I think it would be easier to be gay than to be Happy, simply…

Those who read this blog and live some form of simplicity should be able to resonate with some of the points made in this one…

Living Geography with d'Arcy

What I mean by this is that it would be easier to explain, be understood and empathised with by my family, friends and society if I said I was gay than being someone who doesn’t own stuff (nor want to), wanting to walk most places, often volunteer full-time, not aspire to investment and generally NOT living a life of big purchases, debt and time poverty.

The exception I must add here is that this statement is not true for the current country I am in as Uganda still sees homosexuality a criminal offence punishable by death!

Still being an aid worker, being someone who feels more comfortable in poverty than excess and being someone who values family, community and nature above material goods and a big house I think is harder for people to accept, understand and even appreciate.

It is quite a small group of people who actually understand…

View original post 375 more words

Why can’t you buy dinner for 40c in Australia?

A bit of a look at how food can and should be Happy, simply…

Living Geography with d'Arcy

My dinner last night here in Uganda was 40c (1000 Ugandan Shillings). It was a mix of beautiful hand grown, harvested and organic potatoes (there are no chemicals used at the single farmer level here as they can’t afford them and are so experienced in agriculture anyway) with a simple source of g-nut (ground nut – similar to peanuts) sauce, which also is readily grown locally and made from mincing the nuts together to form a paste and thinned out with some water, a touch of salt and a dash of oil.

Obviously the cost of the meal covered the costs and then a little extra for the wonderful experienced mother-chef. She cooked it on a charcoal burner and served it in the dark on some simple hand made bench seats in a plastic bowl with a spoon.

She makes enough to live, the whole process probably takes around 5-6…

View original post 566 more words