World Habitat Day happens the first Monday of every October and it’s a day to reflect on the state of our towns and cities. It’s also a time to remind the world that we all have responsibility in shaping the future of our cities and towns. FYI, this year’s focus is on Urban Mobility – … Continue reading Cities are good for you
Tag: environment
No snow = no skiing
You can’t be in Switzerland without going skiing. That’s what I’ve been telling myself for the past few months, but when it hasn’t snowed for over 5 weeks, it’s hardly tempting to go up to the mountains. But then again there are other reasons to get out to the mountains… three things come to mind … Continue reading No snow = no skiing
Winter’s early arrival
Geneva is covered in snow. Starting last weekend and continuing to today, Geneva is being blanketed with snow. From yesterday’s prediction of 20cm to today’s latest dump, there’s probably about 50cm on the ground. As people keep telling me, it’s abnormal for Geneva, which sits in a valley, to get such a big dump of … Continue reading Winter’s early arrival
RGB… and all the colors in between
Fall (aka autumn) is a beautiful time of the year… colors are changing, temperatures are dipping, and the air smells different. It’s been a while since I’ve really experienced a fall, and the up-coming winter for that matter. The hardest part of it all is trying to get accustomed to the cold weather – in … Continue reading RGB… and all the colors in between
Two thumbs up for Megaria
From stores and vendors selling rows and rows of pirated CDs and DVDs, art-house movie groups, to luxurious and plush movie theatres, you can watch just about any movie in Jakarta – although I have a feeling there’s a bit of censorship around. Cheap, air-conditioned, and comfortable, going to the movie theatre is an inexpensive … Continue reading Two thumbs up for Megaria
“Hiking” through Manhattan
Because we wanted to get out and do some walking – a great way to see NYC by the way – and to meet some new people, Muriel and I joined a walk, or as our guide Dorian told us, an “urban hike”. I’ve been on hikes through the countryside and around islands before, so … Continue reading “Hiking” through Manhattan
Environment Logo
I was approached by the Environment Unit of the United Nations Development Programme in Timor-Leste to help design a logo for a newsletter that the Unit was producing. The purpose of the newsletter was to highlight current environment initiatives taking place in the country, as well as a way to educate readers about environmental issues … Continue reading Environment Logo
Watch your step.
April 22 is Earth Day. From last month’s EarthHour to this month’s Earth Day, there seems to be a lot of events on the environment. I get HBO, and even they are advertising about Earth Day. From what I saw, they’re going to be showing the “11th Hour“, a 2007 movie about looking at the … Continue reading Watch your step.
A-T-A-U-R-O
An hour and a half by speed boat (or a 2+ hour ferry ride) north of Dili brings you to Atauro Island. The island can literally be seen from the shores of Dili, yet the island is miles away in terms of activities and development. If the hustle and bustle of Dili is like a … Continue reading A-T-A-U-R-O
Breathing in Baucau
Had a chance to get out of Dili last weekend and visit the second largest city in Timor-Leste. Compared to Dili, Baucau is a sleepy town about 120km east of the capital city. From what we saw, there isn’t much going on in the town, so you can guess how it is in even smaller … Continue reading Breathing in Baucau