Farorite music of the month: Mumford and Sons and Coldplay

Favorite youtube watches: "My drunk kitchen" (thats right, I get to watch youtube regularly now...)

I feel like doing a little reflection today. Lets talk about waste.

I remember when I was in the airport going home to the states for a month long visit I went to find something to eat (and I chose, as my first meal on american soil in about a year... sushi), I was given copious amounts of plastic everything. 18 more napkins then I would probably need, a plastic knife, fork and spook even though I would probably eat with my fingers, and a straw for my canned or bottled drink. I felt a little overwhelmed by the amount of throw away stuff I was given, but accepted it because I was in an airport and thought, "this is one of those few occasions when this will happen"

Now I am reflecting on things in Peru. One of the goals of my program is to work with solid waste management. Why? Because in most places in Peru, especially rural places, there is no trash management at all. So what do people do with all their chip bags, batteries and toilet paper? The put it all in a pile and burn it of course. But that is obviously not something we encourage. We are instead trying to puch for mini home landfills. The idea is that burying is much better for your health and the environments health then burning up toxis plastics. Many people in my community, and in many volunteer communities, burn plastic bags as kindling for their cooking fires! Imagine all the toxic deliciousness that is being inhaled in kitchens everywhere in Peru, not to mention the world over where gas/electric stoves are not used.

Why did this spring in my mind? I was at work and started reflecting over how easy it is to get used to things. In the majority of Peruvian restaurants you are offered a tiny, toilet paper square sized, super thin napkin with your meal. Us volunteers found that laughable at the start of service, but now I have found I can get by creatively with one or two of those tiny napkins, even at the messiest of meals. Not only that, but I find myself shrugging off the lack of comfy things left and right. Who cares if there is no towel, paper towel, or even air blowey machine to dry my hands after I wash them? Whats the big deal if one day, when dish washing soap runs out, I use laundry detergent instead? Cant get weights to work out? Water bottles filled with dirt are a solution. Your only pair of sandals break? Duct tape.

Maybe these are silly examples but the point of the story is this: When you are put in a situation where you have to adapt, you do. It's the story of humanity really, that is why we are all over the globe today, even in desests and freezing ice lands where the sun sometimes doesn't shine for months! Adaptability is one of humanities finest qualities. I used to think I was high maintenance (and maybe I was) and that I would never survive without a shower or being able to check facebook everyday.

Guess what? I can. I can even live without electricity, without a floor, without running water. I believe that anyone can adapt. In my opinion there are only two requisits: 1) You have to stay positive and 2) You need to have people around you for support. No one should have to adapt alone! But thats a rant for another day.

Thanks for reading!