Calamity or not - we Filipinos have a lot to learn, or unlearn. Some of us are aware, but some have to be constantly reminded of this. We need to get back to the basics especially in times of crisis.
This is urgent! In the wake of this recent typhoon calamity in our metropolis, we come face-to-face with this problem. My family was not directly affected, thank God! But I know people who were.
And now I see what effect it has on people around me, particularly Filipinos in general. Things are not going to change and will only get worse if we continue on with our destructive habits! We cannot expect nature to be kind to us, after all the harm we do to it.
Apart from the emotional and physical trauma this calamity has brought about, I immediately thought - this recent turn of events is further hastening the destructive cycle. More plastics, more cans, more trash = more flooding and devastation on the next typhoon.
What are the people's initial reaction - hoard food and supplies! Food - meaning canned goods, mami noodles, yeast breads, other instant foods, bottled water. All these will produced more trash and illness! I say go to the market (and bring your recyclable bag!) buy real, nutritious foods that can be stock up. Kamote, saba banana, kalabasa, potatoes, peanuts, corn, and there's a lot more, including fruits that can last from 3-5 days without refrigeration.
Use of plastics cannot be eliminated at this time, but it can easily be minimized. If we look at our own personal contribution to plastic and paper waste, and our dependence on packaging stuff, we can probably see where we can make our contribution to helping out save our resources and our lives.
I'll share here some grim statistics, from http://www.realfoods.net/. This is in U.S., but lifestyle here in the city is quite similar to theirs.
* Everyday 1,000 Americans are operated on for gallstones. In Africa, only 2 cases have been reported in the last 25 years.
* The incidence of kidney stones in the U.S. has doubled in the past 25 years. The cause, in 75% of the cases is thought to be related to a high sucrose (white sugar) consumption.
* About 70% of American men over the age 60 have prostate problems.
* 30 million Americans have hypertension and are medicated with drugs costing billions. Thirty years ago hypertension was an uncommon problem.
* Cardiovascular disease affects 80% of all Americans.
* 33% of Americans develop cancer.
* Cancer rate is up in America 225% since 1960.
* 77% of the population suffers from arthritic & rheumatoid disorders.
* 25 million suffer with asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema.
* 16 million ulcers and 10 million are migraine headache sufferers.
* Over 50% of Americans suffer with chronic digestive disorders.
* 80 million of us suffer from allergies.
* 22 million citizens of the U.S.A. with mental illness.
* 98.5% of our population have bad teeth and 31 million have no teeth at all. Bad teeth has been related to diabetes.
* 70-80% of our population are overweight and 80 million are classified as obese. Obesity leads to stress on the heart.
* Colon cancer affects more than 20% of American families.
* Heart disease, stroke, hypertension, circulatory problems, arthritis, diabetes, colon, breast, prostate, uterine and other cancers are thought to be caused primarily by animal products, excess protein & fats in the diet.
The answer to many of these the health problems listed above is in eating 'Real Foods'.
What do we mean by 'real foods'? A diet of mainly raw uncooked foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, fresh foods (foods that are still alive). Prepared properly, these foods are delicious and nutritious.
Seriously think about this, if you haven't yet. It might save your life.
April 22 is earth day...I love it when Google comes up with such cute logos to remind us of significant events. 
This April I'm also reminded of someone I didn't really know, but a year ago, (in April 2008) he died in a tragic motorcycle accident in Dallas, Texas. He is Thomas Davidson, 38, a metal sculptor. I found out about his death when I followed up on his order of a Japanese crochet book. He wanted the hat on there, and I think he'd ask his mom to make him one. The book I mailed was not claimed at the P.O. there so it was sent back to me. I emailed him asking why he didn't get the book, and his mom emailed back informing me of the tragedy that struck them. It was so sad...it happened on his way home from the opening of his exhibit of metal sculptures at an art gallery :( (more on this post)
By reading this blog: Fake Plastic Fish (this is not an advertisement) I've subscribed to it and learned a lot just by reading a few posts. A recent post is how some garbage is collected and ends up buried somewhere. Her photos and explanations provide much information.
Here's another tip I got interested in: Ditch the Mansion. According to the article, families are getting smaller, while houses are getting bigger. One guy, Jay Shafer a former art professor, took this too seriously. He dwells alone in a home fit for a hobbit, 100 sq. ft. in northern California that he designed and built himself in 1999. Shafer now runs Tumbleweed Tiny House and sells custom designs for miniature dwellings that range from 70 sq. ft. to 350 sq. ft. He made his move because he felt guilty about the size of his residential carbon footprint, and now prefers life tiny and tidy.
If you are sending packages overseas, try the postal service or other reliable service. I don't think DHL is one of them. Here's my story:
At first, I thought that the distributor of the calendar wanted me to pay for the delivery. But after I have received a reply from the publisher regarding the incident I narrated, I believe that the problem was the DHL service. They probably get away with charging the recipient even though the delivery has already been paid by the sender. I could guess how some people get fooled, and most don't file complaints, especially the Filipinos here who are eager to receive a package from abroad.
This is me with Yamie Berte, host/producer. I have just been interviewed for a five-minute segment for a local program on net-25! They will feature my crochet hobby and how I was able to develop and enhance it with the use of the internet :p
Here is Yamie modeling some of my creations.
I was browsing through my magazines yesterday, and saw this picture of knitted coasters. I thought it would be much easier to crochet it, considering that I hardly knit, so I tried to make one. I couldnt make my design work with 10 repeats, so I did it with 8. I made a coaster size and another one with a bigger hook, for a small doily. (Photo: McCall's Knit & Crochet for the Home, 1989)
Here it is. Obviously, the knitted original has a more detailed design. But this crochet version is surely a lot easier to make, and looks pretty too. I used cotton threads with metallic for a more elegant look.