Monday, April 25, 2011

MY FIRST SPRING EXPERIENCE ABROAD

If I haven't accepted the teaching call in Poland, I wouldn't experience the four season. Being in Europe would be a great memento to look back experiencing four seasons. The first one was winter and now its spring.
Spring is the time when plants and animals awaken after the long period of winter hibernation. The air is cool and soft rain provides the necessary nourishment for flowers and soil alike. Animals, plants are very active in spring as they start their search for new food.
Outside the window of my room are two trees that provides beautiful flowers that makes my morning so lively while seeing them blooming.
At the backyard is tulips that really makes me smile to see how wonderful our planet is having such beautiful flowers around.
From Spring


From Spring


From Spring


From Spring


From Spring


From Spring


From Spring


From Spring


From Spring


From Spring


From Spring


From Spring

Friday, April 22, 2011

ENDANGERED PLACES AROUND THE WORLD

I just found this scary news in Yahoo News Blog while browsing the net. Couldn't believe that we are seriously facing a tremendous climate change or Global warming issues. Thought it was just a not so problematic stuff that could be solved by sitting at the table and doing the blah blah blah thing. While some parts of the world were enjoying and some are solving problems about politics, financial,economy, etc. we have neglected the most important parts which is our planet itself. This is the place where we live in and we've got only one, yet, only a few I guess who are worrisomely concerned of the environment. This issue has alarmed me to be more aware and taking care more of our environment.
We have a beautiful planet and amazing places to see, as an aspiring Globetrotter or backpacker I have a lot of places in this world that I wish to visit which I realized that it is included as one of the endangered places which one day they'll all be gone just like that without seeing it at all. Our planet is so amazing that it shows natural beauty that we could imagine yet it'll be a story & a pictures to tell if we neglect to love what God has entrusted us.
According to Yahoo News Blog:
We all know that climate change melts glaciers and shifts sea levels. But have you ever thought about how rising temperatures can threaten beautiful places in every corner of the world? Some of these spots may be closer to home than you think.




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Wadden Sea Denmark;is a low-lying coastal zone where tourists can walk along a land bridge in shallow water to a small island where teeming wildlife resides. “The tide brings up the water and then it goes down again,' explains Gaute Hogh, the publisher of the book '100 Places To Go Before They Disappear.


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Congo Basin, Democratic Republic of Congo,Africa’s Mbuti pygmies, who grow to heights of only 4-5 feet, are a group of nomads who live along the Congo Basin, which stretches from Cameroon in the west to Zambia in the southeast. The Congo Basin is one of the most species-rich areas in the world and it serves as the foundation for the pygmies’ culture and livelihood. Around 90% of the region is untouched, but deforestation threatens to change this. If logging continues at present rates, half of the rainforest will vanish in the next 50 years, increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.


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Kauai, Hawaii
Kauai, the fourth largest Hawaiian island, is famous for its tropical beauty and lush mountains. Global warming could disrupt its distinct “cloud forest” ecosystem, pushing life-giving moisture to higher elevations. Home to the hummingbird-like honeycreeper, a rare and colorful animal that sips nectar from flowers, this cool zone is vital to Kauai’s verdant environment. Deforestation and non-indigenous species like pigs and goats have also decimated the honeycreeper’s habitat in recent years and the bird is now in danger of going extinct.


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Zahara de la Sierra, Andalusia, Spain
Hogh describes Zahara de la Sierra as “a white city in this very green place.” Also known for its olive oil production, the region faces the risk of desert- ification as olive orchards face increasingly dry seasons. Due to climate change, the IPCC projects that rainfall in southern Spain will decrease by 40% by 2080. Local temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula could also spike, turning green pastures into deserts and choking agriculture.


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Gujarat, India largest producer of cotton and salt and is also the birthplace of Mahatma Gahdhi. Monsoons will intensify with continued global warming, causing severe flooding and destruction in India.



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The Ganges Delta, India the paddy fields in the low-lying Ganges Delta are crucial for local farmers as more than 300 million people depend on the crops produced and 130 million actually live there. If climate temperatures rise unabated, sea levels are expected to climb throughout this century. Parts of the Ganges Delta would permanently flood within the next 50 years. “If the people are depending on what they are producing it will impact even more people,” Hogh says. “It’s a chain reaction that will hurt the economy.”



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Olympia, Greece the first Olympic Games are believed to have been held in Olympia, Greece, in 776 B.C. The earliest evidence of building at the site is the Temple of Hera, honoring the wife of Zeus, which dates to around 600 B.C. In recent years, extremely warm and dry summers have increased the number of wildfires in Greece. Fires in 2007 severely burned the area surrounding Olympia. With temperatures projected to rise with diminishing rains, the frequency and ferocity of wildfires are expected to grow. “If you go to Olympia in Greece and you can’t see it, that will be part of our history which will disappear,” Hogh says



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Big Sur, California stretching for 90 miles along the Californian coast midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Big Sur is arguably one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the U.S. For the last 20 years, most of California has been experiencing increased droughts with less rainfall in the spring and summer, leading to a severe escalation in the number of large wildfires. In 2008, a major fire destroyed 16 houses in Big Sur and more than 50 square miles of forest were swallowed by flames. Fires and subsequent flooding also threaten the region’s fragile access roads and infrastructure.



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Mergui Islands, Myanmar spending most of their lives on boats, the Moken dive for fish, turtles, shellfish and sea cucumber in and around coral reefs. With rising sea levels, the Moken way of life is endangered by changes in ocean currents and water temperatures, which threaten the delicate balance of the reef ecosystem. “They can fish with these long sticks and they catch these fishes in the shallow water,” Hogh explains. “If the sea level rises it could impact a whole culture. The whole culture would disappear.



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Mergui Islands, Myanmar the Moken people can dive in deep water for long periods of time. Their underwater vision is also clearer than any other people in the world. Within 30 years, scientists fear that Asia will lose 30% of its coral reefs. Deforestation and increased erosion also threatens the Mergui Island reefs. If the ecosystem collapses, the culture of the 4,000 Moken people could also vanish.



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Trinidad, Cuba founded 500 years ago by the Spanish conquistador Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, Trinidad is renowned for its preserved Spanish colonial architecture and has even been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The once-rich town belonged to wealthy landowners who prospered from the sugar and slave trades. Today, most of their houses—many built by hand—are museums and tourist attractions. “It’s so colorful and lovely,” Hogh remarks. “But because of global warming, the weather in the Caribbean will become more severe with storms. Many of these houses will disappear because they are built by hand and fragile.




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Mississippi River Delta, United States the Mississippi River Delta, with its rivers, marshes and barrier islands, provides a habitat for many species of birds, fish, shellfish and small mammals. At the rim of the delta, the Chandeleur Islands form a chain that acts as a buffer zone against hurricanes and storm surges for the densely populated regions of Louisiana and Mississippii. But ferocious storms, like 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, have greatly reduced the islands’ defenses. Storms and hurricanes are expected to grow even fiercer in the future with global warming, leaving the local environment and vital culture more exposed to destruction.




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Yangtze River, China stretching for 3,900 miles, the Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia, surpassed only by the Amazon in South America and the Nile in Africa. The agricultural area of the Yangtze generates almost half of the total crop production in China—in total, China accounts for about a third of the world's rice production. Roughly 500 million people depend on the river for fresh water, including those living in Shanghai and Nanjing. Due to the diminishing of the Tibetan glaciers, the flow of the once mighty Yangtze is dwindling.



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Kitzbuhel, The Alps, Austria esteemed as a winter wonderland, Austria and the Alpine region is Europe’s snow resort Mecca. It’s also gorgeous in summer with its evergreen pastures and cascading mountainsides, made famous by the classic Hollywood musical 'The Sound of Music.' “Everyone here in Europe is used to going there, for skiing,” Hogh explains. “They’ve been skiing there for the last 200 years and some of the country is less and less snow.They try to make snow with snow cannons. You’re not allowed to heli-ski as much anymore because of the pollution. It will go down by 80% of its normal size. Will my children be able to ski there? I don’t know.



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The Battery, New York City, United States the southern shoreline of Manhattan Island, known as the Battery, is the largest public place in downtown New York. Hundreds of thousands work nearby and over 36,000 residents live in its surrounding area. About every 100 years, the area experiences extreme flooding that reaches heights of up to 10 feet. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of winds and hurricanes and cause sea levels to rise. According to the worse-case scenario, extreme events may occur every four years by 2080, with floods raising water levels by 11-14 feet and paralyzing the whole Manhattan infrastructure. “The tidal area there with the Hudson River is a very beautiful place but it will go underwater,” Hogh warns. “There is more than 280,000 people working in this walking district.”




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Tuvalu, Pacific Ocean
Located between Australia and Hawaii, in one of the most remote areas of the Pacific Ocean, lies the nation of Tuvalu. Only 10-square miles – made up of tropical reef islands and narrow coral atolls encompassing blue lagoons -- Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world. Only 12,000 people inhabit the nine-island nation. At 16 feet above sea level, the country has one of the lowest maximum elevations in the world, making it extremely vulnerable to storms and changes in sea level. Tuvalu is also affected by the King Tide, a high tide that raises the sea level higher than normal. Coupled with the expected rise in global sea levels, the entire nation could ultimately become submerged. “I don’t care whether the place is big or small,” Hogh concludes. “It’s the same thing with people. No matter if you’re black or white or Chinese or whatever. It’s about treating each other with respect and it’s the same thing with these small islands.
(Photos & Texts from Yahoo News Blog)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

MEMORIES I HAD IN PAI MAEHONGSON - THAILAND

I previously posted about my trip to Pattaya and letting my pictures speak much rather than making the usual blah, blah, blah since you can find lots of blog travelers who are good and experts in explaining detailed tips for going to Pattaya.
Pai - Maehongson is somewhat a summer capital in Thailand just like in the Philippines - Baguio. However, I appreciated Pai than Baguio because of its people who are very warm, the place was so clean and filled with sights seers that are fully developed. I wrote an entry about my visit to Pai while I was in Thailand last year and I was pretty vocal in telling it frankly that it's my fave place in Thailand. Very laid back, relaxing weather, fabulous foods, and amazing nature.




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The Gong of my life....



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A young Chinese-Thai girl selling vintage stuff.


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An old Chinese resto in the village.


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Preserved Chinese hut.


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The old village where the first Chinese immigrants came to Thailand.


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The village wasn't only contained of the historical story but an awesome view as well.


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Some of the preserved huts were converted into souvenir stores.


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This rock was among the historical landmarks that stand still proving Chinese came to Thailand as the Chinese writings printed on it.


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Burmese kids performing their traditional dance.


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Burmese temple.


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Pai was a nice city to relax, very laid back, the weather was perfect for vacationers.


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Minority kids in Pai - Maehongson..they performed in the street to entertain tourists.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

MEMORIES I HAD IN PATTAYA - THAILAND

One of the memories I had for one year stayed in Thailand was traveling down south of Bangkok, Pattaya. It is also one of the hottest places in Thailand for western tourists since it's pretty close to Bangkok and not so expensive compared to Phuket.
The pride in Pattaya is the beaches which are not impressive so to speak, however, westerners don't care about it at all. There's so much to see outside of Pattaya city if you'll not enjoy the beaches, there's Noong Nooch tropical garden and other tourist spots. My trip to Pattaya was unplanned, and it took me the courage to decide since I was just fresh from my trip in Hongkong and that trip really cost me an arm and a leg. Going to Pattaya wasn't a long trip from Bangkok, there's no traffic and there's a lot of cheaper places to stay if you are on a budgeted trip.


A lone boatwoman



Not so busy floating market...


Indians inspired replica...at Noongnooch tropical garden.




rounded stones, as they said intentionally made for the King.



even the cottages are not good but old and some were already tattered.



Faces that mattered .....Pattaya beach.



My first Thai jetski ride...



Thai street vendor in Pattaya beach....


Pattaya's floating market is better than of that famous market in Damnoen Saduak, its not crowded, its big and so much to see.



You'll surely enjoy Pattaya's floating market, though its quite expensive especially for foreigners..



delicious Thai traditional food.



Floating houses that are connected to another house.



I have freshly arrived from Hongkong and my friends in Bangkok invited me to get along with them.




we ruled that day....since it happens once.




we visited this park for its famous golden buddha carved on a rocky mountain.




My first elephant ride in life....




I believed that we Filipinos can make a better one than this in Thailand...why don't we make one, even foreign tourists came to see and appreciated this garden.




My first photograph...I mean serious about taking photos...Pattaya, Thailand.

My Favorite Instrumental Music