Life, I accept your challenge...
...and will rise to the occasion.
Let's just hope that yesterday was the bottom. Today I began my climb back up on a micro-adventure journey that should, perhaps, be called a nano-adventure, but it was an important step for me.
This may seem very silly to some, but today marked the day I decided that I no longer buy fruit and vegetables from major chain supermarkets. Too much bad press, too much bad karma, not enough good quality, blah, blah, blah.
There is a green grocer just down the road. It's taken me 6 weeks of living here to finally venture in there, but it was the first half of today's micro-adventure. And it was a win for me. Lots of cheap, good-looking (as in looks full of tasty goodness, not in this definition of good looking) F&V, nice people and a smile for free. Win.
This is the second time recently I've taken too long to take such a step. After reading about this in Japan a few years ago I got sick of buying bananas from the Philippines, avocados from Mexico, and oranges from California amongst many other high carbon footprint products. Stumbling into a JA Green Center (there's that US spelling again) I found I could buy wonderful, cheap, in-season, fresh fruit and vegetables grown locally, i.e. just up the road, and not only that, every product had a label showing where in our town or district it was grown, and by whom! I used to be so happy to come out of there with a big, bulging bag of local healthiness knowing that my (very few) dollars (OK, then you pedants, yen) had only gone just up the street to someone I might say hello to while out on a bike ride. While today's effort was small, and both were less than earth-shattering, you've gotta start somewhere, eh?
The second half of this morning's micro-adventure is one that is rapidly becoming a regular. I popped into the local Vinnies, and emerged with a bowl, three books and a new pair of work trousers for the very reasonable sum of $10.50! Three books = 1658 pages of reading fun, or at the pace I read, about 27 hours of entertainment. For four bucks, that's pretty cheap.
So there. Today, me 1, consumerism 0. I think. Or is buying secondhand post consumerism? I dunno, but I do know that I am going to enjoy my $6 pants, my three books and my 50c bowl. I realise that I am late to the party and many people are way ahead of me, but better late than never, right?
Let's just hope that yesterday was the bottom. Today I began my climb back up on a micro-adventure journey that should, perhaps, be called a nano-adventure, but it was an important step for me.
This may seem very silly to some, but today marked the day I decided that I no longer buy fruit and vegetables from major chain supermarkets. Too much bad press, too much bad karma, not enough good quality, blah, blah, blah.
There is a green grocer just down the road. It's taken me 6 weeks of living here to finally venture in there, but it was the first half of today's micro-adventure. And it was a win for me. Lots of cheap, good-looking (as in looks full of tasty goodness, not in this definition of good looking) F&V, nice people and a smile for free. Win.
This is the second time recently I've taken too long to take such a step. After reading about this in Japan a few years ago I got sick of buying bananas from the Philippines, avocados from Mexico, and oranges from California amongst many other high carbon footprint products. Stumbling into a JA Green Center (there's that US spelling again) I found I could buy wonderful, cheap, in-season, fresh fruit and vegetables grown locally, i.e. just up the road, and not only that, every product had a label showing where in our town or district it was grown, and by whom! I used to be so happy to come out of there with a big, bulging bag of local healthiness knowing that my (very few) dollars (OK, then you pedants, yen) had only gone just up the street to someone I might say hello to while out on a bike ride. While today's effort was small, and both were less than earth-shattering, you've gotta start somewhere, eh?
The second half of this morning's micro-adventure is one that is rapidly becoming a regular. I popped into the local Vinnies, and emerged with a bowl, three books and a new pair of work trousers for the very reasonable sum of $10.50! Three books = 1658 pages of reading fun, or at the pace I read, about 27 hours of entertainment. For four bucks, that's pretty cheap.
So there. Today, me 1, consumerism 0. I think. Or is buying secondhand post consumerism? I dunno, but I do know that I am going to enjoy my $6 pants, my three books and my 50c bowl. I realise that I am late to the party and many people are way ahead of me, but better late than never, right?
posted by kurisu at 9:00 AM
5 Comments:
Hey Chris.
Very nice, very well written post! Sorry I haven't popped by in a while - nice to see you still blogging and finding good shopping (or anti-shopping) venues!
Hey Tracy! hisashiburi!
Thanks! Yeah, I'm still blogging when I can find something vaguely interesting to write about, which is less often now that I don't live in an exotic, far-off land. I doubt people want to read about the science homework I marked last night... ;-)
How are you doing?
Bloke,
Try Charlie's down the other end (Everton Park) of Stafford Rd. Locally grown, good prices and always offering deals (check out their website).
other Bloke
Thanks bloke - I remember you talking about that place, will czech it out.
cjm
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