because you care

How do you decide on a restaurant? Is it based on the food, the décor, the ambience, the cost of eating there or is it based on other factors?

What about the impact on the environment? How much is nature whining from your dining? For me this is more of a subconscious decision than something I take into serious consideration, but I am hoping to change that.

So how exactly do we do this?

There are so many factors that affect the eco-friendliness of a restaurant. An NPO in the US called The Green Restaurant Association has done the work for us in establishing certification standards for restaurants. From their certification standards we can determine how green your local restaurant is.

Adapted from their site these are some questions you can ask

• What systems do you have in place to reduce water usage? And to reuse it?
• What do you do to reduce waste? Do you compost your organic waste?
• Do you recycle?
• Do you use local, organic and fair-trade produce?
• Did you source your furnishings locally and what are they made of?
• Do you supply serviettes or reusable napkins?
• Do you wash with bio-based products?
• What do you do to conserve energy? Do you use any sustainable energy sources?
• What do you do to reduce your pollution?
• Do you encourage/subsidize people to use more eco-friendly options?

By asking a few of these types of questions you can ascertain whether the manager/owner is concerned about the impact his restaurant is having on the environment and their customers. Your discussion will at least increase their awareness.

Restaurants can be high waste, pollution-producers and energy-users. The way they lead in terms of how they cook, the products they buy, the way they decorate has a huge effect on their clientele and their local environments.

Business is not just about making money it is about giving back to the community and saving the environment. Support the restaurants that do this and reduce nature’s whining from your dining.

If you have any questions please be sure to drop me an email via www.SOMAMA.co.za website or leave a comment below.
For more information and for places to eat green visit

RSA (not as elaborate as international databases but a good start)
Urban Sprout
Live Eco

US
The Green Restaurant Association

UK
Chic Vegetarian Cuisine
Times Online
Sugar Vine (London specific)

I often am concerned about the crime rate in South Africa and I wonder what is the government doing about it. And what can I do to make a difference?

A Devi Rajab article in the Mercury newspaper yesterday (local South African paper) reminded me of my concerns. In her article she tells of how she overheard youngsters planning a hijacking, her confrontation of them and their life issues. There is alot of truth in this article and learning for us all.

Please take some time to read it and let me know what you think.

Devi believes South Africa 's high crime rate is due to the high unemployment levels and the lust of the 1st world life - flashy cars, big house and lots of money.

I have always been of the opinion that poverty is one of the strongest factors that lead towards crime. As a single citizen I wonder how can I make a difference? I know that I can try consider the "criminals" differently, at least as humans. And I can realise that I am truly blessed for the life that I have been born into.



Please feel free to comment and share on your social media of choice.

People strive for love as an enduring process… to love and to be loved – this is what we were made for. In our search we look in the wrong places because of what we learnt from the past through friends, family and the media that distorted our understanding of love. There are only a handful of people that come into your life with soft, selfless hearts they give you a glimpse of love.

The world is moving away from families – the home of love. Where there was love in a family now there is anger and hatred through divorce. Where then are our examples?

Maybe if we really understood love we wouldn’t look to these places of polluted love because our source would be eternal, coming from within. How many people truly love themselves?

Instead of sex producing oneness it brings disunity. Sex is not love. It is an expression of love.

Does any human being understand love the 9th wonder of the world? (after King Kong) I want to touch love, feel love - understand it for all its worth. However if we really understood love would we use it to change the world or would we neglect it like everything else that comes easy in life?

Find love… put together the puzzle and learn from people that display pieces of true love. During your search for completion love and be loved. Distort the distorted love back to how it should be.

Love is a choice. Love is eternal. Love is a process. Love with all your being, with your whole heart. Love is selfless. Get hurt and get back up. Find the person who represents love and love them for the rest of your life. Live in love. Die in love.

… So you tell me what is LOVE?

Christmas is an extremely wasteful time. 25% more waste is produced over this festive period. So hopefully you are asking yourself - How can I reduce my impact on the environment and in turn save money this Christmas?