Shrinking World

The world's population is reaching 7 billion. Have you ever wondered how our precious Earth could hold that many people? What's the breaking point of our planet in terms of resources to support all of us?

Because of hunger and lack of opportunities, people from rural areas are migrating to the cities. They are moving their families to the cities in the hope of a better lives. Instead they find themselves living in worse condition than before.

How many cities are hosts for these squatter (or informal settlers if we want to be politically correct) communities? Studies show that there are about half a million squatter families living in the Philippines' Metro Manila. With an average household member of 7, we could estimate around 3.5 million squatters in Metro Manila. 3.5 million people living in makeshift housing often without water or sewage.

It is not uncommon to see these people living along waterways. Without proper sanitation, we could all imagine where they throw their wastes. The rivers are dying if not already dead because they were allowed to stay there.

Metro Manila's population has grown more than it could handle. There are more people than there are number of jobs the metropolis could offer. A lot of squatter families resort to collecting anything they could salvage from the dumpsites. This is just in Metro Manila. There are similar situation in other cities of the Philippines.

Metro Manila is shrinking in terms of habitable space that it is actually expanding to become a Megapolis. Nearby suburbs are now being developed to attract those families living in Metro Manila. Rice fields are being converted into mass housing areas dwindling our sources for food.

Trees are being cut down to give way to villages. Then we hear massive flash floods happening. These massive flash floods were unheard of several years ago. With the indiscriminate cutting of trees and the wanton disregard for our waterways, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what is causing the floods.

The Earth's population is reaching 7 billion. Of these 7 billion, how many are living out of poverty? How many will throw their wastes along the waterways causing it to die? How many will be affected by massive floods? How many of these 7 billion people will live in communities converted from rice fields? How many of these 7 billion people will live in villages converted from forests?

Our habitable space is shrinking. Our resources are shrinking. How many people can the Earth support, we really don't know. There are too many questions. Our world is shrinking. But every body deserves a piece of our planet, including the future generation. Let us be aware of what is happening to our Earth now for their sake.

Soon we are going to celebrate Earth Day. We are again going to focus on emissions, recycling, global warming, and the environment. I hope the almost 7 billion people of Earth will join in the celebration.

Earth Day 2010 // Bloggers Unite

Earth Day 2010 // Bloggers Unite

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Swiss Army Knife

I am always fascinated by this tool called Swiss Army Knife.

Swiss Army Knives are actually multifunction tools. Depending on the model, it can have a knife (but, of course), a file, a pair of scissors, a pair of pliers, a magnifying lens, a can and bottle opener, a philips and a flat head screw drivers, and other tools they can squeeze into it.

I used to have a Swiss Champ Knife. It has everything I need, and more. And to borrow McGyver's line (from a popular TV show), "Don't leave home without it." or something like that. You just never know when you'll need it, from opening a soda bottle to removing a radio's screws. It is all the tool you need.

I read somewhere that this tool was invented sometime in the 1800's and it is, up to now, a popular tool for soldiers anywhere in the world. If you would survive in a jungle, this is the tool you need.

But in the concrete jungle, there is a tool we really can't leave at home. Mobile phones has become integral part of our lives that we feel something lacking whenever we inadvertently leave our mobile phones at home. Personally, I feel helpless without it. Mobile phones are our Swiss Army Knives. This tool has evolved. Mine is a Samsung Omnia, it has everything I need. A phone, calendar, document viewer (it can view and edit excel, word, powerpoint apps), radio, still and video camera, and other downloadable applications. I can even watch movies in avi, and mp4 formats. Mobile phones are the most useful gadget ever invented (at least in my own opinion).

I got my Samsung Omnia a year ago. This phone runs on Windows mobile. It was being tagged as an iphone killer before its launch last year. We all know that the iphone wasn't killed. The iphone wasn't even bruised. The iphone is still the best phone in the market. The price of the iphone is the only reason why I opted for the Omnia. But then, I still like my Omnia. With the pace mobile phones are evolving, I might find my Omnia obsolete in two years time. Google just released its Nexus One phone running on Android. Too bad, it is not available in the part of the world I'm residing. But I'm definitely going to wait for its arrival. In the meantime, I'm going to research this phone. Maybe I could gather reviews for Nexus One and compile everything here. When this phone finally arrives, I would have an idea on whether to get it or not.

With all the features being put into a mobile phone, it has really become our Swiss Army Knife. Never leave home without it.

Getting Started

A long a time ago I told myself that I should write a novel and have it published before I reach 40. Well I learned that procrastination will lead you nowhere.

Three weeks from now I will reach the dreaded age of 40. Four decades! It can't be that fast... It's just like yesterday when I made a commitment to write a novel... well that was 10 years ago. I only started my "novel" last December, and I was able to write three paragraphs... Not bad at all! The problem is time, at the rate I'm going it would really be impossible to finish it before I turn 40, not to mention my other goal that it should be published.

So, looking back, what really happened?

First, procrastination. I'm turning 40 and it seems I never learn that you can't finish anything if you procrastinate. Learn, learn! Procrastination has no place in this concrete jungle we are in! You have got to do what you have got to do. Set your goals and try to do it. If you just joined the workforce, set a goal, and do it.

Second, time. Since I go to work everyday, I don't have the luxury of time to start with my novel. Though I already have an idea on what it's all about, I can't get it started. I wake up around 4:30 in the morning, do a 30 minute exercise (most of the time I skip the exercise and just wake up 5:00 in the morning), take a bath, should be in the road by 6, arrive in the office by 7, take my breakfast, and start working until 5, or 6 PM. Arrive home by 7, take my dinner. Take a bath around 9 PM. Should be asleep by 11, since I have to be awake by 4:30, or 5:00 depending on my desire to be fit. So, with that kind of schedule, how the hell can I write my novel. Well, if I really wanted to do it, I could really to do it, it's just called time management. Remember, if you set a goal, you need to manage your time in order to achieve it.

Lastly, distraction. I want to do other things beside writing a novel. I want to set up my Zen garden, I want to make my house "green". I want to "automate" my house. With all these goals, I was able grow a papaya tree in my garden (there goes the Zen), I was able to put up a solar powered fountain, which broke up only after three months, I was able to put up an alarm system for my house, which triggers with no apparent reason, and I was able to start my novel with three paragraphs.

We live in a concrete jungle. If you belong to the working class, you know what I mean. You know how competitive this world we are in. We don't want to live our lives with a routine. We need to set a goal that will break the cycle of work, putting more time in our hands to enjoy something we wanted to do aside from work. We need to set a goal to improve our standing in the workplace, we need to compete in order for us to achieve the position we are aspiring for. But in setting our goals, let us not forget to set something achievable. So, I'm getting started. I have no problem at work. I need to do something to break the cycle of work.

I won't be able to write my novel before I reach 40. I'm setting up another goal. I'm going to start blogging before I reach 40. Mission accomplished!