THE LOST MANGROVE : As we commemorate the killer tsunami that hit south Asia 10 years ago, I remember a monument proposal I submitted 5 years ago — The Lost Mangrove”, its title …. commenting on the dire consequences of clearing one’s guardian angels, mangroves and corals, to make ways for tourist, shrimp/prawn farms and other facilities in the name of economy..
The proposal also meant to commemorate that there were 3 times as many women died as men when the tsunami struck. Continue reading
As a city dweller that is disconnected with the weather, the farms and nature…. it is quite easily that I have those festivals that were once upon a time so important for survival forgotten… And I just did. I skipped the Winter Solstice. The longest night reminds people that winter is here and the Earth(the northern hemisphere) will become frigid and cold in the coming two months. To compensate for my absentmindedness, i am pulling out an old article from my files about this solar marker and the community spirits that it once induced and including it back in this blog, just to remind myself how forgetful and fragmented this world I live in has become….
The article was published in Making Waves, WICC, winter, 2007
Doing the Winter ….The East Asian Way of Spending the Longest Night
The Winter Solstice, or the longest night of the year, has had immense importance in many northern cultures from antiquity. This event marks the beginning of the sun’s next cycle. Although the coldest days are yet to come, this day also promises that the frigid land will soon be warmed by the sun’s returning rays. Continue reading