Got this off Ryan's site... I honestly haven't been that globally aware lately but this has been big in the news... I just signed the petition... We're all in this together...

*********

Burma is ruled by one of the worst military dictatorships in the world.  This week Buddhist monks and nuns began marching and chanting prayers to call for democracy. The protests spread and hundreds of thousands of Burmese people joined in -- they've been brutally attacked by the military regime, but still the protests are spreading.

I just signed a petition calling on Burma's powerful ally China and the UN security council to step in and pressure Burma's rulers to stop the killing. The petition has exploded to over 200,000 signatures in a few days and is being advertised in newspapers around the world, delivered to the UN secretary general, and broadcast to the Burmese people by radio. We're trying to get to 1 million signatures this week, please sign below and tell everyone!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/tf.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK     
Thank you for your help!

I would love to check this out...

If only...



For more information, please visit www.yabangpinoy.com or email yabangpinoy@gmail.com or call 0917-8151513.

-- Lucía y el sexo (2001)

As we celebrate Earth Day on April 22, the Center for Environmental Awareness and Education (CEAE) will be screening a film that showcases one of the world's biodiversity hotspots—the Philippines.

Endangered Tales of the Philippines shows why this archipelago is one of the most biologically rich places on the planet. This 58-minute film features unique footage from over 15 expeditions and eye-opening interviews with over 30 biologists, scientists, and conservationists—all of whom highlight the urgent need for conservation efforts.

For one day only, moviegoers will be able to watch a riveting showcase of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, most of which are endemic—or those found only in the Philippines. The film will be screened at SM Megamall Cinema 8 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The CEAE produced this comprehensive documentary on the country's extraordinary wildlife in an effort to get people excited about the diversity of species in their own country.

Endangered Tales of the Philippines celebrates the beauty of the Philippines and contrasts this with the fragile state of the environment. Over ten months of unique footage on Philippine wildlife has been woven into a powerful documentary on the beauty and fragility of the country's natural heritage.

Founded in 1999, the CEAE is a leader in environmental education and environmental awareness initiatives in the Philippines. The organization has spearheaded a variety of projects such as Moonrise Film Festival, the first environmental film festival in the Philippines. CEAE constantly produces and distributes new content such as the award-winning documentary Children of the Mountains, which won the Mark Hasslem Planet in Focus award.

Tickets are available at the venue or call CEAE at 721-7360. Or visit the CEAE office located at Unit 3A, Gilmore Heights, Gilmore, Quezon City.

Screening date: April 22 (Sunday)

Venue: SM Megamall (Cinema 8)
___________________________

* Reposted from Philippine Entertainment Portal.

Ingredients:

Garlic and Onions
Prawns
Chilli
Tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Plus, some secret ingredients

Just mix them all up together and ... tada! Haha.

I had to ask my Mum how to do it. My version turned out to be too saucy. It has to be a bit dry... But it's spicy enough so it must be good.

When I learned about the photo exhibit on Congo: The Forgotten War, I didn't think twice about going all the way to the city to see it. I surfed the net, and found out more about the exhibit and decided to drag Janet along.

It was a sign of growth for me and Janet to go to the exhibit out of our free will, i.e. not forced on us as part of an educational trip for Sibika at Kultura. Yes, it was a sad exhibit but it also opens the eyes and the minds of the whole of society about what's happening around the world.

"Congo is trapped in a cycle of poverty, corruption, war, corporate avarice, and environmental destruction. There is a total breakdown of law and order, a grotesque health-care system and a scale of civilian mortality that a century ago led to the removal of King Leopold as its sole proprietor."
Gary Knight, photographer

Seeing the photos and reading a bit about the situation in Congo, I wanted to be one of the volunteers reaching out to those suffering with malaria, HIV, AIDS, and other illnesses. But then again, I don't have to go all the way to Africa to reach out and make a difference to the world.

For more info on the exhibit, visit the Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) website:

http://msf.org.au/minisites/drc_exhibition/index.shtml

Exhibit will run only until the 28th of January at the Ken Done Gallery, 1 Hickson Road, The Rocks. Entrance is free.

I just watched Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides... There was one scene when the boys next door and the Lisbon girls communicated through records... The boys would ring the girls and play a record, and the girls would play another record back as a response to the boys' songs... One of the songs was Carole King's So Far Away... I laughed when I heard the song. I don't know if it was because it brought happy memories of my dear Auntie who passed away years ago or if I could relate to the way the characters were communicating their emotions through songs or if I simply could just relate to the song... Pity I still have to reinstall my Limewire so I couldn't download it asap.


Carole King: So Far Away

So far away; Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more? 
It would be so fine to see your face at my door; 
Doesn't help to know you're just time away;
Long ago I reached for you and there you stood;
Holding you again could only do me good;
How I wish I could, but you're so far away

One more song about movin' along the highway; 
Can't say much of anything that's new;
If I could only work this life out my way;
I'd rather spend it bein' close to you; 

But you're so far away, doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore? 
It would be so fine to see your face at my door; 
Doesn't help to know you're so far away 
Yay-uh-ay-eee; Oh, so far away 

Travelin' around sure gets me down and lonely; 
Nothin' else to do but close my mind; 
I sure hope the road don't come to own me; 
Yet so many dreams I've yet to find; 

But you're so far away, doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore? 
It would be so fine to see your face at my door; 
And it doesn't help to know you're so far away

I was flicking through the only five channels that we have and thought there was nothing good on tv... until I stopped on SBS and saw a year-old tv-docu from Bruce Parry for BBC (aired at SBS Australia) about the Suri tribe from Ethiopia. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/tribe/tribes/suri/)

Extremely mind boggling...

I wasn't aware until the end of the show that the Suri tribe was from Ethiopia. My images of Ethiopia are only from my classmate who's from there and the castles at Addis Ababa, which I saw from the travel show... I vowed to visit the castles before I die.

Bruce Parry lived with the Suri tribe for a whole month and most of the things the locals did - he drank cow's blood and maize beer, had himself scarred, learned how to stick-fight, and he slept in a cottage side by side with his host family - literally.

The Suri women practice cutting their lower lip and stretching them so it can hold clay plates - the bigger the plate their lips can hold, the more cattle will be given to their family for marriage. They don't know when that tradition started but they've been doing it as long as they could remember.

The Suri men, on the other hand, are obsessed with stick-fighting... it was interesting how the tribes men were saying that they do it to get women. If they are strong fighters, the women will be attracted to them. There was no point to stick-fighting if the women weren't watching.

It was all about controlled violence for the Suri tribe - the way they beautify themselves (lip pulling, scarring, piercings), their passion for stick-fighting, their practice of drinking cow's blood (poking the cow's neck with an arrow first), ownership of guns...

I thought I was immune to violence... my exposure to it is limited to the news over the media. I don't know anything. The Suri tribe, on the other hand, embraces violence as part of their culture.

As I said, watching the documentary was totally mind boggling.... really really interesting but extremely mind boggling.

I got this from today's Community Development Strategies class... I think they're very substantial words for community workers who want to save the world...

This is for my former workmates at CEAE and to all the burnt out people who want to change the world... We are not supermen...


"There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence to which the idealist... most easily succumbs: ACTIVISM and OVER WORK...

to allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of concerns,
to surrender to too many demands,
to commit oneself to too many people,
to want to help everyone in everything,

is to succumb to VIOLENCE.

The frenzy of the activist neutralises his work for PEACE. It destroys the fruitfulness of his own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes the work fruitful."

--- Thomas Merton, activist who spent part of his life in a Trappist monastery

Ridiculously hot today!!! Thirty-four degrees!!! It's gonna be a hotter day tomorrow! Beach time!!! Or not... I'm stuck with a pile of assessments!!! No other free days but this weekend... Hmm...

What to do?

if you were a cow or a horse, would you be happier

in a field of green pastures

or

with fresh stalks of green grass?

We went to Blacktown Court House yesterday for an excursion and we witnessed a sentencing of a 23-year old lady who threw a jug of boiling water to her flatmate, who spent a night at the hospital and suffered third degree burns. The lady got 15 months in gaol. What a waste of time just because she wasn't able to control her anger.

Today, we had a debriefing about the excursion we had yesterday. At one point, we have judged the young lady for being a violent bitch. But we don't know her story. We were just there for the sentencing and didn't really witness the whole hearing.

According to our DV teacher, 90% of the people who go to jail have mental health issues. I thought, "that's what they always say so they would have an excuse to escape gaol." Then our teacher explained that people who don't have mental health problems will not really do things like throw boiling water to a friend, or stick up a screwdriver through someone's eye, or put out a cigarette on a child's skin. That's totally mental. That's definitely not what normal people with common sense do. People who are mentally healthy, at most times, know the consequences of their actions.

I had a thought that probably, in the future, people won't be convicted to prison anymore but to mental institutions, where there could possibly be real retribution and rehabilitation of the offenders.

Then we diverted a bit and talked about addictions and obsessive compulsive disorders. People who are addicted to drug and alcohol also have mental health issues. They do not have control over their drug use, that's why it's called an addiction. It can be also be true of any type of addiction. Everyone has an inclination to something - some people are addicted to football, food, dieting, sex, work, their partners, etc. Addiction can be towards anything. The difference between the mentally healthy and not-so-mentally healthy is that the mentally healthy recognises the signs of a possible addiction and are able to control their actions and the mentally ill can't. I don't know if it's true but mental illness is a genetic thing, "stupidity" runs in the family.

Our teacher shared with us the 3D's of suppressing a possible addiction. I thought it was applicable to me since I recognise that I have my own little "mental issues" from time to time. The 3D's of controlling/suppressing an addiction (or a craving for me) are:

1. Delay ~ Once you are already craving for a big slice of Chocolate Mud Cake or a big bag of Doritos (or a smoke or a bottle of San Miguel or calling someone), just delay having (or doing) it for a bit. Possibly, drink a glass of water first or wait a few minutes.

2. Distract ~ If after a glass of water or after 20 minutes of delaying and you still have the same cravings, it's time to distract yourself. Talk to a friend, take a walk, or just do anything that will take your mind away from your cravings.

3. Decide ~ If the distraction didn't work, it's time to do some serious thinking. Now, this is really difficult to do. Personally, most of the times, when I have cravings, I can't think rationally. I just grab that darn bag of Cheese Rings (or vanilla ice cream and peanut butter) and pig out. But, being able to weigh out the pros and cons of doing something is really empowering. Being able to decide for yourself gives you a boost.

We're all "addicted" to something in one way or another. We all have our own "mental issues". Most of us are lucky that we are able to control ourselves but some are not (they were just genetically psychotic) and they ended up doing really nasty things they didn't have any control of or didn't really want to do in the first place.

Happy

International Day

of Peace!!!

Today was my first day at MECA - Mount Druitt Ethnic Communities Agency. I'm doing my Workplace Learning III here. So far, so good.

I've had short chats with very interesting people - the workers, volunteers, and a few visitors.

There was one convo in particular that struck me today. It was with this Fiji Indian gentleman who was looking for a worker who was unfortunately sick. I asked him what he needed, and tried to assist him with his needs. It was really just some admin work - typing up his cover letter for a job application (with me correcting a few grammatical errors) and then faxing his letter to the agency.

I really didn't have much to do yet because I wasn't officially given induction yet and I was already done with the sorting of the mail task which the coordinator asked me to do while waiting for her to give me an induction. She was busy in a meeting so I had to wait for my turn.

Anyway, back to this convo with the Fiji Indian gentleman... While he was waiting for me to do some things for him, he asked me from which background I was from, and I proudly told him I am from the Philippines and have only been in Australia for a little over a year. He said there were a lot of Filipino medical practitioners down at Fiji and he had a few friends who were Filipinos.

Then, he told me about his country. He asked me if I've been to Fiji. Well, I haven't so he told me a few things about it. I found it really interesting to listen to his stories. He told me about the two coups that happened years ago (1987? and 2000? I'm bad with dates) in Fiji. He was a member of the parliament then and he said during the time when the Fijians were taking the government down, he was held captive for 56 days locked up with other members of the parliament. He said, they couldn't even speak to each other.

I asked him what the reasons were for the coups. He said that the Fijians (55% of the population) didn't want the Indians (about 45%) to take over the country. According to him, the Indians were the ones responsible for the development of the country - business, infrastructure, etc. But even some educated Fijians didn't want them to rule the country and feel oppressed by them. It was their country and they didn't want anyone else to rule them but their own kind. As a result of the coups, foreign businesses didn't want to invest in the Fiji Islands because of the political instability.

I was able to relate with him with regards to his story. The Philippines was colonised by the Spanish for 333 years, then the Americans came to "free" us, but in reality, the Americans really just came to replace the colonisers. We were under American rule for about half a century after the Spaniards left.

No one wants to be a slave to his/her own country. Development should not be dictated by foreigners. Every nation has its own definition of what development is. Yes, it's true that foreign investors bring in the money, but for whom? It's all for them.

I don't have anything against foreign investors, I studied Economics and I believe that foreign investors could bring in a lot of employment and other opportunities for locals. They could even upgrade the standards of living of the locals. But as I have seen in my own country, economic development has only been good for those who are already economically stable. The rich only becomes richer. But what about those stuck in poverty? They get more deeply stuck in poverty, without enough means to cope with the changing times - everything's increasing but salaries and wages: interest rates, petrol prices, school fees...

What do we do now then?

That's easy... give everyone equal opportunity and the world will be in peace. Yes? Easy, yeah? Ha! Easy if we live in a perfect world!

Well, I couldn't really do anything much but rant about it.

As a student, I wonder what I can do...
As a citizen of this world, I wonder what I can contribute...
As a daughter of God, I wonder what I can offer...

The answer should be in everything that I do in every single day of my life.

I'm reposting this again from an email from a former workmate and dear friend of mine... If you chanced upon this blog, please take time to sign the petition. Thanks.

**********************************

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/guimaras/petition.html

** ** **

Personal comments from "froilan@greenminds.net":

Friends,

I am deeply touched by those who have signed the petition above, and those who have emailed me personally to express their support and prayers for Guimaras. Your thoughts and words have uplifted a deeply wounded spirit. Thank you very much.

Still, so much has to be done. And yet, there are little things we can do (and we don’t even have to give up the comforts of our daily life). With just a few clicks, you may be able to help and be counted in this battle. How?

1. Please sign the online petition.

I will personally make sure that this petition will reach Petron, the Coast Guard, DENR, our senators when they conduct the public hearing on this matter (one is scheduled this Monday) and all concerned agencies. In short, your effort will not be wasted. This petition will also be used in a documentary we’re making on the oil spill (more on this below).

2. Please forward this email to your friends.

Our cry will not be heard when we have 10 votes. We need the support of everyone. This issue is beyond one’s political beliefs, religious affiliations or whatever personal convictions that may have. This is basic humanitarian issue.

3. Please boycott Petron products, and encourage your friends and family to do so until they (Petron) have fully answered all their moral and legal obligations.

We might think that this might not have an effect but if we can only lower their sales by at least 20%, they would know that their actions are being watched and that how will they answer to this has an impact on how we, the consumers, view them and that we have the power to demand what is RIGHT.

I also would like to share with you my plans regarding this issue.

Next week, I’ll be going home to Guimaras. It will be painful to go home and see the damage caused by this oil spill, but somehow I feel that I have to be part of the clean up and see for myself the real situation. I am expecting to see a picture that is sadder than what we see on television.

With the support of CEAE (and the understanding of my current employer, Mother Earth Foundation), I will be spending a few days in Guimaras to shoot a DOCUMENTARY. We hope to document not only the ecological impact of this disaster (the hectares of mangroves, the marine sanctuary, the turtle sanctuary, etc), but most importantly we hope to document how the lives of the people of Guimaras was affected. From health problems to lost livelihood, from incompetent/ inefficient agencies and officials to local heroes and the hopes of the Guimarasnons, we hope to capture these and more in a film that we may be able to share with you someday.

As I have mentioned above, the signature campaign will also be used in the documentary. We hope to show that this oil spill is not merely a problem of Guimaras (or the Visayan area for that matter), but also is a loss shared by the entire Filipino people.

Again, thank you for the support and the prayers.

Froilan Grate

froilan@greenminds.net