• 18Aug

    Bloggers Meet Dr Vicki Belo

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    Saturday after work, hubby and the kids brought me to the Belo Medical Center along T.Morato Street for a bloggers event. The Belo Medical Center is the leader when it comes to re-shaping bodies using mostly non-invasive treatments. Click here to visit their website, BeloMed.

    We were first told about the history of the medical center by Dr. Hayden Kho, Jr.

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    Some numbers were presented (which I blurred) along with the presentation of their services.

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    The beautiful doctor herself, Dr Vicki Belo, personally greeted us and gave a talk about the purpose of having the bloggers invited to their center.

    After that, we were told to try some of the treatments that they have there. I opted to try the Power Peel. Click here to read Power Peel.

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    That’s me, trying the Power Peel. I know, I could also do some other services but this will have to do for now :)

    We were also treated to a wonderful dinner at Packo’s Grill.

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    It was a wonderful night made more special by seeing blogger friends and meeting new ones :)

    Good thing I was able to upload these photos in my computer when we got back after the event because we had to reformat my memory stick yesterday.

    Blog photos and entries about the event:

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    Filed under: Blog event, Dining, File and data management, Interesting Topics, Philippines, Photos, Urban Living, Weekend Snapshots
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    32 Comments
  • 17Aug

    Dreaming for Others

    As I go through this phase of my life, I feel I have accomplished some things that are very significant for me. I may be just over-estimating my measure of success but still, I owe myself that for working hard after all these years.

    Dine has commented in a recent post I wrote about me making an advocacy in helping those who need help regarding getting or giving services to the families of children with special needs who cannot afford the exorbitant sky-high fees that the therapy centers (and therapists) charge.

    Truth is, there are a lot of families with children who are in need of these services and they do not even know that these services exist. If they do, they probably wouldn’t be able to afford these anyway.

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    The Weekly Question #13 for this week will focus on dreams: the dream for others.

    We may not be as rich as other people, nor can we even have resources like others have, but we can dream for others, can we? I know we do, even if sometimes we feel we also need help but in some ways, we are more fortunate than others. The fact that we are online and blogging about our thoughts tell us that it is so.

    We dream of setting our sights to an advocacy or perhaps getting involved or maybe even putting up a foundation to help those people who have touched our hearts and moved us to tears.

    We may not have realized this yet but deep within us, we care and we want to do something about it. This may not be the time for it yet but we will know when it is the right time.

    Weekly Question #13

    If you were to decide what advocacy would you like to campaign for as an advocate or being involved in a foundation, what sector of the society would you like to serve?

    My answer:

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    Filed under: Interesting Topics, Weekly Questions, blogging101, social consciousness, thoughts
    14 Comments
  • 12Aug

    Philippine Traditional Houses

    Looking at Philippine traditional houses is one way of knowing the culture of the Filipinos.

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    The Ifugaos had houses built near their fields. They have a distinct house design which keeps the rats from climbing into the house.

    The “common” houses of those who farm the lands in the countryside usually has a space under the house. They have a space where eating utensils can be washed and dried, and it is usually called a banggera*. Nope, no like the fancy farmhouse sinks with lovely designs but simple bamboo slats where the water spills on to the ground below. The cooking station was downstairs where food was cooked using cut wood and clay pots. We take turns blowing into a metal tube/pipe so that the fire will be kept alive. At least, it was what I remember with my maternal grandparents house and I wish I have photos.

    I also remember that my maternal grandparents’ house was like the picture below and more. Under the house where there was a big space, the onions hang on the ropes. Tobacco leaves for drying were hung my by grandfather. And there is a small hammock which we grandchildren take turns to sit on and rock the afternoons away. Sometimes my grandfather would sit on the swing after a hard day’s work at the farm. Or he can be seen rolling white thin paper to make his own cigars from the dry tobacco leaves.

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    This space usually has multi-purpose uses.

    The Nipa Hut can also be colorful during fiestas, where the signs of festivities like the banderitas** adorn the windows and doors.

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    A bahay kudo or nipa hut bedecked with fiesta trimmings and signs of festivities.

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    *banggera - kitchen

    **banderitas - trimmings

    Filed under: For Information, Interesting Topics, Philippines, Photos
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    2 Comments
  • 03Aug

    Population Explosion in the Philippines

    The Philippines is the world’s 12th most populous country, with a population of over 90 million as of 2008. This is according to this article.

    This is not surprising, given the stance of the Catholic Church on birth control method. Click here for the official Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines statement on Contraceptive Mentality.

    The way the government seem to agree with the church regarding the issue is also a factor which contributed to the fact that the population boom is escalating and there are really clear actions how to stop the numbers from escalating.

    The USAID has been supporting The Philippine Family Program for years and the objectives that they have outlined are agreeable with me. Click here to read the Factsheet.

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    The WQ#11 was inspired by the answer of Lovelyn to WQ#10 regarding the Little Girl and I want to know your opinion on this very important and controversial topic of Family Planning Issues and the ballooning population of the country:

    Should people heed the call of the Catholic Church to not use artificial means of contraception/reproductive health products and services OR should they go ahead, talk to their doctors and plan for how they want to practice family planning?

    My answer:

    I believe in the stance of the church that people should not contradict the “fruitfulness of human reproductive capacities given by the Creator and hence are morally wrong”. But on second thought, the church should not pass judgment on people regarding their stance on the use of artificial contraception as morally wrong.

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    Filed under: Interesting Topics, Philippines, Weekly Questions, blogging101, family, social consciousness
    19 Comments
  • 30Jul

    Yacon, Apple of the Earth

    Last Sunday, when we went to Market One Sunday Market, I chanced upon some root crops being sold. I thought it was “kamoteng kahoy” or cassava and I thought about buying several pieces. The salesperson told me it is in fact yacon. And I asked what it was again. She told me it is called yacon and it is good for those who are likely to suffer diabetes.

    Hmm…I have heard about this a few months back from a student’s mom who buys the same root crop in the same place.

    I asked the salesperson what it tastes like and she said it tastes like “singkamas” or what is erroneously referred to as turnips. Singkamas is in fact called jicama (pachyrhizus erosus). I got curious since I love munching on this singkamas.

    I got one piece only. It was a bit expensive, compared to singkamas which can be bought for PhP25.00 for a bunch of 5-6 pieces. The one piece I got was PhP40.00(almost USD1.00).

    I peeled the yacon around noon today. And took photos of the sliced flesh.

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    After a while, I noticed that the flesh discolored. I didn’t know that discoloration happens the flesh has been exposed to air, like apples and eggplants.

    I tasted one piece and it tasted good. Sweetish, like a part apple, a part jicama and a part pear. So that is why it is also called the Apple of the Earth. It is also dubbed as the Healing Crop.

    I didn’t want to eat it as it is so I thought about making a salad and putting some pieces which I sliced in strips. This was what I got:

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    Click here to read about more about this root crop called yacon.


    Filed under: Dining, Interesting Topics, Philippines, Photos, Urban Living
    Tags: , , ,
    2 Comments
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