Being Green

From Things That Make You Go Hmmm

I thought this was an interesting read. Brings back lots of memories and, yes, times have changed, but it wasn't bad growing up "in the day".

Things That Make You Go Hmm.

Being Green

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."
The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were truely recycled.
But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.
But too bad we didn't do the green thing back then.
We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.
But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that young lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?
Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smartass young person.

Suriname - Where the Heck is That?

When I told people I was going to travel to Suriname, I heard things like, "Where the heck is that, in Asia?", or "I've never heard about Suriname, tell me more", even "Why would you be going to a little country in South America?".  In some ways, I felt the same......Why had I chosen a country that required me to look it up on a map to know it's location?  Well, after spending a week there, I know.

Do you sometimes dream about making a world-trip?

All the different fragrances and sounds, the variation in cultures and people, exotic food and extraordinary natural splendour?  Unfortunately, for most people this remains just another dream.

Not everyone has the time available to just pack up and go somewhere for a year, not to mention the money to do so. A trip to Suriname is however an enjoyable alternative! Because in Suriname you not only still find pristine nature but also various population groups often still living their traditional lifestyle. Here is an appetizer of some Suriname features.

Heritage

Suriname offers a lot of possibilities for cultural tours, thanks to the rich history of the country. A walk through the historical city center Paramaribo is certainly worth your while. The characteristic wooden buildings from the colonial era, in which you will recognize the European architecture, can be found here, but they were modified to locally available materials and tropical conditions. The culmination is the wooden St. Petrus and Paulus Cathedral, a combination of 19th century European style in a traditional Surinamese form. Here, in the largest wooden church of South America, Petrus ‘Peerke’ Donders, declared a saint, lies buried.

From Fort Zeelandia to the Jewish savannah There are monuments of the colonial era all over the place. Fort Zeelandia, for example, named after the residence of Zeeuws admiral Abraham Crijnssen. Once a Dutch fort , now a lovely Surinamese museum with cultural historical displays. The fort is located in the loveliest part of Paramaribo, along the water, where a statue of queen Wilhelmina gazes out over the river. Another lovely fort can be found in Commewijne: The Open air museum ‘New Amsterdam’. This magnificent rebuilt fort offers various sights from the colonial era, but you can also enjoy a pleasant hike, view the exhibits or have a drink. You will not only find signs of the Jewish community at the large synagogue on the Keizerstraat, situated right next to the mosque State, but also specifically in the ‘Jewish savannah’, the 17th century settlement of the Jewish community in Suriname. It was the only location in the Americas where the Jews had their own place of residence, with freedom of religion and personal jurisdiction. The remnants of the buildings and the cemetery are perfectly preserved, and the area is well maintained. A daytrip by boat to the Jewish savannah is a pleasant way of getting to know Suriname history.

Prehistoric rock art

Another unique feature in the region is the ‘caves of Werehpai’ at the indigenous village of Kwamalasamutu on the Brazilian border. Unique rock art was discovered here in the year 2000. The extraordinary images were chiseled out using special stone chisels. Nowhere in the Amazon basin has such a large quantity of rock art been found. And the pottery that was found there, appears to be the oldest material to have been found in Suriname. Its interesting monuments can be seen all over Suriname. Sometimes collected in one of the many museums, such as the Marron Museum in Pikin Slee, in the middle of the jungle. The cultural heritage of the Saramaccaners in particular, are collected here; functional and decorative objects, clothing and ornaments.

Culture

Suriname society is a unique mix of population groups living side by side on a basis of equality. Their cultural expressions largely determine the face of the country. For example, the various prayer houses ensure a colourful appearance of the street front. In the city, mosques, synagogues, churches and mandirs are standing side by side in a unique fashion. Some population groups prefer to dress in their traditional clothing and delicacies from various parts of the world are sold everywhere to the extent that sometimes you may think you are in Africa, than again in India, China or in Indonesia. It is a colourful collection of cultures that live together in Suriname, yet each has retained their cultural traditions. For the visitor it is not only nice to see, but you can also enjoy the different culinary and cultural expressions. The Javanese community that boasts with rich traditions like their ritual dance the ‘Jaran Kepang’, is still regularly performed. You will also experience the annual Holy Phagwa festival of the Hindustanis, the Chinese dragon dance, an old-fashioned Creole Kaseko band and many other cultural expressions almost everywhere in and around Paramaribo.

A large part of the original indigenous Surinamese population is still living in the interior. This is where the various tribes, including the ‘Trio’, ‘Akurio’ and the ‘Wayana’, still live in traditional villages. They still make a living of fishing, hunting and farming here. Another population group in the interior in Suriname, are the Marrons. They are the descendants of the slaves who refused to work on the plantations. There are various tribes, of which the Aucaners, Saramaccaners and Kwinti are the best known. These Marrons have upheld several of their customs originating from Africa quite well. You will see the women doing their wash in the river while the children are playing in the water. The men are busy hunting or making woodcarvings with typical Surinamese-African designs. There are various tour operators organising trips into the interior. You can then enjoy the surrounding area in comfortable resorts, while getting to know the culture of the Marrons or the Indigenous people. Enjoy a ‘Pepre Watra’, the hot soup made from cassava and fish, learn to shoot with a bow and arrow or dance on the stirring beat of the drums.

                                                                Come in please!

Events

All kinds of activities are organized in Suriname, from cultural tinted performances to major events. There are a number of annually recurring activities. As far as music is concerned, there is the Jazz festival, where well known names appear on the program at an ever increasing rate. But the Salsuri salsa event also attracts fans from both locally and abroad. There are film festivals, Miss pageants of the various ethnic groups, the annual Marathon and the National Art Fair.

The four-day Savannah rally is also always a large draw card for the public , with participants from all over the world. The circuit takes you on a ‘Four Wheel Drive’ to places where you would normally never go by car!

Obviously, every population group has its own annual festival. This is usually a national holiday, with festivities on the Square of Independence or in the Palm garden. The day is filled with live music, markets and cultural performances, such as the spectacular Dragon dance on Chinese heydays.

The ‘Four Day Night’, a local event that can best be described as a combination of the Dutch four days festival with aspects of the Brazilian carnival, also has a very special place.

The culmination of it all is the Surifesta festival on New Years Eve, with magnificent fireworks and lots of music. You can enjoy modern night-life every day in one of the many casinos, restaurants or discotheques.

    In short, in Suriname you will find something for everyone !

In Suriname worden allerlei activiteiten georganiseerd, van cultureel getinte optredens tot grootse evenemente

bruny Island Cruise

Over the years, I have sold many Bruny Island cruises to my clients, however, was never fortunate before to have experienced it for myself.

I was part of the group of agents who traveled to Tasmania, Australia this year and the exciting part for me was finally seeing and experiencing the Bruny Island cruise.

The day started with a 45 minute bus ride from our hotel in Hobart to Adventure Bay where we were to start our cruise. Upon arrival at the ferry queue, we were able to relax with a cup of tea or coffee (your choice) and a wonderful muffin before “suiting up” and starting our cruise.

There were about 40 passengers on our boat, and we were all dressed as warm as possible and finally covered with a wet weather jacket. The additional cover was really important as the temperature on the water turned out to be quite cool. It is important to know that it can get cold on the water, even in the summer, so be prepared and adequately dressed.



Even though the water was rough that day and the winds quite strong, we had a fantastic time viewing towering cliffs, outstanding rock formation, seals, migrating shearwater along with some Albatross. We got close to the cliff walls and were able to view several caves. The water was too rough for us to go into the caves, but that would provide a reason to visit again, as some of my clients have done.



The crew/guides were very experienced and they stopped the boat often to provide us with photo opportunities and interpretation to show & tell us about the wildlife, geology and history of the coastline. They are readily available to assist any passengers who may become seasick during the tour. Ginger is readily available and each of the passengers is encouraged to take some before starting out.

The highlight of our trip, however, was seeing a whale approach our boat. One of the passengers thought she had observed the spray from a whale and the crew stopped the boat to see if there was one in the vicinity. Yes, the whale was there and played close to the boat for several minutes. As it swam in front of the boat, I can still see it rise up out of the water, turn it's head towards us and smile.....While I don't have this in a picture as evidence, I can still see it when I close my eyes. What a story I have to tell my clients about this tour. Would I do it again? You bet I would!