I joined 40 days challenge without meat :D

On the 10^th February 2016 I started my challenge in collaboration with Dagen Zonder Vlees. The story goes when I got invited in a Facebook event from AEGEE – Leuven. In the event, they wrote interesting description:

(c) AEGEE Leuven

“In Belgium, there is a campaign running from February 10th to March 26th to eat less meat for 40 days. The campaign is called 'Days Without Meat', or DWM, and it is set to raise awareness about the impact of our eating habits on the environment. As a bunch of committed young AEGEEans, this is also our duty! You don't have to be an AEGEEan thought to be aware and committed: support AEGEE and support the environment with us!”

(c) Dagen Zonder Vlees

I join the campaign by signed in on the website of Dagen Zonder Vlees and join their AEGEE group.

The procedure is very easy and I did it on my mobile phone.

Their idea is very easy and simple but hard to apply. That is to eat LESS meat and fish for 40 days. It is not to make you completely vegetarian or so (but if you can why not :) ), it is a common challenge for sustainable eating habits. 

I am doing the challenge for the environmental impact, to reduce my carbon footprint and to be friendlier to the earth. This idea goes together with my new habit of quitting plastic. And you know what?? It’s been almost 1 month now I don’t buy anything that have or package in plastic (HORAAYYY!!!).

Source: Pinterest

Some of you maybe confuse. How come reducing meat consumption can lead to reduction of carbon footprint and makes you before friendlier with environment?

It is because meat consumption is among one of the main cause of climate change. Here is why: Livestock emits more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation sector by emitting methane gas to the atmosphere. Besides that, it is also not sustainable. To grow one cow for meat, you need a lot of water and soy while with the same amount of food you can feed more people on earth.

soruce: google.com

Source: google.com

Besides eating less meet, there is additional challenge. Everyday you can tick the box if you manage to fulfil the challenge.

1.     Challenge 1: I did not eat any meat or fish today

2.     Challenge 2: Today, I only ate seasonal vegetables

3.     Challenge 3: I did not throw away any food today

4.     Challenge 4: Today, I did not buy any food in disposable containers

Source: Dagen Zonder Vlees

I am super excited with this challenge. I will try to keep up with all of the additional challenges. For me, the forth challenge is quite easy since I quit using plastic packaging and bought my food in market or bulk shop or in recyclable container (paper bag, glass jar, cloth)

Today (12 February 2016) just 3 days doing the challenge, I already safe water that can me used for 31 times showering!!! (to see my update for this challenge, you can scroll down to the bottom of this blog and see my progression) :)

If you want to join the challenge, you can just sign in or just do it :)

Like me living without plastic, it is very hard in the beginning, but once you get it, it is very nice lifestyle.

(c) Dagen Zonder Vlees

I cut my hair SHORT!!!

Hi everyone!!

Yes, last week, I cut my hair short. I mean the shortest for the past 17 years of my life. A lot of people love the way I look now. But also a lot of them feel disappointed that I cut my beautiful long hair (including my mom). And some said that I am selfish and don’t appreciate my thick long hair.

my hair after 1 year without brushing it. (Left: before brushing; right: after brushing)

the back side of the hair after brushing

Okay now I will tell you why I cut my hair. The only reason why I cut my hair is because I want to donate my hair. I did my research from November 2015 until December 2015 about this. I found a website from Netherland Haarstichting which is a not-for-profit, charitable organization. The Hair Foundation was formed to inform, assist and support people suffering from hair loss (due to cancer), hair problems and hair diseases.

I decided at that time that I will donate my hair. So I search for some hair salon in my area that cooperates with this foundation. I found one called ‘City Hairshop’ in Nijmegen-Oost. They provide the service and will send the hair, so you don’t have to be worry. Besides that, they also give you 50% discount if you donate your hair. The business is a family business, so in a way, I also support local business.

I cut my hair on 2^nd February 2016. Initially I want to cut it in January, but I had too much things to do at that moment.

So I went to the salon 1 week before, and ask them if they can cut my hair. What is important in here, is that they need 30 cm of my hair. In the beginning they thought that I don’t have enough hair (I was wearing jacket and tucked my hair inside my jacket) and the moment I show them my hair they said, it will be good :D

I am super happy!! This is my first time cutting my hair short. Thus, I need 1 week to mentally prepare for this.

This is something huge for me since I was always have a long hair. But the social, environmental and monetary benefit of cutting my hair thrilled me and too sweet to be rejected.

What is cool about it are:

1. My hair will be made into wig. THIS IS SUPER COOL!!
2. I will have short hair that allow me to be more mobile (I dunno how many times my long hair got caught into something).
3. I can do MMA (Mixed Martial Art) easier since the struggle to pull up my hair is not as crazy as with long hair.
4. Less water, shampoo needed so I will take quicker shower and safe more water and hair treatment stuff.
5. Short hair is very easy to style.
6. And now I grew to like it with a lot of positive feedback from people.

I am 100% supporting you guys if you want to donate your hair! And you can go to the same hair salon that I went to or you can search some salon in your area that cooperates with the haarstichting. You can also cut your hair and send it via post mail to them. There are endless possibilities.

The Update: 1 week after I cut my hair, I received an email that they received my hair. HORAYYY!!! 

With this new hair, I will start my new 2016!

Short hair and zero plastic waste :D