wastedfood.com

One of the top stories on nytimes.com today America’s Scraps, Another Country’s Meal is very timely with "food/rice shortage" and consequently, rising food prices. (And with Bush's comment that the rising income of India's middle class is causing food shortage which India rightly responded back with how much America is wasting). You may want to add global warming because food in the landfills produces greenhouse gases.

The article provides data on how much edible food is wasted in America and Europe (around 25%) and reminds again that with rising food costs and limited resources, food aids now distribute a less quantity of food to a growing number of people in need.

At home, we were raised to eat what is on the plate and not leave anything behind (bad luck in Chinese because they say you will marry someone who looks like a cat if you do). Do not get more than you can consume. It is, for me, an injustice to everyone else who do not have food to eat, to waste food or to eat more than what is right even.

I do not like it when I see people throw away food and I do see it everywhere and everytime. My parents think and I agree that some people feel it a sign of social superiority that they can afford to waste food. I wish we were more sensitive to others because we all live in ONE WORLD. And whatever we do do affect other people.

See wastedfood.com on how to help.

The End of Summer

Here comes the rainy season...less reason to eat ice cream? :(

Interesting Stats

We are super lucky it is only raining here in Manila. In other parts of the world (in Asia rather), there are so many things happening. The cyclone in Myanmar, then more recently the earthquake in China. Both disasters with so many casualties, just being safe and alive makes you feel blessed.

Blessed enough to give? See below intereseting stats on donations to victims of recent tragedies I saw on freakonomics.com:

1. Asian Tsunami (Dec. 2004)
220,000 deaths
$1.92 billion

2. Hurricane Katrina (Aug. 2005)
1,577 deaths
$5.3 billion

3. Pakistan Earthquake (Oct. 2005)
73,000 deaths
$0.15 billion ($150 million)

Makes you think...Hoping good comes out from these bad situations.

We're Brothers Forever by Renaldo Lapuz Dedicated to Eli

GoodAh! Open 25 Hours

What if we had 25 hours in a day instead of 24? Would it make any difference?

The cliches TIME FLIES and LIFE IS SHORT would support this dreamy thought of mine. In the series Heroes, Hiro Nakamura has the strongest power, that of stopping and controlling time and space. I wish I had that too. I will make happy times longer and sad times shorter.

However I concentrate on stopping time though, this is realistically impossible. And even if we had more time in our hands, I do believe we would take that for granted like we do the 24 hours we have.

Thus, we would have to stick to tried-and-tested ideas like time management and prioritizing. It is hard to be young now. With so much to do and so little time, you have to be a SuperWoman to juggle family, friends, and work and at the same time have FUN. It may be overwhelming at times (and I do feel overwhelmed) but at the end of the day, when it is time to rest your weary head, and if you tried your best to do things you have to, it so nice to sleep feeling accomplished and fulfilled. And thinking that the next day, there are another 24 hours to try to be a Super Human.

So Close by John Mclaughlin

Finally by Fergie