Pursuing Utopia: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Day 22

~~~

Spent the afternoon helping first year UCT students register. Admin to the max, but it's wonderful to be able to make this difficult transition a bit easier for them.

(Kodak EasyShare C513)

Monday, January 30, 2012

Day 21

~~~

Visited an amazing park in Claremont for the first time today. Filled with duck ponds, secret pathways, and rolling green lawns, it provides a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

(Kodak EasyShare C513)

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Day 20

~~~

I ♥ YouTube. And talented musicians.

(Screen Shot)

In Week 1, I resolved to adopt a meat-free diet on one day of the week. Honestly, this wasn't difficult at all and, after watching Earthlings, I feel as though I need to continue to take steps towards a fully vegan diet. So this week I am upping the ante!

Image Source

Resolution: Continue with my vegetarian diet on one day of the week (Mondays) and adopt a vegan diet on an additional day (Tuesdays).

ps. For those of you who want to try this too, when you start looking for them, vegetarian and vegan recipes are easy to find, can still be super simple to make, and are full of variety. Here are a few of the awesome recipe websites I've come across so far:

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Day 19

~~~

Morning glory for a glorious Saturday.

(Kodak EasyShare C513)

Friday, January 27, 2012

Day 18

~~~

There was a traffic jam on Kloof Street tonight. Very strange. But, rather than succumbing to road rage (which would have been very easy considering the general incompetence of involved drivers), Sister and I decided to take this as an opportunity to take a little detour through the beautiful suburb of Tamboerskloof. Can't complain.

(Kodak EasyShare C513)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Doing it for the fame...

Ok, that's probably a bit harsh. And, I have to admit, I was not immediately able to identify every person on the left. But, it is interesting how fame is distributed.

Those who make significant contributions to the world are often largely overlooked by the general population (do you know who won the Nobel Prize for Physics last year? I don't.), while those who achieve nothing of any consequence (aside from being entertaining) become household names. Arguably, Darwin did not write The Origin of Species for the fame (while Snookie's life appears to be one big publicity stunt) but is this skewed distribution of recognition ok? Or is it problematic that people know the "Guidos'" phrase "gym, tan, laundry," while Freud's "id, ego, and superego" flies over their heads. Would mankind be able to evolve more successfully if people had a better knowledge of history, of the amazing things that people have done before, and the innovations taking place today? Is pop culture drowning out all other culture?

Maybe. What do you think?

Day 17

~~~

Thesis-ing.

(Screen Shot)

Earthlings

"The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women made for men."

~ Alice Walker

Recently, my life has changed quite dramatically. In one very important respect, I have lost my blissful ignorance. My eyes have been opened, and, despite how much I might want to, I can't close them again. I am haunted by my knowledge of reality.

I can no longer peacefully wander through the grocery store. I can't happily order my usual Hawaiian pizza. I can't lust over skilfully crafted leather wallets at Fossil. I am now painfully aware of the fact that as I go through my daily life I am continuously surrounded by and ingesting the carcasses of tortured and slain animals. I can't do it any more.

Of course, I have always generally known where meat and other animal products come from and, aside from a year-long stint in my teens, I have not been a vegetarian. So, now you are probably wandering what brought about this sudden and drastic change of perspective. Simple. I watched Earthlings.

EARTHLINGS is an award-winning documentary film about the suffering of animals for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered the most persuasive documentary ever made, EARTHLINGS is nicknamed “the Vegan maker” for its sensitive footage shot at animal shelters, pet stores, puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, the leather and fur trades, sporting events, circuses and research labs.

The film is narrated by Academy Award® nominee Joaquin Phoenix and features music by platinum-selling recording artist Moby. “Of all the films I have ever made, this is the one that gets people talking the most,” said Phoenix. “For every one person who sees EARTHLINGS, they will tell three.”

In 1999, writer/producer/director Shaun Monson began work on a series of PSAs about spaying and neutering pets. The footage he shot at animal shelters around Los Angeles affected him so profoundly that the project soon evolved into EARTHLINGS. The film would take another six years to complete because of the difficulty in obtaining footage within these profitable industries. Though the film was initially ignored by distributors, who told Monson that the film would “never see the light of day and should be swept under the rug,” today EARTHLINGS is considered the definitive animal rights film by organizations around the world.

Although seeing the magnitude of suffering depicted in this film was very difficult for me, I made it to the end by continually reminding myself that embracing ignorance is never a solution. It is never the way towards a better future.

So, now I know the horrible details of this reality. Initially, this knowledge was nothing but upsetting. However, after a period of reflection, I have been able to harness it and adopt an alternative way of being in the world which brings me peace. A way in which I am no longer part of the problem. A way in which I am doing the least harm possible. A better way.

Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power.

So, please, take this opportunity to empower yourself.

Thankful Thursday

Sushi. Need I say more?

(Kodak EasyShare C513)

Week 2: Counting my Blessings

Week 2: Counting My Blessings

Sometimes it's very easy for me to overlook all the wonderful things in life and focus only on worries, problems, and disappointments. That is, if I don't take the time to consciously count my blessings. So, from now on I am going to try to change this and focus more on the good things; of which there are many.

Can you believe this beautiful cat was wandering the streets of Cape Town, terribly skinny, and flea infested only three months ago? Since then he has settled into indoor living very nicely and has become a sweet, loving, and welcome addition to our family.

(Kodak EasyShare C513)

Week 1: Meat-Free Mondays

~~~

Week 1: Meat-Free Mondays

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." ~ Albert Einstein

I have always been interested in vegetarianism. When I was younger the appeal sprang purely from a compassionate place; I did not want innocent animals to die. However, after watching Food Inc. and similarly horrifying documentaries about modern-day meat production, I have come to realise the numerous personal, social, and environmental benefits of vegan and vegetarian diets. The following video by EVOLVE! Campaigns outlines many of these benefits for those of you who are interested.

Thus, I have decided to hop on the bandwagon and take part in Meat Free Mondays. Although I will still be eating meat on the other six days of the week, hopefully this is just the first step towards adopting a more comprehensive vegetarian, and maybe even vegan, diet.

Resolution: Adopt a vegetarian diet on one day a week; Monday.

Introducing 50 Weeks of Resolutions

(Vodafone Camera Phone)