Mabuhay 2017

Ilang oras na lang ay bagong taon na.

Ang bawat palit ng taon ay dapat lamang mabunyi nating salubungin. Pero kung tutuusin, wala naman sa atin ipinangako ang taong darating maliban na lang sa kung ano ang gagawin natin dito.

Sana ay mapanaig natin palagi ang katotohanan, katarungan at ang ating kalayaan sa mga may masasamang balak, maging sila man ay dayuhan o kababayan.

Isang magandang pagbabago na masasabi ko sa taong ito ay ang parang malaking pagkakabawas ng mga taong nagpapaputok. Ilang oras na lang ay bagong taon na ngunit ang putukang naririnig ko ay mangilan ngilan lamang at mula  pa sa malayo. Sana ay tuluyan pang matalikuran ng mga tao ang ganitong tradisyon na mas marami pa yatang pinsala ang dala kaysa kabutihan.

At sa mga taong magpupumilit na magpaputok pa rin at masusugatan, ang masasabi ko lang sa kanila ay Happy New Year! na hangad ko rin para sa lahat.

No tyrants where there are no slaves...

Who will not agree with this statement of our national hero Jose Rizal whose death by firing squad 120 years ago we commemorate today.

While I do not disagree with this statement, I now realize that tyranny is not a simple one man affair of a despot oppressing powerless people consigned to slavery.

Tyranny is a conspiracy of evil men and it is not possible without an organization of knowing and willing cohorts and supporters. To defeat it, we must not only destroy its head but also dismantle its structure and exact punishment from the participants.

Being committed to fight tyranny and ensure its eternal defeat is the best way to honor and our heroes.

Remaking Christmas

If it is only possible to remake Christmas, I hope it can be made a day just for children and the less fortunate among us. It can still be a time for giving, but only for these people and as much as possible nothing for ourselves who are not in need. No commercialism, no orgy of feasting, no traffic, no Christmas stress.

Maybe this is not really remaking Christmas as it is making it hew closer back to its original spirit.

Instead of artificial gaudy décors, we can cheer ourselves up with our creativity and hand made creations as much as we can. Being productive with our own hands can make us happy and may bring us into the mood of the season.

Anyway there is still the New Year to welcome and party for.

A hopeful  and peaceful Christmas to all.

Hukayin! Hukayin!

Art installation at the Pinto Museum and Silangan Garden, Antipolo City



Whoever created this art installation may have a different idea and message in mind. But when our group saw this display, we were immediately reminded of the public's protest against the stealth burial of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Pateros - Rooftop Garden Community?

 

Pantasya pantasya lang pag may time....

Ang Pateros ang pinaka maliit na bayan sa Metro Manila. Sa dami ng naninirahan dito, ang mga bahay ay dikit dikit na at sa ayaw man at sa gusto, ang mga bahay ay sapilitan ng nagiging patong patong.

Kaya paano pa kaya makaka-asa na magkaroon ng maaliwalas na liwasan o park sa Pateros.

Sa nakikita ko, maaari pa rin ito kung magkaroon ng plano ang bayan na gawing rooftop garden ang mga bubong ng mga bahay bahay na konektado sa nga kadikit na bahay. Para ng sa ganoon, ang mga tao ay maaari sa itaas ng mga bahay maglakad at mamasyal.

Hindi talaga ganoong kasimple ang ideya na ito. Pero hindi rin naman siguro imposible basta pinagka-isahan ng taumbayan.

Wisdom picked up from the internet

The biggest mistake you can make is listening to people who've given up on their dreams telling you to give up on yours. - Umair Hague

A night of protest

People protesting at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on the day Marcos was buried at the LNMB

The stealth burial of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani will not change the fact that he is a heel and not a hero. The hurried and almost secret manner in which he was buried only highlights this point.

The burial of Marcos may feed the vanity and arrogance of his family but they will be wrong to think that this will bring closure to the Marcos issue. For as long as there is no justice rendered to his victims, the hallowed ground where he is interred will vomit him out no matter how deep and solid his grave was made to be.

Truth

Truth is the highest and  most important value. It is the basis of honor and order in society. It is the cornerstone of all virtues and the fundamental element of good which allows people to live in productive harmony.

We are all beholden to truth.

Without truth, the alternative is discontent, injustice and eventually discord and chaos. Might tramples reason and the law of the jungle prevails. Without truth, freedom dies.

Truth is the life giving air of legitimacy. A person may come to power by perfectly peaceful and legal means. But when that person tries to stifle the truth and governs through lies and falsehoods, he looses that legitimacy. This leader is a  failure, a potential tyrant and despot. It becomes the duty of the people to resist this person and make him to account for his lies first by all peaceful, legal and constitutional means but if necessary through resort to their united power.

Corny craft

Coin purses and other items made from corn husks

For people with a lot of time and looking for an outlet for their creative imagination, they might want to consider a project turning corn husks into various useful or decorative products such as those shown in the picture above.

These items and many others were made by the KARIGO Corn Husk Fashion and Accessories Association and were exhibited during the National Arts And Crafts fair held last 26-29 October, 2016 at the SM Mega Mall Exhibition Hall.

Haba haba jeep

I saw this passenger jeepney while on a stopover at a gas station inside the North Luzon expressway. It is the longest jeepney I have ever seen.

When I saw it, the first thought that came to my mind was how long does it take for this jeepney to fill up with people . Does it take off even with just one or two passengers? What if people are in a hurry?

It is possible to make the jeepney bigger and longer, but still, I don't believe that it can ever be a solution to our transportation problem.

The jeepney is not an engineering marvel that we can be proud of. It is inconvenient, poorly designed and inefficient as a mode of mass transport. It is also a major generator of pollution.

The kind of transportation system that we have says something about us. If the jeepney has become a national icon, it is because  it is how we adapted to a weak and even corrupt government that can not give us a better alternative.

We were among the first countries in our region to have a rail transport. How did we lose it and ended up with the most backward transport system? It is time that we do something about it.

Let us have a real modern mass rapid transportation system. As for the jeepney, let us try to use our imagination to evolve it for other uses.

Night magic

View of a riverside community at dusk as seen from across the Guadalupe Ferry Station

Night is usually a metaphor for gloom.

But sometimes night can bring out the beauty of something which is otherwise plain or even ugly in broad daylight.

Such is the magic of the night.

Fake Japanese Stores

Isn't it cheating when a store is given a Japanese name but then sell products mostly made from another country? This is like faking a whole store to ride on the good image of Japan.

Caveat emptor.

Philippine Map

Fidelism

It is possible to make people lie and perjure against somebody by threatening them. But what we must all realize is that lies may allow you to live a little longer but only the truth can set you free.

Chocolate to fight depression

It has been claimed that among other things, chocolate can help fight depression.

If true, this is great news.  I love chocolates and I certainly won't mind having them from time to time. The only reason I hold back from eating them more often is the sugar and I don't like resorting to artificial sweeteners either.

Since I can only have chocolates occasionally, I think of them more as a reward for achieving something instead of a cure that some chocolate researchers tout them to be.

Hoya mindorensis

Hoya mindorensis. Nahuli lang ako ng isang araw sa pagkuha ng litrato ganito na agad ang nagging itsura

Dahil sa nagandahan ako sa mga litrato ng bulaklak ng Hoya mindorensis, sinubukan kong mag alaga nito.

Pero dahil hindi naman talaga ako marunong at matiyagang mag-alaga ng halaman, medyo napabayaan ko ito.

Ganoonpaman, paminsan minsan, parang magagandang surpresa na bigla ko na lang makikita na nagbubulaklak na ang mga ito na parang ipinapaalala sa akin na huwag ko naman sila kalimutan.

Kanina lang ay ang Hoya mindorensis naman ang nagpakita ng kanyang bulaklak. Maganda nga sana ito pero sana ang ating mga siyentipiko o kahit mga plant enthusiast man lang ay magawang mapalaki ang mga bulaklak nito at mapatagal ang buhay.

Tulad halimbawa ng hoya sa larawan, ang bilis lumampas ng kaganapan ng pinakamagandang pamumulaklak niya kaya ganito na lang ang itsura niya ng maisipan kong kunan ng litrato.

Repurposed mosquito swatter

I think the electric mosquito swatter is a great idea. The problem with it though is that it breaks down easily but it is not as easy to repair if it can even be repaired at all. People have no choice but to discard broken swatters and buy new ones.

But just imagine the waste. If only there is a way to easily repair these gadgets or to repurpose them.

I am thinking that if there is a kind of slow drying adhesive that can be applied to the screen of the swatter, then maybe it will still be possible to use them. Instead of zapping the mosquitos they will just get stuck on the screen for removal later.

A security guard at a fast food outlet had a different idea however. Instead of catching mosquitos, he repurposed his swatter to catch flies.

For as long as the contraption works and remains useful, then for me it is still a good idea.

Lead by example, speak by deeds

The Church exhorts its flock to speak against extrajudicial killings related to the bloody war on drugs carried out by the present administration.

I believe however the Church can have more impact and be more effective if it leads by example and speak by deeds.

One thing it can do is to open its doors as a sanctuary for those seeking to escape the murderous claws of the drug executioners whoever they may be.

Another thing it can do is to lead in the creation and development of realistic rehabilitation programs that will help addicts seeking to reform and build a new life succeed in this effort.

There are many things that change. But one fact that does not change is that action speaks louder than words.

Solving the transport problem through people power

Transportation officials should not ignore the importance of walking as part of the solution to the traffic problem in our country.

It may not be evident, but every meter that can be taken away from the distance that people have to travel can significantly reduce the space needed for transportation vehicles on the road.

Thus together with the grand transportation projects such as trains and cable cars being considered, transportation officials should also create safe pedestrian corridors where people can walk.

Apart from pedestrian corridors, transport officials should also create bike lanes and a bike use program.

If there are these options for people to help themselves, I think many people will avail of this.

The War on Drugs

tv grab of drugs confiscated in a buy bust operation

Why do some people get to be addicted to drugs while others don't?

I think people who take drugs are those who are trying to fill a void in their lives or are trying to escape a life without purpose or meaning.

People should have a purpose around which they can structure their lives. This can be religion, family, a personal ambition, an advocacy or anything that they can dedicate their lives to. Without this, they can fall prey to the temptation of drugs that can bring them temporary pleasure but eventual ruin.

If these people who have become addicted to drugs are to be helped, I believe someone must reset the button of their lives for them and try to define or structure a new existence for them through a new environment and long term work engagement.

Figuratively, this is like killing their old selves for a chance to get a new life. And someone must take charge.

Goal vs Wish

Earlier I got into a conversation with a person whose personal qualities as a leader I admire.

Talking to this person, I got an idea why some people make it in life despite great obstacles, while others do not, even if  they are given all the chances and opportunities.

People who make it have a set goal in life and a plan on how to reach this goal by stages.  They also have a time frame for every stage of their goal and work hard with focus and determination to achieve it.

The rest simply have a vague idea of what they want but have no idea how to get it.

Yet  without a goal, without a plan to move forward it is a gradual slide to poverty even for those who start with a lot of money. And many are already there.

A course in home based dairy processing

I like yoghurt and I like cheese. What I don’t like is their steep price.

Unfortunately there is not much we can do about it because we are not really a milk producing country and most of the dairy and milk products we consume have to be imported.

That was why when I got a chance to attend a short training course in a home based dairy products processing at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, I did not let it pass.

The training was held for four days (July 18-21, 2016) at the Dairy Training Institute in the university. During the training we were taught basic milk chemistry and evaluation, handling and processing of milk into various products such as flavored milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, mozzarella, milk candy and ice cream.

I really appreciated the effort of the DTRI people, especially our trainor Ms. Aida Borromeo-Lanaca who taught us as much as possible as many things in the short time that we had. I was also surprised and very happy with what we made. The yoghurt was soooo good that even if that was the only thing I learned and which I could replicate at home. I would be contented.

Ms. Aida Borromeo Lanaca (in yellow) our trainor showing us how to pasteurize milk

If there is one thing though that I hope the training staff and the DTRI people can improve on, it is that they should work on coming up with a decent, well written and comprehensive basic reference/training manual (printed or electronic) instead of handing out power point printouts of the lectures. I find this practice cheap and unworthy of a respectable institution. It gives the training a semblance of being just hastily and haphazardly organized. Very ad hoc.

Many people in the business of teaching seems to have been trapped in a culture of complacency that they have forgotten the fact that the beginning of teaching and the effective transfer of knowledge is with a good book. A book that can be improved, revised and refined over time. I hope that before DTRI holds another training, they can work on this training manual first.

There is no question about the competence and knowledge of our workshop trainers with regards to what they taught us. Certainly they can make good consultants. But writing a book may require other skills and may require the involvement of other people who are up to the job.

In fairness to DTRI, it is not alone with this problem. Many other training institutions are in the same boat.

Change is coming. But is DTRI ready for change?

Group picture with my co trainees and our milk products

 

Shambon - shampoo na nasa sabon.

May kasabihan na "ang pangangailangan ang ina ng imbensyon".

Totoo nga.

Sa paggawa ng sabon, dahil nagsasawa na ako sa mga pabango na ginagamit ko, naisip ko lang kung maaaring haluan ng shampoo ang sabon. Ang inaalala ko lang  ay baka hindi kasi tumigas ito.

Pero maaari naman pala.

Sa sarili ko, ayos naman gamitin ang sabon na ito. Kahit sa buhok, medyo may epekto rin na parang mas malambot ang buhok na parang na shampoo ito.

Hindi ko lang alam kung ano ang matagalang epekto nito. Baka nakakalagas ng buhok at makalbo ang gagamit nito ng pangmatagalan.

Huwag naman sana. Pero kailangan pa din ng matagal tagal na obserbasyon.

Galing sa isang kaibigan ang pangalang "shambon". Kapag ito ay tinanggap at tinangkilik ng publiko, siya ay may lifetime supply nito.

Paano makaka-abot ang tagumpay ng Pilipinas sa kanila?

Nanalo ang Pilipinas sa kasong isinampa nito laban sa Bansang Tsina kaugnay ng pag-angkin ng huli ang mga isla sa West Philippine Sea.

Habang nagdadaan ako sa talipapa na malapit sa amin at nakita ko ang mga isda na itinitinda ng mga manlalako, naisip ko kung ano kaya ang palagay ng mga tindero sa pagkakapanalong ito ng ating bansa.

Bilang mga Pilipino alam ko na ikinagagalak din nila ang panalo ng Pilipinas. Pero ano pa kayang biyaya ang mararamdaman nila kaugnay ng panalong ito?

Duterte's Revolution

Matuwid na Daan was supposed to be the revolution. It was righteous, it was peaceful and it was lawful.

Our mistake was to treat it just as a political slogan instead of a national or a people's project to set a standard for government service. Thus the public rejected it as the enemies of the Aquino government tried to sabotage and derail his administration.

Instead the majority of the people created a sacred cow to worship and what we have now is a Duterte Revolution- brutal, bloody and reckless as it goes about bringing "change" to this country.

But there is no other way but Matuwid na Daan. We have to bring this back. In the constant battle between good versus evil, Matuwid na Daan is on the side of good and is on the right side of history.

This our people must understand.

It takes a village...

If it takes a village to educate a child, according to the next and first female president of the United States Hilllary Clinton in a book she earlier wrote with the same title, I believe this principle should also be applied in solving the many big problems that affect us today.

People should understand that it is they who make society work and so they should not simply sit by as they expect the government to make things easy for them. Unfortunately, this thinking is encouraged by politicians so they can keep their hold on power.

The village or the barangay is where the building of the nation begins. And in this, all the people must get involved.

"Adik" Crafts

 

 

Although I am all for recycling and up-cycling, I am not really a fan of turning discarded packaging and other waste material into decorative items. For me, this is just delaying the discarded material's trip to its final resting place - the garbage heap.

 

For lack of a better term, I call this proclivity of some people to turn trash into decorative items as "adik-crafts" because I associate this activity with mostly prisoners and drug addicts undergoing rehab.

 

Not that I am being judgmental or being biased against it. In fact, I am completely neutral. If it helps people pass away time, earn a little income or even turn a new leaf  I am happy for them.

 

I am hoping though that aside from working on the decorative aspect, practical uses can be found for these waste materials.

 

In the case of PET water bottles, I have noted three worthwhile uses one of which I found very practical.

 

These are:

1. PET mini  aquarium to hold a small fish that feeds on mosquito larvae. This may help minimize mosquito population especially the disease carrying kind. (see picture)

 

2. PET salted egg maker. Simply cut the top part of 5-6 liter water bottle. Put fresh chicken eggs and submerge in supersaturated salt solution. Put weight on eggs to keep each egg under the solution for about two weeks. After two weeks, remove egg from the solution and boil in a pot of fresh water till cooked.

 

 

 

3. Plastic bag closer. This idea I find very neat and useful because it makes it easy to close tight a plastic bag after getting a portion of its contents.

 

 

 

Of course there are many other ideas out there, but for me these three are good enough.



A Vigan reprise

Calesas in front of the Quirino house

 It was really to Laoag and Pagudpod where I wanted to go. But due to limited time and just thinking of the long hours of going there and back, I ended up just going to Vigan.

This is my second time to go there but I was happy to be back and find that none of its old world charm was lost on me.

This time however, instead of doing the tourist thing, I went to the public market to look for unusual items that may not be common to those not from there.

The food section of the Vigan City market is situated on the second floor of the market building unlike most markets in the country I know.

Two uncommon things I found there were the 'balicutia' which is a kind of candy made from sugarcane but which is also used as a sweetener. I am sure there are other ways of using it as a cooking ingredient. It is also sold as a souvenir food item and  I was planning to buy some but at the last minute, I forgot to do so.

the balicutia- sugar candies cum sweetener

The other item that I saw for the first time is the sea weed called 'gamet' which to me looked similar to the Japanese 'nori' but less well preserved and presented. I wanted to try it but I do not know what to do with it. I was told to steep it in hot water and add it as a salad ingredient. But at P90  per sheet smaller than a bond paper, I decided that I will just try to sample it in a restaurant that serves it. That opportunity has not come yet.

Gamet - a food item from the sea

Vigan is as beautiful in the morning as it is at night. But actually it is the relative calm and quiet that draws me to it. I hope the influx of motor vehicles and wanton development will not change it.

What I noticed about Vigan though is that there is no memorably pleasant aroma that will stay in my mind and remind me of my visit there. How nice it would have been if Vigan has more odoriferous flora adorning its streets to match its old world ambience. What permeates the air in a part of the city is the greasy smell of Jollibee fried chicken cooking.

I hope the city people will realize that hiring a professional and top caliber gardener and cityscaper can only make their place more beautiful and tourist worthy.

two vendors selling kakanins, mostly rice based

Partido MnD

Now that the term of PNoy is almost over, I hope his Matuwid na Daan advocacy will continue.

Critics of PNoy sneer at Matuwid na Daan when they find fault in PNoy and his officials. What they do not understand, fail to see or refuse to see is that Matuwid na Daan is an ideal that we, all of us should strive for in our government because there is no other way.

For this reason, I believe Matuwid na Daan should even be turned into a political party to become an instrument for nation building instead of treating political parties just  as vehicles for personal ambition.

Principled remnants of the Liberal Party which is now almost decimated by defection of its members to the camp of the new President elect can be the core founders and members of this new Party.

When a house  has been so badly eaten and weakened by termites, it is just more practical to raze it to the ground and simply build a new one.

"Barangay Utakan" - A good tv show

I think we should appreciate efforts of tv networks to come up with intelligent and decent shows that engage the people and foster community spirit.

One of these kind of show is "Barangay Utakan" on Channel 5 which airs I think every Sunday.

The show combine mind and fun games pitting residents of one barangay from another.

The winning barangay gets for a prize something that the entire barangay residents can enjoy. In the episode that I saw by chance while channel surfing, it was a the improvement of the barangay basketball court.

More power to the people behind this show.

What happened to the sanggumay?

sanggumay last year around February

I am disappointed that this year, the sanggumay in our backyard did not produce any flower. It looked very healthy and I assumed that once the leaves die off, flowers will automatically follow.

But not for this one.

What happened?

Was it because it was suddenly exposed to intense bright light when the mango tree shading it was cut down?

Or was it because it we continued to water it even late into the year when watering should have stopped to hasten the dying off of the leaves and induce flowering?

But I only learned this too late.

Oh well. I like gardening but gardening does not seem to like me.

this year's sanggumay

Flores de Pusher

photo from PDI

Sa Batangas may isang mayor na nagpapa uso ng bagong tradisyon - Flores de Pusher.

Sa mata ng ibang tao, ayos lang ito. Salot naman talaga ang mga pusher at adik sa lipunan.

Ang problema ko lang dito, panay maliliit lamang ang mapaparusahan ng ganito pero ang mga malalaki at makakapangyarihan, ewan kung maisama dito. Lalong lalo na ang mga politikong sangkot sa narco-politics.

Isa pang isyu ko sa ganitong hakbang, sa simula ay maaaring mga pusher nga ang ipaparada. Pero sa kalaunan baka maabuso ito at kahit na sino na lang na hindi gusto ng may kapangyarihan ang padaanin sa ganitong panghihiya.

Ang unti unting paglabag sa karapatang pantao ay parang maliliit na bitak sa isang gusali na pag hindi inayos ay balang araw na mauuwi sa malaking bitak at pagkawasak mismo ng gusaali.

And the winner is.... Democracy!

Even before the May 9, 2016 Presidential election, it was already evident who would most likely win the election.

But win or lose, I stood by my candidate. I was not voting for a person. I was voting for honesty, integrity and a genuine desire to do what is right for the people. Unfortunately for me and my candidate, majority of the voters had a different a view.

This election had a huge voter turnout at 81%. For the most part, it was clean and honest. Voters went for different candidates, but in the end, with a clean and honest election, the winner is democracy and for that, we can say that we all won.

It is far far better to lose in a fair fight than to win by dirty means.

This thing called suffrage

Today millions of Filipinos will vote for a new leader. The generally good turnout of voters during elections make me believe that Filipinos are aware of the power of their vote.

What I wonder though is that when Filipinos vote, do they vote as equal where they believe they can hold the person they support accountable or do they vote as minions and underlings ceding their right to their bet?

Cool water

Aguas Frescas from Reggie Aspiras column Kitchen Rescue. WIP

Ubas mula sa Sagada

Habang naglalakad ako sa palenke sa Baguio, nakita ko ang panindang ubas na ayon sa karatula at tindera ay galing daw sa Sagada.

Maganda nga sana kung totoo ito pero parang ang hirap agad maniwala. Gusto ko muna makita ang ubasan sa lugar na iyon o makakalap pa ng patotoo ng iba maliban sa nagtitinda nito.

Brushing teeth with baking soda

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. After learning from some people thru the internet that it can be used as replacement for toothpaste, I tried it and found it to be okay enough for me to use it from time to time.

It tastes salthy but not as lathery as the commercial toothpaste. However I can say that it can make my mouth feel clean and that is what is important.

There are concerns that it can be very abrasive. However its abrasive rating is much lower than the ones used in commercial toothpastes.

To use it, just put a small amount in a small cup - I use a ceramic egg holder. Dip my toothbrush in it and brush away.

Don't forget to brush gently but thoroughly.

The "Musikalye" Show

I am one of those people with no musical ability or talent whatsoever. But I am happy and proud that many Filipinos have been blessed with this gift and are chalking up recognition one after the other all over the world.

One nice thing about music is that it is one of the truly democratic arts. The rich have no, and can not have a monopoly on it. But it can be a ticket out of poverty for many poor people.

Since it is almost a given that Filipinos love music, love to sing and also like watching variety game shows, I wonder if it is possible to make a "musikalye" show wherein an entire community or barangay can be engaged in a musical production?

What I have in mind is to transform noontime variety shows featuring fun games done on remote locations to incorporate surprise musical numbers by members of the community.

At least by showcasing talents instead of sob stories for people to earn some cash, the musikalye show can undo the mendicant mentality fostered by some variety shows.

10 Quality of Life Tips

Most of these ideas I got from watching TED talks on Youtube;

1. Quality sleep of 6-8 hours
2. Healthy diet and calorie restriction
3. Regular moderate exercise for body and mind
4. Social engagement
5. Cultivating positive attitudes such as gratitude and civility
6. Meditation
7. Having a purpose
8. Keeping busy and working with the hands
9. Personal grooming and hygiene
10. Always have a ready smile for others

Pinoy in denial

May naka-usap akong driver ng jeep. Hindi na raw siya nagsisigarilyo. Tatlong stick na lang daw sa isang araw.

Tapos sabi pa niya, hindi siya mahilig makipag-inuman at kung napapa-inom siya, ayaw niya ng hard kaya gin ang ini-inom niya.

Marami na akong nakakausap na mga tao na ganito kung magdahilan. Ang tawag ko sa kanila mga "In-day" short for "in denial".

Okay lang sa akin ang mga taong ganito ang pag-iisip. Sa palagay ko, hindi naman para sa akin na sabihin na mali sila at ako ang tama.

Ang hindi okay sa akin, yong mga gumawa ng masama na kahit huling huli na ay nagkakaila pa rin. Maraming may sakit nito mula sa mga ordinaryong tao hanggang sa ilang mga makakapangyarihang politiko.

Nasasa atin na kung gaano natin sila papayagan na makalusot.

Some effective interpersonal traits

1. Smile
2. Show interest and curiosity in others
3. Show your vulnerability and being human just like others
4. Speak with gestures
5. Show admiration not judgment of others
6. Make eye contact

Living well vs. living long

Science has extended the life expectancy of people. What it has not been able to do is to ensure the quality of that extended life.

It is up to us however to choose what kind of life do we want to live. Do we want to live longer or live better?

Lucky if we can have both.

A Health, Education or Climate Change Trust

This is just a light bulb moment for me:

If there is an opportunity for people to help build a trust fund for concerns that matter most to them, will they readily and willingly support it?

My idea is for people who invest in the stock market to donate their fractional shares of stocks to a trust that they prefer. The trust will then fund programs that will benefit the public with bias for the poor and underprivileged.

Even those who do not invest in the stock market can donate should they be so inclined. But it is up to the trust fund officials (government people) to encourage the people to do so.

I thought of this while ruminating on the amount of money people are willing to give to their religion.
I have this feeling that as people become more secular, they will be more inclined to this idea that will ultimately benefit society of which they are members of.

But this is just a thought.

My take on EDSA People Power 30 years after

People who say that EDSA People Power is a failure and blame government for it should re-examine their understanding of People Power.

While it is true that very little or even nothing much has changed in the lives of many of our people, the responsibility for effecting change rests on the People. It can not be franchised to government or anybody. Our mistake is to believe that we can do so.

I will not say that EDSA People Power is a failure. Rather, I consider it still as a work in progress. But for its promise and potential to be realized, we must correct our understanding of it.

People Power is not about telling government what to do, but showing government what to do and how.

Panagbenga Pocket Gardens

It is Panagbenga month in Baguio and as part of this celebration, organizers have put up pocket gardens in Burnham Park.

The pocket gardens are nice enough and it may be a good idea if barangays all over the country would try to put up and maintain mini or pocket gardens in their area where having parks is not possible due to dearth of space.

Rice

 

Like our Asian neighbors, rice is a very important part of the Filipino diet.

 

We know that there is a large variety of rice and we may be familiar with some of their names and cooking quality. But for the most part, our knowledge of rice is superficial because it is from the perspective of consumers. And we believe that what we know about rice is enough.

 

Yet there are advantages to knowing rice in a more professional and scientific manner.

 

For one, we can prepare better food by knowing how best to prepare the rice that we have.

 

For another, knowing rice better can help us spot rice fraud or substitution. This is a common practice among many rice sellers and most of the time, consumers are helpless victims.

 

Having a better knowledge of our rice will also help as avoid the trap of false advertising.

 

It really does not hurt to learn more about rice.

 

 

 

 

 

Local wrap

 

I have always appreciated our local mats with beautiful designs made by weavers from various areas of the country. They are nice to sleep on and make good wall/floor decors or even decorative house ware items such as boxes and all around containers.

Seeing mats on display at a Filipiniana store however made me realize that if the beautiful patterns of local mats can be adapted for paper, it may be possible to come up with a uniquely Filipino packaging style and material.

This may not be a new idea and there may be others who have tried this before. But the critical thing is to come up with the best execution of the idea that the public will appreciate and support. Who knows what other things can be spawned pursuing this craft?

Alerted by a dream

I had just gone to bed and fallen asleep when I was jolted wide awake by a bad dream of an intruder having hidden behind my room door.

As I realized that it was just a dream I decided to check on our doors. And good that I did because I found out that I had forgotten to lock a door leading to my room.

Did my subconscious alert me or was it just a coincidence?

A lesson from Jack Ma

photo taken from the internet

Jack Ma is not a new name to many people nowadays. Most of us know him as the founder of internet marketing website Ali Baba and one of China's richest man today.

We may admire and envy his success now but I believe what we can pick up from his story of his success is how he also had his fair share of failures and rejections before - and the importance of being resilient and staying the course to your dream.

This is my toast to Jack Ma, whose story inspires and encourages me to continue pursuing my own dream.

Priveleged mammals

People are supposed to be intelligent beings with the ability to care, protect and even make the world a better place.

Sometimes however, by our behavior we simply show we are nothing but privileged mammals who know no better.

We know what is right and what is good but just the same we go for what is simply gratifying. We litter, we pollute and destroy our environment.

But when nature fights back and hit us, we call ourselves victims.

Yes we are victims. But our aggressor is not nature but our selves.

Promoting our local fruit wines

Among the gifts I received last Christmas was a bottle of Bignay fruit wine.

I am not a wine connoisseur so I will not deign speak about its quality. What I wonder though is if locally produced fruit wines can have a steady market to make their production viable and a worthy investment.

Some ideas I thought of while pondering how to create and sustain a market for local fruit wines are:

1. create "bubble wine" which is like the artificial caviars produced from molecular gastronomy techniques. This is merely a novelty which will eventually wear off but at least it would have stirred interest for the wine.

2. create liqueurs and syrups for cocktail drinks
3. make them into cooking wines and salad vinegars
4.promote local fruit wines as official "toasting" or ceremonial wines
5. look for and tout their health benefits
6. improve packaging and promote as tourist souvenir item