Cultureight Travel - Philippine culture adventure eco-tourism

Mahal na Araw - Philippine Traditions

tams — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:19:34 +0000

by Ann Tatoy

The Philippines is a nation that greatly values religious traditions, and
one of the most important Catholic festivals in the country is the Holy Week
or Mahal na Araw. It is a week long period in which several practices are
done in different parts of the country in remembrance of the passion and
death of Jesus Christ.

I grew up in Malibay, a barangay in Pasay City. Here in this small
community, they celebrate Mahal na Araw in total solemnity and many rituals.
I still remember how people here observe this long week religious festival.

The celebration begins on the morning of Palm Sunday where people go to
church and bring palms to be blessed by the priest. These blessed palms,
believed to ward off evil (according to the elders) will then be placed on
the windows or doors of the houses. Then on the evening of Palm Sunday,
people rush to the plaza to watch the Senakulo, a play about
Christ’s life and passion. Many families during Holy Week hold a Pabasa (a chanting of
the Pasyon or the narrative text about the suffering, death and resurrection
of Jesus) in their houses. Families who host the pabasa prepare food for
anybody who would come to sing the Pasyon.

In our family, we usually hold
Pabasa on Holy Monday until Tuesday. It was a 24-hour ritual with no rest in
between. As a child, I enjoyed listening to the different melodies of the
Pasyon. Sometimes, it would sound somber, sometimes joyful, sometimes
monotone. During Holy Wednesday, there is a Kumpisalang Bayan in the Church
or mass confession of Catholics. On Maundy Thursday, people in the
church are very busy preparing for the Mass commemorating the Last Supper.

This is my busiest day during Holy Week because our choir (where I sing) is
in charge of singing during the mass. Although it starts in the afternoon
(around 4 p.m.), we go to the church as early as 7 am to practice not just
the songs but also to prepare for the other rituals such as the reenactment
of the Washing of the Feet. After the Mass, groups of people, usually
barkadas, families, organizations will start their Visita Iglesia (Visiting
several churches) and perform the Stations of the Cross (a prayer ritual).

In the morning of Good Friday, the streets of Malibay would become crowded and
busy as people including foreigners, gather to watch the Penitensya or
self-flagellation. Men walk down the streets without shirt, whipping their
own backs with bamboo sticks till blood is drawn and flesh is torn. They do
this as an expression of penance. A lot of people especially the priests
do not favor this act, but it is still being practiced here because it is
part of our culture.

At 12:00 noon, we go to the church to listen and
reflect on the Seven Last Words. This will end at 3 pm in the
afternoon, the time of death of Christ and will be followed by the
Veneration of the Cross where people actually kiss the Cross. Good Friday
ends with a procession. Black Saturday is usually quiet. The activity
starts in the evening, where people participate in the Easter Vigil Mass.
It starts at around 9 p.m. and ends at 12 midnight. At the beginning of the
Mass, all lights are turned off. People are just holding candles. It is
during this time that the priest blesses the paschal candle and the water.

Unlike the usual mass, there are many scripture readings and psalms being
sung during the Vigil. And when it comes to the part of the Gloria, all the
lights will be turned on and people will sing a joyous song chanting the
Resurrection of Christ Jesus. At 4 am, there is a Salubong. This is done in
a procession where the men and women are separated and coming from different
directions. But they eventually meet in front of the church. There are
“angels” (little girls) who remove the lambong (veil of mourning) of the
Blessed Mother shortly after processions, signifying the resurrection of
Jesus. After this, the parishioners will gather to eat lugaw, pandesal and
other foods prepared by the Church’s staff. It is like a fiesta. Everyone
seems very happy and renewed. Until now, despite the many developments in
this barangay called Malibay, these traditions and rituals are still being
practiced and observed.

I left Malibay when I got married. And during Holy Week, I can’t help but
miss this place.

Photo credits:

Holy Week Lenten Pabasa in GenSan - GenSan News Online Mag
Video credit:
cardonainaction of youtube
Thinking where the book pabasa come from? Read it here.

All About Eco-tourism

tams — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:59:27 +0000

We say it often. In fact, we claim to be the pioneer ecotourism proponent in the Philippines, but what exactly do we mean by it?

Ecotourism or ecological tourism is responsible travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas. In Cultureight Travel lingo, it’s our un-touristy thrust.

Trips are made to be low impact and small scale as much as possible. This way, each traveler is given much exposure and education about the community visited. Carbon footprint is also minimized, if at all removed. Essentially, ecotourism also provides funds for conservation if not directly benefiting the development and empowerment of local communities and fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights.

Importance of Ecotourism
The state of our environment is fast becoming unbearable to our detriment. Ecotourism is a way of ensuring future generations can experience the wonderful environment we have today. With the greater goal that our habits and lifestyle can change until we become careful guardians of the resources around us. Or, that last part is just us.

Who is it for

Ecotourism appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals. Generally speaking, it focuses on volunteering, personal growth and learning new ways to live on the planet. It typically involves travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Ecotourism is a conceptual experience, enriching those who delve into researching and understanding the environment around them. It gives us insight into our impacts as human beings and also a greater appreciation of our own natural habitats. So in a sense, it gives traveling a whole new dimension - putting a bigger heart and soul into it.

Effects of Ecotourism

Responsible ecotourism has these impact:

Environment

With programs that minimize negative effects of conventional tourism on the environment, ecotourism has the environment - which characteristically involves the community, animals and plant world - at the center. It promotes recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation as well as creation of economic opportunities for the local communities. That’s why we at Cultureight Travel support local guides and establishments, because we believe that doing so would create less environmental damage and would further promote self-sufficiency to the communities we visit.

Cultural

Ecotourism enhances cultural integrity of local people. We believe that tourism is based primarily on culture, all else takes second place - peace and order, natural wonders or if people know how to speak English. When people are proud of their culture, others are attracted to where the pride comes from. So they check out the place.

Economic

Ecotourism vs. Sports Tourism vs. Adventure Tourism
These three categories, being specialized types of tourism share common characteristics though they are distinct from each other. Sports tourism involves sports, either through direct or indirect participation of it. Adventure tourism covers activities that are adrenaline pumping. Sometimes though, these three could be all in one trip.

Voluntourism – Sometimes controversial, voluntourism is defined by voluntourism.org as: the conscious, seamlessly integrated combination of voluntary service to a destination and the best, traditional elements of travel — arts, culture, geography, history and recreation — in that destination.

Responsible tourism – Often used interchangeably with sustainable or socially conscious tourism, responsible tourism does not have a firm definition and can therefore be used for many types of travel that may or may not be comprehensive in their efforts at “responsibility.”

How Filipinos can benefit from Ecotourism
With a rich cultural heritage and more than 7,100 islands, the Philippines stands a great profit from ecotourism. Being a tropical country, it is home to a great number of endemic flora and fauna species. Plus, the classification of being in a third world country means sustainable tourism is imperative.

It is our greatest hopes that this year, the Philippines may grow more in promoting and practicing ecotourism. We at Cultureight Travel will be at the forefront. Travel with us wisely.

Credits
This article draws much input from an article written by Carolyn Wild, an ecotourism consultant based in Canada. She is a member of TIES (The International Ecotourism Society) board of directors. She is currently working on an ecotourism project with Aboriginal Elders in Manitoba.

Glossary of Environment, Ecology terms

tams — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:36:05 +0000

As we go about searching about our environment and ways to use it well, we are sharing with you a vocabulary of popular words you may hear often but never really bothered to know what they truly mean. Here they are, in a very scientific tone.

Acid rain

Atmospheric gases primarily carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides produce acids that once they come in contact with water in the atmosphere or on the ground are chemically converted to acidic substances. Oxidants play a major role in several of these acid-forming processes. Carbon dioxide dissolved in rain is converted to a weak acid (carbonic acid). Other gases, primarily oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, are converted to strong acids (sulfuric and nitric acids).

Although rain is naturally slightly acidic because of carbon dioxide, natural emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and certain organic acids, human activities can make it much more acidic. Occasional pH readings of well below 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) have been reported in industrialized areas.

The principal natural phenomena that contribute acid-producing gases to the atmosphere are emissions from volcanoes and from biological processes that occur on the land, in wetlands, and in the oceans. The effects of acidic deposits have been detected in glacial ice thousands of years old in remote parts of the globe. Principal human sources are industrial and power-generating plants and transportation vehicles. The gases may be carried hundreds of miles in the atmosphere before they are converted to acids and deposited.

Since the industrial revolution, emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere have increased. Industrial and energy-generating facilities that burn fossil fuels, primarily coal, are the principal sources of increased sulfur oxides. These sources, plus the transportation sector, are the major originators of increased nitrogen oxides.

The problem of acid rain not only has increased with population and industrial growth, it has become more widespread. The use of tall smokestacks to reduce local pollution has contributed to the spread of acid rain by releasing gases into regional atmospheric circulation. The same remote glaciers that provide evidence of natural variability in acidic deposition show, in their more recently formed layers, the increased deposition caused by human activity during the past half century.

Air pollution

is the existence of substances in concentrations that are determined unacceptable in the air. Contaminants in the air we breathe come mainly from manufacturing industries, electric power plants, automobiles, buses, and trucks.

Aquifer

is the layer of water-bearing permeable rock, sand, or gravel capable of providing significant amounts of water.

Atmosphere

is the the air surrounding the Earth, described as a series of shells or layers of different characteristics. The atmosphere, composed mainly of nitrogen and oxygen with traces of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases, acts as a buffer between Earth and the sun. The layers, troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and the exosphere, vary around the globe and in response to seasonal changes.

Troposphere stems from the Greek word tropos, which means turning or mixing. The troposphere is the lowest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere, extending to a height of 8-15 km, depending on latitude. This region, constantly in motion, is the most dense layer of the atmosphere and the region that essentially contains all of Earth’s weather. Molecules of nitrogen and oxygen compose the bulk of the troposphere.

The tropopause marks the limit of the troposphere and the beginning of the stratosphere. The temperature above the tropopause increases slowly with height up to about 50 km.

The stratosphere and stratopause stretch above the troposphere to a height of 50 km. It is a region of intense interactions among radiative, dynamical, and chemical processes, in which horizontal mixing of gaseous components proceeds much more rapidly that vertical mixing. The stratosphere is warmer than the upper troposphere, primarily because of a stratospheric ozone layer that absorbs solar ultraviolet energy.

The mesosphere, 50 to 80 km above the Earth, has diminished ozone concentration and radiative cooling becomes relatively more important. The temperature begins to decline again (as it does in the troposphere) with altitude. Temperatures in the upper mesosphere fall to -70 degrees to -140 degrees Celsius, depending upon latitude and season. Millions of meteors burn up daily in the mesosphere as a result of collisions with some of the billions of gas particles contained in that layer. The collisions create enough heat to burn the falling objects long before they reach the ground.

The stratosphere and mesosphere are referred to as the middle atmosphere. The mesopause, at an altitude of about 80 km, separates the mesosphere from the thermosphere–the outermost layer of the Earth’s atmosphere.

The thermosphere, from the Greek thermo for heat, begins about 80 km above the Earth. At these high altitudes, the residual atmospheric gases sort into strata according to molecular mass. Thermospheric temperatures increase with altitude due to absorption of highly energetic solar radiation by the small amount of residual oxygen still present. Temperatures can rise to 2,000 degrees C. Radiation causes the scattered air particles in this layer to become charged electrically, enabling radio waves to bounce off and be received beyond the horizon. At the exosphere, beginning at 500 to 1,000 km above the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere blends into space. The few particles of gas here can reach 4,500 degrees F (2,500 degrees C) during the day.

Resources:
Children of the Earth

Feel free to send us your inputs.

Filipino Salawikain

tams — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:46:05 +0000

Passed on from generations to generations, with versions and translations varying from one region to another, Filipino proverbs or salawikain, reflect traditional Filipino beliefs, and customs. The wisdom it gives are encapsulated in short rhyming two-liners easy to remember.

My lola (grandmother) would use it while conversing with her peers. Or sometimes, to summarize her opinion. I never realized that they are nuggets of wisdom then. Glad I heard them often, and can now use it with ease and appropriateness.

Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.
Mercy resides in God; deeds are in men.

Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika, daig pa ang malangsang isda.
- Jose Rizal
He who does not love the national language is worse than a smelly fish.

Ang bayaning nasusugatan, nagiibayo ang tapang.

A patriot who is wounded becomes more courageous.

Matibay ang walis, palibhasa’y magkabigkis.
A broom is sturdy because its strands are tightly bound.

Sa taong walang takot, walang mataas na bakod.
To a fearless person, no fence is high enough.

Kung ano ang puno, siya ang bunga.
Whatever the tree, so is the fruit.

Kung walang tiyaga, walang nilaga.
If you don’t persevere, you can expect no reward.

Kung may tinanim, may aanihin.
If you plant, you will harvest.

Huli man daw at magaling, naihahabol din.
It is never too late to offer anything that is good.

Ang taong walang kibo, nasa loob ang kulo.
A person who is outwardly calm has anger raging inside.

Kapag apaw na ang takalan, kailangan kalusan.
When the pot runs over, you need to spill some.

Kung di ukol, di bubukol.
If it is meant to be, it will never happen.

Habang maikli ang kumot, matutong mamaluktot.
When the sheets are short, one needs to make do.

Ang magalang na sagot, nakakapawi ng pagod.
A respectful retort wipes away weariness.

Ubos-ubos biyaya, pagkatapos nakatunganga.
Spend lavishly and you end up with nothing.

Ang gawa sa pagkabata, dala hanggang pagtanda.
What one learns in childhood he carries into adulthood.

Kung sino ang masalita ay siyang kulang sa gawa.
Whoever talks much never does much.

Daig ng maagap ang taong masipag.
The early bird beats the industrious person.

Walang naninira sa bakal kundi sariling kalawang.
Nothing destroys iron but its own corrosion.

Walang lumura sa langit na di sa kanyang mukha nagbalik.

Nobody who spits upward does not spit on his face.

Ang maniwala sa sabi-sabi, walang bait sa sarili.
One who believes in gossip has no self-discipline.

Walang ligaya sa lupa na hindi dinilig ng luha.
There is no earthly bliss not watered by tears.

Ang pagsasabi ng tapat ay pagsasamang maluwat.
Forthrightness ensures lasting relationship.

Ang araw bago sumikat nakikita muna’y banaag.
Early dawn precedes sunrise.

Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw may dahilan.
One finds a way, or finds a reason to do something.

Do you have your own salawikain? Send them in now.

tams — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:21:37 +0000

Philippine Fun Facts

tams — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:33:27 +0000

The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,107 islands and a population of over 90 million. These numbers definitely account for some interesting, if not fun facts, about our country as well as who we are. Here, we have gathered them under one file. Feel free to add your inputs and see your profile on it too.

Luzon is the largest island in the archipelago.
The capital of Philippines is Manila and the national language is Filipino. Note this because if you replace the ‘F’ with the ‘P’ you would be pertaining to us - people of the Philippines.
On the islands of Philippines, there are more than 200 volcanoes, though only a few are active. This is because the country belongs to the Ring of Fire, but this doesn’t mean that earthquakes visit us like the morning sun. It’s still rare as finding a real nice guy.
In the Tabon Cave Complex of Philippines, fossil evidence of Homo sapiens has been found. According to the studies, the area was inhabited around 50,000 years ago. We really have a rich heritage and history to unearth.
Mount Apo, at an altitude of 2,954 m, in the island of Mindanao is the highest point in the Philippines.
The people of the Philippines are from different ethnic origins such as Malay, Chinese, Spanish, American, etc.
Its capital city Manila was named after a white-flowered mangrove plant, the nilad or Scyphiphora hydrophyllaces. It is a tree with white star-shaped flowers but yields dark blue dye that’s why in other countries it is called ‘indigo’.

The Philippines was one of Spain’s colony from 1521 to 1898. Subsequently, it went into the hands of the USA.
It was the first Southeast Asian country to gain independence in 1946, following World War II.
The Philippines stretches onto the area of 115,830 square miles, which makes it equal to the size of Italy.
However, the land area of the Philippines is about 1/30th of the U.S.; it has a coastline of 36,289 kilometers while the U.S. coastline is just 19,924 kilometers.
With more than 11 million Filipinos overseas, the Philippines has the largest diaspora networks in the world.
The Philippines is regarded the “text capital of the world”. About 350 to 400 million SMS (Short Message Service) or text messages are sent daily by 35 million cell phone subscribers in the country, which is more than the total daily text messages sent in the U.S. and Europe, together.
The karaoke was invented in the Philippines and not Japan. Karaoke means “singing without accompaniment” in Japanese was invented by Roberto del Rosario. The invention of “Sing-Along-System” was later called karaoke.
Founded in 1595 by Spaniards, the University of San Carlos in Cebu City is older than Harvard and is the oldest university in Asia.
University of Santo Tomas in Manila, established in 1611, is Asia’s second oldest.
What is the world’s 3rd largest English-speaking nation, next to the USA and the UK? The Philippines.
Los Angeles, California was co-founded in 1781 by a Filipino named Antonio Miranda Rodriguez, along with 43 Latinos from Mexico sent by the Spanish government.
What antibiotic did Filipino doctor Abelardo Aguilar co-discover? Hint: Brand is Ilosone, named after Iloilo. Erythromycin.
The first ever international Grandmaster from Asia was Eugenio Torre who won at the Chess Olympiad in Nice, France in 1974.
Who invented the fluorescent lamp? Thomas Edison discovered the electric light and the fluorescent lighting was thought up by Nikola Tesla. But the fluorescent lamp we use today was invented by Agapito Flores (a Cebu man named Benigno Flores of Bantayan Island, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer), a Filipino scientist.
Who is the personal physician of United States Pres. William ‘Bill” Clinton? Eleanor “Connie” Concepcion Mariano, a Filipina doctor who was the youngest captain in the US Navy.
The first Filipino-American in US Congress was Virginia Rep. Robert Cortez-Scott, a Harvard alumnus.
Distinguished British traveler-writer A. Henry Savage Landor, thrilled upon seeing a Bicol landmark in 1903, wrote: “Mayon is the most beautiful mountain I have ever seen, the world-renowned Fujiyama (Mt.Fuji) of Japan sinking into perfect insignificance by comparison.” Mayon has the world’s most perfect cone.
The first female president of the Philippines sworn into office in 1986 was Corazon Cojuangco Aquino.
Who was the first Asian and/or Filipino to snatch America’s Pulitzer Prize? Philippines Herald war journalist Carlos P. Romulo in 1941. He was also the first Asian to become UN President.
Filipino writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French and Chinese. What were his last words? “Consummatum est!” (“It is done!”)
What’s still most impressive to me about the Philippines is the friendliness of the people, their sense of humor…,” wrote Honolulu journalist John Griffin in a 1998 visit to Manila.

References and credits:
Photo of indigo plant from cutelynne of IgoUgo

Soil Paintings with the Talaandig People

tams — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:40:40 +0000

America’s 32nd president Franklin Roosevelt once said that a nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. Rightly so, because out of the soil comes the most nutritious fruits and vegetables as well as the most delicate and fairest flowers and plants. Every nations’ soil is a gift that must be nurtured and treasured.

But did you know that soil can also be used for arts?

The Talaandig, an indigenous people of the Banwaon tribe residing mostly in northern and western Bukidnon, make use of soil for painting.

“We gather soil of different colors and use white glue as paint binder,” Waway Saway, who comes from a family who is behind the Talaandig’s school of living traditions, explained. This technique called soil painting has been practiced by their people although this has just recently been revived in their bid to bring back their living traditions.

The choice of white glue as binder is a practical alternative to the imported commercial binders, which are expensive.

With soil as the medium, their artworks are in tones of browns, reds, and grays of the soil, a soothing tone rendered into pieces of their tribe’s life, beliefs, practices, and their close association with the land.

The soil painting method was introduced by Waway Saway in the Talaandig community around 1995. He trained young artists who have now mastered the art and have participated and won prizes at regional and national painting competitions bringing with them economic benefits from the sales of their art.

The Talaandig soil painting has already gone outside the country. The latest exhibit on the Talaandig soil painting was done in South Korea during the International Book Fair while the earlier one was in the Netherlands. Several Talaandig soil paintings are already available on the web and information about it can be found in the internet.

Waway and his group continue to share the art and techniques in soil painting through small workshops among children and youth in the community. Today, at least, 20 community artists are ready to spearhead in meeting the challenge of producing the Talaandig 1001 Millennium Soil Painting Project.

The Talaandig, through the Indigenous Community Artists of the Talaandig People of Bukidnon with the special participation of children and other indigenous people in Mindanao have an ongoing art project which started October 2009 and will end October of this year at the Talaandig School of Living Traditions at Tulugan, Sungko, Lantapan, Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines. It is formally called the Talaandig 1001 Millenium Soil Painting Project.

The project is a one year production of more than a thousand soil paintings by the Talaandig people of Bukidnon. Paintings will revolve around five identified themes which are:

Stories of creation

Traditional peace pacts

Talaandig epic (“ulaging”) and similar epics of other tribes of Mindanao

Folktales

Issues on land, culture and environment

After the production period, the paintings will be displayed at the Talaandig community, as well as the respective communities where other participants belong to. This way, soil painting is promoted as an artistic and creative medium for cultural awareness, education and preservation of indigenous cultural heritage of the Talaandig People and other tribes of Mindanao. The project also aims to make soil painting as medium for peace campaign and advocacy in Mindanao and around it.

Their official web site further says their goal includes, “developing soil painting as vehicle for cultural understanding and unity among the people in Mindanao and the whole country; and utilizing soil painting as center for the development of a sustainable economic enterprise of the Indigenous Peoples in Mindanao.”

They welcome support but adopts this principle, which we at Cultureight Travel like so much: “The Talaandig 1001 Millennium Soil Painting Project is a self determination project. Its implementation is based on the principle of self governance and self reliance. Sponsorship of the project must be free from any form of control and compulsory requirements that will alter the peoples self determination and cultural sovereignty.”

Their stand regarding accepting help reminds us of bestselling book Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo who radically claimed that foreign aid kills Africa. She further suggests on ways how Africa can form an exit strategy to end its dependence on foreign aid and argues for more innovative ways to finance development including trade with China, accessing the capital markets, and microfinance.

If you are interested to offer voluntary support, please do so by:

Providing materials needed for soil painting (i.e., cloth canvass, paint brushes, gallons of white glue, painting frames, etc.)

Conducting series of soil painting workshops for children

Rallying participation of other indigenous artists in Mindanao

Constructing bamboo shelters for the paintings

Give a monthly stipend of at least Php 1,500 for the participating artists

Sources
Alexander
The Soil Paintings of the Talaandig Artists - Sun Star
Contemporary Cagayan

brochure 2010 image

tams — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:39:47 +0000

brochure

tams — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:34:01 +0000

Brochure 2010

Green Lessons from Avatar

tams — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:39:32 +0000

There’s no doubt that James Cameron’s Avatar is a defining moment of the decade. It has added a new depth and realm to movie making and movie going. This 3d movie is spectacular in effects, the almost three hours running time was not obvious. I now agree with what others told me that after watching the movie, they felt sad that they can’t go to Pandora.

Green All the Way

Pandora really is Eden. It’s all green and luminescent. It’s amazing. And what I felt after watching the movie was that I want to make our world like that too. All these green talk of reuse, reduce and recycle suddenly sound so agreeable to me. In fact, I would like to take it to the next level - be more proactive by planting trees and transforming idle patches of ground I have access to into greenbelts.

Respect Uniqueness

The movie also drives home the lesson of respect for other cultures, especially those far different from what one is used to. It’s human frailty to classify other ways as lower or less sophisticated if it doesn’t conform with what’s popular, but we find here that there is even more beauty to the balance and values the Nav’i tribes have. We were all created unique, and there is a reason for that. No need to blend with what’s popular and copy the No. 1 Supermodel. Get inspired, yes, but always be your own person.

Live Fully

It’s also inspiring to have a fearless spirit like that of Jake Sully. I’m convinced that losses and difficult situations strengthen us. Jake’s physical loss allowed him to embrace Nav’i life, and his no turning back attitude made him bigger than life. I remember the saying, the history of the world is but the biography of great men. Admit it, nobody wants to be mediocre. In our hearts is that longing to be great, wonderful, spectacular, heroic. It’s innate in all of us, and it starts from giving it all.

Don’t be Greedy

Colonel Miles Quaritch is an ideal soldier. His eyes are all focused on the mission, but his single-mindedness is also his downfall. It all became work, mission, salary and therefore he lost respect for life. This is the fault of making work the be all and all of existence. It is good to be enamored with careers, but it must be clear why we work, why we study, why we get into businesses. If our reason is ourselves and not service to our country and countrymen, it will not be fulfilling at all.