Friends of friends

My dear friend and comrade, poor spider,

 

Yes, I think it is exactly like that. Most people are in total and utter oblivion about the planet, some had just given up. They are now back trying to get as much pleasure as possible and not even learning how to really care about their own kids. I’m afraid that people in the whole world are completely drained and sick in the brain, those are the societies we are now. Permanent shock, general apathy. Full consumerism.

We stopped offering free stays for friends of friends this summer and I feel that I spent almost its entirety in conversation with a couple from Berlin, trying to accommodate them for two or three days in a month we were supposed to have several visits from family and close friends: My brother-in-law cancelled a driving trip from France with the whole family when we were already expecting them in the first two weeks, my good friend from Berlin, coming with her son at the end of the month, also cancelled due to sickness and another good friend with an ex-partner I really like never said anything again after I told him dates would need to be flexible due to all these cancellations and reorganizations. Said couple had told me they would have two weeks to explore the land and sustainable projects in Portugal to move here and do something similar, so I took loads of time to explain our project in German, why we are no ecotourism or a farm based on voluntary work in exchange for beds and that we would charge a little, fair price for fully prepared bedroom and energy costs, as they could shower and cook freely (including with our olive oil, herbs, dry beans, seasonal fruit and veggies, etc), still offering our time to explain and show everything regenerative farming concerned. Not to mention access to the library, toilet, bar, patio and garden. Previous experience taught us we should be clear from the beginning before taking our time to show the whole project in loco and even so maybe we have to start demanding pre-reservations with fixed dates and no refunds if it’s about booking the room… In the very last moment they opted for an Airbnb in a tiny house with swimming pool by the beach, saying that they will try to visit us next year as they are too far away anyway… needless to say they are paying much, much more there. And we would had offer a lift from the place they’re in if they had bother to call about travel details. 

People lie to themselves about future intentions as much as they do daily where they come from; they want no sustainable lifestyle within the local communities, they want to escape to the beach and keep their German or whatever richer peoples taxes and social security as digital nomads do among expats in the cities. And they want holidays by the sea, which I understand, but I am fed up with losing time with opportunistic wannabes.  I still haven’t learn how to stop caring about possibilities. Ana was here anyways this month for an evening among her migrant strenuous, seasonal coming back and so were our full time friends and colleagues from Lisbon, a family of four. Star came in the beginning of the summer. They are all team members and there’s no doubt there. Maybe some good friends from Berlin are coming back for the olives’ harvest in the fall. You met them then.

I’ve heard in Iran there are already massive pieces of completely dead land and we know it from regions in India and Spain, where you cannot regenerate anymore. The situation you described with the lost millions invested in planting trees happens here often with well intended regenerative projects like European volunteer program:  We see the little plastics that were supposed to sustain the trees’ growth staying behind when they all die as soon as Spring is over and there is no one to follow through. What we have been doing in our little piece of land in the garden is constantly taking care of the poor soil with mist, straw, wood and organic covering as we also plant many bushes and flowers. Most flowers die too soon, we learn which parts of the soil are healing and try again the whole process. This year the old apple, pear and fig trees are giving fruits for the first time and some trees we planted are thriving slowly like banana, cherry, almond, plum, orange, Erdbeerbaum and local alfarrobeira (a kind of cacao beans). The lemon tree looks dead, Luís says it will comeback if we keep watering and caring about the soil. The amount of insects and earth worms is already astonishing, there were none as we arrived. We also have frogs and other visitors. A lot of seeds are lost to drought although we have a 400€ water bill in the summer. I don’t know if we’re ever starting the project in the larger land we bought, it’s too much work and costs for now. We just started to pick the olives there last fall, they survive with no water or maintenance. And this is also why we are still little concerned with planting a lot of veggies: The amount of water and mist is just not sustainable yet. The neighbors keep telling us we have too much weeds and bushes around the grapes, etc. (they have massive veggies with everything dead around) and we keep trying to create humidity and life in the soil. It’s working but very, very slowly. 

 

I would believe in tiny projects like ours to regenerate the land if they were to multiply everywhere and consumerism would reduce drastically, but it’s not happening. People invest in much needed expensive holidays abroad, new technology all the time and still fast fashion, exotic food experiences, gadgets and useless plastic trends. It’s hard for me to be here alone working with no salary and depending on a man, but I could never go back. Or I wouldn’t choose so. This is real life every minute, I feel that I was lucky to have a heritage and brave enough to make the decisions I made. Not consuming a third of what I used to feels really good. And I finally have a job as a dramaturgist in Lisbon for 3 months in one year… hilarious. I just wish more people craving real existence would join here already and to do some theatre again someday sooner.

 

We started to move to the house next door and the 16th years old Berlin girl is arriving in September for three months of school exchange experience. Hopefully I’ll be happily busy with her. 

 

Luis had told me it would take two years to see some results, four to completely finish the design. So far so good. Looking forward to your visit. xx