The compost loos are not half bad actually. Getting to know them has been symbiotic part of getting to know myself. N o – I'm being just slightly facetious here but still from white tiled plumbed in bathroom in the city to a canya/bamboo jungle shack took a bit of getting used to. But that's all it was – getting used to something different. Getting used to squatting over a hole and 'flushing' with sawdust. Getting used to going at certain times in the day when you know there will be least flies around. Optimum times I have found are first thing in morning just before breakie and just as it gets dark. But not as it gets dark as finding way there, even guided by torch is a tad tricky, what with the terracing of this mountainside Sunseed clings to.
But the first week was all about acclimatising myself to the Sunseed routines, not just the compost loos. Officially 'wake up' was at 6.45am but rarely did this happen and we were more or less called out from our slumber at 7am. The staff members would do wake up and take charge of each day's duties. There are 8 members of staff on the project at the moment but the number of staff and volunteers varies greatly. The 8 include
• Project Manager,
• Sustainable Living co-coordinator,
• Appropriate Technology co-ord.
• two co-ords. of Eco/Construction and Maintenance,
• Organic Gardens co-ord.
• Drylands co-ord.
• Education/Publicity/Fundraising co-ord.
Take from these titles what you can – it's not until you take part in life at Sunseeds that you understand and appreciate the different responsibilities these members take on. As this is a job but it is not well paid and more of a lifestyle choice and belief in what you are doing that keeps you on the project.
In my first week I mostly spent time helping the Organic Gardens co-ord. Volunteers chose which staff members they would like to help at 'job allotment', being most commonly called out from the dinner table “job ally ally ally” after lunch. Here, whoever was on wake up that day states what they have been doing in their field of work since their last wake up. Then they state what they plan to do the following morning and so do all other staff members.
The last volunteers to arrive are then invited to say what activity they would like to help with. Morning work starts at 7.30am (ehum closer to 8am on somedays though I arrived just as early starts were imperative to be sheltered in the hottest part of the day). I helped out in the gardens doing many a fulfilling earthly thing until break was called at 10am and then back to finish before lunch at 1pm. Though with the heat we generally stopped at 12am.
My first day on the job I was compost turning which involved one simple technique of layering. Layer 1- old compost from a neat square box next door. Layer 2- Horse manure. Layer 3- a watering can of human piss collected from the compost loos and urinal 'house' on site. Hurah. Next day I plant saplings which meant preparing raised beds (ie weeding – lots), aerating soil which baked in sun ain't that easy, digging neat holes equidistant apart, filling with manure, watering, planting saplings in then watering again. Lovely.
The next day I was told to basically make mud cakes. Well my exact task was to rebuild the wall of the irrigation line amongst the raised beds. This involved water in a bucket, gathering soil, mixing to make a great paste and spreading onto a bank in a particular fashion. I forgot how fabulous mud could be.
One of the first things I had to get used to at Sunseeds was the simple nature of taking part in nature and coming out of it and reflecting. This may sound slightly abstract but somehow being thrust into this environment that was just teaming with life brought about in me that a year living in Madrid just hadn't produced. I mean sure a lot has happened if I compare now to setting off from Weymouth in Feb 2008 but somehow, this part of the journey all seems to be culminating in Sunseeds.
I am lucky in the fact that I have been surrounded by the most individual and generous people I've ever met. To say they are all kind would be sugar coating them as persons that I think insults what they bring to the project. To say they are all so loving would I think do more of the same. But they are all of these positive attributes of personality mixed with their various personal vices – what else makes people who they are.
I was first thrust into the group on an outing to the local town to play Volleyball. We got there to find the net had been taken down on the court and an improvised game of handball was devised before moving onto the traditional game of footie. Each night of the week seems to be mostly punctuated with some sort of group activity which is great for us all working together and getting to know each other.
The eve after volleyball we had an acro-balance session lead by one of the full-time volunteers from the UK who had previous experience on the mean streets of Bristol. This workshop was one of those lovely life surprises where you venture into a place hoping to find one thing and find something closely related but you never truly realized how much you liked discovering about. Friday night is Film night at Sunseeds and everyone ventures up to the Yurt owned by one of the villagers where a projection screen is installed. With the aid of a Sunseeder's mini projector and laptop plus the comforts of floor cushions, popcorn and wine, my first Friday we enjoyed Orson Welles in The Third Man.
HELL YEAH – my movie knowledge I know is sadly lacking of all that it could be for I am an avid fan of the moving image. For a long time I was black and white phobic – but this was as a child and colour is an important stimulus. I always remember being so disappointed watching The Wizard of Oz for the first time to find it opened in Black and White. Judge me if you like for that but after my first Yurtish movie night – god – Orson Welles is immense!
My first weekend here was punctuated with a little morning work on Sat and then an impromptu picnic on the other side of the valley overlooking the village. Just for good measure a few Sunseeders were getting in on some Ddgerydoo action at another house in the village in their free time having signed up for a course on making them, run by a Dutch village settler. The evenings on weekends generally see Sunseeders relaxing and taking in all that their beautiful surroundings offer. A walk to an abandoned village here, a siesta in the meditation garden there. You know, simple things that make this part of the world a little piece of paradise. One I'm learning to cherish and take responsibilities for.
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