A letter on the notice board of the allotments said that the council would be coming to remove any unsightly "hot-houses" "toolboxes" "platforms" "benches" "constructions" so Sammy's lovingly constructed polythene tunnels to protect his precious plants have disappeared.
What is being said here is that the visual aspect of the allotments is more important than the ability to grow food. Plants need to be protected, nurtured, and cared for. With some of the Asian foods that Sammy is trying to grow, it is folly to strip them of protection.
Perhpas it is a subtle hint that refugees should only grow crops that are suitable for the Finnish climate... peas, beans, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, and to steer clear of the exotics that are not ment for this country.
I have been away from the plot for a couple of weeks and the potaoes are up and the peas are showing their heads. I noticed that the ground was wet even though it had not been raining for a few days. The Palastinian in the next plot told me he had watered my plot for me since my garlic was looking a with withered. I thanked him for it.
I talked to a man from Afgahnistan. He was wearing a dark suit and cream shirt. This is the way he dressed to do gardening. He offered me a cigarette. I said not thanks. He told me he had escaped from Afgahnistan with his wife and children over the border into Iran and had been held in a refugee camp for 2 years. At the end of that time he was given the choice of going to Canada or Finland. He choose Finland. I think he associated Canada with the USA, and did not want to have anything to do with them, because of the war that had raged in Afgahnistan against the Taliban.
I tried to put him straight regarding Canada, and how it was a glorious country with very friendly people. I think that made him unhappy that he may have made the wrong choice, and he left with mud sticking to his bright and shiney shoes.
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