things that are meant to be will find its way

today at campus centre while i was wandering around and wondering on whether i should withdraw some money and buy some food, because i'm having a bad cough and a light fever and i thought that i had to eat something before things get any worse, i came across the official opening of Oxfam and Australia aboriginal products selling booth at the Monash Shop. they got free chocolates, jams, spreads, coffees and teas to taste and i was very glad that i could have some and learn something new about what people are doing to help clean the environment and help poor people. i was very delighted.

i was told then by the founders of the Outback Pride, Mike and Gayle Quarmby that all the food originally come from rural areas populated mostly by aboriginal people of Australia. they are processed naturally and manufactured without any preservatives or animal-based substances, thus they are all Halal and are without doubt very good for health. these Australia Native Foods are grown at different places in Australia based on their suitable climate conditions; some are grown in the desert while some at the coastal areas, therefore they dont exploit the soil and ground water like other plants which are grown at a place but are not actually the native plants of that area. these plantations are taken care by the aboriginal people living around the plantation fields who work there and are paid according to the fair trade wages. therefore, these cultivation help tremendously in supporting the economy of aboriginal people as they dont have to go the cities to find jobs yet still have a sound income.

i love their natural and strong taste; they are very concentrated so you dont need to use a lot of them in cookings and other relish but still get a lot of nutrients from that little amount. and because they dont have any artificial preservatives they are absolutely very healthy. imagine having a garden just outside your kitchen window with all these herbs and plants where you can simply pick and put them straight into your cooking pan- that's how fresh and natural their taste like. the only preservatives used are sugar and vinegar and their quantities are monitored by using refractometer to determine their pH so that the food will not be too acidic and thus unhealthy. some of them, for example the Kutjera Relish are so fresh you can actually feel their bitter aftertaste; remember how the saying goes that the more bitter a food is, the healthier it is? still, they have a catchy and pleasant taste when you dip a water cracker biscuit into them or put them into your dish and have a go with them.

the same goes with Oxfam products which originate from Sri Lanka. they are developed and manufactured with the initial intention to help support the aboriginal people living in rural areas and to give them a chance to be just as equal as other people from urban areas whilst maintaining their unique culture and lifestyle. they produce a fantastic range of yummy chocolates, coffees, drinks, Brazil nuts some coated with chocolate as well as souvenirs like t-shirts that have a slogan 'close the gap' between us and aboriginal people, mugs and small colourful decorations for our home. and because all the aboriginal people working on these products are paid with fair trade wages, the products are slightly more expensive than those usually sold in the market. but it explains the exceptional quality, very healthy and environmental-friendly products which are for me, priceless.

i love to help the environment and the unfortunate people, and the people who work towards helping them. thus i am writing to support these organizations and perhaps give inspirations to all of us especially people from my home country Malaysia to preserve our rich native foods and products and to develop them accordingly without abandoning our precious environment, and at the same time create more job opportunities for people living in rural areas and educate our dearest citizens on how to make our beloved Earth a better place to live in.

p/s: i met emma today, a long lost classmate from atmospheric science faculty, and how upset she was when she knew that im not continuing in atmospheric science this year, as she said that im very passionate about climate i deserve more than any other people to continue studying it. but she promised to study hard for my sake (thanks emma) and added me on facebook so that we can keep in touch about what are the things going on in climate stuffs as she is doing it as her major (lucky you ;-]). but that's okay, i guess things happen for a reason. and she also said 'you'll find a way, you definitely will'. ameen...