Lasang Pinoy, Sundays: crunchy

I have been a bit under the weather for the past few days, but I don't want to miss posting these yummy treats. Above is the "crunchy" Creole Fish 'n Chips with Cajun sauce, sidings are honey-mustard and herb-mayo dressing. I didn't cook this one...I had it for dinner last week at Cajun Red Rock in Megamall.

My favorite salsa fresca with "crunchy" tortilla and brown rice chips. Great while watching TV...good thing I was munching this during the opening of the Beijing Olympics. It comforted me somehow even when I was so disappointed not seeing Team Philippines [and President Arroyo] enter the iconic Bird's Nest. I thought I blinked and missed the Philippine contingent, only to learn this morning that the Philippine delegate was indeed virtually ignored by the Chinese television, both English and Mandarin channels. What can we do---boycott siomai and siopao?

More "crunchy" treats at Spices.

Photo-Hunter: Dark

This gnarled tree evokes “dark” images in my head. I’m a Tim Burton fan, and it’s probably the reason why this photo reminds me of Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman.

This "dark" cavern is near the entrance of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Palawan. This is one of the longest in the world, with an 8.2 kilometers navigable underground river.

To read more about the subterranean river, you can check out my Palawan post.

The Plaza Cuartel in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, has a “dark” past. This was a Japanese garrison during World War II where 143 American POW’s were burned alive by the Japanese Kempetai in December 1944. The ruins of this old garrison are a grim reminder of the atrocities of war.

More Photo-Hunters in TN Chick.

Sky Watch Friday: a mellow sunset

"Nine planets round the sun, only one does the sun embrace. Upon this watered one, so much we take for granted; So let us sleep outside tonight, lay down in our mother's arms, for here we can rest safely…One sweet world around a star is spinning - One sweet world - And in her breath I'm swimming, and here we will rest in peace."

~ Dave Matthews

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me),

It's always our self we find in the sea.

~e.e. cummings

Location: Mangodlong, Camotes Island

More beautiful sky photos at Sky-Watch Friday.

Litratong Pinoy: Ako (o Parte Ko)

isang "parte ko"

Medyo nahirapan ako sa tema ngayong linggo---Ako (o parte ko). Hindi ko alam kung ipapakita ko ba ang aking mga binti, kalyo, peklat o tattoo. Naisip ko, tutal wala naman masyadong ginagawa ang aking kaliwang kamay, s'ya na muna ang modelo.

Ang mga kamay ay maraming nagagawa para sa atin---sila ay ginagamit nating panghipo, panghawak, panghimas, pangangalabit, pangkaway, pang-apir na rin. Ang kamay ay mahalagang bahagi ng ating pagkatao at kung paano natin tinitingnan ang ating sarili.

Isang "parte" naman ng aking pagkatao ay ang aking Nanay. Nanggaling sa kanya ang kalahating porsiento ng aking genes. Hindi man perfect ang relasyon namin noong aking kabataan, ngunit ngayon ay nagkakaintindihan na kaming dalawa. Kahit isinumpa ko no'ng ako'y 13 na hinding-hindi ko s'ya gagayahin, aaminin ko man o hindi, maraming pag-uugali ang namana ko sa aking ina. Natanggap ko na...gano'n talaga ang buhay (hehe)!

my mother

I find this week's theme a bit difficult. I was ambivalent if I'd show off my legs, corns and calluses, scars or my tattoo (hehe). But since my left hand was not busy, it will do as my model.

Our hands do so much for us---they are capable of touching, feeling, holding, grasping, manipulating, waving, do high-fives and more. They are an important part of who we are and how we see ourselves.

Our hands are more than mere anatomical tools that perform tasks for us. They also help interpret the world for us and express who we are.

Another part of my being an individual is my mother. Half of my genes came from her. Although our relationship was not perfect during my teenage years, we pretty much understand and appreciate each other now. I swore when I was 13 that I would never, ever be like her, but it looks like I inherited much from her (which is not so bad, I realize :D). There's no escape from it so it's best to accept it with an open heart and mind...believe me, it's the beginning of wisdom.:D

For more photos, please visit Litratong Pinoy.

Black Coffee

I'm feelin' mighty lonesome
Haven't slept a wink
I walk the floor and watch the door
In between I drink
Black coffee
Love's a hand-me-down brew
I'll never know a Sunday
In this weekday room...

kd lang, Black Coffee

“Black Coffee” is one of those songs I love to sing when I’m a bit sad and on my way to getting helplessly inebriated. One of my oldest friends takes his clue from this song---it’s time to give me black coffee to lift my mood. Is it the caffeine or the sugar he puts in my coffee that cheers me up?

I'm talkin to the shadow

One o'clock till four

And Lord, how slow the moments go

And all I do is pour

Black coffee

Since the blues caught my eye

I'm hangin' out on Monday

My Sunday dreams to dry

This everyday elixir has a colorful history, not to mention a long journey across continents. Some coffee aficionados say an Ethiopian goatherd discovered coffee around 800 AD. The goatherd, the story goes, noticed his flock frolicking from one coffee shrub to another, munching on the cherry-red berries containing coffee beans. He chewed on a few himself and was soon romping along with his herd. Then a monk (there’s always a monk behind the bushes :D) saw the goatherd cavorting with his goats, got curious and plucked some berries for his brothers. That night, the whole monastery was incredibly euphoric and vigilant to divine inspiration. The magic beans later crossed the Red Sea to Arabia and it was there where things really got brewing. By the 13th century, Muslims were drinking coffee religiously. It kept worshippers awake and wherever Islam went, coffee went, too.

Coffee was regarded as a passion in those days and the beans were tightly guarded. Until an Indian pilgrim-cum-smuggler left Mecca with fertile coffee seeds strapped to his belly. The Indian’s seeds bore fruit and reached Europe’s colonies (Source: National Geographic)

Now man was born to go a lovin'

But was a woman born to weep and fret

And stay at home and tend her oven

And drown her past regrets

In coffee and cigarettes

I'm moonin' all the mornin'

Moanin' all the night

And in between it's nicotine

And not much heart to fight

Black coffee

Feelin' low as the ground

It's drivin' me crazy

This waitin' for my baby

Might maybe come around

Come around...

Caffeine has been the focus of research for decades...it's a stimulant and had been linked to heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, insomnia, anxiety, to mention a few. And as one of the sources of caffeine, coffee has been maligned for years, but it's undoubtedly a beloved drink all over the world. What used to be as an elite indulgence has become a staple of our modern life and culture. Despite coffee's bad rep, researchers believe that it has a number of health benefits---aside from lifting our moods and treat headaches, coffee lowers the risk of diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and color cancer. There is a significant presence of antioxidants in coffee beans to help mitigate the chances of heart disease and cancer.

I remember my Grade 4 teacher who warned the class about the hazards of drinking coffee. She said that coffee would stunt our growth, cause ulcers, infertility and mental illness. My father's family was [and still is] a bunch of coffee-drinkers so I announced my teacher’s warning at lunch. My aunts and uncles find it funny, teased me that I would never grow taller than 4 feet and that I'd inherit the "bad genes" from drinking "weak" coffee. My grandfather winked at me and remarked that Miss O’s (my teacher) father was thickwitted, he probably didn’t drink coffee. :D My grandmother always made sure that kids would drink the "weak" coffee, not the strong brew drank by adults.

I grew taller than 4 feet---thank God, but not as tall as I wished I'd be. Blame it on some genetic anomaly. As for the "bad genes", that remains to be seen (hehe). But before you panic that you’re going to die a premature death from drinking coffee, check out The Coffee Science Information Center. In the meantime, enjoy your coffee in moderation and sing with kd lang.