Soios in Maashees (NL) is a company that builds solar vehicles. They have given me the opportunity to build the front vehicle of the Mobile Solar Studio at Soios. Part of the vehicle (the frame, some woodwork) already existed: it was one of the first prototypes they made, but they never finished building it. To re-use materials and at the same time cut costs we’ve decided to modify this prototype. We started building in the beginning of 2009. Facts: the MSS (including the Graziella) contains 12 solar panels and 17 batteries.

[Til, Hein and Piet working on the MSS]  [Jan helps placing one of the engines]
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When I presented the iamoneworld project at a local Minc meeting, someone in the audience told me he knew a good builder who’d may be interested in help building the MSS. As his own contribution to the project he offered to pay for the costs of gasoline for the builder. What a wonderful offer!
Hein has been to Soios many times now to help building the MSS. Also his friend Piet helped out. And Til. And Ger. And Bregje. The people of Soios are hired to take care of specific tasks (engineering etc.), all the other work we mostly do ourselves.

The worldwide financial crisis is a wake up call and a blessing in disguise. You can become more aware of other possibilities to realize projects. The more social energy or capital is available, the less money is needed. Money is still useful to buy parts & equipment, but in this way you just need less of it :) Thank you all!

[Two types of solar panels are used] [Woodwork, sandpaper, paint: the yellow colour has to go!]
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And in regard to the question I am asked at least once a day (‘when will you leave?’) I found out the following: Time is a human thought/concept. Animals and plants don’t experience time, they experience rhythm. Experiencing time can be very useful: it can help you to focus, to set priorities. The challenge is to experience life as a stream of miracles (which it is if you don’t think about it :) Time then becomes a tool to set priorities. Those priorities are based on staying true to who you really are. This is a dynamic process.
 
So planning is linear but life unfolds itself in rhythmic patterns.
This summer we will start test driving, at least that’s the plan. Time will tell if life supports this idea :)

Time is just perfect if you leave it be.

   [The state of the front vehicle of the Mobile Solar Studio. June 2009]
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