the blog wears a white band
having been fired up lately by discussions in class about global poverty and how countries like the philippines will never get out of debt unless real measures are taken in the north, this blog will wear a white band in support of making
fair trade and allowing
debt relief without strings attached possible in the south.
debt relief payments in the philippines take a big chunk of the national budget inspite of widespread poverty across the country. consider this take from
jubileesouth:
"While less than 5 percent of the Filipino population own more than 40% of the nation's capital and resources and some Filipinos are included in the world's richest, 60% of Filipinos live below the poverty line, 3 out of 10 children under age 5 are malnourished, 3 out of 10 school children cannot finish primary education, and 3 out of 10 Filipinos do not have access to health services and sanitation. It is a grave injustice that for the last twenty years, from 30% to almost 50% of the total national government budget of the Philippines goes to debt service."
in class, i always try to make this issue relevant in our discussions to make my classmates aware of how the consumption patterns and trade policies here in europe affect people in countries like the philippines. sometimes, i may be boring them aready with empirical examples like the dumping of cheap sugar from other countries and how it has made my hometown poor. or how corn prices have gone down miserably due to international trade barriers that people in my thesis study site are just growing for their own consumption thus denying them the opportunity to earn from their land. i feel i am already sensationalizing the issue in my class with my "we're-poor-but-stop-pitying-us" stories, but how else can i make this everyday fact for me real to them?
we think we can only do so much to change the world, but i have been thinking: if we all do what we can do, you know this "only-do-so-much" thingy, will it not add up to something bigger? will it not emerge as something with a greater impact?
it's a good morning!
shout-out: WORK!
this is marc's version of the truth, sometime at 8:39 AM
if you can't live with it, he can.
running in the snow
went out running with ate lea in this snowy weather yesterday morning to beat those pesky scalpers from getting the 50% off tickets to the le lac des cygnes (swan lake) ballet. it wil be presented by the Russian Ballet of St-Petersburg tonight at Cirque Royal. what a hilarious morning running in just a few layers of warm clothes! luckily we got the tickets, so tonight i am upping my cultural taste to another level. i think i'll wear a tie, problem is i don't have one. hehehe.
for you alexie, a post card that ate lea and i saw in flagey. we immediately thought of you when we saw this.
i've been having alexie flashes lately, could be that i terrribly miss you girl !
state of mind: i can manage
today's soundtrack: the best of sade
this is marc's version of the truth, sometime at 8:16 AM
if you can't live with it, he can.
the magnificence of nature in my hands
how does it feel to hold the magnificence of nature in your hands? i felt it, but words failed to describe how it was. from this pic, i sure was happy.
this was taken during a not-so recent mountain trek when i held the flowers of the lauan (Shorea sp.), one of the endemic hardwood species (and threatened to disappear) in the philippines. the tree flowers only every 12 years or so, depending on the climate, and we were in the right time to capture the moment! the flowers will be used to sprout seeds for reforestation projects in the mountain area that i went to.
sometimes moments like this make me think about where i am in this world, how i am just a strand in this web of life. wish i was a bird.
shout-out: WORK!
this is marc's version of the truth, sometime at 11:09 AM
if you can't live with it, he can.
the colors of autumn
i know should have posted these pics from autumn before the winter snow set in. sorry, i was in complete limbo for the past months. better late than never i say. i hope these pics captured the colors of the previous season...
here is ate lea, obviously enjoying the bench by her lonesome...
and mimoy, our new student in brussels, taking a log between her legs... ah, uhm what i mean is...
and moi, in a melancholic pose...! i think this copy could make a good CD cover. what do you think alexie?
now back to work!
this is marc's version of the truth, sometime at 10:47 AM
if you can't live with it, he can.
let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
here are some pictures showing how much it snowed here in brussels. these are pics from my window the morning after i posted my previous blog...
kill me. i know i am such a snow freak! last year was my first time to experience snow (yes, i'm a virgin so go easy on me...), and i remember playing outside with friends throwing snowballs at each other. i didn't know it hurt when you're throwing snowballs up against big burly men. i still prefer other balls on my face. hehehe.
list of anyways:
1. i just googled myself today (you do that too, you chauvinist pr*ck you), and found out that one paper i co-wrote two years ago has been set to be released from the press in 2006 (journal of sustainable agriculture, haworth press, new york). another one has been published in malaysia (journal of tropical forest science) when i came back home in the philippines. good times are rolling...
2. an offer for a future work is in the works. i hope this pushes through.
3. the soup i made last night was a winner! the recipe: boil one finely chopped stick of leek until cooked, pour in vegetable stock and boil, add fruit de mer that was sauteed in garlic, harricots and carrots before serving. voila! a soup good for the winter!
listening to: i'm still thinking about it...
state of mind: wow, i'm surprised by myself lately!
this is marc's version of the truth, sometime at 9:14 AM
if you can't live with it, he can.
welcome back!
it's the first snow of the year! and what a better way to be back at blogging again after so long.
let me share with you a view of the snow falling over the city of brussels tonight from my room. imagine the kid in me giggle with glee as i opened the windows to welcome the snow!
more stories to come real soon. i am definitely back!
this is marc's version of the truth, sometime at 11:26 PM
if you can't live with it, he can.
