Staff from the Department of Environment, Parks, & Recreation hand sorting finished compost.Compost takes 4-5 months and requires protection from too much precipitation. This valuable finished product is starting to be used in gardens such as this one - The Food Jungle, a 10 acre organic garden in Tutong run by only three government workers. … Continue reading Compost and Organic Gardening in Brunei
What it looks like when the first time receiving a U.S. visa
I was very excited to process my visa for the ICMA YSEALY Professional Fellows Program. This means, my dream comes true. I remember when I was 10 years old, back in my home village, which is 100 miles away from the town city. Once in a while there was an airplane flying over our house. … Continue reading What it looks like when the first time receiving a U.S. visa
The Spirit of Bayanihan
Setting the Scene According to the World Risk Report of 2018, the Philippines is the third most vulnerable country to disasters. The country lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire where 80% of earthquakes occur. Around 20-25 typhoons ravage the country every year, leading to the loss of lives and millions of damages to infrastructure and … Continue reading The Spirit of Bayanihan
Brunei: small in land, but big-hearted people
Finally arrived after an inconvenient snowstorm in hometown Denver delayed us before we ever got off the ground; just enough to miss the connection to Hong Kong and then Brunei. Delays long forgotten after being warmly welcomed by Nabilah and with each successive meeting here. A morning meeting with the Department of Environment, Parks and … Continue reading Brunei: small in land, but big-hearted people
A week in Merauke, the eastern most city in Indonesia
On Friday morning, March 4th, Aprianto and I visited the Merauke Regency Government office that handles infrastructure planning. We met with two planners, Samuel and James, and their manager. I shared information about Charles County and our government structure. We discussed enforcement challenges experienced in the Merauke region when multiple provinces share resources and have … Continue reading A week in Merauke, the eastern most city in Indonesia
Different Continents; Similar Challenges!
Myinmu’s Administrator Let me first profess my love for the people of Myanmar! Everyone I have met is kind, welcoming, and genuinely friendly! Meeting with local officials in Myanmar has been both a pleasure and an honor. The nation is a very young democracy. As we know, the business of building consensus and moving forward … Continue reading Different Continents; Similar Challenges!
From Jakarta to Merauke
The last few days I’ve met many people from government directorates and NGOs throughout Jakarta. I’ve shared about Charles County, our government, the Watershed Protection and Restoration Program (WPRP) functions, the Chesapeake Bay Program and the restoration effort in the Bay watershed. I’ve learned about the current goals of the Directorates of Forestry and Conservation, … Continue reading From Jakarta to Merauke
Hello Jakarta, the first few days…
My journey to Indonesia began on a red eye flight bound for Hong Kong at 12:15am on Friday, February 22nd. Two flights, multiple time zone crossings, and twenty-four hours later I arrived in Jakarta at 1:30pm local time on Saturday. After a quick taxi ride, I arrived at my hotel in Central Jakarta. I spent … Continue reading Hello Jakarta, the first few days…
My First Homestay time in my life and My last week in Sugar Land “The Sweetest Town in Texas”
It's a memorable time for me I have chance to visit Sugar Land... Time flies so fast 💨 But now it's time to go back to DC and bring all of the solution and experience I had from Pearland and Sugar Land to solve the problems of my city. God didn't promise... Days without pain... … Continue reading My First Homestay time in my life and My last week in Sugar Land “The Sweetest Town in Texas”
Learn from every single person you meet
This is one of my favorite TED Talks. Celeste Headlee talks about how to have a better conversation – it’s not about those skills as look, nod and smile, but actually paying attention to the conversation. In the end she told through her childhood meeting a lot of people, she “grew up assuming everyone has … Continue reading Learn from every single person you meet
