Crystal Fa

I have been single for 7 years, in my early 30s, and this past year has gotten me wanting to be in a relationship.

I've gotten into a bit of a situation with dating apps in the city I'm in - I'm not where I want to be, but the pandemic has brought me back to the city I grew up in.

I want to meet someone special and have never used dating apps so much as I have now (not for hookups but in seeking a partner).

It's been tough on the emotions and I ought to stop but for better or worse I am matching with men who, on paper, seem to share lots of the same visions and values for community and the environment.

I usually am the more open-minded party however and pursue and have had the reality of not fitting in with the dominant culture of the city slap me in the face a few times.

Hi Permies,

I am looking for 1-2 people to help build a septic tank out in a Hakka village in Hong Kong (in Plover Cove Country Park).

The septic tank is for a Community House myself and a family of farmers living in the village already want to use for a project to help reduce food waste in the village community and raise awareness (through gleaning and free meal service) and facilitate a mental health program whereby vulnerable community members spend time in and learn in nature and through work experience on the farm.

The septic tank will be around 7 inches deep and built according to Hong Kong specifications. We want to use old bricks and materials already in the village though might have to order red bricks, sand and cement and pipes to connect to the drain. We need to build a septic tank (instead of other solutions we proposed such as biogas) because the biogas bag would have to be placed on a narrow public path outside the house so villagers won't consent.

We will have the support of an engineer who knows how to build septic tanks though is busy to actually build it. He will advise and break ground but will need to mix cement, dig the hole and lay bricks etc. The process will take approx 3 weeks (if working on it daily) to complete. The idea is to start January and work weekends till May.

If we have to wait for contractors, they are all busy till after June and it's imperative the tank gets built before the rainy season and so the project can go forward.

If anyone, living in Hong Kong, wants to be involved in the building of the septic tank and the project in general, I would love to connect with you.

We, the farmers running a Permaculture farm, and myself (the project organiser - I have a background as a co-host of a Permaculture education project in Portugal and wanted to start something in Hong Kong, where I grew-up) will provide community, food, shelter if you want to stay over from Friday-Sunday (not possible to stay the week), and if you like the project, feel the place, feel the connection with the team and want to be involved in one of the roles envisioned for the community house we'd love to welcome you.

Thank you

Hi all,

(Not a Permaculture Design Course but I thought, as I couldn't find a closer related topic in the drop-down, this was the closest fit)

I am looking for a Teacher Training, ideally in the USA, Portugal, or even South East Asia, and over summer/fall. I haven't found many offered in light of the pandemic and the few I have found are "tentative" or have been postponed.

I've only come across an Advanced Training in Teaching Permaculture offered by Midwest Permaculture (dates don't work for me unfortunately) and the Permaculture Institute (though location + date is pending). Does anyone know of other options?

Also, in Portugal I know Quinta Vale da Lama usually hosts in fall but none listed at the moment.

While in-person is preferable, am open if someone knows of online options as well and options in other countries.

Thank you,
Crystal

Sounds great!

The grant I'm looking into is specifically for tactile projects. I personally also would like something with a physical component in Hong Kong. With the project I work with in Portugal we're thinking about online courses for the near future though.

Right! I guess I presumed the forum wouldn't have gotten much traction since the last post.

Yes. I don't have them either, I do have my PDC and have have co-hosted a few PDCs in Portugal, volunteered at a Permaculture project in Hong Kong, but am more on the behind the scenes, organisational side of running an educational project. Planning to do a teacher's training this year. My Cantonese isn't near good enough to teach with.  

Are you located in Hong Kong by chance?

Thanks JC. Yes there have been in the past, in English. I have reached out to Kadoorie Farms and a few but not 有心機 zen Organic farm, will definitely write them. Another contact has a friend of a friend they think may be teachers but it seems a bit mythical at the moment

Out of curiosity, have you taught a PDC in Mandarin? Wondering how that went.

Thank you.

Crystal

Hi James, thanks for the reply. Sure! I am keen on developing a PDC program in Hong Kong. I am working on a proposal for a good opportunity for funding currently. Early days. but I would love to know if there is a Permaculture Educator out there wanting to do the same thing. Thanks for potentially asking around.

Hi all,

This is a long shot, but I am looking for Permaculture Teacher who can teach in Cantonese.  

Is there anyone out there?

Would like to connect.

Thank you,
Crystal

Jay Angler wrote:Welcome to permies Chrystal. I'm totally curious - what area of Europe are you working in and what sort of a project? Is it a similar eco-system to your Dad's place?

Thanks for the welcome! In Portugal, Sintra. Not really in my opinion. The area of Sintra that's by the coast is a mico-climate. Temperatures are moderate (it's usually a whole gamut throughout the day, from really cool in the morning to patches of scorching hot throughout the day and then very cold at nights, even in summer months). It's cooler and wetter in general than other parts of the Sintra region. Winters are wet.  

Marietta's winters are cold - there are four distinct seasons. Also it's not costal. Vegetation is different.

I suppose both are hilly areas though. So there could be certain land techniques that could be adapted from one place to the other.

I was told by my architect friend from the Athens area that the spirit of both Sintra and the Athens-Hocking area (the counties bordering Marietta) were similar - attracting similar people and ideas. Having studied in Athens and spent a lot of time there I do see the similarities with regards to the spirit of the place.

Photos taken in 2012