Bizarre Foods of the Philippines (A Video)

Philippines has food that is a mixture of different cuisines from different countries. With its 7, 107 islands, it is a unique country with food, habits, traditions that is different from every island. Because of its history of colonization from different countries and its geographical location, it has easily adapted to a very diverse culture --- Spanish, Western, Chinese, Japanese and all its Asian neighbors.

Balut, is one popular traditional, exotic food that could be found in the Philippines. It is a steamed/boiled duck egg, complete with its embryo inside. There are still a lot of foods that I haven't even encountered in my whole life while living in the Philippines. It is fun to get educated, well, surprised (too) while watching a whole bunch of videos online. On Youtube, Andrew Zimmern, a chef who came to visit the country just to try its bizarre foods, has done a good TV segment of bizarre Filipino foods. For foreigners, it's bizarre, for the natives, it's called "masarap" (side dish).

Math Genius

A funny video which makes me laugh everytime I watch it. This man believed to be high on drugs was found to have stolen a motorcycle. He explained his own side of the story using the English language which is kinda strange. He added lots of geometrical reasonings which makes this news even funnier. The title is just a sort of sarcasm.

Basureros!

A teacher in highschool sent an email today with an attached story to it. I finished reading the story with a heaviness of heart and yet this story has touched me with hope to yet look forward to the future with a positive attitude. I have pasted the story so it would serve its purpose, to be shared with others. Here is the piece with some editing and translating done by me. (Bisayan language)

Ever since it was diagnosed that I am having a posible heartenlargement
in the last APE, I have exerted more effort to do physicalexercises. I do
jogging during week days and do long-ride mountain bikingevery Sunday.But this
Sunday is a special Sunday to me. While I was on my way to the mountains of
Busay (Cebu) hoping to strengthen my heart by this exercise, instead, I
personally encountered a heart-breaking scene that changed me. I already passed
the Marco Polo Plaza ( formerly Cebu Plaza Hotel) when I decided to stop to buy
bananas (sagging minantikaan or banana on stick) at a small
carenderia located along the road. I haven't taken any solid food that
morning so I had to have fruits to have the needed energy to
get to my destination -the mountain top. I was almost done eating with the
second banana when I noticed two children across the street busily searching the
garbage area.

"Basureros" I said to myself and quickly turned my attention away from
them to sip a small amount of water. I cared less for these kind of children
actually; to make it straight, I do not like them, and I do not trust them
evenmore. You see, several times I have been a victim to these kind of children
who are pretending to be "basureros"(garbage collectors/scavengers) looking
for empty bottles and cans when in fact the 'plangganas' (pail or
basin),'kalderos'(pots and pans), and 'hinayhays' (clothes) are their favorites.
I remember one afternoon while I was watching a Mike Tyson fight when I noticed
that the TV screen suddenly became blurry. I checked outside and saw two young
basureros running away with my newly installed antenna. Hatred may be a little
stronger word to describe my feeling towards these basureros, but I do not like
them honestly---not till I met these three children.

I was about to embark on my bike again when I heard one of the
twochildren, a girl of about 7 or 8 of age saying aloud to the other, a 12-yr.
old boy, " Kuya si Dodong kuha-a kay nag-sige'g tan-aw sa mga nagkaon, mauwaw
ta" (Older Brother, please get Dodong 'cos hes watching those who are eating,
it's embarrassing), only then that I noticed a small boy standing near to me
biting his finger slightly. He's a few inches shorter if compared to my 5 year
old son (but I knew later that he's also 5 yrs. old). Though he did not asked
for food to anyone in the carenderia, the way he looked at the customers who
were eating, was enough to convince me that he intensely craves for it. The
older boy then quickly crossed the street and gently pulled out the little one
who politely obeyed. As I watched the two crossing the street back to the
garbage area, I heard the tindera(salesperson) saying " Lo-oy kaayo nang mga
bataa uy, mga buotan ra ba na" (Those kids are such a pity, and they're
really good kids). I learned further from the carenderia owner that the
children are from a good family, both parents were working before, and that
their father got a stroke 3 years ago and became partially paralized and their
mother died of heart attack while their father was still confined at the
hospital.The parents were still in their early forties when the catastrophe
happened, and the children became basureros since then to meet their daily needs
and for their father's medication.

Deeply moved by what I heard, I went to a nearby bakery and bought
20pesos worth of bread and gave it to the children who initially
refused--including the little boy. " Sige lang Noy, salamat na lang, magpalit
lang nya mi kung mahalinan na mi" (It's allright, sir, but thanks you, we will
just buy later when we could finally get an income today), the young girl said
to me. I explained that they need to go home because it started to rain ."Naanad
na man mi ani" (we're already used to the rain), the girl answered again. Again,
I explained that the rain can make them sick and if they'll become sick there's
no one to take care of their father. Upon mentioning their father, they nodded
and accepted the bread but I noticed that the older boy did not eat. When I
asked him if he does not like the kind of bread I bought for them he smiled but
was about to explain, when the little girl, who is the most
talkative among them interrupted, " Domingo man gud ron, noy, basta Sabado
ug Domingo hapon rasiya mokaon kami ra ang mokaon ug pamahaw pero dili na pod mi
mokaon inighapon, si kuya ra. Pero basta Lunes ngadto sa Biyernes, kay klase man
, sikuya ra sad ang siguro-on ug papamahaw, kami hapon na sad mi moka-on. Pero,
kung daghan mi ug halin mokaon mi tanan." (It's Sunday today, sir, if it's on a
weekend, our older brother eats only in the afternoon and we are the only ones
who eat breakfast. And in the afternoon, we also do not eat, only him. But on
Mondays to Fridays, we make sure our older brother eats breakfast 'cos he has to
go to school, and our turn to eat is in the afternoon. But if we get to earn
enough, all of us eat.), she continued. "Ngano man diay ug mokaon mong tanan,
bahinon ninyo bisan ug unsa ka gamay?" (What if all of you will just eat by
dividing the food no matter how small it is?) I countered. The young girl
reasoned out that their father wanted their older brother to come to school
with full stomach so he can easily catch up with the teacher's lessons. "Inig ka
trabaho ni kuya mo undang na man mi ug pamasura, first honor baya na siya" (Once
our older brother can start working, we will stop scavenging for garbage items,
he is actually in the top of his class' honor roll), the little boy added
proudly.

Maybe I was caught by surprise or I am just overly emotional that my
tears started to fall. I then quickly turned my back from them to hide my tears
and pretended to pick up my bike from the carenderia where I left it. I don't
know how many seconds or minutes I spent just to compose myself; pretending
again this time that I was mending by bike. Finally, I got on to my bike and
approached the three children to bid them goobye, who in turn cast their
grateful smiles at me. I then took a good look at all of them specially to the
small boy and patted his head with a pinch in my heart. Though I believe that
their positive look at life can easily change their present situation, there is
one thing that they can never change; that is , their being motherless. That
little boy can no longer taste the sweet embrace, care, and most of all , the
love of his mother forever. Nobody can refill the empty gap created by that
sudden and untimely death of their mother. Every big events that will happen to
their lives will only remind them and make them wish of their mother's presence.
I reached to my pocket and handed to them my last 100 peso bill which I reserved
for our department's bowling tournament. This time they refused strongly but I
jokingly said to the girl "Sumbagon tika ron kung di nimo dawaton" (I'll punch
you if you won't accept this). She smiled as she extended her hand to take the
money. "Salamat noy makapalit gyud me ron ug tambal ni papa" (Thank you, sir, we
could finally buy our father's medicine today), she uttered. I then turned to
the small boy and though he's a few feet away from me, I still noticed that
while his right hand was holding the half - filled sack, his left hand was
holding a toy---a worn out toy car.

I waved my hands and said bye bye to him as I drove towards the
mountains again. Did he just found the toy in the garbage area ? or the toy was
originally his - when the misfortune did not took place yet? -I did not bother
to ask. But one thing is crystal clear to me that inspite of the boy's abnormal
life, he had not given up his childhood completely. I can sense it the way
he held and stared at his toy. My meeting with that young basureros made me
poorer by 100 pesos. But they changed me and made me richer as to lessons of
life are concerned. In them, I learned that life can change suddenly and may
caught me flatfooted. In them, I've learned that even the darkest side of life,
cannot change the beauty of one's heart. Those three children, who sometimes
cannot eat three times a day, were still able to hold on to what they believe
was right. And what a contrast to most of us who are quick to point out to our
misfortunes when caught with our mistakes. In them, I've learned to hope for
things when things seem to go the other way. Lastly, I know that God cares for
them far more than I do. That though He allowed them to experience such a
terrible life which our finite minds cannot comprehend, His unquestionable love
will surely follow them through. And in God's own time they will
win.

Pls. share to others... those who understand
bisaya...

Sometimes it's easy to judge people thru physical appearances and there are some experiences that teach us lessons---to be more careful of trickery but those lessons should not make us any less sensitive to the cries of the needy. To empathize and to sympathize is not enough unless we take actions. Children can be real victims. If there is a way for us to stop from our own "busyness" for a moment, listen to those who are less fortunate than us, then we'd experience what it is truly to be a brother/sister to others.

Charice on the Paul O'Grady Show

Charice, this time, got invited in the Paul O'Grady Show in London, England. Watch her perform live with this great rendition of "I Am Telling You I Am Not Going". Enjoy and dance along (oh, don't forget to go with the rythym)!

Charice Pempengco: From a Humble Beginning to a Greater Dream

After watchig a series of videos about Charisse Pempengco on YOUTUBE, I can't help "showcasing" her singing talent here in my blog. I have the best of her best videos, from Youtube, of course...hehehe.

She started singing at the age of four, joined singing contests locally (which is always a popular and favorite among Filipinos) and on TV. Through an avid fan, Falsevoice, she got recognized by a Swedish recording company and got invited to do a recording with them. Starking in Korea followed suit and invited the young Charice to perform. They also got to trace her through Youtube. Then came the invitation from the Ellen de Generes show which paved the way for her to be widely recognized in America. She was then known to have performed live with David Foster during his tribute. Right after, she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show a couple of times. Through Oprah, she met her dream "favorite" music artist, Celine Dion. She got to sing a duet with her "Because You Love Me" at Madison Square Garden. Aside from all these, Charice also got to sing with singers like, Andrea Brocelli, etc.

She has appeared on many shows on TV, locally in her native country the Philippines, and all over the world. At 16, she has touched many hearts with her singing...and it all started with a humble beginning and a big dream.

The video below is of Charice appearing in Oprah and singing a duet with Celine Dion. Enjoy!

Taal Volcano

Teaching English at a language school for foreigners has been my profession for a couple of years. Everytime a new group of students come, our school staff then had to take them to places for sight-seeing.



Taal Volcano/Lake is often described as "island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island" or so it seems. Taal Volcano is still active and its last eruption was in 1977. It's most violent eruption was recorded to have occured in 1911. Although the volcano has been dormant since its last eruption, but it still shows some form of seismic activity and "ground fracturing events", according to wikipedia.com



There are many interesting things to do near Taal Volcano/Lake: boatriding, horsebackriding, hiking, etc. Doing these things need some kind of preparation, as it is quite hard to negotiate with boatmen or horsemen. If you're not in the mood for all these activity, especially getting dirty, another option would be to do some sightseeing and have some good dining experience with the lake/volcano in full view. It would be worth it to just go to Tagaytay and find good restaurants. It's always easy to find good hotels and retaurants there. Tagaytay is frequented by local and foreign tourists or its great restaurants and majestic views. Not only does it have breathtaking sceneries, but it also has a cooler temperature in comparison to Manila's hot weather.



One of the best places to stay at is the Taal Vista Hotel. Nicer rooms, a wide variety of food, classy atmosphere and a beautiful scenery, this hotel is always a good choice. They have weekend buffets with a free cultural show while you enjoy your food.

There are also a number of fastfood chains like McDonald's and Starbucks. From this places, you can easily go to Manila as there are always buses that are always available or vans that you could hire to take you to your next place of interest.

Pinoy Jokes I

Pinoy jokes are simply funny. My phone inbox are always full of Pinoy jokes. I have left out those that are "green", so this compilation is just pure humor. I hope these would make you laugh today. If not, at least, smile. (:
Here are some:

**********

TITSER: Pedro, what is Ethics? (Ethics sounds like "ITIK", a dialect for duck)

PEDRO: Ethics, Ma'am, is the relative of Duck !!

TITSER: Its ok, Pedro! That duck will lay an egg,
and that egg will be your grade. Sit down!

********

TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America .

MARIA: Here it is.

TEACHER: Correct! Now class, who discovered America ?

CLASS: Maria!

**********

TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?

DONALD: H I J K L M N O.

TEACHER: What are you talking about?

DONALD: Ma'am, Yesterday you said it's H to O.

*********

TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?

GLEN: Well, because I'm a lot closer to the ground
than you are, Ma'am!

*********

TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with "I."

MILLIE: I is...

TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, "I am."

MILLIE: All right... "I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."

************

TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers
before eating?

SIMON: No sir, I don't have to..... 'cause my Mom is a good cook.

***********

PARE-1: Pare, napansin ko na ang buong pamilya nyo,
eh walang tigil ang pagkanta habang nasa
loob ng banyo. Siguro singer kayo lahat ano?
PARE-2: Hindi naman pare, kaya lang eh talagang kailangang kumanta kami ng malakas
pag nasa loob ng banyo.
PARE-1: Ha! eh bakit pare ganon?
PARE-2: Kasi sira ang lock ng banyo namin eh!!

**********

Narinig ko ang pagkanta mo kagabi...
Maganda ang boses mo....
magtiwala ka sa sarili mo....
May talent ka at kaya mo yan!!!
GIVE IT ALL!! GO ON !!
Huwag mong itago!

Sige! Isigaw Mo!!!!

Tahooooo!!!!

***********

What is the difference between OPINION and CONCLUSION?
Nabuksan ko yung pintuan kasi "OPEN-YUN"
Hindi ko mabubuksan yun "KUNG-CLOSE-YUN"

**********

Use "bampira" in a sentence...
Pare, pautang nga! Meron ka bampira?

**********

DOKTOR: Kiko, Salamat sa ginawa mong pagsagip duon sa isang pasyenteng nahulog sa balon kaninang umaga. At dahil sa kabayanihan mong iyon, naniniwala na ako na ikaway magaling na, kaya puwede na kitang pauwiin at palabasin dito sa Mental Hospital.
KIKO: Tutuo doktor? Naku, maraming salamat po!
DOKTOR: Kaya lang, namatay din kanina lang yun pasyente! Kasi nagbigti siya eh!
KIKO: Hindi po siya nagbigti dok! Isinampay ko po siya.....para matuyo!

***********

B1: Pare, na hold-up ako, muntik pa ako mamatay!
B2: Bakit di ka ba humingi ng tulong?

B1: Nagtext ako sa police station.
B2: Bakit, ano reply?

B1: Hay naku! Ito ang reply: "hu u?"Wr did u get my no.?!

**********

D truth bhnd d
s0ng ETERNAL
FLAME & hu rily
sang it..

BULAG: cl0se ur
eyes,
PILAY: gve me ur
hand drlng,
BINGI: do u hir my
heart beating?
BOBO: d0 u
undErStnd?
MANHID: d0 u fiL
d same?
DUKHA: am i only
dreaming?
BUMBERO: is dis
burning? an
eternal flame!
PIPI: say my
name,
BALIW: sunshine
through the rain,
KAWAWA: my
whole life, so
lonely..
DOKTOR: dey'L
cum nd ease d
pain.
MADAMOT:i dnt
wna lose ds
feelng..
WOLF: Oooohh(^^.')

***********

Can u pronounce
gud
englsh?
read
d
ff
aloud:

wolf
woof
warp

roof
ruff
raft

work
wart
worth
wharf

test result:


gud dog!

stop barking na!

**********

Mahilig kumanta ang asawa ni Pedro kaya't sumali sa Church Choir. Tuwing mag-papa practice ang Misis sa bahay, bigla naman lalabas ng bahay si Pedro. Dahil dito, medyo nag tampo ang Misis kaya't kinausap ang asawa.

Misis: Pedro, Ano ba ang nangyayari? Hindi mo ba gusto ang boses ko?

Pedro: Honey, "I love your singing", pero gusto ko lang na malaman ng mga kapit bahay natin na hindi kita sinasaktan pag kumakanta ka!!

************
Napansin nung Tiyo na yung kaniyang pamangkin na bagong salta sa America ay umiiyak sa tabi ng kaniyang nakatumbang bisikleta sa tabing daan. Tanong tuloy nung Tiyo, "Hijo, bakit ka umiiyak?"

Sagot nung pamangkin, "Angkol, Angkol..." Madaling kinorek nung Tiyo yung kaniyang pamangkin, "Hijo, ikaw ay nasa America na. Hindi Angkol... Angkel!"

Tinuloy nung pamangkin yung kaniyang kwento, "Angkel, Angkel, I rode my Bysikol..." Madali muling kinorek nung Tiyo yung kaniyang pamangkin, "Hijo, nasa America ka na. hindi Bysikol ang tawag diyan... Bysikel".

Muling tinuloy nung pamangkin yung kaniyang kwento, "Angkel, Angkel, I rode my Bysikel to buy some Papsikol..." Madali na namang kinorek nung Tiyo, "Hijo, hindi Papsikol - Papsikel!"

Tinuloy ulit nung pamangkin yung kaniyang kwento, "Angkel, Angkel, I rode my Bysikel, to buy some Papsikel... en den I pel... now I heb a Bukel..."

***********

Pare 1: 'Pare, magkaiba medyas mo, isang pula at isang azul'

Pare 2: 'Ewan ko nga kung saan nabili ng misis ko ito. May isa pa nga
akong pares na ganito rin and kulay sa bahay'

**********
Husband came home from Chruch...suddenly lifted his wife and

carried her.
Wife: Why??? Did the Pastor told you to be romantic like this???
Husband: No!!! he told me to carry my cross!!!

**********
Population Policies of the Countries
China: Stop at 1 child.
Singapore: Stop at 2 child.
Philippines: Stop at 4 am.

***********

Russian: We're first in the Space.
USA: We're first in the Moon.
Erap: We'll be the first in the Sun.
USA: You can't go there...you' ll be burn.
Erap: We're not stupid...We' ll go there at night.

************

Ano kadalasan ang sinasabi kapag NAUTOT?
American: Excuse me.
British: Pardon me.
Pinoy: Not me.

************

TEACHER: Anong similarity nina Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Ninoy Aquino at Apolinario Mabini?

STUDENT: Ma'am, pagkaka-alam ko po, silang lahat ay pinanganak ng holiday!

**********

Pedro: Pare, sobrang taba talaga ng Misis ko kaya't gusto niyang magbawas ng timbang!

Pablo: Sabihin mo sa Misis na mag Horseback riding siya.

Makaraan ang dalawang buwan.

Pedro: Kumusta naman ang resulta ng Horseback Riding !

Pablo: Nabawasan ng 40 Kilos ang kabayo!

**********