About The Canoe Zoo Cafe

Burning Frog Island, Vietnam became The Canoe Zoo Cafe, Africa which in turn became Big Tree Harare. I, Jonathan N. Wakeling, was born British Canadian but became Native American through a lifetime in Africa. Go figure.

Burning Frog Island
The Canoe Zoo Cafe
Big Tree Harare
#TheCanoeZooCafe

Previously Burning Frog Island, Vietnam, The Canoe Zoo Cafe, Africa is very special. It formed the place holder or Lorem ipsum for Big Tree Harare, that is, 11 Lyndhurst Rd., before we found the name “Big Tree Harare”. So The Canoe Zoo Cafe, is the historical name of Big Tree Harare. It used to be called Burning Frog Island, Vietnam because of the “war” fought at 11 Lyndhurst Rd. and the many toads in the garden here in the summer. I still fondly call the kitchen in the White House at Big Tree Harare, The Canoe Zoo Cafe in honour of its place in the history of 11 Lyndhurst.

To put it simply 11 Lyndhurst Rd. became Burning Frog Island, Vietnam which became The Canoe Zoo Cafe, Africa which became Big Tree Harare and Big Tree Harare stuck. We still maintain profiles for The Canoe Zoo Cafe and Burning Frog Island for historical clarity.

Given the above, we can look at the name The Canoe Zoo Cafe, with the perspective of Burning Frog Island and Big Tree Harare.

I like to say there are no zoos in Africa or that Africa is like one big zoo. I like to think of the canoe and its historical roots in Native America where the canoe comes from. And further from that of the racial similarity of Africans and Native Americans as people of colour collectively. The “cafe” is what I call a Native American smoke signal, and thus I call a joint or a hand-rolled cigarette a Canoe Zoo Cafe. Above all it’s a metaphor or explanation of an inexplicable idea. Another thing: vegetarianism and veganism – The Canoe Zoo Cafe cooks vegetarian meals. Need a “zoo” or a “smoke” vegetarians?