Wellness Pilipinas!: Zambales Connection (an introduction to part 1) by Zara Jane Juan

Wellness Pilipinas!: Zambales Connection (an introduction to part 1) by Zara Jane Juan: "Luscious waves, powerful sunrise, attractive sunsets, calm community, playful birds, kids, and chickens... And on top of it all, the most awesome view of the stars along the dark and quiet shoreline as the neighborhood sleeps in harmony night after night... ... What a paradise!

Where on earth can you find that locked doors are not a requirement to live. Everyone seems to trust anybody... I was able to sleep soundly without worry in my rented humble nipa hut fronting the sea, though that was my first night, alone! I mean literally without a companion! The community respects each and everyone because every member of the community believes that no one who visits the shoreline of Zambales is a plain stranger. They believe that each one comes back to Zambales, because they belong there... a relative... of the 1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree, 4th degree... or, simply, just an old friend way back who traveled once and had the longing to come back again... and again..."

I came here to prepare myself for my chosen peace mission in the Southern Philippines affected by recent typhoons. However due to my allergies, I need to first ready my health in order for me to survive. Doctors advised me to have a vacation in the beach for natural healing. And what a practical way to do it as fast as I can but to go back to my Grandma's hometown, San Isidro, Cabangan, Zambales. In fact, I long for this, to travel alone, live alone, incognito! Just me and the sea, my pen, my notebook and my quiet private time to pray and meditate. The only problem is, it needs to be safe! And Zambales has it, a wish come true! A very simple life away from the city!

Along the way, however, I got inspired to write about my Grandma's place, not just San Isidro, but the whole Zambales. I find it amazing, how their culture remains so simple... the simple meal... the simple celebrations... the simple smiles that enlightens the crowd... and how they manage to keep it for years with a very dry land, not too much to expect, no flares, no fuzz, nothing. I am practically amazed how they survive without, in my observation, a typical competitive spirit of the city dwellers.

So I made a decision to stay longer because my missionary peace work covers the preparation of the community to the effects of changing climate as part of my worldwide advocacy work on Climate Change Peace Building Adaptation Campaign. Zambales is a good start, I guess for my behavioral study of people living near the sea.

This is the first draft of my behavioral study, I aptly call it the Zambales Connection....

Everything seems beautiful until one night, I've learned that vote-buying is rampant in the place. It completely slips my mind that a special congressional election will take place and I happened to be there, what a vacation! I thought I can forget my work and concentrate on the goodness of life but here am I face with the conflict if I will write what I saw, heard and experience. How naive am I to know that vote buying is an organized activity where the voters have to signed their names in order for them to get their money ranging from P500 to P1,000 per voter. I refrained from knowing further and resorted to meditative prayer to compose myself, however my conscience bothers me, especially when I saw how "malicious" money can turn a peaceful community to a "mob". I need to write it especially when in the course of my investigation, I have found out that vote buying is just a new trend in the 2nd District of Zambales. I've learned that before, people vote their leader because it is their personal choice and they believe in their leader as a matter of principle. Now, with the introduction of the malice that votes can be bought, people vote out of "kahihiyan" that they already accepted some money that "bought their votes". Is there a logic in here?

It is my vocation to teach and promote good culture. And I believe, it is the responsibility of a leader or any politician to lead people to peace by introducing them the proper culture. Vote buying is a malicious intention designed to corrupt even the most innocent ones. Making it part of the people's life is prelude to poverty.

As I said to the community, you deserve more than that! You are the protectors of the sea, you are not beggars! You actually deserve to be given a dignified life through an Environmental Fund which can be allocated by your elected politician to every household living in the shoreline.

People do not know their rights and will remain silent, quiet until numb.That is how corruption works in cycle. Until someone stood up and do something, corruption of the mind will remain a trend.

When do we stop it? When we share what we know to those who don't know. Education, more orientation, and more empowerment will liberate our mind.

Good thing, I still see the kids playing, praying & hoping.... unmindful and innocent.

With this, I am still inspired to work on this further, not just as an advocacy, but as a responsibility to save what remains for the proper culture to survive in this changing climate.

So help me God.

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Beijing: GMZ Energy Secures $14 Million in Series C Funding to Produce New Class of Renewable Technologies

GMZ Energy Secures $14 Million in Series C Funding to Produce New Class of Renewable Technologies; Closes Oversubscribed Financing Round - MarketWatch: "GMZ Energy, a leader in thermoelectric materials and systems and a GE ecomagination Challenge winner, today announced it secured $14 million in Series C financing. The new investment was led by Mitsui Ventures and includes I2BF Global Ventures, Energy Technology Ventures (a joint venture of GE, NRG Energy and ConocoPhillips), Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and BP Alternative Energy. With the new funding, GMZ will expand its engineering and go-to-market capabilities as the company moves into production of a new class of renewable technologies."

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Italy: Wellness Tip: Skipping dessert and having an after-dinner coffee is good for your memory & thinner waist

How to get better memory, thinner waist - Hindustan Times: "For the study, it was decided to focus on a protein called CREB1 that is known to be important to memory and learning. While conducting experiments on mice, researcher Giovambattista Pani showed that cutting calories boosted learning if the animals could still make CREB1. Besides, he also showed that cutting calories boosts the amount of the protein made in the brain. It was also found the animals' calorie count was only cut by 25 to 30 percent but in human terms, this equates to about 600 calories a day."

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Australia: Widespread beach erosion leaves surf clubs in deep water

Widespread beach erosion leaves surf clubs in deep water | smh.com.au: "The Old Bar Surf Club sits closer to the water than the school and Mr Jones guesses he has three to five years before the threat becomes an emergency. Old Bar is not the only NSW surf club nearly in deep water. While for most clubs rising sea levels and storm intensities due to climate change remain distant fears, at least six other NSW clubs are already confronting these threats. Clubs including Cudgen Headland, Copacabana, Killcare, Thirroul, Bulli and Stockton have reportedly suffered erosion and been forced to consider sea walls, sand replenishment, rebuilding or, as a last resort, relocation. Surf Life Saving Australia published a report in November, using data from Geoscience Australia and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, that placed 63 per cent of surf life saving clubs in ''zones of potential instability''. ''We know there are a number of clubs which right now are at risk of being washed into the sea if a major storm event was to wash into the coast,'' said Norm Farmer, the head of strategic development at Surf Life Saving Australia"

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Renewable Energy: Vestas to supply turbines for new wind farms in Poland, Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden & Pakistan

- Renewable Energy Magazine, at the heart of clean energy journalism: "Vestas is also continuing to expand its operations outside Europe, and ended 2011 announcing its first order in Pakistan. The order is for a total capacity of 50.4 MW, consisting of 28 units of the V90-1.8 MW wind turbines for a wind power project in Nooriabad in the Jimphir region of the country. Delivery of the turbines is scheduled to start in the first half of 2012 and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. The order has been placed by Zorlu Energy Pakistan Ltd., which is a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of the Turkish Zorlu Enerji Electricity Generation Inc. In 2006, the company signed an agreement with the Alternative Energy Development Board of the Government of Pakistan to build the first wind power plant in Pakistan for a total capacity of 56.4 MW. The first phase of the project comprising 6 MW has been in operation since 2009 and the second phase comprising the 50.4 MW will be delivered by Vestas."

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Tip: Businesses are encouraging Employee Wellness by holding contests, health screenings, and providing other incentives to help employees get healthy

Inspiring employee healthy lifestyles with employer incentives - phillyBurbs.com : Money: newage industries, fitness, health insurance, health, health incentives: "Employee wellness programs typically include an online health risk assessment and on-site medical screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar, body mass index and cholesterol. The programs, while voluntary, can offer financial benefits, including lower insurance premiums, gift cards and employer contributions to health savings accounts."

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Canada's climate change plan 'farce,' says Stephane Dion

Canada's climate change plan 'farce,' says Stephane Dion: "Q: How do you get climate change back on the political agenda?
A: Many initiatives should be taken by business people, scientists, activists, ordinary citizens . . . and journalists! But regarding the current state of federal politics, in a nutshell, the opposition should co-operate to at least keep the government accountable toward its own objective: 17-per-cent reduction for 2020. Environment Canada itself said some months ago that only 25 per cent of the target would be reached with the current policies and regulations."

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