I arrived at my new research location a few weeks ago. A lot of things are still improvised and I’m still finding my bearings and getting to grips with the new customs.
The other day I was at the local farmers’ market. From my last stay I already know a farmer whose farm I was allowed to visit. He has an incredible amount of knowledge and has surprised me a few times with his views on the native plant world. That day at the weekly market, I asked him if he knew which plant contained a certain ingredient. He gave me a few twigs from a bush and said: “Eat the leaves.”
So that’s when I ate Strauch.
Without even knowing what it was, I tasted it. It was a strange feeling just eating shrub leaves like that. My mom said afterwards when I told her about it:
“You’re not a giraffe.”
Yes, somehow it felt exactly the same. Like a giraffe in the savannah.
However, the effects were amazing. What I quickly noticed was that I was full after just a few leaves and the feeling of satiety lasted a very long time. Later I found out the name of the plant and looked into its other ingredients. It seems to have potential for more and I am pleased to have found a new plant that I will investigate further next year.
It feels right to be here and I am really looking forward to using my new knowledge for my patients and sharing it with the world.