Germany

I have been in Germany for the past week with little or no internet access. The Germans don't seem to sweat their lack of connectivity as much as we do in Canada. Hotel wifi tends to be very problematic but everyone seems to just go with the flow. Immersing myself in a foreign culture has identified some things I am not proud of in my own.

We take resources for granted in Canada. The towns in Germany are spectacularly clean and they take reducing and recycling very seriously. The supplies in a German hotel room are spartan compared to Canadian hotels. Litter is almost non existent and I would estimate 30% of residences in some communities utilize solar power.

There is a lot we can learn from the German example. They equate the quality of their environment with the quality of their lives.

'The frog does not drink up the pond in which it lives." - Chinese Proverb