Zero Waste action as an example and a metaphor for activating our future. Why are we so reluctant to take a step? Is not the first step half the journey? Aren't we trying to get somewhere, to improve and to thrive despite everything? It seems to me (and I am consistently finding in my role as change instigator) that the biggest problem is simply getting people to take step 1, that first and all empowering step. It looks something like this: (Zero Waste action is as an exam

Hatchimals are some seriously f*cked up stuff! Now I'm not going to dwell on this except to ask: Why do we need to create fake nature and fake nurturing opportunities for kids to feel connected and loving? OK so we've been doing it for some time... there has been all kinds of weird stuff designed to entertain kids and sure, I'd rather kids used their brief attention spans on nurturing a toy than a puppy that would end up on the street, but still, are there really no opportuni

A movement of multiple acts of cleaning to prompt NOT LITTERING in the first place and to instigate that as consumers we avoid single use plastic. On May the 5th we had a Clean up on the local beaches of Şile, for those who missed my post about the event this is a brief synopsis of why we bother, what we gained from trying and how we plan to take it from here. So far Turkey has been slow to pick up on the international improvement regarding littering and recycling. Some munic

The CCCC: Community Crockery and Cutlery Collection. Many of us dread having to use plastic plates and cutlery, I have made a real effort to create 'zero waste' at recent home gatherings (see my post about this) and have accumulated a fair amount of crockery and cutlery, but I am able to borrow too (and audacious enough to ask). With this in mind and in aid of facilitating the birth of a Sharing Community within Istanbul I am attempting to create a CCCC. The CCCC is a large c

I read the news again. Apparently the world is a depraved, evil place. I wonder how can we dig ourselves out from under the dead rhino, drowned babies, the murdered and the murderers, rapists and the unscrupulous? The world is full of amazing and good things happening right now, but we are manipulated by a paralysis of fear. Can't we refuse to buy the bad news and refuse to eat violence as entertainment? Can't we actively choose art, life, sharing, creating, healing, producti

Art is often perceived as an activity that a few partake in, a very few make money from and merely a sprinkling are famous for. So let’s dig a bit deeper: What is art? Art is a culmination of imagination and skill, expressed and implemented, often the result of years of practice, but sometimes spontaneous and naive, sometimes representing the thoughts and desires of the creator and sometimes the patience and expertise. Where can we find it? Art, in its forms can be found eve

Some of our most fundamental daily habits need changing is we want the world to be able to sustain us.. Those who know me can testify that there's not much that can get between me and my tea. It's a 5 mugs a day addiction, I won't leave the house before having one and NO! I won't give up on having milk in it! Having lived almost 30 years here in Turkey (1) and still managing to maintain this quintessential British idiosyncrasy I feel I have proven my stance on this one. Howev

Milk is important to me, I drink it in my tea. That's about it, but then, that's a good enough reason to make a whole post about it! I also use milk in cakes, corn bread, bechemal sauce for lasagna and to make yogurt and labne. My youngest drinks it straight and we are also keen on cheese. I'm on the hunt now for a happy cow that eats the local vegetation and is not exploited, when I find her my milk supply will be one that makes me happy rather than one that I can't stand to

A Zero Waste progress report. So if you read my post* about my planned party held last month you may have wondered just how possible it is to hold a party for 65 and how close to Zero Waste I could get. So hear is a break down of what I used and how successful I was... or was not. I personally have learnt a lot from this and am now even more intent to do better during the year, my next party will be a few steps closer to setting a good example, but for now I'd like you to tak

This is a short version of Rearing the New Generation. Parenting is challenging, but not just for the usual reasons. Many of us are trying to bring our kids up to be capable citizens of a fair and sustainable world. How can we enable our kids to get things right? To avoid projecting stress upon children and overburdening them we need to set a positive example; the initial evolution has to occur in us. Ridding ourselves of our judgmental and defeatist mindset is essential.

Our predominant behavioural patterns will become the emerging future of human kind; so let's act accordingly! For a shorter version of this see: Bringing up the Kids Consciously. Being a parent is challenging, but not just for the usual reasons. Many of us are having to deal with the knowledge that change has to occur, that we must set a precedent for a new, healthier future while facing difficulties as a species that we have never faced before. Our kids will have to do bette

A year has passed since I wrote this and though my party plans for the season are less ambitious in terms of number of guests, my enthusiasm and dedication for living in a zero waste world are unremitting. So for those of you who missed this the first time around, here is my take on a festive season and party preparation that is in alignment to Conscious Living and that doesn't leave a flood of trash in its wake. Transitioning towards a zero waste home is an up hill, but sati

If you have a problem with something; litter on your street, a pile of debris from the neighbour's tree cuttings, broken street lamp, around here it might be a pile of cow dung* at your gate, or whatever it is, don't just moan about it. Deal with it! First of all become aware of your surroundings and see if there are things that annoy you, don't let subliminal irritations eat at you. Then figure out what you can do about it. Near our house we have a few major problems, the fi

We had a tough time of it, it was all in the news so I won't repeat it, but lets suffice to say that a lot of people I know left this country, people are migrating. There was a moment when I considered leaving too, but then the reality of how this and many other countries have gotten into a muddle came to mind and I found myself blurting out "I'd rather die here than live among the self righteous hypocrisy of my birth country!" Our countries perpetrate the horrors of the worl

If all of us just did something, or a few things, we'd be a part of a solution, there isn't just one, no one thing and no one person that can dig us out of our rut and cure the ills of our beautiful world, but each one of us can take a tiny bit of responsibility, and in this we can initiate change. This is our job; one of existing, one of perpetual change and of ongoing evolution. If you join me we will become together a Multitude of Ones. See Action page My Example 'Manifest

Nut and chocolate nut spreads. (Nut Stuff) Some days you have to drop the heavy stuff and pick up something utterly doable! Though it is possible to find palm oil* free nut spreads it is virtually impossible here in Istanbul, besides, making your own nut butter is easy and fun. (Just don't blame me if you end up spooning the lot!) Important point for all Nut Stuff: 1. The nuts should be blended for a long time (about 5 minutes?) until the natural oil is released and the te

There is real initiative here so I'm hoping we can all jump on board: If I can stand with my 4 year old in the supermarket and tell her clearly why we can't buy the stuff with lots of packaging (and palm oil), and if she understands that buying those little milks with straws is not OK anymore even if the milk is organic!, if we can try our best to refuse straws in restaurants (tricky when they are purple) and if we can refuse plastic bags whenever possible, then surely so can

Career is often a definition of self. It's natural to simplify introduction at the outset and to aim to create common ground, yet we often find ourselves prejudiced (or the victims of) by such simplification at the first stage of meeting someone new. A mini assessment is made, basically and crudely in terms of usefulness; can this new person become a client, colleague, ally, friend or lover? How can I benefit from this person, can we collaborate, should I be wary of them?