Things are looking up. I have an appointment to see TAT upcycle tomorrow, they make planter boxes out of recycled pallets and garden benches, and they also have a native nursery, so will see what they have for St Giles. I have visions of kowhai, puriri, cabbage trees, and manukas fringing our church.
My boss said a road trip is definitely planned this November to go down to Taranaki and check out the gardens, which include some of the most famous in New Zealand - Te Kainga Marire, Pukeiti, Hollards, Titoki Point, Abby Jury's nursery, and Mr Clematis.
And I'm going to get trained up on Level 3 Amenity Horticulture. I don't know if they have an entire module on how to use a hose to get your boots really clean, but, since I didn't grow up on a farm, I kind of forget and not used to the whole routine. Maybe it's being chinese because we habitually NEVER wear shoes inside, we would always take them off and wear socks and slippers. Plus again, in terms of cleanliness and tidiness, we never ate food that was crumbly or with knives and forks, it was always cut up beforehand and eaten with chopsticks, so, the whole crumb thing and napkins and placemats, and eating in front of the tv, or while driving the car, the whole messy thing, I just don't get. And if the garden was muddy, well we just didn't step on it in the first place. Or if you want to go further extreme, go visit Japan where zen garden tidiness and cleanliness is an artform.
Mum is way more forgiving of Martha when she poos on the floor inside than my boss is of me when I inadvertently leave a muddy footprint on the path outside. I couldn't believe how much drama it causes when it's just a simple mistake (that can be cleaned up). But I now have this book called 'Impossible to Please' How to Deal with Perfectionist Coworkers, Controlling Spouses and Other Incredibly Critical People. I found it in the public library in the psychology section.
Pertaining to standards of cleanliness and tidiness, well, lets just say some people are creatives (messies) and some people are non-creatives (tidiers). I don't know about placing cleanliness as the highest priority over and above everything else, but maybe people just can't handle a little bit of chaos every now and then. Maybe they forget and don't remember ever having children.
But the books says just to say "I guess neatness is just a personal preference' and if baited, say 'I think we have different comfort levels regarding neatness'.
Maybe I can convince my boss and manager, if they are such neatniks, that if they don't want to do the hard yards they can just come round and sweep up and wash down after we've done then that is absolutely fine by me. They can do what they are good at, and I can keep doing what I am good at. Who says you have to be good at every single thing. Team work right?
Even Jesus washed his disciples feet as an act of love and service and didn't tell them how horribly dirty they were and didn't they know how to clean themselves up?! And he was like their boss. But that might get me in deep trouble if I dare to say - "Why can't you be more like Jesus? He was perfect!"
