flip flops and funky feet

This is usually a time of year that I really love. The sky is still blue when I'm leaving the office in the evening, the daffs on the doorstep are looking groovy, and there's a waft of spring-y-ness in the air. Time for the winter boots to go back into the wardrobe, prepare the toes for their first unveiling of the year.

Well. Not today. Seasonal downpours are upon us. But that has not deterred me from one of my main passions in life.

Although it's not exactly flip-flop season, it's always a good day for new shoes. I think my next pair might come from here; these very funky feet courtesy of Simple Shoes.

I like these. They look different. And different is good. Different strikes up a conversation. Different gets you talking about how you see things and how someone else sees the same things.

I like that this company proactively seek out materials that are more durable, and recycled. They're going all out to make their entire line from 100% sustainable products. Their packaging is biodegradable and 100% recycled. Did I mention the organic cotton? Who doesn't get excited about organic cotton? Very planet friendly. That's good.

Oh. And I love that they have kids' shoes called Poodle, Doodle and Noodle.

Class.

the ethical easter bunny

If you don't have a 6 or an 8 year old niece and nephew to buy for this easter, these are some t'riffic options for an eco-friendly easter. I'm particulary loving the idea of adopting some chicks (and know someone who miiiight just get a little bit excited about that too).

It's all about Jesus anyway, it's not really about chocolate. Nor the easter bunny.

If you go down to the woods today...

You better go in disguise, well... it's good advice if you're actually going to the cocoa plantations of West Africa and reporting on the horrendous child labour situation going on behind the scenes, fuelling our nation's addition to chocolate.
[Chocolate: the bitter truth on BBC iplayer avail unil Wed 31st March]

Like many people the element of shock is still resonating with me. The one hour documentary last night told the compelling story of a twelve year old boy from Burkina Faso reunited with his mother after being trafficked into forced labour; a flagrant disregard of international child labour conventions.

The programme showed how easy it is to buy cocoa from unregulated farms and sell them into the supply chain without traceability: without paperwork to show the validity of their reputable (or otherwise) origin. Child labour is contrary to the ILO (International Labour Organisation) standards of Fairtrade. Some cooperative farms had also been found using child labour and were suspended. They no longer provide cocoa under the Fairtrade label.

And as you'd expect, the FLO (Fairtrade Labelling Organisation) and several of our favourite chocolate brands agreed that they need to ramp up their efforts to ensure that all their farms are free of the 'worst forms of child labour'. Which basically means that if a child works on a farm they shouldn't be carrying out hazardous tasks and should be attending school. These are standards that the FLO already expect and audit regularly, with severe penalties if they are not met.

The programme did a really good job of highlighting the realities of cocoa production. And I think for many there will be a huge shock factor which will serve to make people think twice before buying an easter egg from the supermarket. But if we just leave it there, then we might miss a really important issue.

The fact that the reporter, Paul Kenyon, went undercover speaks volumes of the level of corruption and fear involved in bringing something of this nature to light. Clearly there are forces larger than the ILO or the Beeb at work, and no amount of well intentioned western policy is going to change that. Throw in some cultural issues as well and you start to realise that regulation ain't as simple as it first seems. Yes, it's in everyones benefit that FT works, and there's countless examples of how it does. And that's good and that's worth celebrating. But in terms of shifting cultural patterns, this has to come fromthe communities involved in cocoa production. Where the real long lasting change will happen is when the benefits of keeping a child in school instead of sending them to climb a tree with a macheté are realised. And that might be a very costly decision for some families, because the situation at present is that there is a very clear trade-off between education ...

and survival.

Perhaps if this cultural change happened, then maybe the need for child labour would be eradicated. And maybe if corruption at various levels was exposed then penalties for trafficking would actually be enforced and the attraction of buying and selling people would be eliminated.

So I would argue, we need more. We need more than Fairtrade rules to say 'No' to child labour. We need cooperation from the grass roots level to the international arena. And unfortunately it will take time. But for the sake of one boy called Fatao there is hope of a childhood. That, frankly is a miracle.

The Fairtrade Organisation have published their official statement here.

Waiting for the loo

Today I stood in a really long queue and broke a record.

A Guinness world record. Which is a first for me, although breaking things in general, is not.

It's the World's longest toilet queue day and it's time to end world water poverty. 900 million people around the world do not have access to safe, clean water. One third of the world's popluation don't have what the UN call a 'safe place' to go to the loo. What they mean by this is somewhere that is a) private (and I think on the whole, we ALL prefer to go somewhere that's secluded, given the choice... And b) where there is a safe way of removing the poo from human contact. Both of which are pretty basic things.

Across 70 different countries, hundreds of thousands of people will join the queue to ask our governmnent to keep taps and toilets at the top of their agenda.

Nearly 5000 children die each day from lack of clean water.

And they don't need to.



Back in 2000, a whole heap of countries signed up to the Millennium Development Goals (nicely shortened to MDGs). Ambitious but necessary targets to halt the spread of HIV/Aids, reduce world poverty, and halve the number of people living without access to clean and safe drinking water and basic sanitation. It's 2010, and the 189 nations that signed up to the MDGs are a long way from meeting their targets. So, we really need to remind our leaders to keep these issues on the political agenda, and make sure they make progress.




It's not too late to join the queue or even better, take action by writing to your MP (she or he will love to hear from you...)

Were you queuing? Have a look and see if you can find yourself here.


And another thing... if it's your mum's birthday, forget the flowers. What she really wants is for her downstairs loo to be twinned with a nice long drop in Burundi. Yes, it's entirely possible. Get the whole family to chip in, and your ma will be well chuffed. Visit Cord's throne room here and get yourself a nice treasure of toilet twinning joy.

Snow, ski & sculptures

It's been a bit quiet on ye olde blog lately, so sorry for the silence but it's good to... you know... reflect.

I celebrated the end of my 2 dollars challenge by tucking into a freshly factory packaged muesli yoghurt type thing at Stansted airport just before my McEarly o'clock flight to Oslo. And the OJ alone would have shot the daily budgerigar out of the window. So pricey.

Soooo anyways, thoughts on Oslo.

Love it. Second visit in my entire lifetime, and it
still
wows
me.







Love the snow and the bluuue skies. But most of all I love that unlike me, the locals gracefully board and disembark buses and trams with the greatest of ease, skis over one shoulder, small child in the other. Those who know me well, know that the combination of skis and moving transport would be lethal, likely to result in mass accidental decapitation of innocent victims.


We went to see this amazing piece of manmade architecture. Just looking at it from the safely of the landing point made me feel quite small indeed. But seeing people fly through the air was totally awesome! The Holmenkollen ski jump is the location of the skiing world championships in 2011. I'll probably not enter the competition. It was a tough decision to make but I feel it is for the best.




Enjoy the photos and try not to dwell too long on the interesting statues.



















Vigelands Park is a popular destination for the discerning sculpture lover. But it makes for some smashing photos as well, as we demonstrate the profound truth that we are art. Lindsey is the one with the hair; Jules & Sonj demo the dance of life. Lindsey is the dude in the last pic in an intimate embrace with ski-jump champion 2011.

Not quite the final curtain

On one hand I'm really glad that I can now legitimately enjoy a nice cup of freshly brewed coffee from some UK brand coffee house this morning. I'm also a bit sad in a weird sort of way, that this period has come to an end. It's been really interesting exploring what it looks like to live on $2 a day, ethically. And so I don't think this is the 'end' of my story.

But I'm quite a reflector when it comes to thinking and acting. So, I'm taking a few days away from my conditionally formatted spreadsheets and my blog, and I'm just planning on taking a bit of time out, to hang out with God and some friends in his Narnia-esque playground. I'm off to Norway.

I think I'll come back with a few more thoughts.

Ha det bra. (that's how Norwegians say cheerio)

And now... the end is near

So.

I've pretty much finished. It's a bit of an achievement, because I'm not really one for finishing things. But actually, I guess that was part of the challenge and it's given me a chance to get up off my personal sofa of procrastination.

And tomorrow morning... I'm having something other than porridge. Some other wheaty goodness maybe with a dried fruit type substance inside.

I can't say I've done marvellously well this week. Obviously there's been the seductive scones and the thai curry of scent-sational goodness. Those were my main pitfalls. And I didn't really get on board so well with the persistent empty feeling. I moaned a lot. My sugar level slumped and I've been grouchy and snappy and if I still have any friends I will be very surpised. And not only that, I've got a new obsession which is typing until the early morning.

But one thing I can say, is that I've seen blessings this week. From chicken & mushroom pie, to belgian chocolate fairtrade bars. Friends have been amazing, and I feel a little bit over-indulged by people who have encouraged me.... even at the end of my afternoon, just in time for a 3 hour training session (of the dullest variety). And I have to say, these little treats were very welcome. Very welcome indeed, thank you cadbury's Fairtrade.... and anonymous chocolate fairy who visited my desk.

Hunger and Thirst

Earlier today, I got up from my desk and walked down the corridor, and had a funny sensation of being lifted on air.

But, nooo it was not some amazing uplifting divine experience. Just light headed-ness. Which is that basic human physiological need: hunger. I started to think about lunch.

Which... today was ... quiche. Yep. The same one I've been eating since Monday. But it's very rock and roll and I was very excited. Aren't eggs great? And who knew scones could be SO versatile??


But I was thinking, about hunger mostly. It's not very often that I actually experience hunger. Like proper I've-had-nothing-in-my-stomach-for-hours type emptiness. Yesterday we had an amazing day at work. One thing I love about my job is that I work with a tonne of inspired individuals, who interceed daily, hunger and thirst for an end to the injustices of this world, for people to have access to basic medicines that can prolong their life; for people who live without the basic necessities like - clean running water - like education. And yesterday, us 'Fund folk had time to hang out with God and just really seek him, and and discover those 'penny dropping' moments. And I think that was pretty cool because I do feel sometimes feel like we're doing so much and seeing so little progress. We hear these stories about transformation and lives restored. But sometimes... it feels like nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

I am a bit of a stat-freak. My team sigh in desperation when they see me whip out a spreadsheet, well who can blame them. But seriously, charts are good. (And I especially like little drop down menus and conditional formatting... ) But I was overwhelmed when I read those stats that 50% of the people we share this fragile planet with... live on less than $2.50. A day. That's frightening because we know that poverty is cyclical and incredibly difficult to get out of. Poverty shares a poorly lit back street with sewage contaminated water, sickness, lack of education and career choices limited to slavery on the streets.


I've had a podcast on my ipod for a little while. It was a sermon which is part of a series looking on the Sermon on the mount, where Jesus stands up and says Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. And I've just been thinking a lot about this lately, I guess it ties in a lot with the idea that our lives, although we are thousands of miles away from people who have actually never experienced what it is to have their kids go to school, or don't have a source of clean water, or don't have a safe place to go to the toilet, our lives... are connected. They share the earth with us. But we don't know them. We don't see their faces and rarely do we know their names. But we're connected. And the things that we do here, have an impact on the way they live their lives... in another continent. Far far away.

And so - what?

What does this mean?

To be honest, I think it means more than I'm even able to say. I think God experiences the pain that we do. I think he knows far more than we're able to say, that thirsting and hungering and chasing after just simple things that we know are right and shouldn't be difficutlt... is tiring. We all get tired from saying the same prayers, again and again. Don't we?


God's word says this:

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. Isaiah 58:12

I'm choosing to believe that God knows what he's doing. And chatting to a friend last night, I've remembered how powerful it is to keep on interceeding. To keep petitioning, keep asking, keep on going. And this week, yes I've been a little bit hungry at times, but that feels so insignificant when I think of what real committed, long-term interceders experience. But.... God has heard those cries for justice and an end of violence to women in Sudan, for spiritual renewal in Haiti, for peaceful relations in DRC. I know that he's heard and I know that as a result of people coming together in unity, there's been a shift in the heavenlies. Jesus finishes that sentence by saying - those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. There's no indication of the immediacy. But the promise is simpley: they will be satisfied.

An excellent book on the power of life-long intercedory prayer by Pete Greig, is called Red Moon Rising. If you haven't yet read it, it will change the way you think about prayer.

And one more thing about praying. Prayer is happening on your doorstep, and if you want to get involved in praying for London, go visit the [prayer for london collective]
Be part of something amazing. Even if it doesn't happen in your lifetime.

Quiche and confession

Internet problems last night - so this is the post from yesterday...
I'm pleased to announce the recent acquisition of some very minty mouth wash. The reason for this is due to the net volume of onions and onion family members which have been consumed in various different forms over the last 5 days.

Onion, leek & potato soup. Great taste, even on the third consequtive day.
Roasted onion and cheese pasta - remember the gastronomical feast from day 1?
Rosemary and onion bread - minus the rosemary (and substituted with cheese) which has kept me going for 3 days now

And not to disrepect the humble onion. It is a very under-rated vegetable given the sizeable taste contribution it makes to a broad selection of meals. However, a person very dear to me has never enjoyed the after effects. And I have been starting to appreciate his point of view.

And now, time to 'fess up'.

I dined with 6 fabulous ladies on Monday night. Suze, my running partner, as she will eternally be known, cooked an amazing thai style curry. In pursuit of the ethical challenge, I did bring along some quiche. A poor substitute for king prawns, but none the less, a quiche, worthy of Heston Blumenthal's exclusive menu. Purely owing to the contents of the quiche, rather than the general culinery expertise involved therewith.

As our lovely Canadian friend put it, "I'm sorry, when you say 'scone', do you mean the thing you eat with tea and jam, or is there another british food product I'm not aware of..?

Yes indeed. That would be correct.

I had a nice wee video... but for the life of me I can't upload it. Sorry.

Love your local greengrocer

Since the start of Lent, I've been getting these little emails into my inbox. Which is a nice momentary diversion before I knuckle down to work and save the planet. They're all part of Tearfund's Carbon Fast and each day, there's one action that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint, and pray for climate justice for the world's poor.

Today's action is to reduce food miles by choosing to buy seasonal and local fruit and vegetables. You can check out what's in and what's not by going to http://www.lovebritishfood.co.uk/ . I've just checked and yes, celeriac is in season, which is good.

And of course...you know the deal... if you're buying exotic stuff, go for Fairtrade if you can.

Want to see more of these? Sign up to Carbon Fast emails here.