Autumn comes, the summer is past

Poem from Nora’s book, on System Thinking Week

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Week 4 My body moves! 

Cooking and gardening ~ a serving week to the community and Mother Earth

My holistic moment of the week

On closing the open space of our community meeting circle, Annie rang the bell. The sound of the bell lingered. A strange sensation emerged. Is it because I am deeply connected with the sound of the bell, the meaning of my name? Or is it because the circle simply moved my heart? My whole body sensed something holy, my mind and body felt surreal. My eyes went teary and remained close. I sat still and felt the holy feeling. It felt like a moment of enlightenment. I experienced this moment two times before in caves in Thailand. I closed my eyes in the darkness, students and adults around me. I felt time paused and became infinite at the same time. Tears rose. 

My favorite moment of the week

I like observing my friends hanging out, and I could just lay there and sketch their shapes on paper, contemporary art

I like chatting with Alexsa and hearing her talk about her belief and stories, lots of them align so much with me: Trees, plants and the cosmos - the zodiac and constellations that link to the growth of our plants. Thank you to Alexsa, what she shared about her intention aligns with mine very much. Be present, and be with nature based on our needs, if we want to scream we can, if we just want to breathe, just do. 

I like hugging my friends

I like cooking for everybody 

I like gardening and touching the soil

I like check-in group with Annie, we prep and we did the check-in while chopping vegetables

I like Annie’s firm manner and her mother energy in caring for us; and her expression on how to balance the community and still ensure the quality of YIP to be an educational program

Woodwork, I really learnt holistically

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Over the week

“Back in the days, people looked at the sky full of stars and started finding patterns of the dots.” Based on observations over time, constellations were formed. 

It’s such a pleasure to learn with Thomas, I don’t remember his background. To me, he’s like a story teller, a scientist, and a humanist. I brought us back to ancient times and to the vast galaxy. His voice is warm as a grandfather’s voice. I think he likes to go deep into explaining certain questions, so if our questions require much time, he would be like: entering this question needs a whole day!~ 

I like looking at visual and physical cues to learn

That visual map Thomas drew on the board helped prompt my memory. 

He printed out learning materials instead of using slides. I appreciated him preparing them for us and we passed around in the class. The feeling is different from looking at the screen. Materials include photos of plant roots, air pollution levels in Europe, charts comparing input and impacts of biodynamic farming; bioorganic farming and traditional farming. What impressed me was the big zodiac signs and planet posters. He was acting how the constellation moved as the earth rotates around the sun. Reminds me of Par Ahlbom, the founder of Solvikskolan Forest School we visited in the first week. They have a similar vibe of intentionality, humor and wisdom woven in they way they told stories and demonstrated situations. 

I felt serendipitous throughout the week. I assumed that a biodynamic gardening week would be mostly about being in the garden, and learning principles of making composts, how to take care of soil and plants, like the agrinature course I took last year in Thailand. But the structure of the course here is so interesting! 

🏞️🏞️🏞️ Landscape in time

We explored how landscape developed and what is our task within that landscape.

Sweden came to be through a process of ice melting and land rising. 

Can’t recall the milestones of timeline, just that it dated back a long time ago. When the entire country was covered in ice of more than 3000m thick. Over time, global warming led to melting of glaciers. Water from ice ran into ocean. Sediments underneath the earth accumulated gave birth to grass. Grass then expanded into bigger plants. After that, the decomposed plants led to birth of beings such as insects, and other animals. Grass itself have many life forces and could grow fast by itself. And so coming to our time, cultivating plants require care so that they could grow amidst wild weeds.  

Connections between the cosmos, plants and human

What’s new to me? 

The star map to find the location of constellations based on where and when we are. 

Distance of planet in relation to the sun affects the growth of plants. So we have to work with soil, water, and understand microclimate to connect with the whole cosmos. Especially when earth and the sky connect through a rhythm that will continue to change. We have to try to see the huge context, not only one specific area on earth. 

Phenomenon of rocks, land, forest and trees’ adaptation

Love seeing the rock patterns created by the water flow over millions of years. I just love rocks so much, touching them and jumping over them wherever they are. We went to a few forests in which there are different tree categories. 

This is my favorite part of the visit. Project this rocky area maybe 50 times larger! Rocks everywhere, overviewing sea and a little dock with boats parking around. The photo doesn’t do justice to how beautiful it is. 

We visited a meadow of grass. Meadow is also human-made. It’s a grazing space for animals. That said, weeds could germinate at ease, thus have to be removed to make space for meadow. 

A forest majorly including pine tree but remains diverse as the bottom part of the forest allows short plants to grow. Sunlight doesn’t come through the soil so it smells damp and rich. Pine needle doesn’t dissolve easily, so it creates a thick layer of needles on the forest floor.

The special thing here is temperature remains stable throughout the year, just like that of cave. In winter, it feels warmer here than outside temperature. In summer, it feels cool in here. It’s a home to lots more birds and insects compared to the forest near YIP, where I walk there every weekend. Though it’s just a few kilometers away. 

So, humans could design our ideal plantations or forests we want such as meadow, short tree (I don’t remember Swedish name), or pine forest. I think it is to see the purpose of the forest, and understand the characteristics of the trees and plants we want to grow, so as to create a healthy environment for not only them but also other beings. 

Biodynamic Agriculture principles and compost making to nourish soil 

Compost making, always learn a new way of making compost! There are so many recipe ~ I love all of them. Don’t have many photos to share haha as hands were always dirty. 

The signature of the compost recipe here I would say is the teaching of Rudolf Steiner; and the use of apples! Apples are abundant all over this Kultercentrum. We experiment every possibility of apples from making apple juice, to apple pie, apple crumbles, apple source, salad, and compost. We seek benefits of everything so as not waste any natural resources. So the compost contains a few layers of apples, which I think replace other fresh organic substances. 

After having the pile made of many layers of different component, we inserted five different elements Yarrow, Chamomile, Dandelion, Nettle, and Oak Bark into them through 5 holes. Thomas said that the elements act as organism, which have their own positions in our body. Since I asked why can’t we just spread them over the pile like spreading the limebstone powder. It’s important to dig the little holes; and lastly, inserted the liquid made out of valerian into another hole. This liquid helps to protect compost with warmth from coming frost! 

In Pai, my Earth Tone garden, we also utilized what’s available in the space such as dry leaves, decomposed substances in the soil, organic fresh fruit and vegetable leftovers from restaurants. What had to buy extra would be cow dung and some liquid fertilizer to allow fermentation to happen. Of course, final step is to cover compost with hay to keep it warm. 

This is another recipe I learnt in Thailand, agrinature course:

Gardening and practicing

🌱🌱🌱 In between these stories and visits, we worked on our garden prepare for winter. We broke down soil, weededed, harvest last plants and flowers then let the bed sleep. We removed some structure that tomato leaned on, and took out last pieces of root. It was so sad that within a few day, we had to farewell our beloved garden where we have been harvesting so much every day over a month now. 🍂🍂🍂I thought of a basic principle of life, there’s a beginning and there’s an end. 

Winter in Sweden is very long and tough. Only a few plants could live, meanwhile, others will wait when spring comes back. The weather is changing fast to the extent that we could see the color changes of leaves, the colder temperatures and shorter days, stronger wind and sometimes rainy gloomy hours. Today, it’s my first time to dry my laundry indoor because it was too gloomy around 9:30am. But 1 hour later, the sun came up, and the day is brightened again. 

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random:

Charly is singing at the background. Such a beautiful voice ~ I get to listen to free music from talents here. 

I’m happy to meet some Norwegion friends today. Felt that it’s been ages since I met people from that country. It was inspiring to see that they took the pedagogy program out of genuine interest to educate youths and adults with special needs! They are working as well so the study is part-time. They are doing well to balance their life. 

Singing the Norwegion song in the end, the room was still and warm. I wish I could sing it smoothly. “Summer is over. So long.” Farewell to the moments that have passed by. 

Kawaii tomotaji: my lovely friend. 

Woodwork

I progressed a little more. Spoon made with time, calmness, emotions, and blood haha! I could do it whole day maybe. Feel at deep peace in making it. See the patterns of wood and see the details of the shape. 

The bike was gorgeous. Finally I could be a bit slower down on the way back, biking with Seunghyun. I am grateful! I really miss my beloved bike. Would have another one one day. 

I don’t miss or like cities any longer. In love with countryside and places with little human interventions. Thinking of autumn break, I will explore some national parks in Sweden, Alexsa would give me ideas to choose. I didn’t feel impressed with Stockholm much honestly, after visiting Sodertalier. I am satisfied and full with Jarna. 

We made a meal Josie led, dumplings, spaghetti, simply fried vegetables, and pizza. I would say that this is very diverse menu so far and I am very proud of my team for our creativity and courage to try out that creativity in our head.