Hey!
i ll directly start writing about why people do not recycle.
Well, it depends. it can be due to infrastructural problems. For instance, if you live in the most beautiful city as i do now, you can have the most beautiful scene but not recycling facility provided by municipality. They seem like they are trying. They put few recycle bins on some corners of the streets, yet they do not specify which is what. i mean, recycling has its own language. Not every plastic is plastic, and not every paper look alike is paper. Same for metals, glasses. Therefore, there should be more informative signs at least on the recycle bins.
Can we put chocolate cover in plastic? What can we do with milk bottles? Are they paper or plastic or should we collect them seperately? What about bulbs? Are they glass or is there any place where we can bring to elektronic waste or are they hazardous waste?
You see? Questions, questions... And none of them is answered by any responsible person, institution what so ever! Believe me, i can list many more question that can scare you! Not only because i m creatiave about asking questions, but also i have been observing 'my' wastes and feeling sooo confused.
Yet,lacking information is not the only problem. Convenience seems like a bigger problem. Because, putting everything in the same garbage is easier. Besides, if you need to carry your waste a bit far away, it does not seem worthwhile to spend money on oil (for the people who 'drive' their waste to the nearest recycle bin). Well, i m afraid that can be right unless you go on foot.
There are also motivational problems. People want to know what happens after they seperate their garbage. People want to be reinforced for spending their time on seperation. i m sure there are many more reasons that is counted vital for the people.
Lessons the be learned:
1) Be positive: if there are many problems, there is soo much space for improvement! May be we should force municipalities for more convenient solutions.
2) You can not be aware of unless you know. So, talk to people why recycling is important.
3) Be sporty: carry your garbage on food!
Tip of the day: Check this to learn more about recycling!
Cheers!!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Getting Complicated! Source Separation...
Hey!
Yesterday, i started to write about 3R concept and will continue with Recycling today.
So, here we go!
As i wrote and everybody was aware of, recycling is not the best option comparing to REDUCE and REUSE. However, it still is a way to replace our virgin sources. The best way to recycle our wastes is 'source separation' which means no mixed-waste. There are many categories and sub-categories that you can seperate your wastes. Glass, plastic, metal, paper, food, electronic, hazardous wastes are the ones that come to my mind at the first place. However, it is not only about separation, but also keeping them clean. For instance, when you collect your paper waste separately, you need to be sure that there is no food residual which makes the waste contaminated. i know it sounds weird: you are not allowed to 'dirt' the dirt. In universities in which try to reach 'zero waste' level, paper cups and pizza boxes are put in food residuals to compost. Napkins as well. For plastics, it is a bit different. i mean you do not need to be that 'clean', yet still, you need to remove food residuals roughly. Same, for others.
However, there is also many critisizm about RECYCLING. Some people say that, recycling actually do not work since we can call it as 'downcycling' instead of recycling. Unfortunately, they are true since when you recycle, you can hardly keep the quality of waste.However, it can be the other way around as in the documentary WASTE=FOOD. Really nice documantary, and the book mentioned in documentary is one of the essentials on environmentalism. Do not worry, i ll say the name of the book :) it is CRADLE TO CRADLE. i ll not talk about documentary furtherly since it will be one of the topics of next month, Sweet November!
One more thing about recycling and i ll stop, enough lecturing for today. Although recycling is not the bestsolution for environment, it helps another problem not to explode: land-filling. There is not that much space on the earth that both we and our garbages can live. So, make your choice: either them or us!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Keep your waste clean!
2) Your waste can be someone else's treasure!! (not my words:P)
3) Check that news to learn how people got 'creazy-creative' to spend less money! ('Reducing' is about keeping your money in your packet as well. Do not get stingy, though!! )
Tip of the day: Buy eco-labeled products!
Cheers!!
PS: Tomorrow, i ll write about why people do not recycle.
Yesterday, i started to write about 3R concept and will continue with Recycling today.
So, here we go!
As i wrote and everybody was aware of, recycling is not the best option comparing to REDUCE and REUSE. However, it still is a way to replace our virgin sources. The best way to recycle our wastes is 'source separation' which means no mixed-waste. There are many categories and sub-categories that you can seperate your wastes. Glass, plastic, metal, paper, food, electronic, hazardous wastes are the ones that come to my mind at the first place. However, it is not only about separation, but also keeping them clean. For instance, when you collect your paper waste separately, you need to be sure that there is no food residual which makes the waste contaminated. i know it sounds weird: you are not allowed to 'dirt' the dirt. In universities in which try to reach 'zero waste' level, paper cups and pizza boxes are put in food residuals to compost. Napkins as well. For plastics, it is a bit different. i mean you do not need to be that 'clean', yet still, you need to remove food residuals roughly. Same, for others.
However, there is also many critisizm about RECYCLING. Some people say that, recycling actually do not work since we can call it as 'downcycling' instead of recycling. Unfortunately, they are true since when you recycle, you can hardly keep the quality of waste.However, it can be the other way around as in the documentary WASTE=FOOD. Really nice documantary, and the book mentioned in documentary is one of the essentials on environmentalism. Do not worry, i ll say the name of the book :) it is CRADLE TO CRADLE. i ll not talk about documentary furtherly since it will be one of the topics of next month, Sweet November!
One more thing about recycling and i ll stop, enough lecturing for today. Although recycling is not the bestsolution for environment, it helps another problem not to explode: land-filling. There is not that much space on the earth that both we and our garbages can live. So, make your choice: either them or us!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Keep your waste clean!
2) Your waste can be someone else's treasure!! (not my words:P)
3) Check that news to learn how people got 'creazy-creative' to spend less money! ('Reducing' is about keeping your money in your packet as well. Do not get stingy, though!! )
Tip of the day: Buy eco-labeled products!
Cheers!!
PS: Tomorrow, i ll write about why people do not recycle.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Time to see me! Halloween's Recycle Bin!
Hey!
This is me, just few minutes before i left home with my dear friend MT who dressed up like LINUS from Peanuts. Preparation part was great. i used the same materials that i prepared for another presentation. Since, that presentation was over, i decided that they can become very nice pieces to decorate my.. Recyle Bin! i know, i do not look alike a Recycle Bin, but still everybody got the point. Though, i am not sure if there was any person left in my uni who was not aware of my 'green' side. i am proud of myself, not my roomy though:)
So, as i dressed up like a recycle bin, it can be a good start to talk about RECYCLING!! This is one of the most favorite topics among environmental problems and/or solutions for me.
i ,of course, start with shiny part of recycling. As you all know, and as i wrote/told hundreds of time, reducing the world sources do not help us to save the world. Therefore, we need to replace it. We first can do REDUCE part of 3R. We can reduce buying, we can reduce consuming, we can reduce wanting more. REUSE is the next best option, and stands for the 2nd R. You can do shopping from 2nd hand stores. You can wear your mum's clothes (i use mum's, since my dearest dad's clothes do not fit!). Use your imagination! As the 3rd R, you can RECYCLE! Then you do not need to cut more trees, dig for more petrolium, bomb rocks to find more metal!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Reduce!!!
2) Reuse!!
3) Recycle!
Tip of the day: Obey the order! Think about what you need, shop rationally!
Cheers!!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 27th (confessions!!)
Hey!
Today, unfortunately, im not going to write you about what i didnot, but what i did.
Since the beginning of October, i was dedicated to my challange. However, as i reflected to you sometimes, i had some questions about Slow Food. i sincerely respect people who can devote themselves to do so. However, especially somethings as i ll clarify it, does not feel right!
Where to start? Yes, slow food was/is great idea to make people think about our daily consumption pattern. It is great, because, everybody eats... without an exception! Therefore, from the beginning, without investing hundreds& thousands, you can do something, not only for environment but also for your health. Good for environment, because as you live slow, not lazy though, you consume less. Practically, let's say you have 2 hours, you want to eat chips. You can go to market,preferably the closest one, and buy one,two,three - as many as you want - packed chips and finish them in few minutes. Probably, you still have more than an hour, and if you want, you can do the same and eat 3 more. However, if you want to 'make' your chips by yourself, it will probably take whole two hours including washing the dishes and what you eat is not as much as you do when you eat packed ones. After all, there is no package which has 2 bad effects for the environment: First, packages are made out of 'something' else, therefore it is a source use. As we all know, nothing is infinite -universe's case is excluded, since it is still questionable:)-, so the more we use our world's sources, the less left to use for further consumption. Second, after you trash it to bin, it is almost never 100% recyclable let alone reusable. Then, here is where all our wastes come from!
However, it is not always the case. Unfortunately, we do not only eat chips. Frequently, we get hungry and do not have time to cook. For this point, i may say that, i want to cook and spend my time on cooking although i do not like it. Because, i can not justify for myself that i have no time. Let's be honest, i have time and i do not want to accept that i m lazy! So, this is kind of challange for me to cook. And you know that i like challenging! However, i can not belame people who still have time but want to value that time by doing some other things and not cooking. Besides, i totally understand people who really do not have time.
Another point is that, organic food is expensive. When i asked Slow Food Lady, whether it is fair to people who does not earn that much; she said 'We are already eating more than we need. We do not need to consume that much. Also, we can decide on which we want to spend money; something important for our one(feeding) of the two reasons to live or anything else!' From her point of view, she was right! By spending more money on eating healthy, we can consume less of other things since we have lesser money to spend on. We -people and mother earth- can live happily ever after. However, it is not the case sometimes. There are some families, which hardly live with the money they earn. So, as soon as the prices are high, there will be some people who can not afford to buy 'healthy' food. It brings us another question: 'Is not it, being healthy, one of our existential rights? ' If so, can we exclude some of the people?
Beyond all of these, i still believe in fair trade, unless it exists. i still want to lessen my carbon footprint. Therefore, i ll keep going open market where i know the producers and the food is not coming from far far away. Of course, noone knows that if the food they sell is local unless you ask them. i still keep eating unpacked as much as possible. Not because it is healthier, but because i do not like plastic.
So, now, i can confess that, i was dining out tonight!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Never say never! (but you already know it!)
2) Eating is not only for survival, but also for socializing!! (my friends, especially my roomy and my beautiful sister, know it!!)
3) Eat slowly then you can extend the time you enjoy!!!
Tip of the day: Be a bee in Holloween party! (or something that can emphasize your environment-conscious side:P i m gonna be a recycle bin!)
Cheers!!
Today, unfortunately, im not going to write you about what i didnot, but what i did.
Since the beginning of October, i was dedicated to my challange. However, as i reflected to you sometimes, i had some questions about Slow Food. i sincerely respect people who can devote themselves to do so. However, especially somethings as i ll clarify it, does not feel right!
Where to start? Yes, slow food was/is great idea to make people think about our daily consumption pattern. It is great, because, everybody eats... without an exception! Therefore, from the beginning, without investing hundreds& thousands, you can do something, not only for environment but also for your health. Good for environment, because as you live slow, not lazy though, you consume less. Practically, let's say you have 2 hours, you want to eat chips. You can go to market,preferably the closest one, and buy one,two,three - as many as you want - packed chips and finish them in few minutes. Probably, you still have more than an hour, and if you want, you can do the same and eat 3 more. However, if you want to 'make' your chips by yourself, it will probably take whole two hours including washing the dishes and what you eat is not as much as you do when you eat packed ones. After all, there is no package which has 2 bad effects for the environment: First, packages are made out of 'something' else, therefore it is a source use. As we all know, nothing is infinite -universe's case is excluded, since it is still questionable:)-, so the more we use our world's sources, the less left to use for further consumption. Second, after you trash it to bin, it is almost never 100% recyclable let alone reusable. Then, here is where all our wastes come from!
However, it is not always the case. Unfortunately, we do not only eat chips. Frequently, we get hungry and do not have time to cook. For this point, i may say that, i want to cook and spend my time on cooking although i do not like it. Because, i can not justify for myself that i have no time. Let's be honest, i have time and i do not want to accept that i m lazy! So, this is kind of challange for me to cook. And you know that i like challenging! However, i can not belame people who still have time but want to value that time by doing some other things and not cooking. Besides, i totally understand people who really do not have time.
Another point is that, organic food is expensive. When i asked Slow Food Lady, whether it is fair to people who does not earn that much; she said 'We are already eating more than we need. We do not need to consume that much. Also, we can decide on which we want to spend money; something important for our one(feeding) of the two reasons to live or anything else!' From her point of view, she was right! By spending more money on eating healthy, we can consume less of other things since we have lesser money to spend on. We -people and mother earth- can live happily ever after. However, it is not the case sometimes. There are some families, which hardly live with the money they earn. So, as soon as the prices are high, there will be some people who can not afford to buy 'healthy' food. It brings us another question: 'Is not it, being healthy, one of our existential rights? ' If so, can we exclude some of the people?
Beyond all of these, i still believe in fair trade, unless it exists. i still want to lessen my carbon footprint. Therefore, i ll keep going open market where i know the producers and the food is not coming from far far away. Of course, noone knows that if the food they sell is local unless you ask them. i still keep eating unpacked as much as possible. Not because it is healthier, but because i do not like plastic.
So, now, i can confess that, i was dining out tonight!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Never say never! (but you already know it!)
2) Eating is not only for survival, but also for socializing!! (my friends, especially my roomy and my beautiful sister, know it!!)
3) Eat slowly then you can extend the time you enjoy!!!
Tip of the day: Be a bee in Holloween party! (or something that can emphasize your environment-conscious side:P i m gonna be a recycle bin!)
Cheers!!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 25-26th (Recycling!!)
Hey!
Yesterday, somehow, i could not find anything to write. Not because we were running out environmental problem, but because i was again a good girl and truly obeyed my own rules! As, you understand, i did not buy any new stuff and i ate properly!
After informing you about very interesting part of my life, i may come to another point: Recycling! Since it is going to be my next challange, i was searching through web-sites and i found that really worth-to-read text. It explains why people do not recycle.
Then tomorrow, i ll also write about why people do not recycle. They sometimes have really good reasons! Even i can say so! i ll also write about what can be done, what people expect to have.
For now, i let you enjoy the article!
Tip of the day: Recycle!
Cheers!!
Yesterday, somehow, i could not find anything to write. Not because we were running out environmental problem, but because i was again a good girl and truly obeyed my own rules! As, you understand, i did not buy any new stuff and i ate properly!
After informing you about very interesting part of my life, i may come to another point: Recycling! Since it is going to be my next challange, i was searching through web-sites and i found that really worth-to-read text. It explains why people do not recycle.
Then tomorrow, i ll also write about why people do not recycle. They sometimes have really good reasons! Even i can say so! i ll also write about what can be done, what people expect to have.
For now, i let you enjoy the article!
Tip of the day: Recycle!
Cheers!!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 24th (green, Ça, Fabulous!))
Hey!
Today was yesterday's tomorrow; so, i m telling about green business today! First of all, i really would like to thank 'wikipedia' for being my holly web-site. Yes, it was a confession: i read from wiki! Not only from wikipedia! You can not imagine how many articles were written on green sustainable businesses, startups, universities.. Do not stop reading! i ll not write about all:)
To start with, of course there are many criterias for being called 'green'. Most of them starts with ISO (14000, 14001...). Other than that, there are many labeling systems, rewards, cerificates from green buildings to products, from energy use to services provided to waste management!!!
However, as i understand if a firm wants to be greener, it has to think broader than just switching off the lights. Involvement of each level of business is crucial. Green decisions should be on the agenda when firms talk about strategic moves. What can be the decision points? To start with what is sustainable, by definition green business “meets the needs of the present world without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs." Well, at least they are supposed to.
It is not only what businesses need to do, but also what people who read this blog need to/ would / could / may do! (feel the pressure, right? :))) So, here is another story by Ça. She is also a friend from my department and i felt sooo happy (Warning! Extreme emotions!) to receive her mail telling me what's her - and her mum's- deal with environment. As she said, after reading my blog (applause!), she felt pretty environment-friendly. Not because she read the blog (sigh!), but she has already been carrying stuff in her bag (as she mentioned they are 'BIG'!) so not using plastic bag; seperating papers from other wastes (her mum seperates also electronic wastes & batteries, plastics and glass). Besides, she and her roomie -i suppose- do not use plastic kitchen tools since plastic has a 'happily ever after' life in the nature!(congrats!)
Then, time to talk about my day: i did not buy any clothes and i am still into my October!. Btw, i told you that, i m not going to have another challange for November. BUT!! i have one! Next month, i ll carry all my recyclable waste to recycle bins. For the people, who already has source seperation system provided by state, it can seem easy to you! For me, it means to carry my plastic , paper and metal wastes to bins which are 10 min away from where i live, and for glasses it will take even more. However, i ll still write about documnetaries as well! Here is getting hot and crowded ! Yay!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Green is not only a colour any more!
2) When there are 3rd parties to audit your performance, you are more likely to proceed better! (talking about businesses!)
3) Hearing from friends is good. It is even better, when they talk about what you do!
Tip of the day: Buy local, eat local!
Cheers!!
PS: SPECIAL THANKS TO MY 'FABULOUS'!
Today was yesterday's tomorrow; so, i m telling about green business today! First of all, i really would like to thank 'wikipedia' for being my holly web-site. Yes, it was a confession: i read from wiki! Not only from wikipedia! You can not imagine how many articles were written on green sustainable businesses, startups, universities.. Do not stop reading! i ll not write about all:)
To start with, of course there are many criterias for being called 'green'. Most of them starts with ISO (14000, 14001...). Other than that, there are many labeling systems, rewards, cerificates from green buildings to products, from energy use to services provided to waste management!!!
However, as i understand if a firm wants to be greener, it has to think broader than just switching off the lights. Involvement of each level of business is crucial. Green decisions should be on the agenda when firms talk about strategic moves. What can be the decision points? To start with what is sustainable, by definition green business “meets the needs of the present world without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs." Well, at least they are supposed to.
It is not only what businesses need to do, but also what people who read this blog need to/ would / could / may do! (feel the pressure, right? :))) So, here is another story by Ça. She is also a friend from my department and i felt sooo happy (Warning! Extreme emotions!) to receive her mail telling me what's her - and her mum's- deal with environment. As she said, after reading my blog (applause!), she felt pretty environment-friendly. Not because she read the blog (sigh!), but she has already been carrying stuff in her bag (as she mentioned they are 'BIG'!) so not using plastic bag; seperating papers from other wastes (her mum seperates also electronic wastes & batteries, plastics and glass). Besides, she and her roomie -i suppose- do not use plastic kitchen tools since plastic has a 'happily ever after' life in the nature!(congrats!)
Then, time to talk about my day: i did not buy any clothes and i am still into my October!. Btw, i told you that, i m not going to have another challange for November. BUT!! i have one! Next month, i ll carry all my recyclable waste to recycle bins. For the people, who already has source seperation system provided by state, it can seem easy to you! For me, it means to carry my plastic , paper and metal wastes to bins which are 10 min away from where i live, and for glasses it will take even more. However, i ll still write about documnetaries as well! Here is getting hot and crowded ! Yay!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Green is not only a colour any more!
2) When there are 3rd parties to audit your performance, you are more likely to proceed better! (talking about businesses!)
3) Hearing from friends is good. It is even better, when they talk about what you do!
Tip of the day: Buy local, eat local!
Cheers!!
PS: SPECIAL THANKS TO MY 'FABULOUS'!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 23rd (green business?)
Hey!
Daily report: i have been sooo healthy today. i went to local open market,had an organic breakfast, my roomy cooked at home for dinner. Besides, i did not buy anything. So, it has been 56 days that i have not bought any clothes. Just to remind you, these months were sales months; to remind me, it was easy!
And today's topic: green businesses!!
What is green business? What makes them green? Do they need to work on environment or is it enough to make their processes more environmental friendly? If so, do they practice it voluntarily? Can we call businesses green when they apply only basics? How can we decide if it is green or just 'green-washed'? Can a business be light green? What is the 'optimum' green level? Can a business get greener by being more efficient?
OK! changed my mind! i m gonna write about that tomorrow. For today, just questions! Class dismissed!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Try not to be mad at your parents or teachers! You are gonna be like them! (mum=me, me=mum)
2) Do not sit in front of PC, all the time!
3) Stop reading this part! Seems like there is nothing more to learn :P
Tip of the day: Turn off the lights, light a candle! Be romantic! (Si's understanding of getting green!)
Cheers!!
Daily report: i have been sooo healthy today. i went to local open market,had an organic breakfast, my roomy cooked at home for dinner. Besides, i did not buy anything. So, it has been 56 days that i have not bought any clothes. Just to remind you, these months were sales months; to remind me, it was easy!
And today's topic: green businesses!!
What is green business? What makes them green? Do they need to work on environment or is it enough to make their processes more environmental friendly? If so, do they practice it voluntarily? Can we call businesses green when they apply only basics? How can we decide if it is green or just 'green-washed'? Can a business be light green? What is the 'optimum' green level? Can a business get greener by being more efficient?
OK! changed my mind! i m gonna write about that tomorrow. For today, just questions! Class dismissed!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Try not to be mad at your parents or teachers! You are gonna be like them! (mum=me, me=mum)
2) Do not sit in front of PC, all the time!
3) Stop reading this part! Seems like there is nothing more to learn :P
Tip of the day: Turn off the lights, light a candle! Be romantic! (Si's understanding of getting green!)
Cheers!!
Friday, October 22, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! (Ra, Fa, EC, MT!! LUV!!)
Hey!
That to-day's gonna be a good day, that to-day's gonna be a good day, that to-day's gonna be a good good daaaayyy!! As you already noticed i am happy!
Yesterday, i said you that when you care about people, they start caring about what you care! Well, it becomes more than my expectations. Here are the cases:
Yesterday, my roomy & i & MT(i am not adding 'dear, beloved, hansome, sophisticated':) met in our house to have breakfast together. We talked about variety of stuff from new movies to my environment obsession, from my roomy's funny stories to ugly truths of Turkey. Of course the most interesting one was 'environment'! As a loyal reader of my blog, MT confesses with a dramatic voice that he buys many bottled water, especially when he is out for whole day! Then we started to discuss what can be done: He is going to buy plastic/reusable bottle sooonn! However, there is another point that makes this conversation interesting: FACTS! Fact1: He drinks water a lot. Fact2: He can not carry a gallon of water with him. Fact3: Our tap water is not potable. Fact4: Sometimes, he is out for hours! What does that mean? It means, in this or that way, he probably needs to buy new bottle of water! BUT!! It also means that, after buying that reusable bottle, he can fill it before he leaves his flat, and there will be no need to buy new bottle for the days he is out for half of day! He will save 14 new bottles, each week, by buying reusable bottle! Yes, i am gifted about Math!
Another story from EC... She already showed me her bottle which she designed for carrying her coffee: simple, unique, stylish, cool and... environmental friendly!!
And Fa!! As we graduated from the same department, aka management, he was one of the people who think i am gonna die alone and pennyless! However, 4 days ago, he whispered me that last time when he went grocery shopping, he did not take plastic bag since he did not buy many things and can carry them without plastic bag! Yet, still, he thinks that i m gonna die alone and pennyless:)))
Last inspiring story for today, is again based on a true one! Ra!!! Last time when we met, she gave me a book for my looong travel to my hometown (13 hours by bus!!) Today, when we met i brought her book back. BUT!! She first asked me, if i liked the book. i obviously did! Then she said, then 'keep the book and give it to someone who will like to read this book.' It was just the beginning... Then she told me she is doing the same her clothes. You know we sometimes have more than we need. Sometimes, we are keeping our clothes in the closet with a piece of hope that we are going to wear them again one day! She said, 'i started to give them away when i see someone(friends, neighbours, friends' of friends', whoever you think) who will be happier to wear them. Besides, they wear them more often, more than 2 times in a year!' Not done yet! She also gave me good news from her gym. As she said, in their gym, they started to warn people about less water use, less towel use, less plastic glass use.. They do not only warn people, but also they designed their bathrooms to be more efficient in terms of water and electricity consumption!
What can i say? Life is good!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Dream!
2) Share!
3) Feel!
Tip of the day: Start digging your closet!
Cheers!!
PS: That tonight's gonna be a good good night.. as well!!!
That to-day's gonna be a good day, that to-day's gonna be a good day, that to-day's gonna be a good good daaaayyy!! As you already noticed i am happy!
Yesterday, i said you that when you care about people, they start caring about what you care! Well, it becomes more than my expectations. Here are the cases:
Yesterday, my roomy & i & MT(i am not adding 'dear, beloved, hansome, sophisticated':) met in our house to have breakfast together. We talked about variety of stuff from new movies to my environment obsession, from my roomy's funny stories to ugly truths of Turkey. Of course the most interesting one was 'environment'! As a loyal reader of my blog, MT confesses with a dramatic voice that he buys many bottled water, especially when he is out for whole day! Then we started to discuss what can be done: He is going to buy plastic/reusable bottle sooonn! However, there is another point that makes this conversation interesting: FACTS! Fact1: He drinks water a lot. Fact2: He can not carry a gallon of water with him. Fact3: Our tap water is not potable. Fact4: Sometimes, he is out for hours! What does that mean? It means, in this or that way, he probably needs to buy new bottle of water! BUT!! It also means that, after buying that reusable bottle, he can fill it before he leaves his flat, and there will be no need to buy new bottle for the days he is out for half of day! He will save 14 new bottles, each week, by buying reusable bottle! Yes, i am gifted about Math!
Another story from EC... She already showed me her bottle which she designed for carrying her coffee: simple, unique, stylish, cool and... environmental friendly!!
And Fa!! As we graduated from the same department, aka management, he was one of the people who think i am gonna die alone and pennyless! However, 4 days ago, he whispered me that last time when he went grocery shopping, he did not take plastic bag since he did not buy many things and can carry them without plastic bag! Yet, still, he thinks that i m gonna die alone and pennyless:)))
Last inspiring story for today, is again based on a true one! Ra!!! Last time when we met, she gave me a book for my looong travel to my hometown (13 hours by bus!!) Today, when we met i brought her book back. BUT!! She first asked me, if i liked the book. i obviously did! Then she said, then 'keep the book and give it to someone who will like to read this book.' It was just the beginning... Then she told me she is doing the same her clothes. You know we sometimes have more than we need. Sometimes, we are keeping our clothes in the closet with a piece of hope that we are going to wear them again one day! She said, 'i started to give them away when i see someone(friends, neighbours, friends' of friends', whoever you think) who will be happier to wear them. Besides, they wear them more often, more than 2 times in a year!' Not done yet! She also gave me good news from her gym. As she said, in their gym, they started to warn people about less water use, less towel use, less plastic glass use.. They do not only warn people, but also they designed their bathrooms to be more efficient in terms of water and electricity consumption!
What can i say? Life is good!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Dream!
2) Share!
3) Feel!
Tip of the day: Start digging your closet!
Cheers!!
PS: That tonight's gonna be a good good night.. as well!!!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 21st (social messages:)
Hey!
Today was the 21st day that i have not eaten any packed food! You know the rules so i m not going to write you again what i did not eat! However, i can tell you what my dear MT is planning to do: He is going to buy a reusable bottle to carry his water instead of buying new bottle of water each time! i ll give the details tomorrow. BECAUSE!! i want to share with you what i wrote on my 'GreEn Forum'! i am also curious about your responses!!
"i have been thinking that how public become more involved in green practices? Is it about policies that governemnt supports? Is it about firms who provides people with more sustainable options(services and products)? Is it about education system that can increase awareness? Is it about niche areas that a person can see and attracts others' attention? Is it about 'brave' enterpreneurs who are passionate about environment? Is it about culture? Is it about all? Is it about none? Or is it simply about people?
Obviously, the more we see, the more we get used to. So what are your daily encounters with 'green'?
Do you hear about sustainability while you were in elementary/secondary/high school or in university? If so, how often?
Have you had a waste management system in your region? Have you already had seperated recycle bins for your waste? If so, how it is applied?
Do you have a transportation system that lead you to be greener? Do you have effective public transportation? What is your main transportation tool between cities; cars; buses; trains;planes? Do you have bike ways? Any subsidies/ punishments for making carpooling more common?
Do you have a chance to choose between organic / nonorganic / local / with or without GMO? Are local markets available? Can you buy your foods unpacked?
Do you have efficient labeling system for products? Do you understand when you see a label on a product whether it is better for the environment/me or not?
Do you see renewable energy sources and applications -if it is possible to produce energy from renewable sources in your country - ?
So, friends, do you see what is missing?? Do you see how further it can be improved?? Do you see there is a huuugeee potential without comprimising to have higher life standards/ freedom?
Of course sustainability is not only about environment, but also covers economy and social attitudes!
So let's share what you encounter in your university/region/country!!
Cheers!!"
Lessons to be learned:
1) If you want to be an enterpreneur, you need to care and listen to people! (Note to me:)
2) If you care people, they can start caring what you care! (it is just my expectation:))
3) If people cared people, world would be a better place to live! (it is my dream:)))
Tip of the day: Switch off the lights when you leave the room!
Cheers!!
Today was the 21st day that i have not eaten any packed food! You know the rules so i m not going to write you again what i did not eat! However, i can tell you what my dear MT is planning to do: He is going to buy a reusable bottle to carry his water instead of buying new bottle of water each time! i ll give the details tomorrow. BECAUSE!! i want to share with you what i wrote on my 'GreEn Forum'! i am also curious about your responses!!
"i have been thinking that how public become more involved in green practices? Is it about policies that governemnt supports? Is it about firms who provides people with more sustainable options(services and products)? Is it about education system that can increase awareness? Is it about niche areas that a person can see and attracts others' attention? Is it about 'brave' enterpreneurs who are passionate about environment? Is it about culture? Is it about all? Is it about none? Or is it simply about people?
Obviously, the more we see, the more we get used to. So what are your daily encounters with 'green'?
Do you hear about sustainability while you were in elementary/secondary/high school or in university? If so, how often?
Have you had a waste management system in your region? Have you already had seperated recycle bins for your waste? If so, how it is applied?
Do you have a transportation system that lead you to be greener? Do you have effective public transportation? What is your main transportation tool between cities; cars; buses; trains;planes? Do you have bike ways? Any subsidies/ punishments for making carpooling more common?
Do you have a chance to choose between organic / nonorganic / local / with or without GMO? Are local markets available? Can you buy your foods unpacked?
Do you have efficient labeling system for products? Do you understand when you see a label on a product whether it is better for the environment/me or not?
Do you see renewable energy sources and applications -if it is possible to produce energy from renewable sources in your country - ?
So, friends, do you see what is missing?? Do you see how further it can be improved?? Do you see there is a huuugeee potential without comprimising to have higher life standards/ freedom?
Of course sustainability is not only about environment, but also covers economy and social attitudes!
So let's share what you encounter in your university/region/country!!
Cheers!!"
Lessons to be learned:
1) If you want to be an enterpreneur, you need to care and listen to people! (Note to me:)
2) If you care people, they can start caring what you care! (it is just my expectation:))
3) If people cared people, world would be a better place to live! (it is my dream:)))
Tip of the day: Switch off the lights when you leave the room!
Cheers!!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 19th (environmentalist? me?)
Hey!
As you all know(!), my current concern is 'environmetalists'! So, that is the time that i should tell you something about myself... Ready to hear? (Warning: Children who are under 89 can be affected badly! ) i am still an environmentalist! i hope i did not scare you:)
However, you may ask me what kind of environmentalist i am? Well, believe me or not, there are lots of definitions and concepts for environmentalists: Am i 'greenie', am i 'treehugger', am i 'green anarchist', am i 'eco-socialist'? Am i 'conservative' or 'liberal'? Reformist or supporter of radical changes? Wow!
i am not going to tell you what kind of environmentalist i am; you probably understood already. However, there is still one question that seems interesting: Is environmentalism a new religion? To me, it is not:) BUT!! My friend Ma from GreEn Forum suggested me to read a book written by Klaus: “Blue Planet in Green Shackles. What Is Endangered: Climate or Freedom?”
i have not read the book yet, but i guess ,from the title, concept of environmentalism connected to 'Watermelon: Green on the outside, Red on the inside'
. i ll discuss it later,maybe, when i finish the book. First, i need to find the book:)
Last words (of wisdom,haha): environmentalism is an arising concept and not everybody is aware of that yet. i realized it for the first time when one of my friend said me 'You say you are not going to buy any clothes for the environment. Are they related?'. Well, it is also kind of consumption and breaks the first R: Reduce! At the end, he is still my very close friend and he does shopping:)At least, he knows why they are related!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Searching for more is good! Thanks my roomie to make me more curious!! (Although, she suffers from my questions:)
2) Connecting People is not only about telecommunication!
3) i m still, i am still 'env.ist'! (i hope you noticed the melody!)
Tip of the day: Try to find 2nd hand books: Less paper use, more notes on the pages!
Cheers!!
As you all know(!), my current concern is 'environmetalists'! So, that is the time that i should tell you something about myself... Ready to hear? (Warning: Children who are under 89 can be affected badly! ) i am still an environmentalist! i hope i did not scare you:)
However, you may ask me what kind of environmentalist i am? Well, believe me or not, there are lots of definitions and concepts for environmentalists: Am i 'greenie', am i 'treehugger', am i 'green anarchist', am i 'eco-socialist'? Am i 'conservative' or 'liberal'? Reformist or supporter of radical changes? Wow!
i am not going to tell you what kind of environmentalist i am; you probably understood already. However, there is still one question that seems interesting: Is environmentalism a new religion? To me, it is not:) BUT!! My friend Ma from GreEn Forum suggested me to read a book written by Klaus: “Blue Planet in Green Shackles. What Is Endangered: Climate or Freedom?”
i have not read the book yet, but i guess ,from the title, concept of environmentalism connected to 'Watermelon: Green on the outside, Red on the inside'
. i ll discuss it later,maybe, when i finish the book. First, i need to find the book:)
Last words (of wisdom,haha): environmentalism is an arising concept and not everybody is aware of that yet. i realized it for the first time when one of my friend said me 'You say you are not going to buy any clothes for the environment. Are they related?'. Well, it is also kind of consumption and breaks the first R: Reduce! At the end, he is still my very close friend and he does shopping:)At least, he knows why they are related!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Searching for more is good! Thanks my roomie to make me more curious!! (Although, she suffers from my questions:)
2) Connecting People is not only about telecommunication!
3) i m still, i am still 'env.ist'! (i hope you noticed the melody!)
Tip of the day: Try to find 2nd hand books: Less paper use, more notes on the pages!
Cheers!!
Monday, October 18, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 18th (environmentalist!)
Hey!
i'd like to start with reporting my packed-free day: i m still doing good! Still, sometimes i m questioning if it really saves the environment, or it is just for saving us! Of course, the less packed food you consume, the less package you create! Other than that, it is all about your health! Unfortunately, sometimes, i am not willing to be that healthy:) i m still a human being, you know?! and i want to eat ice-cream! Then the words said by Slow Food Lady come to my mind: 'If you do not find the proper food, you do not eat.' That is why, she was that skinny.. and i absulately am not!
Yes, what was my purpose to start that challange? Being healthier by consuming more organic products? Supporting organic food producers? Adding one more person who demands organic food (it has the same purpose with the previous one)? Consuming less by preparing all meals by myself (rommie-self actually)? Decreasing plastic use? All of them? None of them?
To be honest, although i knew that slow food movement's one of the concerns is health, i was expecting to hear more about 'package'! Not that, i do not care about my health, but i can say it is mostly mum's concern. Yeah, you smell the young-teenage- cool- rebellious girl who seems like not caring about herself (but caring most about herself indeed), right?
Back to point, my challange does not add that much to the environment: i still buy my packed-dairy, there is no rule like 'you are not supposed to carry your bag with you to take your stuff home!', 'You are supposed to pay attention to buy products only covered with recyclable package!', 'You are supposed to drink tap water when it is possible!'... These are not the concerns of Slow Food, but mine!
Am i becoming an environmentalist whom people hate? This is tomorrow's topic! After i wrote that treehugger case, i wonder what really 'environmentalist' means! You ll read what i found tomorrow!! You are going to read, right? RIGHT??
Lessons to be learned:
1) Sometimes, it is easy to do than to think!
2) Take care of your health! Running nose is out!
3) Listen to Jazz music! Really relaxing:) out of topic:))
Tip of the day: Be lazy! Do not search for parking place! Walk instead!
Cheers!!
PS: Special thanks to my Roomie and my day-making MT for helping me to do my project!! Would be sooooooo hard without your help!
i'd like to start with reporting my packed-free day: i m still doing good! Still, sometimes i m questioning if it really saves the environment, or it is just for saving us! Of course, the less packed food you consume, the less package you create! Other than that, it is all about your health! Unfortunately, sometimes, i am not willing to be that healthy:) i m still a human being, you know?! and i want to eat ice-cream! Then the words said by Slow Food Lady come to my mind: 'If you do not find the proper food, you do not eat.' That is why, she was that skinny.. and i absulately am not!
Yes, what was my purpose to start that challange? Being healthier by consuming more organic products? Supporting organic food producers? Adding one more person who demands organic food (it has the same purpose with the previous one)? Consuming less by preparing all meals by myself (rommie-self actually)? Decreasing plastic use? All of them? None of them?
To be honest, although i knew that slow food movement's one of the concerns is health, i was expecting to hear more about 'package'! Not that, i do not care about my health, but i can say it is mostly mum's concern. Yeah, you smell the young-teenage- cool- rebellious girl who seems like not caring about herself (but caring most about herself indeed), right?
Back to point, my challange does not add that much to the environment: i still buy my packed-dairy, there is no rule like 'you are not supposed to carry your bag with you to take your stuff home!', 'You are supposed to pay attention to buy products only covered with recyclable package!', 'You are supposed to drink tap water when it is possible!'... These are not the concerns of Slow Food, but mine!
Am i becoming an environmentalist whom people hate? This is tomorrow's topic! After i wrote that treehugger case, i wonder what really 'environmentalist' means! You ll read what i found tomorrow!! You are going to read, right? RIGHT??
Lessons to be learned:
1) Sometimes, it is easy to do than to think!
2) Take care of your health! Running nose is out!
3) Listen to Jazz music! Really relaxing:) out of topic:))
Tip of the day: Be lazy! Do not search for parking place! Walk instead!
Cheers!!
PS: Special thanks to my Roomie and my day-making MT for helping me to do my project!! Would be sooooooo hard without your help!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 16th(Goddamn Treehuggers?)
Hey!
i know you are surprised due to today's title: it was what i felt when i first saw that article.
Then after, i started to laugh like hell(this is all title's affect, normally i m a very very good good girl:P). In that article, the issue why people do not like environmentalists is discussed. Till now, i have never felt like i am 'hate'able. (yes, i took it personal:P) Seriously, why people do so? Well, there are many reasons as i understood from comments, but there is one which is commonly shared by many people: People do not want to be told what to do! Even, when you feel that you are doing the best thing for environment, it should not turn out that you are forcing/ yelling/ barking(all words are from comments..) them to be like you!
To some extend, i agree with that. Here is what i thought: if there is a discussion going on, and you believe that there is a better way to do/live, you would like to share this with other people. However, the aim suppose to be 'to tell and to share', not to 'win'!!! This is not a competition, and there will be neither a winner nor a loser. So, do not try to beat people while telling them why this way is better... Even you get angry and dissappointed about people's indifference.. about environment!
My experience till now showed me that, people see! When i first started to carry my plastic bag to the open market, they laughed. Then, i talked to sellers why i do not want to have more plastic bag when i already have many, they agreed! Then, i talked to my friends, they started to appreciate. Now, i have my friends, considering using less plastic! NOOO, i m not the girl who can save the world:) i wish i was!! (ok, i ll try to be modest:P)
Lessons to be learned:
1) Do not hate!
2) Preferably, eat; pray; love:)
3) Do not exaggerate eating part:))
Tip of the day: Read more, talk more about environment-friendly solutions!
Cheers!!
i know you are surprised due to today's title: it was what i felt when i first saw that article.
Then after, i started to laugh like hell(this is all title's affect, normally i m a very very good good girl:P). In that article, the issue why people do not like environmentalists is discussed. Till now, i have never felt like i am 'hate'able. (yes, i took it personal:P) Seriously, why people do so? Well, there are many reasons as i understood from comments, but there is one which is commonly shared by many people: People do not want to be told what to do! Even, when you feel that you are doing the best thing for environment, it should not turn out that you are forcing/ yelling/ barking(all words are from comments..) them to be like you!
To some extend, i agree with that. Here is what i thought: if there is a discussion going on, and you believe that there is a better way to do/live, you would like to share this with other people. However, the aim suppose to be 'to tell and to share', not to 'win'!!! This is not a competition, and there will be neither a winner nor a loser. So, do not try to beat people while telling them why this way is better... Even you get angry and dissappointed about people's indifference.. about environment!
My experience till now showed me that, people see! When i first started to carry my plastic bag to the open market, they laughed. Then, i talked to sellers why i do not want to have more plastic bag when i already have many, they agreed! Then, i talked to my friends, they started to appreciate. Now, i have my friends, considering using less plastic! NOOO, i m not the girl who can save the world:) i wish i was!! (ok, i ll try to be modest:P)
Lessons to be learned:
1) Do not hate!
2) Preferably, eat; pray; love:)
3) Do not exaggerate eating part:))
Tip of the day: Read more, talk more about environment-friendly solutions!
Cheers!!
Friday, October 15, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 15th (what did i do today?)
Hey!
Today, i attended a conference. No worries, i m not going to give a lecture about topics:P Instead, i ll tell you what happened when i got thirsty.
Let's start from the very beginning: when i was a kid.. ok it was a really bad joke:) Start again: i woke up and i had a quick breakfast at home. i m still trying to do my best about not eating out. (Applause!) However, after 3.30 hours of listening, i got hungry and there was still 3 more hours to go back home. Therefore, i ate sandwich (almost acceptible), but you know ,normally, i was supposed to drink something: There were fruit-juice, coffee and tea: none of them acceptible! Guess what i did: i did not drink any of these. Moreover, i forgot to take my water with me while leaving the home, and i did not buy that bottle of water.
At that point, i would like to clarify that i stopped drinking bottled water. After this month -maybe year- i may start drinking coffee again. i am almost sure that i can live without instant tea also, since i like preparing tea in our traditional way when i am home, and there are many places which do not serve instant tea but the traditional one. Fruit juice had never been my favorite drink, so check! BUT!! Water is crucial and unfortunately, we do not drink tap water any more(i do not know why, we used to drink:S) Therefore, one more time, i realized that i need to have a plastic bottle that i can refill again and again. i can reduce the plastic waste that i 'create'. You know the most environment friendly way is not recycling but reducing! So, think twice when you use something.. even when it is recyclable! If it is not recyclable, i do not have a word to say! (you feel the pressure, right?)
Lessons to be learned:
1) When you talk about something constantly and insistantly, it is somehow heard and taken into consideration: Special thanks to my 'umbrealla' girl 'EC' for starting to use reusable bottle instead of bottled water!!
2) Traditional way to prepare tea is 'the' greatest!
3) Stop making inside talks out!! (note to myself:)(anyways, special thanks to Si and my roomy for listening)
Tip of the day: Refill your bottle, instead of buying a new one!
Cheers!!
Today, i attended a conference. No worries, i m not going to give a lecture about topics:P Instead, i ll tell you what happened when i got thirsty.
Let's start from the very beginning: when i was a kid.. ok it was a really bad joke:) Start again: i woke up and i had a quick breakfast at home. i m still trying to do my best about not eating out. (Applause!) However, after 3.30 hours of listening, i got hungry and there was still 3 more hours to go back home. Therefore, i ate sandwich (almost acceptible), but you know ,normally, i was supposed to drink something: There were fruit-juice, coffee and tea: none of them acceptible! Guess what i did: i did not drink any of these. Moreover, i forgot to take my water with me while leaving the home, and i did not buy that bottle of water.
At that point, i would like to clarify that i stopped drinking bottled water. After this month -maybe year- i may start drinking coffee again. i am almost sure that i can live without instant tea also, since i like preparing tea in our traditional way when i am home, and there are many places which do not serve instant tea but the traditional one. Fruit juice had never been my favorite drink, so check! BUT!! Water is crucial and unfortunately, we do not drink tap water any more(i do not know why, we used to drink:S) Therefore, one more time, i realized that i need to have a plastic bottle that i can refill again and again. i can reduce the plastic waste that i 'create'. You know the most environment friendly way is not recycling but reducing! So, think twice when you use something.. even when it is recyclable! If it is not recyclable, i do not have a word to say! (you feel the pressure, right?)
Lessons to be learned:
1) When you talk about something constantly and insistantly, it is somehow heard and taken into consideration: Special thanks to my 'umbrealla' girl 'EC' for starting to use reusable bottle instead of bottled water!!
2) Traditional way to prepare tea is 'the' greatest!
3) Stop making inside talks out!! (note to myself:)(anyways, special thanks to Si and my roomy for listening)
Tip of the day: Refill your bottle, instead of buying a new one!
Cheers!!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 14th(the month after this month!)
Hey!
Today i decided to make a change in my blog. For the next month, i m not going to find a new challenge. i ll keep performing 2 months' challenges. That means, i m not going to buy any new clothes, shoes or accesories as i did till now. Besides, i m not going to eat packed food, though i m not sure how successful i am about that. At least i m going to buy my vegetables and fruits from the open market, and i m not going to eat any snacks.i mean packed snacks. You can find the details here :)
i suppose that you have already known which things are forbidden, so i can say that i will not be that 'sustainable' about Pastry any more.
Yes! After saying these, i can tell you what i am going to do for the next month: Green Documentaries for November! As i told you, my beloved friend M, showed me a web site where i can watch all(actually 86) documentaries about environment. This has a variety of documentaries about gas, energy, traffic & transportation, food, water.. Whatever you want!!
For the people who expect to read technical critiques of documentaries,all i can say to you is DON'T! Well, i do not know how i am going to feel about documentaries!! Just kidding:)) Yet, seriously, i do not know what i am going to write about those. It may be because, i have not watched them yet!
One more thing that i m going to tell about why i cancelled my 'biking' challange: i want to live!(Dramatic music! No rain yet.) i know it sounds so crazy but it is true. Especially, in that rainy weather(real rain, not dramatic one), it is impossible to ride your bike and not crash with a car where i live. Of course, it will not be my fault!!! This is all their's:) Maybe, one day, we have bike ways that enable us to ride our bikes as transportation tool... (Sigh! Dramatic rain can be added now.)
Lessons to be learned:
1) Challenge is challenge, life is life! Sometimes, they do not coincide with each other!
2) Documentaries are useful... or is it too early to say so? (Suspicious sounds)
3) You never know how far you can go until you try! (Rain gets harder. Inside talk!)
Tip of today: Do car-pooling! Be social:)
Cheers!
Today i decided to make a change in my blog. For the next month, i m not going to find a new challenge. i ll keep performing 2 months' challenges. That means, i m not going to buy any new clothes, shoes or accesories as i did till now. Besides, i m not going to eat packed food, though i m not sure how successful i am about that. At least i m going to buy my vegetables and fruits from the open market, and i m not going to eat any snacks.i mean packed snacks. You can find the details here :)
i suppose that you have already known which things are forbidden, so i can say that i will not be that 'sustainable' about Pastry any more.
Yes! After saying these, i can tell you what i am going to do for the next month: Green Documentaries for November! As i told you, my beloved friend M, showed me a web site where i can watch all(actually 86) documentaries about environment. This has a variety of documentaries about gas, energy, traffic & transportation, food, water.. Whatever you want!!
For the people who expect to read technical critiques of documentaries,all i can say to you is DON'T! Well, i do not know how i am going to feel about documentaries!! Just kidding:)) Yet, seriously, i do not know what i am going to write about those. It may be because, i have not watched them yet!
One more thing that i m going to tell about why i cancelled my 'biking' challange: i want to live!(Dramatic music! No rain yet.) i know it sounds so crazy but it is true. Especially, in that rainy weather(real rain, not dramatic one), it is impossible to ride your bike and not crash with a car where i live. Of course, it will not be my fault!!! This is all their's:) Maybe, one day, we have bike ways that enable us to ride our bikes as transportation tool... (Sigh! Dramatic rain can be added now.)
Lessons to be learned:
1) Challenge is challenge, life is life! Sometimes, they do not coincide with each other!
2) Documentaries are useful... or is it too early to say so? (Suspicious sounds)
3) You never know how far you can go until you try! (Rain gets harder. Inside talk!)
Tip of today: Do car-pooling! Be social:)
Cheers!
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 13th (shopping!)
Hey!
Yesterday, my roomy and i went on shopping... You would start laughing like you are watching 'Shelly'- Big Bang Theory, if you 'watched' us: At a certain point, i felt like she was going to destroy me by just looking at me!
Here is what happened:
Me: There is no cleanser left in the house.
Roo: Here, that we can buy.
Me: NO!?
Roo: ...
Me: This is too small and by buying small bottles, we are contributing the increasing plastic waste. We were supposed to buy one big one and fill our little bottle which we bought last time, then we do not need to 'consume' more and more plastic each time.
(While saying that last line, i smiled at her like a kid who is asking for a permission to go for summer camp!)
She was still ok, till i yelled at her from the other corner that she should leave that yogurt! What can i do? That yogurt has so many promotion stickers on its plastic cover, and stickers were not even discount or informative stickers!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) i m still able to write that blog, nothing to worry about:))
2) Be carefull about unnecessary advertisements! They either promote to buy more or to create waste more. Actually both!
3) Next time, be more picky about who your roomie will be!! (it was a note from my roomy:))))
Cheers!!
Tip of the day: Buy in bigger size, use in smaller size!
Yesterday, my roomy and i went on shopping... You would start laughing like you are watching 'Shelly'- Big Bang Theory, if you 'watched' us: At a certain point, i felt like she was going to destroy me by just looking at me!
Here is what happened:
Me: There is no cleanser left in the house.
Roo: Here, that we can buy.
Me: NO!?
Roo: ...
Me: This is too small and by buying small bottles, we are contributing the increasing plastic waste. We were supposed to buy one big one and fill our little bottle which we bought last time, then we do not need to 'consume' more and more plastic each time.
(While saying that last line, i smiled at her like a kid who is asking for a permission to go for summer camp!)
She was still ok, till i yelled at her from the other corner that she should leave that yogurt! What can i do? That yogurt has so many promotion stickers on its plastic cover, and stickers were not even discount or informative stickers!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) i m still able to write that blog, nothing to worry about:))
2) Be carefull about unnecessary advertisements! They either promote to buy more or to create waste more. Actually both!
3) Next time, be more picky about who your roomie will be!! (it was a note from my roomy:))))
Cheers!!
Tip of the day: Buy in bigger size, use in smaller size!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 12th (packing, packing, packing!!)
Hey!
When i first started writing this blog, i said myself it will help me to understand what i want. There is nothing wrong with talking to yourself! Is it possible to live totally green? Is it possible to release 0-carbon except of your breathing CO2? Is it possible to live without cars or with only bikes? Is it possible to sweep all wastes we create under the rug? Is it possible to stop consumption? Is it possible to call all people's intentions on environmental problems?
Yes, as you see, it was kind of monolog: me, talking to myself! Then i suddenly(!) realized that these would not be the right questions! Ok, it was not all of a sudden, it took some time for me to understand that although i said 'NO!' to all these questions, i still want to consume less, to release less carbon as much as possible, to tell people plugging off helps to save energy, to ride a bike(of course when it is possible!), to reduce our wastes... It is a looong list! Even it is irrevesible (which ,i hope, is not), i do not want to contribute that. If i were a kid who will be born in 2300s, i would prefer to say that 'Well, they did their best in 2000s.'! Am i becoming a bit foresighted?!
So, now, using resources which is limited, needs to be taken into consideration!
Tip of the day: Next time, when you go shopping, do not take plastic bag! Use your own bag or carry one with you! (Easy, right?)
Lessons to be learned:
1) i m afraid of making 'We need to talk..' talk with myself one day! Till that day: ENJOY!
2) Doing something greener is not just governments' or powerfull countries' responsibility! Think twice before you act!
Cheers!!
PS: i did not buy anything, i did not eat any packed food today!
When i first started writing this blog, i said myself it will help me to understand what i want. There is nothing wrong with talking to yourself! Is it possible to live totally green? Is it possible to release 0-carbon except of your breathing CO2? Is it possible to live without cars or with only bikes? Is it possible to sweep all wastes we create under the rug? Is it possible to stop consumption? Is it possible to call all people's intentions on environmental problems?
Yes, as you see, it was kind of monolog: me, talking to myself! Then i suddenly(!) realized that these would not be the right questions! Ok, it was not all of a sudden, it took some time for me to understand that although i said 'NO!' to all these questions, i still want to consume less, to release less carbon as much as possible, to tell people plugging off helps to save energy, to ride a bike(of course when it is possible!), to reduce our wastes... It is a looong list! Even it is irrevesible (which ,i hope, is not), i do not want to contribute that. If i were a kid who will be born in 2300s, i would prefer to say that 'Well, they did their best in 2000s.'! Am i becoming a bit foresighted?!
So, now, using resources which is limited, needs to be taken into consideration!
Tip of the day: Next time, when you go shopping, do not take plastic bag! Use your own bag or carry one with you! (Easy, right?)
Lessons to be learned:
1) i m afraid of making 'We need to talk..' talk with myself one day! Till that day: ENJOY!
2) Doing something greener is not just governments' or powerfull countries' responsibility! Think twice before you act!
Cheers!!
PS: i did not buy anything, i did not eat any packed food today!
Monday, October 11, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 11th(congratss!)
Hey!
After this year, when i will be done with my challenges, i can buy me champagne to congratulate this day!! Sorry, i ll not be modest:) Because, i realized that i have not eaten any kind of cookies, biscuits, chocolates, ice-cream, instant coffee, pudding, coke, bottle-water for 11 days! You may say that it is what i m supposed to do. BUT!! Doing is harder than thinking.
Believe me!
Or wait, do not believe me: TRY it!!
Or wait, before you try it, let me help you to imagine:
You step into your convenient super market. At that time, you are thinking what you will cook for dinner. It is higly likely vegetables and you are -at least i am- ok with that, since you are a great cook and make everything soo delicious although the ingredients are not the best. (it is a fairy tale ok!! Do not interrupt me!) You walk through the grocery and feel like a French girl choosing the best cheese for her dinner. (i know vegetable is not the same with cheese, and i know i m not French and probably not that good cook!) BUT!! Then, you suddenly feel that you are that close (like a man in 'Paper Heart'!) to touch your intense chocolate-filled cake! No, it is not a cake. Not as soft as cake not as crunchy as cookie, but something special! Then you check the package to see the ingredients , with a piece of hope,that it may not have any soy oil. BUT!! Here it is!!
Do you feel.. dissappointed? sad? nervous? angry? hungry?? desperate?
i think i should stop here. Otherwise, you ll start sending me homemade cookies:))
After telling it with details, probably, you are not gonna believe me, but after some time, i started not to want them! Even if they have no soy oil which is probably GMO, they still are packed! and i do not want to contribute waste of the world:)
So, tomorrow, i m gonna write about what my concern is about packed food!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Humans have the best adaptability capabilities among all living things on the earth!
2) You-i are humans:)) (you probably noticed it already:)
3) If you are willing to change, you can change.. something about YOURSELF!
Cheers!!
After this year, when i will be done with my challenges, i can buy me champagne to congratulate this day!! Sorry, i ll not be modest:) Because, i realized that i have not eaten any kind of cookies, biscuits, chocolates, ice-cream, instant coffee, pudding, coke, bottle-water for 11 days! You may say that it is what i m supposed to do. BUT!! Doing is harder than thinking.
Believe me!
Or wait, do not believe me: TRY it!!
Or wait, before you try it, let me help you to imagine:
You step into your convenient super market. At that time, you are thinking what you will cook for dinner. It is higly likely vegetables and you are -at least i am- ok with that, since you are a great cook and make everything soo delicious although the ingredients are not the best. (it is a fairy tale ok!! Do not interrupt me!) You walk through the grocery and feel like a French girl choosing the best cheese for her dinner. (i know vegetable is not the same with cheese, and i know i m not French and probably not that good cook!) BUT!! Then, you suddenly feel that you are that close (like a man in 'Paper Heart'!) to touch your intense chocolate-filled cake! No, it is not a cake. Not as soft as cake not as crunchy as cookie, but something special! Then you check the package to see the ingredients , with a piece of hope,that it may not have any soy oil. BUT!! Here it is!!
Do you feel.. dissappointed? sad? nervous? angry? hungry?? desperate?
i think i should stop here. Otherwise, you ll start sending me homemade cookies:))
After telling it with details, probably, you are not gonna believe me, but after some time, i started not to want them! Even if they have no soy oil which is probably GMO, they still are packed! and i do not want to contribute waste of the world:)
So, tomorrow, i m gonna write about what my concern is about packed food!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Humans have the best adaptability capabilities among all living things on the earth!
2) You-i are humans:)) (you probably noticed it already:)
3) If you are willing to change, you can change.. something about YOURSELF!
Cheers!!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 10th (magic day?)
Hey!
As i told you yesterday, i bought Organic Honey. i should say, i m not sure if i ll be able to buy another one for next month since it was sooooooo expensive. Still, i d like to see what happens!
Because, i m still on a diet: shopping diet! Fortunately, i m eating at home almost all the time, so seems like i do not need money as much as i needed before. Besides, i do not have a car: no insurance costs, no maintanance costs, no gas costs.. Then maybe i can spend more money to eat better. (or i can save some to travel!!)
One more time, it comes down to money. On the one hand, if 'organic' is healthier, then it should be reachable for all people. To make it possible, it should be cheaper which is not. Since, majority of the world is not among 'the wealthiest', then 'organic' movement can get stuck. Then, nobody but the people who have money or ,let's say, the people who are willing to spend most of the money on 'organic' would be healthier than the others. Is it something that i want to see? i am not sure!
In documentary, 'No Impact Man', there was a part which he became desperate. They, he and his family, tried to cut electrical energy use which includes washing machine, TV, refrigerator, lighting.. They were sitting on the couch with their candles and it was not to make atmosphere more romantic! Then he said, 'People will never stop using electricity..'. It may not be the exact wording but it was the point that not everyone will join 'this' environment-freak family guy. That is exactly the part which i asked to myself if i could continue to do the right thing consciously & consciencely, even i had known that noone will follow me... Well, my answer is YES! But, people, you are going to stand by me, right?? Yes you do!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) It is good to have people to say 'C'mon!! It is fun!'.
2) i still can not think about living without refrigerator!!!
3) But can live without candles:))
Cheers!!
As i told you yesterday, i bought Organic Honey. i should say, i m not sure if i ll be able to buy another one for next month since it was sooooooo expensive. Still, i d like to see what happens!
Because, i m still on a diet: shopping diet! Fortunately, i m eating at home almost all the time, so seems like i do not need money as much as i needed before. Besides, i do not have a car: no insurance costs, no maintanance costs, no gas costs.. Then maybe i can spend more money to eat better. (or i can save some to travel!!)
One more time, it comes down to money. On the one hand, if 'organic' is healthier, then it should be reachable for all people. To make it possible, it should be cheaper which is not. Since, majority of the world is not among 'the wealthiest', then 'organic' movement can get stuck. Then, nobody but the people who have money or ,let's say, the people who are willing to spend most of the money on 'organic' would be healthier than the others. Is it something that i want to see? i am not sure!
In documentary, 'No Impact Man', there was a part which he became desperate. They, he and his family, tried to cut electrical energy use which includes washing machine, TV, refrigerator, lighting.. They were sitting on the couch with their candles and it was not to make atmosphere more romantic! Then he said, 'People will never stop using electricity..'. It may not be the exact wording but it was the point that not everyone will join 'this' environment-freak family guy. That is exactly the part which i asked to myself if i could continue to do the right thing consciously & consciencely, even i had known that noone will follow me... Well, my answer is YES! But, people, you are going to stand by me, right?? Yes you do!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) It is good to have people to say 'C'mon!! It is fun!'.
2) i still can not think about living without refrigerator!!!
3) But can live without candles:))
Cheers!!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 9th (no impact man,inspiration!!)
Hey!!
Today was a great day!! i have many reasons to say so. First of all, i watched 'No Impact Man' and i definitely tell you how much i am inspired by that just after i say i had a great breakfast:all non-packed, went to open market, bought vegetables and fruits, and also some ingredients to prepare my own jam -receipe is from my dear friend Ra-, met NHN, my roomy and came home to cook dinner! Yes, i do the cooking today!!! You can not know how much it means to me.. or to people who know me! Hımm, i was about to forget: i bought organic HONEY!!
Therefore, today was awe-so-me! Now, i can write about 'No Impact Man'! As i wrote before, that was the idea why i started to write my blog! There is no shame from my side. i think he succeeded something and i am so proud that i was inspired to do something similar. The most interesting parts in his challanges were not about environment. Not watching TV, not buying anything new, not using elevator, not driving car, not eating packed, not using toilet paper, doing your hygene products at home, using bike only, turning off the lights at night, trying not to buy any non-recyclable goods, not drinking coffee, not using fridge.. These are all important. BUT!! The thing is he convinced his wife to join his action. It had to be like that since they basicly live together!!
People, if you still have not started to feel surprised, shocked, happy or to jump or to faint; read those sentences again!!!
He did this with a family!! From that point, i m feeling lucky, too, because i m also not living alone and am sharing my/our home with my roomy who stopped eating packed food at home also. Yet, i have doubts if she will be willing to join me with my next month's challange(i ll write it soon!!).
Lessons to be learned:
1) Being extreme makes you extreme, makes public more than average!
2) I ll test my future spouse with 'No Impact Man's standards!!
3) I ll probably die alone!!!
Cheers!!
Today was a great day!! i have many reasons to say so. First of all, i watched 'No Impact Man' and i definitely tell you how much i am inspired by that just after i say i had a great breakfast:all non-packed, went to open market, bought vegetables and fruits, and also some ingredients to prepare my own jam -receipe is from my dear friend Ra-, met NHN, my roomy and came home to cook dinner! Yes, i do the cooking today!!! You can not know how much it means to me.. or to people who know me! Hımm, i was about to forget: i bought organic HONEY!!
Therefore, today was awe-so-me! Now, i can write about 'No Impact Man'! As i wrote before, that was the idea why i started to write my blog! There is no shame from my side. i think he succeeded something and i am so proud that i was inspired to do something similar. The most interesting parts in his challanges were not about environment. Not watching TV, not buying anything new, not using elevator, not driving car, not eating packed, not using toilet paper, doing your hygene products at home, using bike only, turning off the lights at night, trying not to buy any non-recyclable goods, not drinking coffee, not using fridge.. These are all important. BUT!! The thing is he convinced his wife to join his action. It had to be like that since they basicly live together!!
People, if you still have not started to feel surprised, shocked, happy or to jump or to faint; read those sentences again!!!
He did this with a family!! From that point, i m feeling lucky, too, because i m also not living alone and am sharing my/our home with my roomy who stopped eating packed food at home also. Yet, i have doubts if she will be willing to join me with my next month's challange(i ll write it soon!!).
Lessons to be learned:
1) Being extreme makes you extreme, makes public more than average!
2) I ll test my future spouse with 'No Impact Man's standards!!
3) I ll probably die alone!!!
Cheers!!
Friday, October 8, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 8th (producers?!)
Hey!
Today was extremely exhausting, not physically but mentally! Ok, that is nothing related to that blog:i just wanted to share... In the beginning everything seemed soooo dark and at the end i became myself again. i m not going to tell you what happened (do not think that you ll be intereted in), but i would like to say that it is never pure black or white! Thanks God, i m mostly seeing 'white' part :)
It is the same with environmental issues: As i told you, about organic foods,the easiest way would be to sell them in super markets but for higher price. May be i am overestimating that, may be it is only in İstanbul but as soon as they will be in the supermarkets there will be less people to buy from open markets. Then, less demand means, less production. That circle seems endless.(Do not dare to say it already is!!:)
Btw, i d like to say you one more thing, and i ll let you go.(Again do not dare to say you already did!!:) For the last few days, here is clod like hell!! (Do not dare to say the hell is 'hot'!!:) Unlike last year, there was no autumn, we directly passed from summer to winter. This is called 'climate change'!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Do not write blog when you feel pessimistic... next time!
2) Nature seems serious about warning... Buy one more coat or reduce your energy consumption!!
3) Do not get tough on yourself! (my roomy said so:)
Cheers!'
PS: Today was packed-free! Besides, i haven't bought anything after my first challange!!
Today was extremely exhausting, not physically but mentally! Ok, that is nothing related to that blog:i just wanted to share... In the beginning everything seemed soooo dark and at the end i became myself again. i m not going to tell you what happened (do not think that you ll be intereted in), but i would like to say that it is never pure black or white! Thanks God, i m mostly seeing 'white' part :)
It is the same with environmental issues: As i told you, about organic foods,the easiest way would be to sell them in super markets but for higher price. May be i am overestimating that, may be it is only in İstanbul but as soon as they will be in the supermarkets there will be less people to buy from open markets. Then, less demand means, less production. That circle seems endless.(Do not dare to say it already is!!:)
Btw, i d like to say you one more thing, and i ll let you go.(Again do not dare to say you already did!!:) For the last few days, here is clod like hell!! (Do not dare to say the hell is 'hot'!!:) Unlike last year, there was no autumn, we directly passed from summer to winter. This is called 'climate change'!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Do not write blog when you feel pessimistic... next time!
2) Nature seems serious about warning... Buy one more coat or reduce your energy consumption!!
3) Do not get tough on yourself! (my roomy said so:)
Cheers!'
PS: Today was packed-free! Besides, i haven't bought anything after my first challange!!
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 7th&8th (easy life?!)
Hey!
Yesterday, i had a loooonngg period of sleeping that is why i could not write how was my packed-free day which was not!
Yesterday, i woke up sooo early and i had to be out for long time which means i had to eat something out of my castle-home! At that point, i thought the same as F.D suggested/asked me if it is still ok to take our sandwiches with us. However, there was also a little problem with that since i was going to be with close cousins whom i m sure had no sandwiches with them. Unfortunately, i was i bit lazy to prepare 1 sandwich, let alone 4! You may start to think that i m lazy about that all the time but seriously not! Seriously, not always!! And, as you understand that is nothing wrong with preparing our sandwiches unless someone else does make them ready for us, including mums:)
So, i took some fruits for all of us but nothing for breakfast. The result was not unexpected: i ate 'simit' as we all did! i think that is enough for daily confession!
Now, i can start why super markets are convenient. In these days, it seems like we are running out of time. We always have something to do which forces us to be multitasking, quick, planned.. and more stressed!! Therefore, we want to make our lives less stressed which lead us to do shopping from supermarkets. They are everywhere, they are open till 10pm(in istanbul, in Tilburg it was only till 6pm:S), they have variety of products, they have facilities to pay easier etc.. It seems logical to you, to me also.. sometimes...
Therefore when Slow Food Lady said that 'i m trying to do my shopping from supermarkets to tell them 'You are not selling this and that which is better for our health'!' 'They should not tell us what we can eat but we should tell them what we want to have!!' At that point i was about to cry!!
i was about to cry because on the one hand i would like to change all chain where producers can benefit more and not only the end sellers, on the other hand i know that you can not change the system totally so at least we can make easier for people to reach organic food.
Lessons to be learned:
1) Do not try to be hero!! (it was supposed to be inner voice)
2) Be consisted with your thoughts! (it was kind of an advice)
3) Do not sleep less that 7 hours a day!!! (it ends up with 12 hours of sleeping at the end)
Cheers!!
Yesterday, i had a loooonngg period of sleeping that is why i could not write how was my packed-free day which was not!
Yesterday, i woke up sooo early and i had to be out for long time which means i had to eat something out of my castle-home! At that point, i thought the same as F.D suggested/asked me if it is still ok to take our sandwiches with us. However, there was also a little problem with that since i was going to be with close cousins whom i m sure had no sandwiches with them. Unfortunately, i was i bit lazy to prepare 1 sandwich, let alone 4! You may start to think that i m lazy about that all the time but seriously not! Seriously, not always!! And, as you understand that is nothing wrong with preparing our sandwiches unless someone else does make them ready for us, including mums:)
So, i took some fruits for all of us but nothing for breakfast. The result was not unexpected: i ate 'simit' as we all did! i think that is enough for daily confession!
Now, i can start why super markets are convenient. In these days, it seems like we are running out of time. We always have something to do which forces us to be multitasking, quick, planned.. and more stressed!! Therefore, we want to make our lives less stressed which lead us to do shopping from supermarkets. They are everywhere, they are open till 10pm(in istanbul, in Tilburg it was only till 6pm:S), they have variety of products, they have facilities to pay easier etc.. It seems logical to you, to me also.. sometimes...
Therefore when Slow Food Lady said that 'i m trying to do my shopping from supermarkets to tell them 'You are not selling this and that which is better for our health'!' 'They should not tell us what we can eat but we should tell them what we want to have!!' At that point i was about to cry!!
i was about to cry because on the one hand i would like to change all chain where producers can benefit more and not only the end sellers, on the other hand i know that you can not change the system totally so at least we can make easier for people to reach organic food.
Lessons to be learned:
1) Do not try to be hero!! (it was supposed to be inner voice)
2) Be consisted with your thoughts! (it was kind of an advice)
3) Do not sleep less that 7 hours a day!!! (it ends up with 12 hours of sleeping at the end)
Cheers!!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 6th (visible organic!!)
Hey!
Today, in the morning, i met with my dear, crazy, creative friend Ra! BUT! There was a little problem: Where can we have a breakfast which i still could be packed-free?
Actually, my plan was to have a breakfast at home with 'my' cheese, 'my' tomatoes, 'my' cucumber, 'my' roomy's mum-made jam.. Unfortunately there is no 'my' butter or 'my' honey:( Still, i was sure that i could have a breakfast at home and accompany my friend Ra with cup of tea! As usual, my plan planned itself and decided to make me stay in bed 5x10 min more.. Well, i do not regret:)
Therefore, we searched for a place at school in which i can do my best about the unpacked! At the end, i ate kind of pastry but they are almost homemade(hopefully) and drink 2 cubs of tea. Cubs are paper-cubs and i used the same cub for my 2nd time. It was the best thing i could do!
However, i realized one more time that it is really not easy to find what you want when it comes to organic/more sustainable/biological (however you call it) food! That is why my first question to Slow Food Lady was 'Where can you get your foods?'. i knew that there are 2 organic markets but there are far away.. even for İstanbul's standarts, 'cos normally if you say 'close' to somewhere, it means 30 min by bus! So think twice when i say 'far'! Even i think that i can do that once a week, sometimes plans simply does not work.. Therefore i was a bit desperate about finding 'healthy' food!
Then, she came up with a unexpected solution: market chains! Of course i knew that, in some super markets you may find organic food, but somehow it seemed sooo 'business' to me. Since i was a perfect listener (special thanks to dear Si), she kept telling us why she did her shopping from super markets or macro centers. That markets are just origin of our easy-lives. So, she is not against that kind of marketing! The more people see organic, the more they are aware of non-organic!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) i desperately need to find organic honey! Otherwise i ll compansate this with bread as i did till now!!
2) Markets can be part of the deal!
3) Do not let your plans organize you! it should be in the other way around!!
Cheers!!
PS: i ll tell more about why markets are more convenient!
PSS: Tomorrow's topic: Does it matter where you buy your foods? Producers!!
Today, in the morning, i met with my dear, crazy, creative friend Ra! BUT! There was a little problem: Where can we have a breakfast which i still could be packed-free?
Actually, my plan was to have a breakfast at home with 'my' cheese, 'my' tomatoes, 'my' cucumber, 'my' roomy's mum-made jam.. Unfortunately there is no 'my' butter or 'my' honey:( Still, i was sure that i could have a breakfast at home and accompany my friend Ra with cup of tea! As usual, my plan planned itself and decided to make me stay in bed 5x10 min more.. Well, i do not regret:)
Therefore, we searched for a place at school in which i can do my best about the unpacked! At the end, i ate kind of pastry but they are almost homemade(hopefully) and drink 2 cubs of tea. Cubs are paper-cubs and i used the same cub for my 2nd time. It was the best thing i could do!
However, i realized one more time that it is really not easy to find what you want when it comes to organic/more sustainable/biological (however you call it) food! That is why my first question to Slow Food Lady was 'Where can you get your foods?'. i knew that there are 2 organic markets but there are far away.. even for İstanbul's standarts, 'cos normally if you say 'close' to somewhere, it means 30 min by bus! So think twice when i say 'far'! Even i think that i can do that once a week, sometimes plans simply does not work.. Therefore i was a bit desperate about finding 'healthy' food!
Then, she came up with a unexpected solution: market chains! Of course i knew that, in some super markets you may find organic food, but somehow it seemed sooo 'business' to me. Since i was a perfect listener (special thanks to dear Si), she kept telling us why she did her shopping from super markets or macro centers. That markets are just origin of our easy-lives. So, she is not against that kind of marketing! The more people see organic, the more they are aware of non-organic!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) i desperately need to find organic honey! Otherwise i ll compansate this with bread as i did till now!!
2) Markets can be part of the deal!
3) Do not let your plans organize you! it should be in the other way around!!
Cheers!!
PS: i ll tell more about why markets are more convenient!
PSS: Tomorrow's topic: Does it matter where you buy your foods? Producers!!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! (is it all about time?)
Hey!
i could not write yesterday, but it does not mean that i have something to hide: i am still into it! However, i should say it was a bit hard. Because, when i came back from my hometown, i realized that, in my home where i live with my roomy, we have jam which is packed, butter-packed, every piece of chocolate- contains soy oil, coffee-instant.. And my one of the biggest pleasure, PASTRY.. sometimes sweet, sometimes salty but always fresh(since we bought from bakery). The last time when i went to bakery to buy a bread and saw my favorite cookie.. It was really as romantic and sad as Titanic!
Ok! Enough. i think i exaggerate a bit. i mean i can bake my cookies (to people who know me, i m telling you: Do not laugh!!) but she can not bake her all-times love unless she was Sabrina- witch! Soo, at the end, it has been 5 days and i m still on the way!
BUT!! There is really one important thing about baking cookies: TIME! i mean other than i m kind of person who gets bored after adding 3rd ingredient -including salt/spices- to meal/pastry, sometime you just do not have time! OR, do we?
According to Slow Food Lady, we have time: we have time to spend cooking, if we have time to watch TV for 4 hours, to check our mails 78 times a day, to spend hours on networking websites.. Besides, as she told, we have machines to do almost everything for us: washing&drying machines for laundry, dishwasher for dirty plates, hoover for cleaning the house, small home appliances to mix, to cut, to stir.. In addition to that, we buy our clothes and do not sew! There should be time, but the question is whether we are willing to spend that time on slowing our lives..with slow food?! Preparing every ingredients, buying them from special organic markets and eating that meal that you put so much effort, enjoying every bit.. time consuming! OR, is it?
Taking my time while eating is pleasure for me! Especially, when you are surrounded by people who you like to be with! Especially, when you smell the meal and when it smells soooo gooodd! Does not need to be your pleasure! i strongly suggest you to try!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Do not judge your friends if they are not able to cook! Cook for them!! (Dear 'my' friends! You got what i mean!)
2) Special thanks to my dear CfB for having dinner with me.. and also telling me the 'Ugly Truth's of food indusrty!!
3) Close your eyes while eating.. unless nobody see you!! Otherwise, you are going to be the fun of the week! (based on a true story.)
PS: Tomorrow's topic: How can we make organic food more visible? Can market chains be the option?
Cheers!!
i could not write yesterday, but it does not mean that i have something to hide: i am still into it! However, i should say it was a bit hard. Because, when i came back from my hometown, i realized that, in my home where i live with my roomy, we have jam which is packed, butter-packed, every piece of chocolate- contains soy oil, coffee-instant.. And my one of the biggest pleasure, PASTRY.. sometimes sweet, sometimes salty but always fresh(since we bought from bakery). The last time when i went to bakery to buy a bread and saw my favorite cookie.. It was really as romantic and sad as Titanic!
Ok! Enough. i think i exaggerate a bit. i mean i can bake my cookies (to people who know me, i m telling you: Do not laugh!!) but she can not bake her all-times love unless she was Sabrina- witch! Soo, at the end, it has been 5 days and i m still on the way!
BUT!! There is really one important thing about baking cookies: TIME! i mean other than i m kind of person who gets bored after adding 3rd ingredient -including salt/spices- to meal/pastry, sometime you just do not have time! OR, do we?
According to Slow Food Lady, we have time: we have time to spend cooking, if we have time to watch TV for 4 hours, to check our mails 78 times a day, to spend hours on networking websites.. Besides, as she told, we have machines to do almost everything for us: washing&drying machines for laundry, dishwasher for dirty plates, hoover for cleaning the house, small home appliances to mix, to cut, to stir.. In addition to that, we buy our clothes and do not sew! There should be time, but the question is whether we are willing to spend that time on slowing our lives..with slow food?! Preparing every ingredients, buying them from special organic markets and eating that meal that you put so much effort, enjoying every bit.. time consuming! OR, is it?
Taking my time while eating is pleasure for me! Especially, when you are surrounded by people who you like to be with! Especially, when you smell the meal and when it smells soooo gooodd! Does not need to be your pleasure! i strongly suggest you to try!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Do not judge your friends if they are not able to cook! Cook for them!! (Dear 'my' friends! You got what i mean!)
2) Special thanks to my dear CfB for having dinner with me.. and also telling me the 'Ugly Truth's of food indusrty!!
3) Close your eyes while eating.. unless nobody see you!! Otherwise, you are going to be the fun of the week! (based on a true story.)
PS: Tomorrow's topic: How can we make organic food more visible? Can market chains be the option?
Cheers!!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 3rd(Organic market!)
Hey!
As i told you yesterday, i want to write a bit about organic food!
Before i started to write, i thought about what i could write here. i can write that organic food market in Turkey is growing. (can not stop my managener-side!) In big market chains you can see organic-labeled foods. As i told you, there are also open markets who sell only organic foods(and other products) even though there are not many and probably only in BIG CITIES(i m sure you know what i mean with 'BIG' if you have ever visited İstanbul!) Of course, that is understandable pattern of supply, since organic products are more expensive! i do not mean that wealth of big cities is at a higher level than small ones, but the chance of finding right segment in big cities is higher. i ll write about that part later! Last thing that i write about 'market' is that market chains mark there is a growing demand for organic products. System supports it or at least started to support it with its tools like chains which will cause to rise in awareness.
Other than market conditions, i realized that only thing that i know about organic foods is that they are 'healthier', but how? As probably all of us have heard that there is no chemical fertilizer that can accumulate in our bodies. Also they are not genetically modified organisms(GMO), so we can feel safer.(GMO will be another topic!) Then i think this is all what i know about organic food! Therefore, i decided to search for conditions and requirements of having an organic food label. Yes, i have just decided and i m soooo curious about the findings!!
Ohh! i forgot to 'report' : i have not consumed any of these which i wrote on the list.. Did i write that 'chewing gum' is also included??
Lessons to be learned:
1) food=food(Irrational buyer) life=life (OPUS) life=food (Slow Food Lady)
2) When your mum says 'Do not think about it!', think twice about not to think.. and take it serious :P
Cheers!!
As i told you yesterday, i want to write a bit about organic food!
Before i started to write, i thought about what i could write here. i can write that organic food market in Turkey is growing. (can not stop my managener-side!) In big market chains you can see organic-labeled foods. As i told you, there are also open markets who sell only organic foods(and other products) even though there are not many and probably only in BIG CITIES(i m sure you know what i mean with 'BIG' if you have ever visited İstanbul!) Of course, that is understandable pattern of supply, since organic products are more expensive! i do not mean that wealth of big cities is at a higher level than small ones, but the chance of finding right segment in big cities is higher. i ll write about that part later! Last thing that i write about 'market' is that market chains mark there is a growing demand for organic products. System supports it or at least started to support it with its tools like chains which will cause to rise in awareness.
Other than market conditions, i realized that only thing that i know about organic foods is that they are 'healthier', but how? As probably all of us have heard that there is no chemical fertilizer that can accumulate in our bodies. Also they are not genetically modified organisms(GMO), so we can feel safer.(GMO will be another topic!) Then i think this is all what i know about organic food! Therefore, i decided to search for conditions and requirements of having an organic food label. Yes, i have just decided and i m soooo curious about the findings!!
Ohh! i forgot to 'report' : i have not consumed any of these which i wrote on the list.. Did i write that 'chewing gum' is also included??
Lessons to be learned:
1) food=food(Irrational buyer) life=life (OPUS) life=food (Slow Food Lady)
2) When your mum says 'Do not think about it!', think twice about not to think.. and take it serious :P
Cheers!!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 2nd (why? seriously!!)
Hey!
When i first sent that mail to Slow Food Lady, i was expecting to hear something different. To explain what and why is different, let me tell you what i was planning to hear!
Packed food means food which is packed... to ME(ok, as you see i am such a simple person:)! Which is not that related to Unpacked food! Therefore, when i asked Slow Food Lady what unpacked food was, she started her words with saying 'Let me explain what packed food is..'. Packed food is basically everything that you put no effort to consume. Cookies, biscuits, soup, icecream.. Because, all you need is just to buy, open the package, put in microwave(if it needs to be heated up) and ... Bon Apetit! However, you do not know anything about ingredients, about place where it has been produced, about time they have spent to make all these products ready for you to eat! Even if you are rational buyer (as all economists expect us to be which we - at least i- are not), it is easier to buy a packed-chips than to prepare all these ingredients: choosing potatoes one by one, peeling them, washing them, cutting them into thin slices, choosing the best olive oil to fry and washing the dirt after you prepared, and ... Bon Apetit!
Since you spend much more time to do so, you will not be willing to have chips as often and as much as you consume ready-to-eat type. However, it will be more tasty and unique chips that you can not find anywhere else.
i know what you think: what the hell!!! Right? At that point, probably i looked at the Slow Food lady with the same expression, so she wanted to explain why this is that important. She said 'We have 2 main instincts to survive in the world: reproduction and feeding. You do not pick a guy on the street to be with (i am not judging this if there are people do so*) ,so you should not eat everything you are served!'
Logic is simple... but makes sense to me! Tomorrow, i ll go with organic-biologic food!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Start peeling potatoes! C'mon, you can not give up eating chips!
2) * she did not make that explanation, it was me!
3) Packed is not the opposite of unpacked but of slowfood! So no need to rush, take it easy!
Cheers!!
When i first sent that mail to Slow Food Lady, i was expecting to hear something different. To explain what and why is different, let me tell you what i was planning to hear!
Packed food means food which is packed... to ME(ok, as you see i am such a simple person:)! Which is not that related to Unpacked food! Therefore, when i asked Slow Food Lady what unpacked food was, she started her words with saying 'Let me explain what packed food is..'. Packed food is basically everything that you put no effort to consume. Cookies, biscuits, soup, icecream.. Because, all you need is just to buy, open the package, put in microwave(if it needs to be heated up) and ... Bon Apetit! However, you do not know anything about ingredients, about place where it has been produced, about time they have spent to make all these products ready for you to eat! Even if you are rational buyer (as all economists expect us to be which we - at least i- are not), it is easier to buy a packed-chips than to prepare all these ingredients: choosing potatoes one by one, peeling them, washing them, cutting them into thin slices, choosing the best olive oil to fry and washing the dirt after you prepared, and ... Bon Apetit!
Since you spend much more time to do so, you will not be willing to have chips as often and as much as you consume ready-to-eat type. However, it will be more tasty and unique chips that you can not find anywhere else.
i know what you think: what the hell!!! Right? At that point, probably i looked at the Slow Food lady with the same expression, so she wanted to explain why this is that important. She said 'We have 2 main instincts to survive in the world: reproduction and feeding. You do not pick a guy on the street to be with (i am not judging this if there are people do so*) ,so you should not eat everything you are served!'
Logic is simple... but makes sense to me! Tomorrow, i ll go with organic-biologic food!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Start peeling potatoes! C'mon, you can not give up eating chips!
2) * she did not make that explanation, it was me!
3) Packed is not the opposite of unpacked but of slowfood! So no need to rush, take it easy!
Cheers!!
Friday, October 1, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 1st(Let's set the rules!)
Hey!
Today i am writing from my hometown and i ll be here for 4 days. Tomorrow, i m gonna swim. Yes, it will be-it is- 2nd October, and here, in my hometown you still can swim! That hot!! You may think that i am exaggerating, but no! i am becoming more and more worried about climate change!
However, today's topic is not climate change but my new challange! As October starts, this time for the new challange which is no-packed-food!! i ll explain you why i decided to make this challange and how it will help me to lessen my footprint, hopefully tomorrow! For now, i am just going to set the rules!
1) No corn, no soy sauce! (you never know if it is GDO or not!)
2) No inorganic chocolate!
3) No ready-to-eat soup, sauce!
4) No instant tea/ coffee! (in the ideal case,i should have left coffee out of my diet! )
5) No packed snack including wafer, biscuits, cookies etc. (seems like i m gonna be size 0!)
6) No ice-cream! (Damn it!)
7) No nutella, no jam(unless it is homemade!), no honey(unless it is organic)!
8) No packed bread!
9) No pastry (unless it is roomy-made)!
10)No coke! (but i can drink soda;)
i ll add more to this list if i can realize something is missing. Next days, while i ll write about what we talked with Slow Food Lady(Yes, we did the talk!), i ll go through these:
Organic or not(under health category )? Do you know the producer and if you do, do you want to support the producer /the type of production (social issues on the stage!)? How do you use your time? Is it about time or money? What about consumption-pushers?? ! What does PACKED mean, btw?
i can start with any of these, so do not get confused;)
Lessons to be learned:
1) Everything has its own good and bad parts.. like SUN!
2) There is almost nothing as delicious as mum-made cherry jam!!
3) Mr Fabulous is fabulous!!! (you do not know who Mr Fabulous is.. yet!)
Cheers!
PS: My roomy does!
Today i am writing from my hometown and i ll be here for 4 days. Tomorrow, i m gonna swim. Yes, it will be-it is- 2nd October, and here, in my hometown you still can swim! That hot!! You may think that i am exaggerating, but no! i am becoming more and more worried about climate change!
However, today's topic is not climate change but my new challange! As October starts, this time for the new challange which is no-packed-food!! i ll explain you why i decided to make this challange and how it will help me to lessen my footprint, hopefully tomorrow! For now, i am just going to set the rules!
1) No corn, no soy sauce! (you never know if it is GDO or not!)
2) No inorganic chocolate!
3) No ready-to-eat soup, sauce!
4) No instant tea/ coffee! (in the ideal case,i should have left coffee out of my diet! )
5) No packed snack including wafer, biscuits, cookies etc. (seems like i m gonna be size 0!)
6) No ice-cream! (Damn it!)
7) No nutella, no jam(unless it is homemade!), no honey(unless it is organic)!
8) No packed bread!
9) No pastry (unless it is roomy-made)!
10)No coke! (but i can drink soda;)
i ll add more to this list if i can realize something is missing. Next days, while i ll write about what we talked with Slow Food Lady(Yes, we did the talk!), i ll go through these:
Organic or not(under health category )? Do you know the producer and if you do, do you want to support the producer /the type of production (social issues on the stage!)? How do you use your time? Is it about time or money? What about consumption-pushers?? ! What does PACKED mean, btw?
i can start with any of these, so do not get confused;)
Lessons to be learned:
1) Everything has its own good and bad parts.. like SUN!
2) There is almost nothing as delicious as mum-made cherry jam!!
3) Mr Fabulous is fabulous!!! (you do not know who Mr Fabulous is.. yet!)
Cheers!
PS: My roomy does!
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