my aim is learning and sharing what I encounter to help inspire and grow myself and others.
ღ Beautiful. Real talk. Yuwipi is going to heal the planet ॐ
Download Aloha Ke Akua for free here: http://www.nahko.com
Lyrics:
Lend your ears, lend your hands, Lend your movement, anything you can. Come to teach, come to be taught. Come in the likeness in the image of God. Cause, you can be like that. With all that humbleness, and all that respect.
All of the power invested in me, be it hard to love my enemies. All of the black bags over the heads of the dead and dying.
The more I understand about the human race, the less I comprehend about our purpose and place and maybe if there was a clearer line the curiosity would satisfy.
Time based prophecies that kept me from living, in the moment I am struggling to trust the divinity of all the gods and what the hell they have planned for us.
I cry for the creatures who get left behind but everything will change in a blink of an eye and if you wish to survive, you will find the guide inside.
I go back and forth every single day, the clarity that comes to me in a choppy way, as the feelings and the places and the seasons change, the galaxies remain.
Energy fields cone the body in space. The angels that are coming from a spiritual waste. The hate that gets me distant from my spiritual pace. Ten fold the manna when the planets are in place, in polar alignment. We’re on assignment. Bodies on consignment. Return them to the circus.
And what is the purpose? What is the purpose and would you believe it? Would you believe it if you knew what you were for and how you became so informed?
Bodies of info performing such miracles. I am a miracle made up of particles and in this existence, I’ll stay persistent, and I’ll make a difference and I will have lived it.
Aloha, Aloha Ke Akua, Ke Akua, Aloha, Aloha, Kuleana, Kuleana. Aloha, Aloha Ke Akua, Ke Akua, Aloha, Aloha, Kuleana, Kuleana.
Each day that I wake, I will praise, I will praise. Each day that I wake, I give thanks, I give thanks. Each day that I wake, I will praise, I will praise. Each day that I wake, I give thanks, I give thanks.
And the day that I don’t wake up and transcend the holy make-up, I am capable, I am powerful. And the day that I don’t wake up and transcend the holy makeup, I am on my way to a different place….
I’m not a leader, just a creature, seeking the features of a teacher. Whether you follow or whether you lead All mysterious ways of nature and I’m into it. Changing management.
And there are various ways to conquer this monotonous metropolis, my stubbornness is bottomless, my fearlessness is talking shit and I’m wide awake and I’m taking names.
I am not a leader, just a creature. Seeking the features of a teacher. Whether you follow or whether you lead All mysterious ways of nature and I’m into it. I’m into it. Changing management.
And there are various ways to conquer this monotonous metropolis, my stubbornness is bottomless, my fearlessness is talking shit and I am wide awake. And I’m taking names.
And there are various ways to conquer this monotonous metropolis, my stubbornness is bottomless, my fearlessness is talking shit, and I’m wide awake and I’m taking names.
Do you speak to me like you speak to God? All of the love and understanding between the father and the son? Do you believe in the perfectness of where you are? These are my people, these are my children, this is the land that I would fight for.
My solidarity is telling me to patiently be moving the musical medicine around the planet in a hurry, Cuz there’s no time to waste. Got to wake up the people time to stand up and say, we know what we are for and how we became so informed. Bodies of info, performing such miracles. I am a miracle, made up of particles and in this existence, I’ll stay persistent and I’ll make a difference and I will have lived it. ……..
Aloha, Aloha Ke Akua, Ke Akua, Aloha, Aloha, Kuleana, Kuleana. Aloha, Aloha Ke Akua, Ke Akua, Aloha, Aloha, Kuleana, Kuleana.
Each day that I wake, I will praise, I will praise. Each day that I wake, I give thanks, I give thanks. Each day that I wake, I will praise, I will praise. Each day that I wake, I give thanks, I give thanks.
And the day that I don’t wake up and transcend the holy make-up, I am capable, Hm that’s right, I am powerful. And the day that I don’t wake up and transcend the holy make-up, I am on my way to a different place!
Aloha, Aloha Ke Akua, Ke Akua, Aloha, Aloha, Kuleana, Kuleana. Aloha, Aloha Ke Akua, Ke Akua, Aloha, Aloha, Kuleana, Kuleana.
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This is an unofficial video I made for the enjoyment of the people ღ Thank you.
-Nino (SailinJerry)
I’d been warned the day would dawn when my sweet, tractable daughter would become a Terrible Two. And still this entirely predictable thing broadsided me, because in the beginning she was mine—as much a part of my body, literally, as my own arms and legs. The milk I drank knit her bones in place, and her hiccups jarred me awake at night. Children come to us as a dramatic coup of the body’s fine inner will, and the process of sorting out “self” from “other” is so gradual as to be invisible to a mother’s naked soul. In our hearts, we can’t expect one of our own limbs to stand up one day and announce it’s own agenda. It’s too much like a Stephen King novel.
The above is from an essay out of High Tide in Tucson: Essays from Now or Never. The essay, entitled “Civil Disobedience”, starts like this:
I have a child who was born with the gift of focus, inclined to excel at whatever she earnestly pursues. Soon after her second birthday she turned to the earnest pursuit of languor, and shot straight through the ranks to world-class dawdler. I thought it might be my death.
I had started the book after my Fox had finished reading and enjoying it. She knew I’d find a compatriot in thought re: Kingsolver. She was right (as per usual).
Before leaving for Perú to see family and collect my things left behind from my prior adventures (see Pedalong for deeper detail on said adventuras), I had finished 8 of her 27 essays.
After enriching visits with loved ones, and hysterically laugh-filled outings and innings, we pack our belongings and returned to the states. Arriving at LAX on separate flights in the madrugada of Mother’s Day, my twin-soul and my two mothers swooped in to take me home.
Arriving home around 3AM, we embraced the ecstasy that is our bed (go IKEA!) and fell into a much needed and restful (albeit truncated) sleep.
Six AM sunlight, birds honoring the dawn, and life’s pageantry projected me, full-force, into our homestead reunion. I tackled our external sphere while Fox melded our items and dialed in our internal space.
Traditional bathroom reading brought me back in touch with Barbara. I linger certainly longer than to be expected, but our throne is a comfortable one.
During our trip to the southern hemisphere, Kingsolver’s essays would ping through me and help me color in life’s lines. On our drive south from LAX to Escondido, I knew that I wanted to share my experience and knowledge of her book with my tribe in honor of Mother’s Day (Día de la Madre). Exhaustion and a multitude of tasks sidetracked those plans (we also had much to do to ready ourselves, and our son, for Mommajuana and Papa Bear’s afternoon visit).
The pause was not for naught. For, after finishing her hilarious essay regarding gym memberships, I came across Civil Disobedience. It took only the first paragraph to realize that this was what this piece would be about and honor.
Today, now being the 13th of May, 2013 (which also happens to be the zero anniversary of Fox and my wedding day), I finally have the bandwidth, time, and recent reflections to share everything I have with you thus far.
I encourage you to find Kingsolver’s book in the manner that fits you. Not only for mother’s, this book is an illuminating, entertaining, and poetic journey of thought over our cultural and social landscape as Americans.
My love for everyone, especially las Madres, on a day that continues to be echoing and manifesting light for our small clan and reaching toward yours, and yours, and…
yours.
xo,
Tigre
eco > ego
During my second trip to South America, I was in need of a useful architecture layout program. I wanted the program to fit in with my current design workflow.
I knew that there existed a plugin tool for Adobe Illustrator so I searched, on a very slow Pucallpa internet connection, for “illustrator architecture plugin.”
What I found was Hot Doors CADtools. I would be able to use a program I am fluent in and not have the learning curve hurdles of grasping at another program.
My only catch? I was dirt poor and volunteering on permaculture farms. I wanted to lend my design and computer skills to the farms I was working on and this program would be very helpful in translating ideas to reality.
I messaged, out of an off-shot chance, to see if the nice people at Hot Doors would donate a license to my endeavors. To my pleasant surprise, I received an email back within the day. They said, “Yes!”
Garry sent me a license for CS5 (version 7) and I promptly installed it.
Using CADtools
I was shocked at the robustness of the tools available with the plugin. I was hoping for immediate utility, but had to start with the Read Me file to get a handle on how the plugin functioned.
After a stint of reading, testing/trying, I felt confident enough to begin my first drawing of a proposed invernadero (greenhouse) for RECOVER Perú.
I had wanted the drawing process to go a little faster, but accepted that some learning curve was inevitable. As had more time with the toolset, I began to find my flow and was able to create drawings faster with repetition.
I really appreciate the scale function CADtools has for maintaining drawing accuracy (something very lacking in Illustrator), and the dimension tool. The other great feature for me is that I don’t have to run a Windows emulator to use AutoCAD or other Windows-only application.
Hot Doors also kindly upgraded my license to version 8 which I’ll be testing out for any future design projects for Acaté Amazon Conservation which is doing very important work with the Matsés tribe in northern Peru’s Amazon basin.
Other Drawings
In addition to the invernadero, I also drew up a cob oven cross-section for a client, a simple worm bin, and a composting toilet for use in the Amazon.
And here is the cob oven illustration, re-worked, after I completed the oven. I had a long layover in Lima, Perú and spent the time making this. I appreciate the ability to apply Illustrator’s graphical treatments while maintaining the CAD control that CADtools offers.
You can read more about the projects—worm bin, composting toilet, and cob (or earthen) oven.
Feel free to use/improve any of the drawings below for your own design projects!
Jungle Toilets
During my volunteer time at Eco Ola I noticed that Rider’s model farm needed some important sanitary upgrades.
The only “toilet” available was a short walk to a area of scrub brush where the family squatted and relieved themselves. I never saw them dig any holes for their excrement and toilet paper was usually left in place. Sometimes, from my own trips back there for relief, I noticed that some of the organic matter would cover the drop spot.
Being the model farm for Eco Ola, I knew that it was important that we addressed the hygiene angle, and would provide a working example that others in the community of Mazán could emulate.
Composting Toilet Time
Getting started on the toilet took some time. I had many other tasks that needed attention before I could undertake designing and implementing a dry compost toilet for Rider, his family, and the workers on the farm.
I wanted to keep the design simple and accessible for the community. I only used materials that I could source from the jungle or from Iquitos.
Being a humid tropical environment called for me separating the liquid waste from the solids. I also wanted to separate the outputs so that they could be used to their greatest effect in creating compost for the farm.
Urine is almost a 1:1 nitrogen ratio, so, it’s best to capture it and use it in a controlled manner when creating compost. Also, it’s very benign (minus any pharmaceutical-ized urine) and doesn’t carry the same pathogens as stool does.
The toilet uses sawdust to cover up the feces after defecation and adding urine to the mix would limit the effectiveness for masking odors and soaking up moisture present in the feces.
Two Chambers
I could’ve constructed a simple bucket toilet which would be easier to construct for the majority of residents, but being on a farm and lacking organic fertilizers, I wanted to return that rich waste into the food production stream.
I also wanted to limit the amount of handling of the wastes. A 5-gallon bucket fills up fast. If the family, volunteers, and workers were to use the toilet then the buckets would be brimming quickly.
By using a chamber design we allow the feces to collect until the chamber is full. If we only had one chamber, we’d have to remove the excrement and sawdust immediately after filling it in order to continue use. The stool would also be excessively fresh towards the top and could potentially increase potential for contamination.
Two chambers allows users to use one side while the other matures and composts. I designed the chambers to accept a large amount of waste before needing to be switched.
Once matured over a 2-3 month period (or shorter depending on usage) the excrement and sawdust ‘cake’ can be removed and transported to another area for further composting. You want to place your final composting pile away from water sources or streams/rivers/water tables to avoid contamination.
There is a ton of literature and information regarding humanure and composting toilets, so exercise your due diligence before undertaking your own composting toilet.
Tropical Thoughts
Given the high humidity and temperatures of the jungle, I wanted the bathroom experience to be an enjoyable one.
I purchased PVC tubing to vent off any odors not absorbed by the saw dust. I also wanted the toilet to be off the ground to increase ventilation and catch potential breezes. The elevated height also meant easier excavation of the humanure and a pretty view of the jungle.
We could’ve added mosquito mesh around the area, but due to cost concerns, decided to wait on that luxury upgrade. I did make the roof fairly tall to ensure that the bathroom wasn’t a humid closet. Due to the elevation and location, we were able to build a half-wall for the door that allows the sitter to have an unobstructed view of the trees. I made sure that any peeping Toms would be foiled and to ensure privacy.
One addition that I enjoy is adding a urinal on the side for the men. Like I mentioned before, urine is a nutrient-rich waste that can be used for compost. So, if any man (or woman if they want a challenge) can urinate in a stall on the lower side of the toilet and collect their urine for use. Personally, I just find a nearby coconut, banana or palm tree and urinate on that since they are heavy nitrogen feeders.
Things Done Differently
Overall the toilet came together quite well. Sadly, I’ve yet to see it’s finished state or how the fronds look installed on the roof.
While I enjoy using wood destined for scrap, sometimes, for longevity and speed of building, new/fresh wood would make the job easier. I would also locate the outhouse closer to the final compost area to reduce transportation distance and potential for contamination.
The location of the current outhouse is about fifty feet from the fish pond; double the distance is much better. One way to limit the potential for run off is to capture it in swales parallel to the hill and plant vegetation that can filter and clean out any contaminants before it reaches the pond or other water ways.
Hopefully the community in Mazán is able to visit Rider’s farm and see how a composting toilet is improving their standard of living and providing them rich nutrients to feed their farm.
See all the photos of the composting toilet here
