Bonifacio: Bayani ng Bayan

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Christmas trash

I am all for recycling and up-cycling but I don't think the current fad to turn trash into Christmas decors fall into that category.

Frankly I find them ugly and they do not do much to bring in Christmas cheer. What they remind me though is the rule: Garbage in, garbage out.

When will we understand that cleanliness is the beginning of beauty?

Suiseki: Nature's art in stone



These stone displays which I saw at a suiseki exhibit  at the Quezon Memorial Circle made me realize that art is not only what people make but what people may also perceive in nature. And I agree: Mother Nature can also be a good artist.

 

Ang Alamat ng Hoya/ Legend of the Hoya

Hoya cagayanensis (picture taken from internet)

Para sa akin, hindi lang basta maganda ang Hoya. Ang maraming anyo nito ay maitutulad sa iba't ibang makukulay na ibon at dahil dito, pumasok sa isip ko na gumawa ng isang kwentong pambata na lilikha ng interes sa mga hoya at bukod rito ay imumungkahi pa na ipalit ang pag-aalaga ng hoya sa halip na mag-alaga ng ibon sa kulungan.

Mula sa ideyang ito, may nabalangkas na kwento ang isang kaibigan na aking nakausap. Sa kanyang pahintulot, ibabahagi ko ang kanyang kwento:

May isang bata na binigyan ng kanyang lolo ng isang malaking hawla ng ibon. Pag-uwi niya sa bahay, nagpahuli siya sa kanyang ama ng ibon na mailalagay sa hawla.
Naglagay ng bitag ang kanyang ama sa kanilang hardin at di nagtagal ay may nasilo nga itong isang makulay na ibon. Agad inilagay ito ng bata sa hawla.

Ngunit sa paglipas ng araw, napansin ng bata na napakalungkot ng ibon na halos di na kumain. Sa awa ng bata, kinausap niya ang ibon at sinabing palalayain niya ito kung ipapangako ng ibon na babalik siya sa hardin araw araw.

Pinalaya ng bata ang ibon at tinupad naman ng ibon ang kanyang pangakong babalik at nagdadala pa siya ng kasama.

Ngunit dumating ang araw na kailangan ng lumisan ang mga ibon para sa ibang lugar. Bago umalis, binigyan ng ibon ang bata ng isang sanga at binilinan siya na itanim ito. Malungkot man ang bata sa pagalis ng mga ibon na nakaibigan na niya, sinunod ng bata ang sabi ng ibon.

Makalipas ang ilang araw, ang sanga ay nagsibol ng mga bagong dahon at gumapang palibot ng hawla. Patuloy na inalagaan ito ng bata at isang araw, lumabas dito ang magagandang bulaklak na nagpa-alala sa bata ng kanyang mga kaibigang ibon. At dahil dito, hindi na nalungkot ang bata.

The end.
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Sadyang ginawa kong Filipino ang pagkakasulat nito dahil gusto ko na maging kwentong bayan muna ito na mabuhay sa kamalayan ng mga Pilipino.

Hindi ako makata o manunulat pero sana ay mayroong pumulot ng kwentong ito at gayakan ng tamang salita upang maging kwento na tunay na kaaya aya para sa mga bata at maging sa matatatanda na sa puso ay nananatiling bata pa rin.

Hoya mindorensis (picture taken from internet)

Salted Egg experiment

 

 

I did not expect my experiment in making salted eggs with a different color to turn up well. But am very happy with the result. Am planning to call these eggs "ginintuan".

 

I have always been worried by the red dye used in the traditional red colored eggs. Dyes are not really the safest of chemicals but sometimes when you cut open the red eggs, one can not avoid staining the inside of the egg which eventually gets eaten.

 

At least with the Ginintuan eggs, the colorant I used is from a plant and so is very safe.

 

Taste wise, the result of this experiment is equally very good. One taster even likened the taste of the white of the egg to the local carabao cheese. Not too bland nor too salty.

 

Looks like I will just be making instead of buying the salted eggs for our table.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Toilet paper lock

Although I commend McDonald's for its high standard of hygiene and cleanliness, I find this lock on the toilet dispenser a sad commentary about us as a people.

This is not the fault of the restaurant but the customers or the cheap whoever who would rather swipe than buy their own toilet paper.

Relevant history vs merely remembering

When we look at the past for its own sake and without relating its relevance to the present except for comparison, that is merely remembering. The past becomes historically relevant only when we can see its effect and influence on the present.

The Rosemary challenge

I admit I am a trying hard urban farmer. But for some reason I can not say I am there yet. So far most of my attempts at raising plants have produced only so-so results. Still the little success that I get are enough for me to go on.

A recent challenge that I took on for myself is being able to grow the aromatic herb rosemary. I had tried to grow them before but my earlier attempts only ended up as failures. I know there is something that I am not doing right with this plant.

Hopefully this time, I will be able to get it right.

Kanin-baw

Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, lahat na lang ay ginagawa ng ating mga kababayan para lang makakain ng husto. Pero kung minsan, ang kanilang imbento ay sumisikat at kinakain na rin kahit ng mga may kaya.

Kailan lang ay may narinig akong pangalan ng pagkain na bago sa akin - "kanin-baw". Akala ko kung ano ito pero ang ibig lang palang sabihin ay "kanin na may sabaw".

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang lasa ng kanin-baw na narinig ko, pero naisip ko, hindi nga masamang ideya kung may gumawa ng sosyal na version nito na masarap ang sabaw at maraming laman.

Baka nga ito ang sunod na maging patok na usong pagkain.

My favorite Mcdo moment

If I have to eat out for breakfast, my restaurant of choice is McDonalds. The place is clean and the service crew are all smiles and genuinely welcoming.

But like all fast food restaurants, the drawback for quick, convenient meals is the noise and the traffic of people coming and going.

Sometimes however, when it is early enough, I get a chance to eat in peace and quiet with the bonus of being given a complimentary newspaper that I get to read at leisure.

But this rarely happens and it is just like the calm before a storm. One by one, people trickle in and what was just earlier was silent like a library suddenly becomes noisy as a marketplace.

Still I am thankful for these rare precious moments.