Another chance of seeing Marketman change people's tastes and faces

If the foretold Rapture happened tonight I am very sure there will be a few who would remain on earth because no ecstatic or heavenly movement would be able to lift the bodies of about 40 people attending Marketmanila’s lechon eyeball. Never.

Yes. It happened again today, a few hours ago, the long awaited Lechon Eyeball of the fans and followers of Marketmanila.com. It has been more than three years,  I think, that I had my first taste of the culinary innovations of Marketmanila and my first attendance to a Lechon Eyeball. Yes, I never got to taste those lazy pigs crouching in a tray but everyone said it was the best.

And tonight was no exemption. Of course, nobody would say it was just a so-so affair!

When I arrived at the venue, everyone was already scampering ahead to taste the first treat of the night. What else but the famous lechon Anthony Bourdain confirmed to be the best. So far. He has traveled that far to discover and affirm that. And not just one lechon suffered at the hungry mouths of Marketman’s guests that night but, four, I counted. There was a lechon with whole chickens stuffed inside while they were grilled. I wonder what would they taste.

Grabbing a bottle of cold beer and making beso-beso with long-lost-co-bloggers-turned-friends, I stayed where I am comfortable with, near the cooking pits. Because Marketman was preparing a seafood paella.

It has been my desire to cook paella. Honestly, I am just scared to try because I thought it would require more patience and time. But after watching Marketman and his sidekick, Angel and their staff breezing it out, I was again inspired at the sight.

So I promised myself I will make a paella and would make it better than Marketman’s. Soon.

I left at the venue after an hour or so because I still have to work. I left bringing along with me a souvenir cupcake with the proud pig logo of Zubuchon and a pack of piyatitos from Lee.

I haven’t eaten them yet. I will wait for another ecstatic moment. At midnight, perhaps?

(The only thing that disgusted me at the Eyeball was that I have only my phone camera with me and I could not capture the intimacy of the selected few guests attending the event. I failed to capture the ecstatic faces of guests receiving the crunchy lechon skin from Marketman. I can only sigh.)

The art of media-whoring politicians in the guise of promotions

Whenever I want to explore the province of Cebu I always expect Governor Gwen Garcia to be there with me. We are neither friends nor acquaintances, much more, I don’t personally know her. But Governor Garcia is with me all the time in these destinations.

I am referring to the large posters all over the towns of Cebu promoting Garcia’s Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo. Even in the emerging (the government love this term!) destinations, Governor Garcia is there posing like she owns the place. Her picture and posters are bigger than the place itself. What an ugly site!

Don’t we all hate to be with aliens when we travel?

There is a ban on the showing of names and faces of politicians in government projects here in the Philippines. If Noynoy Aquino is steadfast on his law banning politicians to show their names and faces everywhere to whore themselves, would Garcia be guilty of media whoring? We should be reminded of the fact that it was the people’s money they were using to promote their selfish intentions in the guise of tourism promotions.

I don’t know why these politicians love their faces pasted on everything when, honestly, they need more than a makeover for people, including tourists, to be pleased about their being there.

More reading-

The Freeman: Suroy-suroy Sugbo: Returns on investment = 0

Manila Bulletin: DPWH bans names, images of politicians on infra projects

Photo courtesy of Khen Soronio

Coffee for breakfast

Way too much coffee.  But if it weren't for the coffee, I'd have no identifiable personality whatsoever.  ~David Letterman

The lunar eclipse from my window

This is one of those days that I wish for a better camera. I woke up at 3AM just to take some shots at the height of the lunar eclipse visible from my window. But sadly the shots were not that good. But I have the shots. Better than none at all. 

After much awe and amazement, the sun finally told me to go to bed again. I still have work later of the day.

The Accidental Tourist is at it again

Life has been very good to me lately. Despite the lack of funds, friends were there to give me short lived vacations that lasts a lifetime.

Someone gave me an overnight stay at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel in Cebu. Free, of course. It was a great vacation I could not afford but I made it anyway.

And then a sudden trip to Camotes Island in Cebu made my weekend really unforgettable.

I will be posting my blogs about them when I have the chance to escape from office work.

Bless me Father with your dirty finger...

Source: HayMen

Beauty in children: Their innocence

Filipino resilience and the E. Coli

Lately, Germany is attacked by Escherichea Coli bacteria popularly known as E.coli. E.coli is mostly found in raw food like vegetable salad and beef.

Strangely, this bacteria lives in our intestines without us knowing and surprisingly help us in our digestive processes within. But some strain, the term used for viruses and bacteria that has acquired superpowers so to speak, gets into our blood and cause serious infections.

From Germanu, the bacteria attack has spread in Spain and throughout Europe and several deaths have been reported.

But poverty in the Philippines has shunned E.Coli bacteria from its vocabulary. Mostly. Only those in the upper strata have actually blamed the bacteria for some diarrhea attacks.

When a fruit has started to get brown, because they were displayed first before being eaten, the affected areas were pruned and given to pigs to eat. Ok pa to. This is still okay. When vegetables started to rot, the rotten area were pinched and carved while the rest goes to cooking pots. Wala pa yan. When bread has accumulated molds, the greenish part were taken and the rest toasted or given to domestic helps to be eaten right away. Pwede pa. There is no E.Coli in the Philippines!

And then kidney problems started to become a trend in this part of the world.

Before cooking up something, wash your vegetables first, thoroughly I should say, and pause to read the following articles. These are worth a read:

Washington Post: Germany presses to find cause of E.Coli outbreak that killed 18
CNN: E.coli: Is my salad safe?
VOA News: E.coli: Good Bacteria Gone Bad

Because Filipinos are drug traffickers

So this is now the tag most of Filipinos traveling abroad are now getting- DRUG TRAFFICKERS! Filipinos are subjected to whole body search and "special treatment" because of this. So my advice, again, be extra cautious when you travel to countries where drug means death. Those "padala" from friends, never accept them, or they could be your life sentence.

Here is a good story of Chyng Reyes who went to Bali, Indonesia for a vacation and experienced trauma instead at the immigration department.

My Traumatic Experience as an Alleged Drug Trafficker in Bali, Indonesia

My name is Chyng Reyes. I graduated with a degree of Electronics and Communications Engineering in a state university in Intramuros. I work in a BPO company in MoA complex as part of Systems Development team. Im a blogger who frequently travels. 

Read the whole story here.

Serenity

Serenity is knowing that your worst shot is still pretty good.
~Johnny Miller

Noon, Ngayon (from The Professional Heckler)

Noon: Kapag nakinig ka sa homily ng obispo, naliliwanagan.

Ngayon: Kapag nakinig ka sa homily ng obispo, nagwu-walkout.

Noon: Ang mahigpit na magkatunggali: administrasyon at oposisyon.

Ngayon: Ang mahigpit na magkatunggali: Balay at Samar sa posisyon.

Noon: Kapag bagsak ang rating ng presidente, “Kagagawan ng oppositionists!”

Ngayon: Kapag bagsak ang rating ng presidente, “Kagagawan ng columnists!”

Noon: Ang ‘lovelife’ ng presidente, mababasa sa diyaryo.

Ngayon: Ang ‘lovelife’ ng presidente, mababasa sa kanyang speech.

Noynoy Aquino pole-dancing while smoking?