Of Eating 'Below the Line' and Learning.

Wow - what a week. Trying to eat what I could afford for TT$10/day has been an eye-opening and humbling experience.

I initially saw the website livebelowtheline.com posted in a photography forum looking for photos of what poverty looked like to you - a friend suggested I join because I have a few photos. So I took a look, and saw that there was a challenge beginning May 16th - 20th where people were to eat no more than what US$1.50, or the equivalent - TT$10.00, could buy. Since I've recently become involved in a programme that feeds the homeless, I decided it would be a challenge I would try, approaching it as an exercise in an awareness of how much the money could do - rather than spend it on 'x', I would stop and think that I would have to spend it on 'y' in order to eat and it would make me more aware that while in the ordinary course of life, that is not a life and death decision for me to make, it would actually be one for many people, who not only make those choices for themselves, but for their children. I hoped it would give me a better understanding of what the people I met and spoke to every day were going through.

I got so much more.

I expected I would feel hungry, but that has been manageable - no worse than if I'm just running on fumes for a couple days - but what I didn't expect was the feeling of total isolation I would get when faced with situations where people were eating or snacking, or in places selling food/snacks, or even seeing road signs for various eateries and not having the option of partaking in any of it. It's very demoralising.

I CHOSE to do this for only 5 days and it's been extremely difficult for me - the lack of options I have to eat, the lethargy and extra effort it's taking me to be positive, and having to constantly account for money 'spent' on food. What do people who have no choice and not only have to budget for food, but also health-care, school, transport, living costs DO? It's become very clear to me how a cycle of poverty could just continue, beginning with very little to eat, because it affects your ability to function - yes, you will continue to survive, but existing and thriving are very different.

There's a lot I take for granted - one of the cooks in the feeding programme told me she feeds 100 people her soup for the cost of a manicure. - It cost her $140TT to make a soup that people send messages about how much they loved it back to her about, so it wasn't even to say it was lacking in ingredients. I started doing this for myself, to make myself think more and appreciate more - I'm not fooling myself into thinking I'm going to eradicate poverty or hunger, but I don't think trying to appreciate what someone is going through would be doing me or others any harm either.

It's great to be in the Top 5 for fundraisers globally, but the top 10 thing is purely monetary, and that was never my motivation for doing this - I really just wanted to put myself in the other person's shoes, if even for a little while. Even if me and my team never made any money, I think we've changed our perspective, reached some people and at least made them start to think, or question their own spending, or assumptions, so for me, a monetary reflection isn't accurate as a success marker, because if we never raised a cent, I think we've done what we set out to do, if only for ourselves...

And at the end of the day, it's about making your own journey to where you're going in your own way - be it through pulling other people down or trying to raise them up or just trying to see and understand their point of view, and now more than ever, I think it's a sin that in this super wealthy world we live in, there could be people wanting proper nutrition...

Sar

Castaway

So this little sweetheart is currently in my garage, having been saved from certain death by my housekeeper, who picked her up before she dashed into the road in front of passing cars and brought her here. So far, I've bought her squeaky toys (I'm not going to lie though - I find that crab-wannabe kinda scary), puppy chow with bowl, a collar and leash and am deathly afraid of getting too attached to her, since I have 2 huge terrors that have already been going insane all morning barking at her.



(Seriously, they've been driving me nuts!)

I've named her Hanks, after the original castaway himself, Tom Hanks - I think it fits her:)

'News'papers

I stopped reading newspapers regularly a while ago. It seemed like a pointless and mostly depressing thing to do, given that all news centered on death, rape, robbery and kidnappings, with the occasional road accident thrown in (only if grievous bodily harm or dismemberment was occasioned and death likely). Not the most cheery way to start your day.

But I have to tell you, I'd rather crack a paper open onto news like the above any day, than be subjected to front page news like which government minister (ex or no) knows about the location of an MIA grand piano. Not to mention the riveting saga of another minister who may or may not have been driving a government vehicle drunk but who definitely owns a jag and doesn't need the prestige of a prado.

Oh.My.God. Just deposit me in front of that Prado and end my misery.

From SAR's (Suspicious Activity Reports - not the flu) to outstanding public transport expenses, the list goes on, designed, I am now sure, to elicit from me the same incredulously resigned 'wha?'

I think I understand what it is they're trying to do. After all, someone blowing their brains out while sitting in front of an online newspaper and a scribbled note containing only one word ('Nah.' 'Nah!' 'Nah...' 'Nahnahnah.') in varying degrees of disbelief must make for at least 4th page fodder...

Bucket List?

There are only 2 more days till the end of 2010 and webwide, people are talking about their resolutions for 2011.

I bust every single time I make one - without fail, every year - whatever it is - don't cuss, stop eating chocolates, don't eat right before going to bed, go to the gym EVERY DAY - inevitably, by the end of January I've done (or not, as the resolution may be) every single one of those things...

But, seeing all these well-intentioned individuals go through the motions yet again has inspired me. I am going to make a bucket bulletin (a list is Too Intimidating) of things I want to carve on the bedpost of my life in 2011.

My Bucket Bulletin:-

1. Go to Maui - I'm thinking Christmas 2011 for this one, to bring in 2012 there...failing that, talk my bro and his wife into going to Java with me - Volcano Expedition here I come...

(It doesn't HAVE to be Java -  anywhere 'exotic' would do, once I can take pretty pictures:)

2. Fix my roof. Technically, this is a cheat bulletin, and not quite buckety, since it's not a lifetime dream, but I've been singing that song since 2007, so...

3. Reduce my house to minimalist splendour. (Clearly my dreams and aspirations need work). I have too much crap and tend to attach sentimental value to A LOT of stuff...

4. Become a 'do it yourself-er'. And wash my car regularly.

I have to confess, just reading my bulletins is putting me off them, because I KNOW exactly how lazy I am. Sigh...maybe I should keep my list simple:

5. Stop paying attention to other peoples' resolutions and

6. Embrace my limitations!

:)

So I've jumped on the blogging bandwagon...

Hi there:)
So after signing up for Twitter and not really using it (thank god for automatic updates from Facebook!) because I don't have that much of interest to say, I'm shocking myself by starting a blog!
Why? Well honestly, because there was a widget on my domain that I wanted to use:) But I also figure this is a cool way to interact with people and tell any stories behind my images or spout thoughts at random:)
We'll see how this goes!