Learn about self sustainability and sobriety in Dolný Tisovník, Slovakia

Details

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  Description

  I'm David. I was born in Belgium, I speak French, English and learn Slovak.
  
  It is necessary to make a statement of the situation, in order to understand each other.
  To help me here, it's good to know what I'm doing, how and why. "How" doesn't make sense without "why". I don't want my tasks to be done by someone else, I give priority to being well-surrounded and I want the tasks that I propose to make sense for helpers. Doing less and depriving yourself of a lot of things (which can be perceived as a sacrifice), makes sense only if you have understood the reasons... and I also want to share more than superficial or common discussions.
  
  Since I was born, I saw ignorance, conformism, submission and unquestioning all around me.
  When I asked my parents "why this? why that?," the answer was "because it's like that".
  Initially, I always wanted to understand the things, to solve the problems and to help others.
  I'm one of the very rare ones, who want to sincerely and deeply understand the people and the things, while others don't feel any need to change anything. It doesn't mean that I do everything perfectly; it's not about that. Most people do things without even knowing why, out of sheer conformity.
  Wanting to change them is severely punished. You instantly become an outsider and nobody listens to you.
  However, the condition of our planet, environment, silent and dramatic loss of biodiversity, and what we can predict about our close future, totally justify to try to deeply change people. Always talking about change, but blaming it on industrials and politicians, but still wishing to grow and to consume in the same way? Seriously?
  Despite this, for decades, I tried to find my place in this system that did not suit me at all. I failed.
  
  The recent events (including the creation and massive acceptation of a new worldwide religion called COVID, and all kinds of EXTREMELY harmful propaganda that still go on), decided me to get away from that dangerous life, as much as possible and forever.
  We face an environmental disaster that is unprecedented in human history; politicians and decision-makers want to keep their privileges at all costs, and people at the bottom of the pyramid only want to consume without understanding, like sheep. Some of them accept to change some little things in their life: that's insufficient.
  
  The way people THINK, TALK, and ACT... everything must change, but most people stay like they are, still want to keep their comfort, to make business and to live the same way.
  Most people do not tolerate anybody to criticise their own lifestyle and habits.
  However, accepting criticism and being self-critical would be a good starting point.
  They should even question and criticize themselves.
  I tried several times to find partners to grow our food, to start farming, to become more sustainable.
  Nobody gave a shit.
  The richer the countries, the less people understand why they should make efforts, stop consuming, etc.
  Most people don't have the most elementary knowledge to understand that they destroy their own tomorrows and the future of their own offspring.
  Physics, chemistry, biology and HISTORY are knowledge that no one learns from.
  They prefer to say they are insulted by my words, rather than question themselves.
  The instant reflex is to start talking about respect, tolerance and to consider myself the aggressor... actually, those who don't want to listen, understand or change anything, do harm themselves and definitely do aggress their neighbours, children, and all other species.
  I'm not like that. I was very badly educated, to embrace that system and that capitalist/destructive/senseless life; I received strictly no knowledge to get a systemic vision or global understanding. I'm one of the extremely rare persons who consider as appropriated and crucial, to fully rearrange my lifestyle, according to the reality, and to the 100% predictable part of the future.
  Others want to earn a salary and spend it, travel and own cars and houses as big as possible. Nowadays, travelling becomes an obsession for many young people. It's a sickness, and it was never more a nonsense than now. The more we run out of time and resources, the more we waste them.
  I realised that my dreams, wishes and hopes were stupid and inadequate, faced that sad reality and rearranged my brain and mindset, redefined my goals.
  I DID IT. The question is not why I'm like I am, but WHY OTHERS REFUSE TO DO THE SAME!
  
  We identify propaganda in the history books, but can't recognise it all around us, in real time. COVID kills, Russia will attack the rest of Europe (etc.): only fears and believes; no knowledge, no logic. People have no idea what their ignorance and credulity are being used for, by the decision makers. They consume, keep their privileges (in the short term), at the expense of the rest of the world.
  This civilisation BURNS all the resources, occupies all the space, does not anticipate anything, and even accelerate before hitting the wall.
  It's a shame.
  Mankind gets more vulnerable every day, but most people don't feel the urgency; they feel safe in the system.
  They prefer to be surrounded by people making MONEY, and feel safer with more of it.
  They should feel way safer producing their food, getting more self sustainable, surrounded by people doing the same.
  The timeline shows than mankind has experienced an unprecedented rise since the industrial revolution. This exponential curve is being reversed (for physical reasons, that aren't opinions but FACTS) and we are on the eve of the collapse of this civilisation; 99.99% of people still continue to defend and feed that system. Not wanting to define the understanding and acceptation of this, AS A TOP PRIORITY, is a suicide.
  
  Even the extremely few people who understand what is going on, don't admit that it would be good to lecture others and to try to convince them. They are incompetent to explain anything properly, don't want to enter any kind of "conflict", don't want to spend their time to teach others, or thing it's not even worth trying to explain; they often give up. Additionally, trying to explain the things or to moralise people, is immediately perceived as a crime, as a profanation of their divine freedom... What is the most dangerous thing? To moralise people and to try to make them change, or to continue on this path!?
  
  Here, you will never hear any usual or politically correct speech. I have a historical and systemic vision, and consider that "people" are massively ignorant, that this is where the problem starts. Solving everything "with love", would be the solution? Love doesn't replace awareness.
  
  What did I change?
  
  I recently moved to a piece of land surrounded by the woods, previously used to produce only hay to feed big animals.
  In the past, terraced crops covered the entire valley, but the farms have disappeared in favour of cities.
  I planted 400+ fruit trees, welcomed a few bids, dogs, cats, bees, goats and sheep, and want to encourage biodiversity.
  In Slovakia, more people still produce a part of their food; trading with the neighbours is the best practice ever to face the future.
  I make efforts and work every day, don't ask "the system" to produce everything for me (with fossil fuels, accountancy, useless gadgets, factories, machines, robots).
  What I don't consume here, limits my impact; that's also a healthier lifestyle.
  I currently live in a caravan, heat it with a wood stove, collect rainwater, use solar panels (but I don't promote those things, except in remote places; anyway, my point is lower my usage of technologies).
  That means saving electricity, water, wood, and all the other resources, including gas, fuel, tools, clothes, etc.
  It offers the opportunity to fully redefine my needs.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Pets

  

  Music

  

  Technology

  

  Farming

  

  Van life

  

  Sustainability

  

  Plant care

  

  History

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Gardening

  

  Carpentry

  

  Animals

  

  Nature

  

  Mountain

  

  Fitness

  

  Camping

  

  Cycling

  

  Hiking
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I can share the basis of my lifestyle, my self sustainability methods, show how it's possible to interact and exchange with the neighbours, how to use hand skills and a wide knowledge of materials and tools.
  Doing a lot with less resources, takes more time but prevents from squeezing the environment every day.
  All the calories that I'm burning, are the ones that I won't ask the system to burn and waste for me.

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  Help

  My current projects are:
  
  Building a "walipini" greenhouse, an "A frame" cabin for friends and helpers, a root cellar, a half buried house (this is a big project, even if I don't really want the house to be big).
  
  How you can help me:
  
  Building all those things, harvesting and drying fruits and veggies, cooking, shearing the sheep, maintaining the garden and the orchard, building a solar shower, building the peripheral fence, processing the firewood, etc. It has no end ;-)
  
  Being patient and meticulous is appreciated.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Slovak: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  I'd like to learn Slovak. If I can name a few items, animals, food products, and if I can tell people what I need, I still need to learn the basis : how to build sentences properly, etc...
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  Accommodation

  The best would be to come with your own camper, caravan...
  Depending on the weather, you can also sleep in the giant hammock, have a bed in the glasshouse or in the outside kitchen.
  
  We cook and eat together (mostly outside during the summer), I provide hot showers and even a "low tech" washing machine if needed.

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  What else ...

  My place is remote and calm, in the middle of the nature.
  
  Farming and being genuinely, effectively engaged, means doing it when it's raining, during the winter, with shorter days, w/o travelling (staying THERE, where you live), embracing that life with the good and bad sides, finding ultra low-tech and costless solutions, generating and spending less money, wearing dirty clothes... and not doing it just a little bit, to try, just because it's kind of funny! ...it means DOING IT, every day. For years. Always. The stupid illusion that people feed since the industrial revolution, that consists in doing whatever they want, whenever they want, is nothing on the timeline. I didn't leave Belgium to go on holidays or to take a tour of Europe, or take a sabbatical (as many do, before returning to a lifestyle based on money generation, degradation of their own environment and consumption). Helping two weeks during the summer? Great (be welcome). Will you stay for the winter? Are you strong enough to face different routines, bad weather conditions, shorter days, seasonal food? The ones I want here are those who WANT to live like this. I already welcomed very appreciable and clear/far-sighted helpers; that proves that people like that DO exist.
  If you see "the big picture", are kind of allergic to the conventional world and understand the need to decrease, felt hurt and alone when billions of believers were wearing masks, and get sick when you see what people buy in supermarkets, be welcome here.
  
  
  A few videos on my Odysee channel
  A few more pics on Instagram
  Ask me for the links!

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  You're welcome with your van here!

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Yes, if the pets don't interfere in any way, with the other animals (cats, dogs, poultry, goats and sheep, bees).

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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