By this stage I had pretty much given up on the rules of the experiment. Ever since the hot showers and meat started creeping back into my daily routine, there was no way I was going to get back on track. In any case, I had to concentrate on preparing the Asia-Pacific dinner for the rest of the class (as part of a series of international dinners that my class has prepared for each other over the last 2 semesters). As one of the cooks, I realized that I would soon be consuming massive amounts of meat, chocolate, coconut and kiwi fruit at this event, and my motivation to continue the experiment was close to zero.
I must admit that I did feel a bit guilty relating my many failures to the cameras during the filming for the documentary - at least I was honest. I guess it just goes to show that it is pretty difficult to change your habits – even just for a month.
Monday, August 22, 2011
6 July to 12 July 2011 – Week 3: The wheels are totally gone!
Ok, this week has definitely been the worst so far. I never realized how much these changes to my diet would affect my mood (not to mention the cold showers). I was getting depressed, in my view from not having chocolate for 3 weeks. So I relented and ate a whole package of the stuff by myself – at least it was Rittersport, a relatively local producer (Stuttgart), which makes organic chocolate and uses renewable power in their manufacturing. Unfortunately, the mood-enhancing benefits of the chocolate were destroyed by the bitter taste of guilt that arose as a result of breaking the experiment rules.
I am also having fewer showers than before, because I really can’t stand any more cold showers. I do have hot showers now, but maybe only 3 times a week, at the expense of my personal hygiene. The trade-off is well worth it!
Things really went bad when a friend from Australia visited for a few days this week. I felt that it would have been remiss of me not to treat him to the finest of German cuisine whilst he was in town – the Schweinhaxn. For those not in the know, this dish is probably one of the most anti-vegetarian things on the menu. It consists of about half a pig, roasted with lots of crispy crackling. It’s probably best not to eat one without someone trained in CPR nearby, in case your heart stops halfway through. Of course, I couldn’t let him eat one alone. So I ate my first piece of meat since the Brazilian/Thai fish in week 1! I would be lying if I said it wasn’t sinfully delicious. Ah well, at least the beer was local.
I am also having fewer showers than before, because I really can’t stand any more cold showers. I do have hot showers now, but maybe only 3 times a week, at the expense of my personal hygiene. The trade-off is well worth it!
Things really went bad when a friend from Australia visited for a few days this week. I felt that it would have been remiss of me not to treat him to the finest of German cuisine whilst he was in town – the Schweinhaxn. For those not in the know, this dish is probably one of the most anti-vegetarian things on the menu. It consists of about half a pig, roasted with lots of crispy crackling. It’s probably best not to eat one without someone trained in CPR nearby, in case your heart stops halfway through. Of course, I couldn’t let him eat one alone. So I ate my first piece of meat since the Brazilian/Thai fish in week 1! I would be lying if I said it wasn’t sinfully delicious. Ah well, at least the beer was local.
29 June to 5 June 2011 - Week 2: The wheels are beginning to fall off…
Things are getting pretty bad in the second week. I really can’t stand the cold showers any more. One day this week I came home from swimming laps at the outdoor (ie freezing) pool in Freiburg and was very cold – I really wanted a hot shower and turned on the hot tap. However, some cosmic force must have realized that I was breaking the rules, as there was no hot water left! My conscience was saved for another day.
I never thought this would be possible, but I am also getting sick of eating berries every day - berries being the only locally grown fruit available. I really miss being able to crunch down on an apple. I tried substituting apples with tomatoes, but it’s just not the same.
This might just be my imagination, but I’m starting to feel weak from lack of meat. I haven’t really been eating any protein, with lentils and beans off the menu! I feel that I can’t do as much exercise as I was doing, and have noticed that some of the other guys doing the experiment are getting sick – coughing and spluttering all day in class. I can’t prove it, but I suspect it is because of the privation caused by the experiment!
The other day someone in class told me that shipping apples from New Zealand to Freiburg causes fewer GHG emissions than transporting apples from Lake Constance by truck. I haven’t bothered to check the accuracy of this seemingly dodgy carbon accounting, but I am using it to justify eating beans and lentils again – not to mention rice. I figure they are either dried or come in cans, and therefore are probably shipped in to Germany with minimal emissions (I hope!) – anyways I’m eating them again.
I’m still using Luis’ soap, although it is not so great as a shampoo. Many people have asked me why my (shoulder length) hair is always wet, only to be horrified when I tell them that it just looks wet because there is so much grease in it – in fact it can pretty much stand up by itself now!
I never thought this would be possible, but I am also getting sick of eating berries every day - berries being the only locally grown fruit available. I really miss being able to crunch down on an apple. I tried substituting apples with tomatoes, but it’s just not the same.
This might just be my imagination, but I’m starting to feel weak from lack of meat. I haven’t really been eating any protein, with lentils and beans off the menu! I feel that I can’t do as much exercise as I was doing, and have noticed that some of the other guys doing the experiment are getting sick – coughing and spluttering all day in class. I can’t prove it, but I suspect it is because of the privation caused by the experiment!
The other day someone in class told me that shipping apples from New Zealand to Freiburg causes fewer GHG emissions than transporting apples from Lake Constance by truck. I haven’t bothered to check the accuracy of this seemingly dodgy carbon accounting, but I am using it to justify eating beans and lentils again – not to mention rice. I figure they are either dried or come in cans, and therefore are probably shipped in to Germany with minimal emissions (I hope!) – anyways I’m eating them again.
I’m still using Luis’ soap, although it is not so great as a shampoo. Many people have asked me why my (shoulder length) hair is always wet, only to be horrified when I tell them that it just looks wet because there is so much grease in it – in fact it can pretty much stand up by itself now!
22 June to 28 June 2011 - Week 1: The excuses begin…
The realities of the experiment hit me on the first day around lunchtime. As usual, I had been too lazy to make my lunch at home before coming to uni. Instead of just going to the Mensa (student cafeteria) for lunch, or popping in for a dodgy kebab, I realized I would have to go and purchase some local produce from the Munster Markt. Of my fellow experimenteers, only Luis agreed to come with me – the others sneaking off to Mensa when we weren’t looking. I was feeling good about this decision as we manfully strode through the rainy streets of Freiburg to get to the market. Unfortunately, this feeling evaporated as the sweet smell of frying sausage hit my nostrils. The Munster Markt is renowned for its excellent wurst, and the thought of not having these tasty German morsels for a month made me quite sad. In fact, the prospect of eating only expensive locally grown organic vegetables for a month also made me quite sad. I tried to hide my disappointment from Luis by buying an organic bread-roll with seeds on top – he said he thought it looked good, but all I could think about was the curry-wurst I was missing out on!
My experiment took a further turn for the worst only 2 days in. I had forgotten that I had been invited to dinner at a Brazilian friend’s house – she was cooking a Brazilian fish speciality. Not only was the dish flavoured with coconut, but the fish came from Thailand. Of course, I had no intention of being rude to my host by saying I could not eat it because of the rules of the experiment. So I happily and deliciously broke the rules – although I thought to myself that I had not made a very good start.
Back home I was quite proud that I had managed to have cold showers all week. I used a method known as “submarine showering” in which you wet your body for only a very short time – soap up – then wash off the suds. Not only does it make the cold water more bearable, but you use a lot less water than normal showering. I was finding the food rules quite difficult to follow though. My partner was not participating in the experiment, and so it was particularly difficult to sit back and watch her eat all manner of chocolate and other exotic delicacies whilst I had broccoli and potatoes. However, proving that my five years at law school were not a total waste, I exploited a loophole in the experiment rules that said you could eat food from outside the region that was purchased before the experiment began – after all, it would be a waste to let it go bad, right!?
I also got around the no washing machine/detergent rule by getting my partner to do all my washing for me. Not exactly in the spirit of the experiment I know, but she was doing a load anyway. On the plus side, I have found that Luis’ organic wonder soap is great and works just like normal soap – although it leaves you smelling a bit like a peanut butter sandwich.
My experiment took a further turn for the worst only 2 days in. I had forgotten that I had been invited to dinner at a Brazilian friend’s house – she was cooking a Brazilian fish speciality. Not only was the dish flavoured with coconut, but the fish came from Thailand. Of course, I had no intention of being rude to my host by saying I could not eat it because of the rules of the experiment. So I happily and deliciously broke the rules – although I thought to myself that I had not made a very good start.
Back home I was quite proud that I had managed to have cold showers all week. I used a method known as “submarine showering” in which you wet your body for only a very short time – soap up – then wash off the suds. Not only does it make the cold water more bearable, but you use a lot less water than normal showering. I was finding the food rules quite difficult to follow though. My partner was not participating in the experiment, and so it was particularly difficult to sit back and watch her eat all manner of chocolate and other exotic delicacies whilst I had broccoli and potatoes. However, proving that my five years at law school were not a total waste, I exploited a loophole in the experiment rules that said you could eat food from outside the region that was purchased before the experiment began – after all, it would be a waste to let it go bad, right!?
I also got around the no washing machine/detergent rule by getting my partner to do all my washing for me. Not exactly in the spirit of the experiment I know, but she was doing a load anyway. On the plus side, I have found that Luis’ organic wonder soap is great and works just like normal soap – although it leaves you smelling a bit like a peanut butter sandwich.
22 June 2011 - Starting the experiment: before the pain begins!
Hi everyone! I’m Brenno from Australia.
I’m part of a group of environmental governance students from Freiburg uni doing a 4-week sustainable living experiment. I’m really looking forward to the challenge of the experiment – to see just how hard (or easy – unlikely!) it is to live more sustainably in Freiburg. We often hear about the importance of changing our consumption patterns in our environmental governance classes, however no-one ever tells you what that really means in a day-to-day sense.
Going into the experiment I would have to admit that I probably think I am a more sustainable consumer than I really am. I don’t really ever check the origin of the food I buy, and most of the time I just go for the cheapest and most convenient stuff. I guess I am more conscious about energy use. I try to minimize energy wastage as much as possible by switching off appliances and lights that I’m not using and that kind of thing (doesn’t seem like much when I type it down though!).
I hope this experience will give me a better idea about the practicalities of sustainable consumption, and force me to learn ways to consume more sustainably in the future.
I’m part of a group of environmental governance students from Freiburg uni doing a 4-week sustainable living experiment. I’m really looking forward to the challenge of the experiment – to see just how hard (or easy – unlikely!) it is to live more sustainably in Freiburg. We often hear about the importance of changing our consumption patterns in our environmental governance classes, however no-one ever tells you what that really means in a day-to-day sense.
Going into the experiment I would have to admit that I probably think I am a more sustainable consumer than I really am. I don’t really ever check the origin of the food I buy, and most of the time I just go for the cheapest and most convenient stuff. I guess I am more conscious about energy use. I try to minimize energy wastage as much as possible by switching off appliances and lights that I’m not using and that kind of thing (doesn’t seem like much when I type it down though!).
I hope this experience will give me a better idea about the practicalities of sustainable consumption, and force me to learn ways to consume more sustainably in the future.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Yes, I sinned
Well, what can I say? There is actually no good reason to explain my sinful weekend, only that our lovely routine of International Dinners took place on Friday and since Asian-Pacific cuisine cannot live without rice, I gave in to my cravings. And how good it felt! It definitely is true: you only know what you have once you lose it. And I now surely know what I have in rice. And maybe in chocolate, too. Yes, my hardest sacrifice has been broken! A lovely warm chocolate desert marked the final low point of my personal experiment. Once we were back from the woods into town, we also realized that Saturday night is not the best night for sustainable consumption... With markets closed at 2 pm, it is needless to say that the first thing we did on Monday was buying food - a lot of food. This week has to be really strict now!
J.H.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Some days into the experience....
Well... I am not doing as good as I would like to.
1: Food variety is not as good as I am used to. It is sad to discover how limited the Bio-regional-veggie options are in Freiburg. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy eating locally produced food, it is just that there are not that many options... but well... it is only a month right? :/
2: cold showers are deadly while they last, but as soon as you go out of the shower you feel like a million!!! I didn't use to consume to much hot water but using ZERO how water is another story... good for the circulatory system they say... let's hope so.
3: I don't want to blame the nutrition aspect of the Experiment but I got a cold. Yes.. there seems to be a small epidemic of this virus/bacteria (who knows?) and I got it.
Because of this I already broke some rules. I bought some Acerola juice (extra high Vitamin C concentration) obviously not from the region, at least I bought in a glass recyclable bottle. I also bought some 'bonbons' (german for little pieces of candy) to help my throat through the day, these 'bonbons' come in a plastic bag (fail!) inside a carboard box (double fail!) not to mention manufacturing costs (triple fail!!). Sorry people but being sick was not considered in the original rules was it? LMAO.
It is also fair to comment that even though I have been eating something around 2 to 3 tons of berries every day I still got this cold. :(
Also I had slightly hot showers during these last days... I don't think it is even intelligent to have cold showers with a cold... is it?
So far I haven't inspired anyone (that I know) but I (still) feel good doing it. I hope after the cold everything can flow more smoothly....
I'm out
LB
1: Food variety is not as good as I am used to. It is sad to discover how limited the Bio-regional-veggie options are in Freiburg. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy eating locally produced food, it is just that there are not that many options... but well... it is only a month right? :/
2: cold showers are deadly while they last, but as soon as you go out of the shower you feel like a million!!! I didn't use to consume to much hot water but using ZERO how water is another story... good for the circulatory system they say... let's hope so.
3: I don't want to blame the nutrition aspect of the Experiment but I got a cold. Yes.. there seems to be a small epidemic of this virus/bacteria (who knows?) and I got it.
Because of this I already broke some rules. I bought some Acerola juice (extra high Vitamin C concentration) obviously not from the region, at least I bought in a glass recyclable bottle. I also bought some 'bonbons' (german for little pieces of candy) to help my throat through the day, these 'bonbons' come in a plastic bag (fail!) inside a carboard box (double fail!) not to mention manufacturing costs (triple fail!!). Sorry people but being sick was not considered in the original rules was it? LMAO.
It is also fair to comment that even though I have been eating something around 2 to 3 tons of berries every day I still got this cold. :(
Also I had slightly hot showers during these last days... I don't think it is even intelligent to have cold showers with a cold... is it?
So far I haven't inspired anyone (that I know) but I (still) feel good doing it. I hope after the cold everything can flow more smoothly....
I'm out
LB
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