Sea Stars

When Elise gets back from school, she usually hops into the shower, studies a little bit, and then it's dinnertime.  One day last week, it was so humid and hot that the kids and I decided to put on our aqua socks and head to the beach.  We still had an hour before sunset.

So the kids ran to the nearest pool of water.

Elise went ahead and stopped suddenly, letting off a piercing shriek.  I thought she was in trouble. But she was just so startled to see hundreds of starfish about an inch or so apart all over the edge of the pool. 

They were scattered everywhere!  We never saw them so numerous and so close to each other before.  Everywhere you looked, they were there!  The water was so clear, it was almost surprising to feel your arm wet when you reach down to get one.

This was the first time she was brave enough to pick one up and examine it.  She turned them over and just watched the little tube feet wiggle.

She was so sad to see one with one of the rays cut off. "Oh, no. This one is hurt." I assured her that starfish regenerate, and the ray would grow back.  Besides, they live for about 10 years, and having their rays cut off would happen often, with the rough waves flinging them against sharp coral and rock, or predators nibbling on them. 

She played with the others, setting them on her palm, and watching them slowly crawl back to the water.  "Mama, I'm his friend, he's not scared of me, he's moving!"  She knew that some animals do not move when threatened.  She did that over and over, and was giggling softly because it tickled. 

There were a couple of weird ones, like a black slithery one. "Don't touch that one."

 

And one that had only four rays.

And one that had six! 

Elise held it up and it reminded me of Christmas.

We ended the day well, breathed fresh air and welcomed the night.  

Puni Leaf Weaving Lessons

Nacho reminded me about the little fish made of leaves that he saw a little boy take home the day before.  He wanted one, and I told him we'd find someone who could make one today.

Kuya Junito, the very quiet lifeguard, knew how.  First, he got some coconut leaves from the dwarf coconut tree. 

 Then, under Nacho's watchful eye, started weaving the leaves...

It's started to look like a...

...FISH! 

 He quickly began weaving another one...

Nacho squealed when he saw this one!

Then, a pinwheel! But Nacho was not impressed, as it would not go with the soft breeze.

Without saying a word, Kuya Junito worked on one more. It took him much longer than the previous ones.  Nacho was starting to get sleepy, but was determined to make sure Kuya Junito was doing it right.

Finally!  A tiny baby turtle! 

Nacho brought them everywhere --- to the beach, under the tables, under the bed, into the bushes, and even pretended to fly them like they were kites. But he insisted that the pinwheel was a starfish.

He played with all four of them for several days until they turned brown and the weaving came undone. 

"Thank you, Kuya Junito!"
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The Birdwatchers Club, in August 2009, sponsored a Puni workshop at the National Museum.

 

Let's help keep this art form alive! Puni De Malolos a group dedicated to the art, is attempting to revive and propagate Puni weaving as a true Filipino art form.  Support the craft and save the environment by choosing puni products instead of other non-biodegradable materials.  Visit them at http://punidemalolos.multiply.com/journal. 

My Palawan

I LOVE Palawan.

Been a long time since I wrote on this blog, and during that time, I was regaining my composure and spinning slowly to find the North in my inner compass.  I got homesick for Manila and did not feel like I wanted to stay here anymore.  Okay, I didn't miss Manila, but I missed family whom we left behind.  It's true, it takes about six months before you truly feel homesick. And it happened to me, on the sixth month!   Should have been used to the sixth-month homesick bug by now, since it has has happened every single time I live away from home.

Now I can say that with conviction.  I really DO have genuine love for this island - beyond being awe-stricken with its beauty - the lush Puerto Princesa City sidewalks,

safe, slow-moving traffic

long shady roads for joy rides

small rivers and creeks

domesticated animals just taking their time

... the spectacular skies and beaches!

More than all that, I love this place because of what it has done for me.  It has stripped off so much baggage, turned me inside-out, and filled me up again!

And when I stand back now and look at myself, I recognize someone whom I met some 12 or 13 years ago,  spontaneous and full of courage and hope.  And so now, I start my life again, inside and out.

Not an Earthquake Nor a Tsunami

Yesterday morning, Rene, Elise and Nacho had some pool time.   The kids enjoyed their dad's company immensely - splashing, paddling and watching him do a headstand underwater with his legs sticking out...

But I took a short walk to the beach and this is what I saw...

The sea was rough in the deep part, one local said.  The clouds were slowly churning and the sky above us turned from sunny to cloudy then to sunny again, then to cloudy again - alternating too quickly.

The 8.8 magnitude Chile earthquake just occurred the day before.  Argentina had an earthquake too, and so did Okinawa, Japan. Victoria, B.C. "dodged the bullet" and Hawaii was just waiting for the tsunami to happen.  A Level 2 tsunami alert was up for countries all over the Pacific Ocean.

If you look closely at the picture, you will see a speck by the water, which is actually a honeymooning couple who walked all the way with their arms around each others' side.  They stood on the water, just gazing at the sea.  If something happens, they would instantly die together.  Very romantic.  But realistically, we were not in real danger because our shore is facing the Sulu Sea, and the tsunami threat on the Pacific Ocean would probably hit Samar and Surigao since they are facing that ocean.  In between us and those places, there are the islands of Cebu, Bohol, Negros and some other Mindanao islands. 

Another reason for not worrying is --- Palawan is earthquake free. The Philippine Daily Inquirer announced this on its headline in mid-January.  We used to live very close to the Marikina Fault Line and it has not moved in the last 500 years.  But with what happened this weekend, residents in Rizal are worrying.

A day after, a commentary on the PDI article came out on the net, warning against migration, reminding everyone that Palawan is environmentally threatened.  The whole island will not be able to provide agriculturally all the produce the growing population requires.  There are also not enough major rivers to make sure that water will be of enough supply.  And being an island, there is a waste disposal challenge.

The local government and the very supportive citizens of Puerto Princesa knows this.  And Mayor Hagedorn has taken the necessary steps by making environmental protection the center of his agenda so Palawan will not be another Boracay nightmare!  I remember the ecoli scare in the '90's!  This year, waste disposal is number one on their list.  Even now, 90% of all barangays are on a zero waste program.   According to the city tour guide, the fine for littering is: P200 on the first offense, another P200 on the second offense, and imprisonment on the third offense.

If we want to live in Puerto Princesa, we have to make sure we do our part in protecting the environment.  I think we can segregate trash and compost and conserve water...

What am I talking about?!!! Heck, everyone has to make sure that they take care of wherever they live! And every leader in this country, from mayor to president, needs to make environmental protection the number one on the agenda! Argh!