This month I was mostly on the move from Malaga, to Gibraltar to Tanger and back to Malaga again. This entailed the use of planes, buses, grand-taxis and ferries, as well as a lot of walking. One of the things that struck me most, when sailing in and out of Algeciras (Spain) and Port Med (Tanger) was the omni-presence of massive ships carrying shipping containers. What's in them? Where are they going and who is going to receive them? The uniformity in scale and shape of these containers no doubt belies their contents and it begs the question why do we need so much stuff and why does this stuff need to be transported around the world? At home, I can buy avacadoes from Peru and asparagus from Mexico (if I choose to do so). I can also buy blueberries from Morrocco so it felt strange to be in Morrocco and actually buy the blueberries that were produced there. So much stuff and so much choice. Unlike shipping containers, people come in all shapes and sizes but we probably all want the same thing - comfort, safety and enough to money to eat and pay bills. Some people have no choice but to remain in their locale, while others (like me) are fortunate enough to have choices. How do my choices as a consumer and a tourist impact on those who produce the stuff that I decide I need? Moving forward, powerless against those individuals whose personal wealth is that of a nation, I am going to be more conscious of my choices, in all things.
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