Sustainable Eating: Some Chinese Vegetarian dishes

Bring out your chopsticks and bowl 

and try out these classic chinese vegetarian dishes.

tofu spinach soup

Leek tofu and black fungus

fresh shitake mushrooms and lettuce

mixed chinese veggies in sea moss sauce

taho in light caramel sauce with sago pearls

Sustainable Eating: More Bisaya Vegetarian Dishes

Mga Bisdak kung isgsuon,

time to eat bisaya vegetarian:

good for-

the body as it removes toxins,

the environment as it is easy to grow,

for the pocket as it is affordable,

the soul as it makes us respect other animals,

the spirit as it keeps us grounded --

as to our place in the web of life.

baked shredded calabasa
with gabi and stuffed crab balls

towel gourd/upo mushrooms and leeks, tofu,
fish balls and crab sticks

mixed fruit with yogurt

steamed gabi leaves in soy vinagrette

steamed alugbati and kalabasa

steamed okra with sesame seeds in soy

bitter gourd/ampalaya in tomato peanut sauce

utan bisaya pita pockets: okra, alugbati and kalbasa in tomato sauce

Sustainable Eating in Beijing: How to survive as a Vegetarian...

Beijing: use to be called Peking

one must do in Peking: eat Peking Duck,

so for Vegetarians: 

must find healthy food in Beijing.

Veggie hunting in Beijing...

Not such an easy task:

The chinese have a huge array

of edible animals

from the common chicken,

ducks, fish, lamb, deer, donkey,

turtle, pigs, oysters, cow...

to the more exotic:

scorpions, snakes, beetles and seahorses.

How to eat sustainably in Beijing...

Start around the Buddhist temples,

ok, the Lama temple,

ya, there is the Far Su Vegetarian cafe.

Buddhist do not eat meat,

so they have a vegetable and soya bean based diet.

But think again,

for many years,

during the harshest time in China,

they had a largely vegetarian diet,

thus Chinese find it confusing

that anyone would choose

to be vegetarian during times of prosperity...

So, if you examine closely

their  gigantic picture book menus,

you will actually discover great vegetarian dishes...

Here's what I found:

street food at 1yuan: bread stuffed with cabbage and leeks

seaweed garlic

lotus root, beans, celery, papaya, mushrooms and fungus

mustard leaves in ginger soy

spinach and nuts

wild mushroom soup

dried fruits and nuts

more nuts

boiled noodles in mushroom broth

peach sprouts and walnut

wolfberry sprouts

spiced tofu and nettle

veggie resto near Lama temple

mushroom broccoli

tomato and tofu skin soup

spinach and mixed nuts tower

fresh fruit tea

Sustainable Eating: Vegetarian Meals

More simple and easy to prepare vegetarian dishes:

alugbati and assorted nut in soy

bamboo shoots, peas, broccoli and mushrooms

watermelon, avocado and mango platter

kare-kare: beans, eggplant, banana blossom in peanut sauce

asparagus in tofu, black bean soy dressing

unsalted miki noodles with cucumber, peanut, sesame, and soy dressing

baked potato and spring onion patties

pechay and spring onion in soy

grilled eggplant in tomato rice wine dressing

The Post Wang Wang Era and the Flyover Issue in Cebu

The Post Wang Wang Era and the Flyover Issue in Cebu

Wang Wang,
the sound made by a siren,
a universal sign that means something important is happening,
perhaps a fire, a medical emergency, a police responding to a crime...


In the Philippines,
thanks to President Aquino,
We are Now in the POST WANG-WANG ERA!!!
we are only starting to awaken
that wang wang signifies responding to an emergency,
and performing valiant service for the protection and promotion of the common good.

However, for many years,
we suffered from a yet to be classified culturally based disorder:

The Wang Wang Syndrome-
displayed symptoms include:
delusions of grandeur and importance,
impairment of activities of daily living,
in this case, for the public,
kind of like snoring, where the snorer is not the sufferer...

So, for decades,

whenever we Fiipinos  heard the wang wang sound,

we automatically displayed patience, submissiveness,

apathy and passive aggression...

What are the behavioral manifestations:
at the sound of the wang-wang,
where some self-proclaimed VIP (very important person)
or (very ignorant person: that we have equal rights),
wants to pass...

what did we do?
we obediently stopped so that some little emperor,
of some little impoverished kingdom could pass.

Who were these delusional emperors?
Mostly politicians, government officials
and their relatives who believed that blood relations
had something to do with extending government priveledge,
surprisingly equated with getting special passage
and overtly defying traffic rules and human courtesy.

So, for many years the wang wang mentality prevailed,
not only in the streets of the Philippines,
but also on the minds of the Filipinos,

Most of all,
the wang wang paradigm is deeply ingrained
in the psyche of the politicians.

What is the wang-wang paradigm of politicians?

It is a unique perspective...
First, that they are the modern monarchs,
that they are direct descendants of the gods,
and that we should bow to them,
and that we are their mindless subjects.

Some history review please...
The monarchy has long been abolished,
and the guillotine is the last witness  to that judgement.

Second, that  they know what is best for us,
thus, a top down approach to governance.
They give us development projects,
mostly in the form of buses, multi-cabs,
overhead pedestrian crossings,
and FLYOVERS, lots of them...
they plaster their names and faces on them,
claim some personal ownership of this aspect of their kingdom
and expect us to be grateful for their benevolence...

Third, they have a motley crew of blind and illeterate followers,
who are supposedly the representation of majority of their constituents,
who agree to everything they say,
sign and stamp whatever is demanded from them,
and these folks get some splattering of benefits from their monarchs.

Lastly, they believe that the majority of the population in their kingdom
are stupid idiots who don't care about HOW they live.

But all that has changed now,
we are in the POST WANG WANG ERA !!!

Or so we naively believe...
But, there are still some people,
proof that old habits are really hard to break,
who cannot let go of the past,
of the patronage politics,
of their special and unquestioned authority...

Such is the tale of the Flyover,
it is a tangible result of the wang wang syndrome-
of the top down approach of development.
Our politicians think that it is in our best interest
to have flyovers in our very small city,
it is like building the great wall of China,
smack in the heart of Cebu.

That we should accept the gift of the flyover,
or flyovers, totally insane,
with submissive benevolence,
is a thing of the past.

We are in the post wang wang era,
let the wang wang resound,
only because it is for the COMMON GOOD...

Cebuanos know that FLYOVERS
are not for the common good,
A Sustainable and Livable City,
with wide pedestrian sidewalks,
protected bikeways,
and a well- planned mass public transit,
(at the heart of the existing city)
are for the common good.

So, if politicians truly heed
the message of President Aquino
to behave in a POST WANG WANG MANNER,
then when we hear the sirens,
WANG WANG,
we will all respectfully acknowledge their passage:

only if they ...
VALIANTLY PROTECT AND PROMOTE
the Common Good...
that of CREATING a SUSTAINABLE AND LIVABLE COMMUNITY
where the citizens are engaged in mapping their lives and creating their future.

WANG, WANG, WANG, WANG...

The Urban Green Lung at Juan Luna Ave, Cebu

For the information of the oldies,
Juan Luna Avenue,
use to be called San Jose de la Montanya,
I call it our holy road,
coz dotting that road are the "holy" residences of Cebu:
the San Carlos Seminary- minor (the little ones)
and the major (the balding ones);
the Carmelite Monastery,
and the Mabolo Parish Church...

Perhaps another reason why I consider that road holy,
is that when passing by that road,
one can witness the sacredness of creation,
what one can see on that road,
is the power of God's creation:
adolescent trees trying to make their mark under the sun:
that is- giving us shade, oxygen and respite from the stress of city living.















Another reason why that area is considered holy ground,
is that not too long ago,
a massive flyover project was planned for that area.
Despite LOUD objections of the residents,
albeit the holy ones,
government would not heed their voices,
yet mysteriously,
the flyover project was shelved...

So, next time you walk, bike, skate
or drive by this urban green lung,
take a moment of silence,
and honor the holy presence of the spirits,
the power of the creator,
and be humble enough to admit
that our egos and ambitions are dwarfed
by the generosity and majesty of the trees;
freely giving seeds, fruits, oxygen, and positive energy.

Witness the miracle of creation before you...

Sustainable Recreation: Biking the Roads of Cebu

biking under the great heritage trees of carcar
is this tour de france or tour de carcar?

Sustainable Recreation--

What, even recreation can be sustainable?

Yup, sustainability covers all aspects of life-

how we live, work and of course,

how we play...

When we think sustainable-

we mean any activity that can be continued,

with minimal effect on the environment.

When we say recreation-

we mean any playful activity that can stimulate and refresh the mind and body...

When we combine sustainable recreation,

we mean activities that regenerate the mind and body 

and  done in an environmentally friendly way.

In many countries, they take recreation or play seriously,

they have government agencies whose primary duty is to ensure

that its citizenry have the recreational infrastructure, programs and support....

thus, in order that its citizens can play,

government has to do a lot of informed, empirical and consultative work.

In Cebu, biking is a popular sport,

although there is a dearth of biking infrastructure,

our bikers use our local and national roads,

as their bike trail.

Yes, it is almost a death wish,

as insane bus drivers monopolize the roads,

as fidgety wonder cab drivers wiggle through the roads,

as egomaniac private car drivers breeze and fly by,

the list goes on.

Thus, the necessity of educating the DPWH,

of the multiple use of roads,

that the roads built are not only for cars and buses,

but also for bikes and bikers.

So, next time you are on the road,

and see a group of bikers,

show respect,

slow down,

watch,

bear witness,

to their joy,

to their enthusiasm,

to their camaraderie,

to their stamina,

and ask yourself,

how am I recharging my mind and body?

give them a salute,

for they know what they are doing...

having a nice day biking 

young and old

safety in numbers

what a treat to see these bikers having fun

bikers have the equal rights to the use of the road

Sustainable Cities Indicators: What does it mean to be a Sustainable City?

Vancouver, London, Curitiba, Malmo, Leipzig...

What do these cities  have in common?

They are all not in the Philippines...

Right.

What else?

Their citizens and politicians are in AGREEMENT..

On what?

That THEY WANT THEIR CITIES TO BE SUSTAINABLE!!!

REALLY?

Is that possible at all- 

that politicians and citizens

are eye to eye on a topic.

Perhaps abroad.

Yes, they are even in AGREEMENT-

ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SUSTAINABLE CITY!!!

SO, OK...

Tell me, 

what are the indicators of a sustainable city???

In Cebu City, to the local politicians...

it means FLYOVERS, AND MORE FLYOVERS!!!

SO, we are not able to see the topic on the same page.

The residents of Cebu DO NOT WANT FLYOVERS!!!

We want a SUSTAINABLE CEBU...

Ok, so what are these indicators of sustainability,

maybe, the residents should share with the politicians...

There are three important ethics-

first,

that we care for the earth- 

all development must pay attention to its environmental impact:

which means developments must not harm the environment;

second, 

that we care for the people-

all development must improve the quality of life of the residents,

not just that of a few people;

third,

that we care for the future-

all development must be for securing the future of the next generation,

thus, no myopic, short-term solutions...

so, in many SUSTAINABLE CITIES

around the globe,

politicians are holding hands with its citizenry,

and have agreed that any urban development

will be guided by the three ethics-

care for the earth, people and the future!!!

ok, so what does this have to do with opposing the FLYOVERS?

Flyovers, are developments made for cars and more cars.

Its impact on the environment is obvious:

more pollution!!!

Its impact on the quality of life of the residents:

more congestion, pulmonary diseases, insane stress-levels!!!

Its impact on the future generation:

Crazy, unlivable, unsustainable urban life!!!

So, if we have a chance  to speak NOW,

Let us speak in one voice:

Politicians and Residents of Cebu,

SPEAKING IN UNISON,

WITH THE REST OF THE SUSTAINABLE CITIES 

ACROSS THE GLOBE...

WE WANT OUR CITY TO BE SUSTAINABLE!!!

WE WANT CEBU TO BE A SUSTAINABLE AND LIVABLE CITY,

just like Vancouver, London, Curitaba, Malmo, Leipzip...

then we can proudly say,

We SHARE A COMMON SUSTAINABLE VISION!!!

Towards a Sustainable Cebu: Why we should STOP THE BUILDING OF FLYOVERS!!!

Towards a Sustainable Cebu... Why we should stop the building of flyovers in Cebu?

Local politicians are pushing for the building of 2 flyovers,

one along gorordo avenue and another at m.j. cuenco...

why, because they say we need it.

(In fact, many people are unaware,

that the politicians are actually going to build 5 flyovers,

at a cost of 1.3 billion.) check out Budoy's song:

Stop Flyover

do we really need flyovers?

to the uninformed, sedated, clouded and hypnotized minds, they readily agree-

that we have the budget  allocation of 600 million,

which will not come our way again,

that we need to address the traffic congestion,

and accomodate the growing number of cars,

that we elected our officials,

and that we should trust them

that they know what is best for us...

and that the flyover is the solution to our problems...

what are flyovers for?

to accomodate more cars...

They do not really solve the traffic congestion problem!

AGAIN...

FLYOVERS DO NOT SOLVE THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION PROBLEM,

IT CREATES AND WORSENS THE PROBLEM!!!!

if our problem is the congestion of our streets,

because of cars,

why do we build more infrastructure for cars?

in sustainable cities around the world,

the solution to the traffic congestion problem

is very simple...

they decongest the traffic by advocating for less cars.

this solution may sound crazy to those in the dark,

but for the enlightened many across the globe,

they have been very successful in making their cities--

SUSTAINABLE AND LIVABLE!!!

We, too,

can WORK TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE CEBU!!!!

how?

by creating cities and roads that are not built for cars alone....

roads that are built for the residents not for the automobiles,

yes, CEBUANO residents can RECLAIM the ownership of the road use,

just as a people's uprisings have taken place across the capitals of the world-

We, Cebuanos can have our own Sustainable and Livable Corner of the world

by having---

roads that are built for :

Pedestrians

yes, we still know how to walk,

and our city is a very walkable city,

just like the cities of New York, Tokyo, Paris, London...

roads that are built for:

Bike commuters

yes, we all know how to ride a bike,

and indeed our city is a very bikeable city,

just like the cities of San Francisco, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Stockholm...

roads that are built for:

Skaters and skateboarders-

yes, there are other four wheeled forms of transportation,

and yes, again, our city is navigable by these four wheel kind,

just like the cities of Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver and Quebec...

roads that are built for:

Mass Public Transit-

yes, we all agree that it is time for a BRT or BUS RAPID TRANSIT,

and yes, our EXISTING CITY is perfect for a BRT system not the empty SRP,

just like the cities of Curitiba, Lima, Santiago, Bogota...

and most of all...

roads that are built for:

PWD (People with disabilities),

yes, there are many people who are differently abled,

and they too have the basic right of mobility,

just like pedestrians, car owners, bike commuters and skaters.

So, when our politicians  push for flyovers

as the only solution to the traffic congestion,

We must stand up against their position,

because:

the 600 million can be used for more sustainable solutions,

that they have no right to make decisions without consulting the people,

they have to look towards a more comprehensive approach towards development-

that of making a Sustainable City Masterplan,

just like the major sustainable cities across the globe...

in fact, most of the sister cities of Cebu

have gone a long way in terms of making their cities SUSTAINABLE...

we can learn from them...

and MOST OF ALL,

WE, CEBUANOS,

all want our beloved CEBU CITY TO BE

SUSTAINABLE AND LIVABLE!!!

So let us all be INFORMED, ALERT AND CLEAR-MINDED

about the real issues behind the FLYOVER DILEMMA...