Category: Random

Fee Writes

Recycling At it’s Best

Well done Sweden! It looks like this country is going to step up and make a difference when it comes to how it deals with the old and worn out.

I read the other day that Sweden is going to set up incentives in the way of reduces taxes to those who go into business and re-purpose or fix anything that is broken. This could be ANYTHING – from washing machines to torn jeans, Bikes to shoes. If you set up a business that fixes and recycles an item and then sell it, you will get a tax cut.

Not only is this going to help the matter of “what to do with…” it will also create jobs. I’m thinking what an awesome idea this is and one that N.Z. should adopt. (wait while I fall off chair laughing). Seriously, this would really help to stimulate the economy here in N.Z. (am now coughing I’m laughing so hard)

Can you really see any Government in N.Z. – even in Australia or USA doing something like this? Geez, we can’t even clean up our used tyre industry.
(tyre = tire for my USA friends)

Tyres are allowed to be dumped all over the place, even set on fire polluting the air with toxic fumes. Did you know there is over 7 litres (2 gallons), of petroleum and oil in one tyre alone not to mention the numerous chemicals including chlorine, styrene, butadiene and more than 20 different heavy metals.

Now let me quickly say, that burning tyres is illegal in N.Z. not that it stops some.

There are literally thousands of ways to recycle tyres from creating chairs to using them in the building industry. They can be used for courts or shoes and in some countries some are actually burned for their fuel value.

But, getting back to Sweden and how we could be doing the exact same thing. However, it’s really not likely to happen – why should we fix broken things when we can easily buy cheaper stuff from China to appease our consumerist habits.

Source: The Guardian

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Fee Writes

Random

Am I A Qualified Nutritionist?

The simple answer is – No – Need any more information? O.k. continue to read on…

Then what gives me the authority to write about nutrition?

I am self-taught.

Did you know that people who are self-taught actually do have a title – Autodidact.

Autodidactism is actually not as easy as you think as there is no structure, no incentives and no piece of paper at the end. In fact, there is no ‘end’. It only ends when one changes the subject.

However, the upside is that one has complete control over what is learned, no assignments and no waste of time with teachers who are structured within the curriculum and only have one view.

I did look at nutrition courses quite a number of years ago, but, because I’m vegan, the courses just didn’t seem to ‘gel’ with my thinking. Which made me decide to teach myself.

There is so much knowledge out there, and by doing my own research I was not encumbered by courses that had been ‘sponsored by’. I’m going to hasten on to say, that not all schools and courses are ‘sponsored by’, but the general thinking can be a little biased in order to promote a certain ideology.

Now I do already have extensive training in Anatomy and Physiology which was covered when I did a three-year training in Massage way back when it wasn’t taught in traditional schools and there was no diploma. It was under an apprentice system with the medical side taught by those already trained in medicine.

It’s a bit like algebra… if you’re not using it every day, then one tends to forget it, so please don’t ask me to explain the human body at a microscopic level, including the structure and function of cells, tissues and membranes.
However, ask me about calcium and I’ve got it covered!

This particular post subject has come about because the other day, at the Vegan Vibes festival, I had a lady approach me to tell me she had read my Nutrition book. She said it was great and that she really liked the fact that it was coming from a different angle than the normal nutritional books. I did hasten to say that I wasn’t a qualified nutritionist, that I was self-taught. Her response really boosted my confidence ….

“Well, I am a qualified nutritionist and I can tell you that I have learned more from your book than I did on my course.”

Wow – now that blew me away so much that I never thought to ask her to put it in writing.

However, on looking at the Reviews on this particular book on Amazon, there’s one little snippet that jumps out about my lack of credentials.

“Fee tells us that she has no certifications or special training in nutrition, well, I do have a certification in fitness and nutrition, and I can honestly say that this very talented lady has done her research well, and so much more”

Sometimes it pays to be ‘self-taught’ and not caught up in the boxes of ‘qualifications’. Have a look at some of these people.

Frank Lloyd Wright – American architect.
Leonardo da Vinci – We know him as an artist, but he was also a mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist and botanist.
The Wright Brothers – neither graduated high school.
Thomas Edison.
Charles Darwin.
Benjamin Franklin.
Karl Marx.
Even Steve Irwin never went to college and was primarily taught everything he knew about biology and zoology from his father and actually getting out there learning and teaching as he went along.
Jimi Hendrix and Heston Blumenthal.

and I’m going to finish with one last one that I think really says it all about being an Autodidact

Michael Faraday
Faraday was an English chemist and physicist. He made huge contributions to the field of electromagnetism and electrochemistry even though he received little formal education and knew little of higher mathematics. During his seven-year apprenticeship at a local bookbinder and bookseller, he read many books by writers like Isaac Watts, Jane Marcet etc. that helped him learn. At the end of his apprenticeship, he also attended lectures by the eminent English chemist Humphry Davy of the Royal Institution and Royal Society, and John Tatum, founder of the City Philosophical Society. This self-learner is now regarded as one of the most influential scientists in history.

I am certainly proud to be an autodidact and included in such an illustrious list.

Fee Writes

Food | Random

Vegan Vibes Festival In All It’s Glory

When a group of compassionate, beautiful, gentle people get together, the Gods smile favourably.

We’ve had the most dreadful weather for days and days – rain, rain and more of that stuff, rain! The organisers of the Vegan Vibes festival held off till the last moment to make the decision whether to go with Plan B = Undercover. Of course, Undercover was not going to suit a lot of the food trucks at all.

But the moment of truth came and the decision was made to stay put… to go ahead with the open venue as it looked like there was to be a small window of respite.

What a grand decision. O.k. so the sun didn’t shine much, but did peep out on the odd occasion. Only once was there a small amount of rain for about 15 minutes mid-afternoon. But the rest of the time… Sweet! The Gods smiled.

I was wearing two hats that day – One for SAFE NZ and the other for The Vegan Society of N.Z. This made for good fun as I was able to go back and forth from one stall to the other.

Then there was the speech to deliver. Yes, I’ve spoken before, but it doesn’t make any difference as each time is different and I still am anxious that I will get a good reception. Luckily I had nothing to worry about, the seats were all taken, there was a mixture of vegans, vegetarians and omnivores and they all seemed to pay attention. Oh, and I did get applause at the end, so must have done something right.

I even managed to sell some of my books (always a bonus) and still can’t get my head around the fact that people wanted me to sign their copy.

Unfortunately, my anxiety was such that I didn’t really feel like eating and there I was surrounded by vegan food. I could have had anything that was edible on that site. I did manage a savoury scone with vegan butter. Funnily enough, I’d been with friends in a cafe the morning before and one had ordered a (not vegan) cheese scone with butter… the smell took me right back to my childhood kitchen and mum serving the very same thing. It was then I realised just how long it had been since I’d had a scone, possibly 30 years. Well, that vegan scone, with “butter” melting was AWESOME!

The guest speaker from the U.S.A. Kristin from Will Travel For Vegan Food was on after me and she had the crowd enthralled. I was lucky enough to talk to her privately – wow, what an adventure she is having. What started off as a couple of years in a small van around the U.S.A. with the intention of trying every vegan restaurant, has turned out to now be going around the world.

I’ll leave you with some more images. Remember, I’m not the best photographer in the world and it wasn’t as if it was all sunny. By the way, the photos don’t really show it – but there was a brilliant crowd all day.

vegan vibes festival — Not a good example of the crowds!

And in case you don’t know – this was held in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, New Zealand. Speaking to one of the organisers – they were that thrilled with the turnout, it’s going to be an annual event …. Bring it on!!!

p.s. – Sunday and guess what ….. it’s raining!!!!

Fee Writes

Animals | Random

Don’t Wear Black

I am now safely ensconced in the new house-sit with Miss Lily.

And the title of this post really says it all. Beautiful white, long-haired cat – the stuff nightmares are made of for those of us who wear black.

So the black clothes (other than the work trousers) are packed away, not giving me much to pick on a day to day basis. But, she’s worth it. What a corker cat. She’s wonderfully nosey, not overly cuddly (good because of the white fur), a little talkative and easy to understand.

She has a couple of quirks – one being that her water bowl is in the bath. Her mum did tell me that Lily herself wanted it in there simply by jumping in the tub and trying to get water. Once mum put a bowl of water in there, Lily was happy.

The second – maybe not a “quirk” but quite delightful. I hang my bag on the kitchen door and Lily has discovered it. She rubs up against it, licks it and generally just hangs out by it. When she first started doing it I must admit I was a bit puzzled. Now I think I’ve got the answer. I have a small bottle of peppermint essence in there (wonderful for headaches) and I believe Lily can smell it. I’ve yet to have a headache, rub a dot on the temples and then get near her to test my theory.

She does demand her food especially at around 6.30 a.m. Then on the second morning it was waaaaay earlier when she started meowing and jumped on the bed. I staggered out, thinking it was for food, but, instead, Lily led me to the bathroom and there I saw that she’d tipped her water bowl over. I filled it up, went back to bed, Lily drank and went back to bed …. or where-ever she went and the house settled back down to more zzzzzzzzs

It’s either been raining or I’ve been out so haven’t really had the chance to explore the neighbourhood, but I do have some interesting neighbours so look out for that post when the sun shines and I can take camera with me.

I’ll leave you with a couple more photos of Lily when she went to ‘meet Olly’, (never fear, won’t be any more unless I can’t resist captioning one).

Fee Writes

Random

All Things Come To An End

And house-sits are no exception. A bit of a quick post today.

Yesterday I moved out of the lovely home in Devonport road and went to stay with my fab friends overnight and, of course, their lovely dog, Scotty who I have got to know over the years.

But before I left I went to visit the neighbour who has a great B&B in a really old home that has been lovingly restored. Well, a few modern bits and bobs e.g. kitchen!!! It dates back to 1880 when it was built as a private home and the couple who own it now are only the 4th owners – not bad for an old shack.

Of course, I wanted to take a look around, as you do, and I have to say what a place to stay if you’re coming to these parts and want to be in the city. Pics below.
But, being two floors and on a different section, the view was different from the one I had been enjoying in my lovely house-sit. That’s where the featured image up there at the top came from. Yup the day was not the best, but it still is a stunning view!

So, “where to next?” I hear you ask. Yes, I’m off to another home oddly enough at the completely other end of the same road. This time it’s looking after Lily while “mum” is away in the U.K. A shorter stay, but still long enough to get used to the place.

More on Lily later. Right now – enjoy some of the images from the historic home named Taiparoro.