The Bees

I would never forget this line when I watched the movie "The Happening".... or was it "Knowing"? I forgot which movie but it was this line that caught my attention:

"If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live."

Einstein said that. And I believe it to be true. It was also re-affirmed by the years of work by Rudolf Steiner.

And the growing concern that the bees population is a huge problem.

It is believed that the bees are responsible for 75% of the crops to produce, because they need pollinators. They cause the flowers to prouce, seeds, grains, fruits and vegetables. Without the bees, there would be no mangoes, apples, cherries, strawberries, honey..... and our livestock produce would suffer too, because they can't eat grass.... and so goes the cycle.

To put it simply, without the bees, the human race would be next to be extinct.

There's also the problem that the bees are pollinating plants that are GMOs, and all the chemicals and pesticides used in farm crops. That's why they are having problems with the bee population.....

Why am I sharing this now? Because, just today a swarm of bees came to our house, turns out they have a previous hive somewhere here and a colony plans to stay here for the moment..... and original thought would be, to exterminate them and that they are pests... but no, they are not.

so, please please.... let's live with them... we are supposed to have a coexitsting relationship with them.

Kudos to all Bee Keepers I know, Mr Nicanor Perlas (Iloilo) and Tito Leo Avila.

also check my post about the symbol "BEES" bring: The Swarm

For more info:

Keep the Faith

(via thedisneyprincess)

hulloh, everybody!

hope everyone's doing great.....

i miss watching disney movies... maybe i'll download some of them.

my kinda therapy! :P

oh and yeah...

(via xoxoeman:)

with that cake!

but, i'll finish with my own doze of male hormones first.... Jack Bauer of 24 keeps me entertained. *bang bang bang*

Tang Jumpstarts a Refreshing Ramadan

Yesterday, was the start of a month-long period of fasting for the Islamic community - the Ramadan. And it was quite fitting that Kraft Foods Philippines (KFP), the second largest food and beverage company in the world, held a press conference yesterday(August 11, 2010) at Davao City(Mindanao), offering a gift to our Muslim brothers and sisters for having "Tang" certified by the Philippine IDCP (Islamic Da'wah Council of the Philippines) Halal. Tang is already certified in the region by the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand back in 2006.

"Making today delicious for everyone is a global mandate for Kraft Foods and we intend to enliven this through this initiative. It's part of our commitment to engage our brothers and sisters in Mindanao, particularly those who will be observing Ramadan, by being supportive of cultural practices and beliefs," says Cynthia D. Icasas, Category Manager for Kraft Foods Philippines. It wasn't their first to support the community here in Mindanao, but they already had 2 previous community outreach programs that they spearheaded.

Tang is currently the leading powdered beverage in the world and available in more than 30 countries. "It has always been Tang's proposition to get kids to drink more water, by making water more exciting for everyone in the country," says Doroty Arroyo, Senior Brand Manager for Tang. "So we really pushed and worked towards getting Tang, Philippine Halal-certified as a way of showing our commitment, anchored on fulfilling Kraft's promise of making every day delicious for everyone."

Cheers to Kraft Foods Philippines, making every day delicious!

*is drinking a glass of Tang Orange Juice.*

*Attended the press conference of Kraft Foods / Tang with the bloggers from Davao. (: With us was Doroty Arroyo (Senior Brand Manager for Tang), Cynthia D. Icasas (Category Manager for Kraft Foods Philippines) and Atty. Abdul Rahman Linzag (President/CEO of Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines).

Dengue Fever

and yes... it is indeed rampant nowadays.

People I know have been getting dengue. Here and there and everywhere.

I don't have the CURE. Because, nothing can fight off DENGUE, or any disease for that matter.... EXCEPT YOUR BODY.

Yes, your body. Your BODY IS THE BEST DOCTOR. Our body is designed to WARD OFF DISEASES. And, it's really amazing.

But, why do people get sick?

It is because we haven't been supplying our body the right amount of vitamins and nutrients to boost our IMMUNE SYSTEM. It's like in some computer game where you need IMMUNITY or else you lose your HEALTH fast. Our Maker also provided us with FRUITS, VEGETABLES and HERBS for that.

But, lately... nobody is eating right. Thus, our immune system weakens and all sorts of diseases unheard of back in the old days are appearing.

It's like a car who runs on diesel. But, you kept giving the car GAS.. and not the diesel it needs. So, it will malfunction.

Anyway, since we are talking about DENGUE... i'm gonna be suggesting... a sure fire way of boosting your immune system specially if you are in the hospital suffering from DENGUE.

I tell you, I have known lots of cases.... whose platelet count ranges from 10-100 and by drinking this stuff.... you wouldn't need blood transfusion... and you get out of the hospital the soonest. Other people respond really fast... the next day they were given the "discharge slip". And we have cases who have been to ICU already... and they get off the next day.

I have access of this certain "supplement" but you can also have other alternatives should you know anybody selling the same thing. I just wanted less "mortality rate" when it comes to DENGUE... because HONESTLY... it is as EASY as one, two, three. and it saddens me when I hear countless of kids dying from something which I know I can be of help.

Of course I can't barge in on the hospitals or the media that I know of "something" which can help your BODY FIGHT OFF DENGUE. I repeat, YOUR BODY FIGHTING OFF DENGUE. This supplement is not the CURE. IT will just AID your BODY. (I don't want the medical doctors raging on and on about claiming i have the cure because I don't).

Now, i know.. CONVENTIONAL DOCTORS would be against this. Although, I've known open minded DOCTORS who doesn't delve into "belief" but focuses on the facts and results.

(the products i have access with... got INSURANCE or PRODUCT LIABILITY and got awards as the "best herbal supplement" year 2005. and im not gonna be posting the brand. You can just message me here and give me your number and i will get back to you.)

but then...

Uhmm i was searching online and all that. I wanna give the names here in this post sana but.... im opting to give you the names if you are interested through text message or email na lang. I don't wanna ruffle feathers of the medical field and the pharamaceuticals company. :)

and here is one of my favorite documentary of all time after The Secret and the 11th Hour:

FOOD MATTERS

The Big Fat Duck Cookbook

Found an enormous, beautiful cook book online, where we can get to read the full story of the meteoric rise of Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck, the birthplace of snail porridge and bacon-and-egg ice cream, and then we can encounter the passion, perfection and weird science behind the man and the restaurant.

Heston Blumenthal is widely acknowledged to be a genius, and he is the owner of The Fat Duck (a Three-Michelin starred restaurant)and was voted as the Best Restaurant in the UK by the Good Food Guide 2007 and 2009, and voted as Best Restaurant in the World by fellow chefs in 2005.

But Heston Blumenthal is entirely self-taught, and the story of his restaurant, The Fat Duck has broken every rule in the book. He is also the proponent for modern cooking and opened his own research and development kitchen in 2004.

The Big Fat Duck Cookbook is a 532 page cookbook written mostly by Blumenthal. It contains an introduction by Harold McGee, incredible colour photographs all over, and also illustrations by Dave McKean, multiple ribbons, real cloth binding and a gorgeous slip case.

The book is divided in 3 parts. The first part contains an essay by Blumenthal recounting the history of The Fat Duck, from it's humble beginnings to it's Third-Michelin Star. The story is also interspersed with semi-abstract illustrations relating to the story. The second part contains 50 of his signature recipes - sardine on toast sorbet, salmon poached with liquorice, hot and iced tea, chocolate wine - all of which were at one point on the menu at The Fat Duck, and with that is a short story explaining the inspiration behind each dish. The third part is devoted to the science of cooking from the experts whose scientific know-how has contributed to Heston's topsy turvy world.

The Big Fat Duck Cookbook is not only the nearest thing to an autobiography from the world's most fascinating chef, but also a stunning, colourful and joyous work of art.

Buy it now!

Reference: Wikipedia

Sugar Stand Chocolates

I got a sweet tooth and a taste for you!

I can't imagine one person not to like chocolates. Maybe, there are some but they come off as 1 in every hundred. But, to the 99... I found a place online where you can purchase a variety of all-time favorite chocolates.

Isn't that great?

Now you can sing:

On the good ship lolly pop, it's a sweet trip to a chocolate candy shop. Where bon-bons play on the sunny beach of Peppermint bay. Lemonade stands everywhere, cross the deck spans belly air. And there you are, happy landing on a chocolate bar

See the sugar bowl do the Tootsie roll, with the big bad Bell's Fruit Cake
If you eat too much, ooh-ooh.. You'll awake with a tummy ache
On the good ship Lollypop. It's a ni-i-ice trip into bed you'll hop.
And dream away on the good ship lollypop

But, then you know it's not just a dream.... but it's REAL and you can TASTE IT!

You can take any chocolate candy at Sugar Stand Chocolates. They will surely satisfy your desire of chocolates. They have every kind and would make sure they would deliver it at your doorstep in good hands and of course not melting.

You better take a taste of the chocolate that makes you scream with delight when you take a bite. It will make you jump with joy and act like a coy. May it be a dark chocolate or white chocolate, one covered with cream or with rice, filled with fruits and nuts or almonds to boot.

Just love the pleasure of chocolate as it melts into your mouth, close your eyes just for a moment and let your senses be aware of the delicious flavor of the sweetness that lingers there. So whenever you need something sweet... just try a simple chocolate treasure from Sugar Stand and pop a morsel into your mouth.. and enjoy some chocolate pleasure!

Jelly Beans

http://www.ohnuts.com/buy.cfm/bulk-candy/jelly-beans

Aloha kids and jelly beans lovers!

I found a site that sells Jelly beans in different colors and if you want to eat those jelly beans like there's no tomorrow, you can buy them by BULK.

They have different types of jelly beans: speckled jelly beans, jumbo jelly beans, mike and ike, and hot tamales jelly beans and also rocks and candy types.

You can choose from a variety of colors and flavors like white jelly beans (coconut), red jelly beans (wild cherry), deep red jelly beans (apple), red jelly beans flecked (cinnamon), rose jelly beans (strawberry), dark pink jelly beans (grapefruit), light pink jelly beans (cotton candy), light pink jelly beans (bubblegum), pale pink jelly beans (strawberry cheesecake), pink jelly beans speckled (tutti frutti), orange jelly beans (orange n' cream), tangerine jelly beans (tangerine), yellow jelly beans (lemon meringue), pale yellow jelly beans (buttered popcorn), deep green jelly beans (watermelon), forest green jelly beans (apple), bright green jelly beans (kiwi), pale green jelly beans (key lime), green jelly beans (golden pear), green yellow jelly beans (baja margarita), dark blue jelly beans (blueberry), midnight blue jelly beans speckled (blue hawaiin), electric blue jelly beans (very blue coconut), purple jelly beans (boysenberry), purple jelly beans (grape), root beer jelly beans (root beer), deep brown jelly beans (java), dark brown jelly beans (wow! chocolate), black jelly beans (licorice), light brown jelly beans (tiramisu), off white jelly beans (french vanilla), and cream jelly beans speckled (toasted marshmallow). Cost: $4.99 per lb.

Don't you just love it when you have a variety of choices and options?

and you can buy them in packages of 40 different colors in a special price from $14.99 to $11.99 or by 20 colors from $8.99 to $7.99 or 10 Sour or not Flavors from $4.99 to $4.79. See? By getting more you pay less!

What's great about them is that all their jelly beans are certified Kosher under the strict supervision of OK Laboratories.

Buy and try it out.

Catching Up

It's so good to catch up with friends once in awhile. Everyone's so busy after graduation(and that includes me!), doing this and that and we rarely meet. But, I'm so glad we got to catch up with each other awhile ago.

We had our meeting for our yearbook. Our scheduled pictorial was in conflict with one of my mom's training, but I'll rig this one up.

We ate at Krua Thai because we were starving. We had a bit of trouble when it came down to ordering because we were used to single orders or rice meals but nevertheless we tried delicacies that looks yum. I thought Krua Thai's not that good because the one in SM was something I did not like, but this branch is YUM. But, what I like about the restaurant was the "Halo Halo". It's big and cheap - only 75 pesos. It has two ice cream scoops. Yay!


Photo Source: Krua Thai

City of Smiles

I got back from Bacolod, the "city of smiles" yesterday(August 11). We stayed at Grand Regal Hotel conveniently located in front of Gaisano Mall, hosted by Mrs. Talas a very generous woman and a very great host at that.

Mom and I attended a special business event(August 8, 2007) that was coordinated by Bacolod's Charity Prince Joery Llanera. It was a good show. I had fun.

The next two days (August 9 and 10), mom trained 30 leaders and I had a great time seeing how the training changed their outlook in life. We received a lot of good responses from them and mom said she had a lot of fun with the network leaders. :)

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I never got the chance to tour around the place but at least I got the chance to eat out at two of their best "eating places".

FOOD.

PALA - PALA / HYSKOS


There is an eating place they call "pala-pala" or "tulahan". You get to buy fresh seafood at the back (wet market) and have it cooked at the eateries in front. Just take your pick. The place is near the seashore, that's why seafood comes cheap. The facade of the eateries may look like an ordinary karinderya but oh boy.... their food is great.



TIP: if you want good food, just have it cooked at an eatery where numerous people eat because I'm sure they serve YUMMMYYY food. We ate at an eatery called "Hyskos" twice.

IMAY'S

This restaurant also serves great food. It's cheap (compared to restaurants here in Davao that serves the same food), and very yummy. The interior of the place is good and it has a great service. (Wow! Writing about food made me hungry tonight. *growls*).




I ordered their cheese sticks... and by gum you wouldn't say "bitin" because it's very CHEESY (unlike other cheese sticks I know served in other restaurants here in Davao).





One dish perked my interest was the "porbidang kangkong", because of it's name. It's probably "porbida" because it's hot and spicy. Very Very yummmmyyyyyy..... !!!



I did not get to taste Bacolod's Chicken Inasal which is pretty much popular and Bacolod's known for that... but at least I got to be in two places that serves great food with a low price.

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Till here! Have a great week ahead!!

Save Mother Earth

As much as I wanted to attend the seminars as stated in my last post Expos, I can't.

For one, the Cyber Expo was cancelled and moved according to my sources.

Also, I did not expect so many people would attend the said food expo, but of course with all the banners they've had strewn almost all over the city, everyone's bound to know. The seminar was jam packed and you'd be left standing outside and even inside a few were standing, so I decided not to go in and give others chance. I went with my mom and enjoyed the food tasting part and of course getting flyers and brochures from them. Most of the expos covered a lot about food packaging and their machineries which were quite expensive,and requires a big-time business.

Fortunately, there was a Directory of Food-Related business or whatsover and a summary of all the seminars which I guess would be enough na lang to get much-needed info's we need for Php100.00. At least.

I also found out that the next event would be the 7th Recycables Fair or something. I don't have the flyer with me today. Anyway, it's a gathering of all those companies who recycles and all those people who does have a collection of recyclables which they can sell outside SM (car park) this June 30. Newspaper, bottles, magazines can be sold per kilo. You earn money and at the same time you get to help the environment. Now, that's something! :)

SM also has this "green bag" scheme almost the same as Culture Shiok's post "the Bring your own Bag Day" that was done by Singapore. Buying yellow tag from the supermarket and reaching 500php or more will let you earn a green bag, which you can use as an alternative instead of the usual cellophane and if you use them when you go to the supermarket you earn additional points to your Advantage Card. Dual purpose again. :P Nice idea noh?

It's been a week, I haven't reported in college. Hehe. I'm busy "kuno" with my OJT. But, really... I AM! Details, some othr time. hehe.rawr.

Have a great FRIDAY!!! :)

Last Days of Summer

Mom promised us to watch Pirates of the Carribean 3: At World's End and so we did last Saturday (May 26). Review @ Espresso Break.

May 27 - A summer won't be complete if one does not head to the beach even just once. And so, we asked our parents to at least treat us for a beach outing. We went to a very known resort in Samal Island which is Paradise Island. It was crowded and I figured it was because of the cars parked in Davao plus it is a Sunday. Their boat ride improved. They already have an announcement in English probably designed for tourists. ( Starvation Heights(the book), Buko Juice and Kiamoy!)

One thing I like there was their food and of course the cottages they have for you to sleep on and read a good book. Davao sure seems like a small place, I met high school classmates and a couple of familiar faces. We weren't able to get a cottage to stay overnight because it was fully-booked which was O.K. and it kinda forced me to go take a dip (because I don't usually swim like I do when I was a kid. I only go to beaches to read and eat. Muwahaha. adik talaga). It was nice that I decided to swim (never mind the tan!) because I got to feed big fishes! Wooohoo. They have this place where you can feed and swim at the same time..

Oh and by the way, I would like to greet Chaya dear a Happy Birthday. She is in Kenya now and we rarely get our hi's and hello's nowadays. Happy Birthday!!! Missss youuu!



from L-R: Ate Kai, Me, Abigail, Yehyeh and Darlene

The next day(Monday, May 28), Yehyeh invited us over at her place for her slumber party. She invited us ever since the start of summer, either it gets canceled or something comes up making one unable to come. We watched 3 movies, The Illusionist, and to my horror Saw II and Arahan. It took us a long time to start our movie-watching because we were so busy slicing up the cake and laughing over a couple of things.


Yesterday(May 29), we left Yehyeh's place and headed home by 3pm.

I was asked to attend a seminar called "Survival Rate for Stage 4 and Terminal Cancer Patients Using U.S. FDA Approved Alternative Therapies" hosted by PCAM (Philippine College for the Advancement in Medicine and IIPA (International Iridology Practitioners Association) which I am part of.

Our lecturer Professor Xu Kecheng M.D. came from China and leads a hospital named Fudo Cancer Hospital at Guangzhou. Mostly, people who go there from different parts of the world are people who were rejected by other doctors. Amazingly, Professor Xu's Fuda hospital obtains a 70% long-time survival rate for Stage 4 and terminal cancer patients. In fact, one of his patients is a prominent Filipino with a liver cancer and he is not telling his name which is O.K.

The hospital gives you a choice whether you would want to undergo surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy or not. Most doctors would suggest you to undergo chemo for there are no other choice they say and basically I don't think chemo is healthy and I would not recommend other people to do it. The survival rate of Chemo is low and people who went under it usually survives for 4 months *(depends on the stage and the will to live)*.

I like Fudo's concept which is: "Appreciate Life and Never Give Up". They never give up on their patients and they always try hard to give them treatment. Their method is a mix of High Technology and Traditional Chinese Medicine which is pretty good. They believe in integration.

So, what are their treatments? Their main treatment is Cryosurgery. Yes, it is surgery still but it is a NON-invasive treatment. They simply freeze the tumor and take it out. They have other treatments as well like Photodynamic Therapy and Immuno Therapy.

Fuda is well staffed with 40 MD's and 60 nurses. Of the doctors, 37 are trained in Western medicine and 3 in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Fuda has 80 PRIVATE rooms with 2 beds each, one for the patient and the other for a companion (the bed for the companion, they say is much more comfortable than the patient). It has 100 wards with 150 beds. Fuda is in Guangzhou, very near Manila which only takes 2 hours to reach there.

Basically, Fuda only treats patients with tumor. They don't treat leukemia, since it is entirely different and they can't use cryosurgery for it. For leukemia patients, I suggest you go to a CERTIFIED alternative doctor with a western medicine background and make sure you research them o.k.?

I like the comment of Professor Xu and his translator Miss Lao (yes, he needs a translator which kinda makes the lecture a bit boring...) of Davao. "I think Davao is a nice place and when we were walking I feel safe, the police do their jobs." Was it a sign he is coming back to Davao ? Hehe.

NOTE: Attend Professor Xu's seminar for more information, if one is available over there.

For Cebu City: June 2, 5:30 to 9:30pm. Registration: 100Php. Free for PCAM members. at Cebu Country Club, Gov. M. Cuenco Ave., Banilad, Cebu City.

For health BUFFS out there, I can inform you of upcoming seminars if you want just give me a message and your contact number. (Specially people from Davao, I get updated once in awhile here.) :)

Enjoy the last days of Summerrr!!

Four play on Mother's Day ?

A tag from ARA and Avy.

4 JOBS I’VE HAD

I've never had a real job, I only have a few sidelines with my mom.

• When I was in 5th grade, I manned a "snack section" and a photocopying machine my mom had in her office. All money goes to me!
  
• Encoder *I encode registration forms 5php per form* for my mom
  
• I used to have a successful burning business, but I stopped.
• I was once a speaker when I was 16 at our service center earning 200php per speaking engagement.
  

4 MOVIES I’VE WATCHED OVER & OVER

• Spirit. { Love the songs.... } (3 or 5)
  
• Jungle Book. (countless)
  
• Sassy Girl
• Il Mare
  

4 PLACES I’VE LIVED

• Davao (lifetime... nyahaha)
• Padada (one summer)
• Cebu (one month)
• Manila (two weeks *if you call that living.. staying lang ata*)
  

4 TV SHOW/STATIONS I LIKE TO WATCH

• 24 *love Jack Bauerrr..*
• C.S.I. Las Vegas, sometimes Miami
• Roswell
• Are you afraid of the dark? (Have memories about it when I was a kid)
  

4 PLACES I’VE BEEN ON VACATION

• Camiguin
• Dapitan
• Hong Kong
• China (Shanghai, Beijing)
  

4 OF MY FAVE FOODS

• Cakes
• Spaghetti/Lasagna
• My mom's Spicy Tuna with Coco...
  
• My mom's Beef tapa with Cream.. yum
  

4 PLACES I’D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW

• Somewhere cold.. probably Salumay
• A beach... in a hammock between trees reading...
• mhmm.. stroll the streets of Paris..
• or simply be in bed...with a coffee beside... and reading. Ahihi
  

4 PEOPLE WHO WILL (hopefully) RESPOND TO THIS MEME GAME

• Bea
• Bianca
• Joanna * thanks for the sweet gift.. thanks for the friendship!*
• Mariel
  

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Happy Mother's Day to ALL MOM!!!!

1. and of course to MY MOM! Nyahaha. Hope you love the flowersssss......
2. Happy Mother's Day to my AUNTS.. who acted like Mothers to me...
3. To all Nanay's out there... Be strong always.. and thanks for showing us the way we should live.. thanks for the values.. all the ratatatatat everyday(you are soo good at that mama!).... thanks for all the sweet punishments who serves as a funny reminder of how naughty we were as kids..I treasure and value everything mom's do.
4. To the PBB moms... hehe.. Keep watch of the PBB young adults... they may seem annoying at times.. hey but they are moms.
   

Davao Spots

I got tagged by Raine.

Instructions: A tag for Davao bloggers! Honorary Dabawenyos, feel free to jump in!This tag game is about your favorite haunts in our beloved Davao City. Where do you go for much-needed relaxation? What about for working out those flabs? Where do you find yourself when you’re with someone you want to impress? Let’s bring all of these Davao places out in the blogosphere!

Here goes my list:

•COFFEE : Figaro

•DATES : What ? Mhmm dates? Treat me lavishly... Eden Nature Park. Bwahaha. or La Toscana would be fine. Di naman ako demanding.


•BIZ MEETINGS: Our home is good for biz meetings. Actually I don't know... Uhmm prolly Marco Polo.. it's the best hotel in town and perfect for almost everything (expensive nga lang).

•HANGING OUT : Lachi's, Our home (again, I don't hang out that much eh, I hang-in most of the time.. ayy ang korny!), and Jack's Ridge very windy and not that far.

•PARTYING : I don't know. I don't go out. I never went out.

•PIGGING OUT :

Breakfast: Paradise Beach Resort (I tried getting up early with the family just to have breakfast at the island).

Lunch: Bigby's (for big appetites), or for eat-all-you-can places? Cafe Marco(Marco Polo)

Dessert: Lachi's or Bistro Rosario *my fave Mango Charlotte*(for cakes or desserts)

Dinner: Dusk till Dawn (for people who love native chicken *they open from dusk pm till dawn am), Ah fat Seafood Restaurant(Chinese resto, yummy food. you can order ostrich dishes or even peking duck if they have one available) & Sen Ton Whan.

Catering: Leandro's

•MASSAGE : I never had a massage session.. but I do have a card at some massage center that I did not use.. Heck, I even forgot the name....

•WORKING OUT : I don't work out... but there's one place where most of my classmates go "Holiday Spa".

•WINDOW-SHOPPING: Chimes

•GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL: Seems like Davao is a place for getting away from it all... Salumay (it's still part of Davao City), Samal Island (be it Pearl Farm, Paradise Island or Malipano *very private*), Loleng's Mountain Resort and Eden Nature Park.

Im tagging everyone who resides in Davao... na hindi pa na tag... and of course to those who visited Davao who wants to do the tag. I'm sure Kenneth would love to do this... will you? Hehe.

Going Random 1

Nothing exciting is going on... so I might as well bombard you with Information today... and share five random nothings that might be something. I'll be having this kind of segment when the mood strikes me.. hehe

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1. I.T. Parks

Cebu just had their I.T. park... and I was really eyeing Damosa's progress ever since then. I know it would be proclaimed as an I.T. park one day... and it was. Damosa (Davao Motor Sales), is a place here in Davao.... and it is being developed. New establishments opens almost every other week.

Related Topic: Arroyo okays Damosa land as IT Park

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2. La Toscana - A taste of Italy

I finally got the chance to dine at La Toscana last April 1, 2007. It is an authentic Italian restaurant... with the Italian owner as it's chef. Lovely, cozy place and yummy authentic Italian dishes.

So, if you visit Davao and you are craving for an Italian dish... drop by @ La Toscana

Review over the place: HERE

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3. Photo-Reading

I saw a video about Photo-Reading last night... I got three techniques that I need to work on. I know it's not enough, but-hey I will perfect it and when I get the whole Photo-reading module.. I'd be photo-readig everything! Woohoo.

So.. Watch out my Mushroom Book Stands.. I won't be buying loads of books.. I'd photo read them in a couple of minutes and see whether I want to buy it or not.

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4.Korean-Infested

Ive seen loads of Korean business people ever since last year. They've been investing loads of money here in Davao, in fact they have already overtaken the investment of the Japs here.

In fact one of our hotels, Apo View was rented for a year by the Koreans... they opened up a Korean barbeque... hmmm that's one place I would love to try.

Info here: Korean Business Chamber in Davao

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5.A Mount Apo hiker dies

I saw the news and the video of his drowning. Yes, he drowned at Lake Venado, just below the peak of Mount Apo . The natives in Apo believed the Lake is enchanted, and it was not it's first incident. Many hikers have died when they tried to swim the lake.

Come on, who wouldn't? The lake is 20 ft deep and cold, for crying out loud. The hiker was recovered after 3 days.

So, before you jump-in... safety first guys. :)

Al dente

Everybody kinda freaked out about the chicken and the pork ha?

We stopped eating pork 11 years ago, ever since my dad was half-bodied paralyzed. He is well now. Doing great. Really.

It wasn't that hard for me, because I was not attached to pork, although yeah my favorite tocino would be a no-no anymore until they invented tuna tocino, and tuna of everything which makes a good alternative. Eventhough it's a far cry from pork, it will do.

Chicken contains salmonella and other bacterias (sabi ng chef namin! haha) and so does any kind of poultry. That's why they recommend everybody to use different chopping boards for Chicken, Meat & Fish, and Veggies so that veggies and other meats would not be contaminated by any form of bacteria from the chicken. It's safer to have separate chopping boards right ?

I searched the net, you might be interested with some of their infos: PCRM

and just to be sure that there are a lot of available sources about this.

It's not that we will not eat chicken anymore, just moderate. Remember, too much of something is bad? To at least kill the salmonella in an egg.

Here's how you do it:

*Boil 2 inches water in a sauce pan and then cook the egg for 45 seconds.

and you can do whatever you want to do with the egg.

Most of the parasites comes from PORK. That's why we stopped it right away. Hard, but hey it is your choice.

Remember, everything in life is a choice. One way or another those choices will lead to different results. And no one is to be blamed. You made a choice. End of story. You can always choose again.

(I'll be attending another seminar tomorrow about Cardiovascular-something err I forgot the whole title.)

( Don't mind my title. Trip ko lang. After-effects ng cooking lessons. Haha)

Random Convos:

*cooks something in the oven*

Class: Amoy Ipis (smells like roaches)
Ate Mildi: Baka may ipis sa oven. (maybe there are roaches in the oven)
Dra.: May ipis nga. (there is...)
Ate Mildi: So, luto na siya? *ate.. obyus po... nangangamoy na eh* (so, its cooked already?)
Class: Laughs
Ate Suz: Kahapon pa siya naluto... kahapon pa namin yan ginamit eh! (It was cooked yesterday! We used that yesterday.)
Dra: Eh di cremated na siya... (Then it's cremated)

*note: the ipis i think is under the oven. It was cleaned before it was used.*

Cheers to life and healthy living!

Healthy Gourmet

Yesterday, Pearl (who stayed overnight at our house) and I were late for almost an hour for our supposed to be "preliminary defense". As usual, it was cancelled and instead our admin just told us to submit our thesis (Chapter 1-3).

I'm attending a two-day Healthy Gourmet Cooking Class under Philippine Institute of Naturopathic Sciences. All the recipes will be veggies and pasta, basically healthy food. It also talked about Food Safety and Sanitation. I had fun and learned a lot specially about sanitizing food. All the recipes are yum and basically easy to prepare and the ingredients would be easy to find. (Now, I wanna be a chef! Haha. Joke. Just wanna learn how to fix food the healthy way.)

Did you know?

Did you know food that are prepared in microwave can cause illness? It is the most ignored cause of illness. Banned in Russia by year 1976 and is not used in Mcdonald's.

Eating microwaved food:

• Increases cholesterol
• Increases white blood cell numbers
• Decreases red blood cell numbers
• Causes production of radiolytic compounds (compounds unknown in nature)

Alternatives:

You can heat food quickly in a convection oven. It's just an ordinary oven with a fan.

You can also easily and quickly heat up food, even frozen pasta, by using a saucepan with a lid and a little water, to moisten it from the steam.

Did you know that Chicken is the most bacteria filled meat (contains Salmonella and the likes...) while Pork is the most parasite-filled meat?

Do you know how long it takes to cleanly wash your hands? Sing Happy Birthday and that's how long it takes to wash your hands.

Updated:Espresso Break

Adventures in China

I learned quite a few things in China. Our first stop was Beijing and then Shanghai.

Beijing is the conservative and ancient city unlike Shanghai which is the exact opposite.

Weather: The first thing you would notice when you step down from the plane is the weather.

Beijing is way cooler than Shanghai. Beijing is dry, windy, and sunny and the weather when you are outside is untolerable. In Shanghai, it’s wet(rainy) and cloudy and a ray of sunshine would bring a delight to your face.

Tour Guide: Most of the tourists have tour guides here. It’s the next thing you would notice.

*Miss Vicki fooling around while Mr. Hao gave us a few tricks.*

Our Beijing tour guide Miss Vicki, was jolly and very efficient. Good services. She made our stay in Beijing fun. She was not a bore, and she made us interact with her as well. She is very flexible and cater for everybody’s wants.

Our Shanghai tour guide Miss Sammi, was ok. She smiles and answers your question but not as efficient as Vicki.

Common thing in our tour guides: Nice clothes. You can make them sing(and the same song). Both are trying hard to give us jokes. Both are single and looking for a boyfriend. Haha.

Buildings: The bus has a wide window, enough for you to take pictures and get a full view of the places you are passing.

*A Beijing building*


*Another Beijing building*

Shanghai is much developed compared to Beijing. It’s buildings are higher than in Beijing. Shanghai has a lot of well-known hotels.


*Taken outside Shanghai Airport*

Food: We arrived during lunch time in both cities. So, before we proceed to the hotel we ate our lunch at a local restaurant.

Shanghai-nese food is much sweeter than what is served in Beijing. Still the same though, too oily. -_- The signal for the lauriat-style to end is the watermelon. It is the last to be served. Peking duck was not new to me. Davao has a Chinese restaurant that serves Peking duck but lately it ran out of supply due to the bird flu. But still the way they serve the duck is different. They also serve pigeon in Beijing and goose in Shanghai.

The part I like there was the breakfast buffet. Less Chinese food. Haha.

I like the interior of their restaurants. They have a man-made falls or whatever in display that would attract customers. It’s nice. Every restaurant has a different façade and interior. Some restaurants has a performance every night as well.

*Shanghai: While we were having dinner they performed different kind of dances and one of them is tinikling and they are encouraging the diners to participate as well*

*We were supposed to have pictures with some Chinese girls in costumes.. but they're asking us for money if we're to have our pictures taken with them.*

So guys beware of those picture taking... because you might be asked for some money.

Nights: Shanghai Nights

They said Shanghai is the Eastern Paris. The city is well-lighted during night time. They spend millions for the lights the tour guide says. (I wish they could spend it for the people in China who has no living/home. Specially during winter days. It’s awfully cold and freezing outside.)

Shanghai night life is pretty much active. They have a lot of bars/karaoke/mah-jong places. There are more foreigners and business people in Shanghai. Teenagers go to bars, the not-so-much teen goes to karaoke and the old ones in mah-jong places.

Shopping: I have to say shopping in Philippines is way better than shopping in China!! They have 3 different qualities. Class A, Class B and Class C.

Vicki: Class C may be cheap and you can bargain at a much cheaper price but it's rubbish. Really really rubbish.

Vicki: I will take you to a shopping place.... but I'm warning you. The prices should be bargained 70% off. Example if the price is 100 just pay it for 30.

And asking for the bargain is really stressful.. SUPER! They have crazy prices!!!!! and its not easy to bargain with them because they SHOUT! Gosh!!! It would make you want to go back to Philippines and buy from there. Usual convos in bargaining.

Pinay: How much is this?

Chinese: *takes her calculator out and types the price* 350

Pinay: Oh... so expensive... *types out her price 105 *

Chinese: Oh.. no no..*face angry* *types out 330* That is already cheapah.

Pinay: No.. that's too expensive... *sticks to 105*

Chinese: Oh ok ok.. *types 180* that's cheap. Very cheap lady.

Pinay: No... never mind.. *tries to go away*

Chinese: Wait lady! How much you want?

Pinay: 105

Chinese: That is a crazy price lady! You must be kidding!!!

Pinay: Im not kidding.. Im serious. *walks away* (you can call this the WALKAWAY TRICK)

And then in a few minutes... the chinese lady would run after you with your item in a cellophane already.. and giving you your price.

NOTE: Never ever try to bargain if you are not sure you will buy it, because they might *smack* you with their bag. Believe me... one incident like that happened. So, if you try to bargain...... be sure you will really buy it.

If you are just looking, they would grab you and force you to buy. *gah* what a terrible shopping experience. You would appreciate Pinay's who sell in Divisoria/168 better. Really. Those Chinese might be cussing you in their language for all you know.

But of course there are some who seem pretty fine. Just laugh and dont forget to smile when you try to bargain.. there might be other Chinese who are pretty much nice. But they are just the 5% of the lot.

CLOTHES:

Since, it was the winter season their clothes are mostly for WINTER. Checking out their winter clothes/boots/gloves/hats/scarves... you would want winter to be in the Philippines too. I absolutely love their winter apparrel.. as in!!! Imagine, all those cute boots... those gloves. *sigh*

We did not get to buy some of their clothes since.... the ones in display are for winter and pretty heavy!!! Too bad.

FACTORIES:

In Beijing we visited the Jade factory. Real Jade is pretty much expensive. They have nice designs. Prices are fixed here. No bargains.

*taken outside the royal pharmacy*

We also visited a very popular herbal medicine factory and also their royal pharmacy which goes back to the Ming dynasty. Amazing huh? :)

In Shanghai we visited the Pearl factory. Fresh water cultured pearls. Not so exciting, since we have our very own South Sea pearls. :) Although, I liked their Pearl Lotion. It is so nice.

We also visited the Silk factory. We bought the silk quilt (wala sa pinas eh) and it is sooo comfy. :) Just the quilt would be enough, you can buy any cover (cotton/wool/silk) of your choice when you get back to the Philippines.

Temples and Gardens:

*This one is the frozen lake. You can see people are trying to walk through the frozen lake. Just look closely. They said, this was the setting of King and I. I am not sure. :)*

Beijing has a lot of temples and gardens. Since, it is pretty much old-fashioned. And mostly people in Beijing still stick to their old customs/values and preserving the ancient structures.

Great Wall of China(Beijing):

So yeah, this is the number one spot. I finally saw it's wonder. Haha. Wonder ba talaga? Hehe.

There are different parts of the great wall.. and I am not sure what part we visited. I did not actually went to the top... it was freeeeeziinnng.. and the steps are too steep..... it's a bit hard to go down.

*The DXN TSI Qualifiers w/ the DXN staff. Wooo Go Philippines!*

Forbidden City(Beijing):

I thought it would be exciting to visit it.... but then since the fact it is not forbidden anymore and pretty much open to tourists made it less exciting. The history itself is a good story. Beijing has a lot of stories about Emperor, Empress and the concubines.

Chinese people are fond of rock formations. Every temple/garden you go... you see rock formations everywhere and with different meanings. :)

Disneyland China(Beijing):

This was supposed to be their Disneyland. It was unfinished because the owner got bankrupt.

Olympic Stadium for 2008(Beijing):

Everybody knows that the Olympics this 2008 will be held in Beijing. Everybody in China is preparing for it. They have different souvenir items ready even if it is just 2006.

Panda Zoo(BEijing):

I did not get any decent pictures of the cutieee pandas. *gah* All were too dark. They were inside and the lighting was not that good. It was a bit dim... so the pictures are dark. One is supposed to be staying outside but I guess the weather is a bit toooo cold for them. They said during summer the pandas have a cable tv to entertain them. And since they are too preoccupied with the tv they would not even look at the tourists. Nyahaha. :)

Mausoleum of Mao Tse Tung(Beijing):

This is where the body of Mao Tse-Tung lay. Mao Tse-Tung wants to be cremated... I wonder why he wasn't. Ala-Marcos style. Once inside, you are not allowed to stare at Chairman Mao's body... but you need to move on. Cameras are not allowed inside.

NOTE: Do not buy the flowers they sell to honor Chairman Mao. You know why? Because, they are just recycling it. All the flowers are identical. And once it is inside.... they can recycle to use it for tomorrow. Wow.. pretty cunning huh? :P

Tiananmen Square(Beijing):

*Behind is the Mausoleum of Chairman Mao*

This one is just near the Mausoleum of Mao Tse Tung. Here you can take pictures all you want.

Kung Fu Show (Beijing):

They say it's one of the best show. (but I like the Lion King Live Show in Disneyland HK better hehe) -_- You can even have your pictures taken with the actors/actress outside.. before and after the show.

I did not have mine taken with them... because there were soooooooo mannyyyy people. Foreign people. Big people. British and Americans alike. Haha. -_-

Yu Garden(Shanghai):

*A picture with the shy lioness*

The Yu Garden in Shanghai. Near this garden is a temple-turned-flea-market. The bargain thingy here is much better compared to Beijing. -_- A bit better... but still...

Nan Jing Road(Shanghai):

This is the shopping haven of the people in Shanghai or so they say. A few minutes walk in our hotel. Well lighted as well. :) Nice place to hang out.

Huang Pu River Cruise(Shanghai):

This is a nice river cruise. :) You'd see Shanghai at it's best! Yay. Well lighted... with all the prominent structures.... *sigh* It was soo nice. :)

Kids:

I love to watch the little Chinese kids. -_- They look so cuteee with their winter clothes.. and it's not hard to make them smile. They smileeee sooo genuinely from the heart it would make you want to cry. SOooo cuteeeee.

*That kid made me teary-eyed... hayyyy. I would never forget that lil kid's smile. It wass just so different from the smiles of other kids. -_-*

Language:

Not everybody knows how to speak English. Hard to communicate with them. But there was one kid who showed us the way to Pearl Market... and it was quite astonishing to hear him speak in straight English.

Random Pics

*The Czar and Czarina of da Philippines*

*That guy is so funny. After the picture taking he would gesture to look at your camera... maybe to check how he looks like in the picture. hehe*

*Sunset in Beijing. Outside the Royal Pharmacy and near the Tiananmen Square.*

I almost did not get any chance to take the Sunset in Shanghai. And *good heavens* when we were about to board the plane for Shanghai-Manila... I was able to see the sun setting in Shanghai and capture it. Weeeee.

*Sunset in Shanghai*

That's all for now.. Picture overload na ata eh. -_-

All in all... it was a fun filled trip.. although there were certain times... it was not that good because.. my parent's oppressor is around. Read this for more info.

Raw and Rainbow Salad

Raw Food.

Last December, this kind of diet was introduced to us. Not because we want to slim down or something, but because of "health" reasons. :) We had this camping thingy from Dec.25-Jan.1. Yeah, we spent our Christmas Day and New year's eve and day together. It was a fun family camp. We even had our "Kamuritsing Race".

At first, eating the "raw food" was a struggle. *gah* Really, kids/teenies would not even eat cooked veggies, how much more RAW? Ha... RAW?


But of course, we were not forced to eat it. It was just introduced to us. So, for how many days at that camp, our vendo machine which sells coffee and cocozhi (a choco drink) from DXN was very much saleable. Kids would flock to cocozhi, while the adults at the coffee. Nyahaha. Just to wash down the *ugh* taste *ugh* of the veggies.

My mentor in Iridology, has the same kind of diet. She introduced this "rainbow" salad, which was served in a fashionable manner, and it looked edible enough. It was yummy. :P

And she told us:

"Enjoy eating raw veggies. If you don't enjoy eating it, then it's good if you do not eat it.. because it would do you no good."

So... if you don't enjoy eating it. Stop the raw food diet. Try to enjoy it though, because our body really needs those alkaline food. -_-

What are the kind of veggies that we eat in raw?

Almost every kind. I think, we tried a lot of kinds. We tried, carrots. Carrots is yummy. But, it's stressing too munch it like a rabbit. Cabbage/Lettuce - they are leafy, so it's easy to eat them. There are different types or kinds of cabbage and lettuce. Some tastes like water, which is ok... others.. well... never mind. We even tried sayote. Sayote, tastes ok... but too much of it.. is *blech*. Pipino, yeah ok naman ang lasa syempre. Sadyang, raw talaga ito pag kinakain. Tomatoes is ok.

The worst "raw" veggies I have tasted.

Saluyot - *gah* Tastes like "grass" and smells like one. When I eat it, I go "Mehhh mehhh" like a goat.

Kalamunggay - It tastes good when cooked. By golly, when raw? I can't explain it. lol
Squash - it's ok at first. But too much of it? *blech*

Gotocola - best eaten raw talaga ito... but.. uhm... it's not yummy ok? But, it helps a lot in your system. Try to eat 2-3 leaves a day. :)

Ampalaya - *blech* It's not even yummy when cooked, how much more raw? We ate this, when we were having our "Kamuritsing Race". Before we start our challenge, we have to eat the obstacle... which is eating all the "raw" veggies placed in front of us... and one of them is ampalaya. Imagine, eating a whole ampalaya? *gah* I never tried it again. Pure torture. (but it was fun... cause it was part of the race. hehe.. but no one ate it at home. Ever)

Camote - *hah* Ever tried, eating it raw? It's hard... it feels like eating a stone. But, it tastes fine.

Anyway, our "raw food diet" at home mainly consists of: carrots, pipino, cabbage, lettuce and gotocola. :)

Do you guys still eat veggies? How's your "healthy diet"? :)

Final Exam

Our final exam will start tomorrow, what a drag. But on the lighter side, our classes would be almost over. (We still have our departmental exam.)

Our class was again in it's usual rowdy self, specially the SIS class.

It's almost December, and then it would be January. January a dreaded month, we will be starting our thesis na. I'm still debating with myself whether to have mine descriptive or the one with a program.

Descriptive Thesis - mainly research, surveys and polls. They said this is hard because, the panel can fire up a lot of questions, therefore you cannot control their questions.

Program - basically, you have to make a program. Programming is too stressing for me. *GAH* But one good thing is, they rarely ask questions if they can see the program you made.

Que sera, sera.

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I finally got to eat MANGO CHARLOTTE! Im eating one now. Want a slice? :)

Tuna and Pancit

It was supposed to be a "model-shoot-of-our-model-wannabe-Renel" awhile ago.

Renel asked me last week, that she wants some of her pictures taken at our lawn instead of some studio. And I think she has a couple of reasons for that.

1.) No photographers wincing on her pose
2.) No photographers having crazy ideas about her being SO-SO
3.) No photographers telling her "do-this do-that"
4.) She can change her outfit (even if it takes soo long. as in long!)
5.) She can bring lots and lots of outfit (3 bags all-in-all!)
6.) The TALENT FEE of the photographers(w/c would be Red and me) is FREE

Although she cannot be spared about the food. Because everybody needs to at least bring their own contribution.

Anyway, the original plan was just Renel, Me, Avy, and Vanessa.
But then, Jona, Giovanne, Red, and Bords tagged along.

We did not arrive at our place together. Jona, Red and Bordz went ahead, because Avy and I were still waiting for Renel and Giovanne to emerge from the Convenience Store which was conveniently located in front of our school.

While Renel, Avy, Giovanne and I was riding at the jeepney... we were babbling away.

Jeepney Conversation:

Avy: I have a question.
Renel: What?
Avy: Why can't we cross Samal Island these days?
Giovanne: I have an answer for that.
Avy: What?
Giovanne: Well, since we all know that it's December and the.. uhmmm what do you call that? the uhmm?
Avy: What?
Giovanne: the... you know... *tries to act it*
Avy: Current?
Giovanne: Yeah, the current is strong...
Avy: You're wrong.
Giovanne: Why ? What's the answer then?
Avy: We can't cross it, because it has no pedestrian lane.

*everyone rolled their eyes*

----------------------------------

My uncle who lives next door has his own karaoke, and we borrowed it last night because there was a gathering of DXN members. It was more like a birthday party at the same time, because there were three celebrants.

Giovanne and the rest of the gang eyed the karaoke, and eventually they got to use it. They were belting out their favorite karaoke songs while Renel was busy with her beauty rituals (make-up/costume) and all that.





Avy sang a few songs while waiting for Vanessa to arrive. Vanessa was the one who bought the tuna flakes and egg. When Vanessa arrived, they immediately went upstairs to cook. Yay!

MENU: Tuna Flakes mixed with egg (an Avydooby speciality), and HOT Pancit Canton (contributed by Giovanne) and Rice(by me).

Drink: We have the apple juice(contributed by Renel) , and unlimited supply of Cold water/Hot water.

Sitch: Everyone eating when the food was served. Everyone talking at once at the same time eating. Giovanne was unusually silent.

Me: Uyy hilom kaayo si Giovanne! (Uyy Giovanne, is so silent.)

Everyone turned to look at him.

Giovanne: Well, I did not eat breakfast and lunch. *hogging away* Ahhhhh.. It's so hot! *referring to the pancit* You know my life....
Red: Pag-undang na ug Dota Giovanne, di naka naga kaon ug lunch tungod ana. (Stop playing Dota Giovanne, you don't eat lunch because of that.)
Avy: Giovanne, won't play right?
*Giovanne did not answer.... which means he still wants to play*

Jona: Giovanne, why are you not eating tuna?
Giovanne: Hmmp. Sige na lang ko ug tuna sa balay. (Hmmp. I always eat tuna at home.)
Jona: Gina-unsa nimo ang tuna? (What do you do with the tuna?)
Giovanne: Of course, what do i do with a tuna? I eat it!

Random ICST Convos:

Giovanne: Ginabisbisan ang mga treeth... (Watering the treeth..)
Bordz: Unsa ang ginabisbisan? (What are they watering?)
Red: mga treeth.