What I hate in Summer

It's the heat! The unbearable heat that goes through your brains and make them boil like they are going to pour down from your ears. And you become irritable and bombastic!

Summer is a wish to stay wallowing in cool waters or be blown by cold winds somewhere. Or stay in bed with a cold bottle of beer in hand. Too bad I only have a day or two to laze around!

Damn summer!

Willie Revillame: A monster hit

I am not a Willie follower and rarely saw his shows. I don't know why he was such a hit. I could not even think how my barber would manage to cut my hair while watching him. But lately, his alleged "sins" have been exposed because of his bullying tactics and abusing a child on air, on primetime TV. 

A crying child doing a striptease, even if handed down ten thousand pesos for doing so, is just NOT RIGHT! I am no moralist but everyone with the right thinking could say that.

Who is Willie Revillame? Why should he matter?

This article by Yoly Villanueva-Ong of the Philippine Star should give you an idea who he is and why this nation should re-evaluate our values.

10 Ways to Be a Monster Hit

1. Get involved in serial scandals for higher ratings.
In 1999, Randy, John and Willie were suspended from Magandang Tanghali Bayan for vulgar comments about the contestants ofCalendar Girl. In 2001, Willie was terminated from the show for the same offense. MTB went off air, and resurrected as Masayang Tanghali Bayan. In 2003, the MTRCB ordered ABS-CBN to terminate Willie for malicious jokes against mainstay Mahal. The host-comedian filed his resignation instead with a tearful farewell in 2004.

2. Get away with murder!
In 2006, 30,000 people gathered outside the PhilSports Stadium to joinWowowee’s first anniversary show. There was a stampede that killed 78 people and injured around 400. Revillame was cleared of any responsibility.

3. Get involved in sex scandals while supposedly abusing the wife.
In 2007, his estranged wife, Liz Almoro accused Revillame of abuse. She claimed that he humiliated her in front of their child, threw a chair and remote control at her and had “dirty sexual affairs’” with different women. Revillame countered that he had difficulty performing his husbandly duties due to Almoro’s explosive moods and tirades.

4. Get away in a “hot” Ferrari.
In 2008, the Chief of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group demanded that Revillame return a “hot” Ferrari or pay the proper taxes. The vehicle had a fake certificate of payment, was registered in Cebu but carried Manila license plates. Revillame claimed it was just for test-drive, even when surveillance showed him using the car for one month.

5. Get away with disrespecting beloved Cory Aquino.
On August 3, 2009, Revillame spoke out against the insertion of a live broadcast on the transfer of the late President Cory Aquino’s remains to the Manila Cathedral. He carped that Wowowee could not make people happy while the entire country was mourning. On August 10, he went on an indefinite leave.

6. Demand that a colleague be fired or else…
In 2010, Revillame threatened to resign if ABS-CBN did not fire Buzz co-host Sucaldito for criticizing him. He said, “Nananawagan po ako sa management... Wag niyo naman hong payagan na tinitira ‘yung show natin. Ang laki ng kita ng ‘Wowowee’... Mamimili na kayo. ‘Pag hindi ninyo ‘yan tinanggal ako ang magre-resign.”

7. Break your contract.
In August 2010, Revillame announced that he was ending his contract that expires in September 2011. He accused ABS of violating several provisions. Management decided to replace Wowowee and offered him a one-hour weekly show instead.

8. Junk bffs on air.
When Randy and John signed up for a new noontime show in ABS while he was negotiating to have them join him in TV5, Revillame angrily broadcasted, “Magsulian na tayo ng kandila…kung diyan kayo masaya sa taong nanakit sa’kin… diyan na kayo.”

9. Flaunt your wealth.
The P90M Ayala Heights house formerly owned by Gabby Lopez, the Tagaytay property of Chito Madrigal, where he will build his house plus high-end boutique hotel with a heliport, a Lamborghini, a Ferrari, a P50M yacht, the ten-storey mall with two theaters are just some of his assets.

10. Flex your muscle at every opportunity.
Get paid handsomely to endorse a Presidential aspirant, cut a platinum CD, generate record-breaking showbiz-magazine sales, hobnob with titans. Revillame is undoubtedly the biggest monster hit in town. Born to a 15 yr-old waitress and supposedly a-once-upon-a-time-naked pub dancer, he has come a very long way. Cocky and unfazed by the latest ruckus, he said, “Every time I do something a bit naughty, the ratings go up.” Unfortunately, he has been proven right many times.

Picture of Willie and Janjan from iprovoked.wordpress.com
Portrait of Willie from kapamilyaonesite.blogspot.com;
Last pic of Willie from mang1pinoy.wordpress.com

Anda, Azary, berhenti mengikuti dia!

Puto-sikwate makes my day

I bowed down to my officemates when they insisted I should try the puto and sikwate near the Basilica of Santo Niño. The office is freezing cold I have to go out. Snacking on puto maya, sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and ginger, with its everlasting drink accompaniment sikwate (local version of hot chocolate) is a great respite.

Well, their version of puto is not the best nor the worst. The really hot sikwate is not like my Grandma's but could pass for a great merienda. 

Although unknown to me, but it seems that nook has regular patrons as evidenced by the slowly forming queue outside. However, one annoying habit most carenderias around the country is the use of cracked china. This one is not an exception.

If you want to try their puto maya and sikwate, go inside to that street near the Basilica where Chowking is and ask where you could find the puto. I believe they are known there. No signage is visible around.

Hot choco on a cracked cup. 

Bigby's: A pleasant surprise

If it was opened tonight, I would have another dinner at Spice Fusion in SM City Cebu, my fourth in a month's time and probably I would still be mumbling about their service. I am so glad they were closed for their Christmas party.

Actually, I was quite surprised because the girls (Glocel and Leslie) promised to close the restaurant and have it all to ourselves whenever they get their separation pay. I thought this was the night.

So the girls decided to go up the second floor and try Bigby's Cafe and Restaurant. I would not have recommended Bigby's if I was asked, but the girls were already seated when I arrived. I was able to avail Bigby's lunch buffet sometime last year in Ayala Center Cebu but was not amazed with their food. They were all plain and very commercially done. Maybe because it was a buffet for only 250 pesos per pax.

But when our ordered food arrived I was quite impressed. The Boomerang Shrimp with garlic dip and pilaf rice was delicious to say the least. The shrimp was grilled just right, crisp to the bite and spicy from the Cajun style grilling. It goes well with the pilaf rice. Gilda and I ordered the same dish.

Boomerang Shrimp. Cajun-spiced grilled shrimp skewers with rice pilaf and garlic dip.*

Leslie ordered Chix Ahoy, a sizzling boneless chicken with garlic flavors. Looked yummy too but was already too full to try. I am planning to order it next time.

Chix Ahoy. It sizzles and its hot! This boneless chicken dish unravels a distinct garlicky flavor that will keep you coming back for more.*

Glocel has her Pasta Daviola and was tempted to taste it despite the Hungarian sausage. If not of those, I would love to devour the whole plate because of its spiciness.

Pasta Daviola. Hungarian sausage, shrimps and chili flavors this garlic-and-oil pasta dish.*

The Basket of Chips we ordered was almost untouched because it came with our meals even if we requested that it be served first. Anyway, the chips were interesting. Aside from the colors of yellow, orange and brown chips, a coat of salsa fresca made it more palatable.

Basket of Chips. A basket of nachos served with your choice of garlic dip or salsa fresca.*

We downed our food with green mango shakes and a can of Coke Zero.

I am still patting my stomach until now.

(*Description of all the dish pictured above was taken from Bigby's website.)

My Sarisari Store: a photoblog not for the fainthearted

We are all captives of the picture in our head - our belief that the world we have experienced is the world that really exists. ~Walter Lippmann, Pulitzer prize winner

Let me say I am living in a world of fantasy. A world where everything is smooth, beautiful and without a hint of flaw. And that is the usual problem with graphic designers. We tend to correct the flaws to make everything Belo-like, beautiful and flawless. Sometimes exaggerating them to make them worthy to be called an eye-candy. Because our clients and audience alike wanted to project an ideal world.

This fact is evident when you scan the pictures posted in most of social networking sites where you are a member of. You see various photographers selling their products of nearly naked men and women with flawless skins, or food pictures all in perfect shape and tones, or landscapes from netherworld you wonder if they were really from that place or not. You always ask if they were real or photoshopped.

We love to see perfection.

But it is also a fact that the world out there is not perfect, full of flaws and sometimes uglier than reality so much so we choose to ignore them. Rare are some photographers who could see the beauty in this ugliness.

I am referring to a photo blog about the real Philippines by a Belgian named Sidney Snoeck. Sid, as I fondly call him, is a photographer living in the Philippines since 2002. I met him in the cyberworld when I was just starting to make my blog, this blog. I haven't met him personally but looking through his works is like knowing him personally.

Of late, My Sari Sari Store, Sidney's photo blog disturbs me because of the exorcism subject. His pictures were artistically done in black and white and I believed they were not doctored nor photoshopped. The pictures give me goosebumps and made me cringed in fear. There is that inner fear, a gut level instinct to cower within me that Sidney has perfectly created. I congratulated him for that.

His recent photoblog on the unfortunate lives of chicks (young chickens) being sprayed with multi-colored dyes brings anger in my eyes. I am not a member of any humane society. I am not also a vegetarian. But seeing what these people do with those ill-fated chicks pains me.

So I told Sidney about my feelings towards these postings and got an answer. With apologies to Sidney, I would like to quote the whole message he sent me so you too will understand why he chose to feature the darker side of the Philippines. Read on-

Hi Edik,

No problem about voicing your feelings about my pictures. You are not the first one... and you will not be the last one. Many people reproach me that I am showing the not so nice side of the Philippines...that I am a bit focused on the dark side of life... that I should show the beautiful beaches and landscapes instead.

I can understand this... but I think there are already many bloggers/people/photographers doing this in a much better way than I can do. And yes, I can see beauty in ugliness (if this make sense to you).

Honestly I like the Philippines... and I love it here. But don't ask me to take pictures of old churches, beaches and food. I think in the end my pictures show my love for this country... I never condemn... I am always very kind with my subjects...

When I saw my first colored chick... I could have just ignored it ... but I said...wait a minute... what do we have here... how do they do this? why do they do this? ... and then it becomes a story...

I met the exorcist in Quiapo during the Black Nazarene... I could not believe my eyes... and then I befriended the guy... trying to understand his life... and I decided he was worth a photo series. I agree this is disturbing... but this happens everyday... so why not document it?

Every day in Blumentritt (Manila)... thousands of those chicks are colored... I am just surprised that I am the first person to really document this....

I guess I have a very open mind... I never really judge anybody... I am interested in people and how they live.

Recently I was in a taxi... the guy telling me he was driving in 12 hours shifts... not earning enough money to feed his family. He got a lot of interesting stories... and I said to myself ... gosh this guy has an interesting life... I would love to make a photo series about him.

Edik, the chicken story is just a joke when I compare it with the stories I need to tell about the people living from the garbage... collecting the chicken bones from Jollibee... eating all those remains from fast food restaurants. The story of those rugby boys... the people of Ulingan... That is REALLY a disturbing issue. (not that I don't care for those poor chicks).

I am not someone who will run away from a difficult subject. If it is happening all around us... I think it is worth to document it. All those anonymous people have a story to tell... they are worth it.

But I am also prepared to showcase the life of an artist, a sportsman or a politician. As long as they have a story to tell.

I have tons of stories to tell... half finished in my memory cards... waiting to be finished. Some stories take me months to finish... so it is not always easy to balance all the stories in the right sequence... It just happens the colored chicks story was finished and ready to go... while my coffee series is not yet finished...

Really... I am not a bad guy ! ;-)

Anyway... thanks again for voicing your concerns. I am trying to take your opinion into account. And I am happy to know that you still visit my blog. Thank you.

No hard feelings at all. Take care.
Sidney 

All pictures are grabbed from Sidney's photoblog.

HUWAG TULARAN

Is it about position? Your status in the echelonic mentality that is deeply rooted in our mentality and obviously affirmed by the lower strata? Is it about kaartehan? What's with us Filipinos?

This picture I received from the email today says who we are and what we are. No exemption.

A couple of days ago, an embarrasing scene was played on TV when a flip general was carried on someone else's shoulder so he wouldn't get wet when he stepped out of a banca. The American officer on the other hand waded on the water without any help. Can you see the symbolisms on why the Philippines have problems?

I think the Filipino General should be fired. How could he win the war against the Abu Sayaff? Eh, tubig lang takot na siya. Nakakahiya!! Lalong nakakahiya doon sa Kano na kasunod niya. BAGONG PEDICURE SIGURO ANG LOKO...

(That general is supposed to be Brig Gen Marciano Ilagan, whoever he is.)

Follow the link for a funnier version of this scene- Hay!Men, my idol!

The busy President

Thanks Hay!Men for this.