sayns op da tayms

"Petal Attraction" (a flower shop) and "Elizabeth Tailoring" (a clothes shop) are classics; "Felix the Cut" (a hair salon/barbershop, I assume) and "Mabuhay Funeral Parlor" are...uh, cute too. There are more signs to amaze you with the clever play with words, to make you smile at the apparent oversight on correct English, while some can make you wonder if the wit was intentional, hehe! Check these out:

A sign at a shoe store in Pangasinan: "We Sell Imported Robber Shoes."

At a restaurant in Baguio: "Wanted: Boy Waitress"

At a restaurant in Cebu: "We Hab Sop-Drink In Can An In Batol."

I got these in an email I received from a friend -- it's an article titled "Wit of the Filipino," written by Nury Vittachi, supposedly published in The Far Eastern Economic Review (no date included).

These two are my favorites:

a bakery named BREAD PITT and a Makati fast-food place selling maruya (banana fritters) called MARUYA CAREY. Hahahahaha!!

Hope you enjoyed all that 'cause I most certainly did! =)

bring back the snakes!

Is it just me or did SNAKES 'N' LADDERS really lose much of its essence when someone came up with the idea of changing it to SLIDES 'N LADDERS?

When I was a kid, this toy was a very effective way of drilling into my head the merits of being kind and obedient. It also made it clear to me that breaking someone else's toys on purpose and being lazy were not good things at all.

Now, the new version blurs the lines between what's good and what's not--after all, what kid would find climbing a ladder more fun than zooming down a slide? At least before, you got to associate greed and laziness with the slithering animal. Now, if you make a wrong move and land on the picture of the kid showing off on his bike, you get to enjoy a ride down the slide (even if you get back several paces in the game). It'll be hard to notice the picture of the kid getting his just desserts (falling off his bike).

Good thing there are still old versions of the game (albeit 'SNAKE and ladders'); it comes cheap (P50) but the pictures are a bit blurred. And instead of the old sturdy board of yesteryears, this one comes in a thin cardboard material. Well, at least it can be one way of showing a kid what can happen to his toys (especially cheap ones) if he doesn't take care of them.

pass go, get 200

I hope someone from National Bookstore, or Toy Kingdom or some other toy store makes a pitstop at this blog and gets to read this entry: YOU ARE OUT OF MONOPOLY JR. (or is it Jr. Monopoly) BOARD GAMES AND HAD BETTER FILL YOUR STOCKS AGAIN.

I went to 6 branches (QC, Mandaluyong, Makati) of NBS within a 2-week time period earlier this month and found none. After inquiring at one of those branches, I was even told, "iisa lang na klase 'yan--'yung Monopoly" by a saleslady. Sister, believe me. There IS a Junior version of that game and I have played it many times. Instead of Boardwalk, Marvin Gardens and the railroads, you get to own merry-go-rounds, cotton candy booths and stuff like that.

Is there a Toy Kingdom outlet besides the one in Megamall?

the ubiquitous ukay-ukay

marked-down and/or second-hand clothing has taken on a hip quality for some, and it looks like the trend is here to stay. at least in qc, there seems to be an ukay-ukay shop of some kind every few blocks (but then some of them could just be mere garage sales...).

on the way to cubao this morning, there was one such place.

"ukay dito" was its name.

not too far from this was another. what was it called?

"ukay ka ba diyan?"

pinoys will never run out of witty names for any kind of establishment...

pan de sal

there's nothing like a breakfast of pan de sal smothered with butter.

need i say more? :-D

well, to add, it's still P1.00/piece, but these breads seem to be getting smaller and smaller. but a little bakery on v. luna street in quezon city sells them for P2.00/piece--okey na yon considering the size. i can't post the name as i don't know what it is; it's my mom who bought some delectables from there. i'll be sure to post the name here the next time she goes there...

idyllic smoking area

it's also nice to note that some imagination is being practiced in the attempt to enforce rules and regulations in government offices.

smoking is prohibited in office buildings (government and private ones) with some areas designated as smoking areas. at the LTO branch i went to, i was amused to note the consideration extended to all concerned, even to fruit trees.

at the same customers' waiting area was a sign in black and white:

"NO SMOKING AREA"

on the other board a couple of feet away was another sign:

"SMOKING AREA UNDER THE MANGO TREE"

i wonder if the move was partly an experiment to see if cigarette smoke would have the same insect-repelling or flowering effect on trees as a little bonfire under the tree would...

a directional arrow on the sign would have been better, especially for those who grew up in the big city and/or who aren't in the know about tree varieties. Kung sa bagay, kung gustong manigarilyo ng isang taong "not in the know" about botany, madali lang namang magtanong ng "nasaan ba yung puno ng mangga?" :-D

window 2 guy, eye test, stairway to heaven, 'fixer ka ba?'

It's delightful to know that when renewing your driver's license, you can get the new one (the plastic one and not a temporary piece of paper that's to be used for a month or two till the plastic card is ready for pick-up) on the same day. But be sure to start in the morning, what with all the tests (drug test, eye exam) and all the waiting you'll be doing.

One good thing that happened when I renewed my license at the LTO on East Avenue, QC: the work hours and breaks were strategically posted on one of the windows, and when 12 noon (start of lunch break) was drawing near, people naturally started getting restless because of perceived delays in the processing of their licenses. Here's what happened:

Window 4 - at 11:50, the lady behind the glass positioned the placard that said "LUNCH BREAK" in her place, and then disappeared. "Aga naman kumain nito," I muttered. The people around became all the more anxious.

Window 2 - this is where the picture-taking is done and where I was waiting for my name to be called. A few minutes after the window 4 lady disappeared, the man taking the pictures grabbed hold of the crackling microphone. "Mic test, mic test, 123. Mic test, mic test. Sa mga nasa window 2, umupo ho kayo. Hindi ho ako mag-be-break kaya wag na kayong mag-alala. Umupo ho kayo dahil mahirap kunan ng litrato kung maraming nakatayo sa likod. Kung hindi kayo uupo, magbe-break ako." Guys lingering around the window dutifully headed for vacant spots at the benches, smiling. Then this happened:

Window 6 - "Ikaw lang hindi mag-la-lunch break. Kami mag-la-lunch break," said the lady on another mic, looking toward window 2 with a grin.

In this heat, it was a delight to know that they still had a sense of humor. But then we were the ones in the sweltering heat, trying to sit strategically between heads and bodies so that the wind from the electric fans positioned near the windows in front would somehow reach us; the people behind the glass were in an airconditioned room.

Still, it was nice of the window 2 guy to postpone his lunch; at least that spared me another hour of waiting around outdoors on a day when the rain, unfortunately, didn't come pouring and the sun was ablaze.

-----------

I think the raving part in the preceding paragraphs just didn't shine brilliantly though that's what I was gunning for. Probably it's because despite the plastic-license-on-the-same-day delight and the window-2-nice-shutterbug treat, there was the filthy rest room at the drug testing center, the sweltering heat, the fixer-looking fixer whom I had to question with "fixer ka ba?" when he offered to help speed things up at the LTO for "P600 lang yan, sandali ka pang maghihintay" (the legitimate renewal fee was less than P300, I learned later), the sweltering heat, the demanding eye testing guy who seemed to be in a rush (it's pretty hard to read the letters on line 8 with one eye covered when someone's rushing you, and people are going about their business crammed inside that small room, and everybody's noisy so you have to ask the testing guy to repeat everything he says).

Then there was still the sweltering heat and the hours and hours of waiting while experiencing amazement and annoyance everytime some fella comes along and sits right in front of the electric fan, blocking the wind's path toward every sweaty soul behind him.

Okay, I think this is a more well-rounded account of what happened. Rants and raves about a 5-hour experience in a government office. =)

P.S. I didn't even get to mention the flat-screen TV between windows 4 and 5! There weren't enough electric fans, the customers' waiting area was quite run-down, but there WAS a flat-screen TV to provide entertainment through all the waiting. I got to watch the last few minutes of "Sis" (late morning show), then "Stairway to Heaven, uncut" (Korean telenovela), then "Eat Bulaga" (noontime show). I forgot what came on next but it wasn't that interesting because it was all "silent versions" we got--except for about half an hour during lunch break when some guy walked over to the TV and upped the volume.

rocking the lobster

Chin-chin Gutierrez has received int'l recognition for her efforts in promoting environmental protection. I wonder how her recent statements, though, will be taken, especially by those whose primary means of livelihood depends on the ocean's bounty.

I couldn't find the news article I came across a week or two ago, so all I have is a summary of her words. Chin-chin expressed her desire for fishes to be left where they belong--the sea--and not to be eaten at all. What was she thinking? Did she even consider the numerous fishermen worldwide and the thousands of others who depend on these marine animals for their meals as well as for their income? The Philippines is not landlocked (surprise!); in fact, having more than 7,000 islands means quite a huge part of the population earning their keep from the "produce" of the sea.

What's next? "Fruitarians" taking to the streets, protesting the harvest and sale of their "beloved"? Would Congress one day declare that fruits have emotions? Would apple-munching and mango shake-making be considered forms of murder?

That's strange--vegetarians stick to veggies and keep meat off their diet; "fruitarians" (if Nottinghill is to be taken seriously) believe that fruits have feelings and that eating these is a most horrifying idea.

Back to the fish. Chin-chin's suggestion to let the scaly, crabby and shelled creatures remain under the sea would probably make sense if she found a way to compensate in full all those affected by a supposed "fish ban." But then, I'd prefer that she spend a lot of time (if she hasn't done so yet) with fisherfolk, market vendors, seaside residents and all those who depend on the ocean's bounty for their survival. Then she can think again about the hierarchy of importance among the creatures that roam the planet.

ukoy, okoy

there are snacks that are hard to keep off of once you start eating them. peanuts, lengua de gato, chicharon and the like.

ukoy/okoy seems to belong to the pack. when you get a piece, it's next to impossible not to get a second one, and a third...and so on, especially if you've got really tasty vinegar.

my sister brought me a pack of ukoy/okoy yesterday--pasalubong from laguna. what can i say? ang sarap. really crispy. this particular bunch is made by students of a school for underprivileged women in calamba: Anihan Technical School. and i must say, i've sampled their baked goodies (mango chutneys, banana crumble, butterscotch and garlic peanuts, as well as products like papaya achara and alamang--not ordinary at all. they are superb, and that is no exaggeration.

so is it ukoy or okoy?

oh btw, though Lapid's Chicharon is pretty famous already, i'd like to mention that the vinegar at that chicharon place is really something. goes well with the ukoy/okoy. =)

Life can be so unfer

if you're a probie in a company you just started working for,
and you've got more than a decade of work experience,
and you know words like "mediocre" and "clock-watcher"
don't describe you at all,
and you believe in the responsibilities that come along
with the teaching profession,
and you value personal integrity and professional excellence
and your behavior and manner of dressing reflect those values

and then another probie finished college
only around the turn of the millenium
sometimes leaves work a few minutes before 5pm
to attend to her private tutees
says things like "My roommate have a copy of that movie"
and "What did she said?"
sometimes reprimands her teenage Korean student
with a playful tap on the nape
basks in naughty double-meaning remarks and off-color jokes
dresses and poses like Mariah Carey
though hers resembles Janice de Belen's physique

It makes you feel like asking
if starting you both off on the same pay is fair at all.
"Prove yourself first" doesn't sound like a fair rationale.
Don't the years of experience and fruits of hard work
matter at all?
Her ceiling is my floor, in terms of training alone.
So why put us on the same level?

There's no use comparing yourself to others--even I believe in that. But till the thrill of this ranting wears off, I'll probably get a sardonic sense of satisfaction from finally being able to rant about this comparison on account of one of us no longer being a part of the company. Hehe.

baby ring tone

Heard of the baby ring tone already? It's news to me; I just heard it a few days ago when the woman seated next to me at a net cafe suddenly had a baby's giggles coming out of her bag! Then she reached into the bag and got out her cellphone. What a cute way to be alerted! Bad news coming in probably won't be so hard to take if it's a baby's laughter greeting you...

statesmen

In the words of the late Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon:

"The politician thinks of the next election but the statesman thinks of the next generation."

Statesmen are cool.

gitgitan sa kalye, part 2

I'm not sure if it's the same elsewhere, but in the Philippines, you encounter many predicaments wherein you end up looking for a solution yourself--whether it's a scraggly stray dog who wanders into your lot, a ridiculously low budget for office supplies, or finding yourself face-to-face with another car on a congested one-way street, and it's he who's headed in the wrong direction. No animal shelter workers to call; you work your magic to make everything fit within a miniscule budget; and it's up to you to maneuver to let the car that's headed the wrong way pass.

On the same sentiment, here, therefore, are some simple solutions to the road courtesy thingie I ranted on two posts down. But before that...

Point #1: I--not the MMDA, not the Wheelers Club, or the Presidential Council for Values Education (not sure if that's the correct name)--am suggesting some solutions. It's up to me, right?

Point #2: You--not the jeepney driver, not the Little-Miss-Can't-Be-Wrong female driver, and not the Oakley-shaded college dude making his tires screech--are making the adjustments so as to deal with road courtesy issues. Either that, or simply take the FX taxi.

These simple suggestions will make your life on the road more pleasant and less dangerous:

Tip #1: Stay as far as possible from moving vehicles with:
* "No Fear" stickers - reason is obvious
* big tailpipes & music blaring from stereos, which you can hear whether his windows are open or closed - they're usually the ones that zoom down the road as if it were an Indie 500 lane
* tail lights that don't work - next thing you know, you've stepped on the brakes too late
* cars that carry the sign "student driver" - unless you find tranquility in tailing a snail

Tip #2: Maximize your signal lights.
If all drivers were female, then intuition would probably render signal lights unnecessary since women have the uncanny ability to sense things and thus anticipate what's going to happen. "Feeling ko kakanan siya," "She looks like she plans to make a left on the next corner" would be the gauge for road navigation, but then most people behind the wheel are men. Hence, signal your intention in order to avoid any guessing games by others as to your path; it's why vehicles have signal lights. You'll drive more swiftfly and comfortably; so will others on the road. Oh, another related tip: do signal before you actually turn, not while making the turn.

Tip #3: Observe other drivers' lane-switching habits.
It's easy to detect if someone is planning to change lanes, a few seconds before he actually makes the switch. If the vehicle is on the lane beside you and is a few feet ahead, look at his tires. You'll avoid being shocked due to seeing him execute a 2-second lane-switch if earlier on, you had already seen his tires inching their way closer to the broken lines that separate his lane from yours. If the tires seem to be getting nearer those lines, be cautious. Either slow down and let him pass, or...well, just let him pass. Take it from me--no use blowing your top over some reckless driver whom you'll forget 30 seconds later.

For the first time since making this blog, I have no idea how to end a post...but I have nothing left to say, so bye.

another talented pinoy

Filipinos undoubtedly excel in the arts--visual arts, performing arts, you name it. Now another Pinoy is getting her creative talent splashed on the pages of an international glossy. How did Bea Valdes's bag designs catch the attention of the magazine editor? Through www.beavaldes.com, where her work is put on display. The "bag lady" and her creations come out in a short feature on US Vogue's June issue.

Now that's an example of getting your foot on the door (and past it) through sheer talent and impeccable work quality, not by string-pulling or name-dropping. Way to go!

More of the story is in the Inquirer's June 5 issue, p.G1 (the paper's link is provided in this blog, then go to "Lifestyle"). It's somewhere in there, but the story's online version contains no pics; the print version does.

gitgitan sa kalye

Traffic jams are a staple in Manila.

Running red lights and swerving are commonplace as well.

Clogged ditches and the ensuing floods are not new either, and since typhoon season is here once again, we'll see more of those in the next few months. I'm not sure how much of Metro Manila was affected, but last night's downpour paralyzed a little part of Diliman: shin-deep flooding in some areas, detours and more detours due to unpassable roads, and anxiety on my part while driving through a couple of such roads since there was no turning back. Worse, the bumper-to-bumper, snail's pace traffic that results from the floods seems to bring out the "incredible hulk" syndrome in each driver, so that "bumper-to-bumper" takes on new meaning: talagang BUMPER TO BUMPER, as in no space in between bumpers. In other words, babanggain ka. Hay. Well, not always, but it happened to me last night at an intersection where concepts like "right of way" and "courtesy" were wiped out from the vocabulary of the incredible hulks on the road during that downpour I mentioned. Ayaw masingitan kasi kaya hayun ang nangyari--the owner jeep's ugly tin bumper made a hardly noticeable but still ugly dent on my parents' magnificent car's rear bumper. After feeling the nudge, I got out, flashed the driver a scowl, surveyed the damage, and all I got from him was a sheepish "Ay." Due to the rains, the location and the rush I was in, I let it go.

I think this is a case of aimless ranting. In other words, mere complaining. But then if anyone out there has any ideas about how to educate drivers about road courtesy, let not this blog go to waste! You're welcome to complain along with me, but I think I've done enough of the ranting already. Optimism more welcome; optimism with possible solutions most welcome!

Oh, the I-me-mine concern here was the driver courtesy thingie, but then the one about the clogged ditches is at the root of the flooding problem. Ideas and suggestions on preventive measures most welcome, too. I long for the day I can enjoy the sight of people flicking candy wrappers not over their shoulders or out car windows, but straight into trash cans.

PAtsy, PEggy, MELdy, RObert, TIna

Dropped by a Papemelroti store and spotted some new and really nice ref magnets! Small, made of wood, cute artwork! I should've taken note of the catchy and cheery quotes on them. Quite a number appealed to me that I ended up thinking whom I can give them as gifts to, to justify my purchases, hehe.

The family behind this store doesn't run out of new inspired (and inspiring) ideas. Just in case you haven't even heard of Papemelroti, you can get an idea at http://www.papemelroti.com, and even subscribe to the free e-newsletter.

This is one store I'm proud to say is Filipino-owned.

coastal road treasures

Until a few days ago, I hadn't even heard of a hospital called Our Lady of Peace (not really surprising since it's a small hospital). There are only 100+ beds, and it's located on the coastal road right next to the toll gates in the cavite/parañaque area. I got to talk to Dr. de Villa and Dr. Velmonte, two maxillo facial surgeons who devote two days each week to this charity hospital. I even got to sit in on an operation on a 1 and a half year old boy with a cleft palate.

Hospitals have charity wards, but Our Lady of Peace is a CHARITY HOSPITAL. Patients pay only for medicines; everything else is taken care of by the hospital, be it the doctor's PF (who doesn't charge anyway) for a major operation or monthly consultations. That's a big deal for those who have trouble even raking in money for bus fare to go to the hospital (cases which these doctors have come across many times).

Great work, Dr. de Villa and Dr. Velmonte! And thank God there's Our Lady of Peace Hospital to enable such doctors to deliver real service to those who need it but don't have the money to pay.

Showbiz, keep out! Please?

I'm not sure which I'm more exasperated about--that the MRT is being blatantly used as an advertising vehicle or that the tv network wars are claiming yet another domain as their "battleground" in the pursuit of top spot.

I skimmed the Inquirer's entertainment section this morning, and there they were--photos of the trains splashed with channel 2's (yuck) logo along with faces of the "stars" and titles of the shows they were currently promoting. I couldn't help but nod in agreement upon reading the news story's first line: "As if the billboards on Edsa weren't enough, now we're seeing stars on...the Metro Rail Transit."

May unveiling pa pala nitong "Kapamilya" trains with ribbon-cutting by one of the network's top honchos. Yawn. Then some celebrities hopped on board for a ride. Ho-hum. Couldn't help but agree again--this time with a grimace--upon seeing the article's ending: "What's next? "Kapuso" trains on the Light Rail Transit?" I roll my eyes.

Can the entertainment industry just PLEASE leave some areas of life untouched by its presence? Kahit nga mere expressions like "Ok fine whatever!" ginawa niyo nang palabas at pinagkakakitaan na eh. A lot of us actually choose not to watch your silly shows...but now I guess we must put up with seeing remnants of such shows when we commute to work. Bleck.