RESEARCHING COHOUSING

So what is this thing we call Cohousing? 

A couple of years ago, I embarked on an international junket to uncover some clues.
What I discovered was that cohousing meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Every community is different; every community is unique. 
Here are a dozen things that I learnt.

  1. Danish truly is a difficult language to master – even the most simple phrases rely on vowels found no where else øn the plånæt
  2. Owning your own pub within crawling distance of your front door is a wonderful idea.
  3. I really am a terrible poker player
  4. Seashells make a great roofing material – and don’t smell at all.
  5. It is much easier to brew your own beer with three friends, than to attempt it on your own.
  6. Eggs from your own chickens definitely do taste much better than eggs bought at the supermarket.
  7. A master’s degree in both organisational management and fluid dynamics is an absolute prerequisite to guarantee a smooth operation of the community laundry.
  8. Despite visiting nearly forty different cohousing communities, dreadlocks, Teva sandles and tie-dyed kaftans were few and far between.
  9. A Marimba is a musical wonder from Guatemala, created by slaves from their traditional African xylophone-like instruments. The music from a Marimba band reminds you of people with dreadlocks wearing Tevas and kaftans;
  10. A tray that holds enough chicken thighs and drumsticks to feed ninety four hungry Atlantans, definitely won’t fit into a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher, no matter which way you twist it;
  11. The vikings are alive and well and living just north of Copenhagen; and 
  12.  A rabbit hutch has multiple uses.  It makes a great child minding device!