GREEN Craftivist

The Calliandra reminds me of Christmas season in New Zealand when the flowers of Pohutukawa trees, also known as New Zealand's Christmas tree, are in full bloom.  My daily uphill walk to work was such a breeze seeing these flowers along the way, with my enthusiasm dampened only by the thought of returning home due to the worldwide recession.   That was the time when companies closed for the holiday season and some never reopened. Many migrants lost work opportunities in favor of returning Kiwis who likewise lost their jobs elsewhere.  Hopping into a bus where at times you can be the lone passenger was a soothing way to beat the doldrums, when you could see these flowering trees blooming and adorning the roads around the city. The Pohutukawa trees hold a prominent place in Maori mythology and are considered sacred.  Credits to: AKL Botanic Gardens CALLIANDRA AND POHUTUKAWA The name Calliandra is a Latin word which means " beautiful stamens ." Its nume...

Surfing is the only interesting thing about Siargao, or so I thought. With my one-and-a-half-year-old Viennese grandson in tow, we flew to Butuan City to visit some amazing tourist spots in Surigao del Sur. From Butuan, we took a ferry to Siargao Island and then a short van ride to Siargao Island Villas, our home for four fun-filled days.  COASTAL GARDENING Located along the main road but a bit farther away from the vibrant shopping area, the Siargao Island Villas is a sanctuary of beautifully landscaped, colorful tropical plants that thrive healthily even with sea water just a few feet away.   The gardener informed me that rain showers come at least once a week and the sandy soil is not mixed with any other soil nor fed with fertilizers. I had some doubts, but this brought back memories of my childhood years in Lubang Island where my mother grew beautiful, healthy plants in her garden despite scanty water supply, sandy soil and the salty ai...

Is there a better way to dispose of garbage and other items we do not need any more than just unmindfully dumping them in the trash bins? Many often look upon garbage disposal as a menial task that doesn't need any thinking, creative or otherwise, and meant only to be done by helpers and cleaners. Yet our current pollution and climate concerns lead us back to the manner by which we accumulate and dispose of garbage or things we do not anymore find useful. GARBAGE DISPOSAL AT HOME LEVEL Vienna has been voted as the Best City to Live in the World for 2023. In this city, good waste management practices start in the homes.  Every house has a dedicated garbage bin for each type of waste material into which children as young as toddlers are trained to properly throw plastic wrappers or containers, paper waste, glass bottles and things that rot.   This is reinforced by an educational system that teaches love of and respect for nature and the importance of...

VISITA IGLESIA is a Roman Catholic tradition when the faithful visit and pray the Way of the Cross in different churches during the Holy Week, usually on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday. I had the opportunity to join the Bicol Society of Austria in their Visita Iglesia activities in Vienna during this year's Holy Week. This is their way of gathering fellow Filipinos together to strengthen friendships and keep alive Philippine religious traditions and practices in this predominantly Roman Catholic city in Europe which they now call home. WHY VIENNA HAS MANY BEAUTIFUL CHURCHES Vienna was the center of the Habsburg monarchy from 1273 to 1918 which championed Roman Catholicism and repressed the Protestant Reformation.   For this reason, many beautiful cathedrals, basilicas, chapels and other churches were built in Vienna almost adjacent to each other.  Compared to the Philippines where we need to take long rides from one church to another to complete ...