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Fire and Ice

ShereeEDUApril 2, 2022CultureLeave a Comment

Listen to my personal audio.

Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Australia, or Antartica. Does it matter where you live to be able to tell a good story from another continent? The facts will get you there.
Sheree Ann

Denmark. The long season of rainy days and long winter nights doesn’t bother me at all, rather it calms my spirit. You have challenged me in many many many ways, but surprisingly your language became the music of my soul.

Iceland, what a beauty you are. You literally swept my feet away. With your mind blowing storms, I realized how fragile we are — physically. I have only seen a glimpse of you and yet, you did not fail to impress me.

I have been in the land of Ice and Fire for a week together with my sister Diane and my baby Elise who was six and a half months old that time. It was a wonderful experience knowing that it is still in the height of the winter time. It is a place that I would like to see again in the future. It was a three-hour direct flight from Copenhagen to Reykjavik. We were lucky to bath in the Blue Lagoon. There are some free (hidden) hot springs that we would love to try someday. I love the 38-degree celsius geothermal seawater temperature.

My sister had the opportunity to have an 8-hour trip together with some other tourists to the beautiful nature attractions in the south of Iceland. Unfortunately, she was not able to see the Aurora Borealis that week. While she was busy hiking in the cold, I got myself occupied with preparing meals in our hotel. Lamb meat is very popular in Iceland. The sheeps are walking freely in the field and even in the streets if they have the chance in the summer time according to the locals, reason why the lamb meat tastes great. I made some soup, which apparently is very similar to what they are serving at the restaurants.

**Ástarpungar**. That’s when I started loving Cardamom (Kardemomme)

Funny enough, on our last day, I have ordered the Icelandic soup at Hlemmur Square, which surprisingly almost the same recipe of the one that I cooked the first day. I also love Ástarpungar aka Love Balls, doughnut with whey cheese and cardemom sugar. I recommend that you try the fish menu at the Old Iceland restaurant. Iceland has also very good ice cream and milk. I just love dairies. Try Skyr. And yes, never buy bottled water. The tap water is free and the purest water that you could get anywhere in Iceland or anywhere in the world I must say.

In my curiosity, I walked around to see the city of Reykjavik with Elise in her stroller. That day, I found an art exhibit and lucky enough to be welcomed in. As an art appreciator, taking the time to look art is a relief. Meeting the Reykjavik Art Team was amazing. Gunnar was my point of contact, since it started when I talked in danish. Wondering if danish and icelandic language have similarities. I made a short video about the interview.

Environmental facts

Home of more than a hundred volcanos. Eruptions are barely felt. Iceland experiences major volcanic event once every five years.

The vast majority of Icelandic homes are heated using geo-thermal hot water, one of the most environmentally friendly forms of heat-generation in the world. Probably, the world’s greenest country. -iceland.is

About the Reykjavik Art Team

“A group of visual artists who run studios together at Höfðatorg Bríetartún 13. The members are of various ages and with a range of different backgrounds.”

“RAT exhibitions aims to combine different art forms and form a complete whole. RAT was establish in 2019 with the aim to create a platform for exhibition, gathering, working and creating a live discussion of art.” -Reykjavik Art Team

Gunnar Gunnarsson

He loves to paint women, portraying them as strong and like a sculpture. Gunnar has always been interested in art and artistic creation. He was influenced by his father who operated an art gallery called Ásmundarsal; now Folkekunstmuseet in the 1960. His family lived in the same building where the gallery was.

He began organizing art studios 20 years ago. Reyjavik school of Visual Arts and Kópavogur School of Visual Arts.

Gunnar’s attachment to art awakened his interest in studying Psychology and works as one today. His focus is free body expression and motivation to stimulate creativity. Art keeps him alive and artistic creation makes the artist feel young. He is married to Jodis Hlodversdottir who is also an artist and a member of Reyjavik Art Team.

Jodis Hlovdversdottir

An art teacher who focuses in teaching children how to paint. She loves the thought of working with young people. “It is a pleasurable job, because they are open-minded and I like taking them to art exhibitions where they get their inspiration to paint”. She graduated from the Art School in Reykjavik as a textile designer, specializing in skin (leather) and fish skin.

Marteinn Bjarnar Thordarson

An audio and visual artist, who has been travelling to the core of the unknown using music and art as a medium. His passion for music and painting resonates in his works and appears to be the main instruments of his exploration. Harmonics of Frequency Modulation – a project of Marteinn using his own musical compositions.

I would not wonder why Icelanders are close to the nature. They have an unforgiving nature, yet their love for the environment is impeccable.

Inga Maria Brynjarsdottir

Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, graduated from the Icelandic Academy of the arts in the year 2004. Since then, Inga Maria has been working in the fields of fine arts, illustration, design and animation. Inga Maria´s work is based on her fascination with nature, wildlife and the oddities and ugliness in life. Inga Maria combines real life with the imaginary with a slash of distortion, which varies.

Helpful links:

See their facebook page. RAT – REYKJAVIK ART TEAM

https://www.iceland.is/

Organic Cotton & Linen Fiber.

ShereeEDUFebruary 25, 2022CultureLeave a Comment

I dress myself, not to impress, but for comfort and style
Lindsey Wixon

Understanding sustainable fashion has evolved in many creative ways. Some are fond of true vintage and retro style warddrobe, while others are into a more environmental and trendy side called upcycled apparel, and some are loyal fans of known branded and signature clothing. For many years I have been buying and giving away the clothes I was purchasing from store to store. Gathering clothes that are on sale and as cheap as it could get was one of my to-do lists. This is not because it was the only thing I could afford, but the thought of it looks good on my eyes might look and feel good as well. In reality, it was a waste of money and resources. At one point I got tired of sorting them out and cleaning up my closet was an unending sad routine.

Too fine wardrobe for clothes that were barely touched (except my husband’s shirts on the left).

Two years ago, I started investing in natural fabrics like linen and organic cotton. In the first year, buying from known mass produced brands was a good idea. Through my experience, they are indeed a random of good and bad quality. Polyester was a cheap solution to produce clothes in the fashion industry, that unfortunately degrades the quality of a beautifully designed piece of apparel. In some cases, mixing polyester with cotton or viscose and any other fabric natural fiber makes the quality better and makes it lasts longer.

Thrift market. The only difference is they do not have a shop.

I kept reading and researching and started outsourcing, since my hunt for a good clothing was not yet over. While living in the nordic country where locally produced and carefully designed clothing is preferred, I on the contrary was a little challenged, that is finding the right size primarily. One solution might be taking the clothes to the tailor and you definitely need to allocate a budget for it. Luckily, I found a local designer who is willing to make clothes for me. She designs clothes using organic cotton, velvet in lively colors and with nature-inspired prints for women and young girls.

In the picture above, I have the linen dress in black since I can use it at work. Designed and tailor made **byThodberg**.

Good to know. Facts from the Technological Institute in Denmark.

When are clothes organic?
If you go for clothes made of organic cotton, there are three general criteria for when you can say that cotton is organic:

Do not use pesticides, insecticides or foliar felling agents
Fertilizer must not be used
Genetic modification (GMO) must not be used

When it comes to organic cotton clothing, there are several different labels to go for, e.g., you can look for; GOTS (Global Organic Cotton Standard) and CMIA-Organic (Cotton Made In Africa).

In my own experience and learnings.

Why Linen is good for you?

Linen is of natural fiber and it has anti-bacterial properties that makes it ideal for people with skin allergies. It is elegant as it is considering that it is also a fashion statement of those living in tropical countries. It is a little costly than cotton, but definitely cheaper than silk. You will also enjoy how light and airy it feels during the summer time. As with any other fabrics, following the care instructions for washing it will benefit you in the long run. The only cons of linen is that it demands ironing. It wrinkles easily, but that is one of the characteristics of it. Linen bedsheets are also recommended as they like silk fiber, naturally repels unwanted microscopic organisms, therefore reducing bad odor and allergic reactions. Linen doesn’t need to be washed at high temperatures for it is a natural fiber. It is preferred to be washed at 40 degrees celsius using non-bleaching soaps or in my case, I uses liquid soap especially formulated for fine or wool. It works for me and my family. Reduce the use of fabric softeners, as this has chemicals that are not good for the environment. In rare cases, fabric that are prone to statics, a little amount of it would be effective in minimizing it. It is wise to choose your washing detergent carefully by reading the labels before purchasing or make a research about the contents. Me and my husband uses Forbrugerrådet Tænk as a guide for some products that we would like to invest, especially appliances, children’s necessities, food and cosmetic brands.

Thank you for reading. You might also want to read A Stronger Bond, which also talks about enriching culture thru fashion and promoting sustainability.

Sincerely,

Sheree Ann Kratmann Indiongco

This article is not sponsored.

I recommend you to watch Plastic Pollution

info.bloomingetiquette@gmail.com

A Second Chance

ShereeEDUJanuary 22, 2022SustainabilityLeave a Comment

What others have taken for granted, others do find worth in it.
Recycle

“Can you see the lights out in that field? I work there” , my late grandmother Apung Elena used to say every time we passed by that field while pointing quickly at the lights from a long distance.

“Yes Apu, they look like big balloons at night”. The lights can be seen from afar amidst the dark skies from the high-way in Balibago, specifically near the “salakot” (giant hat-like shed). I remember my grandmother was working at a “vaskeri” (laundry department) in one of the companies in Clark Air Base in the Philippines in the early 90’s. One day, she came home with a used, big, industrial washing machine from her workplace and it served us its purpose for many years.

One day, she came with a used, big, industrial washing machine from her workplace and it served us its purpose for many years.
in memory of LOla Elena

Under repair.
Photo credits: “De Grønne Hvidevarer”

Whitewares

Whitewares

Today there are around 3,000 washing machines “hvidevarer” that are being thrown away in Denmark alone, both to the recycling stations and to the companies who take used domestic goods, according to Miljøstyrelsen. I could imagine that these would be greatly appreciated in some developing countries like the Philippines. It takes a lot of resources to make a new one and some parts of whitewares have chemicals that are not good for the environment. We call them Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). In general, these whitewares have a 5 to 10-year warranty on their main motor and still, some people would rather buy a new one instead of calling the service provider for repair (which in theory is free (inside of the warranty period and under standard circumstances) or at least should not cost you a lot of money).

I had the opportunity to film our informal conversation about “how recycling of white wares” work.

Tommy Blaabjerg, Founder of “De Grønne Hvidevarer” (The Green White Wares). Filmed in Denmark, August 2021

“The idea is to save all the parts that can still be used from used large and heavy-duty domestic goods like a washing machine. This is mainly applicable to those machines that were disposed of earlier or under the warranty period given by the manufacturer.”
Recycle

De Grønne Hvidevarer

@DGH’s warehouse in Nørager in Hobro, Denmark

Tommy Blaabjerg, the man behind the De Grønne Hvidevarer has been dedicating his time together with his wife Evelyn in fulfilling the concept of sustainability into a practical reality.

“The concept has been backed-up by the municipality and participating authorities, universities and business entrepreneurs. Private organizations have been supporting the project in terms of preparation for recycling and consumer rights like providing warranty to the customers for purchasing second-hand whitewares.”
-DGH

De Grønne Hvidevarer has been in the market since September 2018 and is gaining attention to the public. A case study has been conducted in connection to sustainability as a big national project and the company was chosen to be one of the main subjects together with Aalborg renovation and El Retur in 2019. It involves all the relevant participants from public to private sectors.

**Picture above is a page from** **the Business News Magazine, Aalborg, Denmark**. It is written in danish language.

Sheree: Why do you think some people are throwing away their whitewares instead of having them repaired (in Denmark specifically)? Is it the cost of repair or limited knowledge about companies who repairs whitewares?

Four important things to consider.

Spareparts.
What do you need and how old is the machine? Some spare parts are not available anymore in the market (if your machine is 15-20 years old for example) Some spare parts like electronic boards often cost a lot.

Skills.
Are you capable of fixing it or do you know somebody? Fix work is not cheap either if you will ask a company to do it for you, however they do give warranty for the repaired part.

Is it urgent?
A family with 2 kids or more and perhaps both parents go to work, they would rather buy a new one because it is more convenient for them.

Maintenance.
Some machines lose their optimal use because of lack of maintenance. No matter how good the machine is (brand new or refurbished, well known brand or not) If the maintenance is poor, problems can occur at any moment.
-DE GRØNNE HVIDEVARER

Blockage at the bottom and top filter of the dryer can minimize the dry effect. The dryer vent is (more or less) blocked and because of that, the air flow will find other ways than through the filter and that causes excess lint to build up inside the machine and around critical components which overtime will have a mechanical and electrical faulty impact – slow domino effect.

The new concept is the refurbishing of thrown away appliances, mainly washing machines, dryers, inductions and ovens.

Sheree: Where do you normally find used whitewares?

DGH has a cooperation with El-Retur and through different municipalities’ recycling stations (Aalborg, Aabybro, Hobro, Rebild, Horsens, Aarhus) and El-Salg Aalborg.

Sheree:What advice can you give to those who are purchasing second hand whitewares? Are brand names really stands for quality when it comes to whitewares?

DGH: When buying pre-loved appliances, consider the length of the warranty and the company’s reputation. There are brands that stand out. Usually there is a connection between the price and the quality but not always. Check the overall condition -physical and specifications of the unit (energy class, capacity, functions).

DGH takes part in achieving five of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

Responsible consumption and production (12), Climate Action (13), Partnerships for the goals (17), Decent work and economic growth (8), Sustainable cities and communities (11)

De Grønne Hvidevarer

The “Green” White Wares

The new concept is the refurbishing of thrown away appliances.
DGH has been in the market since September 2018.
DGH has a cooperation with El-Retur and through different municipalities’ recycling stations.

De Grønne Hvidevarer

ELRETUR

ELECTRONIC WASTE MUST GO TO THE RECYCLING CENTER.

Elretur is Denmark’s largest producer responsibility organisation.
80% of the electronics and battery waste that is delivered in Denmark’s recycling centres.
Elretur has a number of partners in Denmark and Europe.

Elretur

Miljøstyrelsen

Ministry of Environment of Denmark

The Environmental Protection Agency is organised into five centres: Center for Rich Nature, Center for Clean Water, Center for Safe Chemistry, Centre for Green Production and Centre for Staff.
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency cooperates bilaterally with six emerging economies.

Environmental Protection Agency

Revised and updated on February 8, 2024. This article was originally published on July 2021 under my previous website www.shereeann.dk

This article is written voluntarily as a part of the subjects I talk about – Culture, Technology and Green Environment.
Sheree Ann

A Stronger Bond

ShereeEDUJanuary 22, 2022CultureLeave a Comment

Listen to the audio.

“We can only do so much in our lifetime… our possessions are either a necessity or a mere luxury… and our accomplishments are a fulfillment of our self-worth that only lasts for a certain period of time. I am happy that I have created something beautiful that gives me and other people a moment of joy. More than anything else, being kind, living healthy and having good vibes matters the most.”

These are the words uttered and feelings that are expressed in the span of my two times 40-minute conversation over facebook messenger with Philip Torres. A spontaneous person who has experienced both the irony and the flattery of his sweet life in the Philippines. His curiosity has brought him to the kind of fame he gladly pursued through his diverse and free-spirited personality that reflects his art, work and social competencies. I personally feel happy whenever I glimpse at my “Pidayit” pillowcases I ordered from Philip. The stimulating colors send signals to my brain that I can also do something creative in another way. It is obvious that writing other people’s stories is my passion. People who are willing to share their experiences, works, advocacies and passion and that we will learn something good from them. That is probably my creative (social) side.

Philip is from Angeles City and it is also where his roots have grown deeply together with the people behind “Pidayit”. Through the years, his works have transcended from making “tapis” (shawl) to high street fashion bucket hats, colorful coats and bomber jackets, elegant bibs, “barong” inspired long-sleeves for men and “Filipiniana” inspired tops with handmade sewed with love and measured with kindness “pidayit” details that resembles as flowers in the springtime or pumpkin and tomato-like accents that gives extra uniqueness to every “unica” piece. New to his creations are home essentials like “pidayit” accents cushion, bags and giant wall art for exhibition. He also made necklaces named after Martha Stewart since Philip considered her as one of the most empowered women in the world. He added that many competetive artists in the fashion industry are not surprisingly many in Angeles City, but finding your niche as a designer and as an artist is a crucial factor. It is how you talk to people you meet everyday that makes the difference. “Dacal ku pa kwentu, pero next time namu ita uling pota nobela ne ing asulat mu kanaku” (I have so many stories to tell that you will end up writing a novel about me) -Philip said with a laugh that lingers on the other line.

My lovely pillow covers at home with beautiful tomato/squash-like accents

“I have achieved my goals, both personally and professionally, but I would prefer to be known as a kind, happy and helpful person than a famous artist in my time. I must admit that I still want to do a lot of other things and I have some projects in my mind, so many good ideas. But for now, this is what our Almighty has given me and I believe that everything has a right time and it will come to me no matter what” -says Philip.

Philip Torres’ advocacy is mainly empowering talented women who are able to work from home and for them to provide healthy food for their children. Second is to educate the youth about the culture. Third is to unify the people in town and the region itself by promoting art and culture. His stand in supporting the local community enables “Pidayit” to continue producing timeless designs of superior quality. Fourth is the practice of a sustainable fashion that is to reduce the chemicals and waste materials by upcycling materials from good resources. Lastly, the concept of creating “Pidayit” is to create a product that would encourage everyone to appreciate the richness of the “Kapampangan” culture by wearing it as an “essential” part of wardrobe. Philip would like the locals to experience the feeling of belongingness to the society at its utmost level by supporting the local products in his hometown. He has also been making pieces to known personalities inside and outside of the Philippines, particularly to women of modern style and substance.

“The practice of a sustainable fashion is to reduce the chemicals and waste materials by upcycling materials from good resources.”

“Pidayit” means To Unite and when we are united, we are stronger. Here in Denmark and in many old countries in Europe, where a strong cultural sense is observed, heirlooms are considered a bond and connection from one’s ancestors that is passed on to generations. Danish designs like Georg Jensen’s jewelries and accessories, Royal Copenhagen Porcelain and Louis Poulsen’s lamps top the list among the most collected possessions inside a typical Danish home. My favorite -the “big artichoke”. It catched my attention when I saw it hanging at a restaurant and that was before I even knew that it was a designer lamp. In time, I’ll have one of his beautifully designed lamps in my house I believe. In the same way, “Pidayit” aims to be an important memory of where one came from. The famous “Kapampangan” song entitled “Atin Cu Pung Singsing” (I once had a ring) is a strong reminder of how the people in Pampanga were brought up and worked their best to preserve the culture, values and keep the heritage of the family. I personally feel sad sometimes about the values that were lost in some Kapampangan and some Filipino homes, whose values and traditions were half forgotten because of different factors like the lack of “pacamalan” (to treasure/consider something very valuable or memorable) to the elderly’s personal possessions. Probably one of the reasons is to survive. We are unfortunately nonetheless lack the interest of keeping possesions since we believe that they are of least importance when it comes to the time of need.

It is never too late to influence our families and friends to appreciate and help in preserving the culture in every country whether in the way we dress, make food, do work and the way we welcome guests. A simple thing we can do is by supporting each other, especially the talented and hardworking ones and those who are willing to be part of the community. -Sheree Ann kratmann indiongco

January 21, 2022

Linen. As natural as it gets

ShereeEDUAugust 30, 2021SustainabilityLeave a Comment

Understanding sustainable fashion has evolved in many creative ways. Some are fond of vintage clothing, vintage material (old/used), and some by using natural fibers like linen and silk. For many years I have been buying and giving away the clothes I was purchasing from store to store. Gathering clothes that are on sale and as cheap as it could get was one of my to-do list. This is not because it was the only thing I could afford, but the thought of it looks good on my eyes might look and feel good as well. Waste of money and resources. At one point I got tired of sorting them out, cleaning up my closet every once in a while. I also ended up throwing away my once a favorite dress, blouse and so on. The material was inferior.

Today I invests in natural fabrics like french linen and in rare cases, silk. I once had a favorite dress back in 2012 as seen in the picture. I knew it was linen, but I didn’t have the same mindset before as I have today. It served its purpose for a couple of years until the time that I started being conscious that it became my uniform. I went to work, to the church, to business meetings and casual gatherings in it. The only reason I stop wearing it was because there were too many choices. I could have gone to the tailor and make more of its similar style using the same type of fabric. It is also a bit more costly to make a custom made clothing in general.

Taken in 2012, ABS-CBN Olongapo City, Philippines

My first linen dress that I know of is from Mango. That was the time when the store launched its first local store in my hometown. There was an offer on it and they came in two different colors, dark blue and beige.

In my search for sustainable clothing, I recently indulged in having tailor-made linen dresses, viscose and cotton clothes. On the other hand, I reduced my bad shopping habits. The thought of having these tailored clothes that I am investing right now, would be handed to my two daughters or nieces. I will have the confidence of wearing them over and over again without thinking of missing the fashion trend. My closet will not be filled with clothes that would be left hanging for many years without being touchede at all. Sometimes I get lucky, I get to find good buys that fits me, considering that I am petite and not european petite.

About Scrolls of Etiquette

ShereeEDUAugust 25, 2021CultureLeave a Comment

Once I was in south-east Asia, next I was in the northern part of Europe and so I stayed.

Scrolls of Etiquette is a transition from my first blogsite – Blooming Etiquette that started in February 2017 to a more engaging one. It is the birth of dynamic thoughts in discovering what might be more interesting to my readers from two different worlds – primarily Denmark and my homeland Philippines.

Blooming Etiquette has three main subjects. Culture, Technology and Green Environment. Scrolls of Etiquette will focus on home-making, finding sustainable products, smart and practical solutions considering the capabilities of one country to another, building a connection through the development or establishment of the same concept.

Thank you for dropping by!

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