I was born in a small province, Odiongan, Romblon, in Philippines. The view from our house was a beach and the view behind our house was a tropical forest. I don't remember much about my childhood but I do remember vividly my interactions with nature. I remember getting in trouble with my parents for climbing up a coconut tree to get some coconuts. There was a time when my sisters and I used to go to the beach and create a canal that leads to the ocean. We used to try to get some small fish through there and close it up when they swam through. When we got bored at the beach, my sisters and I played in the forest near our house. Filipinos are known for being very superstitious and we were superstitious about a lot of things. I remember my mom telling us that there were small elves living under a mound near our house. We all believed her and every time we passed by it, we said, "Excuse us." We also went around it every time we passed it. The picture above looks similar to the beach near our house