Thursday, May 19, 2011

Live Below the Line Diary #2: Cravings


The past few days have gone by relatively quickly indeed, but not without major waves of cravings and longings for certain foods - actually, any kind of food with an inkling of flavour. At first, it was not so much the hunger (my stomach begins growling promptly at 11:30 each morning), but the temptation of constantly being surrounded by so-close-yet-so-far delicious foods, which makes Living Below the Line a challenge. Strolling down food shopped lined streets almost everyday is particularly the most difficult part - knowing that no matter how hungry I am, how much I want it, how much money I have, how cheap it is - no. I often find myself reminiscing of foods I have had in the past, reliving the moments. And it is the knowledge that I am lucky enough to have these memories, and know that after Friday there will be opportunity to continue them, which makes me feel so grateful.

With barely enough protein or sugar, I find myself continuously exhausted. It is hard to imagine how so many living in poverty must feel when exhausted from work but without a spacious bed and pillows to fall into, who struggle to have enough food let alone a tap which flows with clean water, and who don't have the knowledge of when this poverty will stop (the way I know it will this Friday) / if it will at all.

My breakfast of two pieces of toast and 1/5 of a can of fruit salad is my favourite meal of the day, as the fruit salad, especially in contrast to my following meals of the day, is so sweet and tangy! My lunch of 100grams of pasta, 100grams of yellow split peas and 1/5 of a can of diced tomatoes, is best warm and tastes like nothing but the highest quality of blandness. My dinner of rice and mixed vegetables is quite the same as lunch, however on the first night my rice was extremely gluggy.

I'm wishing that I had bought less rice, more pasta, a proper bottle of pasta sauce and a pack of salt.

Thank you to everyone for your support!!!

p.s. If you have a spare moment, why not play free rice to support the World Food Programme

3 comments:

  1. Love your description of what you wish you had bought! Was thinking as you described the meals that a bit of salt would have gone a long way... but wasn't sure if you were able to add anything. Seriously impressed with what your doing an absolutely love hearing about what it's like (errr... while I sit in a coffee shop sipping on an iced coffee - whoops). xx

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  2. Should've scored yourself an 89c jar of pasta sauce from Franklins. You'd easily have got better culinary mileage by not going to one of the Big Two supermarkets. They're as much to blame for poverty in *this* country as anything else.

    Yay for you though.

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  3. Hang in there, I am SO proud of you honey!!! xx

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