Yesterday, I wrote about how in Germany, you have to be careful with how you store your trash – or you could face a €2,500 fine.
Today, I saw a documentary on YouTube that completely brought me back down to earth.
It was about people living in Happyland (actually "Hapilan" – which literally means "stinking garbage"), a district in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
There, they survive on something called “Pagpag.”
That means food from the trash – or more precisely: leftover scraps from restaurants that are collected, washed, reheated and eaten.
Bits of meat that still have something on them.
Pieces of fried chicken that had been sitting in the garbage for hours.
Cooked again, re-used – and consumed.
Because they have no other choice.
Today, all I had was an apple – and in that moment, it felt like a luxury meal.
And I thought:
How incredibly lucky we are – in the roulette of life.
We were born in a country where the problem isn’t “How do I get food?”
It’s “Did I sort my trash correctly or do I get fined?”
And yes – that deserves to be acknowledged.
Not out of guilt – but out of humility.
That documentary was a punch in the face.
Not a guilty conscience – but a mental reset.
We live in a throwaway society.
While others survive with less – simply because they have to.
And it works.
It proves one thing:
You don’t need everything. You don’t have to own it all. There’s another way – and we could choose it too. If we wanted to.
I’m not saying we should all start digging in trash bins for food.
But maybe, just maybe, we could start living more consciously again.
Eat with more awareness. Spend with more thought.
And maybe recognize – just a little – how much quiet fortune we carry with us every day.
Minimalism isn’t sacrifice. It’s respect.
And sometimes, it begins with a humble apple.
Here’s the video I mentioned:
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Please note: The video is in German only and unfortunately has no subtitles.