Abstract 8/NF Abstract

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now. 

~ Goethe

Linking to NF Abstract

Beyond the green/Watery World Wednesday

There's the ocean beyond the trees---from the terrace at Edgewater.

"You have to be still for a moment to even notice that there is silence outside." ~ Eckhart Tolle

Linking to Watery World Wednesday

Smoggy morning/Our World Tuesday

Lourdes School from my window

A friend from out-of-town was supposed to fly to Manila for a short vacation but a problem at work didn't allow her to leave as planned.   She called and asked me to use her hotel booking as the 3-night stay was already paid for.   Since I've been working at home, a change of scenery sounds great---so I packed my bag and lap top and drove about 15 kilometers to Astoria Plaza.  Astoria Plaza is a 5-minute walk from my old office building.  Two friends and former colleagues joined me for breakfast every morning to enjoy the breakfast buffet.

Took these photos from the window of the suite--yes, it was a suite!  How lucky can a girl get? There's the tower where I worked for 12 years---the Philippine Stock Exchange Center. 

I was enjoying my quiet time but the smile faded when I saw the smog-covered skyline. These photos were taken a little before 9 a.m.  Looking towards the west at EDSA and beyond, a thick layer of smog blanketed the city.  This is the quality of air we breath everyday.  

According to the United Nations, Metro Manila is one of the five most polluted cities in the world, with an estimated 4% of the vast metropolis's disease-related deaths linked to air pollution.

smog-covered morning

For decades, there have been measures in bringing down air pollution levels to acceptable standards---there's the Clean Air Act of 1999, but pollution seems to get worse every year.  The government has been  seeking public support to turn Metro Manila into a healthy metropolis.  Taking public transport or car-pooling is encouraged, walking or using bikes, use of energy-efficient products, and conserving electricity are few tips to curb individual air emissions.  MMDA opened bike lanes around the metro and even lends bikes to commuters.

I hope we'd see more electric-powered jeepneys on the roads instead of the usual diesel-fueled jeepneys.  Clean air should be an individual concern if we're looking at a better quality of life.

Feel it...Breath it...Believe it...and you'll be walking on air.

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Fern, Platycerium superbum

This beautiful fern wrapped the tree like a ribbon.

 @ a garden in Davao City

Platycerium superbum, commonly known as the Stag Horn Fern, is a Platycerium species of fern.  It is native to Australia, in east central New South Wales north of Nabiac and in Queensland.  It is a bracket epiphyte occurring in and near rainforests.  Platycerium superbum is very widely cultivated as an ornamental plant.  

straight out of the camera

 
Linking to Mandarin Orange Monday

Monday Mellow Yellows

Little surprises/SWF

I happen to look up as I was coming out of the gate of a fashion accessory factory I visited in Cebu recently. It had been gloomy all day that this colorful sky was a delightful surprise.  Life's little surprises gladden the heart.

The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise.  It is not that we seize them,  but that they seize us. ~ Ashley Montagu

Linking to Skywatch-Friday