Diyas and Rangoli...
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Today the world I live in is celebrating the 'Festival of Lights'...
Diya's and Rangoli decorate the doorsteps of every Hindu, Sikh and Jain home on the eve of Diwali...
One of the most intriguing qualities that puts India in my dreams, is that no day goes by without flashes of patterns and colours that bring your senses and emotions to a split second standstill...
I guess it explains why I love photography so much too. To capture a moment of life that we rarely get a chance to savour in all the rushing around from here to there...
To sit and have the privilege of studying in detail the colour and depth of such minute detail in the never ending story of the busy world you are living in...
To take time to be grateful for what you have...
I find it beautiful that where money is scarce, the colours seems to become brighter, people surround themselves with beauty in a more passionate manner...
The senses are given more importance in life to enlighten and awaken the soul...
Colours are brighter, music and prayers are shared, food is sweeter and you are transported to memories past at every corner where a chai stall sends the smell of ginger and cardamom to your nose...
The fate of an Indian lies in Gods hands, the passion for their culture and religion is so alive in their hearts, it is hard for it to not rub of on you when you walk past..
Life is full of beauty when you take the time to look...
Happy Diwali to you all...
May the journey you are following be full of colour and light in every way...
***
Bombay Bizarre...
Just a quick and sneaky post.. I'm at a friends in Bombay and he's got broadband!
I'm missing reading all my daily blogs sooo much, I'm doing a quick scan through on the reader, but it's not the same. To be honest it's nice to be away from the net, but I feel like I've lost touch with friends...
So a few 'must comment' messages...
a piece of wood... what can I say? I'm truly sorry... I've been thinking of you.
Jade... I'm jumping with joy too, but I'm sad you're not coming to India. I wish I could join you x
Jack... Just wonderful! Simplicity is coming soon...
notes from the frugal trenches... what a great idea, inspirational, I wish you all the luck in the world!
I was working on a post offline outlining the story so far, but to be honest it's just a mix of chilling and meeting friends and family, in between the bureaucratic, corrupted, duplicate and triplicate paperwork of India, long train journeys and wonderful rickshaw rides!
I'm pleased to say that I've seen many examples of India's move towards a 'greener' lifestyle. Very surprising, considering I didn't even think that the issue would have much importance here...
* Petrol billboards with 'It won't last forever' type slogans and 'think before you fill'
* Messages on water bottles stating the companies green mission
* News channel 'pledge to go green' for viewers by text and email
* City Metro line construction, advertising 'green environmentally friendly construction and a 'greener way to travel with less pollution'
Even with all the stress and hassle and long journeys, we are just happy to be here. We haven't even had an argument since our little disagreement over 'what is cheap whisky?' in the duty free!
I'm just enjoying the chaos and calm, the colours and smells and the disorganized way that everything seems to run so smoothly.
I'm putting my future in the hands of one of the many Gods and taking deep breaths of fire crackers, incense and the occasional whiff of rotting vegetables being snacked on by a holy cow!
For now all we can do is sit back, relax and celebrate Diwali in all it's glory!
India With Passion...
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
I won't be around for a while.
So I'm going to leave you with a photo for each day that goes by...
I won't leave you any captions, quotes or poetry,
Just a simple moment of my life, that has made me who I am today...
All of the photos will be my own,
All of them would have been taken in India,
All of them will be close to my heart,
All of them will show to you the beauty of 'Where We Belong...'
One question I get asked a lot, is:
"Why India?"
Well, This is my answer...
***
I will be back as soon as I can battle through the technological wonderland of Indian Cyberspace...
To ensure you don't miss out on any adventures,
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Please, please continue to leave comments for me too, it really makes my day and I'll be more than excited to read them in a hot and sweaty internet cafe with a squeaky fan and no air conditioning...
...'til next time,
I leave you with my love and thanks, for being there when I needed you...
emma x
Carbon Offsetting When Jetsetting...
Monday, 13 October 2008
Now I thought I'd have a look at Carbon Offsetting. Not that we can afford it. I could easily find a better home for my cash right now, but I just wanted to see how much carbon our flight would use.
In a perfect world I would spend my money on all things eco and green, whilst saving the world from climate change, SUV's and plastic bags. Unfortunately I have some packing to do and after counting up the coppers, we don't even have enough to pay for the flights. So instead of feeling guilty about flying to the place I will call home (again) soon, I am going to educate myself further in the things that I can do now that are not quite so dramatical as flying over the oceans in my underpants waving my credit card.
Our trip details are:
Round trip (8,956 miles)
Economy Class
3 passengers
Calculated CO2 emissions:
Ben & Jerry's can offset our carbon to help developers of renewable energy continue to promote and develop technology to displace polluting fossil fuels...
Calculated CO2 emissions:
Ben & Jerry's can offset our carbon to help developers of renewable energy continue to promote and develop technology to displace polluting fossil fuels...
CO2 Emissions: 10.949 short tonnes (9.82 tonnes) for $150.
Terrapass funds three different project types: clean energy produced by wind power; farm power which makes good use of animal wastes; and landfill gas capture, which reduces the impact of our own wastes.
Terrapass funds three different project types: clean energy produced by wind power; farm power which makes good use of animal wastes; and landfill gas capture, which reduces the impact of our own wastes.
CO2 Emissions: 7,206 lbs (3.2 tonnes) for a mere $47.50
(now I know this looks like I've only got the result for 1 passenger, but i've rechecked and 1 passenger is 2,402 lbs CO2)
Zerofootprint attempt to keep their sources of credits as diversified as possible, and have an ongoing program of developing innovative and high quality offset projects.
Now if you have to go somewhere then sometimes it's better to fly than to catch a train...
CO2 Emissions: 12.77 tonnes for $208
So you are looking at roughly £15 per tonne... not a bad price for helping the world I guess.
(I used this site to do the conversions of short tons to long tonnes to pounds)
(I used this site to do the conversions of short tons to long tonnes to pounds)
****
How Green is Your Life?
Sunday, 12 October 2008
The Future is in Our Hands...
Saturday, 11 October 2008
I was talking to my little (13 year old) sister today about consumerism and Epicurus and how attachments lead to suffering in the Buddhist context. She's quite mature for her age and is always open to learning more about life, but what surprised me was she already knew what Carbon Offsetting is!
Now when I was her age, a) there was no such thing as a carbon footprint and b) if there was I wouldn't have had a clue what you were talking about.
So we sat down together and watched 'The Story of Stuff'...
My point is... it's the future generations we need to teach, because they do care. They are the ones who will change, for the better. We just need to support them and teach them by example.
There is hope.
Just Letting You Know...
...Tuesday night!
(...then I'll be the stupid cow in the middle of the chaos of Bombay...)
Something for Everyone...
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
(photo)
I think 'Oh God, here we go again' ... something that's supposed to make me laugh, something that should bring a tear to my eye, something that is usually based upon a certain 'point of view' or 'sense of humour', something I usually skip past or 'delete to trash'.
I've got better things to do with my life than waste it away on Facebook and YouTube...
That is 'til now... This is one for everyone. I mean everyone. No age limits, no gender issues, no beliefs, no opinions.
Just 3 minutes and 33 seconds of your life...
Something to 'ponder' or something to 'inspire', it's up to you...
To me it's just the truth.
(Oh and play it with the music, it enhances the suspense)
You can find out more here. If you want to.
Toxic Confusion...
Monday, 6 October 2008Toiletries...
My Mum has bought a new hand wash after far too many comments from her eco-daughter. Why anybody would want to wash their hands with something that is not only a garish luminous green, but looks like it belongs in a hospital and bears the paradoxical name 'Carex', is beyond me. She has now got a lovely pear shaped bottle of 'Method, Sweet Water, Hand Wash', which displays it's econess with the words:
- Naturally derived
- Non toxic
- We're against animal testing (We'll so you should be, this is not the 80's!)
As always, ingredient number one is Aqua, or water as it is commonly known where I come from. Then second on the list comes our partner in crime 'Sodium Lauryl Sulphate'.
Now even after reading the Wikipedia definitions of both Sodium Lauryl and Laureth Sulphate, I'm none the wiser. It does say on the Laureth definition:
"The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) and the American Cancer Society have stated that the common belief that SLES is a carcinogen is an urban legend, a view confirmed by toxicology research by the OSHA, NTP, and IARC. SLES and SLS, and subsequently the products containing them, have been found to contain parts-per-thousand to parts-per-million levels of 1,4-dioxane, with the recommendation that these levels be monitored. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers 1,4-dioxane to be a probable human carcinogen (having observed an increased incidence of cancer in controlled animal studies, but not in epidemiological studies of workers using the compound), and a known irritant (with a no-observed-adverse-effects level of 400 milligrams per cubic meter). While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration encourages manufacturers to remove this contaminant, it is not currently required by federal law."
So is it or isn't it toxic? Is it just toxic for our bodies, or is it toxic for the environment? Either way, I'm not taking my chances and I want to move on to totally natural products, not even the ones that come in a plastic bottle, more like ones that come directly from a tree... in a perfect world.
So do I forgo washing my hands at other people houses? I do I carry a little pot of shikakai with me everywhere I go?
(By the way Mum, your doing a good job, I know it's hard to break habits and even harder when you are bullied into it!)
Laundry...
On the subject of 'Growing on trees', I found this post from a fellow Blogger, who I linked to in my Soap Nuts post ... a great set of tips on how to grow your own Soap Nuts.
Then received in the post today is my Mums sample of Soap Nuts, generously purchased by eco-daughter herself here. I will have great pleasure, for once, getting involved (briefly) in the copious amounts of washing that gets done in this house.
Medication...
I don't really like to take medication unless I really need to. I prefer to go down the alternative path for most things, but I won't put myself at risk to prove a point. I put my hands up and admit that even after a totally natural birth plan that started in the drug free birthing unit, I ended up after 30 hours and complications, being trolleyed up to the maternity ward, completely exhausted, to be administered Pethidine and booked in for an emergency epidural (which thankfully never happened).
Even over the last few days of back pain, I gave in after day 2 and started taking Ibruprofen, because my Mum told me that after countless years of pain, she has found it to be true that 'coping' makes things worse and using pain relief helps long term because you are not limiting your movements, which in turn seizes your muscles up.
In India, I have in the past had many traditional Ayurvedic massages. When my back plays up I have found great relief from Shiatsu, Acupuncture, Aromatherapy and Magnotherapy and have rarely had to resort to Allopathic medicine. Here in the UK, I just cannot afford to go down this route at £35 per session for Acupuncture. I do appreciate that in some areas, alternative medicines and therapies are funded by the NHS, but only for long term treatments and by referral from your GP.
Dentistry...
This morning I had my 6 month check up at the dentist. I actually enjoy going to the dentist because he is from the same area of Kerala that my husbands family is from, so we always have a lot to talk about and he is always very gentle when it comes to cleaning and injections.
So this got me thinking about how green is the dentist?
"Many aspects of “green dentistry” exist: the architecture of a dental practice, energy sources, clinical and administrative technology, materials used for treatment, and more. For an existing practice, moving toward “green” slowly may be the best option. The existing practice can go paperless, use digital x-ray, stop using mercury altogether, and install energy-efficient windows to flood the interior with natural light. Indoor plants, an air filtration system, and a commitment to reduce office waste (recycle!) are simple changes that don’t cost much"
- The main eco point seems to revolve around the x-rays. Digital Radiology eliminates photochemical waste, radiation and lead components.
- Chemiclave solutions for cleaning along with bleach cleaners are considered hazardous waste and should be replaced with eco alternatives.
- Oil-free air compressors should replace those using oil.
- Paperless administration is a simple way to go green.
There are some dentists following this path, for example Jiva Dental in Kingston, Surrey. There's even an Eco-Dentistry Association in California. So next time you pop in for your check up, ask your friendly tooth doctor 'How green are you?'
And no, I'm not about to have my dental treatment administered without pain relief in the form of Local Anesthetic, until they offer me hypnotherapy or half a bottle of gin, that is!
***
So, as they say in the eco-world, I'm taking 'baby-steps' to a more non-toxic future, but like most of us just starting out on this journey, I'm no eco-goddess, well not just yet anyway. I do however make a conscious effort to be mindful in my everyday life, research my options and take the eco-route, wherever I find one.
Stop and Smell the Roses...
Saturday, 4 October 2008
I'm taking your advice and taking it easy...
relaxing...
being happy...
enjoying Autumn (with a scarf on)...
and foraging in the garden...
there are no more blackberries left now!
...And Then There Was Light
Friday, 3 October 2008
Diwali The Festival of Lights
The last few days have been a bizarre mix of calm and chaos. We are one step closer but still in limbo land. There is still no date set and emotions are being drowned in melancholy.
I've been lurking around my google reader and watching your lives move on 'business as usual', but feeling quite numb to the world of blogging. I'm leaving you all comments in my head (can you hear them?) but right now it's not that I don't have time (I have too much) but my energy has gone on holiday without me.
I read a book. I haven't read a book for a long time. If I start a book then I can't put it down until it's finished, so life gets put on hold. I only have one fiction book at the moment, so I read it again before I give it back.
'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini is a beautifully written book, just like his first, 'The Kite Runner'. It's books like this that bring my simple life into perspective. I'm lucky and I really have nothing to complain about. It's as simple as that.
Angel has a horrible cold, runny nose and is miserable.
C is outside working in the cold, helping my Dad lay a path, missing his family and is melancholic and miserable.
I have hurt my back either through lifting boxes or stress or both (I should have listened to you Jack) and I am miserable.
But we are safe, together, free and alive.
I'm grateful for that..
Diwali signifies the triumph of good over evil and it is also about new beginnings...
****
Kum ba ya my Lord, kum ba ya,
Oh Lord, kum ba ya
Someone's crying, Lord, kum ba ya,
Oh Lord, kum ba ya
Someone's singing, Lord, kum ba ya,
Oh Lord, kum ba ya
Someone's praying, Lord, kum ba ya,
Oh Lord, kum ba ya
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