going global, blog-wise

I had been wondering what the big deal was about Aug. 31, and after putting two and two together, I realized it's Blog Day 2005 -- a day someone decided would be the day to expand our blog horizons. "We want to read more blogs! Tell us about five new ones!" I read somewhere. Good thing, as I had been wracking my brain for something to write about, and nothing has come up. And since I'd been spending a good amount of time zooming through blog rolls, here are some that I've decided to bookmark and which I urge you to check out. I tried to make it global, the better to widen our horizons:

Chocolate & Zucchini. Blogger is a twentysomething French girl who shares her gastronomic expertise from the City of Lights. Besides lots of recipes, cooking tips and little-known facts woven into her posts, the photos will tickle your tastebuds as well.

Secret Agent Josephine. Agent Josephine is a lady from somewhere (I couldn't find a profile); besides that, I know nothing about her, except that she's taking on other secret agents who apply for her team. Quirky design and loads of colorful pics give the blog more oomph.

Universal soldier. He's a member of the British Army who's currently assigned in Northern Ireland. Laces accounts from the trenches and leisurely trips to the pub with humor. You can get a bit of history, too, from occasional references he makes.

Testosterhome. The subtitle says it all: "Encounters with boys: Musings from a writer with four young sons." A domestic goddess who writes about her days in Georgia, USA -- and since the kids are a big part of her daily adventures, there's a lot of funny stuff in there.

A family in Baghdad. I'm still perusing this, albeit with a grain of salt. It contains the diaries of an Iraqi mother and her three kids (the dad's not interested, so it says). I saw three bilingual posts already (English post first, then what looks like the Arabic translation follows).

Hope these blogs serve as your window to the world.

new links, old kinks

first off...for those of you living in the Philippine islands...

if you're a gov't employee, a student (private or public school, it doesn't matter), or a teacher, you're probably still at home by this time (8 am) since the President declared today as a non-working holiday. Those earning their keep via the private sector (except for teachers) go to work as usual.

so, if you're one of those who are taking things more leisurely at home right now, try clicking away on the right side of this blog where i've added some links for your reading pleasure, research work, intellectual exercise and/or patriotic pursuits. everything from "edsa revolution website" to "ncca" (that's "nat'l commission for culture & the arts") was added within the past 3 days. and i wasn't even aware that yesterday was nat'l heroes day until my mom casually announced in mid-afternoon that the following day (that's today) is yet another non-working holiday.

but you'll get much more besides heroes on those sites. i haven't been to the new ayala museum myself, and navigating through its site makes me realize just how much i'm missing.

oh, and there's something new under "blog roll" -- "palabok" chronicles the days of a filipino hubby-and-wife team living in australia. another visual treat, just like some of the other new links. =)

time's up. i'll have to dwell on the "old kinks" part of this post's title later -- if my card doesn't run out of minutes by the time i finish downloading the new YM.

concrete, practical, doable

when you shoot that candy wrapper into the trash can, talk positively to foreigners about the bayanihan spirit and Philippine cuisine, and refrain from buying smuggled goods, you're doing a lot more good than you think.

here's why, at CyberDyaryo.

almost 20 yrs ago

hopefully, this website shall refresh your memory, awaken you from stupor, ignite your spirit and get you and your friends into action. feeling nostalgic or sentimental is wonderful, but it's not enough.

the events that took place in February 1986 were so phenomenal that even the people in African nations that were experiencing hardships under dictators at the time were looking to us for inspiration. they watched as the events unfolded and let the bloodless revolution give them hope.

i believe this is not your ordinary website about the Edsa Revolution. see for yourself.

tapioca gelatin

is that the correct translation of sago gulaman? anyway, i don't think i've ever tried the street variety of sago gulaman, just the ones sold at some fast food chains around here. though i admit that none of them can top the one my mother concocts.

i'm experimenting with graphics on this blog, and that one you see above is one of those you can find at Papemelroti's free graphics page, under the Filipiniana category. there are many other categories among which are animals, flowers, environment and bars.

while we're on the subject of this tongue-twister-named gift shop, i saw some really nice coasters for sale on the store's site. i think i've seen them at one of their stores already, but you know how it can be when so many products are displayed all together -- you can miss some of them 'cause you're too busy checking out the whole lot. anyway, i just took notice of them when i saw a couple of pictures on the site (deco plaque coasters, they're called, and they're made of resin). i'm actually thinking of buying a couple for my best friend and her hubby; after all, how trite are those as gifts (except when you get a whole set of 6 complete with placemats and napkin holders, maybe as a wedding or housewarming gift)?

What one item can you buy for P100?

An internet card -- in my case, one that gives me 20 hrs. of online time (the better to research materials for my blogs).

An original VCD on sale -- the latest I purchased is "Freaky Friday" (entertaining though not exactly relaxing about half the time due to all the "you're-ruining-my-life" type of teen angst that Anna displayed; still, it's a good take on dealing with generational differences, and the soundtrack is quite interesting).

A book titled "20 Speeches that Moved a Nation" -- haven't read it yet, but check this out: Andres Bonifacio, Ferdinand Marcos, Joseph Estrada and Joker Arroyo all in the same book. Other featured speeches are by Jose Rizal, Joaquin "Chino" Roces, Cory Aquino and 13 other figures who, in one way or another, influenced the course of our nation's history by their words.

news links 4 u

Just in case you haven't noticed, there are two additional items on the list of links on the right -- Marianas Variety and GulfNews. I was thinking of putting other news links like CNN, BBC, The London Times etc., but...well, I didn't. Marianas Variety is one of the big newspapers in the Marianas Islands (which include Saipan and Guam), and GulfNews provides news and features concerning the Middle Eastern region. Considering that there's a big Pinoy population in both regions, I decided that knowing more about what's going on over there would be of interest to us.

I guess I'll add The London Times to the list since a lot of Filipinos work in the UK as well.

Hope you find these links useful!

kung makakalusot, why not? argh.

is it just me or is looking for parking at the Gateway mall in Cubao much like exploring a maze?

after one presses the button and gets a parking lot ticket, hunting for a space is quite a task given the layout of the place. it was a Sunday so that allots for some allowances. however, looking for a possible slot was difficult. how the heck do i go to another level? IS there another level or is this it? it felt like i was merely going around in circles...until a security guard came into view and pointed the way. he told me to go straight to the section that had a "no entry" symbol above; not only that -- there was also a "DO NOT ENTER" sign blocking half the lane for those who don't know what the red-background-and-white-horizontal-line symbol stands for.

"diyan? diyan sa nakasulat na do not enter?" i quizzed the guard with furrowed eyebrows. "oho, diretso lang kayo diyan. may mga bagong parking space diyan," he assured me. so straight i went, through the "no entry" signs, and smiled gleefully as the sight of vacant parking spaces greeted me.

i wish they'd take out those "no entry" signs, though. sure, they dissuade drivers from going that way, hence keeping additional parking slots out of sight (to my advantage), but instructing people to drive on through the path is like telling them to go ahead and do what they want despite visible traffic signs. and in this country, that's not something you'd want to encourage because here, a lot of people have the tendency to opt for what's convenient (never mind if it's unlawful or just plain inconsiderate of others) as long as they can get away with it. think resorting to fixers, cutting in line and string-pulling.

so, if you reading this are in any way connected with Gateway, you may want to make a call. the red-background-and-white-horizontal-line sign hanging at the Basement 1 parking level which leads to the more recently constructed parking area further inside is better off removed. =)

http://campaignforrealbeauty.ph

Take a look at this:

For too long
beauty has been defined by narrow, stifling stereotypes.
You've told us it's time to change all that.
We agree.
Because we believe real beauty comes from
many shapes, sizes and ages.
It is why we started the campaign for real beauty.
And why we hope you'll take part.

At the hugely popular AsianSmiles blog, you get a preview of Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty -- from which the above was taken -- along with one of the studies undertaken by Dove to shed more light on Asian women's attitudes toward beauty and self-image.

Whether you're pear-shaped, in the prime of your youth or sporting a boy's cut, do check out the campaign.

If you'd like to see the charming Filipina who's been included in the Asia-wide campaign, click here. (I'm 99% sure this woman is Filipina; if I got my nationalities all mixed up after reading the feature on the campaign in the Philippine Daily Inquirer a couple of weeks ago -- the other models come from Thailand and Singapore -- I apologize, but I'm in the process of verifying my data).

Whether you're tipping the scales at 190 or 90 lbs., whether you've got white hair, jet black hair or no hair, whether you're a guy or have got more like a guy's figure -- Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty (Copyright© Unilever Philippines) is worth more than a peek.

It's all in here.

Pambansang Museo ng Pelikula

...or "national film museum."

It occupies two floors of the 7-storey Mowelfund Bldg. and it combines "scholarly and showbizzy".

"If we only wanted to attract fans, we could've just filled all the rooms with stars," said Nick Deocampo, museum curator and artistic director. There's a separate room dedicated to the five National Artists for Film -- Gerry de Leon, Lamberto Avellana, Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal and Eddie Romero -- but there's also a Jolina Magdangal mannequin somewhere. There's also a giant photo of 1950s love team Nida Blanca and Nestor de Villa. Here's the article about it:

Movie memories

First posted 10:46pm (Mla time) Aug 17, 2005
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on Page A26 of the August 18, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

FINALLY, if belatedly, a national film museum will open its doors to the public on Aug. 19.

Finally, because it is the first of its kind in the country. Belatedly, because Philippine cinema is about 108 years old.

“The first screenings were held at the Salon Pertierra on Escolta Street on Jan. 1, 1897,” according to Boots Anson-Roa, executive director of the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation Inc. or Mowelfund, which spearheaded the undertaking.

The museum comes a month after the sale of the laboratory facilities of LVN. The fate of the LVN Museum is still unclear.

LVN grant

Anson-Roa confirmed that Mowelfund was discussing with LVN management the possible transfer of the studio’s holdings to the Pambansang Museo ng Pelikula.

“We’ve already received a partial grant from the LVN Museum,” Anson-Roa told Inquirer Entertainment.

Full story

chateau verde

beef salpicao

callos

paella

YUM!!!

those are among the dishes i've tried at Chateau Verde, a little and little-known restaurant inside the UP diliman campus. they are sumptuous, in my opinion. last week, a few of us (two were Korean) had dinner at this stone's-throw-away-from-Shopping-Center resto. they really loved it -- the food, the place, the ambience.

"are we really inside UP?" one of them asked incredulously, unable to believe right away that there was such a dining place inside the campus that didn't have the noisy-cafeteria-atmosphere of a school canteen.

what more can i say? hmm...oh, did i mention the wine? i don't know much about that, but one of my companions said that chilean wine is supposed to be commendable (so we chose that over the spanish one we were offered).

oh, and in case you decide to check it out one of these days, the resto doesn't have a sign -- that is, nothing that reads "chateau verde." just a big leaf overhead that points to the entrance. don't worry, the leaf is lit up at night so it's easier to spot.

your ideas on this perplexing matter are wanted

There are times when I'm brimming with ideas as to what to put in this blog. When I'm away from the pc, I come across something...or some thought pops into my head...and I say, "Oh, that would be great for rantsnraves!" Then later on as I log onto blogger, I go, "What was that thing I was going to tackle here??"

Here is one of those perplexing questions that had been nagging me for some time now which I had planned to post here, but which ended up in the "ano na nga ba yung isusulat ko sa blog ko?!" assortment:

Bakit ang lakas magpatugtog ng radyo ng mga drivers, lalo na habang naglilinis ng kotse?

From time to time, I have to contend with this -- our next-door neighbor has an open garage, and the driver has a penchant for leaving the utility vehicle's windows open, jukebox music streaming from inside. I wouldn't say that the stereo system is of the sophisticated kind, and I do hear the driver making like Aiza Seguerra or Ogie Alcasid at the top of his lungs once in a while.

Then there's our neighbor across the street, whose driver gives the family SUV a good washing outside their gate at least twice a week -- accompanying the sunrise. He, too, relishes the sound of ditties keeping him company as he works the chamois (sometimes ballads, sometimes techno). And his is a basag broadcast of the day's playlist at a volume level that enables me to listen from our dining table.

Then at the street corner nearest our house is a queue of tricycles, and quite a few of them sport boomboxes. If your tricycle had a boombox, would you keep it a secret? Noooo. You'd let everyone be aware just what your speaker can do!

I do know that in most exclusive villages, policies regarding music broadcasts from any resident are strictly enforced. Ours is not an exclusive village; still, I believe that policy or no policy, a person ought to consider the peace and quiet that others relish and which he may be shattering before he pumps up the volume. But then, people are different so I'll let the "ought/should" angle of the matter go for now.

My question is, what's the reason behind these people's preference for playing music so loudly when a) the sound is basag, and, b) they're not in a karaoke place?

Is it out of generosity ("para naman marinig ng mga iba, yung mga walang radyo")? Are they KSP ("lakasan ko nga para mapansin ako")? Is it an expression of rebelliousness ("pag mas malakas, mas maraming maiistorbo, hehe")?

Your theories please. =)

Thanks!

getting muddy

Here's a heartening initiative from a private individual -- an attempt to help address the problem of lack of school buildings and classrooms in poorer areas of the country. I hope some of those in the know about construction, carpentry, engineering, education and related fields can post comments regarding the project.

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Illac Diaz has gone ‘mud’

First posted 08:35pm (Mla time) Aug 13, 2005
By Linda Bolido
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page C1 of the August 14, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

YOUNG entrepreneur Illac Diaz is making what is old new again as a solution to the housing and classroom shortages in the country.

After building a model house made of “mud” in Escalante, Negros Occidental, named Rio Dome in honor of his late aunt, Rio Diaz Cojuangco, Diaz is now harnessing a Middle Eastern building technology in trying to close the gap between the student population and classrooms.

Diaz is executive director of My Shelter Foundation, which believes in “uncommon solutions for common problems.” Updating an old adage a bit, Diaz goes beyond simply teaching people how to fish, in a manner of speaking. After all, with resources getting depleted at alarming rates, the “how” will not take them very far if there is no fish to catch. So Diaz is not just giving them skills but also showing them “where to fish.”

He points out that the old Filipino construction technology using wood and stones is no longer suitable and practical. The severe problem of deforestation has drastically reduced the availability of lumber and other forest products used in construction.

Full story

when in Davao...

"Things are so cheap here! Avocados sell for P5/kilo, papayas P10, bananas P15. It's paradise!"

That's among my best friend's first text messages after relocating from Manila to Davao a few weeks ago. Looks like she's getting just what she and her hubby had in mind when they decided to move there -- cheaper goods and a lower standard of living in general. And weather-wise, it's got its advantages, too.

I remember spending about a week in Davao in 1997. On the way to Pearl Farm resort from the city, we had a bit of walking to do; despite the noontime sun, it was quite comfortable (perplexing, really). In Manila, the sun's rays can really be bothersome -- all one needs to work up a sweat is 3 minutes or so standing under the sun. The only exception I could remember was January 2004 when a friend and I basked in the 1pm sun, strolling from SM Megamall to The Podium donning hooded jackets and enjoying the cool temperature.

Davao sounds like a good alternative to Manila-living...

TV networks work together this time

TV networks join forces for RP kids

First posted 09:13pm (Mla time) Aug 07, 2005
By Marinel Cruz
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A2-1 of the August 8, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

WARRING channels GMA 7 and ABS-CBN seemed to declare a temporary ceasefire and, along with other TV networks, joined forces in supporting the Southeast Asian Foundation of Children's Television (SEAFCTV) in its effort to remind parents that they should keep an eye on what kids are watching on TV.

"This is a very brave move on the part of the networks," Emily Abrera, a member of the SEAFCTV board of trustees, told a group of entertainment writers over lunch on Thursday. "This is the first time we will see TV networks tell parents not to let their kids watch too much TV."

The lunch was to launch a series of TV plugs to this effect, featuring show biz celebrities. The first batch has Aga Muhlach, Gary Valenciano, Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, Julius and Tin-Tin Bersola, Bernadette Sembrano, Ryan Agoncillo, Mari Kaimo and Boots Anson Roa.

Full story