Tuesday 22 February 2011

Remembering EDSA Revolution of 1986


(Photo Source:congress.ph)

Die Rebellion gegen den philippinischen Präsidenten Ferdinand Marcos beginnt
22. Februar 1986

Als Ferdinand Marcos in einer schwül-warmen Februarnacht mit einem amerikanischen Hubschrauber über die Bucht von Manila Richtung Hawaii geflogen wird, lässt er viel hinter sich: mehr als 20 Jahre Regierungszeit, die 3.000 Paar Schuhe seiner Frau Imelda - und ein zu Tode erschöpftes Land.

Die Philippinen stehen Anfang 1986 am Rande eines Bürgerkriegs: Das 7.000-Insel-Reich ist bankrott, die politischen Eliten korrupt, die Unterstützung des "großen Bruders" in Washington schwindet. Als sich nach einer brutal manipulierten Präsidentschaftswahl auch die katholische Kirche von Ferdinand Marcos abwendet, scheint hunderttausenden Philippinos ein Ende seines Regimes greifbar nahe.

Schließlich wechseln am 22. Februar der Verteidigungsminister und der Chef des Generalstabs die Seiten. Damit ist das Schicksal des alternden Diktators besiegelt. In nur vier Tagen wird die Herrschaft des Marcos-Clans beendet: durch einen friedlichen Umsturz, der als "Revolution der Rosenkränze" in die Geschichtsbücher eingeht.

Autorin: Ulrike Römer
Redaktion: Michael Rüger
Themen: Geschichte, Länder/Völker
Altersempfehlung: Ab 15 Jahre

Source: WDR Dictator Marcos

Monday 14 February 2011

For You created in love...


(Photo taken by Emi)

Always remember who you are and why you are here…

For you, created in love, are truly a spark of divinity…and
Your most sacred task in this lifetime is to open fully your spirit,
That you may find and use your unique gifts for the benefit of all…
To grow ever more deeply into your own inner wisdom…
And to learn to love yourself and those around you as
Compassionately as possible…
And thus, shall your inner light radiate forth,
Spreading warmth and beauty wherever you go…

Caroline Joy Adams

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sunday 13 February 2011

Pwera Bati! Pasalubong from Turkey


My dear neighbors came back from their holiday in Turkey and
brought me these pasalubong.
The blue and white looking like brooch is a decorative ceramic
magnet sticker. It is called nazar boncuk,
an amulet which protects someone against evil eye, and as you could
very well imagine, one of tourists' favorite souvenirs visiting the
beautiful country of Turkey. Who wants to carry around a carpet
as Pasalubong?
The other wrapped piece is an assortiment of Lokkum, sweet,
sticky so-called Turkish delights filled with different nuts.
Thank you thoughtful neighbors. By the way, do you have a similar
amulet against my dentist?

Friday 11 February 2011

Little Things Mean a Lot



Dear Seth,
I want you to know how much you made me happy with
this drawing. You have such a talent and your
memory is just fantastic. Keep well!
Love from Tita Alou!

Wednesday 9 February 2011

The Things They Save Here in Alemanya



This is not really new to me...urine saving. My mother used to
collect cans of urine to water her plants but it was so revolting
to see the cans piled in our small garden ready for use. The smell
was also equally revolting when one passed by the potted plants
even with their beautiful flowers in full bloom. I'm just wondering if
this urine-diversion system is used now in the Philippines.
What a big help if they could install them all over the country
with a big poster saying..."Di Bawal ang Umihi Dito."
Help conserve energy.
Below is a small info on the use of eco-san toilet or simply urine-
diversion system.
How do the urine-diversion toilets work?
The urine-diversion toilets have two separate compartments in the toilet bowl: one for urine and one for faeces and water (together also called brownwater). The urine is collected without flush water, by means of a valve located inside the toilet seat. When the user is seated, the valve is opened by pressure on the toilet seat, allowing the urine to flow to the storage tank. The valve closes again when the user stands up, so that the subsequent flushing water does not enter the urine pipe but drains off through the brownwater outlet in the rear.

Is the collected urine being reused at the moment?
Yes, complete reuse started right now within the BMBF-funded research project SANIRESCH. The urine is used for fertilising experiments as well as for MAP precipitation. Till now, on some occasions urine was collected by various universities in the vicinity (Bonn, Aachen, Giessen) for research purposes. SANIRESCH has six research partners and started in July 2009 to investigate urine, brownwater and greywater treatment and reuse.
Info taken from gtz.de