Now that I'm back in Ann Arbor, I'm one of the frenzied folks rushing from point A to B, only now I'm aware of it, so laugh at myself while stressing about shit that doesn't really matter. Is this how bipolar disorder starts? Ah well. Much and little have changed, and junior year feels like a wave pool: occasionally turbulent when the master planners of higher education wish to turn on the switch, chilly in a way to remind you that the world is turning and you're no longer engulfed in summer air, and full of urine. Ha. I kid.
The environment here is different, and I definitely miss Indonesia. In Indoland, we were outside for the majority of the day, lounged on the beach whenever we pleased, and yes, received a couple full body massages. The colors were vibrant, coconuts were a-plenty, and the overall geography was stunning. Los Estados Unidos can't really compare in those categories, although the toilets (and other facilities) here are more convenient (convenience is often overrated), efficiency (which I appreciate) is more important than stolen organs, and I have access to tons of veggies!
Which loops this blog back to it's initial purpose of portraying food in all its vegetarian glory. Only now, there's a twist. This semester, I'm in a sustainability seminar, and we all made 'let's try to be less hypocritical and actually change our behavior' goals. Mine is to produce less waste from food, which means the farmers market and People's Food Co-op are my new Ann Arbor hotspots. The farmers market is great... fresh and locally grown fruits and veggies galore! They taste amazing. We've gotten so used to eating food for fuel that we've forgotten about taste, enjoyment, and nutrition. Concurrently, our bodies biologically haven't caught up to cultural evolution, and still crave the fattiest and saltiest of processed foods with addictive additives. We're too busy to notice how sluggish we feel, too on-the-go to notice our bodies and minds transitioning to melancholic states, and too ready to pop pills as a solution to health issues.
A recent conversation regarding problems and solutions with fellow SSI friends really made me think. We live in a society where problems must be solved. But they must be solved NOW. So instead of addressing the root of the issue from which all evil ensues, we only scrape away the top layer, and grow frustrated upon discovering that the problem still exists. The quick-fix infrastructure of America is based on this principle. The household phrases 'get rich quick' and 'lose 10 pounds in 10 minutes' have been around for far too long.
It's time to visit the past, when people made their own food, enjoyed the taste, and left the table satisfied, not uncomfortably full. And so, the plan is to eventually eliminate food packaging. Goodbye wrappers, shrink wrap, tummy aches, plastic, and uber convenience. Hello lifestyle change, time crunches, obstacles, and health.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment