Meet Shermain: The Traveling Environmentalist
“Charity work is for retirement, now you should work for a big company that pays you well.” That was what my dad said to me when I told him I wanted to work for a The Food Bank Singapore, a charity that collect unwanted food items and distribute to the people who are need. “Why should I wait when I know that this is what I like to do? Besides, how would I know If I will live till my retirement days?” I argued. Sounds a little negative, but I think people should stop being fearful of death, and understand that it’s merely a part of life. Only then will we be able to fully make good use of our days.
My parents couldn’t control me. That was probably the first time that I was so rebellious (I was a pretty obedient girl), and it was just the beginning.
Working for The Food Bank Singapore as the first employee was one of the best decision I’ve made for myself. Looking at the amount of food waste we have in Singapore, I see the need to have a Food Bank as a bridge, giving out the still good to eat food to the less fortunate. After 2 years of hard work, seeing how things are more or less stabilized and that the awareness about Food Bank and food waste has increased significantly, I decided to step out of my comfort zone to explore the world.
When my parents heard that I wanted to leave Food Bank, they were overjoyed! Thinking that I’ll move on to pursue something that they hope I’ll do. But no, I told them that I wanted to take a year off to travel around. As much as they hate the idea, they decided to let me go, in hopes that after a year I will be back doing what they hope I’ll do.
1 year is a long time, I could have toured the world! But I didn’t. As much as I love to explore many beautiful countries, I prefer to spend more time in a country to better understand the culture and form deeper relationship with the locals. I decided to volunteer 3 months in Vietnam, because I heard so much about how amazing bike trips are in Vietnam, and I really wanted to do it. I mainly volunteered through www.helpx.net, teaching English, helping out at a hostel and café. Then I went on to Japan, to spend 3 months volunteering in organic farms through wwoofing (world wide opportunities for organic farms). Why farming? Because of Food Bank, I know how serious food wastage issues are and I think that people, especially the younger generation should get their hands dirty, to be able to relate to all the efforts that goes into producing that bowl of rice on their table. Since that was what I believe, I wanted to be a role model, to act on it. Another reason for choosing to travel Japan was because I found about about Kamikatsu, a zero-waste town that recycle 80% of their waste. I wanted to visit the town to learn more about their waste management, which I eventually did and spent a month volunteering there.
My wwoofing experience in Japan was amazing. I think it was the most value-adding trip that I had. I met so many like-minded people and found out so much more about things that I am interested in. I've gained a new perspective of the kind of life I want to lead and the things that I hope to pursue. The thing is, once you realise the simplicity of life that brings true happiness, you will never go back to the lifestyle that you lead before. I believe that's a good thing.
A few months ago, I called my parents to inform them that I’ve decided to stay in Japan for a few years. I’ve found myself a job, basically working for one of my wwoofing host, helping him manage his new business (www.meguru.org/en) which consist of an organic farm, zero-waste café, eco-guest house, and music & events. They were upset of course, I don’t feel good too for not being able to be by their side, but I think I needed a period outside my comfort zone to further develop myself. It's hard to find a job that revolves around my interests, and more importantly, a boss that has very similar mindset as me about how we should lead our life. I'm very happy to be here right now and I’m looking forward to share with you guys more about my adventure. Do follow me on Instagram @shermainpea or visit my blog shermainpea.weebly.com for updates.
I would like to end off with my favorite quote “Dream as if you live forever, live as if you die today.”
About the Author:
I'm just a simple girl who loves to explore new things and go for adventures! A backpack with essentials and a camera is all i need to travel around the world. I can sleep, bathe, eat anywhere just to get more in-touch with the locals.
Music is near and dear to my heart, meaning, you'll probably find me chilling at some nice cafe or bar, enjoying the live music. Like most Singaporeans, I'm a foodie, but one thing for sure is that I'll choose home-cooked food over anything else. Food waste is a taboo. Being a Foodbanker for 2 years, I've learned so much on how we can all play our little part to make this world a much better place to live in.
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