Ever since I can remember, Sunday has been a day when we play the good ol’ songs. And when I say old, I mean, as far back as the 1940s. But this particular song by Connie Francis was something I don’t want to be singing in my head when I walk down that aisle. That is, if I ever will… I’m not sure if I’m through with singlehood yet… but then again… that’s not up to me…
Each time I come across an article or documentary about child labor in Negros, I always remember the stories my parents told me.
Yes, my parents once worked in a sugar plantation in Capiz or campo back in the 1950s. They take out the weeds and do all the hard labor and get paid with a measly P1.50. Seriously.
In 2009, it has changed; the children of Negros now gets paid P40.00 per day. Seriously???!!! My heart bleeds for these children. Not only are their physical growth stunted due to hard labor, even their mental growth are stunted because they cannot afford to go to school. Going to school everyday will mean less P40.00 for the family. And so they go to school twice or thrice a week… or for some, not all.
I hope that people in government will find it in their (greedy) hearts to help these children. That every time they travel abroad with a hoard of entourage, they will think of these hungry and hard-up children, not only in Negros but all the children doing hard labor; just so they can eat… at least twice a day.
P.S.
I am proud of what my parents went through. My Mom knows how to handle money and the small business that sent us to good schools. My Dad is a jack-of-all-trades who knows carpentry, automotive painting, analog photo printing and what-have-you. We were blessed to have parents who fought tooth and nail to provide us with good education. And even more blessed to have the chance to give back a bit of life’s little comfort to them.
The fire that hit the Campos Rueda Building in Makati last June 18 left my favorite resto, Chiggy’s in ashes… huhuhu…. so sad! The best liempo I ever had is soooooooo gone… oh well! They still have their other branches but it’s just too far…
the charred remains of Chiggy's Makati
After eight months of abandoning my blog, I finally feel like writing again. The interest to write again was fueled by what I’ve been seeing like a trend among men… which is just soooooooo wrong.
Don’t think for one second that always letting a girl go first is a gentleman thing to do. First off, when alighting a vehicle, men should go first. The logic? Because you will make alalay when she alights the jeep, bus, fx or train… at the risk that the vehicle might move forward and she hasn’t gone down yet. I even heard one time a man saying to the girl sweetly, “C’mon, Hon, baba na tayo” … and with all the chivalry he could muster, he let the girl go first. Boink!
When riding up the escalator or walking up a flight of stairs, it is right to let the woman go first (not so you can make boso when she’s wearing a mini skirt). But when it’s going down, men should go ahead first. Logic? So you can catch her in case she falls.
And girls, please! Stop letting your man carry your girly bag for you. Are you an invalid that you cannot carry your own bag? Well, you lug it around when you’re with girl friends… I’m sure you can lug it around with your boyfriend around. Personally, I would let my bf carry my bag if it’s very heavy and I am using a backpack or a mailman’s bag. Otherwise, I’ll carry it. Do you seriously want your bf/hubby to look stupid for carrying your kikay fuchsia or red hot bag for you? Yes, there are men who insist that they carry it for you because they think it’s chivalry to do so, but really, you can always refuse and say, “It’s ok… just hold my hand”.
My brother recommended a place called Chiggy’s. It’s located somewhere in the Makati Medical Center vicinity; alongside other cheap restos in the area (heard they have branches in MOA and Quezon City too).
So my good friend and I headed out to Chiggy’s to try out the jumbo liempo that my brother is raving about.
And he is so right! This has got to be the best liempo ever! It’s HUGE, tender and sobrang malasa talaga! Heaven in a piece of meat indeed!
They must have pressure cooked it first before grilling it, that’s why it’s so tender… you don’t even need a knife to slice through the meat; your spoon and fork will already do.
Just don’t expect too much when you get there. The suki of this resto include call center people who have their gimmicks and inuman in broad daylight. And what a misfortune for us because there were rowdy and boisterous call center agents there… with invectives injected in every sentence they speak. Este hindi pala speak. SIGAW. Aakalain mong dalawang kanto ang layo nila sa isa’t isa kaya kailangan nila magsigawan.
So, if you want a stress-free lunch at Chiggy’s, here’s a tip: Pag pasok niyo pa lang, magmasid na. Pag may naghihiyawang ingliserong ewan dun, just order something for take away and have your lunch in the comforts of your pantry. Wag na kayong mangahas na kumain pa dun. Other than this, you’ll surely keep coming back for their huge and tender jumbo liempo.
Commuting everyday to work allows me to experience things that people bringing their own cars do not have the privilege… I get to experience the kindness of strangers when they let you have their seat in a crowded train or the simple act of giving your fare to the driver when you’re too far to reach and give the fare yourself.
And then there are some who can irritate you because of their sheer lack of etiquette, whether in queues or inside the public transpo. So here’s some that I learned, observed and wanted to share.
1. Queue and don’t overtake.
Translation: wag makipagunahan at sumingit! Kaya nga may pila eh.
In queues, there’s neither rich nor poor. We’re equals regardless of how high your salary is or how crisp your polo is. Wag maginarte. Wag makipagunahan sa front seat kung hindi naman ikaw ang nasa unahan ng pila. There are sooooooooo many people who think that they can get away with this. Uunahan ka sa pila dahil gusto nila sa front seat. It happened to me a number of times and I don’t let them get away with it; not because I’m being a b*tch but to let them know that this is precisely the essence of queuing. Keep in mind that the people ahead of you have the option on where they want to sit. If you’re the last, then that leaves you with no choice but the last available seat. That’s just the way it is.
2. Occupy only the space that’s available to you.
Translation: wag ipagsiksikan ang sarili sa kakarampot na espasyo… lalo kung di ka naman kapayatan.
This usually happens when the last passenger boards the vehicle. Imagine this scenario. Just one more passenger and then you’ll leave the terminal already. So there you are, sitting quite comfortably. Then here comes the last passenger, he/she will sit with the butt almost up your face in the hopes of letting the balakang get as much space as it can tapos gigitgitin ka para umurong ka, when there’s no more space to move.
You have the option anyway to wait for the next ride but since you opted to take this ride and you’re the last passenger, just take the available space and bear with it. Wag mong ipagsiksikan ang sarili mo lalo na kung alam mong di ka na kasya. Don’t belittle yourself. What I mean is, wag mong isipin na isa ka lang tinga na pwedeng sumingit sa ngipin. Tao ka… tao!
3. Adjust your ringtone so that it doesn’t holler inside the vehicle.
Translation: wag papansin. Nahihinaan ang ringtone. Wag pasikat na polyphonic ang phone mo…. Marami na’ng may ganyan.
There are those who let the whole darn song end before they answer the text or call (pretending they didn’t hear it) just so you’ll know what their ringtone is. Aysus! Juvenile and jologs at best!
Then there are those who holler themselves while talking on their phones. Naman! Di tayo close para malaman ko pa ang juicy details ng buhay mo. Wag mong isipin isa kang megaphone… once more… tao ka… tao (kang nakakairita)… hehehe…
4. If you’re listening to your music player, adjust the volume so that the person beside you is not listening to the vehicle’s radio and to the music screaming out of your earphones simultaneously.
Translation: durugin mo man ang eardrums mo, wala akong pakialam pero wag mong pasakitin ang ulo ko dahil hindi nakakatuwang makinig sa dalawang magkaibang tugtog ng sabay!
These are the new breed of co-passengers that’s getting my goat lately. Parang ano ba??? Kelangan ba talagang ganon kalakas ang tugtog ng iPod mo? So loud that it’s actually blasting out of your earphones???!! 
Not good for your ear… and not good for my heart! Nakaka-stress kayo! And when my patience finally runs out… hindi magiging maganda sa kalusugan mo ang mangyayari. hehehe
5. Sit properly. Don’t cross your arms nor sit with your elbows poking your seatmate’s side. Instead, sit with your arms extended on your lap.
Translation: umupo ka ng maayos nang hindi kabwisitan ng katabi mo.
I’m not sure if you notice it but crossing your arms, squares your shoulders thus making you occupy more space than you normally do. Sumisikip lalo.
And these people who sit with their elbows folded at their sides will really irritate you because every time the driver hits the brakes, their elbow will surely poke your side and it’s really uncomfortable (painful especially on sudden brakes). Gusto ko magka dimples… pero hindi sa tagiliran ko, ok?
6. Guys, don’t spread your legs far and wide (it’s smaller than you think it is). You and junior can be comfortable without taking other’s space.
Translation: Kelangan ba talagang naka-180° ang hita mo?
Spreading your legs unnecessarily occupies the space of another passenger, who paid the fare just like you did and yet you sit as though you own the vehicle. Unless of course you paid twice the fare, then occupy twice the space as you like.
7. Girls, if you’re wearing a skirt (knee-length or shorter), don’t put your bag across your lap; place it horizontally instead. Just so you won’t give the person sitting right across a splitting headache or stiff neck.
Translation: wag mong bigyan ng kasalanan yung lalake sa harap mo… wag mo din bigyan ng stiff neck yung babaeng kaharap mo (kakaiwas ng tingin kasi medyo….. ewwwwwwwww).
Most office girls wear skirts that reach their knees or slightly above their knees. And when they sit, the skirt hikes up a bit. Please, use your bags to cover your assets. Unless you don’t mind showing the color and design of your undies to the person in front of you, then stay comfy with how you sit. It’s your call. Naku Lord! Wag Nyo naman na ipahintulot na mangyari ulet sa’ken yun… medyo… masakit sa mata, sa ulo at sa sikmura. hehehe
It’s almost a month since my last entry and not that there’s nothing to write; there’s actually a lot. Just that my thoughts have gone into different directions and i can’t get them into one place long enough so I can write something decent.
I celebrated my birthday this month… on the first and most boring day of the week — Sunday! Of all days! I don’t know but this birthday just came and went on just like any ordinary day, which by the way, I’m grateful for because I reached an age in a single girl’s life that you just want to stop remembering how old you really are. And maybe if I don’t really celebrate it, it will just pass by without reminding me that I have lived for a score and a half and a year or so.
Now, don’t get the idea that I’m a lonely old hag. I am happy (most of the time) with my good ol’ single life (or the lack of it.. hahaha). It’s just that the society we live in, seems to see singlehood as a curse, a sad state to be in, and much a worse, a disease to be avoided at all cost. Like you cannot be happy and single at the same time. They give you this sad look saying, “Oh poor girl! She’s halfway through life and there’s no man beside her.” … or a look that says, “OMG! Your biological clock is ticking… you should really start doing something.” Like what? Go on panic mode, hit the street and start tapping men on their shoulders and tell them, “I’m single… interested?” Sorry, I ain’t desperate.
Singlehood, just like the “highly-recommended” married life, has its share of blessings and curses. I have friends who envy me because I’m single and get to travel when I have the chance; I get to buy the stuff I like without thinking whether I need it or not. On the other hand, I also know some people who look down on single people just because they’re married. Like they’re better off than you because they have someone to grow old with… even if they are miserable. Thinking in a twisted way, “At least I’m married. Whereas you, you’re alone”. Like I cannot be alone and happy. Like I’m such a loser because I don’t have a walking testosterone beside me.
For one, you should not go into a relationship because you’re broken or incomplete. Yes, the Jerry Maguire movie romanticized the line “You complete me.” But for me, you should be whole when you go into a relationship. It should not take another being to complete you; because what happens if one goes? You’re broken all together? Who should put back the pieces? Another person again? Then that is going to be one vicious cycle.
Two whole beings sharing one relationship is what I think I’ll really be green envy with. I know a couple who can just sit in silence and it won’t be awkward but comfortable. They do not necessarily finish each other’s sentences but they can talk for hours about something so mundane (even silly) or something so profound and not notice that time just flew by, yet it didn’t matter because they’re together.
For me, it’s all a matter of perspective. You can whine all day about how unfair life is (even God) for letting you wind up in what people tag as the Sorry State. I say, take this chance to enjoy what you have right now, whether you’re single or married. “Single” and “married” are merely titles that we put on the life stage we are in. We only have two options:
Be miserable, whine, bi*tch about it and waste your time doing so 
We are treading on borrowed time here. Tomorrow isn’t even promised to any of us. And if we do live to see tomorrow, it’s a privilege; we must make the most out of it and not waste it on our own pity party.
The melamine scare that’s currently hitting China has spawned a global recall of products that are suspected to have been tainted by the deadly substance.
Anchor Lite Milk
Anchor Wam Froot Milk Drink Mango Magic
Anchor Wam Froot Milk Orange Chill
Anchor Wam Froot Milk Strawberry Spin
Anlene Milk
Anmum Materna
Anmum Materna Chocolate
Dutch Lady Pure Milk
Farmland Skimmed Milk
Green Food Yili Pure Milk
Jinwei Drink
Jolly Cow Pure Fresh Milk
Jolly Cow Slender Low Fat Milk
KLIM Instant Full Cream Milk Powder
M&M Chocolate Brown
Meiji Hokkaido Azuki (Red Bean Ice Cream)
Meiji Ujikintoki (Red Bean and Green Tea Frozen Confection)
Mengniu Original Drink Milk
Mengniu Pure Milk
Milk Chocolate Bar
Milk Chocolate Candies
Milk Boy (repacked)
Monmilk Breakfast Milk Walnut Milk Beverage
Monmilk High Calcium Low Fat Milk
Monmilk High Calcium Milk
Monmilk Milk Deluxe Pure Milk
Monmilk Pure Milk
Monmilk Suan Ru Sour Milk Beverage (mango flavor)
Natural Choice Milk Ice Bar
Nespray
Nestle Carnacion Calcium Plus non fat milk powder
Nestle Dairy Farm Pure Milk
Nestle Chocolate Flavor Ice Cream Cone
Nestle Vanilla Flavor Ice Cream Cone
Nutri Express Milk
Nutri Express 15 Nutritional Elements
Nutri Express Milk Green Apple
Prime Roast Cereals
Pura Fresh Milk
Snickers Brown
Strawberry Sorbet
Trappist Dairy Low Fat Yogurt Drink
Vita Fresh Milk
Wahaha Orange
Wahaha Yellow
Want Want Milk Drink
Yili High Calcium
Yili High Calcium Milk
Yili High Clacium Low Fat Milk Beverage
Yili Low Fat Milk
Yili Milk
Yili Pure Milk 250 ml
Yili Pure Milk 1 liter
Yinlu Milk Peanut
Mr. Brown 3-in-1 coffee
Nissin Cha Cha Dessert
cream buns, meat buns, and creamed corn crepes by Marudai Food Co.
White Rabbit Creamy Candy
Milk produced by Guangdong Yashili Group Co Ltd and Qingdao Suncare Nutritional Technology Co Ltd, among others
White Rabbit Creamy candy
dairy products from China
Me Sarang Custard biscuit
It was probably China’s intention to supply low cost food, toys and everyday stuff to the world that it sacrificed something important: QUALITY. There is nothing wrong with wanting to provide cheap stuff as it gives the market more choices but it is (almost) evil to produce something that you know is UNFIT for human consumption. First there was formaldehyde (or formaline) in some food and candies; if I’m not mistaken, White Rabbit was recalled because of the presence of this substance. Then recently, lead was discovered in the toys they manufacture. And now MELAMINE. Just what were these people thinking???!!
Inasmuch as our concerned government agencies want to expedite the testing of these China products for melamine, it will take them at least a week (if I heard it right from the news) because melamine is not part of the usual substance that they test in food. Because again, it should not be present there.
If China exports low-quality products, our beloved Philippines exports the best products we have. Big, ripe, sweet mangoes and other delicious fruits from provinces like Iloilo, Cebu and Davao are exported to the different parts of the globe. Filipinos DO NOTE get to taste these EXPORT QUALITY fruits; these fruits are carefully selected and set aside for the foreign market. Fruits that do not meet the export standards are the ones we get to eat. Mabuti pa ang ibang bansa; ang mga dayuhan at sila ang unang nakakatikim ng masasarap na produkto natin. This is may be brought about by our culture. Ayaw nating napapahiya tayo. That’s why we only export the best products. We have scandals like the ones involving the manufacturing of fish crackers, coconut juice, taho… Yes, we have our share of food scandals but we didn’t have scandals in global proportions as this one that 12 countries have already banned China-made products.
Here’s the updated list of banned China products. Please note that this just came from the email and the internet and we don’t know if this is verified information. The Bureau of Food and Drugs and the Department of Health refuses to issue the official list until they are able to run proper test on the products. And this will take longer than usual as melamine is not part of the usual substances that they test in food.
In the meantime, let’s be cautious and refrain from eating food made from China with milk as the main ingredient. Food like ice cream, cookies, biscuits, flavored milk drinks, yoghurt, candies… just to name a few.
Please feel free to post your comments if you have any updates. Be careful!
|
PRODUCT NAME |
ITEM CODE |
| Bairong Grape Cream Crackers | 116634 |
| Dove Hazelnut Almond & Raisin Chocolate | 61737 |
| Dove Hazelnut Chocolate | 61739 |
| Dove Milk Chocolate | 61740 |
| Dreyers Rocky Road Ice Cream | 14281 |
| Dreyers Strawberry Ice Cream | 165294 |
| Dreyers Toast Almond Ice Cream | 106487 |
| Dreyers Chocolate Cake Ice Cream | 153969 |
| Dreyers Cookies & Cream Ice Cream | 14283 |
| Dreyers Mint Chip Ice Cream | 106486 |
| Dreyers Vanilla Ice Cream | 14282 |
| Dutch Lady Sterilized Milk Lf Banana | 151226 / 739019 |
| Dutch Lady Sterilized Milk Lf Plain | 151227 / 739008 |
| Dutch Lady Sterilized Milk Lf Chocolate | 151228 / 739009 |
| Dutch Lady Sterilized Milk Lf Strawberry | 151229 / 739018 |
| Dutch Lady Sterilized Milk Lf Honeydew | 151230 / 166490 |
| First Choice Calcium Sesame Crackers | 102042 |
| First Choice Calcium Saltine Crackers | 102043 |
| First Choice Calcium Onion Crackers | 112010 |
| First Choice Calcium Seaweed Crackers | 112011 |
| Ginbis Party Animal Butter Biscuits | 136143 |
| Ginbis Party Animal Seaweed Biscuits | 136144 |
| Ginbis Party Animal Cnut | 136145 |
| Ginbis Animal Biscuit | 236531 |
| Koala Cocoa Biscuit | 136492 |
| Kraft Oreo Wafer Sticks | 18s – 103967 |
| Kraft Oreo Wafer Sticks | 5s – 123926 |
| Kraft Oreo Wafer Stick White Chocolate | 18s – 154881 |
| Kraft Oreo Wafer Stick White Choc | 5s – 154882 |
| Jolly Cow Milk | |
| Lotte Koala Cocoa Funpack | 56764 |
| M&M Chocolate Plain | 550108 / 550105 / 550098 |
| M&M Chocolate Peanut | 550107 / 550106 / 550099 |
| M&M Funsize Milk | 163864 |
| M&M Funsize Peanut | 163865 |
| Meiji Ujikintoki | 2978 455016 |
| Meiji Umakabo Chocolate | 455017 |
| Meiji Family Pack-Green Tea | 144101 |
| Meiji Chestnut & Redbean | 106129 |
| Mentos Bottle Yoghurt Promo Pk | 12526 |
| Mentos Bottle Yoghurt | 145161 |
| Monmilk Breakfast Milk Malt | 6s 135154 / 135156 |
| Monmilk Breakfast Milk Walnut | 6s 135155 / 135157 |
| Monmilk Chocolate Milk | 6s 135472 |
| Monmilk Coffee Milk | 6s 135473 |
| Monmilk Pure Milk | 6s – 143950 / 143947 / 154698 |
| Monmilk Hi Cal Milk | 6s – 143951 / 143948 |
| Monmilk Hi Cal Low Fat Milk | 6s – 143952 / 143949 / 154697 |
| Monmilk Milk Deluxe | 12s – 154696 |
| Nabisco In A Biskit Chicken | 153702 |
| Nestle Nes D/Stick Mini Vanilla | 105115 |
| Nestle Nes Distick Mini Choco | 105116 |
| Nestle Milk & Berry Stars Cereal | 153852 |
| No Frills Wafer Blueberry | 154712 |
| No Frills Wafer Chocolate | 154713 |
| No Frills Wafer Peanut | 154714 |
| Orion Fresh Pie | 240767 |
| Orion Tiramisu | 152948 |
| Pei Tian Cream Biscuit | 115554 |
| Rabbit Milk Sweet | 38055 |
| Silang Natural Oat Cracker | 142256 |
| Snickers Candies Funsize | 550103 |
| Snickers Peanut Chocolate | 550102 |
| Snickers Snacksize Bars Peanut | 5 163863 |
| Take One Baby Bites | 24s – 64602 |
| Take One Baby Bite Ck Vg | 116159 |
| Take One Baby Bite Carrot | 163319 |
| Vitasoy Q Soya Milk | 60408 |
| Vitasoy Chocolate Milk | 60409 |
| Vitasoy Melon Soya Milk | 235906 |
| Wall’s All Natural Mango | |
| Wall’s Mini Cornetto Ice Cream | |
| Wall’s Mini Poppers Ice Cream | |
| Wall’s Magnum Ice Cream | |
| Wall’s Moo Sandwich Ice Cream | |
| Want Want Milk Candy | 105504 |
| Wantwant Flavoured Milk | 021726 |
| White Rabbit chewy candy | |
| Yili Pure Milk | 1L – 155079 / 6s – 155082 |
| Yili Hi Cal Milk | 1L – 155080 / 6s – 155083 |
| Yili Hi Cal Lo Fat Milk | 1L 155081 / 6s 155084 |
| Youcan Unusual Multipack | 134136 |
| Youcan Strawberry Multipack | 134138 |
| Youcan Traditional Sesame Multipack | 134141 |
| Youcan Passion Multipack | 134140 |
| Youcan Masterbean Multipack | 134139 |
| Youcan Silk Sliced And Passion Strawberry | 134137 |
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