Just a picture

My mother and I, a little less than a year ago.

Ishtar

Life in our garden

Don't you just love it when animals of all kinds settle in and start making nests, only to find a few weeks later that there is a little junior growing at an amazing speed?

It really didn't take long for this little guy from the time he broke out of his egg to fly out of the nest. Honestly, it was all over within two weeks! He's gone now - from his nest that is - but he might be part of the number of adults that come to feed from Arwen's leftovers...

Ishtar

Does money make you happy?

When preparing for an Eden presentation I'll be holding tomorrow, I came upon this picture (taken by an Eden field worker) which I just had to share.

Copyright Eden Foundation

I seem to be one of the few Western/African bloggers who do not believe that technology is going to solve Africa's numerous issues. I am fortunate however to be working with the least developed area of the least developed country in the world, where "the poor" laugh and the children are full of life.

There's a funny thing about the world I was born into. We keep telling ourselves that money doesn't buy happiness, but any time I turn on the TV or listen to the prominent voices directing potential buyers into an even narrower capitalistic society which is meant to add more items to your material collection which in turn is supposed to make you feel better about yourself - I wonder how our logic adds up. We say money doesn't buy happiness, but I really wonder - does anybody in the Western world still believe that? If so, why do we keep on buying so much and why do we continue pushing our own lifestyle onto every other society whenever we have the chance?

In my book, there is beauty in contentment. Having "enough" is an incredible wealth and fills most of us with satisfaction. Having more than one knows what to do with only makes life complicated. It is my personal belief that neither technology nor financial investments will ever save Africa from poverty, but the Eden trees growing in Tanout are bringing hope and inspiration as we speak.

Copyright Eden Foundation

And I am happy just to be a part of it.

Ishtar

Here's a task for you!

No time for words as there is so much to do (how come by ToDo list never shrinks no matter how many things I tick off?) but how about a picture where you get to do the commenting? Eagerly awaiting your interpretations of what Ishtar associates with the picture above.

Ishtar

One animal specie that will never make it to the ark...

As much as I love pets in general, there are some species I have never felt the need to own. Peacocks are definitively a most amazingly beautiful animal, but knowing what they sound like and how early they awaken in the morning, I have known for many decades that I would never follow the expat cue and get myself these large birds!

And with the bird flue warnings that are alerted in Niger on a regular basis, I will even postpone getting myself some hens... Perhaps in the end, Anette and I will stick to our horses, our dog(s) and our potential goats.

Ishtar

My love affair with palm trees

I have a special relationship to palm trees. It is without a doubt my favorite tree, but unfortunately, most of them grow in wet areas and take ages to grow.

There are palms that are drought tolerant however, and one day, when I've settled in a house where I know I will be living for a long period of time (and where there is room for my entire ark of animal collection and my large extended family!), I will make sure to surround myself with these amazing trees.

Ishtar

Sunbathing

We've had some great summer weather in Sweden this last week, and people have been complaining about the heat. Fair enough, without fans or AC, the current weather has been a challenge for anyone wanting to perform any kind of physical effort, but for those of us just in love with sunbathing, it's been great. There's a difference between sunbathing in Sweden and in Niger. If I were in Niger now, spending all my free time in the sun, I would most probably be looking like this:

Underneath our clothes, our entire bodies are covered in scales. /Bridget Jones

Bridget is right, of course. The only reason this fact hasn't been universally acknowledged yet is because we prefer showing off the parts of our bodies that are golden and not those that are ice blue!

Greetings,
Ishtar