Dubai Is Going Green

Dubai is one of the emirates in the UAE. For someone who has not been in this place, the common picture they will imagine is a city in the middle of the desert. It is actually that - a city in the middle of the desert but a green city.

The streets of Dubai are lined up beautiful small bushes and flowering plants while major thoroughfares are teeming with palm and date trees. The roundabouts are adorned with green plants and major bridges and overhead passes have small pockets of well-tended landscaped gardens. All these plants are watered round-the-clock and are installed with timers to allow sprinkles to work on cue and water to pass on resistoflex teflon hose.

Cosmopolitan Dubai has also placed across the city various recycling receptacles which are visible to everyone so proper disposal of recyclable items is encouraged. A lot of malls also have big bins for electronic devices and batteries for proper disposal.

Companies have followed suit by putting their own distinguished bins all over their offices. Our company supports the government's drive to keep Dubai green. Each station in our office has cardboard boxes used for paper disposal and it is collected regularly by a uniformed personnel who takes them to the recycling plant.

Kids in school are being educated on the benefits of recycling, reusing and reducing wastage. Activities such as beach cleaning is a regular event in schools and other companies during the colder months to help clean the environment and promote a greener lifestyle.

I believe Dubai will achieve the green drive as long as the people are educated about the importance of going green.

Bucket List

I think I was 5 years old when I started my bucket list. I remember writing them down but somewhere along the way, I lost the list but have them in my memory. One of that is to see the beautiful cherry blossoms up close. And I did!

I made an itinerary before traveling to New York with my husband few days ago. I told him that I have to see the cherry blossoms in Central Park and it was a must. Although this is the second time we have been in the beautiful city of New York, the last time was November so there was no cherry blossoms blooming. It was autumn and the leaves were wilting.

I am glad we had this short trip back to NYC to see the beautiful flowers. I even saw plenty of tulips so it was actually hitting two birds with one stone and I am very happy to see that most of the things I have written in my bucket list are actually getting ticked. Blessings! I am very thankful for the opportunity.

Save the forest one paper at a time

I am re-posting this since I have missed posting articles on the environment during Earth Day recently. Have a read :)

oOo oOo oOo

I cringe at the thought of throwing re-usable papers in the office or even anywhere else. I always chide my colleagues (and even bosses) to save paper because if we are to equate the ratio of the number of papers we have used without remorse, it would be equivalent to thousands of trees. Imagine how many trees we have killed already by dumping those precious, Grade "A" papers? Urggghhh.

Since I am an environmentalist, I devised my own little ways on how to re-use the "used" papers.

1. Re-use the clean page at the back of the paper if it's only printed on one-side. Use it either as a things-to-do list or draft for another memo or doodle pad.

2. If you know anyone from the printers, send the bundle of used papers and have them cut in cubes and give as gifts to your friends (and even to your boss. That way, they'll recognize your effort to cut company's cost and preserve mother nature at the same time. You might even get a citation for that!!! Or a promotion...)

3. If the prints on the used papers are really good or colored even, use them as personalized gift-wrappers. I used some during Christmas and decorated the papers with nice colorful ribbons to put spunk. Viola! Your very own environmental gift wrapper.

4. I have guinea pigs at home so I shred some of the used papers to mulch. I use them as cage fillings combined with wood shavings so it cuts down the cost of having to buy plenty of wood shavings which is quite costly here. Your cavies will surely love you for your thoughtfulness. Not only that it's environmental-friendly, it's also "tummy" friendly for them.

5. Use them as chain banners or swags during parties or decorative garland for your Christmas tree.

6. Re-use them for your decoupage craft.

7. Crumple them and use as window cleaner to replace the rag. Just make sure you slightly moisten them.

8. If your kids are into arts and craft, give them the papers for origami.

9. Use them to wrap unused glass wares instead of the bubble wrap which is made of plastic. Do this only when you don't have to ship the glass wares somewhere else. This is for storing purposes only.

10. Use them as book covers if you feel like being creative and "different."

Please feel free to make the list long by suggesting more ways to re-use the waste papers in the office or at home. Give the trees the chance to grow. Make a difference - one paper at a time.

The Trees of Christmas

Christmas brings forth good tidings and warm feelings. Adding more fun to that jovial spirit are the gift-giving, holiday festivities and the decorations.

One of my favorite Christmas decorations are the Christmas Trees. A Christmas Tree adds that special feeling of warmth and coziness to a home. There are a wide variety to choose from pertaining to ones preference. There are real ones, artificial, white and even some made from indigenous materials like corn husks. I have seen some in my home country and they are just lovely!

Artificial Christmas Trees these days are a far cry from what we used to have when I was young. The artificial Christmas Trees we used to put up were so simple. They were made of plastic and the needles were the tinsels. Although I see them as pretty but the leaves were not enough to cover the branch so you could see the mid-section. They were like malnourished Christmas Trees even when they were decked with ornaments. However, there has been a remarkable evolution on the presentation of artificial Christmas Trees in the modern times. You can now get wide-bodied Christmas Trees, slim or narrow-bodied Christmas Trees, realistic evergreen colored ones, White Christmas Trees, decked with real pine cones on the PVC branches, some with clear or colored lights, some even rotates on their stands, two or three-tone green needles, different colored Christmas Trees other than the usual evergreen or white, foldable branches for easy storage, Christmas Trees with frosted needles and very huge Christmas Trees! The choices are plenty. The quality is superb and the presentation these days is almost believable. You cannot make out if they are artificial or not because they look realistic.

So, no matter what your preference is regarding Christmas Trees. I am sure that you will find something that you will love and eagerly take home to decorate.

Oh Christmas Tree

The Christmas air is here, silently announcing the arrival of the holiday season. It is time to put up the Christmas decors and everything related to the Yuletide season.

Winter season here is rather short. One would even barely notice its passing if not for the cold breeze on your face and the longer nights. Last week, we put up our artificial Christmas tree. It is the only one we can have since we live in a very hot and humid region in this part of the globe. It is for that reason that we cannot put up real christmas trees much as our hearts desire it. The trees must be able to survive the climate here in the Middle East so they can carry on until New Year's.

I am really fascinated with live christmas trees. I enjoy seeing Christmas photos sent by our families and friends in the US specially when they are next to their real Christmas trees. I imagine the fresh scent of these trees filling their abode. It must be wonderful!

I am so tempted to get a real one this time and check out the christmas tree delivery service if I have the tree shipped here in the Middle East. I have yet to try it though and see if the live tree will withstand the humid conditions of this country.

Oh well, it is not bad to dream of having a real Christmas tree this time. We may not have a real one now but who knows. Maybe in few years time, we will be celebrating our white Christmas in the US with our very own real Christmas tree.

The Colors of the World

I see the sky
And it's all blue,
Like the ocean with its azure hue.

I see the trees
And they are all green
With the verdant leaves on the brim.

I see the sun
And how it glows!
Like a golden ring on a distant slope.

I see a land
With the warm shades of brown,
Which echoes warmth all around.

And I see folks like you and me.
We are part of this mystery.
The colors are rich with variety
Of people, plants, animals and nature's elements in a mould.
For these are the colors of the world.


~oOo~

I have written this poem as tribute to our Mother Earth. Let's support all organizations and causes fighting for the protection of the world we live in.

Thanks.