Tag Archives: nature

Am back!

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We are back home, after a 25 hour trip home that was filled with Germans.  Really, Germans are everywhere, they travel 300 days out of the year I swear.  At the Zambian customs, the guy was writing down the nationalities leaving.  He got his first Luxembourger, and I was the second American.  There was two Brazilians, two Japanese, and the rest were ALL Germans.

The trip was absolutely amazing, to the point that I have been sitting here for an hour trying to figure out the words that could explain it.  First things first, it made absolutely ALOT of sense, and I encourage everyone to do similar non-sensical trips if they can.  I really enjoyed our 9 days in South Africa, being with friends and then driving along the oceans from one quaint town to another.  I was in awe of the cliffs, the beaches, the seals, penguins and other animals, the trees and landscapes that caused me to gasp in awe more than once.  Our infinite to-do lists were easily forgotten.

Our time in Botswana and Zambia is what I am really struggling to describe.  Have you ever experienced one of those trips where every breath you take seems to fill your lungs with excitement, you are overwhelmed simultaneously by the serenity of nature and the full, vital force it provides?  We spent 9 days camping in national game parks and reserves, spending time simply observing the beauty of nature the surrounded us.  It was one of those surreal experiences, like watching Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel, except this time I FELT it, I could SMELL it, and seeing it with my own eyes made all the difference in the world.  More than once I felt extreme gratitude for all of God’s gifts.

In desperation to capture those feelings, we took many many pictures, some of which I will post here.  On our way back I was already feeling the nostalgia for the trip, one of those once in a lifetime experiences that I will cling to for as long as I can.  It is not that I would want to live in the bush for the rest of my life, but I just want to hold on to that feeling for a little longer.

More will come later as we are leaving for Montreal on Friday and there is plenty to do.

Welcoming the fall

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Some pictures from the past few days:

How I became “green”

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My name is Mahsa, and I have (almost accidentally, I swear) become an environmentally friendly person.  Two weeks ago, Sogol and I went to a conference about sustainability, and I had a moment of clarity — I am one of those “green” people.  I blame this all on my husband, who feels as passionate about the planet as I feel about the meerkats on Animal Planet.  I also blame Brussels, for their environmentally conscious programs that make life just that much more fulfilling. 

I occasionally miss my cynical self – who used names like “granola”, “tree-huggers”, and avoided Ben & Jerry’s for their environmental ideological threatening posters and slogans.  Now, when I notice that they are uprooting these beautiful chestnut trees by my office to extend a tram line, I contemplate saying goodbye by actually hugging a tree.  I exclusively eat Ben & Jerry’s.  (if you are looking for it in Brussels, it available at the Deli Traiteur on Place Stephanie, GB and most movie rentals.)

Even before I attended the EBBF conference, I noticed the changes.  Some of them were accidental. I take shorter showers because we only have 9 minutes of hot water.  I air-dry my clothes because we don’t have a dryer.  I take public transport because I don’t have a car. 

At the conference, Sogol and I joined a session about being a consumer in the modern world.  We sat in a group with people from Swaziland, Congo, Greece, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Canada and examined our daily consumption.  The facilitator, a non-judgemental, open minded Norwegian, encouraged us to analyze the symbolic value, practical value and environmental consumption factors of everyday actions.  Hearing about how people from around the globe are trying to reduce their environmental footprint, I couldn’t help but be inspired.

And then I had my “ah-ha” moment — without realizing it, I have become significantly greener than I was in Seattle.  In a way, it is so easy in Brussels to be “green” that you don’t notice how it works.  But in other ways, I am making choices everyday that lower my environmental impact.  For example, our facilitator introduced us to a website that lists daily actions that can help you reduce your consumerist imprint.

  • Eat according to nature.  Organic is harder to find in Brussels, but we now subscribe at our local market for one of those baskets to arrive every Tuesday with local, organic vegetables from nearby farms.  We grow our own mint, basil, and cilantro.  My one vice is that it is pomegranate season, and in Luxembourg they have pomegranates from Iran…which I just can’t give up.
  • Share tools and equipment.  I now share all magazines and books with friends.  And I am a part of the Brussels English-speaking book swap, so I am reading old books instead of new ones.
  • Eat vegetarian. The UN climate chief encouraged everyone to NOT eat meat once a week to curb global warming.  That one is easy — P & I have been trying to do that for a while, and now when I invite friends over, I’ll cook meatless meals
  • Fly less.  Although I flew significantly less in 2008 than in 2007, I don’t know how much less I can do.  I think the symbolic value of this one is pretty high for me, but I’ll try to offset it with other things.
  • Change to energy-saving light bulbs.  We have done this, but our place was a little dark, so some of them have changed back.
  • Reduce thermostat.  Well, my dad liked a freezing cold house, and Pedram does too, but as long as I have my two blankets wrapped around me, I can live with a cooler house. 
  • Drive less.  Public transport is not alot of fun, but I do take it often.  An alternative that I have warmed up to is taking our bikes to Place Luxembourg, and then taking the bus/train from there.
  • Reduce waste.  Easy – we recycle 95% of everything we have.  We reuse grocery bags, and I even reuse my ziploc bags (seriously).

My 18 year old smug self is dying of laughter at my current self.  But I am proud.  And I think it is important to help each other make the transition. 

And that is how I came out of the green closet.  What is your story?