Photo Friday: A Sri Lankan adventure

I´m pleased to share my article published on wildjunket, only 2 months ago I had the wonderful opportunity to visit this country, Sri Lanka, and spent a relaxing time in both the village and the city centre area.

This article chronicles the trip made from Kandy to Colombo as well as the sights seen in film photography.
I hope it is an enjoyable read!

http://wildjunketmagazine.com/from-kandy-to-colombo/

Colombo´s Fort Railway Station, where we arrived, after boarding the train from Kandy.

Bangalore in a weekend: first time to India

 

 Huge tree, Lalbagh Botanical Gardens

I recall saying recently, during a conversation with a globetrotter, that I will never go to India. Teehee.

How should I put it - I think I just don't like to visit a place without proper infrastructure. Toilets. For women, it is really a hassle, you know, especially when the water is brown and the toilet is a hole in the ground. I don't particularly like to be stressed out by people trying to sell me something too, that's why I prefer traveling in less touristy cities where the locals are sincerely interested in you instead of trying to sell you something. But there is nothing like that in Bangalore. Bangalore has amazing roads, straight long roads and highways that are clearly indicated, and the most hardworking people I have ever seen.

I made Bangalore my first destination in India because a friend, Huggy, had been encouraging me to come to INDIA. COME TO BANGALORE, he commanded, much like the way he barged into my office when he was having meetings in the area and commanded me to dine with him. Not having any good destination in mind for the Good Friday weekend anyway, I booked the trip a month in advance. It cost $407 which I was told was a steal (usually $600ish). I also had many Bangalorian friends and acquaintances working here and when I mentioned the place they would suddenly have a dreamy look in their eyes and recall the good old days of zipping around in a motorbike. They seemed proud of me that I had chosen to go to this place on vacation, and before and after my trip I had received many messages from my work acquaintances, Banaglorians who wanted to know how my trip turned out to be.



On Nandi Hills


 Sunrise on Nandi Hills


On a Sunday morning I went to the Chickpete / Chickpet area. Just in front of the long streets selling sarees, kurtas and household items, there is a flea market where people set up shop to hone their wares; be it fruit, pans, or sometimes, hair extensions. And that is a place after my own heart.

Makeshift stalls appeared, they consisted of baskets turned upside down, covered with a cloth, and all kinds of gorgeous fruit stacked neatly in piles. Generally not a fruit person, I went into a sublime state when I tasted this fresh, pink guava that had an amazingly sweet and fruity scent. The guavas were unlike the ones found back home that were gnarly looking and green, similar to a soursop. The ones in Bangalore were round, orange-sized and had pale yellow skins. I have never tasted anything like this! I knew why they were unpopular though, they had lots of tiny little hard seeds that could be unpalatable to swallow. We also bought fresh figs, what a delight, and a pomegranate, and if it weren't my last day there, I would have bought fruits aplenty!


Pink guava fruit seller


Pomegranates!

While on the motorbike I saw a hardworking lady, her shop stall was a makeshift covering and the goods were shoes piled on the pavement near the bus terminal. Her stall only sold shoes, and she was scrubbing and washing the dirt away on the items, scrubbing with a passion that most of us wouldn't possess. The shoes were shiny and clean, bereft of the dust that seemed to blow constantly on some roads. Elsewhere, I saw little girls threading flower garlands for sale without complaint. I saw men carting large amounts of produce, sugarcanes, sacks on their head, and they did it speedily and seemingly not unhappy about it. Even the auto-rickshaw drivers, many of whom we asked for directions, were just able to rest peacefully in the tunnels while waiting for their next passenger. I liked the auto-rickshaw very much, we took one during one of the nights out. Just call "Otto!" and a couple of tuk-tuk looking autos will come your way, stating their price. There wasn't any abject poverty that I had seen on this trip, even 2 hours far from the city, there are small villages, it's true, and barefooted people, but they seem happier than city dwellers as they walked hand in hand with each other in their village of colorful walls and dirt roads. I was told that even the beggars had mobile phones. Elsewhere there were cows on the roads eating trash but it seemed not all that disturbing to me. I hope I didn't contribute to their meal though.



Auto rickshaws near Chickpete.


Two village goats.


There were large graceful trees lining the roadways to the residences in Karnataka, a beautiful respite from the shade, that was one of the things I looked forward to seeing after long hours on the motorbike with Huggy. Tree lined avenues. There's just something majestic and soothing about riding through the road with the old trees beckoning your arrival.



At this time, I have already booked my next trip that is a little longer than a weekend (For this Bangalore trip I left Singapore Thursday night straight after work and came back early Monday morning) to Sri Lanka. I think one of the best things about travel is that you became more open and more aware of things, if not things happening in the world, then at least, things happening inside yourself, jauntily happy at the fact that you are capable to travel alone and book flights by yourself and find your way about without knowing the local language, you should be proud of yourself! And I think the most meaningful thing about this trip is that I made a new friend in Huggy. We graduated from being unreliable lunch buddies in Singapore to being able to talk about anything under the sun, and not just casual conversation. And so we will make our way to Sri Lanka next month, as good travelfriends.

With him, I spilled the beans on my innermost thoughts, the good and bad, why I really like certain books and authors, and being blunt about the type of things I dislike. I guess in most cultures there is a need to be diplomatic or inoffensive so he was really secretly impressed when I opined my true feelings. Later, I felt gushy when he said that he had learnt one thing from me, that was: To complain less. Aha! He was impressed by the fact that I had not let one peep of complain out any single time during the trip. (I did complain vigorously at the end when I learnt my flight was delayed for two hours, meaning that I would have to take a leave from work...)

I felt so gushy. Gush gush gush. And I found that we have something in common, when we are happy, we start to sing songs. Akin to a puppy wagging its tail in delight, we can't help ourselves. What are you singing, Huggy? He was singing a classical hindi song about first loves. Ah, how nice it is to have a happy weekend!

Bali in a weekend: Trekking up the Batur Caldera area

There are several hiking spots in Bali, but I chose the Batur Caldera trek because it afforded great views of the lake and the surrounding village, to my surprise, quite a modern village - and of course sunrise views of both mountains framing us. It was also a less strenuous trek compared to climbing Moung Batur or Agung. I'm not really a sporty person, so I just prepared myself by hiking every Saturday early morning, with Dad, on the trails in Singapore - Dairy Farm Road, Trail Route 3 on Bukit Timah Hill, Wallace Trail, Pulau Ubin. It was a weekly 2-4 hour activity that left me immensely sleepy right after.

 

Ground level mountain plants with morning dew


Being afraid that it would be quite chilly as we had to start the journey around 4-5 am to catch the sunrise on top of the trail at 6:20 am, I brought along an autumn jumper, a windbreaker, and wore a sleeveless thing underneath. My pants were those cool three-quarter length yoga type sport pants, and quite-new Columbia hiking boots. It was a pain finding the right socks here in Singapore, all sports socks seem to be at an irritating ankle length or just slightly above the ankle, this length always bites my ankles and seem to roll down one foot at times. I finally found my dream socks - I cannot remember the brand, but they had extra thick towel-like material on the soles, moisture-wicking technology, and at the desired length of above ankles! Earlier I had bought for Dad a spanish brand sport jacket and track pants because I was afraid he would be cold too, but the jacket only came in handy at our airport, brrrrr, and he trekked in a thin white cotton shirt, blue jeans and Caterpillar boots.

The road uphill was not too bad, it was actually paved over 2-3 years ago and it was neither slippery nor narrow, in fact, there were many villagers' motorbikes and vans passing us on the trek. We were the only non-locals on the road to the amusement and curiosity of the friendly village children. We were told that it was off-peak season (though there were throngs of tourists at Kuta), and during peak season our guide could do up to 5 treks a day!

I realised I was still not very fit, indeed! I had to stop at quite a few places when it got too steep - lucky for me my Dad was doing the same thing, the cold mountain air and breathing in deeply had caused me to stop and catch my breath until it regulated. My Dad got his 'second wind' and after years of being a police trainer came back to him, he bounded along happily at the last third of the trek, together with the guide, talking enthusiatically about cows (they are called 'lembu' in Indonesian) and everything about the village. I was content to lag behind and slowly strip off the windbreaker and the jumper, taking photos, in a happy bubble with the Quechua walking stick (this stick is really good, I want to buy it) and the morning sounds of the village awakening: motorbike sounds, rooster crowing, villagers waking up. It was really quite noisy compared to the stillness and silence I had experienced on Ijen Crater!

 
Cabbage crops


These baskets are used to keep the roosters inside from wandering about. They are reared to be sold as fighting roosters, a popular sport with the villagers.


Being his first trek in a foreign place with a guide, my Dad held the same kind of wonder and excitement as me when I went on my first trek. I hope I never lose this sense of wonder and wanderlust - to a city girl it is novel to witness everyday village scenes such as chickens running across the road, rows of cabbages, wildflowers in the mountainous foilage, framed with tall skinny pines, clouds that were on your eye -level, no longer above you, but right in front of you, and if the wind takes them nearer, you will be in the middle of them, blown into clouds, seeing nothing but white mist and the indistinct outline of the hazy mountains beyond.

Later we went to the Hot Spring for an hour, ahhhh... that was just perfect to soak into for the aching toes!

I have always loved baths and it was a long time since I had such a long bath until my fingertips was 'pruned'. Hoping that all parts of my body would benefit from this supposedly therapeutic experience, I made sure that the top of my head, all the way to the tips of my toes, were focused on the splish splooshy pressured water pipe coming out of the mouths of the cute statues! The place was very relaxing, no other tourist was there, and the view of the mountains was just indescribable.
      

Amazing Balinese style arrangement for a pleasing view as we relaxed in the Hot Springs which was also bereft of tourists. The view on the other side was of the lake framed by mountains, I couldn't decide which was better.

We felt like millionaires who booked the whole place for ourselves! (It turns out that many people came just when we were leaving, so I guess we were the early birds.) 

I'm not a fan of beer usually, but the price of a small Bintang anywhere is less than S$2. The rather touristic padi fields was still a nice view to gaze at while eating.



The guided trip ended with a lunch overlooking the ricefields. It was empty at first but later many other tourists (who did not climb the mountain) joined us at the Ubud area. We could also choose to go to the other sights such as batik-painting, silver craft, wooden souvenir making, but we only wanted to go to an organic coffee plantation where I saw the maker of Kopi Luwak, the civet cat, for the first time. I had tried Kopi Luwak in East Java last month - at $5 for a pot of 3 cups, it was at a much better price than in Bali - $5 for a cup. I didn't really taste the difference, but the coffee was really good coffee anyway, and as a coffee drinker I had to try it at least once in my lifetime, without any queasy feeling to the way it was produced, as the locals will happily describe to you. The two civet cats looked like a cross between a bat and a fox (actually I have never seen a fox before), a kind of evil-looking non-kitty-like cat. Also, they looked ready to tear my fingernails off, so I was immediately quite terrified of spending too much time looking at them.
 
On the same level with clouds, what a great feeling! 





 The top right of the map (from LonelyPlanet) shows the area we went to, the largest lake in Bali, Toya Bungkah Village/Hot Spring, Mount Agung - tallest peak in Bali, and Mount Batur.

I did some research online and decided to be guided by the team from Nyoman Gede Mahayuna. He's an experienced guide and mountain lover who decided to form a guide team. Due to the whole area having really low wi-fi and internet reception - as well as being in the mountains, they took a few days to reply but it was all arranged in due time as I had messaged them almost a month in advance.

Yon Ariono was our driver and co-guide, he prepared breakfast for us and provided us with hiking sticks and mineral water. He is the type of happy driver, passionate and looking like he's always up for a good laugh. I am really thankful that he brought much joy to our trip. Later I still had some energy to walk around quite a fair bit of Kuta before being totally tired and I realise, that when I get totally tired I am unable to talk to anyone, unable to talk at all, just making grunting sounds and wanting to snuggle up and fall into a deep slumber without any alarm clock waking me up at unearthly hours. =)

 
Adorable village kids and puppy found at the entrance areas to the Toya Bungkah Hot Springs, cute!!!

Photo Friday: View from La Caravelle

On Couchsurfing Marseille there is a list of things to do while in Marseille, suggested by locals and travellers. The list has since grown to 200 over suggestions.
One of the places which was a must-visit was the Old Port, known as Le Vieux Port.
We decided to have a café at La Caravelle, a restaurant with a small balcony overlooking the boats that were docked just right in front of us.
 
My other photo was selected for the exhibition in conjunction with Marseille-Provence being the European Culture Capital 2013. Here is the site, it's lovely to spend a quiet afternoon looking at the photos, especially those that are quite ancient. I have grown quite fond of the place while looking at the photos and wonder if I will have the chance to spend more than just a few days there, in future.

http://www.mp2013.fr/chercheursdemidi/?cdm_page=serie&id=177&cdm_paged=5

Dear Oliver and Camille

Mon petit Oliver et Camille,

In March 2013, I will bring your grandfather out on a trip. A hiking-up-a-mountain trip!
It's not that I am sponsoring the trip, sadly to say, at this ripe old age I am still lacking of the funds necessary to sponsor someone beloved, to travel together with me. The reason could be that I am not very good with money, as I have been, my whole life. And there are still so many far flung places that I would like to visit before I embark on the monotony of daily life. Your father has always been good in planning for the future, and that is why now we have a castle, a lake, a stable of horses and a large garden... Okay... ...you know we only have a small but cosy home, but it's true that we have endured many hardships together and your father has made many sacrifices for us to be together. I hope love is easy for you. I have always loved your father, and no other man could ever compare to him. I hope that we will grow old together and still keep each other warm during bitterly biting days, when we are both silver-haired. I am glad he bothered to take an interest in me, to know me inside out, to steal away a part of my soul with his antics. He warms my soul with a thousand blazes that can only stir more love, more desire for each other, and that is how we have been living together thus far.

Grandpapa is not too old yet, he can still hike faster than me on the easy hiking trails in Singapore, wearing his white hat, carrying a red Ferrari brand sling bag and his favorite accessory, a china-brand walking stick. (Only $10.) We will be hiking during the school holiday weekend in March, and staying in his friend's house, an elderly German who lives on Kuta beach, one of the biggest and most well-known beaches of Bali, a favorite island paradise of many over the world, located in Indonesia.

It will only be a weekend trip, because I only have 14 days of leave for a year, this is one of my pet peeves about working in Singapore. Yes, this sounds unimaginable in places where you get 2 months off, but it is the reality for many workers in many countries. I really enjoy a culture where the vacation time is treated as almost a ritual to be observed in summertime; then again it is summer here all year round, except in monsoon season where the rainy days from end November to early March threaten to spoil every plan with ugly blackened skies.

Just yesterday, the sky turned into that ominous color and during my usual evening walk home from the train station after work; the sky threw small leaves and grime onto my feet, my open toed slip-ons getting increasingly soaked as the rain pelted torrents. I wonder if you will ever see the monsoon rains of SouthEast Asia.

I have a bit of regret now that we have not done this trip earlier, when Grandpapa was younger; he would have enjoyed this trip more then, than now; carrying with him a prior knee injury, and recently, suffering from the kind of asthma that I used to have in my childhood (that's why I never enjoyed exercise in my youth); except that his kind of asthma starts at the twilight of life. Last year, I described to him my vacation in the South of France, I lavished praises on seeing the unbelievable white rocks that form a sort of fjord known as a 'calanque' in the Marseilleveyre range, together with the tiny alpine plants that were only permitted to grow to a puny height because of the harsh surrounds of salty sea spray and dry air with little moisture. I had a fun time trying to collect the seeds and berries of the mediterranean fauna throughout the jardins I visited, for the family's gardener hobbyist to plant. In Singapore, Grandpapa planted these seeds, but the sleeping seeds did not awaken. In the end they were carried off by the garden ants; off to their little anthouses to be eaten, a delicieux french meal, I imagine!

Grandpapa had the sort of wanderlust in his eyes when he listened to my spiel about Marseille, we are the only two in our family that share the love of traveling (and now hiking)- to destinations that are usually hard to get to, and not favored by the usual crowd. I am glad that when I was young he has brought the whole family to several roadtrips and also had the liberal thinking, very unlike typical Asian parents; to allow me to travel, solo, in my late teens, to neighboring 3rd world countries. Alhough being the scaredy cat I was, I did not venture far.

I still have not ventured that far, I think! And right now, I have no idea what my reaction will be if you inform me that you will be traveling the world at 18!

It has been a dream lodged in the back of my subconcious, to live in a place where there are mountains and seas. Perhaps that is why I started traveling. To find my place in life. In more ways than one. Singapore is a totally flat place with few hilly terrains, although now that we have built basements upon basements of train stations, there is a chance to exercise your legs on the long staircases.

When I went to Chiangmai I was in the old city, wandering around like someone who loves the city, photographing animals and street signs. But when I went to dinner with your Uncle Sergio (who is now a famous physiotherapist in Spain) - every evening beyond the city walls, I saw the mountains in the distance, ahead of us, and the scent of the sweet, fresh, mountain air as dusk arose and day turned to night. As I walked out of the city walls into the sight of the mountains, my soul whispered that the people here are so blessed to be able to see mountains everyday. Perhaps that was what inspired me to take these journeys this year. A part of me is still surprised at myself, always overestimating the energy and physical strength I have for such a journey I take to get on top of such mountains, and always having a range of emotions (some really negative), until I reach that destination. Maybe I am seeking to find something more than a short term romance with these high places.


I hope that one day you will find it possible to be able to live in a place with mountains and seas. I hope that we will go on many expeditions together. When I see the many young children being pushed in prams in freezing shopping malls here, I think to myself, that I was so lucky that it was different, during my time. We used to explore the reservoirs and the beaches, the suburban streets and wet markets. I'm not sure yet, if I want to do these, and of course, the weather here can be blisteringly hot to endure a day out in the sun. But anyway, I'm sure we will have some small adventures. I think if I was born in another period in time, I would embrace being a gypsy. If not for our wealthy city's government protocols, I would have never studied, nor done well, nor gotten a good job. So I am thankful that a person such as I was born here and never am I able to be proud of such achievements. If I look back, what I want to be known for is to have loved deeply, and to have traveled, deeply too, in the sense of being exploratory.

Dear Oliver and Camille, one day I hope you will have the chance to explore the mountains of South East Asia. I've heard that they are beautiful, but for the majority of my adult life living here I did not envision myself to want to or to be able to explore them. One day I will be going to the French alps and also I want to ride a horse, a galloping one, before I get too old. I will tell you all about it as a bedtime story!



Digital photo taken by Seth Weisel.
Analogue photos taken by me.
France, Indonesia, Singapore.

A nutella and banana crepe near the Central Hospital, Chiangmai

Bought this shirt at the Saturday Walking Market in Chiangmai, wore it next to a balance ball class that left my inner thighs, shoulders and wrists aching.

There were really lovely people who chatted to me naturally as I went on my personal walking tour in the old city of Chiangmai - the old Thai Chinese lady who could speak perfect English. We were both seeking shelter from a sudden downpour in the afternoon hours. She had bicycled through the city despite being at the grand age of 76. I had discovered interestingly the ceramic shop (near the vintage shop) where we sought shelter sold many, miniature elephants.  So cute!

Remembering that earlier on our day trip to the Elephant camp, my Valencian friend could not stop playing with the baby elephant - and that was the happiest I've seen him; I got all the baby (blue) elephants in the shop for him, and was filled with amusement at the thought of him opening the newspaper packet and many baby elephants the size of two fingertips spilling out from it! (And also later imagining him remembering the baby elephant each time he saw his baby elephants.)

They were a mere 4 baht. I also considered purchasing some lovely ceramic plates with cracked glass patterns and posting it to myself. I chose some gray baby elephants for myself as well, and asked the shop owner to label the packets; one 'blue' for him, and one 'gray'. The old lady came to the rescue to the uncomprehending shop owner, and wrote out the words in blue marker, neatly. Your English is very good, I told her. We started chatting, just to while away the time to wait for the rain to cease. She told me the temple across the road was one where people visited when they were accident-prone, to pray that they would not meet any further road accidents. She also told me that one of the ceramic vases - a brown thing that looks like it is for a single stalk of flower, was originally used to offer water to thirsty monks and passerbys, in the past all houses had this vessel placed at their doorsteps. I gave her a Singapore magnet I had bought in Chinatown, it was nothing much and I just happened to have it in my bag, but she handled it with the greatest care.

Later, she recommended me to visit a flower market just out of town, near Warorot, and wrote the name down in Thai for me to tell the driver. I went there, and spent the rest of the drizzly afternoon surrounded in the scent of flowers. 

There was also a pretty Bangkokian who offered me more than hospitality, a friendly chat about life and hers - she relocated to Chiangmai to be close to her parents, after slogging it out in the field of accountancy she decided corporate life was not for her. In her words, Bangkok is good for business, for work, but not so much for living. Singapore is very much like that. Not so good for living, really living. I envy her for having the luxury to live in a place where you can see the mountains in the horizon. Each day when me and the Valencian walked to dinner - a further walk out of town, I see the mountains ahead, as the sky slowly lost its light, and I was always, always awed. How I wish one day I can live in a place where I can see the mountains every day.  How breathtakingly beautiful my life would be if I can just see this every single day.

So she studied graphic design instead, to carve out another livelihood. And together with the kitsch creperie, she also opened a photolab where people went to take their significant photos. She sold me a crepe filled with nutella and banana, paired with a pineapple shake, and brought out a chair for me where I can eat it 'al fresco', a simple breakfast I will remember for a long time because of her.

Such are the tales of a solo traveler. If you wander through the streets of anywhere in the world, undoubtedly, you will meet people with stories to tell. I didn't set out to be someone who takes photos, although once I have a camera in my hand I have the compulsive need to document each worthy scene...

I think being a photographer is not so enjoyable, you have to physically 'remove' yourself from the scene and be an observer of sorts. I'd like, mostly, to play a part in the scene itself. I'm also still at the age where I'd like to see many, many happy pictures of me. I would never have decided on my own to come here alone, nor thought of it as a destination I would be heading to this year. So, I'm grateful that the Valencian had deeply encouraged me to come visit. Two months prior, I constantly scanned the travel sites for good prices, and found a fantastic deal at $440+, flying Silkair direct. Unlike my many other trips, I was not alone for most of the time - on one hand, I could not complete my walking tour (also due to the terrible body aches after the balance ball class we had) on the other, being constantly surrounded, I enjoy the moments spent with others, too. I get horribly lonesome sometimes on trips like this, so it's nice to just have one other person walking beside you, even if the other person is also lost in his own thoughts.

Behind every photo I take, there is a story waiting to be told, and in some instances, a simple photo capture cannot speak about the moments contained within.

Battle of the cross-processed: T64 v. Lomography's Xpro Slide 200

Here are some lovely old buildings that I have obsessively taken photos of, comparing the effect of the 2 kinds of films that can be cross-processed, T64 and Xpro slide 200..These photos are mostly taken during noon time, on bright sunny days in direct, overhead sun. =)

1. Lomography Color X-pro slide 200
in general, dark shades and yellow tones, sun rays appear as yellow staining, sepia-ish feel.

2. Fujifilm T64 Tungsten (expired)
the white parts appear in pinkish tones, green plants look turquoise, high vignetting and interesting effects.

3. Also took a 'control' photo using normal color 35mm film (Lomography 800), that may be slightly over-exposed during bright light.

All photos taken using the same toy camera, Superheadz Vivitar Ultra Wide&Slim.

Taken with Fujifilm T64 Tungsten (and cross processed):



Taken with Lomography Color X-pro Chrome 100:

Taken with Lomography Color 800:

Taken with Fujifilm T64 Tungsten (and cross processed):

Taken with Lomography Color 800:



Taken with Fujifilm T64 Tungsten (and cross processed):

Taken with Lomography Color 800:


Taken with Fujifilm T64 Tungsten (and cross processed):

Taken with Lomography Color X-pro Chrome 100:

Taken with Fujifilm T64 Tungsten (and cross processed):

Taken with Lomography Color 800:

Taken with Fujifilm T64 Tungsten (and cross processed):

Camera: Superheadz (an analogue camera) also known as Vivitar Ultra Wide&Slim
Film: all 35mm Lomography Color 800, Color X-pro Chrome 100, Fujifilm T64 Tungsten
Location: Keong Saik Road, Neil Road, Everton Park, Everton Road, Blair Road, Blair Plain, Spottiswoode Park, Bukit Pasoh Conservation Area

Lomography Color 800, Color X-pro Chrome 100, processed at Triple D, Burlington Square

Fujifilm T64 Tungsten, cross processed C41 at Shalom Photolab, Bras Basah

More photos of old buildings at:
http://spiriteddesigns.blogspot.sg/2012/06/old-buildings-along-keong-saik-road.html

Old buildings in Hong Kong:
http://www.spiriteddesigns.blogspot.sg/2012/06/old-buildings-in-hong-kong-monotone.html

Kampung Vida Sostenible

This is the Spanish version of my article, translated by Trasgu, his environmentalist site is http://cantabriaaltermundista.wordpress.com/

Trae un poco de nostalgia a mi corazon un pequeño viaje en un sábado por la mañana en Singapur.

El Sustainable Living Kampung ('Kampung Vida Sostenible') - Kampung es un término local para 'aldea o pueblo', que se utiliza aquí y simboliza la "comunidad" - se encuentra en la zona norte de nuestra isla soleada, en un parque con un árbol famoso con forma de botella, sólo uno, el australiano , plantado como un punto de referencia y que da nombre al parque. (Botella Tree Park, en Yishun.)

Hay algo en el alma que despierta cuando tenemos esos momentos de tranquilidad, un minuto de paz en un mundo agitado, ya no luchando, sino simplemente encontrando consuelo en el trabajo de la tierra. Durante la visita a este bello lugar nos dicen que el estar en contacto con la tierra (la siembra, la cosecha, la agricultura) y sólo caminando rodeado de naturaleza, nos lleva de nuevo en contacto con nosotros mismos, tal vez la búsqueda de que podemos ser más amables, más dulces, las versiones más felices de nosotros mismos cuando no nos preocupamos por  "fachadas", sólo hay que cruzar el arroyo para trabajar con los otros seres humanos felices que componen la comunidad GUI y su aldea sostenible.









Hay algo que despierta el corazón de una chica cuando ve una flor. Imagine una flor que se abre sólo para ti, algo que te has alimentado. Vi la flor más perfecta en un tono brillante de color fucsia, escondiéndose entre las ramas altas. Parece tan frágil y tan tranquila, a la espera de un momento a ser descubierta.

Caminamos a través de hierbas y flores que caen, vemos un agricultor guapo, aprendí lo que realmente se parecía a la cebada.. La cebada es un grano muy parecido al centeno o cualquier otro grano de plantas. Lo interesante es que las vainas tienen diferentes colores, amarillo intenso, como el maíz maduro, negro y blanco como las vainas individuales pasaron por las distintas etapas de maduración en el mismo tallo.

 

Hubo varios experimentos que se van conformando alrededor en el parque - todos en el objetivo de proporcionar una forma alternativa, más sana de hacer las cosas. Además de los projectos habituales como la lombricultura, reciclaje de agua, haciendo uso de los materiales de desperdicio de otras industrias (reciclado), hubo varias ideas interesantes que podrían ser utilizados, por ejemplo, tratando de cocinar con energía solar, que sólo era posible en un día despejado soleado utilizando una parabola y una tartera oscura y por supuesto, unas gafas de sol - si algún día todos podemos cocinar de esta manera seria excelente - también vemos que reciclan otros productos que fácilmente acabaria enla basura, como son las cáscaras de naranja, que se secan y se extienden en en el jardín para mantener alejadas las plagas. Mi familia come plátanos, me pregunto si alguien podría encontrar una manera interesante reciclar la la piel en algo útil? Ahora, esto es un paso para fomentar la innovación en materia de sostenibilidad. Lo mejor de todo, un lugar como éste es necesario en nuestro para valorar otros puntos de vista, pensamiento y accion, también impulsados de una vida mas cosmopolita.



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Recordando los preciosos recuerdos felices de un niño, viendo la televisión, estudiando y jugando con el objetivo de criar una generación y ciudadanos más respetuosa con medio ambiente, creo que todos podemos aportar nuestro granito de arena para hacer de la tierra mejor lugar para vivir. Es difícil, pero como Capitán Planeta y los CareBears nos han mostrado. Nuestro planeta puede estar en peligro de extinción en breve, al igual que nuestros queridos pandas y criaturas del mar, porque en un lugar con escasez de tierra como Singapur, nuestro contrato de arrendamiento de la tierra siempre vuelve al gobierno después de varios años. Frente a la próxima expiración del contrato de arrendamiento, el mayor temor de la comunidad es para la supervivencia de esta corriente, y sólo la ubicación,. Sin embargo, como una flor frágil que sólo dura un breve momento en la belleza todo lo que, todas las cosas tienen su temporada y el tiempo, y ahora tenemos que apreciar y honrar a aquellos que nos han ayudado a lo largo del camino con su pasión por la sostenibilidad, que nos permita en pequeñas acciones a ser misericordioso y magnánimo, y de ser positiva siempre, para vivir a través de la rutina diaria que es nuestra vida cotidiana.

Sustainable Living Lab (SL2) is located within the Sustainable Living Kampung at 81 Lorong Chencharu, Singapore 769198.

Starting 30 June 2012, a Lab Experiential Tour is organized every Saturday from 10am to 11am.