Shameless Plug for Jollibee :)

I passed by Jollibee before going home to claim some freebies courtesy of my BPI Credit Card (ayan may free advertisement pa ng aking paboritong fastfood at paboritong bangko, Proudly Pinoy). I meant to eat something on the way home as I had anticipated that the rains would cause streets to be congested all the way to QC. I was right.

I was snacking on the regular fries while waiting for a taxi outside Robinsons Place Manila, my newest hangout due to its proximity to my office, when a man, who must have grown old begging, held out his palm to me. I stopped chewing mid-fry and handed him the packet of fries that still had a good amount of potato left. The man eyed my Jollibee bag and said, "Tinapay!" (Bread!). I shook my head and said, "Para po sa anak ko ito" (This is for my child).

I didn't know what came over me. I didn't have any children. What I had was pasalubong for my parents and my balikbayan aunt, and I guess I was looking for gratitude in the man's eyes. I didn't see any. Then he said, "Barya na lang" (Give me coins then). The lady standing on the taxi lane before me interrupted and said, "Manong, binigyan ka na nga ng pagkain eh" (Brother, she already gave you food). The man walked away, sad.

I was saddened by that incident, without knowing that I would later on give the Double Yum with TLC in my bag to someone else: the cab driver.

The Taxi Lane was not moving, and irate shoppers were picking on the mall security guard for allowing people who did not fall in line to get the cabs that refused to stop in front of the designated space. I already had enough bad experiences with cabbies to know that I might have to wait for an hour in that kind of situation. So I did what I had to do. I called my regular cab company, Reno, the garage of which was just five minutes away from my house. They never refused passengers who wanted to get to Don Antonio, as that was their home base as well. I was at ease with their drivers, since they knew that I knew where they worked and could thus report any undesirable behavior.

Anyway.

I waited for ten minutes in front of the Padre Faura exit of the mall, away from the taxi lane so as to avoid having to "fight" for my cab, and when I saw the plate number I was given on the phone, I hailed the cab, and the driver saw me. It was a rainy night and the end of a very long work week. Before I could get in, a man (in black) also hailed the cabbie. I saw the driver motion with his left hand that he was answering a client's call and was not available. As I was taking my seat, I heard a loud thud and immediately saw another man (in white), apparently the companion of the one who hailed the taxi after I did, violently hit the hood of the taxi with his bare hands.

Man-in-white shouted to the driver, "Pulis ako!", and proceeded to hurl expletives at the driver. I gathered that he thought the driver was just being picky, so I attempted to talk to him and explained that I called the taxi company and he was just fetching me as scheduled. Man-in-white refused to even acknowledge my existence. He looked drunk. He then twisted the radio antenna of the car, and the driver protested. They had a heated argument, and man-in-black intervened. He closed the door of the cab, but man-in-white opened it again, all the time shouting expletives at the driver, who was regally defending himself.

Eventually we were out of danger. Or so I thought. The driver could not get over what happened, and made a U-turn to drive directly in front of the men-in-uniform, but a mall security guard stopped him, thinking his passenger (who was me) was alighting, and asked if he could let the "man from Immigration" ride the cab. The driver asked the guard for the man-in-white's name, but at this time said man already flashed the dirty finger to the driver, and they exchanged another round of obscene four-letter words.

Now, I had had a rough week. Month. Year. I was in a car accident last week. The day after, my vertigo struck as the cab driver wound his merciless way around the streets of Manila. Worse, I could not contribute much towards the hosting of my aunt from the States as I got sick with the flu over the weekend. My work was stressful enough for ten people, and I had all the stress-related symptoms ever invented. I was just diagnosed yesterday as having Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) or being in the pre-diabetic stage, and was given medication, and was studying a new diet and exercise plan more suited to my situation. Two weeks ago, I kept a close friend of mine company after her car accident. I had yet to see my first government paycheck for this position. The actual list of whines is much longer. You get the point.

My natural reaction would have been to panic at the scene played in front of me. But I could not afford to panic. I tried to calm the driver down and to dissuade him from courting disaster. He kept saying he could get any policeman dismissed from the service, as he had done so in the past, when his rights were similarly trampled upon. This man, he said, was not even a real policeman! He was not afraid! His taxi company would defend him! He had a witness: me! He had a defender: Tulfo!

I had to agree with him that he did nothing wrong and to utter other words of assurance that he was victimized by a government employee who was on a power trip. I then reminded him to flag down his meter because he had completely forgotten it, so engrossed was he on thoughts of revenge. We had a very long discussion as traffic was bad (usual Friday rainy night stuff), and to cheer him up, I offered him a Jollibee yumburger.

He unwrapped the juicy burger and quickly bit into it while he was driving. He said that he didn't realize that the incident had left him hungry. At last, I heaved a sigh of relief. It was only then that I ate my favorite Jollibee hotdog, which I had been wanting to sink my teeth into ever since leaving the mall.

It was a scene straight out of a Jollibee commercial. Comfort food. Pampalamig ng ulo. Pag may karapatan, ipaglaban mo. Mag-Jollibee muna tayo. (Sorry, there simply is no appropriate translation for that.)

I got home safely and paid the driver the usual fare, even though the taxi meter showed a much lower amount, since our drive from Faura to Quiapo was not registered. I still had a Jolly hotdog and a Cheesy Bacon Mushroom to share with my family. I wasn't able to tell them about my eventful night because they were engrossed with the last episode of Tayong Dalawa. Yes, this entry is so Pinoy!

Tomorrow, or sometime this weekend, I will write about two office outfit disasters that eventually turned into blessings. Safety pins and shawls are involved. ;)

By the way, I am not getting paid for this by Jollibee. But if the people behind it chance upon this blog, a two-piece Chickenjoy meal will do. For me. For cabbie (I can get his name from the company). For man-in-black. Even for man-in-white (Cabbie is going to research his identity). Might change his ways, who knows.

My Father, the Techie - Part Two

While talking to my sister in the US about the Manila tour that we will give her and her husband next week, my father suggested some restaurants where we could all have lunch.

My mother, who could hear the conversation even if she was in another room, suggested that we try the buffet at the Manila Hotel.  My sister must have asked how much it would cost, because I overheard Papa saying, "Ma, paki-Google mo nga kung magkano ang buffet na iyon."

He used Google as a verb to find something on the Internet.  He had discovered the Information Superhighway.  I had to go to the kitchen and congratulate him.

Parents like to blog about their kids.  Daughters like to blog about their parents once in a while, when they are being cute as Papa was during this incident.

Of course we will end up eating at Aristocrat in Malate again, because that was where my parents had their wedding reception some 42 years ago.  We don't mind.  It's tradition.  Not everything has to change.

Another Amazing Anniversary

To add to my two previous posts about anniversaries for 2009, this year we're also celebrating 10 years of Lingkod QC's predecessor, Friends and Lovers in Prayer/ Friends and Lovers of Prayer (FLIP/FLOP). We're going to have a reunion on February 14, 2009 at Lime 88 that sits behind Mirac's house in Mandaluyong.

Calling all QT's! Leave a message or e-mail me if you want to attend. It's going to be a night of music, friendship, great food, and more! God bless.

Benefits of Eating Chocolate

Sometimes we like to justify the things we do or think of doing.

Chocolate triggers my migraine so doctors have told me to take it in moderation, if at all.  My gym trainer of course prohibits my eating of chocolate.  I asked if I could eat on Sundays and she just smiled.  Well she doesn't have to know, right?

In defense of one of the two drugs I can't live without (coffee is the other one),  I did a little research on the healthful benefits of chocolate and found several helpful articles. I'm quoting USA Weekend Magazine:
CHOCOLATE'S BENEFITS

Source of good antioxidants

Chocolate contains the same type of disease-fighting "phenolic" chemicals as red wine and fruits and vegetables, says Andrew Waterhouse of the University of California at Davis.

He found 205 milligrams of phenolics in a 1.5 ounce chocolate bar -- that's about the same as in a 5-ounce glass of cabernet. Two tablespoons of cocoa powder has 145mg of phenolics. Dark chocolate has the most; white chocolate has none.

These antioxidant phenolics combat cell damage leading to chronic disease such as cancer and heart disease. New Japanese tests show that phenolics extracted from chocolate suppressed cell-damaging chemicals and boosted immune functioning in human blood samples.

Boosts brain chemicals 
More Americans crave chocolate than any other food. Some explanations: chocolate's "melt-in-the mouth" consistency and mood-lifting chemicals such as caffeine and theobromine. And when mixed with sugar and fat, chocolate appears to boost "feel-good" chemicals in the brain (endorphins and serotonin), thus promoting euphoria and calm. Some women use chocolate candy to "self-medicate" for premenstrual syndrome, studies have found.

Also, researchers at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego recently found that chocolate contains anandamide, a chemical that mimics marijuana's soothing effects on the brain.

Helps lactose intolerance 
Chocolate makes milk easier to digest if you are lactose-intolerant. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island found that adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of cocoa to 1 cup of milk blocked cramping, bloating and other signs of lactose intolerance in half of 35 subjects. Cocoa stimulates lactase enzyme activity, they found.

Also:

Chocolate, notably dark chocolate, is one of the few foods with a high content of chromium, ironically thought to help control blood sugar.

In tests, some animals tend to reduce intake of alcohol when given a chocolate drink as an option.

Tests show chocolate contains antibacterial compounds that may discourage, not promote, tooth decay.

NOT GUILTY

Doesn't raise cholesterol 
Surprisingly, the fat in chocolate (cocoa butter) does not raise cholesterol -- at least in men with normal cholesterol (under 200). When the men went on a month-long binge of cocoa butter or pure chocolate (equivalent to seven chocolate bars a day) their cholesterol did not rise. But it soared 18 points when they pigged out on butter.

Doesn't cause acne 
Giving up chocolate won't cure acne or pimples, according to a famous test at the University of Pennsylvania. In the test, 65 acne-plagued adolescents ate the amount of chocolate in 1 pound of bittersweet chocolate a day for a month. For another month, they ate a dummy chocolate bar. Their acne was no worse on the real chocolate than on the fake chocolate.

Doesn't cause most headaches 
Contrary to popular belief, chocolate is not a common trigger of headaches, says Dawn Marcus, of the University of Pittsburgh. In recent tightly controlled tests, she gave disguised chocolate (similar to a commercial candy bar) and carob (fake chocolate) to 63 women plagued by tension headaches, migraines or both. Half did not develop headaches within 12 hours of eating either. In the others, carob was just as apt to cause a headache as the chocolate.

No link to hyperactivity 
Some contend that eating chocolate (or sugar) causes hyperactivity, aggression or other behavior problems, notably in children. But several scientific studies have found no evidence of that. In fact, some research finds sweets calm many children.

GUILTY

Chocolate's greatest crime is that it usually is combined with animal fats, dangerous trans-fats and sugar in high-calorie, bad-fat baked goods. Plus, it:

Can cause heartburn 
Chocolate is a common culprit in heartburn, according to tests by Donald O. Castell, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania. The reason: Chocolate contains concentrations of theobromine, which relaxes the esophageal sphincter muscle, letting stomach acid squirt up into the esophagus. If you suffer from heartburn, he advises, go easy on chocolate.

Does contain caffeine 
Most people have no negative reaction to small amounts of caffeine.

I could justify all I want but if I get a migraine and waste my hours at the gym, it's my fault anyway.  For the taste of it, I may sometimes give in and happily suffer and endure the consequences.

Lime88

I wrote a review about Lime88 "Pinoy Streetfood with a Twist" in my Multiply site.

You may read it using the following link: Lime88

Multiply doesn't directly send to Blogger, although it downloads the RSS feeds from my blog posts. But I wouldn't want to re-invent the wheel and re-write what I had already posted.

Hope more people would patronize this place. My friend's brother is the chef. Their mom is handling operations. And their dad is in the ICU after suffering a stroke a few days ago.

But really, it's worth the trip. I'll stop before I write another review about the same restaurant.

Balut Factor

I am Filipino and I eat balut.

A balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. It is considered a delicacy in the Philippines and other parts of Asia.

The sight, taste and texture of the embryo could be a challenge to foreigners who do not always take a liking to this Filipino street food that was recently featured on two American shows, Survivor: Palau and Fear Factor, where the contestants were made to eat balut.

I once attended a party in Arizona where a Filipina told her American boyfriend, "If you love me, you will eat this." The poor fellow did as he was told - he knocked the egg on the table, cracked it open, put a pinch of salt inside the small opening, slurped the juice until it dripped off his chin, and ate the entire contents of the shell, with his eyes shut and his shoulders crunched. We Filipinos cheered him on and gave him San Miguel beer as his prize.

A month ago, an Australian friend attended a party where my aunt served balut. He told me that he had tried the delicacy before and he was willing to eat it again. I dutifully plucked a warm balut from the buffet spread and handed it to him. He survived the juice-slurping part; at the mere sight of the duck embryo, however, his face turned absolutely red and he said he had never seen anything like that in his life. He could not finish the balut and apologized profusely for it. I think he was too polite to admit it, but he obviously looked grossed out. Maybe it was penoy that he ate before, which was just boiled duck egg and was nothing like the real thing. Everyone around him was eating balut during that particular party.

Last Sunday, I met two French mathematicians. After a hearty lunch, we gathered for drinks at the tree house that my tito built. They appeared to be an adventurous couple and my family encouraged them to try the balut. We warned them that it could be an unpleasant experience and assured them that we would not be offended if they backed out from the challenge. Our guests gamely watched my brother's balut-eating demonstration and then followed our directions. We clapped as they both finished one balut each. I fetched ice-cold San Mig Light for them to wash it down with.

I have to admit that I'm not a 100% balut-lover. I don't eat the baby chick. I can't. I usually give it to someone or throw it away. I don't tell it to the ones I challenge, however, to inspire them to go for it all the way.

Circles and Bohol

My balikbayan Tito and Tita from L.A. treated our family to a sumptuous meal at Circles Event Cafe in Shangri-la Makati a couple of weeks ago. We ran out of tummy space in no time for there were simply too many dishes to choose from.

There was something for everybody - grandparents to grandchildren had a grand time walking up and down the buffet spread and picking out their favorites. I had to remind myself that summer was fast approaching and I was on a diet. The few pounds I lost since the new year could have easily been regained had I given in to the various dessert choices. The panna cotta was perfect. Luigi, my 9-year old nephew, said the steak was "very good". Miko, the 7-year-old, got disappointed because the chocolate from the fountain was made from dark and bitter chocolate, which the grownups favored. My parents and I talked about that meal for days afterwards. We definitely want to come back when other balikbayan relatives arrive.



The next highlight of my aunt and uncle's visit was a trip to Bohol and Cebu. We made last-minute reservations through Travel Village of Tagbilaran for an overnight stay at the Bohol Beach Club and a city tour. In this photo, we posed at the real site of the historical blood compact. We had the best tour guide, Grace, who also was trained to take pictures for her guests.
This was taken inside one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines, Baclayon Church. Beside the church is a small museum where artifacts from the 16th century were on display.


I first saw Panglao Island ten years ago and I fell in love with its serenity and beauty. I was with my fellow law students then on a limited budget and they had to pry me away from the hammock for us to make it in time for our ferry back to Cebu. I was therefore very thankful to be back in Panglao. I did not wait to put my purse down, I strolled immediately on the beach after breakfast. I even woke up early enough to catch a sunrise. My mom knew it was a special occasion then, for I'm a night owl. I had my prayer time on the beach. Fantastic!



The words "inviting pool" took on a real meaning for me when I saw one of the three swimming pools at the resort. I virtually had the pool all to myself and I was free to do laps. My tita just swam short distances, and the rest of our group just watched us on the water. It was a very refreshing swim for me.

Our last stop before the ferry back to Cebu was the famous Bohol Bee Farm. We did not have space for the smorgasboard and just relied on the owner Vicky's picks for our lunch. Must-try are her pates and breads. We also loved the salad made of greens and indigenous flowers. There were various products made of honey to buy for pasalubong and good-quality handbags at reasonable prices.

I definitely want to go back to Bohol, specifically Loboc River for the cruise, and Panglao Island. It was a stress-free holiday too as we were on package tour. You may email Travel Village for inquiries and reservations at tvillage@globelines.com.ph. Tell Leslie, my friend from Lingkod-Tagbilaran, that Ella referred you. She knows I will blog about them. That's what I told her after she gave me a tub of the best ube I've ever tasted, proudly Boholano-made, reportedly the one used for Magnolia's Ube Royale.

I think I could get into this travel writing business. Wait for that on another website, coming soon. ;)

The Andok's or Baliwag Lechon of Blogging

Blogs are out; videos (on YouTube) are in - that's what the girl who got me started blogging in 2003 told me yesterday when I asked her why she had not updated her blog in months.

She may be right, but it makes blogging all the more significant for me. I blog because there are people who prefer to read and slowly make sense of the information they're receiving rather than watch videos, which may concededly be more humorous and even entertaining, but which also cater to the everything-should-be-instant mentality of our generation. Plus, I like to write, and Blogspot is my chosen medium.

I am not alarmed even if I cannot switch over to the more favored form of artistic expression. For years newspapers have survived even if "Video Killed the Radio Star", as the first music video said about TV's effect on the rule of the airwaves showed. Some people have grown accustomed to getting their hands blackened by the ink from their morning papers and prefer to receive their news that way, especially since here in the Philippines, television newscasts offer sensational journalism and even outright capitalism, highlighting the littlest crimes and promoting their respective networks' shows and stars as if they were legitimately newsworthy. These are the reasons why I still read the papers day after day. As an aside, I remember the character "M" in GoldenEye, who was asked by James Bond if the pictures he was seeing were live, and replied, "Unlike the Americans, we prefer not to get our bad news from CNN." Me neither.

If it were true that there are less active bloggers now, it makes people like me who like to be read so much happier. I would compare this to the "lechon manok" (grilled chicken) phenomenon in Manila. Many years ago, lechon manok was so much the fad that stalls were put up at almost every corner of the metropolis and surrounding provinces. It was insane. People must have eaten lechon manok at least twice a day in order to consume all the birds that were grilled at that time. Since a family could only eat so much chicken without sprouting feathers and wings, the demand naturally decreased and one by one the entrepreneurs had to close shop. The giants of the business survived, however. Only two big names in lechon manok stayed to rule the market - Andok's Litson Manok and Baliwag Lechon.

Since Filipinos have always liked to join in the bandwagon, this phenomenon was repeated for shawarma, which according to Wikipedia is "a Middle Eastern-style sandwich usually composed of shaved lamb, chicken, turkey, or beef." After that we got addicted to pearl shakes and everyone, even actors, invested in them and got franchises of different brands from across Asia. Now, shawarma and pearl shakes are still around but only the best-tasting ones have remained.

My Economics professors would probably have a more technical explanation to all these, but going back to blogging, I would like to be known as the "Baliwag or Andok's Lechon Manok of Blogging". Even if other bloggers have come and gone, I would like to stay and write my pieces for those who like to read.

I must admit that I am plain stupid when it comes to shooting videos. My editing skills are even worse, they are non-existent! Yes this really is the reason why I can't entertain you on YouTube. I'd like to stick to what's familiar. I know some people, like my sister-in-law Peeya and my friend Karreen, who discovered latent skills in this medium, but not me.

I plan to write blogs for a very long time.