Optical Illusions - what you see is not what is

 To see is to believe. But sometimes even with eyes wide open, what we see may not be what is. Optical illusions can teach us the value of being cautious and avoiding the habit of jumping to conclusions which sometimes can lead to embarrassing situations.

Optical Illusion 1 - is the right man taller than the left man?

Optical Illusion 2 -Is the top line shorter or equal to the bottom line

Both examples taken from the book "Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow" by Daniel Kahneman.

Make-do packaging

Roadside stalls selling various food items are a common sight along main provincial roads. While regional food products may be a treat, there is something off putting in food items that are poorly packaged. Apart from the hygiene issue, these make-do packaging do not do justice to the products.

Unfortunate because these food items sold along the main highways can add to the tourist experience of travelers as well as boost the local economy.

 We have a government office whose mandate is to help entrepreneurs develop decent packaging for their products. Hopefully, someday, this office can do something to improve the packaging of these roadside products for the sake of the local producers and traveling consumers alike.

(photo: vinegar and fish sauce sold in used water or soy sauce containers)

9

Micro Park as relief to urban blight

While more and more people realize the need for parks and open spaces especially in our crowded cities, there just is not enough space available for these anymore. One option that may be considered is for the creation of micro-parks in every barangay so that the public can have access to a green refuge whenever they feel a need to do so.

Micro-parks can be the start of greening and beautifying our cities. Hopefully, government or some private organization can even hold a competition among barangays which can create the most beautiful micro-park.

The divide

Lucky are those who live on the privileged side of the great divide in our country. But for those who are on the larger greater side of this divide, life is a never ending struggle.

Many people are oblivious of this divide and have no idea that there is something wrong with this situation.. But where there is inequality brought about by injustice that ends up favoring only a few while others live in abject miserable poverty, it is a BIG problem. This divide is proof that the democracy we have is fictive.

We can do something to address this situation or we can continue to pretend that it does not exist. But one day, this social volcano will just explode.

Isang puno, apat bunga

Nagandahan lang ako sa punong ito dahil sa unang tingin aakalain mo na ito ay may apat na iba't ibang bunga. Pero sa totoo, iba't ibang stage lang ng pagkahinog ng bunga ang mga ito.

Sa pagkakakilala ko sa punong ito na isang uri ng palmera, ang tawag dito ay fishtail palm.

Sabi ng ibang tao, pantawag swerte daw ang halaman na ito. Sa mga gustong maniwala dito, okay lang yon. Wala namang bayad kung maniwala kayo. Siguro sa mga magpaparami nito mula sa buto at maibebenta ng mahal ang halaman, e di masasabi nilang sinuwerte nga sila.

Pero ako, ang hinahanap kong palmera ay ang palmera na nakakain daw ang ubod. Praktikal lang.

Leaf wrapped pili sweet

Among the many ways of packaging the traditional pili sweet is to wrap it in a maribago leaf which infuses the pili candy with its pleasant aroma. This I learned when a friend from Bicol gave me this sweet treat over the holidays.

I did not know that there is a maribago tree whose leaves can be used to wrap pili (and maybe other foods?) until I was given this Bicolano sweet. Although I try to avoid sweets as much as possible, I really enjoyed this pili confection since it was not really that sweet as it used raw, unrefined sugar. And I was even tempted to try to make a tea out of the leaves used to pack them. The leaves were quite fragrant.

Now I am very interested to know more about this maribago tree and the other food uses of its leaves as well. I wonder if it is good only for its aroma or if it has any toxicity at all.

But for the pili in maribago leaves, what can I say - it was "pili"cious.

The path to 2014

Suddenly it is already five days into the new year. Like most everyone else, I hope for the best, most especially health, joy and continued prosperity and may Mother Nature be kind to us this year.

But I also realize that we can not really know what lies ahead and what this year will bring us. So as we have heard before, let us just seize the day and live life to the fullest, to live without regrets.

Stryker bag

I bought this kind of bag as a souvenir gift when I had a chance to travel abroad. Good thing that I kept one for myself.

I did not realize how useful it can be as it is very light yet can hold a lot of things. When empty, it can be worn on the back without being cumbersome. It also has a great potential to be a local souvenir item as its surface lend itself to many design potential.

I don't know how this bag is originally called but I would like to call it a striker bag because it allows the user to carry it along very conveniently.

Am glad that this thing came to me towards the end of the year. This can be a good project to follow next year which begins tomorrow. Now to make this bright idea work, I need to find the right people - designers and sewers especially.

Happy New Year. All the best to everyone. Stay safe and let us pray that we keep our sanity next year.

Ang panganib ng pagmamahal sa bayan

(photo collage - "Bayani", vfg)

Sa araw na ito, ginugunita ng bansa ang pagkitil sa buhay ni Jose Rizal sa pamamagitan ng firing squad dahil sa salang subversion.

Pero sino ngayon ang may paki-alam kung bakit nga ba pinatay ng mga Kastila  si Jose Rizal?

Para sa akin si Rizal at Bonifacio ang pinakamagandang modelo ng marangal at dakilang Pilipino.  Sa panahong hindi pa gaanong buo ang konsepto ng ating bansang Pilipinas ini-alay na nila ang buhay nila para sa bayan.

Pero si Rizal ipinabaril nga ng mga Kastila at si Bonifacio ay ipinatumba naman ng kababayan niyang si Aguinaldo.

Minsan ko na narinig ang biro na hindi raw dapat magmahal sa bayan dahil ito daw ay nakamamatay.

Totoo nga ba ito?

Remembering a coffee house in Jolo

An interesting coffee experience for me was when I had coffee with friends at a coffee house in Jolo. It was before dawn and I just arrived from a long boat trip from Zamboanga City.

Although it was still very early, the coffee house was already getting busy with customers. There was no fancy coffee served there but simply freshly boiled coffee yet it was bracingly good. To accompany your coffee, the servers leave you a tray of simple local eats such as fried bananas or rice cakes. You only pay for what you consume and what you do not touch will be taken back by the servers presumably to be offered to other customers. Not surprising then that a meal here does not cost much and is accessible to more people.

Back in Manila, there are plenty of western style coffee houses to choose from. But going there can burn a hole in your pocket as you pay not only for the coffee and the food but for the plastic ambiance as well.