This week, we are living with less.
In a culture of more for cheap and free, it is easy to get caught up in the fear of not enough.
These past few weeks, I have been forced to do less and am learning to do with less as a result. That one trip for groceries this month meant choosing carefully, knowing I will be hauling them up cardiac hill because the local villagers don’t allow taxis on their private road. Yes, that’s a thing.
I am living with the essentials and getting used to living with less.
This isn’t much of a stretch, since I have been on the path to less for quite some time. I have lived tiny since arriving in Hong Kong 24 years ago and have all but forgotten what it’s like to drive, relying almost exclusively on our efficient public transport.
By the time the plastic bag levy arrived, I already had a pretty good collection of cloth totes.
I prepare all my own meals on a single induction cooker and rarely take out anything. Cutting back on meat is an easy choice given the local options and I have developed a wide repertoire of international and fusion dishes prepared with whole foods, lots of grains and greens. I treat myself to meat once in a while and am happy to pay the premium for imported to ensure sustainably sourced favorites, even though it will never be the quite the same as the home grown variety I grew up with on the farm. This may be the season I actually begin planting that little rooftop garden.
Running my own business from home has shrunk my carbon footprint even further. My morning commute is from the kitchen to the office off the living room, overseas travel is a rare treat and I can be negotiating deals in the heart the world’s most vibrant trading centre in less than an hour. My pot prepares 3 cups of tea from a single bag. My bright flat means no lights on during the day and the sea breeze serves as fresh air conditioning much of the time. Business attire is rare, dry cleaning happens never and I watch the HK observatory to schedule laundry for days when the line upstairs will dry my clothes quickly.
It is easier to generate less waste than it is to haul the garbage out to the bin and figure out how to get the recyclables to all the right places. I rely on my filter jug for tap water with lemons and drink herbal tea at room temperature in place of cold juice. I prefer my fruit whole.
My weakness is television and even that is becoming less attractive with the growing popularity of violent dramas, extreme everything and vile reality programming. The corporate broadcasters are feeding this appetite, streaming a never-ending series of terror attacks and health issues and food scares and calling it news. I stopped counting the number of times I hear might, could, assume, apparently, likely, presumably, possibly and allegedly in a single news cast — one that could easily be mistaken for a talk show. This is where ratings live and the advertisers match the content perfectly with messages to convince us to buy this, eat that and wear those to be happy, lovable, beautiful, thin and young.
Recovering from this back injury has certainly got me in touch with my age. I relate more to the village grannies than the SUV moms. I am less concerned with looking younger and more interested in feeling stronger. Gone are my illusions of bigger, better, faster. I just want to be well. I am paying the price for pushing for more and not giving myself time to do what I love. My morning rooftop yoga sessions are set to return along with daily long walks on the beach and hanging out with friends for no good reason.
Living with less vitality has given me greater appreciation for this body of mine. Living with no family means choosing a loving and supportive family to share the ups and the downs and the crazy times ahead. Living with less money means I have no anxiety about the markets. Living without credit means carrying no burden of debt. Living with enough means making the most of what I have and being gentle with myself when I notice the volume of plastic accumulating around me.
I am discovering I have more than enough.
There is a sustainability in less that knows how to contribute, eat well, reduce waste, extend the life of things, create a style that doesn’t change with the seasons and celebrate the milestones with authentic, inexpensive social gatherings.
Oh, that reminds me — I just decided to celebrate fifteen on October 24 in Central. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for details.
Where is there room for less in your life?
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“The hardest thing is to take less when you can get more.” Kin Hubbard
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Events in Hong Kong this week
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20 (10am-6pm) Stock your Store (Trade Event) | Green Queen HK | details
20 (6-8pm) NGOs and Cultural Heritage Conservation in China | Asia Society HK | details
20 (8pm) Kindness Walk Tin Hau | The Guest Room | details
21 (9am-12pm) Weekday Farming On Lantau | Green Sustainable Living Hong Kong | details
21 (7-8:30pm) Change of Seasons Gong Meditation | Red Doors Studio | details
21 (7:30pm) Burgundy Wine Tasting Dinner | Aberdeen Street | details
22 (6-8:15pm) Access, Poverty and Income Inequality in Asia | Asia Society HK | details
22-23 Philanthropy for Better Cities | Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust | details
22 (6:30-8:30pm) Journey of Empowerment for Women | Pure Potential Worldwide | details
22 (7-9pm) Superfoods 101 | Food For Life | details
23 (7-8:30pm) African Drum Circle with Kaze | Red Doors Studio | details
24-25 Social Enterprise Summit | Social Enterprise Summit | details
24-25 (9:30am-6pm) Transformational Coaching Skills | Leadership that Works | details
24 (11am-3pm) Live Love Laugh for Foodlink | Foodlink | details
24 (2-6pm) How to Stand Out Anywhere | All About You Wellness Centre | details
25 (9am-12pm) Sunday Farming On Lantau | Green Sustainable Living Hong Kong | details
25 (11am-7pm) 360 Wellness Fair | Wellness 360 Consultancy | details
25 VERY DVRC | Clean Air Network | details
26 (7-10pm) Tomorrow (Demain) Film Screening | Green Sustainable Living Hong Kong | details
27 (7-8pm) Agarwood Investment Evening | Ecozine | details
27 (7:30-9:30pm) Healing Workshop | Karma Consultants | details
More on the calendar
Coming up …
Oct 1 Fish for Trash | details
Oct 9 Hong Kong ePrix | details
Oct 23 MTR Hong Kong Race Walking | details
Oct 24 (7-10pm) Fifteen | details
Nov 20 Team Canada Beach Clean Up | details
Nov 24-26 Smart Mobility in Smart City | details
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Grace Yu – Chinese Medicine Practitioner; specializing in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine > details
Su Burnett – Internationally recognized healer working with animals; online consultations; courses > details
Katia Bacon – Qualified integral yoga teacher, massage therapist and certified First Aid International facilitator > details
Purple Moon – Books, incense, body products, accessories, jewelry, amulets, cards, pendulums > details
Mr Green Juice Organic Café & Juicery – organic, raw, cold pressed juices from locally sourced produce where possible > details
Odinson – Lifestyle studio supporting wellness; private yoga, personal training and group yoga; juice and salad bar > details
EasyGreen Farm – Organic farm empowering underprivileged groups and providing balance through farming > details
Nutrigaya – Supplements inspired by the principles of ancient traditional medicines > details
A Drop of Life – Providing relief and poverty alleviation; visiting and distributing supplies to elderly and disadvantaged > details
Bo Charity – Conserving the environment, reducing food waste, alleviating hunger and poverty > details
Food Grace – Food recovery organization aiming to help workers improve their situation through education > details
HK Women Development Association – Established to create self-confidence, self-esteem, self-reliance, self-reliance > details
Tuen Mun District Woman’s Association – Creating employment opportunities; providing social services > details
LEAP – Working with schools, teachers, parents, government and agencies to prevent substance abuse > details
ChangLe – Chinese vegetarian cuisines including Sichuan, Hunan and Taiwanese > details
Bones & Blades – Specialist butcher, artisan deli and wine store importing from ethical producers > details
Shing Fat Coconut and Spices – Fresh coconut meat and coconut milk, coconut water; spices > details
The Elephas – Asian-inspired healthy, freshly made dishes with wholesome ingredients > details
The Warrior Academy – Group and personalized training, martial arts, yoga, nutrition and lifestyle coaching > details
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