Mutual Aid Can Be Anything

Nirvana Wok’s mutual aid project right now is all about delivering food and dry goods to a small network of fellow volunteers and also to random individuals in need of help.

Recently dropped off a batch of hoppin’ john, a side of rice and fried prawns in black bean ginger garlic sauce to someone on Capitol Hill who hands out food and supplies every Thursday night. Also donated dry goods - razors, ear swabs, a container of pitted dates.

Don’t get me started on the evictions happening on Capitol Hill recently, some organized by private citizens. Seattle media and many politicians refer to these actions as “sweeps,” a word that suggests “taking out the trash,” as if some human beings are garbage and deserve to be swept away. We all know which 20th century German political party came up with that kind of language.

Tonight in Seattle it will be 40 degrees, windy and wet. Imagine trying to get through the night in a tent or with no tent.

Plants and Animals

Mutual aid can be anything, including, say, aid for plants and animals.

Transforming your yard from a monoculture of lawn grass into an urban oasis of indigenous plants that will attract other indigenous life forms would be a form of mutual aid. No more noise and carbon pollution from gas-burning single cycle engine lawn mowers and leaf blowers. No more chemicals. Just nature taking over. Flourishing microorganisms. Insects thriving. Birds loving it. Perhaps a vole or a mole underground, eating plentiful invertebrates and churning up fertile soil.

–Alex

Bulk fried prawns from US Foods are not ideal, but spicy black bean sauce fixes almost any seafood dish. Add a side of rice with some chopped scallions.

Two pounds of dried black-eyed peas makes a heaping pan of hoppin’ john. Friend of the newsletter Elaine suggests using fresh-to-frozen peas from the supermarket instead of the dried or canned ones.