pinas etc

New Home Phone!

2008-07-13T01:51:00.000-07:00

I feel happy today because I got my new phone. What’s cool about this phone is that it is a home phone (land line) but it is wireless, mobile and prepaid. Got mine from Bayantel.

I do have a cellphone which I use most of the time to send SMS. But getting a postpaid landline was a bit over my monthly budget. So I decided to get the Bayantel Prepaid Wireless Landline. I can load it with only P300, and voila! It is ready to use. It uses a ZTE mobile phone unit so it looks way cooler than the big wired phone unit.

Deciding about Blogging

2008-07-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

Today, I have come up with a thought about blogging.

I have 2 blogs, this one and a blog about LOVE. Being a bit busy lately, I did not have much time to update my two blogs often. I do update it but not as often as I want. So I have decided to focus on just this blog and maybe make its scope a bit wider (just a bit) and terminate my other blog.

Another thing, I am not so in love anymore...

Tito, Vic, Joey and Boredom?

2008-07-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for movies. The best thing to do is to see it in a theater but it is not always that I have the money for that. Most of the time, I watch movies on DVD or through the cable channels.

Today, I saw this Tagalog old movie starring TVJ and waaaaaah!!! I never imagined that I’d enjoy it. I never liked Tito, Vic and Joey and I didn’t know why and how I was able to last the entire movie show.

Maybe it was the fact that it was a very old movie (1980s comedy flick) or maybe I was just so bored…

Panagbenga Flower Festival

2008-07-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Philippine festivals is the PANAGBENGA. Panagbenga or Flower Festival is an annual event that calls to many Filipinos and foreigners to Baguio City. This colorful month-long celebration is characterized by colorful and fragrant flower floats and parades, shows, contests and a big sale on the most beautiful flowers in the Philippines.

I have attended to about 3 Panagbengas in my life and I cannot seem to stop. It has become an addicting force to me… I love the sights, the colors and the fragrant smells of the festival!

The Chili Syndrome

2008-07-05T01:46:00.000-07:00

Many of us just love chili. Myself included, many people just love their dishes with chili. My personal favorite is to make a chili dip using soy sauce, calamansi and a siling labuyo (red hot chili) local to the Philippines.

Curious enough, I never liked chili when I was young. Now, I almost never eat at home without it. I feel as if the taste of the food is bland without the spice of chili. Whether it is in its fresh (red or green) form, or powdered, in chili-garlic sauce, I just love my food with it!

In the Philippines, we have a region where its people are known to love spicy food. The Bicol region. In almost every house in Bicol, they always eat their food spicy… with chili of course! In one of my visits there, I was quite surprised to meet a man who eats fresh chili as if he was eating chips!

I am not a Bicolano but I have come to love their love for chili!

Blogging

2008-07-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile

There so much information on the web about blogging. Sometimes, I get to have information overload. I am reading a lot nowadays about blogging, html, page ranks, links, etc. since I am still in the process of learning about all these. Many articles and posts on different websites and blogs are very useful in informing people like me who are not so experienced yet. So far, I am doing one step at a time... writing posts, linking, registering with Technocrati, studying and reading. So many things to do!

Also, I am yearning to know more about webhosting and domain registration. I dream of having my own blog that is not provided free (not that I have any problems with free blog hosts...) so I can experiment and have more freedom in designing my blog.

For those who can give me suggestions and tips about blogging as well as a good host provider, pls leave me a message here. really really need you help! Thanks!

Summer Food

2008-06-28T23:22:00.001-07:00

Many Filipinos go out of town every summer. Most go to the beach just to chill out and relax. Whether it is with family, with friends, with a loved one , or even alone, nothing beats the beauty of the beaches in the Philippines.

It is also very common to bring lots of supplies for these outings. Food, as part of Filipino culture, is always a special part of any event. When going to the beach, we always bring food like fruits, rice, dishes, desserts, chips, and even alcoholic drinks for adults.

It is not just the heat that we think of during the hot summer days in the Philippines. Aside from the heat and the excitement of going island hopping, foods like mangoes, grilled fish and pork belly, watermelons, salted eggs, adobo, grilled fish, and bananas are never gone from the menu.

Here's a sample of the usual foods we take to the beach outing. Makes me hungry just thinking about that day...

Jollibee

2008-06-28T09:24:00.001-07:00

Most Filipinos have, for at least one time in their lifetime, eaten in Jollibee. The orange motif and the smiling bee always catch everyone's attention... Most kids utter the word "Jollibee" even before they learn counting to ten. I remember my friend's 2-year old daughter request her mom for a Jollibee spaghetti almost every month. And when my friend brought home something different, her baby would cry and say "That is not Jollibee".

Today, I went to the nearby Jollibee branch and decided to drink a hot cup of chocolate for breakfast. I never drink hot chocolate because I am a coffee person. I just wanted to hang out for a few minutes inside a Jollibee store and observe. While sipping hot choco, I got what I went there for. And that is, to look around and observe the many Filipinos who frequent the place, especially during weekends. It is a Jolli Saturday for most families who ate something at Jollibee.

Missing Korean Food

2008-06-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

It has been four months since I last ate Korean food. Yeah, I am a pure-bred Filipino but I am a sucker for Korean food.

One of my favorite restaurants here in Philippines is Kaya. The term "Kaya" is actually the name of Korea in the ancient times. When I invited some of my Korean friends to eat at this restaurant, they commented that the food was a bit salty and of course, not as deliciuous as the real cuisine in Korea.

My favorite dishes (main or sidedishes) are kimbap, bibimpap, kimchi, kimchi guchujang, tokpoki, pajeon, and galbijim. I usually eat out when I have the urge to satisfy my tastbeuds with Korean food. Once, though, I have tried making kimbop and I was either good at making it or I was very hungry.

Aside from Kaya, I also love eating at small Korean restaurants in Pasay and Makati. I do not recall the names of those places but they are more authentic in taste since most of them are owned and maintained by Koreans in the Philippines.

A Promise on the UP Centennial

2008-06-19T03:47:00.000-07:00

Today, I went to UP Diliman to attend to one of the UP Centennial activities, that is, to listen to the speech of Prof. Cecilia Florencio. The theme of the speech was " U.P. at the Advent of its Centennial: Struggles, Directions and Role Amidst a Nation of Crisis".

I went there, not because I was interested in the activity nor in the content of the speech. I was there because one of my professors required us. I hesitantly traveled going to the UP Diliman campus, when my home campus is in Pare Faure. Having low expectations, I was surprised to realize that my afternoon was, in fact, well spent.

You see, I am a returning student, a spouse, and a worker all at the same time. For the past years, I had been so busy working to make ends meet and now, studying to make up for the lost time and opportunities. I considered today's activity somewhat a waste of time, since I could be happily studying, washing clothes, cleaning the house or doing my work. But then, I learned a lot and finally realized the importance and significance of the symposium.

What caught my attention was the fact that UP as a state university and a community has a role in society. We are, as UP students, in fact "iskolars ng bayan". Having been reminded of that, I remembered that despite our own lives and our own problems, we should serve the people. In spite of my busy schedule and my own race, I must live my everyday life not just for myself but for the millions of Filipino masses who pay for my education. So, I will try to remember that every single day of my life.

Missing Mayon

2008-06-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

I have been to the Bicol region many times. I spent an entire quarter of a year in that province when I was a college student. I spent some weeks living with farmers and knowing about their lives. I spent a few lazy days just admiring the beauty of Bicol's nature.

A few more times after that, I went back. I went to another town and stayed there with my family. We went swimming on the town's irrigation system, on the rivers, and went hiking up the hills and mountains. Whenever I visit this place, its natural wealth always beckons me... to walk it, to swim in it, to feel its life and beauty.

Once, I visited the famous Mayon Volcano with its perfect cone. A magnificent natural structure with its majestic look of serenity. It reminds us, though, that it can also be harsh to mankind as it is an active volcano. Many years ago, it erupted and erased towns on the map, thus creating the Cagsawa ruins.

I haven't been back in 3 years. And, out of the blue, I came to think of Bicol and Mayon. Maybe, this year, I should go back...

Facts about the Philippines

2008-06-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

Some facts about the Philippines:

1. Archipelago- the Philippines is an archipelago, meaning it is composed of many islands and islets.

2. Number of Islands- 7,107 islands

3. Land Area: 115,739 sq. m

4. Main Island Groups: Luzon, Visayas & Mindanao

5. Climate:
March to May-hot and dry
June to October-rainy
November to February-cool
Average temperatures: 78°F / 25°C to 90°F / 32°C; humidity is 77%.

6. Population - around 80 Million

7. Two official languages --- Filipino and English
Filipino which is based on Tagalog, is the national language.
English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in higher education.

8. Religion: a majority of the Filipinos (around 80+%) are Roman Catholics. This religion was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards. *they colonized us for 333 years

9. Currency: Philippine Peso. *as of today (June 16, 2008) the exchange rate of peso to US dollar is around 43pesos to 1 US dollar.

10. The Philippines is a famous tourist destination because of its wonderful natural wealth.

why Pinas?

2008-06-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

Pinas: a shortened term for the Philippines

I use this term because this coined word is used very often by Filipinos here and abroad. For this blog, I aim to reach out to the thousands of Filipinos spread all over the world. And for the rest of the world, who finds my blog and my country interesting.

Let me show you around the Philippines and get a slice of your culture, our traditions, and way of life. Also, let me share to you about my life and my thoughts living here in Manila.

To say the least, I am in love with my country, my people, its poverty, the people's struggles, the awesome places, the 7001 islands, and almost everything that has something to do with being a Filipino.