pinaygourmand's Passion for Thy Bounty
Friday, April 06, 2007 Of Lent And Vacation..and the Hanging Blog Entry

I totally forgot that I have a hanging post about lifestyle(diet) as I got busy with readings related to the matter. You see, my mom had this curiosity and she wants me to read numerous health books (from where she got those, I don't know...I already have lots of this kind). She expects me to later on discuss it with her and eventually design a diet for her. She sent me 4 books, that I have to read within 4 days this Holy Week. I told her why the urgency? She said, she had to give back the books to a friend within 4 days. So I cram and read, and able to finish the 4 books in 3 days, mind you the thickness of those books is not a joke! But yesterday, my mom (as impulsive and very spontaneous) decided to take an out of town trip and wouldn't be back until Tuesday next week....Well, that only means she will not return the books until she comes back home! Oh well, mother! Anyways! Suprisingly(to most but not to me), those books contradict each other with quite convincing explanations that I almost concede with some of its claims but it was good my memory still serves me right, they can't just convince me easily.

As to my friends who wanted to shift into a healthy diet, they are into one already but not the same programme that I have. It will take time before shifting (if they still want to) to my kind of diet will be easy. The Lenten season helped them stick to their chosen diets.

And vacation..many Filipinos have deserted Metro Manila for a quick one by now. Isn't it one of the stressful time of the year to take a trip out of town??? I just heard someone took a trip to Baguio in 12 hours! My family in Manila never took a trip out of town during the Holy Week, it is either before or after. The traffic stresses everybody, the summer heat just adds to the tension...

It doesn't mean I wouldn't be enjoying the summer heat before it ends.... I will be back to the private community shorelines of a town in Batangas soon, a quick trip to Baguio will be good too. Maybe time to go south too. Time, time, time to explore the local destinations. And a good diet pays off....appearing appropriately sexy in a swim suit no?

Lent, as to how I celebrate it.... I only look forward to Ressurection Sunday or commonly known as Easter Sunday. Not for its bunnies and eggs, but to me that is the day worth celebrating and most important.

Posted by pinaygourmand :: 1:28:00 PM :: 2 comments

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Tuesday, February 27, 2007 Foodies, Diets and Lent

Most of you don’t know that I actually took a pre-med course (unless you checked out my partial personal introduction post and my long time friend) and actually conducted some health and diet symposiums for public awareness or information when I’m still in college until few months after graduation. When I was active on this, groups of women and men (young or old) would always seek my advice on how will they trim down, how they get rid of the flabby areas, what’s the cure for this, what is this disease all about, and so on. I would always try to explain to them together with other speakers (doctors, fitness experts and living testimonies of the lifestyle) in full detail and in a layman’s language what they were curious about and most often requested topic for a symposium set up are: aging, dieting, and cancer.

They didn’t probably think that these 3 are co-related but what we do is conduct a symposium tackling all of these together. Usually it takes a whole day but it is a very interesting and fun at the same time that they actually take down notes and actively participates when it’s time for them to raise questions. It’s an eye opener and informative for them that at the end of the sessions some would approach and invite me to speak again for another group of people or their company seminars or thank me for accommodating them, some even became living proofs (embraced the lifestyle) of what I have imparted and had actually participated in earlier seminars. It was fulfilling, kinda overwhelming(positively), fun and interactive for me. At the end of the day, I must have been physically drained, stressed out with a short time table to work on to review and read files of books, journals, researches dating from around 1970s up to the very present. I usually rely on the most present information thru my subscription to science journals and web access to several researches. Science books become out of date really fast but basically still helpful. Just mentioning these now, makes me cringe! I was hard working then, I do my research everyday so usually my symposiums are different and more informative than previous ones. I wanted others to be INFORMED.

So that was back in 2002-2003. Lately, only friends are likely to ask me about health matters and though I haven’t been practicing scientific studies and the likes lately, I do get my rich feeding of sciences still. I love reading and sci-research.

Recently, friends asked about diets. Girl isn’t fat but she wants to be healthy. She’s conscious of her body but she couldn’t do regular exercise or she’s too lazy. The other one is a food addict, someone I call “walang kabusugan” and his diet is mostly of meat but his metabolism is slow and such is really dangerous! I hardly actually gave them detailed advice yet because I know it will be difficult for them and it is not easy for me to instruct them what to do. For now, I let them develop discipline gradually.

To my surprised yesterday, I got a mail from one of my attendees in one of the aging, diet and cancer symposium years ago. She said she couldn’t find her provided materials from the event and all she had was my contact details on her directory, she badly wants the materials again and she actually thought of inviting me for a "talk" to a small group. On her letter, she said she was able to go on and slipped to a healthy lifestyle few times though she didn’t follow the diet to a T. (I myself don’t follow it to a T) She said, she wants to give it again a try-adopting it more this time, since it’s Lenten season.

Hmmm, so timely! I actually have started my way of abstinence before Lent had begun and she gave me an idea. I will probably ask my friends if they will be willing to do religious abstinence (more motivation). I am a Christian but not a Catholic so we don’t have Ash Wednesday. And abstinence is done any day or period of the year for us, not necessarily just during Lenten season. But this season is a good time for the vast majority Catholics.

Watch out for my next post, I’ll introduce (not to fully discuss) you to the lifestyle…..and no I’m not persistently encouraging or persuading you to follow such. To each his own and I have a medically assisted healthy diet so it works well for me and it’s unlikely anyone will actually realize the benefits unless you have attended my symposiums years ago. Scary? No it’s not; it is actually simple and not legalistic. Remember I’m a foodie! Curious? Ever heard of Bragg or Bright? Stay tuned!

Posted by pinaygourmand :: 8:33:00 PM :: 1 comments

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Saturday, February 17, 2007 Kung Hei Fat Choi!

While most folks who celebrates Lunar New Year are all into the preparations and festivities of this holiday and while its been quite really noisy here in my neighborhood for the last 10 minutes or so, due to predominantly Filipino Chinese residents and some expats joining some of their neighbors in the feast, let me greet you!

Sun Nien Fai Lok ! Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Chuc Mung Nam Moi! to the Vietnamese

Sae hae boke mahn he pah du sae oh...to Koreans

Ah, greetings to all!!!

Posted by pinaygourmand :: 11:59:00 PM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, February 15, 2007 Election Fever

Last Friday night, I got a very good opportunity to hang out with a long time friend that I haven’t seen for quite some time. It was a great enjoyable time, engaging with conversations over matters that keep both of us busy nowadays and of course with quite some laughs in between. Oh, and with a sumptuous dinner and tea at the comforts of my home. Smooth as it seems to begin the night with, it turned a bit serious and sour as the conversation shifted into politics. Most recently over a formal dinner, AGAIN political issues made its way into a generally very pleasant and relax foodies’ conversation to my dismay.

I tried hard to elude the topic, even more if I am being asked with my personal views and worst when asked who I’ll be voting or rooting for. To such very persistent guest, who even mentioned about my father’s activities long, long time ago, it was too awkward and uncomfortable. Such things are done, and that were of my father’s agendas NOT mine or anyone in the immediate family nowadays. Endorsements, supports or even candidacies are out of the picture since a decade ago. I am in no way pro-campaigning voluntarily or not for any individual, party or whatsoever.

My views are mine alone and I do not wish to dictate nor influence one’s judgment to any individual identified in the local politics. Voting is suffrage- a privilege for all. Though with all the hullabaloos in local politics, I believe there should be respect in anyone’s judgment (right or wrong) whether from the elites, middle class or the masses. My personal views and factual knowledge over matters in the local politics are unnecessary. Go talk about it as long as you want but stop prodding me to engage and stir issues or give affirmative and negative responses to feed your curiosity-or should I say, you being very “tsismoso” as if you’d gain anything from any information. It is so inane, totally jejune….so I keep mum. Period.

I stand apolitical. Whoever sits in the government, I abide by the law and respect those in authority-as expected from any Filipino citizen. Respect doesn’t coincide with having mutual taste over certain matters. Though my beliefs and concerns may not concur with the authorities, that will not mean I will add to the clamor but I will certainly be firm with my convictions.

I have only one thing to say: generally politics isn’t dirty; what makes it complicated and squalid or nasty are some people who are in politics. Don’t you agree?


Posted by pinaygourmand :: 12:37:00 AM :: 0 comments

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Sunday, February 11, 2007 Off I Go...

For the meantime, I’m off from posting food. Inadequate time and have more other things in priority, sorry. I do get your mails though, and will keep on responding.

Posted by pinaygourmand :: 1:57:00 AM :: 0 comments

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Friday, January 19, 2007 Brief Update

Yikes! Oh yikes!!! It has been a while and I’ve been almost a month gone to a blog holiday! I am doing absolutely fine since the entire craze during the holidays, after a slight vehicular accident on the way out of town on New Year’s Day and a little busy-ness until after the Epiphany. Holiday season at my household is lengthy than others perhaps! I also have some other things to immediately attend to. For those who sent mails, thank you so much for the concern and nothing to worry about.

The earthquake in Taiwan is also slightly to blame and caused me to have a hard time logging in here. Blogger’s service is so hard to use and the internet provider has a terrible service as well. I have a list of things to post but most are untimely. I am trying to post on a track; I also have a series of blog entries that I haven’t even finished yet just like the organic produces from the home garden! Geez!

I’ve been checking out my personal recipe boxes, my mom’s collection of tried and tested recipes when time permits and I realized that we both don’t keep an accurate amount of ingredients in most recipes(sans baking). I’ve been trying to rewrite some of it with a definite ingredient’s amount specification. A lot of kitchen work nowadays! Truth is, my family and family friends had been trying to persuade me to take the business my mom had left almost 2 years ago. I am in a state that I am having second thoughts and evaluating everything before jumping into it. But since I’m embracing kitchen testing during spare time, I will most probably have again least time to blog. But fret not, I will post as long as I have time. For those who have queries, request for recipes, tips and the likes….keep it coming! I will answer your mail/s right away. DON’T HESITATE!

Oh, by the way I've visited MV Doulos since its first opening day. I have some cookbooks/baking books that I got for a bargain price. Like a book by a celebrity chef that you'll most likely get at Php 1,500 and I bought it at.....Php 300!!! A British published cookbook that is nowhere to be found locally that is only Php 500 and most likely about $25-30 in the US! There were other books at Php 700 that are if nowhere to be found in Manila, are most likely priced at least Php 3,000 for its kind! There were more, but you have to know which is a definite bargain so you get a very good deal. I had to really browse the shelves to find those books which are in fact the last pieces of its kind. I've been there again last Monday and they still have a good array of cookbooks but not as diversified as the first day, I am told they will replenish the shelves, so if you have time check it out:

MV Doulos is at the South Harbor Near Manila Hotel Gate 1 Pier 13. It's near the Superferry terminal(Pier 15) and just almost beside the Manila Floating Hotel & Restaurant (MFHRI).

It is hard to miss! That's it for now.

Posted by pinaygourmand :: 1:16:00 AM :: 6 comments

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