Open Letter

Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com

There is a saying that holds a lot of truth… We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors; We Borrow It from Our Children. I used to hear it a lot when travelling on Air New Zealand flights. And it always makes me think about how deep its gets and to what extent it should govern our lives. For in our pursuit of more, we often forget about our children and what planet they will receive from us, when our rent is over. What house are we going to leave behind? Are we going to be the good tenants that leave behind a better house, nicely furnished, clean and painted on the outside and inside, with improvements built along the way and planning for future additions? Or are we going to be the bad tenants that brought the walls down, destroyed the furnishing, broken down windows and generally forgot that they live in a house and not in a cave?

I used to think that climate change action is the remit of governments. That the power to stop bad behaviours and encourage new, better ones lies solely with the powers that rule countries. But I have come to understand that truth is always in the middle, hiding in the shadows of the grays.

These days I think that the responsibility sits with all of us. It is not just governments’ control. It is something that we can also influence through our choices. For everyday we can make choices that take in consideration environmental impact. We can choose products that have been built in sustainable ways, with a small carbon footprint. This, in the long run, through numbers will sway the balance to organisations that embrace the balance that might bring us on a better path towards the future. It will weed out those that don’t care about the planet or the future. Or it will make them reconsider their practices so that they are forced to adapt in order to survive.

We can demand more from companies and governments, we can say no to consumerism, and profits and pollution. We are many in our pursuit of a better future. It is our children’s lives that we are fighting for. We need to get past the selfishness of ME and move towards the benefit of US and future US. We are not built in this way, it will take a while to fight our inner workings. But it is a war worth fighting for.

To reduce environmental impact, we can adopt several practices.

1. Energy Consumption: One effective approach is to minimise energy consumption by using energy-efficient appliances, and implementing energy-saving initiatives such as turning off lights and electronics when not in use.
2. Reduce, reuse, and recycle materials to minimize waste.
3. Buy if needed / buy the right thing: Choose sustainable and eco-friendly products. In our chase to buy more, first ask ourselves if we need a new thing… If yes, then pick the one that has the least environmental impact. It is not just energy efficiency, but the impact that producers have on our world. Choose the ones that actually make a difference, the ones that have the right practices in place to protect the environment. And constantly ask this from everyone that sells you something. How do they play their part in our efforts to build a better future?
4. Treat water as gold. Water is and will be one of the most important resources of our world. We often forget that we cannot live without it. So treat it like a precious resource that has to be used wisely. All of us can implement water conservation measures, like harvesting rain water and use it for various needs around the house. We can also demand local governments to invest more in water retention solutions and treat water leaks whenever possible.
5. Use environmentally friendly transportation means like walking, biking, or using public transportation. Invest in EVs and stop demanding for fossil fuels cars. Without demand, these types of vehicles will slowly disappear and the focus will shift on EVs. We will also put less pressure on existing and new sources of fossil fuel.

Let’s all play our part for a better future. Let’s imagine a future where we have adverted climate change, where our descendants have their chance at a good life, that allows them to prosper and evolve… not scramble for food, water and air.

Fear

I open my eyes to the vast sea 

A huge moon hanging over the horizon whispers 

I am afraid to go forwards

I am afraid to go backwards

In stillness I find peace

I close my eyes to my thoughts 

The stars shine brightly on the stillness

The waves crash then they let go 

There is no stopping of the madness 

I am afraid to say yes

I am afraid to say no

I am afraid there is no tomorrow

North Star

Photo by Bess Hamiti on Pexels.com

I am sure this is not a new concept and lots of people have come across it in a shape or another. We either encounter it formally through various personal improvement courses, or we read about it or we just use it naturally in our day to day lives, without thinking too much of theories or even knowing what is called. We also call it differently and use it based on our needs at certain points in our life.

It is worth acknowledging that we either apply this naturally without previous knowledge or we have been trained to use it and reap the benefits.

And then there is the case when we do not use it at all and its absence is a force that we do not fell and miss acutely. We lose our compass, we feel like we are drifting aimlessly and go through existential crisis. Most of the time we do not understand why this uncertain state is happening, as we are neither aware nor trained to recognise the signals. We might not even know that we are missing something and unable to figure out what to do about it.

But what is a North Star? For me, it is a guiding principle that I use to help me make decisions. It is not a goal in itself, although it could be interpreted as such. It is more of a compass that tells me if I am getting closer or farther away from what I am trying to achieve. It is not a framework to say yes or no or an easy way to get out of making decisions. For we are free to make whatever choice we feel is right for us and live with the consequences of that choice. And remember that life is not about black and white, right and wrong.

When do we use it? It can be as simple as use it when facing into a decision by understand if that gets you closer to your North Star or not. If it doesn’t, you have the choice of saying no and walk away.

But you can also see that the choice might take you in the same direction of travel, but with a slight detour and not via a direct path. And it is in your power to continue, knowing that at some point you will need to adjust direction.

Our North Stars can be big or small, life changing goals or less important but relevant to the stage of our life that we at. It can be a life principle or a goal we want to attain. It can be anything that we want or need. And it can change over time, just as we are changing and our priorities shift.

But by all means have on. By having it, gives meaning to your life and helps you to move in a purposeful direction as opposed to wandering.

Find your North Star today. It can be easy as you might already unconsciously know what it is. Or it might take a bit of soul searching and really thinking about what you want from life and yourself. Do not despair if you cannot find it. Sometimes the clouds might cover the stars. But remember that clouds are not permanent and all we need to do is be patient and give orselves time.

Once you find your North Star and put it up in the sky it will be a guiding light that will help you stay the course. You will continue to use its light to guide your path and understand your choices better.

Human nature

Optimism alone cannot save us.

I often ponder about human nature and history. And how human nature, with its short span of evolution, influences history. It is an invisible force, working with an insidious tenacity, manipulating and forming causality around it.

Studying history and looking at the big events that were recorded, we always ask ourselves why certain civilisations fell. We try to dissect the causes and the effects of a number of variables that combined led to a certain outcome. We never factor human nature as we say it is too insignificant to touch something of large scale.

At the same time, we observe that sometimes even one person can change the course of history. I do not believe that is the case. As ultimately underneath all that, it is human nature and it’s predictability that more often than not influences and shapes the things we read in the history books.

We also ask why haven’t our predecessors understood the road they were taking and its potential destination. It is a question that we are asking ourselves too many times, in too many contexts. For we are limited in what we see and understand while the events are unfolding around us. And this is where human nature plays a significant part.

We have not evolved yet to see past our immediate needs. We do not extend that to our offsprings, no matter how much we say we do. We continue to be driven by what makes us happy, by what satisfies our needs, by our desires. We are selfish, we never think beyond the immediate “ME”. And that is how history unfolds around us… and we are oblivious to it, oblivious to the road and oblivious to the destination.

So what is human nature? I often find myself predicting a way a person would act, think or behave. And all of that is based on human nature at the centre of what drives a person. As we are all wired in very similar ways, we tend to act in similar ways if put under pressure or without overlapping our rational and logical layer. And a lot of people act in this way, creating a critical mass that shapes our history. And hence we have human nature at the core of history going wrong and at the same time in this endless cycle of repetition.

I think we are running out of time… There is not enough of it to allow us to evolve. We have grown destructive means around us, we are touching the world around us in significant ways. It doesn’t give us room and we are stuck in a do or die situation. I pray that we get in the DO boat, before we get in the drown one.

Letter from our future children

There will come a day when our children will ask us… where were you when OUR world started to burn? And instead of being a home, it became a hell.

And we will say, I do not know love… We just stood there doing nothing and we considered other things more important than your future. We considered profit more important, we thought that bad things will never happened to us, we considered ourselves invincible and did not trust scientists when they told us the end is near.

We had every opportunity to change, to invest in the right things, to make the world a better place not just for us, but for you, our beloved children, but we argued, we fought for our ”right to pollute” because others have done it before us. We never thought that there is no second chance. We never thought that we will lose.

And we just continued in our madness. We made pledges we never intended to keep, we kept going to conferences with no outcomes, we kept our petty wars and we entrusted our lives to ”Saint Profit”.

We failed my love, we miserably failed and you are the one paying for our mistakes.

Short story

He waited a bit before looking again in the mirror. A sudden scare crossed his heart and he hesitated to see the same image again. He felt the awkward silence that surrounded him and that somehow he was not alone.

The image in the mirror flickered, alternating swiftly between light and darkness. Shapes of past, present and future mixed without making any sense. But somehow he knew what he was facing… That presence that he constantly felt around him, whispered to him that the truth he was not willing to face and admit was there in the mirror. “Why is this happening to me? Am I the only one that is seeing this? Is everyone else failing to see the obvious truth? What can a single person do against all that stands around him? I am too weak and I will never be able to do anything about this. Anyone in my shoes would think the same.”

The dark shapes became more predominant in the mirror. He couldn’t understand or see real images, but he felt what they meant. Death, hunger, lies, greed, war… He also felt them stirring in his mind. They wanted to overcome his soul and mind, claiming him for their own survival. He knew that he liked them, like a sick, twisted soul that he was. He admitted that he had no power over them, they were the ones controlling him.

The presence whispered to him he had a choice. It always came down to having a choice. Life was not light vs. darkness. He knew there were shades of grey all over the place. Like in the mirror he was so scared to look into. But the darkness was so much easier to choose. It felt almost natural to him. All he needed to do was to look around him. He was surrounded by others like him, acting and following the alluring impulses. He wanted to be greedy, he wanted not to care about others, he wanted to destroy and tear and kill. Who cared about tomorrow, when there was so much to destroy today? Who cared about compassion and change for a better future? All that matter was the great “SELF” and how my OWN life can become better at the cost of others. As these thoughts crossed his mind, the light spots flickered weakly in the mirror. The voice still whispered to him he had a choice.

Maybe he did have a choice. Maybe there was a better way of facing the future… where compassion and selfless would be stronger than anything else,  where science and discovery would be put in the service of making life better, where imagination would take them anywhere on Earth and beyond. But this way was so distant, so hard to achieve. He felt incapable of driving himself towards it. And that stand valid for everyone around him, with small exceptions. And the exceptions were weak and getting fewer everyday. He wished that he was stronger, but he wasn’t. He always wanted that someone else take the burden and face the obstacles.

The voice screamed loud in his ears this time. “You have the choice… Either YOU do something or someone else will decide for you. Are you sure, when that comes you will be able face it? You can decide for change, today, right here. Or be prepared to face the consequences of your actions.”

Angry and scared, he broke the window. “I will have nothing of this nonsense. All of this is in my mind.”

A small fear crept in to his soul. He failed again to decide for a change. He chose to let the time and someone else decide for him like always. He continued to be too weak. As always…

Tongariro Alpine Crossing

One of the most beautiful and challenging tracks in New Zealand is Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Two weeks ago, we decide to give it a try. 🙂 It was one of the most challenging things I have done from a physical and mental point of view, but it was well worth it. Although it is hard work and the body is under serious stress, the views are absolutely amazing. Also getting to the end of it, is a wonderful rewarding experience, that I would recommend to anyone that loves the mountains.

The crossing is for those with above medium level of fitness, otherwise it is quite a struggle. For myself, it was pretty close to the end of my physical abilities and I would say that if you have any doubts about your level of fitness don’t try it. The track is 19.4 km longs and takes on average 8h to complete, depending from which direction you start. The recommended way to do the track is from Mangatepopo Car Park to Ketetahi Car Park. Nothing stops you from doing it from the other direction, but in this case allow for extra 2h to complete it. From an altitude perspective you start at around 1000m, climb to 1900m at the highest point and then descend to 800m.

What we had with us:

• A windproof jacket, fleece and hat, long pants for low temperatures
• 2.5l of water
• Food (chocolate and sandwiches)
• Sunglasses, sunscreen and sunhat
• Cellphone

The track is divided into several sections, quite different between them:

• Mangatepopo Car Park to Soda Springs – We considered this section quite easy. There were so many people around us, that we never felt alone on the track :). Most of the times it was a long row of people laughing, walking in the same rhythm and enjoying the views. We had some really spectacular views of Mount Ngauruhoe (the famous Mount Doom from “The Lord of the Rings”) and a lava valley where a small stream accompanies the travellers. The end of the first section is marked by a set of public toilets facility.
• Soda Springs to South Crater – This section of the track was quite challenging as it is a long road of steps called The Devil’s Staircase. Many, many, many, never ending steps. My physical abilities were well challenged at this stage, but after an hour I managed to overcome it. The views were incredible, and thankfully we had a really sunny day, that allowed clear views of Mount Taranaki.
• South Crater to Red Crater – This section started very promising with a good section of flat terrain, but ended with a most demanding ascension. I found this part of the track the most difficult, as it was quite exposed and slippery. But the end of it was a rewarding view of Red Crater and down the Emerald Lakes. At the end of this section we had our second big break, where we had something to eat. A well deserved stop to recover a little bit of strength…
• Red Crater to Blue Lake – We descended from the Red Crater towards the Emerald Lakes quite fast and often using our hands and bum. 🙂 The small scoria was a trickery surface, that made us slip most of the times. At the end of the descend, our shoes were full of dust and stones… not a very pleasant feeling. But the Emerald Lakes were so beautiful, that we completely forgot about pain and dust and falls.
• Blue Lake to Ketetahi Hut – Starting from here onwards we experienced a steady descend. We were rewarded again with spectacular views over Mount Pihanga and Lake Rotoaira across to Lake Taupo.
• Ketetahi Hut to Ketetahi Car Park – The last part was a continuous pain :). Already quite tired, with feet hurting, I was constantly asking myself how much till the end… Still this part offered different views, very similar to the ones we experienced in Auckland in Waitakere Ranges. We have also crossed Mangatetipua Stream, which during volcanic eruptions can transform in a dangerous lahar.

And this was the end of the track. Tired and barely moving I got to the end of it. Felt a huge relief and I was really proud of myself that I took the challenge and pushed my physical limits to do this track. Anyone who loves the mountains and is up to a good challenge, don’t hesitate to try it. And who knows… you might like it so much that you will return the next year as well ;)…

Scandrett Regional Park

Last week we have decided to check Scandrett Regional Park, around one hour far away from Auckland. The park is located on a nice peninsula that offers lovely views over Kawau Bay and Kawau Island. The weather was perfect for walks, not too hot and with a little bit of clouds.

You get to Scandrett by taking State Highway 1 to Warkworth and then following the signs to Snells Beach. From there onwards, you just follow Mahurangi East Road and Martins Bay Road that takes you exactly at the park’s entrance.

The park itself is not very large, but does provide beautiful walks with amazing views. We decided for a perimeter track, which encompassed 3 tracks (around 1h and 30min): Mullet Point Track, Kawau Bay Track and Orchard Track. The Orchard Track gets you next to an old, historical farm, which is worth having a look at and especially the garden surrounding it. Past the farm, the track takes on a quiet beach, with warm waters and white fine sands. The last part of the track is quite a steady climb and requires a good level of fitness, otherwise you will find yourself making breaks more often than you would like to.

In the park you can also find nice picnic spots, camping sites and Auckland Council provided holiday bachs. I would definitely recommend it as a good spot to spend the weekend or just for a sunny picnic day.

Travel guide for Singapore

Although this happened a few months ago and I will need a serious memory exercise, I promised myself that I will try to put on paper my travel experiences as they come. I have started this within my previous post, when I was telling you about a day trip in one of the regional parks here close to Auckland.

Today I will share my experience from October last year, when I travelled for 5 days in Singapore. We arrived there during the evening and the first thing that stroke me was the incredible Changi Airport. It is one the best I have come across and I have loved it for its personality and the will to make life easier for the people transiting it every day. The second was the weather… hot and humid, the air very hard to breath… Otherwise the city was an incredible mixture of new and old, so many architectural styles, flowers and green everywhere. Seeing it for the first time from the taxi, was a long WOW from the airport to the hotel.

One of the best spots to find good hotels is on Bencoolen Street. There are quite a few and the prices are good value for money. The only disadvantage is that you are pretty far away from a subway station and considering the weather it could become quite problematic if you are not used to it and come from a cooler climate.

The best way to get around Singapore is to use Singapore Tourist Pass (http://www.thesingaporetouristpass.com.sg) which is available to be bought for 1, 2 or 3 days. Basically it gives you access to the vast majority of travel options in Singapore and can take you almost anywhere. The card you get to help you travel around is refundable, so if you want the one day one it is practically for free.

We made the most of stay there. Singapore is a beautiful city which will provide full entertainment and lots of places to visit. Out first day there we decided to visit the Sentosa Island (http://www.sentosa.com.sg/en/attractions/#resorts-world-at-sentosa). The place is famous for all the attractions it hosts and is one of the most important tourist spots in Singapore. We decided to spend a full day there, half at the S.E.A. Aquarium which hosts the largest window aquarium in the world and half in Adventure Cove Waterpark. Both places were quite nice and offered us a full day of excitement.

Second day we did one of the recommended walking trails (http://www.marina-bay.sg/funtrails.html). The Architecture trail took us around Marina Bay, along the most important architectural icons that make Singapore skyline famous. The trail is 6km long and the recommended time is around 1h and 15m. For us it took longer as we stopped often for pictures and to enjoy the wonderful views. Our stops were first at the Millenia Singapore with the Fountain of Fortune and Marina Square. Then we proceeded to Fullerton Heritage and the Merlion statue (the symbol of the city). Next, along the bay, we experienced a lovely combination of heritage colonial styles and modern features… a mixture of buildings surviving from old times and new, tall, shiny towers. The next highlights were the Marina Bay Financial Centre, The Sails @ Marina Bay and the impressive Marina Bay Sands hotel. We have finished our tour with a couple of hours spent in Gardens by the Bay and enjoying the views on the Singapore Flyer.

Our third day was reserved for Singapore Zoo. The day was nice and captivating, although quite difficult sometimes because of the heat. We loved the animal variety and the shows where the caretakers were engaging with the animals in funny ways and providing entertainment for the visitors.

During the last half of day we decided to visit Chinatown. The temples in the area are quite beautiful and you can find lots of bargains if you have enough time to spend there. For us, we were under a little bit of time pressure so we couldn’t take advantage of the full experience, but I would say it is definitely a place for the bargain hunters.

My last note would be on the places to eat. Singapore provides a large variety of cuisines, due to the vast cultural heritage. The restaurants that we loved were a German one called Brotzeit (http://brotzeit.co/rafflescity/promo/) and a Japanese one called Standing Sushi Bar (http://standingsushibar.com). Both are great spots for dinner and the earlier you are present, the better. Our first tentative with both of them was a huge waiting line, that would have scared even the bravest.

We found Singapore a wonderful city… great architecture, modern and old beautifully integrated, great food variety and so many forms of entertainment that would satisfy even the most demanding of us.

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Wenderholm Regional Park

Today was a great day to be outside and enjoy the sun and good weather after not such a great week (dark, gloomy and windy). We decided to check another regional park near Auckland called Wenderholm. We were well rewarded by stunning views and a total disconnect from city life. 

You get to Wenderholm by following the Hibiscus Coast Highway and then Shischka Road. Pretty easy to get there and a great spot for picnics and bbq. When we got there, there were quite a few people enjoying the good weather and the great spot to spend time with friends and family.

As we had plenty of time we decided for two tracks:

1. Te Akeake Walk – 30 minutes, 1km. This is an unmarked track, going north from the carpark. You just head along on the beach and surround the small peninsula. We experienced really nice views and lots of aquatic birds foraging for food as it was low tide.

2. Perimeter Loop Track –  2 hours, 4.6km return. This track starts near the Couldrey House, which is a nice historical site, worth having a look at. Passing the house you will end up at an intersection, where I suggest taking left as the track is far easier to be done from that side. The track requires moderate level of fitness as some parts of it are quite difficult and are marked as tramping track. The road is not quite well defined in these spots, but going downhill makes it so much easily approachable. There are several lookouts along the path and the views are just stunning.

 🙂 🙂 🙂 Definitely a great spot for picnics, with lots of BBQ and tables and benches. The place also provides a camping area, if you decide to spend more than a day. I would also mention the walking tracks as a great way to exercise and spot some native birdlife.