Hi, I’m AK.
This time, I would like to write about how we were spending time at the host place, other than work we reported in the previous article.
First, about the house we stayed there. Eric, the WWOOF host, lives in the mountain. His house is all self-built. He, his son and their friends all get together and made the incredible nice house!! Wood, windows and many other materials used in the house is secondhand (or taken from nearby area).
* Self-building a house in Australia is very popular. Maybe one of the reasons is not having earthquake in the country.
There is a beautiful permaculture garden in front of his house, where we had a chance to work one day(weeding, collecting broken trees, etc).
The big plant on the left is a banana tree!
【Daily schedule】
one the examples
7:30 Wake up, prepare breakfast
8:00 Breakfast
8:30 Traveling (mainly to Hawkesbury Earthcare center and Harvest Farms.)
9: 00 Work
12:30 Lunch
14: 00 Work
17:00 Return home, break
18:30 Dinner preparation
19:00 Dinner
21: 30 going to bed
Since we were having tea time (or cuppa) many times, the actual work was about 4-5 hours on average.
No work on Saturdays and Sundays.
On Saturday, we were lucky enough to participated in Spring Fair at Secret Garden.
The Secret Garden is located on the campus of Western Sydney University and there is a nursery and community garden.
This garden also is providing a supportive and educational environment for people with mental illness and disabilities.
At this fair, Eric was running a booth for Earthcare center, Aaron was selling organic vegetables, Pam, a neighbor and close friend of Eric, was setting a booth for children’ s activities. Karen, Eric’s partner, was one of the people who runs the event!
We were there from morning till late afternoon, but our kids never got bored! They were very busy crafting, drawing, running around. And eating!
Face painting is very popular among children
Children activity booth
After we came back home, party started.
Family, friends and us all get together at Eric’s house and spent a great night.
MI seemed to enjoyed the night so much that she keep asking me “Are they coming tonight too?” Lol
【About meals】
Basically, Eric and we cooked together.
Eric purchases mainly organic products.
He said that purchasing organic products is to support organic producers, so even if they are a little expensive he would like to choose. He also mentioned that considering the influence on the body by the chemical used, it maybe cheaper to choose organic.
As it is same in Japan, the price of organic food here is two or three times more than conventional counterparts (for example, $ 3 per kg of apples, $ 7 of organic apple). Also, I was surprised that even in Australia, food self-sufficiency rate of over 200%, organic vegetables and fruits in the supermarket is very limited or sometimes none.
(reference)
From Tohoku Agricultural Administration website (on the left end is Australia and the right end is Japan)
Food is very important for us to live. I feel that accessibility to something safe and secure for consumer is necessary.
* There are also reports that there are health risks depending on the way to grow organic vegetables. Therefore, what you believe and what you choose is important.
Well, get back on the track, Aaron and Pam also cooked for us. They are great cook!
Aaron’s Mexican
Pam’s pancake
Sometimes they offered us desserts too. Apple pie, fruits with custard cream etc.
Kids can identify the word DESSERT even in English lol
【About children】
During our work at farm, kids were playing themselves with playing house, watching animals, drawing, etc.
helping work at apple orchard
There was a deer that the university keeps for research purposes near the Earthcare Center. This deer was very friendly and he was their favorite. They often cried out to call, “Come on Deer!!!” lol
Pam, who lives next door, is working in a childcare center and so that she knows very well what children likes to play with. She brought us play doughs and drawing papers and so on.
Regarding MI’s English, I feel it improves day by day.
Suddenly from around this time, she starts to call YH as Daddy and AK as Mommy.
Also she learned to say You’re welcome after Thank you.
NO !! and Stop saying that!! are her favorite words. it seems that these words are easy to remember in both Japanese and English. Lol
Thank you for reading!
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