Nudo: Adopt an Olive Tree in Italy

I just received my first set of olive oil tins from the olive tree farm that I adopted from Italy. The farm, Il Fico is owned by Nicola who is dedicating his time and efforts to take care of his family lands producing olive oil. 

 

Taken from NudoAdopt website,

 

"Nudo Adopt is a collaboration of small scale, artisanal producers. The programme is a platform for these micro-producers to bring high-quality, speciality food to a wider audience. Each farmer keeps responsibility for the care of their olive grove and Nudo helps give security to the farmers by making the link with the customer. This in turn helps to keep traditional farming practices alive and protects the countryside from intensive and destructive modern farming methods."

 

More details on Nudo can be found in the below links:

https://www.nudoadopt.com/

 

Happy to do my small part in supporting a family small scale business of Nicola in Italy. :)

 

My tree friend, "Joy"....

Riitta took some amazing pictures of my Tree Friend, "Joy" in March adorned with peanut "necklace". Wanted to post those pictures then. But was busy with my new job and settling in that job. Now is the time.
Isn't Joy a beauty? :) :)

Other links:
Program called "Halipuu" (https://www.halipuu.com/)
General Information of the "Halipuu" initiative...https://www.halipuu.com/what-is-halipuu/
Who is behind this whole program? https://www.halipuu.com/who-we-are/
Terms and Conditions: https://www.halipuu.com/terms-and-conditions/
Tree as a gift: https://www.halipuu.com/gift-trees/
Tree Selection Process: https://www.halipuu.com/how-to-select-your-tree/
Visit Your Tree: https://www.halipuu.com/visit-your-tree/

*Not only that, we humans tend to fuss or worry about this and that. Trees do provide a "listening ear" to all our worries. Huolipuu (the worry tree) takes care of this. Head to this link: https://www.halipuu.com/worry-tree/ and write down your worries. No one reads your worries, but your worries will be brought into the Halipuu forest and they get burnt on the Seita-stone. The burned ashes are then scattered to the roots of the Worry tree. You have now brought your worries down to our earthy friend....nothing to worry about!!

Halipuu and My Tree Friend : Adopt and / or Hug a Tree

I wrote some days back that I shall write more about the tree I have adopted. I have adopted a young birch tree in Finland and I have given her the name "Joy".

This adoption was made possible by Pappas and his family via a program called "Halipuu" (https://www.halipuu.com/) in Finland. The whole family gets involved in various ways. Pappas daughter, Riitta does the maintenance of the internet site and takes care of the practical operations. The person who is communicating to me with regards my tree friend is Riitta.

General Information of the "Halipuu" initiative...https://www.halipuu.com/what-is-halipuu/
"Halipuu" is in Finnish for hugging tree. One can adopt his own hugging tree from forest in Finnish Lapland for a period of five years from wherever you are....
You are also free to visit the tree and of course hug it! :)
Not only that, from wherever we are, we can choose the accessories we wish to decorate our adopted tree and it will be done.
Once adopted a tree, we will be sent information on the tree (such as the exact location), image of the tree, certificate of adoption and the tree gets marked with our preferred name.

Other links:
Who is behind this whole program? https://www.halipuu.com/who-we-are/
Terms and Conditions: https://www.halipuu.com/terms-and-conditions/
Tree as a gift: https://www.halipuu.com/gift-trees/
Tree Selection Process: https://www.halipuu.com/how-to-select-your-tree/
Visit Your Tree: https://www.halipuu.com/visit-your-tree/

Despite the winter season, Riitta took amazing pictures of Joy and sent it over to me.....

My tree friend, Joy - in winter sleep. 
Picture by Riitta of Halipuu, https://www.halipuu.com/

My tree friend, Joy - close up. 
Picture by Riitta of Halipuu, https://www.halipuu.com/

My tree friend, Joy - getting marked. 
Picture by Riitta of Halipuu, https://www.halipuu.com/

When I decided to adopt a tree via Halipuu, I had to go through the list of trees that was put for adoption (https://www.halipuu.com/trees.html). There were big trees, but the young birch tree immediately captured my heart and I went for it. No second thoughts for this, it was a long distance love for me! :)

Trees ground me...in fact it is important for me to be "grounded". When I feel "grounded" or rooted, I can thrive and perform better in my daily duties. Trees offer me that and the distance or the place where my tree friend is does not matter. And if you are well versed with chakras or energy points in our body, the root chakra (located at the base of the spine) is the first chakra and its energy is based on the earth element. It is the foundation and is responsible for our sense of safety and security. The tree spirit or earth elements such as trees help us to stay firm to our grounds. Will discuss in detail on this in some other blog post....

I did look up on many other tree adoption programs but Halipuu is what I liked the best. While reading the adoption program offered via Halipuu, I had already established a connection....Perhaps it is the energy of my tree friend, Joy that has pulled me into this.... :)

As a regular meditator myself and a former meditation teacher, I instantly can connect to Joy wherever I am when I am in meditation mode. It is such a wonderful feeling of being surrounded by the forest energy and to connect with the tree energy.

In a blog by Jocelyn Mercado, she writes more of "People and Trees: Intimately Connected Through the Ages".
https://www.pachamama.org/blog/people-and-trees-intimately-connected-through-the-ages

There are many articles such as this....Many have realised the tremendous benefits of connecting to Mother Nature beatiful creation, trees. Does it really matter the location where you wish to be connected to your tree friend? Not necessary....

I am truly full of deep appreciation to be given the opportunity to adopt a tree friend in Finland even though I am in Singapore. All of this will not have been possible if not for Pappas and his lovely family.

Not only that, we humans tend to fuss or worry about this and that. Trees do provide a "listening ear" to all our worries. Huolipuu (the worry tree) takes care of this. Head to this link: https://www.halipuu.com/worry-tree/ and write down your worries. No one reads your worries, but your worries will be brought into the Halipuu forest and they get burnt on the Seita-stone. The burned ashes are then scattered to the roots of the Worry tree. 
You have now brought your worries down to our earthy friend....nothing to worry about!!

I am a World Vision Sponsor!

I am a World Vision Sponsor for a Nepal Child. I used to support World Vision Project in Lesotho many years ago until the project was completed. Now, I am supporting their Nepal Project. 
Below is the first letter from the Sponsored Child Community and the Child's drawing. 
Aren't the drawing lovely? :) 
Happy to make a small difference to a community project in Nepal while I am living in Singapore. 
Thank you to World Vision Singapore to make this happen...

First Letter from Nepal Community of World Vision

Closeup of the drawing of my Sponsored Child

Introducing Global Pen Friends

Apart from IPF (International Pen Friends), there is another platform where one can get snail mail friends and / or email friends. 

I managed to get quite a number of snail mail friends from Global Pen Friends. Unlike some other sites, Global Pen Friends gives some credits to new profiles created. Or if you wish to make use of the Premium Members Benefits, there are some fees involved. 

If you are keen, explore their website and begin your search for international friends via email or snail mail. All the best!

https://www.globalpenfriends.com/index.php?page=index

Introducing IPF

My journey with IPF (International Pen Friends) did not begin very recently. I was a IPF member since my teens and used to exchange letters then. Of course, as years went by and life got busy, I lost contacts with the friends I wrote to in my teens. Now, I am back again to IPF and am getting quite a number of friends. 

If you are keen and patient enough and disciplined to write and wait for letters, you can consider IPF. Virpi, the representative I contacted is very fast and very helpful too!

Below are the details:
http://www.ipfworld.com/

International Pen Friends
Virpi Taivassalo (IPF Representative)
Meesakatu 2 C 78
33400 Tampere
Finland
E-mail: info@ipfworld.com