mailmemore

Dear Maritta,

Today I’ve done my last photo session, though I feel this has been a beggining… I have to do an extra effort to reduce my use of plastic, I know that it’s just like a drop in the ocean, when so much people around don’t care, but I also feel that we are every day more the people that really want things to change and this could really make a difference…

The pictures I took today are probably the saddest. It’s a large area where people just throw anything, unfortunately it looks like a dump. I don’t understand how they can do such a thing, so close to their home, where they children could be playing… During my solitary walk I thought about the days when there was no plastic at all, when life was simpler and we had far fewer comforts, but the world was a safer place.

I guess it is not eassy to be optimistic after a week searching for plastics… but I will try to focus on what I said at the beginning, after all, traying to do my best is all I can do.  

Love,

Olga

Dear Maritta,

Today I had to go to Aranjuez where, as you know, I was living for twelve years. It’s a very special place, but not for the monumental areas, but for the gardens! They make me think of Kassel and the Aue… I couldn’t find many plastics, which obviosly is good news!

I met an old work colleage and his wife when I was doing a picture in a very funny posture, by the way, and after catching up I told them about our project and the ideas I have for the school, though he was not very optimistic about the changes I could achieve with my students. It was a nice long chat, but suddently the light was gone…

Just one day left!

Dear Maritta,

After a rainy night, the morning sun looks glorious! The photo session will be in the morning this time. We take the car and we go to the Sunday market, which is in a nearby village. Here you can buy vegetables and fruits without plastic, we carry our own bags. At this time, around ten, the area looks quite clean, probably will not be the same at the end of the morning… After the shopping we put eveything in the car and I walk around searching for lost plastics on the floor. I look in the surroundings as well. Here is the result.

Take care

Dear Maritta,

Today it started raining, just some drops, but it has been such a long time without rain that it still was a joy! We went to a garden near home which was surprisingly clean, compared to other areas around, but not completely free from plastic…

It was siesta time and there was no one except for some kids playing together; when they noticed our presence one of them said: “they must be taking pictures of wild mushrooms!” and I had to laugh. You may not know it, but here children are louder than in Germany, so we heard every word, even when we were at a certain distance. But it didn’t take long untill their curiosity grew and they shouted out loud: “What are you searching for?” And I told them that we were searching for plastics, something that shouldn’t be there… Probably they thought I was crazy.

Anyway, here is the result of our daily plastic hunt.

Dear Maritta,

It’s Friday, cloudy, but Friday! Daniel and I went to the small pine forest closed to our home. There you can enjoy an almost virgin land, without plastic or people. So I took the pictures on the way before the forest and the way back home.

You will see some photographs with burnt trees, that’s because here in Spain some people, enjoy causing fires. Last summer we had two small ones near the village… Frustrating! We have so few trees… we cannot allow this to happen.

Dear Maritta,

This time I took some pictures on the playground at school and the surrounding area. It’s a pity the amount of rubish that you can find, even close the a waste paper bin, incredible, isn’t it? I’m convinced that t’s a matter of education, but it has to start at home… Anyway, after the session I had a new idea! We celebrate every year the Day of the Earth and this time we are going to invite some parents to talk to our younger groups about this plastic issue in general and the bad habit of throwing litter anywhere… I already talked to the Head of Studies and she was enthusiastic with the idea. I have written some comitted parents and they agreed on it. Maybe in some years our students enjoy keeping the school clean!

Dear Maritta,

Finally, I found some free time to take a sit and upload the photographs! My first walk searching for plastic was on Wednesday, and it was, as I expected, a good hunt… Unfortunatelly, here in Spain, as you know, many people has no problem with throwing anything to the floor or leaving litter in the forest, including plastic… It was a cold day, but the sun was still trying to warm us!