I don't recall how many years I have participated in this event. When I am in the country I get involved, though I suspect that in 2012 (study) and 2013 (travelling around Australia) I didn't. However, in 2013, I did clean up heaps of rubbish along the highway south of Geraldton, so I feel that I did "my bit" that year.
The last few years I have done so at Beachmere, and the last two years I have been the site co ordinator too. This year we arranged for 3 more groups - doing other parts of Beachmere.
I wish I could start the program in China. Clean Up China!!! What a challenge. I wrote about some of the problems in China here.
Today I tidied my car. I still have to remove the Clean Up extra bags etc. from the boot of my car, but the interior is much tidier than it was yesterday. I was looking under the drivers seat for my lens cap, which I know fell there, and guess what I found. Two empty discarded bottles of Pepsi Max.
I confess to getting a little angry about the bottles, as they were left there by the groom. He and the bride stayed with me for 4 nights and I took them on great tours around the area. I gave them water bottles each day, and I remember that I chided them about leaving them in my car each day. Tossed on the floor. Just like they throw rubbish around in China. Each day I had to remind them. Like children!!
One day I saw water coming from the bathroom - seeping, creeping along the floor. I have tiled floors and they get very slipper when wet. I grabbed the mop and rushed in to find the bathroom floor covered with water. I mopped and squeezed the water into a bucket, as I asked what had happened.
"I washed my hair." replied the bride. I have no idea how she did it or how she could just walk out of the bathroom leaving it in the condition she did! As I was mopping, I noticed the handbasin. Around it was a weird collection of rubbish - empty packets, tissues, etc. I politely (which was hard to do as I was getting a bit cranky by then) asked the bride to take the rubbish out to the bin. Then I saw the rolled up piles of towels I had given them. Wet/damp, but just rolled up in a pile on the floor. I, politely as I could, requested that if they needed washing to give them to me, or if not to hang them on the towel rail. They ended up on the towel rail. These are no "kids" I was dealing with. Both were over 30 years of age!!!
Adults just dropping their stuff in my house and in my car. I can get cranky. Do they think I have to clean up after them all the time. At no time while staying in China did I expect anyone to do such things for me!
OK, rant over.
Here I was yesterday as the Volunteers brought in their bags of rubbish that folk just throw away. Snack and fast food packs, papers, cans, bottles, and a myriad of other stuff. It does make me cross that people think it is ok to just drop their stuff for others to pick up.
The last few years I have done so at Beachmere, and the last two years I have been the site co ordinator too. This year we arranged for 3 more groups - doing other parts of Beachmere.
I wish I could start the program in China. Clean Up China!!! What a challenge. I wrote about some of the problems in China here.
Today I tidied my car. I still have to remove the Clean Up extra bags etc. from the boot of my car, but the interior is much tidier than it was yesterday. I was looking under the drivers seat for my lens cap, which I know fell there, and guess what I found. Two empty discarded bottles of Pepsi Max.
I confess to getting a little angry about the bottles, as they were left there by the groom. He and the bride stayed with me for 4 nights and I took them on great tours around the area. I gave them water bottles each day, and I remember that I chided them about leaving them in my car each day. Tossed on the floor. Just like they throw rubbish around in China. Each day I had to remind them. Like children!!
One day I saw water coming from the bathroom - seeping, creeping along the floor. I have tiled floors and they get very slipper when wet. I grabbed the mop and rushed in to find the bathroom floor covered with water. I mopped and squeezed the water into a bucket, as I asked what had happened.
"I washed my hair." replied the bride. I have no idea how she did it or how she could just walk out of the bathroom leaving it in the condition she did! As I was mopping, I noticed the handbasin. Around it was a weird collection of rubbish - empty packets, tissues, etc. I politely (which was hard to do as I was getting a bit cranky by then) asked the bride to take the rubbish out to the bin. Then I saw the rolled up piles of towels I had given them. Wet/damp, but just rolled up in a pile on the floor. I, politely as I could, requested that if they needed washing to give them to me, or if not to hang them on the towel rail. They ended up on the towel rail. These are no "kids" I was dealing with. Both were over 30 years of age!!!
Adults just dropping their stuff in my house and in my car. I can get cranky. Do they think I have to clean up after them all the time. At no time while staying in China did I expect anyone to do such things for me!
OK, rant over.
Here I was yesterday as the Volunteers brought in their bags of rubbish that folk just throw away. Snack and fast food packs, papers, cans, bottles, and a myriad of other stuff. It does make me cross that people think it is ok to just drop their stuff for others to pick up.
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