indian earth

...it's me again!

2010-07-06T16:48:00.007+01:00

...well I didn't just drop off the face of the earth! It may have seemed that way but a little secret was kept from you. I guess I owe you an explanation!

I won't go into too much detail... a little storyboard will suffice...

hello... my name is luca joy!

Surplus Cattle to Generate Power, Coming to a Home Near You......

2009-08-07T10:26:00.010+01:00

I was pretty disgusted to find today that Tesco are sending 5,000 tons of leftover, unsold, out of date meat a year to be burned to generate electricity for up 600 homes.

Now I'm not a vegetarian at the moment. Sometimes I don't eat meat for a long time, especially in India, where vegetarian food is delicious and meat is not missed. Living with my family, I don't get to choose the type of meat I eat, I eat what is fed to the whole family. That includes meat from the local supermarket. When we return to India I will stop buying, cooking and ordering meat again.

So if I'm disgusted, I can imagine how the 'real' vegetarians feel. VIVA (Vegetarians International Voice for Animals) campaigners are outraged. I can see where they are coming from. I wouldn't want my home powered by mass produced, dead cows leftover from our greedy society.

I only planned to write a post to let others know. That was until I googled the article I had read in the 'Daily Mail' and came up with a whole list of articles criticising the 'vegetarians'!

One such blog post really 'got my goat'... so much so, I left a comment. Where do these people get their morals?

Tesco criticised by vegetarians for using waste meat to generate electricity

www.pointblog.co.uk

"Here we go again! The bloody do-gooder vegetarians have found something else to whinge about. Tesco reduce the landfill waste that they create by using the leftover meat to generate electricity. Not only does this save landfill space but it also stops the rats from getting bigger and stronger by denying the vermin food. Good for Tesco, keep up the good work. Why not drop a few vegetarians into the mincer and burn those bleeding heart liberals to generate even more power? Bloody vegetarians have made their choice and I don't have a problem with them not eating meat. However, stop trying to police the world by denying us normal people the right to use meat as we see fit."

My comment...

"Here we go again! Ignorant, uneducated people like you are trashing the earth as you live in your selfish egotistical world. I am not a vegetarian. I eat meat. It takes millions of tonnes of water, electricity and toxic emissions to produce a few fat cows for us to eat. If you hadn't noticed global warming and climate change happening around you, then wake up. Your selfish kind are stealing fresh water from the mouths of innocent children, stealing fresh air to pay for your own pollution levels and stealing the land and trees that this earth needs to survive, to give prime property to meat factories so you can fill your stomach at Tescos. Look at the bigger picture before you start to praise multi national companies for their 'moral sense'... Try spending 90 minutes of your time educating yourself by watching this... "

An Indian Summer...

2009-07-31T08:58:00.005+01:00

I've just stumbled across a new blog, thanks to one of my subscribers, angel whispers. Although there's nothing eco, green or sustainable about it, it's truly scrumptious!

Interior design, Indian style. Bhavna Bhatnagar has jumped right into my dreams and recorded them in her blog 'An Indian Summer'.

In my perfect world, where we all live simply and happily, I would be swanning around barefoot in a pretty little place surrounded by swaying coconut trees and beautiful vivid colours, drinking freshly squeezed watermelon juice.

Anyway, back to reality... enjoy!

Big Green Gathering...

2009-07-28T09:19:00.005+01:00

"The Big Green Gathering is an award winning festival. It features just about all you can image in the areas of sustainability, organic and eco-friendly living. It’s THE festival for entertainment and education for sustainability. From music, farming, crafts, ethical campaigns, permaculture, markets, fairground fun, sustainable homes, organic food, a village green kids area, green enterprise and business fields this festival has all the resources to learn and enjoy green living."

- So Organic

I haven't been to a festival for years. I finally decided it was time to go, Angel is old enough to enjoy it, we had a group of six of us and two little girls, one large tipi and lots of fun to be had.

We chose the Big Green Gathering, because it is the largest 'Green' festival in Europe and of course we wanted to support this. It is also child friendly and music shuts down at 12am, giving you at least some chance of a good nights sleep.

The festival is generated by solar and wind power and every possible eco way of running you could think of. It's been going for the last 15 years and every year becomes more and more eco friendly.

So why am I not packing?

They cancelled it. Due to "political pressure".

"Festival directors today accused the police of taking a politically motivated decision to shut down the festival on the grounds that it attracts environmental activists and would have raised money for a major climate change demonstration, Climate Camp, to be held next month."

- The Guardian

Here is an article from The Guardian and another showing support from The Green Party.

...My thoughts and comments on this issue will remain in my head!

Solar Power of God...

2009-07-23T09:04:00.002+01:00

Hindu devotees observe a solar eclipse through specially-designed viewing glasses as they take holy dips in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Sarawati River, in Allahabad, India

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

more photos here

...Are They Fading Away?

2009-07-20T08:33:00.006+01:00

A boy waves at Bob Geldof from a cloud of dust in northern Ethiopia, May 2003.

Photo: Eddie Mulholland

"I'm walking empty fields and bare hills of a ruined land amongst ruined people.

Over pastries the very important world leaders ruminate and consider our world and their pathetic plans for it.

The people I am with in Ethiopia will not be in those plans. The leaders will break for their coffee and the children here will wait for their handful of grain.

The leaders will resume their very, very important talks and these children will resume dying.

I'll walk on and you will finish reading this and turn the page.

Somewhere along the line all of us got things very, very wrong."

Bob Geldof - "Geldof in Africa". Published in 2005.

(I read this as I drank my coffee and ate my pain au chocolat...)

My Nanhi Kali...

2009-07-18T11:33:00.005+01:00

I have just done what I have meant to do for a long time.

I am sponsoring an under privileged girl in India to go to school.

You can see how here.

Home...

2009-07-15T08:56:00.002+01:00

Take some time to watch this with your family. It's beautiful, amazing and very poignant...

Some People are Just Wise...

2009-06-30T10:31:00.003+01:00

This is Not My Country...

2009-06-23T23:25:00.003+01:00

Near Azadi Square, June 20, 6 p.m., Tehran. Photo/TehranBureau

This is Not My Country...

By HANA H. in Tehran | 23 June 2009

"[TEHRAN BUREAU] I am an Iranian and I love my country but what has been taking place here in the past few days is so wrong that I can no longer remain silent.

People are scared and want to know the truth about the events happening in their country but it is pointless to look to state media for news as it hardly reflects anything related to the ongoing crisis.

The bits and pieces of information thrown our way all tell the same story ‘a group of hooligans are trying to upset peace but the situation is under control’, ‘ elements of foreign countries are attempting to stage a velvet revolution but they have been identified and detained’, and “thugs are trashing the city but intelligence forces have identified them and everything is under control’.

Before the revolution in Iran, the state media refused to show street protests and continued broadcasting mundane programs because everything was ‘fine and dandy’ there was no such thing as protesters being killed on the streets, no such thing as police beating angry rioters. In the world of the state broadcaster, Iran had no protesters, every single Iranian was a loyal subject and protesters were not Iranian.

History has the tendency to repeat itself. Thirty years after the revolution, once again, Iran has no protesters but now every single Iranian is a god-fearing revolutionary. Protesters are still not Iranian.

Better yet some of the protesters are people who have been tricked by foreign countries and terrorist organizations into vandalism and participating in illegal gatherings.

I live in Tehran and I do not have a clue as to what is going on in other cities in my country. I am certain that people living in other parts of Iran are also clueless as to what has been happening in the capital. Courtesy of state media some may even be convinced that a few ‘disgruntled kids’ are vandalizing the city because no one will listen to them.

It is an insult to our intelligence when everyone knows the country is struggling with a crisis and there is violence on the streets every day but five of the six national channels show movies non-stop and the sixth one shows news from a crisis-free Iran and occasionally a 1-minute clip of hooligans vandalizing the city.

I do not know which Iran they come from but the Iran I come from has angry people out on the streets every night, lighting bonfires to fight the tear gas used by the riot police; the Iran I come from has seen its youth beaten up every day and the Tehran I live in has seen its streets covered with blood once more — something we were promised 30 years ago would never happen again by the very same revolutionaries who are calling the shots today.

It is ironic that a system that was founded because of the people’s anger toward an oppressive monarchy is now making the very same mistakes made by the Shah of Iran.

It is a disgrace to see the system that condemned what the shah of Iran did — killing people to silence their voices — is now doing the same.

If the Shah declared martial law to paralyze the people, today, the very same Iranian authorities, who have always talked about the hardships they endured to spare us, the future generations, the pain of oppression, are now paralyzing us and imposing martial law.

However, this is the age of technology and therefore their martial law has been tailored to fit the new age. Instead of directly imposing restrictions on movement, they restrict our contact with the outside world and make contacting one another painfully difficult.

The biggest post revolutionary horror story has always been the one about the Shah’s secret service, SAVAK; fast forward to Tehran today: The so-called ‘nameless soldiers of the hidden Imam’ (intelligence forces) who are exemplary for their ‘compassion and vigilance in uncovering terrorist plots’ have been unleashed to penetrate the ranks of the people, gather information and make arrests.

My question is, if they are so quick at uncovering “enemy plots” and so great at “controlling borders so that enemy agents cannot infiltrate the country and carry out their evil plots,” and if they are so ‘competent in protecting the country’s stability and security’ and if thanks to their efforts there is no problem regarding the possession of illegal firearms in Iran; how does this correspond with the claims that enemy elements have infiltrated the ranks of the people and are carrying out enemy plots, and that enemy elements are using illegal firearms to shoot protesters and frame the Iranian police.

And if the people who have taken to the streets are all enemy agents and we Iranians all know that most of the protesters are university students, how is it that these ‘nameless soldiers of the hidden Imam’ have not realized until now that all the students in this country are enemy agents?

I want to know, how is it that security forces claim they have not been given permission to shoot protesters and only when worse comes to worse shots to the lower part of the body are permissible, yet every single person shot by the security forces has been hit in the head or heart?

I respect that in all countries riot police are responsible for the restoration of order, but I cannot defend the unlawful actions of the civil force tasked with enforcing the law.

I want to know why Iranian youth must pay the price for the bitter political power struggle escalating between two ‘senior revolutionary figures’?

Iranians did not revolt to wake up three-decades later and see everything that they stood up for, every freedom and change they fought for, paid the price for in blood, is no longer.

The hypocrites, who secretly hijacked the popular revolution of Iran and imposed their will on us, have now dropped all pretense and are openly handing us the ‘royal treatment’ still fresh in the minds of countless Iranians.

How can they sleep at night knowing what they know and doing what they do?

We have reached the point of no return. It is no longer the restoration of order when ‘tanks have been brought out’ to combat civilians on the streets.

This is a war zone. This is not my country."

***

Neda Agha-Soltan

Neda died with open eyes, Shame on us who live with closed eyes...

People are Dying for Peace...

2009-06-22T08:16:00.004+01:00

First person from Tehran

Tehran, Saturday june 20 2009 - 4.30 local time, Enghelab Street:

I meet with my students on Saturdays for a private class. We cook and eat together, then talk of philosophy. This time there is no class. We only try to keep up our morale. We are very determined but scared. That is how I can describe most of the people who came out to attend the demonstration today. After the Supreme Leader’s fierce speech at the Friday prayers, we knew that today we would be different. We feel so vulnerable, more than ever, but at the same time are aware of our power. No matter how strong it is collectively, it will do little to protect us today. We could only take our bones and flesh to the streets and expose them to batons and bullets. Two different feelings fight inside me without mixing with one another. To live or to just be alive, that’s the question.

There is another student who would have her lunch with us, but is not coming to the demonstration. She’s too scared and while pretending to be in control bursts into tears. She says she hates to see people suffer. We tell here we have suffered for years. She says she doesn’t want people to die. I tell her tens of thousands die each year on the roads in Iran, at least this time it would be for a good cause. She says we are elites and can save ourselves for better times when we can be more useful. We reply there is no difference between people when we are all in such a condition.

We finish the lunch and sit to read poems of Mirzadeh Eshgi. That’s what I suggest. He was a revolutionary anarchist at the time of Constitutional Revolution 1906-11, killed for speaking out. It fits our situation. Poems play an important role here. Nothing influences Iranians like poetry. And these days, everything is about influence and fear.

The poems we read are bitter, ironical and they make us laugh. When sorrow is more than you can tolerate, you burst into laughter. Then we get going. It’s a quarter to four. But the following hour proves funnier than we expected.

In the bus everybody is going to the same place. All the streets to Enghlab Square are blocked. Guards tell you where to go and where not to go. They show us a small street that leads to Enghlab. I panic: Why have they left it open? Do they want us to go in and surround us? Two demonstrations were taking place, one in Enghelab and the other in Azadi, respectively meaning, ‘revolution’ and ‘freedom’. I tell my students, ‘We’re recycling the names.’

Enghlab is busy, very busy, but there is no demonstration. People show the V sign with their fingers but walk in silence. In front of Tehran University, I see the students inside, clutching the rails of the gates, as if behind bars. They shout. But I can’t hear them. In front of the students on the sidewalk, on the other side of the bars, there are two rows of anti-riot police and a row of Basij militia holding posters insulting the demonstrators of the previous days. One says, ‘The trouble-makers pertain to MI6’. An hour later, when the street is no longer so crowded, I go to the guy holding the poster and ask him, ‘What is MI6?’ ‘Britain’s intelligent service’, he replies. ‘Is it different from Scotland Yard?’ I ask. ‘No, they’re the same thing.’ ‘Oh, I see.’

We walk up and down. We’re a group of four. We find friends, but don’t join them. We don’t want to change the mood by changing our companionship. We’re enjoying ourselves.

Then comes the attraction of the day. Two water-spraying machines. They’re huge, the size of a bus but taller, with fenced windows and two water-guns on top of each. We burst into laughter. They don’t know how to use them. They shoot second floor windows, anti-riot police and the people, including girls in tight manteaus. It’s more Zurich than Tehran. One machine is stuck. They don’t know how to drive it. It’s a hot day, the sun is intolerably shiny and it feels good to become wet. Much of the time, the sprays are not powerful. It’s as if they’re watering grass. And it just does not fit the horror that’s in the air, the aggression with which the people are hit with batons. A beautiful day. It has been beautiful throughout the past week. You wonder whether nature is ironical.

They push the crowd back and forth, from here to there but soon realize people are on all sides. We hear bullets, but people don’t rush away. They’re fake. Nobody’s shot.

Then in a couple of minutes, the street is not crowded as before, the anti-riot police leave, and the students are gone. We don’t understand why. Deprived of communication, you never get the big picture. Maybe they have attacked the university from the back.

We hear in Azadi Square there’s a huge crowd. So we get going. As we pass the fences, a student, his face covered, smiles bitterly, ‘They’ll storm the dormitory tonight.’

We have to walk. We feel awful. There’s a demonstration somewhere and we can’t get there. We wish we were in a crowd. That’s the only way we feel better. We have joked for hours now, but we need to shout. Something is pressing from within.

Then at Towhid Square the scene changes drastically. The streets to Azadi are blocked. But this time, people don’t change their path. They fight for it. There’s a shower of stones. Tear gas. Fire. People jam the sidewalks. The battle scene is huge. We cannot see the limits but it extends to nearby street. My student is keener to go forward than I am. Her mother could persuade her to stay home for two days, but now allows her to go out on the most dangerous day. The people shout, ‘Down with the dictator’. The anti-riot police are also throwing stones. People don’t run back anymore. I grab a broken brick and throw. I’m amazed. I never thought I’d do it. I should practice. It was a very bad shot. I grab another one, the size of a pomegranate and keep it with me, hiding it behind my back. My feeling is a mixture of a university teacher and a hooligan.

If we want to go forward we need to pass through tear gas. So we ask a car to give us a lift. Then there is an attack. They cannot tell enemy from other people although they want to show everything is fine and they’re only after trouble-makers. There is a woman who is being beaten. She’s horrified and hysterical but not as much as the anti-riot police officer facing her. She shrieks, ‘Where can I go? You tell me go down the street and you beat me. Then you come up from the other side and beat me again. Where can I go?’ In sheer desperation, the officer hits his helmet several times hard with his baton. ‘Damn me! Damn me! What the hell do I know!’

I ask myself, ‘how much longer can these officers tolerate stress? How many among them would be willing to give their lives for somebody like Ahmadinejhad?’

The driver tells us that he did not vote but he has come out to the streets to beat the Basijis. At each intersection he is guided by officers in a different direction and after a while we realize we are back where we started. We see officers load people in a van used for carrying frozen meat. Then a couple of minutes later, a new scene unfolds. We get out. Here’s a true battleground. And this time it’s huge. Columns of smoke rise to the sky. You can hardly see the asphalt. Only bricks and stones. Here people have the upper hand. Three lanes, the middle one separated by opaque fences, under construction for the metro. The workers have climbed up the fences and show the V sign. They start throwing stone and timber to the street to supply the armament. I tell myself, ‘Look at the poor, the ones Ahmadinejhad always speaks of.’ But the president’s name is no longer in fashion. This time the slogans address the leader, something unheard of in the past three decades. It’s a beautiful sunset, with rays of light penetrating evening clouds. We feel safe among people moving back forth with the anti-riot police attacks.

Two Basiji motorcyles are burning. People have learnt how to do it fast. They lay the motorcycle on its side, spilling the gasoline and lighting it on fire. We climb up a pedestrian bridge and watch. People shout from the bridge, ‘Down with Khamenei’ and ‘your aura is gone for good’. A Basiji is caught: He soon disappears under the crowd beating him. As if in a roman coliseum those on the bridge shout, ‘Beat him up!’ I shout with them before coming to my senses. What is with me? He staggers away as a group of ten people kick and punch him.

At Gisha, there’s a similar scene. Again the people have the whole crossing in their control and you can hear the uproar and horns. Motorcycles are burning in smoke. But I’m suddenly stunned. I see a red object, which later proves to be a man, about 50, his head covered with blood, crouching, people passing him by as if he was a garbage can. Then comes a guy with a long stick who wants to beat up the already beaten Basiji. People gather and stop him. He’s furious, ‘Why should I not? They beat tiny girls! They beat everyone! Bastard!’

I shout at him, ‘But we’re not beasts! We’re not like them!’ Somebody takes the Basiji away as people curse him. I think, ‘But the bastard deserves it. To come out of your house in the morning, just to beat up people you don’t even know.’ I don’t recognize myself and my feelings anymore.

You can get in any car to go back home. People trust one another now. The woman in the back seat sitting next to me says, ‘It’s no longer about Mousavi or election results. We have suffered for thirty years. We didn’t live a life.’ An old man next to her offers me fresh bread. They tell jokes about the political figures and laugh out loud. They feel victorious. ‘I had waited thirty years for this. Now I feel relieved.’ She writes down my phone number to send me news. ‘Send it to The Guardian!’, she says.

I will. I promise.

Rice is Life...

2009-06-09T09:49:00.013+01:00

Sign the petition...

...for Greenpeace

Save India from GM rice, here...

Be the Change You Want to See in the World...

2009-05-31T13:15:00.004+01:00

I did it...

Erenia needed another $25 towards her agricultural loan... she can buy her vehicle now...

Good Luck Erenia...

Thanks Kel for the inspiration...

You can do it too... It's easy... you can even pay by Paypal... and it's only a loan so you'll even get it back (if you want it) or you can use it again to help someone else...

Kiva

Mera Bharat Mahan... My India is Great!

2009-04-13T20:21:00.012+01:00

I feel guilty because I've been back in the UK for a week now (visiting family) and I have shied away from posting. I guess I've been away from technology for so long (and enjoyed the freedom!) that I don't want to get addicted again. I've found myself checking my inbox one too many times... for what? I haven't even sent an email to be replied to! So this is it... my "Dear John"...

I won't be back on any kind of regular basis. I will however keep my blog alive and I hope that I will still get some new comments as I still love to read them.

I will be forever grateful to those blogger friends whom I have had regular blogging contact with, I'm sure you all know who you are. You have all pulled me through a lonely and rough ride over the last year. I would be happy to give you my email if you want to stay in touch.

Since being back in India I have realised I am less in control of the issues that my blog focused on, which at first was hard for me because of the dramatic contrasts in culture. I have had to let a lot of things go and follow the easy routes just to keep sane!

When you are living in a world where it is normal to look a child beggar, carrying a screaming baby, in the eye and know that you are helpless, the issues you once cared for melt away.

I don't need to worry about whether I am eating organic vegetables, because Sainsbury's aren't there to hold my hand and tell me they are looking after me.

I don't need to worry about re-cycling, because there are no council workers there to prosecute me if I mix my plastic and paper. I do however know that somewhere along the line, a dirty child will rummage through my waste and claim every last scrap of re-cyclable rubbish to keep her family alive.

Don't think that I don't care anymore, because I do. I just have to change my attitude to fit with the culture I live in now. Indians do care, they really do. They are the most caring, hospitable and patriotic people I have met. They know what they can do and they know what is beyond their everyday control. They are patriotic in a way that the British could never be. They think of themselves as a big family, who are in it together, who can grow and learn from each others mistakes. There is no sense of superiority or super power, they are proud to be Indian and proud for what it stands for. It's a selfless pride that comes from their hearts and is so big it spills out in front of your eyes.

Every truck in India displays the words "Mera Bharat Mahan" ... My India is Great...

It truly is...

cranjam

There is no Hindi word for "Goodbye"... I like it that way...

She's Alive!!

2009-04-04T06:28:00.005+01:00

SORRY GUYS!

Blogging is impossible without wireless... I just can't use a PC!

We're back in Bombay now...

I haven't kept up to date with any blogs so I haven't a clue what's happening out there...

We are all safe and happy, life is good but nowhere near on track. The world has gone mad for money and we have missed the boat!

Update next week...

'til then,

please forgive me for my silence...

I'm Ready for a Holiday Now!...

2008-11-24T12:01:00.009Z

Finally I have another quick chance to check in...

We have been rushing around recently trying to sort out furnishing our new apartment in Goa. We have spent a few weeks in Kerala with C's parents and now we are in Cochin staying with a friend before we take the train back to Goa tomorrow night.

Apart from not having anytime to relax and be peaceful... I'm really happy and enjoying the stress. I do however really miss catching up on my google reader. When I get back to Goa I'm going to spend sometime in a wireless cafe and just read and read...

I've noticed I've got a few new followers and commenters and I haven't even had time to think about new blogs, so to everyone who is keeping up with me I will be back soon! And to all my fellow bloggers, I hope you are all happy and I look forward to catching up with you all x

Angel, however has been having the time of her life!

Bengali Morning Rituals, Calcutta...

2008-11-09T22:06:00.000Z

Catching Up...

2008-11-09T11:19:00.002Z

I'm loving it!

Very busy right now, but I'll be back as soon as I can get online again...

Thanks for all the comments x

Stone Prayer Cairn, Sikkim

2008-11-08T23:00:00.001Z

Bel Gardi (Bullock Cart), Baga, Goa...

2008-11-07T22:56:00.000Z

Saagwalli (Spinach Lady), Gokarna, Karnataka...

2008-11-06T22:53:00.000Z

Newspapers and Pineapples, Gokarna, Karnataka...

2008-11-05T22:52:00.000Z

Smiling Girls and Bicycle, Gokarna, Karnataka...

2008-11-04T22:50:00.001Z

Green Eyed Cat in a Simple Kitchen, Gokarna, Karnataka...

2008-11-03T22:48:00.000Z

Fishing Boat, Coco Beach, Goa...

2008-11-02T22:42:00.001Z

Dancing Cow, Anjuna, Goa...

2008-11-01T22:23:00.003Z

My Little Friend Poonam, Anjuna, Goa...

2008-10-31T22:18:00.000Z

Yoga on the Beach, Anjuna, Goa...

2008-10-30T22:16:00.001Z

Wakil's Bajaj Chetak, Varanasi...

2008-10-29T22:09:00.002Z

Diyas and Rangoli...

2008-10-28T11:57:00.014Z

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...

***

Thanks Sharon... x

Panditji, Boy and Dog under Hindu God Posters, Calcutta...

2008-10-27T22:01:00.000Z

Taxi Time Out, Calcutta...

2008-10-26T21:58:00.001Z

Bombay Bizarre...

2008-10-26T12:59:00.012Z

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!

Sadhu Baba, Varanasi...

2008-10-25T21:53:00.000+01:00

Sharing Chai with Friends, Varanasi...

2008-10-24T21:48:00.001+01:00

Nimbu Mirchi (Lemon Chili) to Ward Off the Evil Eye...

2008-10-23T21:45:00.001+01:00

Black Goat and Little Girl, Varanasi...

2008-10-22T21:43:00.001+01:00

Varanasi Children, Uttar Pradesh...

2008-10-21T21:36:00.001+01:00

Silouette of Coconut Trees, Anjuna, Goa...

2008-10-20T21:34:00.002+01:00

My Wedding Day Mystery Girl, Aswem, Goa...

2008-10-19T21:32:00.001+01:00

Fishing Boats, Vagator, Goa...

2008-10-18T21:30:00.001+01:00

Cliff Top Tescos, Anjuna, Goa...

2008-10-17T21:28:00.002+01:00

Ice Cream at Sunset, Cochin, Kerala...

2008-10-16T21:27:00.000+01:00

Taj Flowers, Agra...

2008-10-15T21:24:00.002+01:00

India With Passion...

2008-10-14T06:00:00.001+01:00

(Image my own, taken from 'India with Passion: Modern Regional Home Cooking' by Manju Malhi)

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,

subscribe to my posts in a reader by clicking on this button in the sidebar...

or follow me by clicking 'Follow this blog' on the sidebar at the top of the page...

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...

2008-10-13T09:57:00.000+01:00

How green is your footprint?

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:

London, United Kingdom ↔ Bombay, India
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...

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.

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)

Now if you have to go somewhere then sometimes it's better to fly than to catch a train...

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.

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)

****

How Green is Your Life?

2008-10-12T10:39:00.002+01:00

Thanks Gav for this little snippet of fun...

My results were...

Your Life is 88% Green

Your life is totally green, and as far as your environmental beliefs go... your actions do speak louder than your words.

Your lifestyle totally serves as an inspiration to others. Whether you know it or not. So keep it up!

How Green Is Your Life?

The Future is in Our Hands...

2008-10-11T16:33:00.003+01:00

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...

2008-10-11T02:18:00.004+01:00

...Tuesday night!

(...then I'll be the stupid cow in the middle of the chaos of Bombay...)

"The intensity of urbanization can clash with age-old customs and traditions. The traffic dodges a cow, while street vendors vie with modern shops in this busy Mumbai, India, intersection"

Something for Everyone...

2008-10-07T19:02:00.009+01:00

(photo)

I tend to sigh and get bored when I see a (yet another!) YouTube video to watch in an email or on a blog.

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.

You could even click here if you really wanted to. It's up to you. 2015 is not soon enough, for me.

Toxic Confusion...

2008-10-06T12:08:00.017+01:00

On this journey of discovering more natural alternatives to everything, there are some things that I find totally beyond my level of intelligence. One of these is trying to decipher what is natural and non-toxic to myself and to the environment. No matter how much I Google or Wiki, if it involves a bit of science then I'm stumped.

Toiletries...

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!)

Now the bottle is of course recyclable ('recycle always' on the label), so minimal brownie points there, but it's always the list of ingredients that, to me is like reading Mandarin (I studied it for a year a long time ago) I get a few bits and pieces, like I know what Sodium is (of course) and Citric Acid... but the rest, it could all be the main ingredients for bomb making and I wouldn't have a clue!

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...

ThinkTank

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...

Jiva Dental

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"

Dentalblogs

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.

More information can be found here and here.

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!

Did you know some patients have brain surgery done without being under general anesthetic?

***

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...

2008-10-04T16:50:00.005+01:00

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

2008-10-03T09:30:00.007+01:00

Diwali The Festival of Lights

Well... the bright lights of Leicester are all blinking behind us now. Which is a shame because it's Diwali soon and Leicester is supposed to have the biggest Diwali celebration in the UK... we are praying we will be in India by the 28th for Diwali celebrations big time!

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

Boxes...

2008-09-27T17:26:00.004+01:00

(boxes)

My life is in boxes...

I have a friend, who is frugal, tight, bossy, organised, loud and emotioness...

She came to our house yesterday with her husband after a two week holiday to Mexico feeling jet lagged, but she had already cooked dinner and washed up from the night before, done all her washing and hung it up to dry and looked fabulous in full make up and pretty clothes.

We had no dinner prepared, washing up from days before, place a mess and nothing to offer as refreshments. Boxes all over the place and no idea how to send them for the cheapest price, safest journey and least hassle since we don't have a car.

To cut a long story short, my frugal, tight, bossy, organised, loud and emotioness friend made a plan A, B, C, D and then E, after 8 hours and a headache and a gin and tonic, we finally booked our boxes to be picked up door to door, at a third of our original quote, paid online and then found out the airline carrier was the same as the original quote anyway!!

I love my friend... she is an angel... we're happy now.

I won't be around much for the next few days, too busy, moving out on Tuesday. Have a lovely weekend x

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee...

2008-09-25T23:43:00.006+01:00

The Hip And The Square

There is one thing in my life that I am happily addicted to... my one cup of fresh coffee in the morning. Only one and only in the morning.

I think I fell in love with coffee when I was in Sydney.

Almost as passionate about their capuccinnos, flat whites (that's a latte for us Poms) and long blacks (americanos) as the Italians, the good old Aussies just love their cuppas.

I used to get quite confused and intimidated standing in line for a coffee, practicing in my head what to say when all I really wanted was a simple cup of fresh coffee. At first I started out with a long black, but with cold milk on the side. That of course got me looks of 'you what?'... then I followed the crowd into cappuccinos, but always found them a bit insipid, never quite hitting the spot. A barista friend then introduced me to the machiato (espresso with a dash of frothed milk). But that was too small. I just wanted to jump behind the counter and make it myself...

So I did. And 'voila' the perfect coffee was born. It has no name to forget and it's just simple and tastes good. It does what it sets out to do and it makes me happy. Take a double espresso add a touch of frothed milk and thats it. How simple was that? But oh no... I either get charged for a double machiato or told 'we don't do that'.... So I gave up and started to just order a double shot cappuccino, with less milk or in a smaller cup.

I had a bit of a tif with a waitress in Plymouth one day. I asked for a cappuccino, regular size, then added an extra shot to the order. She bought me a great big mug of cappuccino with two shots of espresso. Now, the great big mug of milk defeats the whole point of the two shots because 'I like strong tasting coffee'... She couldn't quite grasp this concept and insisted it was strong as it had two shots in it. Now forgive me and replace this with gin and tonic (as I quite often like to do, though not in the morning!)... If you ask for a double gin and tonic, does it come in a pint glass? No. I rest my case.

I actually sat down to write a post about Fair Trade coffee, but a story has to start with a little introduction and if you've read this far then I must have caught your attention...

Daylife/AFP/Getty Images

Fair Trade is close to my heart. I think everything should be fairly traded anyway and the farmer who has done all the hard toil to get that fresh aroma to my coffee cup, deserves to be paid a fair price for it. It really hit me hard a few years ago when I watched 'Black Gold' on recommendation from my Mums partner, M.

We drank gallons of Costco's Signature brand of Columbian coffee at our house and it was quite traumatic for me to not find a Fair Trade logo on the tin. M assured me that I shouldn't worry as Columbia had a pretty good working standard when it came to coffee. M doesn't bullshit and he knows a lot about the economy and world issues, so I drank my coffee in a little more peace.

The success of the Starbucks petition to honour their commitments to coffee farmers in Ethiopia was a big breakthrough in our house, not that I go there, but knowing that we helped to change such an important issue. M was born and bought up in Ethiopia, so it was very close to home.

Now I only buy Fair Trade coffee as I don't shop at Costco's and Mum keeps forgetting to buy me coffee when she goes (It's really that good) but I have since done a bit of research and have found that the Signature branded coffee at Costco is actually owned by none other than Starbucks! Not only that but it is certified Fair Trade too!

I'm not sure when this article was written, but you can't really find a more reliable source than The National Geographic, Green Guide... It's really worth a read to find out the ins and outs of fairly traded coffee.

"Responding to heightened consumer activism, a handful of corporate giants have taken meaningful steps toward a more environmentally sustainable and socially responsible coffee market. As a result of pressure from grassroots non-profits including Global Exchange and Oxfam America, in 2003 Proctor and Gamble began selling Fair Trade-certified coffees through Millstone, its gourmet coffee division, but has yet to extend the certification to its more widely available Folgers brand. To be compatible with its socially responsible image, Starbucks sells its Fair Trade-certified Cafe Estima blend year-round, and their Fair Trade-certified Kirkland Signature house blend is also available at Costco stores nationwide and in Canada. However, the company has yet to make Fair Trade coffee a viable option for customers by brewing it weekly in cafes, although they do state that its stores will brew a pot of Fair Trade coffee if a customer requests it."

Yes and I remember sitting in Starbucks in Aldwich waiting for my freshly brewed Fair Trade coffee to brew... 10 minutes... 20 minutes... I wasn't in a hurry as I was waiting to go back and pick up our visas from India House, so I waited patiently. They had forgotten to put the switch on... obviously they make a lot of Fair Trade then?! I did however get a nice apology and a voucher for any drink of choice.

So M was right in the end and I don't feel at all guilty for trusting his knowledgeability.

I found it interesting that when you Google 'coffee', wikipedia is the first hit, Starbucks the second and national geographic the third... something wrong there.

Fair Trade isn't a trend it's a right.

'Leicester Mercury' Article...

2008-09-24T16:33:00.006+01:00

It seems there were two articles written about the 'Leicester Canal Issue', they were published in Tuesdays 'Leicester Mercury'. Online you can read them here and here. It was interesting to read the comments left on the main article. It's always good to see the messenger being shot at!

I left my own comment too, but it hasn't been published for some reason, maybe it has been delayed in the system. Here it is just in case...

Dear Robert,
I was taking a walk along the canal with my husband and 2 year old daughter on a Saturday afternoon. I do not usually take bin liners with me on our walks, but I often take my camera. I always take my rubbish home with me as I prefer to recycle what I can. I very often pick up other peoples rubbish as well and deposit it in the nearest bin. I do not however feel self righteous when doing this, just very sad. I did not contact the newspaper to 'moan' about the problem, only to make it known to the public the results of their disregardful actions when they throw litter. I would not know if this was a new or old problem as I have only lived in Leicester for 6 months.

Dear Kim,
I am concerned. This is the planet where my daughter and her future generations will grow up. I do a lot to ensure that I teach her about respect and compassion for the world and it inhabitants. I am very happy that there are people who have the sense to organise volunteer projects. I would be very happy to volunteer for any type of environmental project that is happening in the area. Unfortunately I am leaving Leicester in a few days, so as well as not being able to enjoy the beauty of Abbey Park anymore, I will also not be able to participate in any voluntary clean ups.

Dear Niki,
You have some very wise comments. I agree that we have to educate our children first, to make a difference. You may be interested to read my post about sustainable development in UK schools:

http://indian-earth.blogspot.com/2008/09/helping-hand-in-sustainable-development.html

Please feel free to view my original post and photos at:

http://indian-earth.blogspot.com/2008/09/helping-hand-in-sustainable-development.html

Regards,

Natural Cleaning the 'Naked' Guide...

2008-09-24T10:10:00.018+01:00

In June of 2000, the World Health Organization warned that antibacterial products directly contribute to the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Bacteria and viruses, are naturally, everywhere we go. We can’t escape them and we shouldn’t want to…

Our bodies produce antibodies in response to exposure to bacteria. Those antibodies protect us in the future from the same germs. If there were no exposure to bacteria and viruses, how would we make antibodies?

Babies who are exposed to bacteria and viruses at an early age produce antibodies quicker than babies who are kept in virtually sterile environments. You only have to look at the increase in ‘sick’ babies over the years. Allergies, food intolerances; every ‘yummy mummies’ little precious has something wrong with them these days. What happened to all of the snotty nosed, knee scraped, mucky faced scallywags running around in the mud?

While staying germ-free can prevent the spread of disease and infections, leading a cleanlier lifestyle may be responsible for an increase in allergies among children.

“It’s called the hygiene hypothesis,” says Marc McMorris, M.D, a pediatric allergist at the University of Michigan Health System.

“We’ve developed a cleanlier lifestyle, and our bodies no longer need to fight germs as much as they did in the past. As a result, the immune system has shifted away from fighting infection to developing more allergic tendencies.”

'Science Daily'

So what is the answer?

Well the usual one that keeps coming up … lets go back to basics and take advice from the elders. Clean naturally.

My ‘funda’ is:

If it looks clean and it smells clean, then it probably is clean and if it isn’t it probably doesn’t matter anyway. So if you are on a mission to save the world from toxins, chemicals, pollution and plastic, then here is my basic guide to:

'Naked Cleaning'…

Most of the research I have done has brought results in the form of a million recipes for a million different things to clean. Now I get a bit impatient when it comes to recipes and my mind starts to wander. By the time the idea of logic has briefly entered my head I overload and end up sitting down for a cup of tea instead…

So simple and natural cleaning is all about understanding the ingredients and how they perform. If you know the basic chemistry of the product, then your common sense will lead you in the right direction without the need for a measuring jug...

So in no particular order, they are...

Lemon...

The number one in natural fruity freshness…
The citric acid in lemon juice makes it perfect for natural bleaching, disinfecting, deodourising and cutting through grease. Take a cut and squeezed leftover lemon, sprinkle it with bicarbonate of soda and use it to clean just about anything. Rinse the surface after a few minutes with a clean wet cloth.

Vinegar...

White distilled vinegar is mildly acidic and leaves no odour behind.
Use to shine windows, wiping away with scrunched up newspaper. As a fabric softener, one cup in the rinse cycle. To clean mineral and lime deposits from taps and ceramics, mix a paste of vinegar and bicarb, leave for a few minutes to work then rinse off thoroughly. Vinegar and water in a spray bottle makes a fantastic deodoriser spray. Vinegar on a damp cloth is great for dusting. Be careful not to use vinegar on marble surfaces.

Bicarbonate of Soda...

(aka baking soda/powder = bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar/sodium bicarbonate)

Bicarbonate of soda is an alkaline, abrasive and a great deodoriser – it doesn’t just absorb odours but it also neutralises them as well, making it a great cleaner for the refrigerator. Shake and Vac carpets to remove nasty smells. For tea and coffee tannin stains, scrub with a little bicarb paste.

Olive oil...

Just the simple cheap stuff. Of course oil has great moisturising properties, so it makes a wonderful furniture polish. Mix with a little lemon juice or vinegar and buff on with a soft clean cloth. Use olive oil to keep your wicker baskets supple and your hands soft after all that washing up (no fairies round here!)

Salt...

Multi purpose cleaner, naturally anti bacterial, stain remover and abrasive. It’s also incredibly cheap.

Borax...

Borax, or sodium borate, is a naturally occurring alkaline mineral. It isn't toxic and it's safe for the environment. It cleans, deodorizes, disinfects and softens water. Used mainly for laundry it beats 'Daz' on whiteness. Be careful as it can irritate skin and of course don't eat it.

Castile Soap...

Made exclusively from vegetable oils, it should be 100% olive oil to be classed as ‘Castile’. It lathers up for use in washing up, washing and cleaning, in fact use it for just about anything that needs a good clean or heavy duty degreasing. Grating it makes it easier to use.

Water...

Don’t for get the main ingredient for cleaning. Cold water is best for anything stained, warm water helps to lather up soap, boiling water will kill all the nasties and make you a nice cup of tea too.

Weather...

Sunshine naturally kills off dust mites and mould and air-drying in good weather is quick and gives your laundry that wonderful sunny smell.

Plants...

Produce oxygen and purify the air from toxins. Top purifiers are Philodendrons, Spider plants, Palms, Ferns and Dracaenas.

Essential oils...

It is simple to choose your oils by how you feel when you smell each one. Fresh fruity citrus fragrances are good for cleaning, try lemon, lemongrass, orange or grapefruit. Medicinal fragrances are good for naturally disinfecting: rosemary, lavender, tea tree. Add to vinegar and water and spray on shower curtains and other mildew prone areas for a natural fungicide. Never underestimate the power of pure essential oils and always check the properties before use. Do not use undiluted and avoid contact with skin or plastics when neat.

Flowers...

The perfect finish to a good days spring-cleaning. Fresh flowers will make it all seem worthwhile. If you can pick them from you own garden or get someone else to buy them, then consider yourself extremely lucky!

Time...

A very often forgotten ingredient for cleaning. The 'power' of natural cleaning products, needs a little more time to work compared to commercial products. This gives you a well deserved few minutes to sit down, guilt free and savour your tea…

***

Thank you for the beautiful images...
(lemon)(cleaning kit)(vinegar)(bicarb)(borax)(washing line)(oil)(water)(salt)(soap)(essential oil)(plants)(tea)

Green as a Thistle...

2008-09-23T00:04:00.001+01:00

A special mention for 'Green as a Thistle'...

Vanessa, a journalist for the National Post, Toronto has written a must read post with some great article links on the subject of:

"Brad Pitt’s biodegradable body wash,

WWF’s scare tactics

and the truth about organic food prices"

... there's also a sneak preview into Vanessa's new book deal 'Sleeping Naked is Green'

A Helping Hand in Sustainable Development...

2008-09-22T08:52:00.006+01:00

Foundation for Sustainable Development on Facebook

I set out to discover what is 'really' being done to educate our country in the move towards being green.

Now, I know from experience that when you sit a child down in a class with a book and preach about the world and it's issues, things get a little boring and out of perspective. It's another lesson to learn, another snippet of information to revise and another minute of a life wasted.

Get me out of the classroom, make me feel special, give me some responsibility and a chance to have fun and I'll remember the day for the rest of my life.

There is of course a government initiative to educate our children and reeducate our adults. Reports have been written, agendas have been set and all will be published for the world to see. This has been happening over the last few years, but of course unless you are involved directly or are scouring the net for answers, the results are hidden in a mountain of paperwork and promises...

The 'Sustainable Development' Government website states that:

"Formal education has a crucial role to play in raising awareness of sustainable development among young people. It gives them the skills they need to put sustainable development into practice in later life and form good habits at an early age.

On behalf of the Government, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) aims to ensure that sustainable development is embedded in the core education agenda across all education and skills sectors. In 2003 they launched the Sustainable Development Action Plan for Education and Skills. The action plan is organised around four objectives :

Education for sustainable development
The environmental impact of the Department and its partner bodies
The environmental impact of the education estate
Local and global partnership activities

Sustainable Schools website

DfES is developing a web-based service, Sustainable Schools , which will bring together sources of advice and practical support for teachers and school heads and governors. Sustainable Schools is designed to provide an on-line community, disseminate good practice and offer a shop window for the many schemes to promote their service to schools."

***

DEFRA, The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is a UK government department. Their ultimate aim is 'to enable everyone to live within our environmental means'.

Reading through their Sustainable Development pages, they are obviously moving in the right directions in theory and practically speaking doing everything they can to filter down the 'action' through schools, teachers and communities. The introduction on the main page is a direct, straight forward, no nonsense statement, we all need to listen to:

"The past 20 years have seen a growing realisation that the current model of development is unsustainable. In other words we are living beyond our means. From the loss of biodiversity with the felling of rainforests or over fishing, to the negative effect our consumption patterns are having on the environment and the climate. Our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet - this cannot be sustained.

The increasing stress we put on resources and environmental systems such as water, land and air cannot go on for ever. Especially as the world's population continues to increase and we already see a world where over a billion people live on less than a dollar a day, more than 800 million are malnourished, and over two and a half billion lack access to adequate sanitation.

A widely-used and accepted international definition of sustainable development is: 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs' - Globally we are not even meeting the needs of the present let alone considering the needs of future generations.

Unless we start to make real progress toward reconciling these contradictions, we all, wherever we live, face a future that is less certain and less secure than we in the UK have enjoyed over the past fifty years. We need to make a decisive move toward more sustainable development both because it is the right thing to do - and because it is in our own long-term best interests. It offers the best hope for securing the future."

Extract taken from the UK Sustainable development Government website

***

Now I feel a little better that so many things are in place, being ticked off and implemented, but a small cynical part of me says it may be there in theory, for the sake of reports, to show the world we care. But is any of it actually flowing through the system and watering the 'grass roots'?

I know that when I step outside the door, when I turn on the TV, all I see shoved in the face of 'communities' is the marketing magic of consumerism. At every turn, in every view on every bus, it's there. So where is the knowledge and encouragement we need from our 'so called elders'?

I have seen a few new hoardings for the 'Love Food' campaign and Leicestershire's reusable bag's ad (I didn't know the are given them away for free!) But I still feel that these green issues are all a bit 'alternative thinking' and that I'm only noticing the tiny changes because I'm looking for them.

As I don't have a child of school age, I can't tell you if the teachings are hitting home yet, I'd like to hear from others, in any country, what is your child being taught and how? Do they come home excited about environmental issues? How to you encourage and develop these ideas?

It's all very well having a mountain of websites to scour through, games for children to play online, reports and agendas, adverts and ideas, but truly the best way to teach your children is through spending time with nature. Learn about the basics of life, water, air, weather. Let your child see the beauty in the world and learn to respect and admire our planet.

A River Runs Through It...

2008-09-21T08:26:00.005+01:00

Here is a view of the canal that runs past Abbey Park in Leicester...

...beautiful isn't it? ...and another one...

Now take a closer look at the patch of white in the centre of the photo above...

...then, just to be sure...

...plastic bottles, a car wheel, a sofa cushion, a football, a yoghurt pot, a few pieces of fence post, a million plastic bags, an extended family of rats (yes I did see them scurrying across the island paradise they live on!)... a complete and utter disgrace!

... then there is the bank that leads down to the water, perfect for family picnics, groups of hooded junkies, tramps day out, school kids smoking place and nearby bus stop litter bin...

...and if your local council doesn't have a recycling and refuse depot, feel free to fly-tip your unused and unwanted clutter over the fence...

...it makes a perfect playground for the rat babies... (sorry they are so quick, I couldn't catch a shot!)

Don't forget after your picnic lunch from Sainsbury's, to leave behind some bonus marketing for the local store. If you can't be bothered to walk to the bin or take your leftovers home, don't worry, leave it hanging in a conspicuous place for someone else to clean up!

We live in such a beautiful world, full of beautiful people...

Shame they don't have any consideration for the gift they have been given...

Sad that their parents have neglected to teach them about sharing and compassion for others...

Do you ever feel completely lost and powerless in this powerful world?

****

Email to the Editor of 'Leicester Mercury' and to Leicester City Council...

I would like to bring to your attention some images I took on a walk along the canal in Leicester.

I know that litter, recycling and refuse are an important issue at the moment in Leicestershire.

I have only lived in Leicester for a few months and I'm very impressed with the rejuvenation work and love the beauty of Abbey Park.

It's just a shame that this beauty is lost on Leicesters untidy residents.

I realise you don't have time to pursue all emails and I am not asking for a reply.

I would simply like to let you know there are some residents who do care for the world and it's beauty.

I have written a few posts in my blog about the issue of rubbish, litter and recycling in Leicester.

If you have time please read them, the photos are in the first link...

http://indian-earth.blogspot.com/2008/09/river-runs-through-it.html

http://indian-earth.blogspot.com/2008/09/filthy-liars.html

http://indian-earth.blogspot.com/2008/09/todays-newspaper-in-india-landfill-of.html

Thank you and regards,

One Water...

2008-09-20T09:35:00.008+01:00

I guess we have all given up buying bottled water by now?

Well just in case you are caught short (not very likely I know, who would refuse you a glass of water? (and that's not a rhetorical question) bear in mind there is one bottle of water you can buy without any guilt, as long as you recycle the bottle!)

'One Water'

Trying to change the lives of a billion people?

"1 billion people without clean water, 2 million deaths each year, but did you know that the bigger problem is actually that people spend an average of 5 hours a day walking to collect water? That's around 40 billion hours a year. Imagine what your day would be like if you spent 5 hours walking to your local shop for a drink. Wouldn't get much done would you? It's the same in developing countries. Kids don't go to school and adults can't look after their crops or families properly.

We could have sat on our backsides and done nothing, but we've seen the impact of a little bit of money used in the right way – which is why we launched One. We always said that if we could get just one bottle produced, or change just one life it would have been worth it. But with your help we've already done much better than that.

Roundabout PlayPumps®

All of One water's profilts are used to install PlayPump® water systems in villages. PlayPumps® are roundabout powered water pumps. As kids play, clean water is pumped out of the ground into storage tanks for use by the community. So not only do people get clean water, but because it's readily available it means time isn't wasted collecting water - and that's great because the kids go to school to get an education and the adults look after their crops and families."

Volunteer on a water communitychallenge project in South Africa

"Due to overwhelming interest in our work in Africa, we've now teamed up with communitychallenge to launch volunteering projects - If you would like to make a difference and are up for a challenge then you may be interested in raising the funds to build a PlayPump® and then joining a small team to take part in a 9 day community project to help develop the basic infrastructure of a community in need. You could be building toilets, planting a vegetable garden, building a kitchen, or repairing classrooms. Whatever work you do, no specific skills are required, just the energy and enthusiasm to make a difference! You can be sure that you will be making a huge difference to the community.

If you'd like more information about this project please visit the 'Community Challenge' website...

Jade: Take note!! I'll come!

Fair Trade Coffee and Dreams...

2008-09-19T13:35:00.005+01:00

Well I just got back from my meet up with Laura. She's lovely, just how I expected her to be, warm, friendly and interesting...

The morning didn't start too well for me. Angel didn't sleep in the morning until 5 minutes before we were about to leave! I had hoped to get her in the buggy without waking her up, but not a chance, so she was miserable and tired. Then the bus driver was rude to me before I'd even got my ticket. I make a deliberate effort with people working in services as I've been there many times before, I always say 'hello', smile and say 'thank you', whether to a bus driver or a bank clerk it doesn't take much to be nice. He ignored my smile and ordered that I'd have to fold my buggy up... all before I'd even got my ticket. He continue to shout at me as I was struggling up the aisle, all in the name of rules and regulations! Thankfully a lovely girl helped me to fold the buggy while the bus driver made a point of going nowhere 'til it was done (which makes a change from the usual foot slammed on the accelerator before you have a chance to sit down!)

Stuck for what to do in the middle of 'Consumerism Hell', we ended up at Costa Coffee for a cup of Fair Trade cappuccino and a pathetically priced 'babyccino' for 50p... (I forgot to say thank you for the coffee Laura!)

We chatted about our lives and where they are headed, how much we both hate the 'outside world' and how our escape to the sun will hopefully bring us what we are looking for in life...

One little Angel certainly wasn't living up to her name, so we had a wonder around aimlessly in the sun, backing up our views of this country at every step, from the ridiculously priced to the even more ridiculously dressed! We even stopped to listen to a 'one man and his dog' band and stared in amazement that the dog was actually singing along...

It was really great meeting you Laura, I wish you every happiness in your journey, thanks for sharing your story... x

(I've now just realised that Laura's not on my blogroll either!

What's going on with the Google reader update! Down to Earth, Gardenopolis, Natural, Happy and Free, Notes from the Frugal Trenches and Sandras Garden are missing too!

Sorry ladies, you're all regular reads of mine and deserve a special mention...)

Cleaning Baskets in the Sun (or Shade)...

2008-09-18T16:49:00.007+01:00

As you may already gather from this post, I have a big love of baskets. Our flat at the moment, with the weather getting colder, is becoming quite a haven for mould. No it's not very nice and yes, I know it's not at all good for our health. But we're off, so I don't really loose much sleep over it. The problem is though, apart from the teabags and flour I had in the cupboards going mouldy (sorry I couldn't offer you a cup of Peppermint tea Mum!), all my baskets have taken on a light tinge of green!

I couldn't live without my baskets (well I'm sure I could really) to contain all the silly clutter that flutters around my life. I absolutely love anything that can be classed in the 'Things to Put Things In' catergory... I like my surfaces clear and easy to clean, so for me the basket is the epiphany of clutter containment.

I thought I'd have a go at cleaning them, since they will be going on the 'by sea' journey to India. I'm not sure how long they will last in the monsoon humidity, but they may as well come along for the ride instead of going up in the loft.

The wonderful Rhonda Jean wrote a post a while back on just this subject and the lovely Julie (Oh bugger, you wern't on my blogroll... why isn't my google reader updating my list properly?), wrote a post about how she transformed her baskets in one of her super duper 'Doing/Making/Garden/Dinner' frenzies. (Simple Days she calls them!)

So with a little help...

...we collected up the mouldy baskets and using a little antibacterial, supposedly 'natural' washing up liquid from Sainsburys, (a little dig there because I thought I was buying eco, no more eco than 'Herbal Essences'!) we scrubbed and showered them down (I wasn't about to get the cold hosepipe out in this weather). Now the next step is to leave them to dry in the sun for a few days... yeah right! As the weather here is not quite as predictable as one would hope and the only patch of sun I could find in our little yard was a bit too high up to string up my basket collection, I settled for the cold shade.

So when they do finally dry, I will take an old cloth and rub them over with some Olive Oil to give them a new lease of life, fill them with beautiful things and post them off to India to meet me in the sun...

Slipping off the Eco-Wagon...

2008-09-18T08:46:00.016+01:00

I'm not being very 'Green', 'Simple' or 'Self Sufficient' right now...

My energy levels are on a roller coaster ride at the moment. I've slowed down in the last few days, my mind is cloudy and I'm not at all worried about the impending doom and gloom of packing, paying bills and moving on...

In fact I'm almost non plussed.

I've realised that because I haven't had any of my usual focuses to focus on, I feel a bit lost. I've got nothing to write about, I've got no meals planned, I'm scraping through the last of our stock in the cupboards at the same time as being a bit frivolous, thinking 'Oh well, we'll be gone soon anyway'...

My Mum came at the weekend bringing a fresh haul of goodies. Muffins, brownies (no, not a chance it was fresh from the oven, fresh from Sainsbury's!) Sausages, chicken and lots of shrink wrapped veggies. She's so good to me and hates to think of me starving myself! So I haven't even had the usually mulling around the local shops to do. I did however pick a handful of French Beans for my Mum to take home, she was quite amazed and hadn't thought in a million years, her daughter would be giving her home grown veg!

As for the packing, well what am I thinking! A new life starts ..... (here!).... and I'm worrying whether or not to take my colander along for the ride! Mum's bagsed almost everything, Michael will be none to happy about that! He can't stand the clutter and begs me to take it away.. no more back up kettles purleeeese!

I usually base my posts around the photos I've taken recently. But there aren't any. We haven't been very far with no car. We catch the bus to playschool on Mondays and Wednesdays and pop over to the local park. No excitement, no stress.

We went on the bus into the city last night. The usual shopping trip before we travel, to pick up the necessities for traveling, like pants and stretchy things you can't get in India. Primark of course because we can't afford anything else, although I did splash out for the first time in years at the weekend. We went with my family to Wagamamas for lunch, which happens to be smack bang in the middle of the brand spanking new Highcross Shopping Centre, Leicester City. A haven of high class, top brand fashion... yuck!

Now in my mind I hate all the faffy fashions, hate the thought of all that money being wasted away, despise the image factor and can't believe people enjoy doing it all on a Saturday afternoon. Then when I got there, I was on a high having my family around me, having £40 in my pocket from Grandpa and having a belly full of positive+ energy...

I found the shop (Republic) I had tried to order some quality, 5 yearly purchases, online a few weeks ago. My order had been refunded because they were out of stock.

We can't afford the G-Stars and Diesels of the world, not coveted for the expensive labels but for the quality, industrial look, comfort and practicality, so very occasionally we step up a level from Primark and buy some long lasting essentials.

There in the shop the lovely grey hoody and sparkly jeans I coveted, were waiting by the door to tempt me... along with a very practical, lightweight coat, perfect for air-conditioned airports and the fresh air of the mountains.

I had also wanted these combats...

... but the size 10 was huge on me, they are supposed to come in a size 6 too, be serious, me a size 6, not even in my dreams am I a size 6! So I was very upset to find the size 6 never even existed. After a mass trying on session and a few giggles with the lovely guy looking after the changing rooms, my very relaxed shopping spree (baby with Ammama) ended on a high when the nice manager gave me a 10% discount for having such a silly sizing system on the combats!

So I'm all ready to go, full capsule wardrobe waiting in a not very neat pile...

We still haven't got our passports back, so no tickets booked!

***

I'm very excited about tomorrow morning! Another bus trip to the city, for my very first meeting with an 'Internet Friend'! I've arranged to meet Laura from 'Move to Portugal' for a cup of Fairtrade coffee in 'The Lanes' of Leicester. That'll be something to post about!

Indian Kheer, a bit like Rice Pudding!

2008-09-15T10:00:00.020+01:00

At first when I went to India, the incessant offerings of sweets and desserts made me feel quite queasy. They love sugar! Heaps and spoons of it, all a bit too much for me. So now I can make my own desserts, I hold back on the sugar and make everything to my taste, plus one spoon to make my husband happy!

Kheer is one of our favourites. So simple and sooo tasty. It's comfort, home food, perfect in the summer straight from the fridge and in the winter straight from the pan!

Ingredients:

All quantities can be changed to suit your own taste... this will make enough for 4 people.

100g Seviyan (Roasted Vermicelli)

Semiya Payasam (South Indian), Seviyan (Hindi/Urdu), Sev (Gujarati)

Seviyan is made from Semolina, unlike the Italian version which is made from Durum Wheat or the Chinese version made from rice flour (glass noodles)

Kheer can also be made from the following in case you don't have a packet of Seviyan in the store cupboard!: Rice, spaghettini, quinoa, chickpeas, semolina, moong beans, even banana and cornflakes!

50g butter

1/2 tin of Condensed milk

You don't have to use these but they give a nicer flavour...

Flavourings of choice...

I like to use:

5 Cardamom pods (crushed)

A nice scraping of fresh Nutmeg and Cinnamon

And of course a few spoons of brown sugar...

(You could use anything you fancy really, like vanilla pods/essence, raisins, sultanas, almonds, cashews, coconut, saffron, even grated carrots!...)

A pint of Milk

Only roughly use as much or as little as you like, like rice pudding, some people prefer it stodgy, some runny.

Then for a really authentic Indian taste, try to get hold of some Kewra Essence or Kewra Water...

Kewra is an extract distilled from Pandanus flowers. Kewra flowers have a sweet, perfumed odour with a pleasant quality similar to rose flowers, but kewra is more fruity.

('Tropical Designs' Pandanus Flower)

To me it is such an 'Indian' smell, a whiff of this and I am transported to the streets of Bombay!

Method:

In a thick bottomed saucepan (to avoid burning, husbands take note:) Melt the butter, then add the spices/nuts/fruit and fry a little to bring out the flavours.

Then add the seviyan. If you crunch it up it makes it easier to eat with a spoon!

Add the condensed milk, milk, kewra (only a drop if essence or a splash if water) and sugar.

Stir it all up and simmer gently for a while. You may need to add some more milk as the kheer cooks. We like it quite runny, because if there is any left over (which is rare!) it gets thicker with time.

You can garnish with Saffron, nuts, sultanas or even gold leaf if you're feeling fancy!

There are a couple of online UK Indian Food stores that seem to have a nice variety of products. One is 'Spices of India' and the other 'The Asian Cookshop'. They both have Kewra and Vermicelli for less than a pound.

***

For my little sister Hanna... 'cos she loves Kheer too!

Feeling Happy...

2008-09-14T10:27:00.004+01:00

My family have come to stay for the weekend...

It's so nice to have a bit of time without constant attention to the angel...

I love her with all my heart, but it's nice to free my mind...

She's so happy with her Ammama (my Mum)

Funny Grandpa (my Grandpa, he's 87!)

and Auntie Hanna (my Sister)

I hate to think about leaving them behind and taking her away... it's too much...

Has anyone been through it before?

Weighing Up the Pros and Colandars...

2008-09-12T08:22:00.009+01:00

Over the last few days I've not really been up to much. I'd love to say I've been out digging up the garden (what garden?) or knitting a scarf for winter (I still haven't got any needles) or even making a nice big batch of muffins to store in the freezer (I never did get the muffin tray)...

What have I been doing?

A bit of procrastinating, a bit of worrying, some moving things from room to room...

I'm feeling a bit like I'm in limbo. We know we are going but we still don't know when. We're dreaming of the day the passports come through the letterbox, so we can book our flights.

I've spent a lot of time de-cluttering and prioritising what's wanted and what's not, but I've hit a mental block now. Most things we need for daily life to continue so I can't even pack yet (I'm the one that starts packing 6 weeks before I go anywhere!) I need help. I'm not sure what I'm doing...

We have found a company that sends boxes to India for a pound a kilo. The idea is to send what we really love and don't want to get rid of, see my post 'Simplicity Update' for the list. The problem is I've started thinking 'Well if it only weighs a kilo, it only costs a pound to send', so things are being added to the list and weighed and then I stand there in the kitchen in a daze saying to myself 'What am I doing?!'

Now let me explain. We don't have a house yet. It may take a few years to buy a piece of land and build one. So my dilemma is should I send things that I don't really want, but could be useful in the future? There are so many things you can't get, or are expensive to buy in India. I'm mainly talking about kitchenalia...

The 'Obliterator' in me says 'Don't do it!', but the new frugal me says 'You won't get one like that for less than a quid'...

I'm not the slightest bit attached in any way to my colander or cake plate, but I can't help thinking 'what a waste!'...

Then there's the books and toys... I don't have a problem with these. Quality books and toys are hard to come buy in India and with 3 babies to entertain, I know they will be worthwhile sending.

So forgive me whilst I put the kettle on (no that's not going and neither is the kitchen sink!), sit down for a few more minutes and contemplate clutter... I've got so much to do!!

Growing Green Fingers...

2008-09-10T09:41:00.008+01:00

To offset my ranting over the last few days, I will show you some vegetable wonders of the world... We have had so much rain in the last few weeks, I haven't had to water the garden, so I haven't really been taking time to look at what's been going on. The mornings of sitting out in the sun drinking my coffee have gone and the paddling pool has been put away.

Has summer gone so soon?

Before we set off on our weekends away, there was nothing but a few flowers on the french beans. Now miraculously we have 6 inches of superfine legumes to be proud of...

The peppers are popping up quite nicely, but the slugs and baby snails have had a field day...

We've had the last of the lettuce now, but the cherry tomatoes are still giving us some sweet little gifts of juiciness...

We haven't had much of a harvest in our first attempt at growing vegetables, mainly because of the lack of space in the yard and because I haven't been able to afford to buy or find any larger pots or compost to repot the things that need more nourishment. I guess if we could compost our waste somehow it would make a huge difference to what we could grow.

I haven't used any kind of plant food because I don't want to get into buying organic food in plastic bottles that won't be available in India. When the time comes I will research homemade organic plant feeds in more depth.

The experiments in sowing and growing have been great fun and very challenging. The satisfaction I have felt seeing and eating something I made happen is unbelievably addictive.

I knew from the start that things would go wrong and I have been happy to learn from my mistakes.

What I have learnt:

Always use clean soil, to avoid diseases such as 'damping off'. At the very beginning I used some pebbles from the garden to help with drainage in my pots... big mistake! The seedlings and soil went mouldy and developed a green 'dew drop' disease over the surface.
Watering should be done from below to avoid 'drowning' the seeds before they germinate.
Water regularly to avoid 'bolting' of seedlings. If the tray gets too dry the seedlings will bolt up and grow too quickly.
Carrots need to be thinned out when they are quite small, otherwise the leaves get too tangled to easily be pulled.
Slugs love my strawberries!

What we have grown:

Baby leaf lettuce - lots of it.
Rocket - lots more.
Courgettes - very small ones due to small pots, but very tasty too. About 10 in total.
Tomatoes - cherry, we've eaten about 20 so far.
French beans - about 20 on the plant, I may use them tonight.
Peas - haven't done so well because they were in the same pot as the beans, which have won the battle.
Peppers - the pots are too small so I'm not expecting much.
Potatoes - an experiment with a few Tesco Value chits! Watered by the bathroom sink, that needs a proper drainage pipe. I planted 6 in a recycling box, too many in a small space, they grew too tall and fell over before they flowered. I had a look and found lots of potatoes but they had a white speckled disease. I just wanted to see how they grew really.
Cucumber - still growing, but the same pot issue, they are looking a bit small and wobbly.
Spring onions - from sets, lovely in our salads.
Coriander - loads of it.

So all in all I'm very happy with the dabbling in 'Green fingered magic' ... The most important thing I have learned is that preparation is the key to success. The heart of any garden is in the soil. Good soil means healthy plants. When we buy some land I will probably spend the first year just building up a good supply of compost and making some raised beds to ensure the nutrients are properly distributed. I'm also going to look into irrigation systems involving greywater.

I'm excited about learning more of crop rotation, companion planting and moon planting. So if any of you have ideas, links or posts about these, I'd love to hear from you.

One of my favourite garden blogs in India (in fact it's the only one I've found!) is India Garden. She doesn't grow vegetables but her photos are always so inspiring.

I can't wait to get started now!

Good for Girls...

2008-09-09T14:57:00.012+01:00

You may have noticed I have added some buttons onto the sidebar recently...

One of them is for 'Mooncup'... "a reusable cup made from soft silicone rubber. Worn internally like a tampon it collects menstrual fluid rather than absorbing. Unlike tampons the Mooncup is not a disposable product, so you only need to buy one."

I seem to have become an advocate for this amazing product, that I had no idea even existed until a few months ago.

After reading Kels hilarious post and her comments, I have decided to become an 'Ambassador' for getting the word out about reusable products for women. Something for me that has always been a bit hush hush, is now something to be proud of and shout about.

I have registered to sell the 'Mooncup' and make 20% commission when my readers click on the 'Mooncup' button to the right and make a purchase. For each one sold, I will make £4. This money is paid into my Paypal account when the total reaches £20.

Which brings me onto the second new button to the right...

'Good for Girls'

... a charity that aims to help young women gain access to better menstrual products. Their goal is to help these girls live their lives and go to school without fear that what they are using during their period will fail. They are focusing on donations of handmade reusable menstrual pads to send to girls in the regions of Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. These donations are handed out by local aid organisations. More information can be found in the FAQ on the 'Good for Girls website.

I will then donate my commission to 'Good for Girls' by cash donation using Paypal. Every time I reach the £20 target I will publish my 'Mooncup' totals and Paypal payments on my blog.

So if you are thinking about changing over to a reusable product, wherever you are in the world, consider a 'Mooncup' and you will also be helping young girls in Africa to live a happier life. I should start singing in a screechy voice and dancing around the room about now...

"In many areas of the world, access to adequate menstrual supplies is difficult to come by. Many women and girls rely on rags, newspaper, camel skin or nothing at all for their menstrual needs. A lack of sanitary pads can be a big barrier to a girl's education.

It may seem difficult to comprehend for many women who have easy access to a varied source of supplies, but we can all appreciate how difficult life would be without them. Imagine trying to go to school or work without protection. For many, it brings life to a halt.

Providing disposable supplies creates an additional burden on some communities where solid waste disposal consists of burning the garbage. Since many disposable feminine hygiene products contain plastic, incineration potentially creates an environmental and health hazard.

Goods 4 Girls was started to seek out donors to sew or purchase new, reusable menstrual pads for donations to areas of Africa where these products are needed most. Providing reusable supplies not only provides a more environmentally friendly alternative for these young women (in areas of adequate water supply for washing), it reduces their dependence on outside aid organizations to continue providing for their monthly needs."

Q. Why are you focusing on reusable menstrual pads and not menstrual cups? (like the Mooncup)
A. Because of potential hygiene issues, using a reusable menstrual product that gets inserted into the body requires additional education and "processing" such as cleaning the cup with boiled water. Additionally, we are culturally sensitive to potential taboos with young girls using an insertable product.

We are looking into the distribution of menstrual cups to some community members (older women who are interested), but at this point, we are focusing on menstrual pads. If an interest in the cups develops we'll be available to help in raising the funds for them and distributing the cups.

For more information or to get involved with the 'Good for Girls' project, click on the button to the right, or this link:

http://www.goods4girls.org/

Todays Newspaper in India ('The Landfill of Britain')...

2008-09-09T12:17:00.012+01:00

(Ascanio)

Britain dumps its garbage on Indian soil

9 Sep, 2008, 0032 hrs IST, TIMES NEWS NETWORK & AGENCIES

LONDON/NEW DELHI: Garbage is literally flying and hitting the roof thousands of kilometres away. A TV report about household waste collected weekly across Britain for recycling being shipped and dumped in India has the green brigade up in arms.

As part of Britain's efforts to go green and improve the environment, UK councils ask households to carefully separate waste into different categories: plastics, metal, paper and glass so that they can be recycled.

But, according to an investigation by a British TV channel, these bags are shipped to India on the waste black market, which is cheaper. It costs up to £148 (Rs 12,000) to recycle a tonne of rubbish once it is separated but only £40 (Rs 2,800) to ship it to India.

The investigation found that a receipt put into a paper recycling bin in Essex turned up at the top of a stinking rubbish mound in Tamil Nadu. It was traced to the Walton-on-the-Naze home of Geoff Moore.

His receipt for CDs was found by investigators at a sprawling rubbish heap in Tamil Nadu. They also found juice cartons, British newspapers, Walkers crisp packets, UK school reports and plastic bags.

"International waste follows the path of least resistance just like water. India has little resistance to imports of waste," said Gopal Krishna, environmental health researcher at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University. "In fact in India there has been an attempt to alter the very definition of waste in order to keep the waste streams flowing. In the last meeting of the Basel Convention, which bans export of hazardous waste from rich to poor countries, the Indian government said that it encouraged trade in recyclable 'metal scrap'. They defined the problem in a way as to justify its continuation."

India has still not ratified the Basel Convention which would have made it mandatory for India to change its domestic laws and stop this nefarious and dangerous trade.

Syamala Mani, director of waste and resource management group at the Centre for Environment Education describes it as dangerous and harmful. "In the garb of municipal waste we end up with dangerous chemicals like plastics and containers that have been used for hazardous chemicals."

Mani said unscrupulous traders grind this and reproduce recycled containers that could then be used to carry food items causing immense risk to public health.

"Biomedical waste and heavy metals too find their way into India through this waste. And we don't even have a single formal metal recovery waste unit in India. All of it is done cheaply in the unregulated sector, which releases the polluting by-products in the air we breathe and the water in our rivers."

Groups in Tamil Nadu have been trying to fight imported waste that’s steadily piling up in the state.

According to a report, about 180 tonnes of US waste was dumped into farm wells near Coimbatore and another 1,000 tonnes is rotting in Tuticorin port. Two cases relating to waste dumping have come up in TN courts recently — one challenging a panchayat decision to cancel a license given to White Star Fibres Ltd for sorting waste paper.

All UK councils are required to recycle. But after householders separate their rubbish and bin workers collect it, councils pass it on to waste firms, who in turn use subcontractors. They are under no obligation to reveal what they actually do with it.

European Union bans sending waste abroad for dumping but allows it to go overseas if it has already been separated and provided that it is actually recycled.

After the TV report, Britain's Environment Agency promised to investigate the matter. Paul Bettison of the Local Government Authority Environment Board called for a change in the law and said, "If a contractor refuses to reveal where materials are being sold it can undermine the whole process."

Copyright © 2008 Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service

***

Read the many comments left by angry Indians, by clicking on this link.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinions/3457003.cms

Filthy Liars...

2008-09-09T09:27:00.007+01:00

(Rag picker, India)

I have just had a text message from a friend, asking if I saw the recycling programme on TV last night? "A Rubbish Service on ITV1". She said apparently our recycled waste gets shipped all the way to INDIA!

After some Googling I came up with the article below from Saturdays 'Mail Online'...

I'm sorry, I would love to sit here and write an in depth post about how I feel about this... but I can't...I'm just fuming with anger! Even more so as Leicestershire Council is amongst the 'named and shamed'... After all the effort I put in to help save this planet, I feel totally disgusted and ashamed to find my rubbish is ending up in 'My Paradise'.

I am going to have to go and think about this for a while, because something has to be done. I'm not saying I will solve this issue single handedly, over night, but I sure as hell am going to make my voice heard! If anyone has any similar experiences or ideas as to what I can do, please let me know...

Where do these people get their morals from?

***

Uncovering the great recycling lie in a trail that leads to India...
By Mark Jordan
6th September 2008

My partially blind, 94-year-old grandmother called me recently. She's a tough old bird, but that morning she was livid.

The 'bin men', for she knows nothing of 'waste technicians', had told her she wasn't recycling properly and should shape up or face a fine.

She has been robbed in her home, conned by a carer and can barely see the one bin she uses, yet now the bin enforcement officers were charging her with endangering the planet.

Stinking shame: Tons of British rubbish dumped on Indian farmland

She's not alone. Twenty thousand tickets for rubbish breaches have been issued in the past year and the Government thinks councils should be able to fine us up to £110 for 'waste receptacle' offences.

My gran's discarded soup tin could land her a bigger fine than the £80 fixed penalty for shoplifting.

I decided to do a little bin snooping of my own.

Now, you would think the people forcing us to sort our recyclables carefully would have a good idea of where they send this green gold for its rebirth. Well, ITV1's Tonight programme quizzed every council in the UK - more than 300 - and 46 told us they had no idea where their cans, paper and glass ended up.

They hand it over to a registered waste company, and much of it is legally shipped abroad for recycling. But if a council, or its contractors, has not sorted the recyclables properly, it risks being dumped.

Some 4,500 miles away in Tamil Nadu, India, environmentalist Nity Jayaraman took me to the rich farmland at the base of the beautiful Nilgiri Hills.

He then began pulling British rubbish from the soil. A Leicester newspaper, Tesco food packaging, bags from Mothercare. There was even a St George's flag.

Nity was furious. 'You're shipping out your garbage, you're shipping out your responsibility. It violates every law, right from the time it entered India,' he said.

Where were the bin police now, I wondered?

Nity explained that a nearby company was supposed to be importing British paper waste and recycling it. Instead, it buys the UK's poorly sorted waste, sifts it with dollar-a-day labour, and then dumps the unusable stuff on farmland.

According to the Environment Agency, dumping unsorted waste in poor countries is illegal. Yet here I am, staring down at a £2 Asda Indian selection pack in the soil of an Indian farm.

A farmer explained the rubbish goes 30ft deep, so we hired a JCB digger and began excavating.

Sleuth: Mark Jordan

I clambered into the pit and began pulling out mail from homes covered by Tendring, Wellingborough and Wakefield District Councils, and Leicestershire County Council.

All four councils collect intermingled recyclables, then send them to a sorting facility, which will sell them on to be recycled. All four authorities told us they worked with licensed UK contractors.

But they added they were 'concerned' by our findings and would investigate 'where appropriate'.

All these people believed this rubbish would have been recycled. Instead, it's rotting in a pit next to an Indian national park that is home to wild elephants.

My producer asked me to say something to camera. As putrid liquid leaked into my boots, I bellowed on about it being international fly-tipping on an unimaginable scale.

Nity and his investigators have uncovered ten more sites full of British and American waste.

In recent years, the Environment Agency has intercepted thousands of tons of unsorted 'green' waste heading for Asia.

One container, supposed to be full of paper, held so much organic waste that the methane build-up caused the container to explode.

From what I witnessed in India, official obsession with snooping on you, me and Grandma Mary for wheelie-bin offences seems far less effective when it comes to intercepting 20-ton containers packed with improperly sorted waste sailing from our shores.

Back home, I wanted to know how it could make financial sense to ship waste around the planet.

I met Ron Humphreys of Abitibi Bowater. He runs one of the biggest recycling paper mills in Britain. Here, your recycled paper is turned into newsprint and paper cups.

He claimed many councils and contractors fail to keep paper separate from other waste. He showed me some rejected bales in a warehouse.

We cut one open and found a lavatory seat, shoes, plastic bottles and underwear. This would bring his machinery to a halt, so the bales are rejected and sold on as unrecycled waste to UK brokers.

Ron said: 'No one in Britain can afford to start separating that, so it gets shipped abroad where there's dirt-cheap labour to sift it. What locals don't want will end up dumped.'

I had brought back a bag of mail I pulled from the Indian dump.

I knocked on the door of a Mr Geoff Moore in Essex, told him I knew he loved Sixties music and handed him a recovered CD invoice.

When I explained its 9,000 mile round-trip voyage, he seemed saddened: 'What's green in that? All of us are told to do our bit, when people in this street hear about this they'll think to themselves, "Why bother?"'

There are few of us who would argue against recycling. What is galling is that some of the councils snooping on us are failing to ensure their collections are properly sorted - by the ton-load.

Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association's environment board, admitted: 'Local authorities should be attempting to find out what happens to their waste - simply sending it to a sorting facility does not guarantee that it is going to be recycled.'

So next time you catch the man from your town hall sniffing round your recycling bag, ask him where it all goes and how well it will be sorted.

In areas where councils operate a system where everything recyclable ends up in the same bin, one in three won't have a clue.

****

Find this story at www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1053015/Uncovering-great-recycling-lie-trail-leads-India.html

Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, Evening Standard & Metro Media Group
© 2008 Associated Newspapers Ltd

Washing Powder Doesn't Grow on Trees...

2008-09-06T13:51:00.005+01:00

(Thanks Saheli)

I just realised that I don't know how we will wash our clothes in India. The usual laundry method will result in lovely fresh pressed clothes at a bargain price, but not exactly on the eco path of ours. Washing powders along with everything else are largely sold in never ending sizes of plastic sachet which unfortunately often end up blowing around in the breeze before they float down the river. So with the chemicals they contain and the plastic they come in, a natural substitute had to be found...

Soap nuts! Sapindus...

(from Pasadena Housewife)

I discovered the most natural washing product in the world, whilst writing this post. So I guess with a bit of asking around at the local dukaan, I should be able to source some. Maybe I should give them a go before hand and try doing some washing in a bucket!

Back up to the claims of a miracle laundry product can be found at:

* Revolutionary laundry soap product grows on trees, replaces laundry detergent

with eco-friendly solution

* Soap Nuts: a Review

* In a Soap Nut Shell... Clean Your Laundry and Your Concience!

Oh and I'm glad I decided to give the nopooing a go before we leave...

I just washed my hair with a mix of 2 parts Shikakai, 1 part Amla and 1 part Neem... I don't really like the way my hair feels, maybe I didn't wash it out enough, maybe because I made the paste a bit thicker this time. I'll give it another go with a runnier mix and wash it out more thoroughly next time. If my hair still feels icky then I'll try without neem, then without amla.

Amla is said to make your hair lose it's red tones, which is a good thing for me because I'm trying to grow out all the chemicals I've saturated my hair with in the past, leaving it a bit coppery. So the more brown the better.

Neem is said to leave a slight tinge of green on fairer hair, which is quite scary, so I hope to God I don't end up looking like an Oompa loompa

I really was impressed by the Shikakai, so I will be sticking to it. I heard screams from the bathroom last night when my husband realised I had given away our shampoo and conditioner!

I feel cleansed in every way now!

Once Upon a Time...

2008-09-05T12:10:00.011+01:00

In answer to Kel at Taurus Rising ...who left this comment on Sinking Ship...SOS

"5 weeks. Wow! Have I missed a post which describes where you're staying when you first arrive, what your plans are when you get there...? Point me in the right direction, or ..write one, lots of detail.."

***

Ok where do I start?

At the beginning...

For me this stage of my life started when, after traveling the world and becoming disillusioned with life I quit my job in 2003 and left England to buy a house in Goa, India. You may have seen me on TV, Get a new life, the one who bought the dodgy looking house with a dream of opening a cafe... Most people I have spoken to since, have said they thought I was 'bloody bonkers!' Well maybe I am. I had got this far with the help of my family and was down to zero capital ... But even having no money and no plan didn't deter me, I trusted in 'Hope' and soon I was introduced to someone who proposed a business plan and away we went...

So my dream turned from this...

...to this!

Casa Maya

(Click to see the website)

I spent a couple of years of hard(ish) work to design and build this house, (not with my own hands!) sticking as much as possible to the traditional Portuguese house that was already a part of the land. Every detail was passed by me, every piece of work was checked by me, every colour and material was chosen by me, everything from roof to foundations, plants to tiles, cups to cushions... I'm quite proud of what I achieved in my naive determination to succeed.

But because the dream had faded and become somebody elses, because I hadn't paid for the work to be done, because I had to compromise 'big time' on the econess (read expensiveness) of the whole project, because I didn't have much of a say anymore, because I felt that I was very lucky to have got so far, because I fell in love and because I got married, because Goa just went downhill far to quickly... My dream was washed away in the monsoon rains and I sold my share of Casa Maya, the pretty boutique guesthouse in the sun...

'My' dream then became 'Our' dream

...then 2 became 3

***

Why did we come back to England?

* Because we are lucky to have free medical treatment in the UK and I wanted to have the support of my family when I had our baby.

* Because we had dreams of making some money in this country and possibly buying a house we could rent out in the future.

* Because of the bureaucracy of immigration laws...

***

Why do we want to go back?

* Because we both love India and don't love Britain.

* Because we don't fit in to this way of life.

* Because we can't afford to stay.

* Because my husbands family need us.

* Because we want the best life for our daughter.

Where will we go?

* We will start in Bombay, where we will spend time with family, C's brother and sister and Evangels cousins, they were born 6 weeks apart, Angelina, Emmanuel and Evangel (and Chris, who is much older)

* We will move down to Goa where we have bought an apartment that has just been built and needs finishing touches before we can rent it out.

* Then down to Kerala, where C's family are from.

* We then plan on making the most of our freedom together as a family. We want to spend a few years traveling around India, hopefully finding a place where we feel at home.

What will we do?

* We are not looking to be rich, just happy.

* We will rent our apartment during the tourist season in Goa (October-April)

* We will invest what we have in either a fixed deposit, property or land.

* We will live a frugal, simple and natural life.

What is our long term plan?

* To settle down when Angel reaches school age, in a beautiful place, where we can teach her the joys of simple living.

* To give Angel the best possible education we can provide her. We are both in agreement that we would like her to be a part of a Montessori type environment. In India there is a school with a similar ideology called Krishnamurti, where "learning to enquire, to observe oneself, to relate with other people and the earth, is their core intention."

* To make sure C's parents are well looked after and happy.

* To find a piece of land we can build our little eco house on and live self sufficiently.

How will we get there?

We both live on fresh air and dreams...

We follow our hearts instead of our heads...

We believe everything will be alright in the end...

We both have good hearts and good intentions...

We don't follow what society believes is right, only what we know is best for each other...

We both feel very lucky to have what we have...

...our little angel x

***

Ethical Dressing...

2008-09-04T13:19:00.010+01:00

'Ricochet'

Evangel was given three beautiful dresses as a gift from someone special. They were from California and designed by a French lady called Jill Pillot, under the label 'Ricochet'.

Jills makes all of her clothes by recycling gently worn clothes and changing them into beautiful, 'wearable art'.

Jill Pillot...

"Her journey to green fashion began 12 years ago when she opened the consignment store, Ricochet, while designing and constructing clothing as a hobby. To refine her technique, she studied fashion design and costume design at Cañada College. Today, she designs “wearable art” for children and adults in the forms of her two collections.

She uses donated clothing in both her casual Ricochet collection and the slightly more upscale Sans Paroles.

Making clothing from recycled material “has always been a way of life” and “I want to inspire other people to recreate things from what they already have.”

(Louise Lao)

***

I have been secretly looking closely at the dolls clothes when we go to play school, to figure out if maybe I do have enough logic in my brain to make clothes. I have no idea how to use a sewing machine, but I do remember making something that resembled a cushion cover once upon a time.

I guess India is 'The' place to learn sewing if you want to learn, but it's also 'The' place for getting things super stitched for good value and in no time. So the 'lazy' and the 'haven't I got enough things going on' in me, puts it to the bottom of the list of things to do.

'Khadi'

Khadi is Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth. It's the ultimate in 'Desi' (Local) and was first promoted in the Freedom Struggle of Gandhi's India. In a bid to claim back India's 'Self-Sustainability' and 'Spirit' at 'Grass Roots' levels, Gandhi encouraged Indians to wear only khadi cloth and not foreign cloth.

A quote from Gandhi I read here is way ahead of his time, reminds me of the issues of today regarding companies like 'Primark' and exploitation of child labour in developing countries. See this BBC website for full details.

"The industrialized countries of the West were exploiting other nations. India is herself an exploited country. Hence, if the villagers are to come into their own, the most natural thing that suggests itself is the revival of the Charkha (Spinning Wheel) and all it means."

I did watch the Panorama programme 'Primark: On the Rack' and as much as I cannot condone any child labour and certainly not a multi-national company profiting from child labour, I do see another side to this story.

You can see from my recent post 'Offsetting my "Ignorance Footprint"...' that I have had first hand experience with what would be classed as 'child labour'. Unfortunately in quite a few cases, (I can't give you statistics as this is just my opinion from observations I have made on my travels of India) some of the child labour is the only way a family can work together to survive.

Who are we to tell a starving family that they can't send their able bodied children out to work so the mother can stay at home and nurture her smaller children?

How can we judge a father who cannot afford to feed his children or pay for school shoes, who has no logic of his own to think that going to school will help his situation?

How do you tell a factory owner to sack his child labourers and not expect the children to get beaten by either their father, mother, landlord or himself?

What good is an education if you cannot concentrate or sit your exams because you have no food in your stomach?

Our ethical values are relevant to our own situations and the western world cannot just force their 'perfect world' on those less fortunate.

How can we help?

Not by boycotting companies like Primark. They are giving much needed jobs to people whose survival depends on them. They do have an Ethical Code of Conduct and a duty to their consumers to adhere to it. If Primark contract a factory to make their clothes and as is very common in India, the contracted factory 'outsources' its work to an unethical sweatshop, can Primark be held accountable?

***

There are many companies out there in the world of green and ethical clothing. This page has a long list of where to shop in the UK for peace of mind.

***

The main point is to endeavor to be 'mindful' of what you wear...

Don't focus on trendy fashion sense, but moral fashion sense...

Sinking Ship...SOS

2008-09-03T08:36:00.003+01:00

Oh Dear!

Budget blown to pieces...

After all outgoings we should have had about £700 left to play with and eat with and put towards our flights...

I was doing so well for the last few months, we didn't go out, we didn't eat crap, we didn't shop at the supermarket, we didn't buy petrol...

Then comes the 2 weekends planned for us by friends, before we knew we were leaving.

Weekend 1...

* The Festival, thank God we didn't pay for the tickets!

* Over £100 spent at Sainsbury's to replenish Mum's fridge, buy picnic food, essentials such as muffins and yum yums and strawberries.

* Over £100 cash taken out and disappeared into the oblivion of crap festival food, yummy ice creams and generosity fueled by the sun.

Weekend 2 (hasn't even happened yet)...

* A sponsored run/walk in London for the charity Tommy's, (research into why babies are born premature) Our good friends have had 2 prem babies, one baby boy who died earlier this year and one beautiful 3 year old boy.

* £15 entry fee.

* £37.50 coach tickets

* £64 train tickets

* I guess I'll have to sponsor myself too

* No doubt more unexpected costs...

More unexpected visa news, good news, but more money to find, another £355 to add to our collection of bills!

Overtime over! So only a basic pay coming in September, the last one...

Oh Dear, Oh dear, what to do?

Bring on the simplicity, does anyone know where I left it?

Rhythm and Bubbles...

2008-09-02T08:54:00.005+01:00

We had so much fun this weekend at the Rhythm Festival

It was like a mini holiday for us after all the stress and hard work of the last few months!

The feeling of 'calm' drifted through the sunny days,

We found ourselves 'back to normal' again!

We chilled out and spent our time being a family again...

Shared our happiness,

Felt what life is really about...

The weather was beautiful on Friday and Saturday...

The sun came out to play with us,

The music was great...

We danced and played and laughed and sang...

Spent time with our friends (Angels God Parents)...

Who like us are so busy trying to keep up with this crazy life,

we hardly get to see them...

Until it was all too much excitement for one weekend...

We took our last journey in the little red car,

No longer economically viable on this 'journey' of ours,

***

I know now in my heart that we are making the right decision to go to India. Evangel is such a 'Free Spirit', she thrives outside whether rain or shine...

When she's surrounded by nature and people, her serious little face lights up and a smile spreads across her face...

***

We are most definitely a 'cage free family', as they say:

"Watch us change everything about ourselves as we discover our true values and apply them to our lives; finding out what we are really made of: Love and Happiness."

Shikakai Shine...

2008-08-28T23:28:00.013+01:00

(Indian Beauty Secrets)

I mentioned in this post about using Shikakai as a natural shampoo. I was going to wait until I'd used up the last of the Body Shop bottles before I gave it a go...

It has to be said that I am very impatient.

So I thought that now we are leaving anyway, I may as well give away my 'Sodium Lauryl Sulphate' and get used to using the shikakai before I go. I went to the local Indian supermarket and started scouring the hair products, finding only a 'Shikakai Hair Soap' in a bar, by several different brands, all of which had no list of ingredients. I wasn't too sure about the soap, so I asked for help from an assistant. She ran all over the shop and came back to me with a packet of shikakai powder, only 99p.

I picked up a little steel dabba to store my treasure in an exitedly went home.

We spent Friday night at my Mums so Angel and I got to have a bath, something I really miss. So we both tried it out together.

I used about a tablespoon of the powder with a little water and massaged it in. It's not soapy, in fact it doesn't lather at all and it feels a bit grainy like exfoliating your scalp. I left it on for about 2 minutes and then rinsed it out.

As soon as I started to rinse I knew it had worked a miracle! Because my hair is quite long I wear it up all the time, even in bed, so it gets very tangled. I only wash it about twice a week so the knots are a usually a mess. When the shikakai washed out my hair felt incredibly soft.

Brushing it through was easier than usual and it dried completely straight (I usually have a slight wave) My hair has truthfully never been this good. I'm sure it looks thicker and it just feels beautiful.

I never use shampoo on my daughters hair so she was a bit unsure of the scratchy head massage at first and hated the rinsing, but it was well worth it because her curls are looking lovely now.

So thats me hooked... 100% natural, pure and has a low pH that doesn't strip you hair of it's natural oils.

I'll probably use it twice a week and see how things go from there. I may try the soap bar too if I can find out what's in it. Whilst looking for a list of ingredients, I found this thread, which is extremely informative with regards to Indian herbal hair care.

From here on I'm will endeavor to join the 'nopooers' of the world...

***

Second nopoo last night, my hair still feels wonderful! I used it on my face and body this time, like an exfoliating scrub...wonderful!

I'm going to get some Neem powder and Amla powder too as I have read they are also great for hair. Neem is a 'miracle' of nature, having a list of medicinal properties longer than a sari. Amla, Indian gooseberry is a natural conditioner, so mixed with the shikakai it should make my hair look and feel even more beautiful.

Neem has been used in India for thousands of years to clean teeth. Simplicity and sustainability in a stick!

(Thanks Helga)

As you can probably tell by now, I have found the answer to all sorts of problems I constantly battle against... The miracle powder for instant beauty, instant decluttering, instant anti-consumerism, instant traveling light and instant happiness!!!

Long Weekend...

2008-08-28T15:37:00.004+01:00

We are off to the Rhythm Festival this weekend...

We went last year on the Sunday, It was Angels first festival!

Hope the weathers good...

See you next week!

Simplicity Update...

2008-08-26T10:00:00.011+01:00

Things at home on the 'path to self sufficiency' are taking a back seat at the moment. The main focus now is a 'path to simplicity' in preparation for our upheaval.

It's not that I don't care anymore or that I've changed my mind, I just have to think a bit more about the short term right now. The future will come, but we have no idea what we'll be doing yet or where.

So over the next few weeks I have to analyze all the possessions we have and decide what to do with them all. We have managed to collect quite a bit of general clutter, just because we thought we would be staying for another 2 years. I suppose the longer you plan on staying in one place, the more you collect. I'm quite accustomed now to packing my life up into boxes, the funny thing is opening them a few years later and wondering 'Why on earth did I save that?'

So sitting here wondering 'Have I really got that much stuff? I thought about the different types of things that seem to appear the longer I stay in one place. Home comforts become more permanent. Temporary things amass. 'Things that might be useful one day' get forgotten in deep cupboards and lofts. Attachment then turns to suffering...

So I've been mentally de-cluttering. Window shopping in my own home, deciding what I really love, what can go now, what can go soon and what I might miss. I am quite harsh when it comes to clearing out, the 'Obliteator' in me often wins. Though I have many times just wished I had kept something that really could have been useful!

So instead of being stressed about how much I have now and how much I have to get rid of, I categorized my 'things' into 3 main groups, so I could easily plan the 'Minimize and Simplify Project'. They are:

* Prized possessions - beautiful things collected throughout life.

For me that includes a few big books about India, photography, Buddhism, cookery and beautiful interior design. I don't buy books anymore because I am forever on the move, so the few I have decided to keep mean a lot to me.

I spent some time practicing Tibetan Buddhism at a difficult time in my life so I have a few books, prayer texts, mala's and Buddha images which I cherish. I think I have found the concept of religion too difficult for me to grasp any specific belief, but if any has made a profound impact on me, it would be the Buddhist philosophy.

Framed photos of our family. Only a few but very precious to me.

I have a bit of an obsession with natural material baskets and boxes. I have a few that I keep because they are hard to find now and very expensive. I wouldn't rush to save them in a fire but I won't get rid of them just to simplify because they help me contain all the little things you need that otherwise clutter your life, like toiletries and 'bits and bobs'.

I have one painting, a piece of aboriginal art, I bought in Australia. It cost me £350 nearly 10 years ago and I love it. I doubt I would ever sell it.

My MacBook. It's a big part of my life right now. I'm sure you can relate. I have all my photos and music backed up on an external hard drive and photos double backed up on DVD. Plus there's all the miles of cables that seems to be a part of laptop life, I never could understand why something that was supposed to be so portable, ends up weighing three times more when you include the cables! Long live wireless networks and hurry up with the no cable solar powered supply...

I don't count jewellery as a possession because it's a part of me. I never take it off and it doesn't clutter my life.

* Transitional things - functional and practical objects for everyday life.

Things for each room in the house. Kitchen crockery, cutlery, pots, pans, pillows, furniture. I could walk away very easily and leave it all behind. Most of it I will leave for the next tenant as we have bought a lot to make the place homely such as a kitchen blind and shelves.

Clothes. I never really cared much for fashion, I'm more of a comfortable jeans and flip flops girl. So clothes have never been a problem for me to part with, more that they fall apart because they are so cheap!

* Consumables - Things that get used up.

Eatables (as they like to call them in India!), cleaning products, toiletries. I have already made a big effort in the past to reduce these.

My menu planning has reduced our stock of food to a minimal supply. Oh yes... those cleaning bottles are still there. It doesn't matter now, they're staying, along with the Ecover that I will be leaving to encourage the new tenant into (eco)nciousness. Travelling light makes you realise how little you really need to get by with each day, so I rarely have too many toiletries. I don't wear make up and I rarely brush my hair let alone put stuff in it or dry it with cabled electronics. If there's anything left I give it away.

***

I like to think of it like cleansing my life down to a minimum again, so as scary as it all seems to be, when I'm looking at a packed bag or a cardboard box, I know that it's the start of a new adventure, with no extra baggage...

Walking Through Time with Nature...

2008-08-25T11:14:00.016+01:00

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon at Watermead Country Park on the outskirts of Leicester City. A beautifully manmade area of reservoirs situated along the old Grand Union Canal.

Recently I have been thinking a lot about my childhood and how I spent whole days wandering off on my own to the nearby fields and rivers, no cares, no fears, exploring, collecting, dreaming and imagining...

Back in those days the countryside was for everyone to share and discover their own piece of nature...

Remembering the silly games played with my friends, climbing trees, picking wild flowers and foraging for blackberries...

We knew what each flower was, the exciting changes that happened throughout the seasons, which was best for pretty fairies floating through the air...

Some that feel soft and fluffy, the ones too prickly to touch, ...

But pretty to look at...

Old fashioned recipes you hear your Grandmother tell stories of, elderberry cordial, dandelion and burdock soda, nettle soup, apple and blackberry crumble...

Picking daisies...

Picking posies of little flowers, all the colours of the rainbow, taken home in muddy little hands for Mummy to put in a little glass on the kitchen window sill...

Some things we would eat, knowing they weren't tasty, but fun to try, peeling, picking, hulling, reaping, harvesting, just to see what was inside...

Seeing the perfection in nature, the patterns of twists and spirals, stars and fountains...

Soft buzzing of bees and tiny winged insects, the only music in the air floating along on the breeze...

Feeding ducks...

Some things for playing tricks with and keeping as treasure...

Beauty of the most precious kind, would stop with us for a while, whilst the rain fell or the sun shone...

**********

Moments I remember from my memories are now moments that we will share together...

...and we will be a part of her memories, a part of the nature we have explored together.

***

Whether Leaves and Grass and Meadow Flowers,

Coconuts, fragrant Frangipani Flowers, Jackfruit and Mangoes...

Her memories of childhood will be full too with the wonders of nature.

The Colours of Zen...

2008-08-24T09:32:00.008+01:00

So do you like my new look? It's called Zenlike, I chose it for the colours of the Indian earth, brown, green and orange. I love the wooden clapboard too because it reminds me of a simple home in the heart of nature, somewhere in the world, a bit like this one...

(Thank you Patricia)