Kaybiang Tunnel

 

Clipper Lounge

Do The Least

I am spellbound by the message.  Completely heartwarming!

MMDA Marikina Impound

Felipe II

Beijing Airport

Shennong, the Father of Chinese Medicine

Walking around Central, we chanced upon the statue of Shennong, the father of Chinese medicine. While the techniques of Chinese medicine are pretty much a mystery for those attuned to Western medicine, I have several friends who swear by its efficacy.  For me, I remember that we used Tiger Balm for all sorts of body aches and pains, and that my aunt would prepare an ancient Chinese recipe of black chicken soup for quick healing, but that was about the extent my my personal experience with Chinese medicine.

Supermoon

* photo from popularmechanics.com

The mooney mooney is shining!  On November 14, get set to see the biggest full moon since 1948.  Literally.  The phenomenon is known as supermoon--I understand that the moon is closest to the Earth, and won't get any closer until 2034.  It's time to go outdoors and get those telescopes trained on the sky.  I am a child of the moon!

Bataan Death March

Coming home from our overnight vacation in Morong, we passed some markers dedicated to the war heroes that perished in the infamous Bataan Death March.  In April 1942, the Japanese forced some 80,000 Philippine and American soldiers to march from Mariveles in Bataan to Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac via San Fernando, Pampanga.  Around 10,000 perished.  This atrocity was later adjudged to be a Japanese war crime.

In the words of my uncle Jay, "the blood-drenched crosses were strewn all over the place, a mute testimony to the orgy of horrors committed by the yellow sons of Nippon..."

It is good to revisit the past, so the sins may never be repeated.

Rest in peace, defenders of our shores.

Diwata-1

Mikaela first broke the news about the launching of Diwata-1 to me.  What sets this satellite apart from older Philippine satellites (Aguila & Mabuhay) is that Diwata-1 was built and assembled by Filipino scientists (as a update on the carcass of the Raijin-2 Japanese satellites).  I understand that the older satellites were either bought while in orbit, or commissioned from scratch abroad.  Truly, this is quite big feat by the DOST, considering the shoe-string budget that they are given. Kudos is definitely in order!

Col. Harry Egbert

I had some business at the new City Hall of Valenzuela, and I was amazed at how clean and spacious this was.  An interesting piece of trivia for history buffs--I saw a memorial cannon erected for Gettysburg veteran Col. Harry Egbert on the grounds; apparently the good colonel died during the Battle of Malinta in the brief Philippine-American war.

The Story of Stuff

We all use stuff, don't we?  But do you know how all the stuff we use has affected our lives? Greenpeace activist Annie Leonard takes on consumerism and makes a resounding case for us to take care of our environment in The Story of Stuff.  Food for thought, my friends!

Dumb Ways to Die

I haven't had such fun chuckling to myself in a long while.  Anita installed what I initially thought was a kiddie game called Dumb Ways to Die on Vicky's I-Pad and as a result thereof, I can't seem to stop myself from pressing the red button.  This game is so cute.  The concept started off as a information video from the Metro Trains in Melbourne, created to minimize the incidence of train accidents.  The video went viral, generating tons of hits within days, probably due to its catchy song and lovable humor.  The concept was conceived by the advertising agency McCann Erickson.  Take a look at the video on the website, and see for yourself--don't you just have the impulse to press that red button?

Obsolete Burn Ointments

Gwammy recently complained of puffy cheeks (apparently it was an insect bite), and Kongkong, Anita and I were quick to pull out some old medicine from her closet.  Somehow the conversation drifted to old burn medicines that Gwammy used to keep handy at all times--Butesin Picrate (Abbott) and Furacin (Smith Kline Beecham).  I understand that these medicines have long been taken off the shelves in favor of newer medicines that are safer (no harmful side effects).  I remember these two ointments were the wonder drugs for minor burns when I was a child, and were easily available as over-the-counter preparations.

August Moon Cake Festival

Monique received some moon cakes from her best friend, and we had an enjoyable evening consuming the cake, which is basically a giant hopia, filled with sweet mongo paste and salted egg yolks.  The cakes are traditionally given in China during the middle of the Autumn season, when the moon is at its largest (closest to the earth), giving luck to both the giver and and recipient.  During the mid-autumn festival, families would often gather after supper to eat moon cakes and watch the giant moon.  Chinese legend has it that in ancient times, there were ten moons in the sky, and a renowned archer was tasked by the emperor to shoot down the 9 extra moons.  Having done so, he was rewarded with a magic potion which was kept by his wife.  As the archer was constantly traveling, one of his rivals took the opportunity to force himself upon the beautiful wife.  In order to escape a cruel fate, the wife drank the magic potion and was lifted up to the moon.  Seeing that the archer was clearly grief stricken, the gods permitted the moon to come close to the earth in mid-autumn, so that the archer could see his wife clearly.  A romantic story!  The tradition of eating moon cakes dates back to ancient times.  In twelfth century Chinese history, the Chinese passed around messages inside the moon cakes in order to plan a rebellion against the Mongols (who didn't eat moon cake).  Today, several bake shops make the cake, and which usually comes in elaborate packaging.  Sometimes special nuts, watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds and lotus seeds are added, and while the usual black mongo beans are used, some cakes use yellow or red mongo beans making a good variety for consumers to choose from.

Corregidor Island

My cousin Dora & her family arrived from the US for a brief visit.  One of the recommended day tours was the Corregidor Island historical tour which starts with a 7am ferry ride from the terminal at the rear portion of the Cultural Center of the Philippines area.  I took them to the terminal right before Christmas, and they enjoyed the day tour.

We took the tour many years ago, when Monique was still a child, and I remember that the you travel by tram around the island.  They have a whole collectionTruly  of giant canons (all pointed out to sea, guarding against an armed invasion of Manila).  The guides will tell you about the story of how the remaining USAFFE and Philippine Scouts held out against the vastly superior forces of the Japanese army during World War II.  Aside from the ruins of the army buildings, you can also take a look at the giant air-raid tunnels, where they have a light & sound show to simulate the situation during the war.  The last stop is a war memorial, which is dedicated to all those who fought during the war.  The tour costs something like P2,300 which includes the ferry rides to and from the island, a packed lunch and the guided tour.  You get back to the CCP complex by 4pm, with a better historical perspective and richer appreciation of the Philippines.

DFA Passport Processing

Getting a passport used to be a time-consuming process at the Department of Foreign Affairs along Roxas Boulevard.  One of the many upgrades that have been introduced is the opening of mall-based processing offices that allow people to process passports at more convenient places, which are spread out all over the country.  Vicky and Monique went to the DFA processing center at the SM Megamall a few Saturdays ago.  They walked in at 12 noon, and came out by 3pm, a total of 3 hours processing time (this used to take around 6 hours).  As an added convenience, passports are mailed to your home (delivered in around 2 weeks time).  A few other government offices have opened at the malls (including the National Census & Statistics Office, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Land Transportation Office), which, aside from being convenient for the public, isn't bad at all for the mall owners--automatic traffic, more customers!