birthday bonds

It has been a while since I have been back to celebrate my birthday in the land of my birth. Our island knows best how to throw a fun and yum party! 

Our sister is the best hostess with her household staff skillfully trained to set a creative tablescape with thematic setting, beautiful floral arrangements, and a bountiful spread. Nom nom nom! 

cabana fiesta spread

sweet shade

It's not surprising that more urban trees lower the levels of heat and pollution. Although many cities maintain tree-planting programs, not all canopies have equivalent value.

A new analysis from the American Forests conservation organization states that the US needs to plant more than half a billion trees across 500 metropolitan areas and 150,000 local communities.

urban forests & environmental protection

A new Tree Equity Score data tool (TreeEquityScore.org) allows users to see where urban trees exist and where they don't.

united state of women

Red dresses are the powerful symbol of MMIWG - Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls. May 5 is National Day of Awareness for MMIWG. It highlights the statistics around violence amongst women and girls - showcasing native art, expression, resistance, and grievance.

The REDress Campaign

Why red? "[Red] is the color of lifeblood—it connects all of us and it is sacred but it is also an allusion to what is happening to our women.”

lies we lived

I gave myself Friday, Saturday and Sunday to revel in the US election turnout. YAY Biden/Harris team! Good riddance Trump/Pence cabal. 

I gloried in the joy of the Kamala Harris win most of all. As a woman. As a mother of my daughter. As an American. An Asian American. An immigrant. A rebel. A change warrior. 

I had the great satisfaction of being happy and hopeful once again. Not having to self talk or convince myself that things will be alright. Just being immersed in the joy and delight of what if and all its possibilities. 

All of which I was beginning to doubt as highly unlikely in the shadow of a Trumpian world - the all consuming, morally rudderless, egotistical clown bus, careening out of control. 

hopeful & happy

reciprocal co-creation

If it is the destiny of all humans put on earth to discover unconditional love, how then have we been going about it? Not so great by the looks of our current reality, even it nothing is permanent and always changes.

There is a traditional practice of reconciliation and forgiveness called Hoʻoponopono. It is practiced and performed on islands throughout the South Pacific, including Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti and New Zealand. 

a simple home altar that we can change as we do

disastrous denial

Watch out world! Trump is just a bloody tick on the Earth's crust. Horrific as COVID-19 is under his inept lack of leadership, this is just the first wave.

Mackay's multi-tsunami cartoon - shared, cropped, and altered

63 years, 11 months, 4 weeks, 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes

Happy Glorious Birthday to me! soon. . . .

Back in the Philippines it will be my birthday in a few hours. I look forward to friends and family back there calling to extend their blessed joy filled greetings.

It's already started with virtual cake, candles, and gifts from my core group of siStars. What a joy to be surrounded by such an eager beaver squad of cheerleaders. Truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Last year I missed posting about my birthday. In my frustration over petty stuff and not spending it together with beloved Mahala I may have been sore and pouty. Who knows? It was another lifetime ago.

communing communities

These past few months of quarantine have put us in a limbo, cocooned in isolated bubbles of our own construction.

In the warped experience of quaran time our world cracks open under the collective baggage and burden of racism, scarcity fears and too many what-ifs to this pandemic. We are stunned and surprised by what comes crawling out of the dark.

Fallen tree in forest, Haukkamäki District, Jyväskylä by Tiia Monto

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" ~ George Berkeley

hopeful or hopeless? our choice

If life is a mirror what do we see when we stand in front of it? How many heart breaks can attack us before we collapse or give up? 

In stark contrast the world spins on - nature restored and glorious while humanity flails around in constant chaos of our own doing and device. 

As if this pandemic were not life threatening enough. Nationwide the disUnited States of America have imposed citywide curfews in an effort to dissuade demonstrations and looting. 

Police and even the National Guard have been deployed to monitor the protests, though in some cases has resulted in violent confrontation between law enforcement and civilians.

City Mayors and governors are in conflict with presidential and federal directives that tender no help and only aggravate their already beleaguered states. 

Now more than ever apathy and cynicism need to be stomped out. This is not a time to be silent or submit. Rise up and uplift whoever and whatever need our assistance and assurance. 

Time to take matters in hand and hold accountable those responsible. Injustice and inequality must end at all costs. Historic mistakes cannot be allowed to repeat - period.

It ends here today. Time to get on to better things in our lives. We have to be better. 

Hawaii | then & now

This all started with a conversation between Nainoa Langer and Sam Potter as they sat above a waterfall overlooking a childhood swimming hole.

Nai said, “We should start a travel-based series that gives people an in-depth look at cultures around the world,” in hopes that we could create something that encourages greater appreciation, understanding, and respect between cultures.

Sam's response was “Let’s start with home.” So, here we are. 

The first thought when it came to explaining a place as complex as Hawaii was people need to understand that there are two parts to the culture - the traditional side and the modern day side.

Our modern-day life represented by Kimi Werner, demonstrates our values, the way we care for each other, for our community, and for our environment.

The traditional side represented by Micah Kamohoalii, shares a little about the history of Hawaii, the practices of the Hawaiian people.

Most importantly, Aloha, what it means and how that too can be practiced.

Sunday thoughts

This time last year Change Warrior was clear across the world - blogging about earth rumblings and volcanic eruptions. 

Today Change Warrior is reposting some worthy contemplation from Rick Jarow on A Culture of Awakening: The Inner and Outer Revolution. 

The post ignited some thought provoking ideas that shook me to the core and made me erupt at the cosmic joke being played out for us all. 

risk & disaster

October 13 is International Day for Disaster Reduction. This was started in 1989 by the United Nations General Assembly. A day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction.

The 2018 theme continues as part of the "Sendai Seven" campaign, centered on seven targets of the framework. This year focuses on reducing disaster economic losses in relation to global GDP by 2030.