Tag Archives: plant

Meet My New Friend, “NeuroSpark”

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I think everyone already got their AI friend – Meta AI. Mine just messaged me a couple of days ago. I nicknamed it “NeuroSpark,” which means igniting insights. It looks like I finally found the friend who got an answer to all of my questions, even the weirdest ones. 😅 Though Meta also has a disclaimer that responses might be inaccurate. Take a look at some of our convos below.

If you plan on dating an introvert/geek, try asking Meta AI for some tips. NeuroSpark’s answers got me so amused though I must admit they all hit the core. Relate much? lol

I still have to do my research if the concept of soulmate or twin flame connection is also biblical.

Technology For Mankind’s Survival

While you can ask Meta AI all sorts of questions, nonsense or not, some of the information can be helpful to jumpstart your research on a particular topic. Right now, I am utilizing NeuroSpark to come up with consolidated ideas when it comes to disaster preparedness. I felt it was about time we maximized what technology can offer us after the onslaught of TS Kristine and Super Typhoon Leon, which left damages and losses on a massive scale.

My only prayer now is that we will continue to look for ways how we can better prepare ourselves against the worsening effects of climate change. Science and technology might be the only options we have right now to increase humanity’s chances of survival. I also hope people will be receptive to every solution that the government and research institutions propose.

Once again, I will emphasize the need for having an Emergency Go Bag or a Bug Out Bag (BOB) for each member of the household. If it is possible, have a Bug Out Vehicle (BOV) as well and a Bug Out Location (BOL). I have been a member of prepper groups since 2018, and I’ve been learning quite a lot from some of the members who have been kind enough to share their knowledge and expertise when it comes to doomsday prepping and survival.

Other essentials in your BOB – the dog tag can be replaced with any ID.
Flints are a lifesaver if you don’t know how to make fire the traditional way using wood or regular stones.

Defense For The Vulnerable

To all the women and parents reading this article, I’d like to encourage you to start educating yourselves and your children when it comes to survival skills because we are the most vulnerable as far as survival is concerned. Men will always fight and defend on the frontlines to protect vulnerable groups in society. Sadly, this is also the reason why there is a high probability of losing a huge number of them, and when there are only a very few of our men left, the women, the elderly, and the children will be left to fend for themselves.

Thus, self-defense techniques and tools are a necessity. If you have the time and the resources to enroll in a self-defense class, the better. I found the tactical pens a more practical alternative than pepper sprays given that you know how to use these pens. I always carry a tactical pen in the bag that I use every day. You can put it in the bag in such a way where that part of the pen that you use for writing is the first thing that you see when you open the zipper and not the sharp edge.

This tactical pen is made from high-grade metal because it’s a bit heavy, which is necessary in applying force when you strike at something.
I bought this kit a couple of years ago, and some preppers consider this as a toy. But in my honest opinion, it is not. I already tested each item at the farm, and so far they are very reliable tools as long as they are utilized according to their intended use.

What I love about the tactical pen is that you can use it to break a glass in case you’re trapped. I already tried it with an empty glass jar, but if it’s going to be a glass window or any thicker glass, it will require a lot of force. The Walking Dead actors just made it look easy for us when stabbing the head and fracturing the skull with a knife. lol But believe me when I say that in actuality, it is not that easy, especially for women. We just don’t have that much strength compared to men unless we’re athletes.

Theory And Application

If you’re wondering how I was able to say this, I experienced cutting a coconut branch using a bolo when we were at the farm. And no, I wasn’t able to cut it on my first try. If you haven’t summed up all the strength you’ve got, you will fail. lol It’s like you have to summon and muster all the anger you have in this world so you have the force to cut just one branch.

Our farm workers also made it look easy for us. That’s why I suggest raw camping for those who would like to try how it feels like to survive in the wild. We have to replicate the wilderness when applying what we learned because that’s exactly what’s going to happen when chaos takes place. It’s important that we not only have the idea on how it’s done but also get to feel how it’s really done.

Here are other possible essentials to consider when preparing:

Use the NOAH app to assess hazards and risks in your area i.e. flooding, storm surges, landslides, etc.
These oversized sako bags are very handy for emergency packing if you need to transfer stuff to an elevated area. But here’s a tip, do not overload it with very heavy stuff because you won’t be able to lift it. Try to balance the items inside the bag from bulky but light stuff to small but heavy items. This bag only costs 150php each.
I am exploring the option of integrating this to a floating dock to prevent the raft from being punctured by sharp, floating debris.
This is the DIY floating dock that I asked NeuroSpark about earlier.

When God Takes Away, He Replaces

My family and I were not exempted from the destruction brought about by TS Kristine – a damaged fence, broken glass doors, damaged crops, and heaps of stuff soaking wet from floodwaters. It took me a week to finish washing them, and we’re still not yet done cleaning even with the help of our yaya.

But I am grateful that these are the only damages we’ve experienced because they could’ve been worse if it was a super typhoon that hit us. It’s like God has shown us the weak spots in the house that need to be modified to be able to adapt to the extreme weather conditions brought about by climate change.

Although I believe God’s ultimate reminder about possessions and material wealth that can be destroyed by calamities and wars is this:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal.” – Matthew 6:19-21

Our baby bunso offered to give me moral support – by sleeping on my newly washed clothes while I’m folding them. Itupi na rin ba kita, Polly? 😅
Our senior Peekah also offered her moral support by sleeping with me anywhere I sleep because we’re not yet done sorting all the clutter. 😀
And then Netflix-ing to also declutter ze mind. lol I just finished watching the Kingdom trilogy – superb fight scenes though nothing beats Rurouni Kenshin still.

The good thing about cleaning up the house after it’s been flooded is you get to unearth a whole lot of memorabilia just in time for the celebration of All Souls Day. I found these old photos again and combined with our recent family photos, we now have five generations of memories to reminisce back home. Thank God the floodwaters didn’t get to them.

Great Grandparents
Great Grandmother, Grandparents, Uncles, & Aunties (Mother Side)
Grandparents
My parents with my grandma, uncles, and aunties.

The Ginete Family Memory Stash
During my eldest sister’s wedding in 2002.
During my brother’s military wedding in 2015.
A special place for Mom at home.
We miss you, Mommy. ❤

Speaking of modifications, it is about time that every structure has to be retrofitted in a manner that will make it calamity-proof. For the new structures, designing them will be a lot easier keeping in mind the examples of structures that were severely impacted and damaged by a particular calamity. And while some would say that planting more trees and mitigating the risks of climate change by natural means is no longer applicable because it’s already too late, I believe it still matters that we keep on trying.

Thanks be to God for taking good care of these flowering trees we planted last year. They are all taller than me already.
Kapag sobrang pagod ka na, ang hirap na mag-smile lalo na kapag nanginginig na mga kalamnan mo. lol So Platypus pose na lang, ‘di na kaya ang “eyyyyy.” 😀 That’s the Palawan Cherry Blossom behind me, btw.
One-year old Fire Tree. This is already a new branch – I think the main trunk was damaged by strong winds last year.
Newly-planted fruit tree back home by my sister and Dad – Calamansi.

And with the help of technology (like NeuroSpark) and prayers, I have high hopes that future generations will be prepared for what is to come. I’m also back in my “womancave” in the city to recharge, strategize, and plan, but I missed last Sunday’s service. So I thought I’d head over Victory BGC’s YouTube channel to watch previous church services, and Pastor Pat’s real talk is just what I needed. I am very much looking forward to the upcoming preaching about the end times. Do watch out for that, too. Let’s make disaster preparation and survival a combination of spiritual and practical applications. 🙏

We trust in You, Lord.

The Fruits of Home

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I am making this blog entry to document the fruit trees/plants we have back home. This is also my way of honoring my grandparents and parents who planted all of them.

I am praying we get to preserve these trees, too, despite the challenges brought about by climate change. So the generations after us can benefit from these fruit trees as well. 🙏

Sorsogon’s Pride: PILI NUT (The mashed pulp is called “tampuyak.” We dip it in soy sauce with calamansi.)
CACAO
POMELO
MAGIC FRUIT (When you eat this and eat any sour food, it becomes sweet. Just like magic. 😅)
BREADFRUIT/UGOB (We also cook the pulp by adding coconut milk, and we serve it as a viand.)
LIMONSITO (Some pastry chefs add the rind on pastries and breads.)
APPLE MANGOES
OTHER FRUITS – Lime, Atis, Guyabano, Rambutan, Papaya, Banana, Santol, Tambis, & Guava
BLACK PEPPER (The QA Specialist cat said it’s good for post-harvest processing already. lol)

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” – Genesis 1:29

Home Is Calling

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My sister who’s in Bicol sent us these beautiful and lovely photos of the bougainvilleas I bought last year as part of our beautification/landscaping project on the farm. 😍 I am so happy that they survived and are thriving well because they’re almost dying when I left.

These bougies didn’t have flowers when I bought them. I just trusted the seller that she’s going to give me the right ones. 😃
And I was surprised that she included a red one. My eldest sister prefers to have this on the farm.

I had to repot them, transfer them to a new location, prune them, and replant the cuttings hoping they will still survive. They haven’t bloomed for a couple of months when I was still there. One of them also had yellow spots on its leaves.

The first location where I placed them is a “dead spot” in our garden. I call it a “dead spot” because it’s in the middle of our backyard, but any plant that we try to grow there just dies. I think we need to conduct a soil analysis in that particular area because even the plants that are very prolific growers become sick.

My guess is that the soil might be contaminated by a toxic chemical that slowly kills the plants. I am just overjoyed to see that the bougies have all recovered. It looks like my sister and the new house help are also doing an excellent job of keeping these plants healthy (thank you, ladies 🥰). And I think Mom is still taking good care of her garden. 😍

Thank God the leaves have finally recovered. 🙏
I plan to transplant them somewhere in the garden when I get back. But this time I am planting them directly on the soil. I just need to find the perfect spot so I can propagate them.

And of course, my sister included a photo of my first baby girl – Peekah. That’s her favorite sleeping position with her tail all curled up to cover her little girl. 😂

I miss you, my Peekahm.

I’ll see you soon my babies and my loves. You just have to wait for me a little bit more. And the biophilia in me also can’t wait to commune with nature for my regular dose of soul therapy. Ah yes, more patience, Tin. Just a little more patience. 🙏

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might.” – Ephesians 6:10

Just the right worship song to prep the soul for Holy Week. Do what your soul tells you to do.🙏

World’s 2nd Hottest Chili Made It To Bicol: HABANERO

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From someone who grew up in the Bicol region here in the Philippines, I can say there’s only one ingredient that’s always present when preparing almost every local dish – chili. It’s no wonder Bicol became famous for its spicy cuisine.

How To Grow Siling Labuyo

The most commonly used type of chili here in Bicol is the Siling Labuyo. We have a lot of these growing anywhere in the garden all year round from bird droppings.

Siling Labuyo Overload

And this made me wonder, do birds have taste buds, too? 🤔 That’s my childlike curiosity asking, but I’m feeling lazy now to research it on Google. So, I leave it be. 😀

“Siling labuyo is a small chili pepper cultivar that developed in the Philippines after the Columbian Exchange. It belongs to the species Capsicum frutescens and is characterized by triangular fruits which grow pointing upwards.[1] The fruits and leaves are used in traditional Philippine cuisine. The fruit is pungent, ranking at 80,000 to 100,000 heat units in the Scoville Scale.[2]

The cultivar name is Tagalog, and literally translates to “wild chili.”[1] It is also known simply as labuyo or labuyo chili.[3] It is also sometimes known as Filipino bird’s eye, to differentiate it from the Thai bird’s eye chili. Both are commonly confused with each other in the Philippines, though they are cultivars of two different species.[4] Siling labuyo is one of two common kinds of local chili found in the Philippines, the other being siling haba (a Capsicum annuum cultivar).[5]

Siling labuyo is generally accepted as the world’s smallest hot pepper, as the fruit often measure a mere 0.20 in (0.51 cm) in length by 0.10 in (0.25 cm) in width.[6]

It is listed in the Ark of Taste international catalog of endangered heritage foods of the Philippines by the Slow Food movement.[7]” – Wikipedia

How To Grow Habanero

Growing Habaneros is fairly easy although you might want to watch out for an aphid infestation because they’re the number one pest of pepper plants. I spray Neem Oil on the plant when I see some aphids starting to gather under the leaves.

First Habanero Fruit

It was my husband who actually planted the Habanero seeds given to him during one of his biking adventures with Bicolano mountain bikers last year. Then I took over taking care of these plants when my husband went to Manila. One thing to note about Habaneros is that they are very resilient.

I accidentally chopped off one of the plants while I was cutting grass around these plants using a lawn mower. lol What happened next was totally unexpected because new shoots came out from the remaining stump, and the plant survived. It is actually now thriving although its fruiting stage is delayed.

For a more comprehensive guide on how to grow Habaneros, you can read this article: “How To Grow Habanero Peppers”.

“The habanero (/ˌ(h)ɑːbəˈnɛəroʊ/; Spanish: [aβaˈneɾo] ⓘ) is a hot variety of chili. Unripe habaneros are green, and they color as they mature. The most common color variants are orange and red, but the fruit may also be white, brown, yellow, green, or purple.[1] Typically, a ripe habanero is 2–6 centimetres (3⁄4–2+1⁄4 inches) long. Habanero chilis are very hot, rated 100,000–350,000 on the Scoville scale.[2] The habanero’s heat, flavor, and floral aroma make it a popular ingredient in hot sauces and other spicy foods.” – Wikipedia

Benefits of Eating Habanero Peppers

I’ve read in some research articles that Habanero peppers contain capsaicin, which can help in treating cancer. Consuming these peppers can also help lower blood cholesterol levels, fight diabetes, and relieve pain.

From my little garden: Oyster Mushroom, Habanero, & Blue Butterfly Pea.

For more information regarding the other benefits of consuming Habanero peppers, you might want to read the following articles:

Phytochemical Characterization of By-Products of Habanero Pepper Grown in Two Different Types of Soils from Yucatán, Mexico”

“What Are The Health Benefits Of Habanero Peppers?”

My Verdict

Habanero peppers are indeed hotter than Siling Labuyo and more aromatic. They’re too spicy I was only able to finish 1/3 of the fruit when I included it with lunch. lol Yes, this is how spicy Habaneros can really get. I don’t recommend this to those who have very sensitive tummies. Though the spicy flavor of Siling Labuyo stays on the tongue longer than the Habanero.

Papaya + Chicken + Habanero + Malunggay = TINOLA 😄👍

Every time I start planting from seeds, I make sure I complete the entire growing cycle of the plant until its fruiting stage. Then I propagate the plant using the new seeds to increase the yield – the goal of sustainable farming. It is a rule of thumb to start growing one plant per crop first, learn how to grow it successfully, and if you’re satisfied with the results, you can then turn it into a profitable agribusiness God willing. 🙏

And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.” – Genesis 1:29

Aloe Vera Overload

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I’ve just repotted 13 aloe vera pups and in just a month, found this:

Tin Ginete

Repotted aloe vera pup and the newest pup.

Whew! They are propagating really fast on their own. Indeed:

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” – 1 Corinthians 3:7

Just like in faith. I intend to keep the number of aloes in my garden to only 13. So for any new pup that would sprout from any of them, I’d most probably give away to families and friends or anyone who loves aloes. It’s going to be raining aloes in the house! 😀

Aloes are so easy to tend so no need to fret if you want to plant one and are a busy bee like me. It also offers numerous benefits for skin and hair care to digestive health, etc. They are from the family of succulents and need to be watered only once a week in a cactus or well-draining soil. They need full sun too so our tropical country makes it a good host for them. No need for fertilizers too as they do well without them.

Gardening, for me, is a perfect way to relieve stress, spend idle time and recreation on a low budget plus you’d get to experience the joy of seeing them grow taller, bigger and thicker thru time. When it’s time to harvest too, you’ll reap the fruits of your labor (along with God’s help).

It makes me appreciate nature even more especially when you’re living in the city where everything else is man-made. I believe it is time we strike the balance of keeping things natural starting from our very own homes. It is one way of living life not of this world but reliving nature at its best before man and technology overtook it and ruled this world. Think Garden of Eden.

God would prefer it that way – appreciating His creations and taking extra good care of them. ❤

P.S.

I got influenced by my Mom who is such a great gardener and her garden overflows with awesome flora and fauna (check my Instagram account for my photos of them and also this article: MAY The Flowers Be With You).

Her name, by the way, is Eden. Coincidence? Nah, God’s amazing ways definitely.

Now for me, I intend to grow a forest. Without the snakes. If that is just possible. 😉

The Seed

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Tin Ginete

Calamansi Seed

A commitment is like a seed.

When a gardener plants a seed, he waters and cares for it so it’ll grow. And then when it becomes a plant, the gardener still tends for it.

But like any plant, it will go through certain seasons of storm and drought. And just like a commitment, you will do everything to protect that plant. You will not allow a storm to uproot it. Nor you let the drought take away its life.

The gardener protects it – lovingly, carefully and joyfully. Regardless if a storm or a drought passes by.

The gardener wants only one thing – that when he plants the seed in the soil, it’ll grow steady and strong that even if the mightiest of storms and the longest of droughts come, it’ll survive. He wants it to lay grounded, both striving and thriving.

A commitment is like a relationship. God is like the gardener. The seed is like a husband and the soil is like a wife. God knows what kind of seed thrives in what kind of soil and vice versa.

And just like a seed planted in the ground that cannot survive well for a long period of time without a gardener, so is a relationship without God. 🙂