Hi, I have two great news.
No. 1,
One of my teachers, Doug Crouch from the US is coming down to teach the Permaculture Design Certificate Course in Malaysia. He is coming with one of his colleagues, Kaila Binney who will also be teaching the course.
No. 2,
The 2 week Permaculture Design Certificate Course will be held at Embun Pagi, a permaculture demonstration site that I have been working on for the past 6 weeks.
Download the Permaculture Design Certificate brochure here
and Please visit http://embunpagi2009.wordpress.com/ for more details
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
I thought I knew you before I met you …
I thought I knew you before I met you …
America
Though we are far apart, I had you for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I thought I knew you before I met you …
Parts of you, America dripped nectar on my taste buds,
Tempting me with yearning for all things sweet.
Parts of you, America stung with the bitterness of bile,
Oozing trepidation for life, not mine, shoved into my throat.
Parts of you, America filled my bosom with the bread of contentment,
Baked from the yeast of indifference.
And parts of you America drained my heart with bottomless hunger,
Slithering in the stomachs of my ancestors.
Yet, America
There was much more to you than three meals a day,
For you are greater than the sum of your parts.
ii.
And now, alas, I am here in America …
I am thankful for having the privilege of getting to know you, America
As I lie on this meadow which carried the feet of Native Indians,
And listen to your heart drumming on the ground beneath my ear,
I recall each beat, each flutter of smile, each encounter of eyes,
Each person bearing beautiful gifts of exchange,
-: The genuine listening, the sincere conversations,
Good intentions, respect for one another,
The pouring out of the heart, the reaching out of a hand.
The strangers...
Who always had a smile or a nod to spare.
The people on the sidewalk...
Who were more than generous with their directions.
The bus driver who went out of his route so I would not get lost.
The receptionist at the museum who gave me a free pass.
The priest who told the story behind each passing town as we journeyed by train.
The boy on the plane who gave me his jacket, so I could stay warm.
The lady on the bus who gave me a hug, and a magic spell.
So many encounters more!
Sun beams waving smiles in the melancholy of fall.
America, you are truly the land of dreams,
As you are too the conjurer of nightmares .
iii.
I am grateful for the ticking and placing of time, which brought me across the sea of indifference, and fear, and placed me at the feet of the throne of dreams - There to witness the opportune moment of the mother, Dream Weaver giving birth to her son.
Dream Catcher!
People of many colors, speaking one language, dreaming the same dream in their midnight slumber. The hand of the moon walked upon the face of the earth, returning full circle at the 11 th hour to greet the new son born to a new dawn. Fireworks, jubilation, a sigh of relief. Triumphant fists dancing in the air, moving to the sound of hope.
Yes we can! Yes we can!
Yes we can! Yes we can! Malaysia Boleh!
I think of my homeland, and loved ones …
Perhaps, we can dream too.
I am grateful …
For being in a moment engraved on the leaf of history, a mouth among millions, reaching for the skies, drinking in the promise of a better tomorrow.
And as for you America,
Had I known I loved you before I met you, I would have loved myself a little bit more.
God bless the United States of America, and God bless us all.
Special thanks to the US Embassy and IVLP team: Gloria, Marta, Diane, Anni Bel, Elaine
America
Though we are far apart, I had you for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I thought I knew you before I met you …
Parts of you, America dripped nectar on my taste buds,
Tempting me with yearning for all things sweet.
Parts of you, America stung with the bitterness of bile,
Oozing trepidation for life, not mine, shoved into my throat.
Parts of you, America filled my bosom with the bread of contentment,
Baked from the yeast of indifference.
And parts of you America drained my heart with bottomless hunger,
Slithering in the stomachs of my ancestors.
Yet, America
There was much more to you than three meals a day,
For you are greater than the sum of your parts.
ii.
And now, alas, I am here in America …
I am thankful for having the privilege of getting to know you, America
As I lie on this meadow which carried the feet of Native Indians,
And listen to your heart drumming on the ground beneath my ear,
I recall each beat, each flutter of smile, each encounter of eyes,
Each person bearing beautiful gifts of exchange,
-: The genuine listening, the sincere conversations,
Good intentions, respect for one another,
The pouring out of the heart, the reaching out of a hand.
The strangers...
Who always had a smile or a nod to spare.
The people on the sidewalk...
Who were more than generous with their directions.
The bus driver who went out of his route so I would not get lost.
The receptionist at the museum who gave me a free pass.
The priest who told the story behind each passing town as we journeyed by train.
The boy on the plane who gave me his jacket, so I could stay warm.
The lady on the bus who gave me a hug, and a magic spell.
So many encounters more!
Sun beams waving smiles in the melancholy of fall.
America, you are truly the land of dreams,
As you are too the conjurer of nightmares .
iii.
I am grateful for the ticking and placing of time, which brought me across the sea of indifference, and fear, and placed me at the feet of the throne of dreams - There to witness the opportune moment of the mother, Dream Weaver giving birth to her son.
Dream Catcher!
People of many colors, speaking one language, dreaming the same dream in their midnight slumber. The hand of the moon walked upon the face of the earth, returning full circle at the 11 th hour to greet the new son born to a new dawn. Fireworks, jubilation, a sigh of relief. Triumphant fists dancing in the air, moving to the sound of hope.
Yes we can! Yes we can!
Yes we can! Yes we can! Malaysia Boleh!
I think of my homeland, and loved ones …
Perhaps, we can dream too.
I am grateful …
For being in a moment engraved on the leaf of history, a mouth among millions, reaching for the skies, drinking in the promise of a better tomorrow.
And as for you America,
Had I known I loved you before I met you, I would have loved myself a little bit more.
God bless the United States of America, and God bless us all.
Special thanks to the US Embassy and IVLP team: Gloria, Marta, Diane, Anni Bel, Elaine
Monday, February 23, 2009
Back From USA
Class of 2008 Fall PDC, Lost Valley, USAHello everyone!
Salaam to my wonderful sponsors and friends who have given me their blessings and support. I hope these times find you well. It is good to be back.
I had a glorious time in the US. Celebrated the triumph of Barack Obama on election night, met a lot of amazing people, saw wonderful places & lovely endeavors…felt very at home. It was hard to say goodbye... so I tried postponing it as long as possible. I extended my stay in the US for three weeks to do a short permaculture internship at Lost Valley. I had initially planned to extend it for a whole 2 months and do a longer internship, but a friendly trip to the visa enforcement agency set me back on a short but safe track home.
I got back on Nov 15, eager to start my Permaculture project… but it took me quite a while (2 months to be exact) to get my act together. Though my roots were not too deeply settled in KL, shifting back to my hometown in Batu Arang was not an easy move. A small town, at the end of a windy road… How was I going to make ends meet and do the things I wanted to do? Where was I going to start planting? … And mind you … I’m not only interested in planting trees and vegetables, I want to plant Permaculture seeds.
With the Mayan Calendar coming to an end in 2012, the climate going bezerk, and the economic collapse, a red light blinks incessantly over our heads screaming for attention. I wake up each morning with a slap of reality check on my face. We're seconds away from a global transformation that will most definately involve a lot of destruction as well as construction. Each and every one of us will not be able to escape from contributing to this transformation. Who is going to destroy? Who is going to build? What will be destroyed? What will be saved? I do not have the answers, but I do not feel helpless. Permaculture has given me a choice, a choice to create and not to destroy, and it has given me the tools to do so. I do not have control over what happens in the future ... but I can pass down my legacy, along with many others ... and hopefully, this legacy will be the ground on which our children walk on.
Salaam to my wonderful sponsors and friends who have given me their blessings and support. I hope these times find you well. It is good to be back.
I had a glorious time in the US. Celebrated the triumph of Barack Obama on election night, met a lot of amazing people, saw wonderful places & lovely endeavors…felt very at home. It was hard to say goodbye... so I tried postponing it as long as possible. I extended my stay in the US for three weeks to do a short permaculture internship at Lost Valley. I had initially planned to extend it for a whole 2 months and do a longer internship, but a friendly trip to the visa enforcement agency set me back on a short but safe track home.
I got back on Nov 15, eager to start my Permaculture project… but it took me quite a while (2 months to be exact) to get my act together. Though my roots were not too deeply settled in KL, shifting back to my hometown in Batu Arang was not an easy move. A small town, at the end of a windy road… How was I going to make ends meet and do the things I wanted to do? Where was I going to start planting? … And mind you … I’m not only interested in planting trees and vegetables, I want to plant Permaculture seeds.
With the Mayan Calendar coming to an end in 2012, the climate going bezerk, and the economic collapse, a red light blinks incessantly over our heads screaming for attention. I wake up each morning with a slap of reality check on my face. We're seconds away from a global transformation that will most definately involve a lot of destruction as well as construction. Each and every one of us will not be able to escape from contributing to this transformation. Who is going to destroy? Who is going to build? What will be destroyed? What will be saved? I do not have the answers, but I do not feel helpless. Permaculture has given me a choice, a choice to create and not to destroy, and it has given me the tools to do so. I do not have control over what happens in the future ... but I can pass down my legacy, along with many others ... and hopefully, this legacy will be the ground on which our children walk on.
.
Now, we have to move fast, while there is light! I'll be back with some progress soon.
.
.
.
Peace and Love,
Sabina Arokiam
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
