“If I had 10 coconut palms I wouldn’t need anything else”, said my Filipino friend. “I could eat, drink, build a house, dress myself, make tools. All from the coconut palms!” I could totally see his point of view. Bedouins in the Sahara desert relate the same way to date palms. The simple artifacts made from natural materials that we display in museums and show off to our guests, are mundane everyday utensils in the rest of the world.
The Scarlet Macaw was on the brink of extinction in Costa Rica due to loss of habitat, over hunting and other human activities. Serious conservation efforts were put in place to save the species. More almond trees were planted (the bird's favorite tree) among other efforts. After many years, scarlet macaws can now be seen flying and adorning the skies with their beauty, sounds and, in these videos, courtship rituals...
“What would you like to tell your parents?” When I got this question in “Big Talk Game”*, my Mom came to mind. She was a woman of few words. As her daughter, the few words I got were motherly in nature; checking on my wellbeing, giving advice, family news, health tips (she was a medical doctor)…etc. Not once did she volunteer to talk about herself. By the time I wanted to record her story, dementia was setting in. I would’ve loved to tell my mother:”Who were you before you became a mother?”