Wow it's been a little while!

Sorry for the late update, I've just been busy with work and these final projects.  I can't believe this semester is almost over, and for this class, it is over.  I just wanted to say that this has been a great experience for me.  I've learned so much!  I really enjoyed everyone's presentations, and I hope that everyone enjoyed mine.  I wish the best for all of my classmates, and for my professor--you all are such wonderful people! :]

What Do You Believe In?

Guest speaker Daniel Anthony discussed with us the importance of beliefs.  It got me thinking about what my beliefs are because up until this point, I really never really thought about it.  I am agnostic, which is often confused with being athiest, but all it really means is that I do not believe in a God, but I do believe there is a possibility.  I am unsure. 

His presentation was not just about religion, though.  By "beliefs" he also meant belief in yourself, in morality, in justice, in culture, in the environment.  What I really took away from this discussion was to follow what your heart tells you to do.  I may not be a religious or spiritual person, but I believe I have strong morals and I know right from wrong.  I haven't chosen a definitive career path yet, but I hope that when I do, it's something I'm passionate about.  I hope that I will be brave enough to choose the right path even if it isn't the easiest route.

Sweet Home Waimanalo

Mmmm!  I give Sweet Home Waimanalo a thumbs up.  They are really doing a great thing over there, and I would like to thank them again for allowing our class to tour the restaurant and farm, and for a delicious dinner.  You can truly taste the love put into their food, and it's really cool that this place is self-sustainable!  It's kind of ironic that the location is right across from McDonalds, though.  Hmm. I definitely need to bring my family over there some time.  :)

Makua Valley

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to take a tour of Makua Valley.  This usually wouldn't be possible because it is off-limits to the public for hazardous purposes.  If you take the time to really look at the valley, you can see just how amazing it is.  It's a kind of beauty that no man could ever create.

It's sad that they abused this land, and now the consequences are that it is closed off to the public.  I hope that one day, the land will be restored and safe to walk upon again.  I hope the military will no longer use the valley for target practice.  This place has historical and sentimental value to the Hawaiian people, and I think it's only fair that the land of their ancestors is given back.

I've driven through Waianae and Makaha before, and until now, I never really noticed how rich their scenery is and could be.  I usually only payed attention to the tents lining the beach and the beaten down homes.  Once again I am given a new perspective, and for that I am grateful.

180° South

I had heard about this movie prior to watching it, and now I wish I had watched it sooner.  It was beautifully made and the message behind it was far greater than I expected.  It reminded me of an episode of “Planet Earth” about conservation; I believe it's called Planet Earth: The Future.  I think that would be a good video to share with the class.  

Our world is becoming so technology-dependent and industrialized that we are beginning to leave little room for the simplicities of life.  We are forgetting what life is truly about, as we live day-by-day virtually getting lost in routine.   We are developing on land that houses thousands, perhaps even millions of animals, who are being forced to move or live among us.

While watching this movie, I realized that I had almost forgot how beautiful the world is.  We are over-producing, over-developing, and essentially over-using our resources.  I fear that the generations to come will be faced with the consequences of our actions.  My greatest fear is that in the future, tigers and elephants will only exist to people in books.  I hope that day never comes.  I hope we can make a change in the way we live, in the way we view life; however, this is easier said than done.  One quote that stuck out to me the most in this film was that it is far harder to simplify your life, than it is to make it complex, but don't we owe this world, at the very least, our effort?  I hope so.

I'd like to end this post with a clip from the show "Planet Earth."

An Experience

After attending the field trip to Mokauea Island,  I was struck by a feeling of satisfaction with myself.  We were able to help in cleaning up the island, as well as participate in a very different way of life.  The people who call this island home have a contentment about them that I envy.  They seem to take pleasure in the simplicities that life has to offer, and they are able to use what nature is able to provide them, while giving back to the island as well.  They manage their resources and it’s obvious that they truly appreciate what they have.  They, in my opinion, are the epitome of self-sustaining.

It was a very cool experience to be able to be a part of this, if only for a short while.  I would definitely love to come back again.  Not only were we able to help restore the island, but we were able to learn about the island’s history.  I’m so glad that the island was given back to its people because the government really had no right to take away and virtually destroy this land.  I feel that if people were to stop viewing land as just something they can purchase—something that is to be owned—and began viewing it for what it truly is—a gift, a valuable resource that needs to be savored—this world would be a better place.

A New Perspective

Our last guest speaker, Ramsay, started off his presentation with a little experiment on perspective.  He showed us a picture of a square with several smaller squares inside.  He asked us how many squares we saw.  There were many different answers, all of which were correct depending on how you looked at it.  The point of the experiment was to open up our minds to realize that for every thing, every situation, there are many perspectives. There is more than one way to look at it.  This really got me thinking.

I drive on the H3 twice a week to go to school.  When I'm driving, all I see is a road.  For the people who worked endless years on this dangerous freeway, I'm sure they look at the H3 and see accomplishment, success.  We may pass by a random house and think house, while the owner passes by thinking home.  We pass by trees and never take the time to notice the complexity of them, while a botanist may see a tree and think roots, bark, trunk, leaves, crown.  Even the saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure," really shows that it's all in the way we perceive things.  I'm not sure if I'm making any sense, but I'm still trying to wrap my brain around this entire concept. 

I think this is the reason why art is so fascinating--for every painting, there are so many ways to look at it.  The meaning of the painting to the artist may be very different than to each viewer.

What do you see?