Sky-Watch Friday: golden sunset

A fiery sunset for Sky-Watch Friday, taken last Sunday from the oval track of the Army Officers' Club. I was winding down from my run when I noticed how the light changed, the trees were glowing, the light coming through the leaves turned gold, and the sky was a brilliant shade of orange. Had a quiet moment to enjoy the greatest show on earth...

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Food Friday: sweet but not simple

I am not much of a dessert fan. A cup of coffee after a meal is good enough for me. If given a choice, I would go for fresh fruits rather than cakes or pastries. But when my friend K introduced me to this mango torte from Dulcelin Gourmet, I gave in after the first bite. Scoops of fresh, luscious ripe mango and cream---a surprise ending to a delicious meal. I'm no expert but what makes this mango torte so good is probably the contrasting texture of mango and the chewy-crunch of cashew-based nougatine, it's not sugary-sweet, and it's golden beauty is a delight to my eyes. It's simply a perfect dessert that rolls decadently into the embrace of hot, black coffee.

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Litratong Pinoy: puso (heart)

Nakakakilabot ang mga ka-kyutan na ito---stuffed pillows at stuffed toys! Pero sige na lang, tutal V-day naman e. Dadating na ang araw na 'yon sa gusto man natin o hindi. Araw ng mga puso. Kapanahunan ng pagmamahalan. At pagkakataon na rin ng pagbibigay regalo sa minamahal (may pera man o wala). Pinag-iisipan mo na ba kung papano n'yo ipagdiriwang ang V-day? Handa ka na bang masorpresa? O nape-pressure ka na?

Isa ako dati sa mga natatawa sa ka-cornihan ng Valentine’s Day. Gusto ko pa nga ipagbabawal ng gobyerno ang araw ng mga puso at ikalaboso ang mga magsin-irog na naglalambingan sa harap ng madlang pipol. Masyado kasing pinagkakakitaan at naaabuso ang konsepto ng Valentine’s Day, kaliwa’t kanan ang atake ng mga nakakatulig na advertisements (natanong ko tuloy sa lolo ko bakit may flavor ang condom), sobrang ma-traffic (lalo na sa mga kalye patungo sa mga motel---teka, bakit ba doon din ako dumadaan?), mahirap humanap ng parking space (dahil kaya puno ang "short taym" at doon na lang sa parking lot?), halos walang makainan dahil pati ang lugawan at isawan sa kanto ay puno ng mga magkasintahan. Pero napagod na rin ako sa kakareklamo kaya hindi ko na lang tinitingnan kung ano ang mali sa araw ng ito. Ini-enjoy ko na lang ang kapakinabangan ng V-day katulad ng bulaklak at tsokolate, masayang salo-salo, at maraming masasayang tao sa paligid [na hindi naman siguro papunta sa "taxi room"]. At sigurado ako, kahit may krisis pang-ekonomiya, ang mga Pinoy ay hindi mapipigilang gumastos ngayong araw ng mga puso.

These cute Valentine stuff make me cringe...but since it's V-Day, I'll embrace all the cutesy stuff in the world. Valentine's Day will be here whether we like it or not. The abused heart day. A time for love. A season for romance. An opportunity to splurge on a gift for the significant other. Are you now wondering about the creative ways to celebrate V-Day? Are you ready to be surprised? Or do you feel the pressure?

I used to snicker at the corny-ness of Valentine's Day. I even wanted to lobby Congress that V-Day should be banned from the face of the earth, and lovers arrested. V-day and its concept has been commercialized and abused as we are bombarded with advertisements aimed directly at our sentimentality, not to mention the terrible traffic, full parking lots, full and crowded restaurants. But as I grow older [and wiser], I no longer look for what is bad and wrong about V-Day. Instead, I look at the bright side and the revitalizing benefits it brings. And despite the economic slump, I'm sure, Filipinos will be out there spending money on their loved ones.

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Wordless Wednesday: a beginning of a friendship?

A bone-weary tom cat lounges on a stack of plastic chairs having a cat nap. From the scars on his face, it looks like Tommy the cat has been in a cat-fight, or just living a hard life. I imagine he's sick of the street-life, hungry days and lonely nights, and would like to retire in a warm, cozy home.

Fritz was excited to see Tommy and wanted to play (wags his tail) but the tom cat was not in the mood for anything. He stares condescending at Fritz, shifts his scrawny body and contemplates his next move.

Apparently, Tommy the cat has nowhere to go so he settled comfortably on his plastic throne. Fritz, the pushover, waits it out hoping Tommy the cat would come down and play.

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Ruby Tuesday: homegrown

I'm busy as a bee, up to my eyeballs with work. Fortunately, I have some photos in my archive for Ruby Tuesday. Above is a red capiz vase from a showroom I visited, and below is a bunch of pale red anthurium in a bone china vase. Capiz, also called windowpane oyster (or lampirong in Ilonggo), is a marine mollusk found in shallow coastal waters in the Philippines. Its meat is edible, and the shells are semi-transparent, pearlized flat disks that can be molded into almost anything---from home decor to light fixtures, fashion accessories, bathroom panels and furniture. It is a versatile material and essentially, its design possibilities are virtually limitless.

Anthuriums are grown throughout the country, mostly in greenhouses with computerized fertigation facilities. The floriculture industry is rapidly growing and the increasing demand in the domestic market has attracted hobbyists to turn their hobbies into profitable business.

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