Page 172 – Green Prophet

A Bright Future for Impossible Foods and OSI Group

Food

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May 4, 2020

A Bright Future for Impossible Foods and OSI Group

Meatless burger startup Impossible Foods and major food processor OSI Group are poised to continue on their path toward financial success even in the face of a massive downturn in the global economy. As the younger generation continues to seek alternatives to traditional food sources such as beef, pork, and chicken, new research, new funding, and a vision for a healthy future spur this partnership forward.

OSI Group and Impossible Foods Secure Partnership

In April 2019, Impossible Foods continued to expand its product placement through a partnership with Burger King that brought its meatless patties to over 7,000 restaurants nationwide. Faced with a sudden increase in demand, Impossible Foods struggled to fill orders while maintaining a focus on research for new product development. The answer to the problem came in the form of partnering up with OSI Group, the operator of massive food processing plants around the world. This allowed Impossible Foods to continue to meet surges in demand without sacrificing quality or turning all of its home office employees into factory workers.

Demand for Meatless Burgers Soars as Supply Increased

Even as Impossible Foods reaped the rewards of its successful fast food rollout, its major competitor, Beyond Meat, further fueled the love for everything plant-based as it went public. 2019 turned into a golden era for the alternative food businesses as larger segments of the population tested out the new burgers and discovered that grilling in the backyard did not require red meat to be tasty. The impossible Burger saw increases in demand in the double digits. Meanwhile, OSI Group lost no production in its Mid-West facilities as the company was able to shift production time from beef to the newer meatless product.

Why the Global Demand for Meatless Burgers Now?

Just before the headlines were flooded with the global pandemic, a widespread infection of China’s pig population with African Swine Flu was reported. As the largest pork producer in the world, pork prices were prepared to skyrocket in European and American supermarkets for the 2020 year, if pork was exported from those geographies to China in order to meet consumer demand. Every year reports of e-coli, bird flu, and other food contamination grab the average consumer’s attention. Meanwhile, those supporting a more eco-conscious way of feeding the world have determined that turning plants into meat-substitutes is far less toxic to our environment. Ultimately, shoppers looking for a safer, competitively priced, and greener option for their meals are grabbing more and more meatless options for the dinner table.

Fresh Infusion of Cash Provides a Buffer Against Uncertain Economy

In the early days of 2020, the whisperings of a pandemic closing down China and many European nations began to filter through the media. Focused on future growth, Impossible Foods took vital steps to ensure that the fledgling food manufacturer could weather the impending economic storm. The company worked quickly to secure an additional $500 million in further investment funding, bringing its total investments to $1.3 billion since it was founded, and guaranteeing it could continue to produce and distribute its meatless burger during the crisis. Before the federal government determined which businesses would be considered essential, OSI Group and Impossible Foods were positioned to reap the rewards of an entire nation seeking variety when faced with cooking at home for an extended period.

Impossible Foods and OSI Group are Positioned for Future Success Even in the Aftermath of COVID-19

Once the storm clouds recede, what else is on the horizon for this new segment of the food industry? Impossible Foods earmarked a significant portion of its investment funds for research as consumers around the globe begin to look for better alternatives to other animal-based proteins such as fish, pork, and poultry. Impossible Foods will also want to rapidly expand its product line as the public will be hypersensitive to illnesses caused by food-borne contaminants. Plant-based and processed foods like the meatless burger can reduce the chances of dangerous bacteria reaching the consumer’s table.

The processing power that OSI Group maintains combined with the cutting-edge food technology brought to the table by Impossible Foods leaves them both ready to meet a surge in demand while the world recovers from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Combined with the waning interest in traditional fast food choices like fried beef burgers, Impossible Foods can anticipate continual growth, a profitable first public offering, and a future bright with promise with partner OSI Group by its side.

Time to pull the plug? Sniff test predicts life after coma

Health

Karin Kloosterman

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May 4, 2020

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Time to pull the plug? Sniff test predicts life after coma

blond woman in green sweater smelling white flowers, sky background — *When is it time to pull the plug when in a coma? When in doubt, use the sniff test, say researchers*

Should you pull the plug or keep ralliyng for hope? The sniff response can predict who will regain consciousness, and will say with about 90% accuracy who will survive for at least three years.

If an unconscious person responds to smell through a slight change in their nasal airflow pattern – they are likely to regain consciousness. This is the conclusion from a new study conducted by Weizmann Institute scientists and colleagues at the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, in Israel.

According to the findings, published in the journal Nature, 100% of the unconscious brain-injured patients who responded to a “sniff test” developed by the researchers regained consciousness during the four-year study period.

The scientists think that this simple, inexpensive test can aid doctors in accurately diagnosing and determining treatment plans according to the patients’ degree of brain injury. The scientists conclude that this finding once again highlights the primal role of the sense of smell in human brain organization. The olfactory system is the most ancient part of the brain, and its integrity provides an accurate measure of overall brain integrity.

smell test f — *Stinky fish or flower shampoo. Will some smells wake a patient from a coma faster?*

If you have ever had to face the consequences of how to help make a decision about a loved one following a traumatic brain injury, some new clues from science might help you and the doctors get out of making tough decisions. Following severe brain injury, it is often difficult to determine whether the person is conscious or unconscious, and current diagnostic tests can lead to an incorrect diagnosis in up to 40% of cases.

“Misdiagnosis can be critical as it can influence the decision of whether to disconnect patients from life support machines,” says Dr. Anat Arzi, who led the new research. “In regard to treatment, if it is judged that a patient is unconscious and doesn’t feel anything, physicians may not prescribe them painkillers that they might need.”

Arzi commenced this research during her doctoral studies in the group of Prof. Noam Sobel of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Neurobiology Department and continued it as part of her postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychology.

The “consciousness test” developed by the researchers – in collaboration with Dr. Yaron Sacher, Head of the Department of Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation at Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital – is based on the principle that our nasal airflow changes in response to odor; for example, an unpleasant odor will lead to shorter and shallower sniffs. In healthy humans, the sniff-response can occur unconsciously in both wakefulness and sleep.

The study included 43 brain-injured patients in the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital. The researchers briefly placed jars containing various odors under the patients’ noses, including a pleasant scent of shampoo, an unpleasant smell of rotten fish, or no odor at all. At the same time, the scientists precisely measured the volume of air inhaled through the nose in response to the odors. Each jar was presented to the patient ten times in random order during the testing session, and each patient participated in several such sessions.

“Astonishingly, all patients who were classified as being in a ‘vegetative state’ yet responded to the sniff test, later regained consciousness, even if only minimal. In some cases, the result of the sniff test was the first sign that these patients were about to recover consciousness – and this reaction was observed days, weeks and even months prior to any other signs,” says Arzi. Moreover, the sniff response not only predicted who would regain consciousness, it also predicted with about 92% accuracy who would survive for at least three years.

“The fact that the sniff test is simple and potentially inexpensive makes it advantageous,” explains Arzi. “It can be performed at the patients’ bedside without the need to move them – and without complicated machinery.”

A mindful tennis game

After a severe head injury, patients may fall into a comatose state – their eyes are closed and they do not have sleep-wake cycles. A coma usually lasts for about two weeks, after which there may either be a rapid improvement and return to consciousness, deterioration leading to death, or it could lead to a condition defined as “disorder of consciousness.” When spontaneous eye opening occurs but there is no evidence that the patients are aware of themselves or their surroundings, they are then diagnosed as being in a “vegetative state.” Alternatively, if a patient displays consistent signs of awareness, even if they are minimal and unstable, the patient will be classified as being in a “minimally conscious state.”

The gold standard diagnostic tool for assessing the level of consciousness is the Coma Recovery Scale (Revised), which examines responses to various stimuli: eye movements while tracking an object; turning the head toward a sound; response to pain, among others. Since the rate of diagnosis errors may reach up to 40%, it is recommended to repeat the test at least five times.

However, misdiagnosis may also occur when the test is conducted repeatedly. “In a well-known study, a patient diagnosed as being in a ‘vegetative state’ following a car accident was scanned in an MRI machine. While in the scanner, the researchers asked the patient to imagine that she was playing tennis and observed that her brain activity was similar to the brain activity of healthy people when they also imaged playing a tennis game. Suddenly, they realized: ‘hold on a minute, she’s there.

“She hears us and is responding to our requests. She simply has no way of communicating’,” says Arzi. “There are also known cases of people who were diagnosed in a ‘vegetative state,’ but when they regained consciousness, they were able to recount in detail what was occurring while supposedly vegetative. Diagnosing the level of consciousness of a patient who has suffered a severe head injury is a major clinical challenge. The sniff test we have developed may provide a simple tool to tackle this challenge.”

Jerusalem cyclists protest lack of bike lanes

Transportation

Karin Kloosterman

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May 3, 2020

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monks in brown robes, Jerusalem — They are not trying to change the holy order of things. Surely not in the Old City but Jerusalem cyclists want a few dedicated lanes to make cycling in any situation, plague or the good times, easier around Jerusalem.

Jerusalem. Not a dream city for cycling. It’s many hills, random intersections, cobbled roads, virtually inaccessible Old City, I tried. I really did. I cheated on Tel Aviv and lived in Jerusalem for 2 years. But I could never get around by bike. Despite its difficulty, there are plenty of people who do like to ride and build their calf muscles and they are protesting this Friday to the city, with the message:

“While cities in Israel and across the world are taking advantage of the current pandemic to improve their bicycle infrastructure, the Jerusalem Municipality is doing… nothing.”

According to the group Bicycles for Jerusalem, they say that coronavirus times should have shown the City Hall how lack of public transport puts a strain on people and services. And that cities around the world understood this and made cycling a more important part of getting around the city.

https://www.facebook.com/cyclejerusalem/videos/2425611734342070/

“While we are big fans of public transportation, and firmly believe that it is a critical component of a well-functioning city,” announces the group, “we understand that many people will in the near future be trying to find alternatives. If the only alternative is a private car, our city will become more congested than ever, and will grind to a stand-still. The Municipality needs to take swift and definitive action to provide a better alternative.”

One of the most popular alternatives to the bicycle in Israel is the dockless e-scooter, like from the companies Wind Mobile based in Europe. Networks were shut down over the peak of the COVID-19 crisis here, so the bicyclists of Jerusalem have a pont.

The cyclists of Jerusalem say that they aren’t asking for the moon, but just some strategic bike lanes along main arteries, a move that would require some paint and traffic cones: “We want the Municipality to organize bicycle acquisition groups to encourage people to get on bicycles – starting with its employees and then residents. We want the municipality to install ramps to make the numerous steps across the city more accessible. We don’t need everything to be perfect, we want the city to start,” the group adds.

If you want to cycle or be part of a movement that does, jump on two wheels and pedal around the Holy City this Friday with a distance of a few yards between your buddy. And a helmet. Cycling safe.

More details about the ride here.

How tech can help you make spring cleaning easy

Act

Bhok Thompson

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April 28, 2020

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robotic innovation — Robots can help us with ecological building, like 3D squirting recycled materials into new walls. Are there other ways tech can help us out? Maybe for spring cleaning?

Have you been spending the last few weeks on lockdown thinking ‘Wow! My house is messy!’? It might only be natural given 50% of Brits still see April as the perfect time to get the rubber gloves on and scrub the house with natural cleaners until it gleams.

If the thought of a deep clean fills you with dread, could there be a better way? Here we look at how technology has evolved to help you get your home in tip-top shape.

Vacuums that do the job for you

Fans of ‘Breaking Bad’ will remember the Roomba that would chug around Jesse Pinkman’s house. While that robot was fighting an uphill battle to keep the floors tidy, investing in a robot vacuum cleaner for your home could be a smart way to keep things clean. The device has sensors that mean it won’t bump into walls or furniture, with a vacuum underneath drawing up dust and dirt from the floor as it takes a tour of whatever room you choose for it.

Why not get the mopping done too?

From the same company that brought you the Roomba, why not take a look at the Braava to finish the job on your hard-floor surfaces? This robotic mop will cover the ground in your room, spraying the floor before passing over it with a microfibre cloth. It might look like a desktop printer, but it does so much more. Gleaming floors without lifting a finger – what’s not to love?!

Breathe the best air

If you struggle with dust allergies, have you considered investing in an air purifier? There are premium and more affordable options out there to suit all wallets, but consider your finances before making a purchase. Once you find one that suits, however, purifiers will extract dust, allergens and odours from the air with the added bonus that you’ll spend less time dusting.

Scrub no more

If you have an electric toothbrush, did you know something similar exists for your kitchen surfaces? The SonicScrubber gives you extra elbow grease for those tough-to-shift stains in the kitchen – from worktops to the hob to the terrifying inside of your oven. They’re cheaper than you might think, too, although you might need to invest in several changeable heads if cleaning your kitchen is a big job!

Do a professional job on your windows

If you’ve noticed that your windows are looking a little grimy and the window cleaner’s on lockdown, you can do the job yourself with a window vac. With steam breaking down the dirt on the glass and the vacuum sucking it away, you’ll be left with sparkling clear windows in no time.

Whatever your situation, have a happy spring clean!

The Medicinal Plant Extinction Crisis Explained by Dr. Bomi Joseph

Health

Bhok Thompson

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April 28, 2020

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Outside of developed Western countries, many people’s health and survival depends on access wildcrafted plant medicines. In Africa, where infectious diseases and parasites are still a major threat, up to 80% of the population is are more likely to get their medicine from a tree or farmer’s market than from a sealed blister-pack at pharmacy. Natural plant medicines are not unsubstantiated folklore; they are being increasingly proven by scientists, extracted and mass marketed by pharmaceutical companies.

This is because nature produces fantastically complex molecules that no medicinal chemist could ever dream of. Botanical drugs tend to be naturally in sync with our bodies because humans evolved from plants, and we share much of the same basic DNA. Out of 177 drugs that have been approved worldwide for cancer, more than 70% are based on natural plant compounds or mimetics – synthetics that were directly inspired by plant compounds.

There is a huge problem with deforestation in many developing countries, and sadly, some of the places that have the richest botanical diversity are hit the hardest. In countries where many people don’t have access to modern amenities like electricity and natural gas, there is a urgent daily need for firewood. An estimated 90% of the forests in Haiti have been chopped down by people who needed charcoal to cook for their families. On the Southeast Asian island of Borneo, where half of all households subsist on less than $120 USD per month, the temptation to clear forests for plant palm oil plantations, timber or paper pulp is simply too strong to resist.

Locals know that their forests are dwindling but oftentimes they just can’t stop the highly determined & organized ‘mafia’ of poachers and loggers. This has caused current plant extinction rates to skyrocket to least 100 to 1,000 times higher than the natural background extinction rate, which is the rate at which species naturally go extinct without human intervention.

This means that 25% of the world’s conifer trees and as many as 15,000 known medicinal species are now endangered. “A vast majority of the plants in the world have not yet been explored for medicinal potential by scientists” says Dr. Bomi Joseph, a plant researcher and Director of the Peak Health Center in California. “It is especially tragic that plant species are so rapidly disappearing at the same time that research & analysis tools are finally becoming more powerful and accurate,” he says.

The Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) tree bark is the original source of paclitaxel, a potent botanical chemotherapy agent that can is used to kill ovarian, breast and lung cancers. It was discovered in an exploratory plant screening program sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. It works by inhibiting a natural compound that allows cells in the body to divide, thus preventing the cancer from growing. It is a complex molecule that is extremely difficult to make from scratch in a chemistry lab, but the Pacific yew tree makes it effortlessly in its bark out of soil nutrients, CO2, water and sunshine.

paclitaxel molecular formula

(Image: Wikipedia, Creative commons)

From 1967 until 1993 almost all the paclitaxel produced was derived from the bark of wildcrafted Pacific yew trees. The process of harvesting the bark kills the tree and in 2011 the tree was placed on the endangered species list. Finally, but a bit late, a method to make the drug semi-synthetically out of liquid plant cultures that don’t require destruction of the tree is now used.

Himalayan Mayapple

The Himalayan mayapple plant (Podophyllyum hexandrum) produces podophyllotoxin, which is a key compound used to produce etoposide – a chemotherapy medication that is used against lung, testicular and ovarian cancer.

Wikipedia image credit

The plant has been over-harvested while at the same time its natural habitat in the Himalayas has been heavily deforested. It is currently listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The Calophyllum Story

In December 1986, the arboretum at Harvard University got involved with a project sponsored by the National Cancer Institute to find antitumor plant compounds in Asian forests. They wrote to a state government in Borneo and got permission to collect plant specimens. Research associate Dr. John Burley and a forest officer set off into the tropical forests and swamps and collected all the flowering and locally-revered medicinal plants that hadn’t already been screened and catalogued.

Years later, one of the plant specimens from a calophyllum tree, labeled Burley #351, was analyzed and found to stop the HIV virus from replicating. In 1992 scientists returned to the area where the sample had originally been collected, accompanied by local botanists, and the tree was nowhere to be found – presumably cut down. They tried to locate trees of the same species in the nearby areas but the closest ones they found did not contain the same active compounds as Burley’s original sample.

After a long and difficult search a calophyllum tree with the same active compound, which became named calanolide A, was eventually located at a botanical garden in Singapore. The Borneo state government formed a pharmaceutical company to develop calanolide A into a drug and in 2016 they announced successful completion of Phase I clinical trials on humans. A structural analog named F18 was created in 2017 that is believed to have even more potent anti-HIV activity than the original molecule.

Only half of Borneo’s forests remain standing today, and those that still remain are disappearing at a breathtakingly brisk rate of 130,000,000 acres per year. The plants described above are just a handful of examples out of thousands of species with equal or greater potential.

“There is no telling how many botanical drug breakthroughs or desperately-needed cures go up smoke or down with the stroke of a chainsaw every year,” says Dr. Bomi Joseph. “Seeing that we can’t control & protect every forest on earth – we need to make plant specimen collection and analysis a top priority while we still have the chance to.”

Cannabis for COVID-19 medical trial starts in Israel

Health

Karin Kloosterman

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April 27, 2020

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syqe — The Israeli cannabis company Syqe which creates cannabis dosing systems, is laying off employees from the corona crisis, while novel drug developers like Stero start clinical trials.

Cannabis news is high on our radar for coronavirus, as Israel is a medical cannabis pioneer dating back to the 60s thanks to Prof. Raphael Mechoulam. The Tel Aviv hospital Ichilov has already gone ahead started using CBD or the non-psychotropic parts of the cannabis plant against the novel coronavirus in a new study. And now we are told of a second study using CBD by a company called Stero – developing CBD into a novel therapy.

All cannabis plants have CBD and THC molecules in them, and about one hundred or more other active ingredients. Some parts of the natural plant can be isolated or simply synthesized for therapeutic effects. And this is how drug developers hope to make new inventions and make money.

The second study on COVID-19 is now being initiated by Stero Biotechs, an Israel-based, clinical-stage company focused on Cannabidiol (CBD) formulation research and development, in a collaboration with its main partner and shareholder, Mor Research Applications, the commercial arm of Israel’s largest health provider, Clalit.

Steros applies CBD and makes CBD products to help calm down lung and tissue inflammation in corona patients, reducing the use of and improving the efficacy of steroids. Steroids are critical for reducing inflammation in hospitals. I saw how they helped my dad when he was fighting cancer pain. Steroids are used to reduce inflammation. They reduce pain and make pain meds work better.

But extended use of steroids creates serious side-effects, like fragile bones or osteoporosis. One day my dad stood up and his femur just crumbled. His bones were disintegrating. If Steros gets fast-tracked for CBD use in inflammation in hospitals for corona specifically and later for cancer, that’s a silver lining.

Medical cannabis in Israel

Touted as a wonder drug by the medical cannabis industry, even though the well-funded medical cannabis company Syqe is starting to lay off employees, we will start to see more cannabis in hospitals as physicians scramble to assess how to treat COVID-19 with tools they have on hand. Cannabis is one of them.

Largely approved for medical use in the general population in Israel (it is not exactly easy to get a permit though), cannabis is widely accepted, if only quietly in the establishment. It is known that pain doctors treating cancer patients in Israel prescribe it. Or at least whisper to patients on how to find it.

Raphael Mechoulam, TCH, medical cannabis, CBD — *Raphael Mechoulam, discoverer of THC, CBD in medicinal cannabis. Israel’s grandfather of medical cannabis.*

The problem is that few doctors if any at all know how to prescribe medical cannabis correctly (take 3 gummies and call me in the morning?) and this is why we need novel drug companies who can understand dosing and therapeutic methods.

That’s what Stero aims to do. Their unique application is to enhance the effects of steroids, widely used to reduce inflammation of all kinds. There is a limit to how long steroids can be taken, as long term steroids are very destructive to the body. Physicians would like to use them less. Stero might have the way, using CBD.

Stero’s new 10-patient study, which is starting now will be a small-scale clinical trial taking place at the Rabin Medical Center in a Tel Aviv suburb called Petach Tikva. Pending final approval by the final Helsinki Committee the study will be a PoC or proof of concept study, a study that happens before wider clinical trials are initiated. PoC studies are the first step between a go and no go in a clinical study.

In the PoC Stero Biotechs aims to benefit and help hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection. The treatment cycle will be for a few weeks with a subsequent follow-up period of the same length, the company reports.

“We estimate that our CBD-based treatment can enhance the current treatment of those patients who are in life-threatening conditions,” says David Bassa, the CEO of Stero Biotechs.

“Hospitalized COVID-19 patients are mostly being treated with steroids and our study is planned to demonstrate the benefit of a combined solution with Steroid treatments. We are hopeful that this study will lead to faster benefit for the growing number of COVID-19 patients in Israel and around the world.”

After the initial PoC, Stero plans to scale up and expand to a Phase IIa multi-center clinical trial, with an additional 40 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 Infections, under the usual US-governed FDA clinical trial guidelines and regulations. The FDA is based in Maryland and Israel has been working with the US in clinical trials for decades.

Stero was founded in 2017 to enhance the effects of steroid treatments. The company reports having a wide patent on CBD applications, covering over 130 autoimmune and inflammatory diseases by name, CBD from any source (synthetic or botanic), CBD in any combination, CBD in any dosage and in any delivery system.

Steroid treatment is usually the first or second line of treatment for hospitalized patients. CBD enhances the therapeutic effect of steroid treatment and treats the bio-mechanism affected by the virus.

The initial study will evaluate the tolerability, safety, and efficacy of the CBD treatment, for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 Infections.

While you could theoretically plants some high CBD cannabis strains in your garden and self-medicate, you may or may not know how to dose or take the treatment. For that you would need to ask an expert, still very hard to find in the science of cannabis as medicine. That’s why novel drug companies developing solutions get my support.

If you are interested in the first study on coronavirus and cannabis we reported on, you can find it here.

In other medical news from Israel, Israel’s Pluristem using stem cell treatments, seems to bring patients back to life.

Corona creates urgency for healing hemp CBD products

Health

Karin Kloosterman

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April 24, 2020

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Corona creates urgency for healing hemp CBD products

CBD. THC. Some people including myself say these words as loosely as CNN or TLC. For anyone who has been exposed to the medical cannabis industry, or the recreational one, THC and CBD are the key words that anyone who is self-medicating wants to know.

Cannabis oil, drops, tinctures, patches. CBD patches, or CBD oil in your cola. In your morning cereal? THC for pain relief? Where are you to start? Cannabis or hemp? If you are not from Canada or a State where cannabis is legal, it’s better to ask a friend what this all means and how you might be able to obtain medicine that can alleviate a range of symptoms and conditions. From the extreme, like treating the corona virus, or epilepsy, to just helping you chill out. If you have doubts, just stick to products sourced from hemp.

In States where legislation is not clear or to be determined, people are finding an easier and simpler way to get some relief from the marijuana plant using healing products that only contain CBD. CBD stands for cannabidiol and it is one of at least 100 healing molecules in the cannabis plant, but it’s also in the hemp plant too. The reason cannabis has been demonized is not because of CBD, it’s because of THC, the part of the cannabis that gives you the high, along with other therapeutic benefits.

To stay on the safe side and to give people the unique benefits of CBD, some companies, like a new one in New York called Healist Naturals just uses 100% hemp-derived CBD in their products. The company uses an organic broad-spectrum CBD component of hemp, related to the cannabis plant which is 100% free from THC. So if it’s allowed or not (see New York Times on cannabis legalization) is out of the question. It is.

Healist’s products are designed for calm, relief, sleep and well-being. The company tells me that they are designed to help consumers restore their body’s innate capacity to heal.

Did you know that there is hemp CBD and CBD that comes from a full spectrum cannabis plant? There are differences. Know them before you buy,

“The combination of natural yet potent ingredients backed by science, rigorous testing, a commitment to sustainability and a consumer-first mindset, are what set us apart from those who have come before us and those who will follow,” says Michael Bryce, co-founder at Healist.

Home-Grown Benefits

The formulations contain a blend of natural active ingredients and are US grown
All products are clean and natural, triple lab tested, vegan, cruelty-free, non-GMO, and contain 0.0% THC
Each of the CBD products is packaged using sustainable materials including ocean waste plastic, with plans to have 100% of its plastic Ocean Waste Certified (OWP) by the end of 2020.

As a New York City based business, Healist says they want to do whatever it can to help the local community (read about our writer’s corona experience in NY) which has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The company says it will donate one dollar for every order you make to the to the NYC COVID-19 Response and Impact Fund with a minimum of $5k donation until the end of May.

A fermentation retreat

Act

Karin Kloosterman

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April 24, 2020

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It all started a few weeks ago with one thought. Paz Faigenbaum, top right, was stuck at home processing the shock that we are on lockdown and no one can leave their houses. He suddenly thought, there has never been a more relevant time to teach people exactly the skills he specializes in. For the last 18 years, he’s been studying and teaching Jewish based meditation, permaculture (growing your own food), medicine making and Feldenkrais, awareness through body movement.

He decided to build a 3-day workshop, in real-time on Zoom, so people could could connect to all the human needs we feel in isolation, but together, with spiritual guides and teachers. The 20 workshops for $15, will all happen real time, Israel time, using Zoom. Start to get used to the time change this weekend if you are in the United States.

“We can’t meet in person. We can’t go out for dinner. We can’t even pray in large groups. But we can still connect and build community – that’s the power of the human spirit,” says Faigenbaum.

He tells Green Prophet he feels very strongly about sharing these skills with the world, but that it’s imperative now more than ever to redesign our lives from within our own homes. We need to become more resilient as individuals, communities both emotionally and practically.

“As I was musing over the drastic changes in the world,” he tells Green Prophet, “I was in conversation with two friends who were also thinking how to be of service to the community. Raphi Danan, a dear friend that recently launched Lokali, a community based platform to create intimacy within communities, to empower a collective economy in Tel Aviv but not exclusively and Raizel Druxman, a social entrepreneur, community builder and 3 Principles Therapist.

“It didn’t take long for us to come up with our vision: to host a 3-day virtual retreat that will cultivate connection, provide life skills and create the space that will foster insights for emotional, spiritual and physical transformation.”

Urban Farming from Home?

Especially during corona times, Faigenbaum explains, we are all seeking connection, ways to stay grounded and to create a healthy, resilient lifestyle. “Our team is really moved by the unique opportunity we have now to travel beyond physical boundaries and virtually build an intimate community. We are inviting the wider community to join an interactive 3-Day virtual retreat as we move from Nisan, the month of personal and collective freedom, into Iyar, the [Jewish] month of healing,” he says.

“We are always free to heal, but between Pesach and Shavuot there is a special transformative energy to tap into. We can break free of our old beliefs, fears and insecurities, and find a new lens. It’s through these fresh eyes that we can start healing ourselves and our relationships, and create lasting changes in our lives,” says Faigenbaum.

The 3-day workshops include:

Jewish meditation
Feldenkrais – Awareness through body movement and aligning oneself
Urban Jewish Farming growing food in small space at home
Accessing the wild edibles and medicine
Fermentation and the food security on a communal level
Interactive sharing and sacred song

Teachers include, Raizel Druxman, Paz Faigenbaum, Rabba Dr. Melanie Landau, Rabbi Pesach Stadlin, Safira Klein, Raphi Dana. The effort is a collaborative one: FIG Food Integrated Gardens, Lokali and Raizel Druxman, and generously subsidized by Moishe House.

Registration is closed. The event is over. Hope you enjoyed it or are inspired to start your own.

Save the Dead Sea with your old travel shots

Nature

Karin Kloosterman

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April 24, 2020

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blond woman at Dead Sea — *Poor political relations, business neglect, climate change. The Dead Sea is dying. Help save it by being part of an international photo competition to document its change and beauty.*

Ever visit the Dead Sea? Nothing compares, except maybe travelling to Mars. It’s a wonder of the world. Your jaw will drop and your body will feel something like zero gravity when you step into the extreme saltiness of the Dead Sea. But with millions of visitors year after year, this natural wonder – once the beauty secret of Cleopatra – is literally vanishing before our eyes. A complex array of environmental, economic and political factors are causing the Dead Sea to disappear at an alarming rate.

A couple of entrepreneurs from Israel, with partners, are launching a photo competition that started this week, to save the Dead Sea. The ultimate aim is to showcase these images in a real museum one day, at the Dead Sea, but before that, in a virtual museum for you to explore the natural wonder and art that the Dead Sea inspires.

The awareness that the Dead Sea needed documentation came from Noam Bedein and Ari Leon Fruchter. Noam is a photojournalist who founded a media center in a war zone of Israel at the border with the Gaza Strip, and has been capturing the Dead Sea through time-lapse photography for the past 4 years. Ari Leon Fruchter is a hi-tech executive and art collector whose family is one of the founders of the Israel Museum.

*Noam Bedein (right) and Ari Leon Fruchter*

“It saddens me to see the Dead Sea disappearing,” says Fruchter. “So the idea is to preserve what we have today for future generations to appreciate. My journey with the Dead Sea began nine years ago when I brought the artist Spencer Tunick to Israel. The resulting art installation included 1,200 participants floating nude at the Dead Sea,” he says.

Dead Sea Spencer Tunick

Spencer Tunick’s Dead Sea project. It brought out hundreds of naked Israelis to volunteer their bodies for art and conservation.

“My latest dream is to build a physical Museum at the Dead Sea, but with the Coronavirus pandemic, I have turned these efforts towards developing a virtual museum of art. The International Dead Sea Photo Competition is a great way to allow the public to be a part of this initiative.”

The two are calling their project the Dead Sea Revival Project and the Dead Sea Virtual Museum. They are partnering with an online app Gurushots who will showcase entries and results, as part of a contest. Sign up and submit your photos here.

He takes visitors by dingy on rare visits into the Dead Sea

“This April would have marked 4 years since I began documenting the Dead Sea with time-lapse photography,” says Bedein. “I have led and promoted hundreds of eco-boat tours on the Dead Sea, showing the dramatic changes as well as the magic and beauty of our World Wonder. This is our unique chance to show our appreciation to our surrounding nature and environment that has often been forgotten.”

Judges for the photo contest include photographer superstar Spencer Tunick. Winners will be announced on September 16 at an event at the Dead Sea.

About the Dead Sea Projects

The Dead Sea Revival Project is the only non-profit, non-partisan organization focused solely on historically documenting the Dead Sea. It has been recognized by NASA, who catalogs the Dead Sea decline from space satellites and featured in magazines such as National Geographic and on international TV and news programs for its environmental work.

The Dead Sea Virtual Museum will commission digital artworks to showcase original digital artworks to bring attention to an ongoing, yet reversible, ecological disaster.

Although surreally beautiful the Dead Sea decline can be see in three years time-lapse photographs here.

::Dead Sea Revival

Saudi activist killed trying to stop mega city Neom

Karin Kloosterman

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April 23, 2020

0

Saudi activist killed trying to stop mega city Neom

*Abdul-Rahim al-Howeiti, tribal activists allegedly shot dead by Saudi police for refusing to leave his home*

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Falcons on a plane. Check. Journalists silenced. Check. A new mega city on virgin turf near the sea with sparring robots and flying taxis? Check. He just tried to expel members of a local tribe there, and one activist got killed opening up a new pile of problems for the prince who plans on making Saudi Arabia a western tourist destination.

Neom is Saudi’s mega-green Gotham city

According to the Middle East Eye, members of the Howeitat tribe are being expelled from their homes to build the megacity, with the conflict turning deadly in a shooting in northwestern al-Khuraybah. Abdul-Rahim al-Howeiti, pictured above was reportedly killed for refusing to give up his home for the Saudi megacity project.

Neom desert location — *Location for proposed Neom City, on the Red Sea.*

The shooting of a Saudi tribal activist happened while he was protesting his eviction as part of the construction of Neom. Saudi authorities acknowledged they had killed al-Howeiti in northwestern Al-Khuraybah. The statement also said that Howeiti had refused to surrender to security forces and that he had opened fire, losing his life in a subsequent gunfight.

However, footage purported to be from the incident and events leading up to it has circulated online in recent days – including testimony from Howeiti himself decrying the Neom project, “I would not be surprised if they come and kill me in my home now like they do in Egypt, throw weapons in your home and call you a terrorist,” he told the Middle East Eye. Here on Twitter is footage from just before he was shot.

In one of his most recent videos, posted on Saturday, Howeiti on YouTube said that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has already started the project, and people were being removed from the area.

My grandparents, Dutch immigrants to Canada, were forcibly removed from their estate in Canada, a piece of property now worth hundreds of millions. What governments want, governments do. In places like Saudi Arabia, there is likely no adequate compensation structure in place and well who are you going to negotiate with?

Neom, is what the Saudi Crown Prince wants and needs for the world to think that Saudi Arabia really really is a modern place. Expected to cost billions, and completed by 2025, it will be 33 times the size of New York and well, way cooler because it will have walking dinosaurs, flying taxis, and good grief sparring robots. Yawn. You can read our story about Neom here.

What the world needs is more practical thinking like Oman, that is attempting to make walkable towns and cities with agriculture and nature in mind.

Ancient blue recreated by botanists in Portugal

Science

Karin Kloosterman

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April 22, 2020

0

The mystery is such a mystery that even when botanists say they might have found clues, the secret, I suspect it will still be a mystery: the source of techelet, ancient blue used by Jews. The color blue was hard to come by in ancient times, and it was expensive, like the queen of all blues lapis lazuli, but like today it was revered especially in spiritual sources. The Jews used an ancient blue called techelet to dye their prayer garments, the four cornered clothing they wear to keep their minds and hearts on doing good deeds. The Bible explores how these strings on the prayer shawl should look, and that they should be dyed blue, it says.

But where does this blue come from? It’s important for religious Jews to be vigilant with biblical commandments, so to find the original source of blue is important to them. The Talmud names the source as a sea creature called the hillazon which many believe to be a sea snail known as the Murex trunculus. But, while there is broad consensus for this identification, its acceptance in practice is not universal.

Europeans, also loved blue and artisans used it widely as a color in medieval times. One that came in favor was a blue called turnsole or folium, and as part of a research project researchers from Spain took ancient instructions on how to do it. They found the plant in a nearby village, collected the berries and went step by step to recreate it.

The researchers from Portugal reported their findings which included analysing the structure of the dye using modern equipment. It’s probably more complicated to make than sourdough bread. But I wonder, is the ancient blue used back then in watercolor dye any clue to the ancient blue used by Jews?

Published in Science Advances, the group has identified the molecular structure of the dye by following ancient preparatory techniques.

About 1000 years ago during Medieval times in Europe, a special blue was used called folium or turnsole to color paintings and illustrations. For a few hundred years, dye makers went into great detail to explain how this blue was made. The old books say the blue was made from the berries of the Chrozophora tinctorial plant—which is a small, grayish-green wild herb that grows in Europe.

Botanists on the team from Nova University scoured the countryside nearby and found the plant growing along the road in a town called Monsaraz in Portugal. The team then followed all the instructions from the ancient dye makers on how best to collect the berries and when.

They learned how to extract the pigment from the berries and then how to treat and purify it. They then soaked a small piece of cloth with the dye of the berries and when they needed to use the dye would take a small snip of the cloth, and added water to release the blue.

Folium ancient dye — *Watercolors of folium preserved on fabric squares. Credit: Paula Nabais/NOVA University*

They then applied modern testing techniques to identify what it was made from and found it came from a hermidin alkaloid which they named chrozophoridin. If they know more about this dye, the researchers say they can be better equipped to preserve medieval work that uses folium.

A perfect forgery?

And what about this dye being connected to the biblical blue? I contacted Mois Navon from the Ptil Tekhelet, an organization that manufactures blue dye from the Murex trunculus to make the biblical fringes, and he explained that the Talmud actually discusses a perfect forgery dye made from a plant called “kela ilan”. This plant is known by its latin name Indgoferra tinctorial.

The Talmud goes on, Navon explains, to forbid any blue dye not sourced in the hillazon. So while plants have been a wonderful source of blue in ancient times, they have never been accepted for ritual use.

Cannabis tested in Israeli hospital to fight corona

Health

Karin Kloosterman

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April 22, 2020

5

Cannabis tested in Israeli hospital to fight corona

Update: April 27, 2020 – a second clinical trial by another Israeli group on COVID-19 and CBD cannabis is reported here.

Israel is a medical cannabis powerhouse. And a medical powerhouse in its own right (see how Pluristem is bringing COVID-19 patients back to life). Not because people here use the natural substance more than anywhere else, but because it has been legally researched by Israeli universities for about four decades. Israel is where pioneering scientists like Raphael Mechoulam first isolated and named THC and then he did the same for CBD, which is the non-psychotropic molecule – among 80 or more – that is found in the marijuana plant. You can find CBD now available around the world and it’s useful for treating COVID-related anxiety.

Israel is one of the places where pioneering American physicians turn –- such as Dr. Alan Shackelford – when he was asked by the parents if he could treat a little girl with epilepsy using cannabis. So when I read the headlines that Israel is investigating the effects of cannabis on COVID-19 patients, I was intrigued.

We know that cannabis can create anxiety in some people, but in another whole group, probably larger, it can actually calm you down. The CBD molecule when grown in plants that have little THC, can offer the calming effect without the mind-altering THC effects.

Cannabis as anti-viral?

If cannabis is inhaled by smoking or by using a bong or vaporizer, there can be lung damage. But there are other ways cannabis can be ingested, such as an oral dose, using cannabis oil, or as edibles.

According to local TV reports in Israel, Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv will begin administering medicinal cannabis to coronavirus patients in moderate condition, as part of an experimental treatment. Medical cannabis is legal in Israel, but it is not widely used in hospitals to treat patients.

The new study is investigating one of the active substances in cannabis, cannabidiol, or CBD, to see if it can slow down the inflammatory process that creates the deterioration of severe Coronavirus patients. It might be able to alleviate symptoms of the disease.

Local reports state that the study will be done across a number of wards in the central Tel Aviv hospital, and will include dozens of moderately ill patients. The study is initiated by the hospital and is currently not related to any company, it is reported.

Dr. Barak Cohen, a senior anesthesiologist and head of the Corona management at Ichilov and the research’s initiators, assured to the media: “this is a novel approach to treating some of the symptoms, using a component of the cannabis plant that is considered safe and non-addictive.”

The study is not being sponsored by any company. Barak has authored studies on cannabis in the past, most recently on the comparisons of synthetic cannabis to natural strains.

Cannabidiol (CBD) can make up about 40% of the plant’s extract, and has been researched for the treatment of anxiety, pain, cognition, and movement disorders. My friends in Canada swear by it.

Doctors are hoping to use the antiviral properties of cannabis to slow the spread of the virus.

Pain doctors in cancer wards in Israel can quickly help patients get prescriptions if a person is suffering a terminal illness but normally it takes a year or more to qualify for a license. In Toronto when my father was dying from cancer in one of the best hospitals in the world I was not permitted to treat him using cannabis. There, while Canada has legalized cannabis, the medical establishment might be long behind what Israel is doing. CBD, THC and CBD hemp products can be easily found and obtained in Canada now that cannabis is legal recreationally. But knowing how to apply these products medically is really still a big guess at best. That’s why we need medical investigators looking for trends, patterns and best dosing schedules.

On April 27, we report on a second clinical trial starting on CBD and cannabis initiated by the company Stero. Find the study here.

Renewable energy investment matchmaking platform

Technology

Karin Kloosterman

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April 22, 2020

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Renewable energy investment matchmaking platform

wind turbines — Renewable energy installations can provide round the clock energy in continents like Africa, where more than half of the people are without power. This is important for industries like gold mining, who need to use polluting diesel in offgrid locations.

Advancing the renewables-based energy transformation is an opportunity to meet international climate goals while boosting economic growth, creating millions of jobs and improving human welfare by 2050, finds the first Global Renewables Outlook released by the International Renewable Energy Agency – IRENA. They are like the United Nations for Renewable Energy and are based in Abu Dhabi.

While a pathway to deeper decarbonisation requires total energy investment up to USD 130 trillion, the socio-economic gains of such an investment would be massive, the Outlook reveals. Transforming the energy system could boost cumulative global GDP gains above business-as-usual by USD 98 trillion between now and 2050. It would nearly quadruple renewable energy jobs to 42 million, expand employment in energy efficiency to 21 million and add 15 million in system flexibility.

IRENA’s Director-General Francesco La Camera said: “Governments are facing a difficult task of bringing the health emergency under control while introducing major stimulus and recovery measures. The crisis has exposed deeply embedded vulnerabilities of the current system. IRENA’s Outlook shows the ways to build more sustainable, equitable and resilient economies by aligning short-term recovery efforts with the medium-and long-term objectives of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.”

“By accelerating renewables and making the energy transition an integral part of the wider recovery, governments can achieve multiple economic and social objectives in the pursuit of a resilient future that leaves nobody behind.”

The Global Renewables Outlook examines building blocks of an energy system along with investment strategies and policy frameworks needed to manage the transition. It explores ways to cut global CO2 emissions by at least 70 per cent by 2050.

Green Hydrogen?

A new perspective on deeper decarbonisation shows a path towards net-zero and zero emissions. Building on five technology pillars, particularly green hydrogen and extended end-use electrification could help replace fossil-fuels and slash emissions in heavy industry and hard-to-decarbonise sectors.

Low-carbon investment would significantly pay off, the Outlook shows, with savings eight times more than costs when accounting for reduced health and environmental externalities. A climate-safe path would require cumulative energy investments of USD 110 trillion by 2050 but achieving full carbon neutrality would add another USD 20 trillion.

The Outlook also looked at energy and socio-economic transition paths in 10 regions worldwide. Despite varied paths, all regions are expected to see higher shares of renewable energy use, with Southeast Asia, Latin America, the European Union and Sub-Saharan Africa poised to reach 70-80 per cent shares in their total energy mixes by 2050.

Similarly, electrification of end uses like heat and transport would rise everywhere, exceeding 50 per cent in East Asia, North America and much of Europe. All regions would also significantly increase their welfare and witness net job gains in the energy sector despite losses in fossil fuels. However, economy-wide, regional job gains are distributed unevenly. While regional GDP growth would show considerable variation, most regions could expect gains.

Raising regional and country-level ambitions will be crucial to meet interlinked energy and climate objectives and harvest socio-economic welfare. Stronger coordination on international, regional and domestic levels will be equally important, the Outlook concludes, with financial support being directed where needed including to the most vulnerable countries and communities.

As partner of the Climate Investment Platform, launched to drive clean energy uptake and mobilise clean investment, IRENA will advance collaborative action targeted to help countries create enabling conditions and unlock renewable investment.

Transform these habits into eco-friendly habits

Lifestyle

Karin Kloosterman

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April 22, 2020

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Transform these habits into eco-friendly habits

Earth Day just passed us by on April 22 and hopefully, it sparked some interest in being more eco-friendly. All of us have habits that can be switched out for better ones, and switching those habits out for ones that are eco-friendly is no exception. Most of us go through our daily routines without even thinking about what adjustments we can make to better our planet. Perhaps, one of the most obvious changes someone could make would be to ditch the bad habit of smoking. Well-made CBD vape products can make this switch possible, and more importantly, make it eco-friendly. Let’s look more into this transformation that can be made, along with a few more.

Switch Smoking For A Vape

Did you know smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths per year? That’s a pretty hefty number, as well as a great reason to make the switch. I know you might be wondering how vaping is better than smoking? Well, have you ever walked down the street and noticed mounds of cigarette butts? Not only is this litter, but it’s filled with toxins and chemicals. The reduction of second-hand smoke is another great reason to switch to vapes because second-hand smoke is just as deadly for the bystander exposed to cigarette smoke. The idea of vapes can be just as troubling for some people due to some of the bad press that vapes have received in the past, but you just have to be able to identify reputable companies to purchase from. Vitamin E acetate is a dangerous additive that some companies incorporate into their pens.

This synthetic form of vitamin E is extremely dangerous and can lead to hospitalizations and even death in some cases. Safe companies will provide third-party lab results for their products, and you can make sure you don’t see vitamin E acetate anywhere in the ingredient list. There are so many vape options to choose from that don’t harm the environment.

Running Appliances

Did you wake up this morning and decide you were going to clean your whole house and run all your appliances at the same time? Most of us don’t intend on it, but it happens. The best time to actually run your appliances is anywhere between 7 pm until 12 noon the next day. Not only do you ease up the level of power being used in your area, but electric companies also charge more during peak hours, so this is a little insider tip to cut back on your power bill.

Grow Your Food

You don’t need acres of land to create your own garden, you can honesty make a great herb garden right on an apartment patio. Do a little research on some fruits and veggies you like to eat and see which ones fit into your capabilities. Many of us have tried to grow flowers with no success, but have you ever tried to grow fruits, veggies, or herbs? They’re actually a little easier to grow than flowers, and arguably more rewarding because you get to harvest your food and eat it! If you cook with herbs it’s always a good idea to at least have a little mini herb garden because cooking with fresh herbs is the absolute best!

Reading

Hopefully, some of us have developed some better habits such as reading a little more while on quarantine. It’s so easy to get caught up in a good season of Breaking Bad, or whatever else catches your attention, but picking up a book is a great source of mental stimulation. So, cut back on the power (once again) and pick up a book. How about Practical Herbs by Henriette Kress?

Water Usage

Do you ever really think about how much water we use? If you live in a place like California, water conservation is a big deal, and droughts are not uncommon. There are a few simple ways you can cut back on your water consumption such as turning off the water when you’re brushing your teeth, taking showers instead of baths, only running the washer or dishwasher with full loads—you get the idea. You can also get a bucket to collect the shower water as it warms up and use it to water your new garden! Once you start thinking about things like this, being more mindful of it, you’ll start coming up with your own ideas.

Walk or Bike

It’s understandable… sometimes it isn’t possible, but if you live in an area where things are bunched pretty close together, you should try walking or biking sometimes. Maybe on a glowing bike path like in Holland? It’s great for the environment, you get exercise, vitamin D, and you’ll be doing your part in cutting back pollution!

Conclusion

Switching out some of your daily habits for habits that are more eco-friendly like CBD oil products doesn’t have to be a daunting task. A quick google search will literally reveal thousands of eco-friendly ideas, activities, and lifestyle changes. The first step is having general interest and curiosity—now you’re really on track to make this world a better, more sustainable place!

A memorable night at the Sultan’s palace – exploring the Tidore festival

Travel

Krista Nieuwstraten

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April 17, 2020

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A memorable night at the Sultan’s palace – exploring the Tidore festival

Tidore: a tiny island in the Indonesian Molucca Sea and one of the last remaining sultanates in the world. Forever overshadowed by its bigger brother and long-time rival, the neighboring island of Ternate, it is known by few and visited by even less people. I first set foot there in December 2018. Little did I know I was about to have a transformative meeting and would return the next year, for one of the most culturally rich and immersive experiences of my traveling life.

A small island with a big history

While the name for most people doesn’t ring a bell, history tells us the sultanate of Tidore used to be a force to reckon with. Though only 600 square miles wide – now home to approximately 50,000 people – it was a major regional, political and economic power in the pre-colonial area. Founded in 1409, the sultanate once ruled large parts of eastern Indonesia, including Halmahera, Buru, Ambon and New Guinea. Largely funded by the spice trade, it was locked in a fierce battle for control over it with its neighbor Ternate. Dutch interference during the colonial period significantly weakened the kingdom’s control and the sultanate was abolished after Indonesia’s independence. But in 1999, the sultanate was re-established and the sultan returned to power.

Chance encounter

Nowadays, there is not much left to remind of the grand ambitions of the tiny kingdom, except for some remainders of Dutch and Portuguese fortresses that attest to the historical significance of the island. I first visited Tidore on a day-trip from Ternate – about fifteen minutes by boat – and fell in love with the mellow and friendly atmosphere. Although the sights weren’t particularly special, strolling through the small villages with colorfully painted and well-kept houses was a joy. Near the market, I was stopped by a local man, who invited me to his family home for a cup of traditional coffee. I ended up spending a wonderful afternoon with mister Ipin, his wife Nadira and their daughter Ira. Nadira made the tastiest coffee – flavored with local spices and nuts – and mister Ipin turned out to be a passionate teacher of Tidore’s culture and history. The family ran a small homestay and I left feeling sorry I couldn’t stay longer, but promising I would be back.

Becoming a part of the family

A few months later my phone went off: I received a text message from mister Ipin, inviting me to the annual Tidore Festival. At the time I was living in Manado, in Sulawesi, located a short flight or overnight boat ride from Ternate. Not really knowing what to expect, but driven by the good memories of my former visit, I made my way back to the Moluccas. I was given a room at the home of pak Ipin’s father- and sister-in-law, who took me in as if I was a family member. This was a real homestay: not the kind that acts as a small guesthouse, but the kind where you actually become part of the family for the duration of your stay. I shared my meals with the family and whenever they had the opportunity they would come and hang out with me, or take me on trips around the island.

Meeting the local community

I was also made part of all the community activities and events the family attended. One night, I joined them to a traditional ritual in honor of a deceased friend. As soon as I entered the house where the event was to take place, I was taken along to the kitchen area, where I joined a group of chattering women. Peeking from behind a curtain with some of the other women, I witnessed an elaborate ritual of men chanting and praying. Afterwards, there was a communal meal with plenty of friendly exchanges and jokes. It was an experience unlike any other: I felt accepted straight away. I was a white western female, visiting an intimate ritual within a traditional Muslim community, but I didn’t feel like an outsider for one second. That night, inspired by the kind hospitality of the local community, I felt convinced that people from around the world can truly connect, no matter how big their differences.

A memorable evening at the sultan’s palace

The Tidore Festival turned out to be an annual celebration of the sultanate’s anniversary, featuring a week-long program celebrating local culture through traditional rituals and events. For the most impressive ritual of them all, my host family and I headed to the sultan’s palace or kraton. As we entered the palace, a circle of men was forming in the main area. Soon, the men started to sing synchronized, rhythmic chants that filled the air. As in trance, one man after the other got up and made his way to the middle of the circle. The men in the center – two at a time – repeatedly stabbed themselves in the chest with large knives. I held my breath, but to my surprise and relief the knives hardly drew any blood. A participant afterwards told me that the small wounds only itched and would be healed the next day. Until today, I have no explanation for it, other than that I had an up-close encounter with something supernatural.

Thousands of candles and crazy bamboo

The peak event of the festival was preceded by an atmospheric evening program. While walking to the event location, we passed streets lined with burning candles. At a square, people gathered around a huge bamboo construction with hundreds of candles, which were being lighted by men with long bamboo poles. By the candlelight, young men engaged in traditional games, such as bambu gila or ‘crazy bamboo’, in which two groups of men try to keep hold of a bamboo stick, while a spirit is supposedly moving it left and right. It was a magical evening, and while mister Ipin drove us home on his motorbike, with little Ira falling asleep on my lap, I felt grateful to be part of this world so different from mine for a little while.

Early morning parades and traditional dances

The next morning, the whole island woke up early for the traditional parade to the sultan’s palace. From every corner of the island, groups of people dressed in traditional attire started before sunrise on a long walk to the kraton. In every village the parade passed, new people joined, so that the line of people grew bigger and bigger. I too joined the swelling numbers and let myself take along the stream of chattering, drumming, and singing people and waving flags. At a crossroads near the palace, parades coming from all four directions met, and the large crowd entered the palace. After flag carriers ritually brought in the flags, an elaborate show featuring local dance and music took place, and the sultan – who was unfortunately sick – even made a quick appearance.

What traveling is all about

I returned to Manado feeling overwhelmed and extremely touched by the hospitality and kindness I had encountered in Tidore. While making my way back to the harbor, I teared up just a little, and realized that encounters like this are the reason I love to travel and will always continue to do so. With the guidance of mister Ipin, one week in Tidore had taught me more about local culture than I would have learned traveling on my own in a year. I got to know a world guided by traditions and rituals, where the supernatural is real, and the mystical and the ordinary mingle. I also got to know people who opened their homes and their hearts to me, and experienced a connection that bridged all the gaps between us. To me, this is exactly what traveling is all about.

Follow my other Slow Travels here on Green Prophet

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