 as a platform to share her volunteer experience in Uganda, designing colouring books with the Jane Goodall Institute. The blog plot took a dramatic twist when she returned to Africa six months later to work at chimpanzee sanctuary in the Congo. But this blog isn’t just about Africa. There are nostalgic stopovers in an idyllic childhood in the country, breakups, breakdowns, bliss, revelations, champagne toasts, grasshoppers and piranha for dinner, chimp funerals, pangs of love, parasites, a quest for the best pulled pork sandwich—and musings on all that has shaped her in between.
She believes in living her dreams out loud. In technicolour even.
“In a sense, it’s a matter of getting certain stories out of the way. They’ve been with you all your life and you need to write them down.”
~Patricia Young, author of Airstream
Welcome to the blogosphere, Jules. I’m so glad you’re here! Please start transferring your wonderful Facebook posts to this blog so we can all enjoy them. Write on…
Okay, whew. You answered my question about blog etiquette–whether I could move my Facebook furniture over to my new house or not. Thanks for the push.
HEY! Kate Swanson passed on your blog to me — well done, you!
I, too, have decided to clog the web-o-sphere — visit me if you please.
I still haven’t gotten into Facebook…
A/L
I’ll have to check out your blogspot to see what a smooth paddle on a calm lake should look like–but tell Joan I’m sticking to the white-water writing!
Refreshing stuff. I like the story about the old lady in your wild women category. It spoke to me directly because once in while I make time to entertain old people and generally I make notes about their memories. The last one I had over is a 92years old Catholic priest who still remembers his classmates names of 1929, with a wicked sense of humour.
White water or calm lake, your writing flows without turbulance.
Maturity and beauty comes not from age, but experience!
I come back here, or should I say GO here, again and again.
You truly feel, inspire and write like a human wonder.
I hope you found your new home and write about it soon.
; )
Martine