DAY 6: MY FILIPINO FOOD CHALLENGE

This is already my sixth Filipino food in my blog. It is best to have all these must try Filipino food. The foods I have in my list in any case you are planning to have one in your bucket list when travelling around the Philippines.

Of course this is always the all time favorite when visiting areas in the Southern part of the Philippines.

They are rather known in their spicy food cooked in coconut milk. It is guaranteed that this is definitely a must try.

Bicol Region and most part in thr Visayas Region are rather known in foods cooked in milk coconut as their main ingredients. I am definitely inlove with how they cook almost everything in coconut milk. Something I cannot replicate myself.

DAY 5: MY ALL TIME FILIPINO FOOD

...and so the craving continues. Nothing really beats good food.

While in other continents like Europe and America, street restaurant or what we locally say carinderia is very rampant here in the Philippines, most of the times these carinderia's offer the best or Filipino home meals.

Ninety percent of where I eat is I eat at these carinderia's who matches my standards in cleanliness and good food.

These is where I get those ideas of Filipino foods and the fusion of foods from different regions in the country.

These is also a place where I could taste the best foods from the ethnic origin these people where they came from.

As you may have noticed most of the foods I feature here are from the Bicol region. A Region where they originated.

My next stop is the famous LAING (pronounced at as LA-ING). I really cant get over these food. A sun dried taro leaves delicately cooked with chili and coconut milk.

If laing was cooked exactly the way it should be cooked, I garuantee you'd definitely love it.

DAY 4: ALL TIME FILIPINO FOOD

My next featured Filipino food would be ADOBO. I swear, every Filipino would know what adobo is... and everyone has their own way of cooking it. I guess this is the only Filipino viand that has its own recipe per household and it is known by many.

There would always be adobo in someone elses house at least on a monthly basis if I can say that. I mean this is the food that you can basically ask every Filipino and they'll definitely answer you back. Ask them about the ingredients and how to of the food almost everyone can give you an answer. They may have thier own version of it and its still adobo.

The basics of Adobo is actually just the meat, seasoning and spices and  soy sauce. As I said earlier everyone has thier own version some add pineapple some dont.

The Sound of Silence

I was browsing songs in Youtube and I accidentally came across the rendition of these beautiful song.

I was at awe and decided to share with you the beauty of these song. I believe that at these very moment this is how I feel.

Here's the lyrics for everyone to enjoy.

"The Sound Of Silence"

Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
‘Neath the halo of a streetlamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
No one dare
Disturb the sound of silence

“Fools” said I, “You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you”
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said “The words of the prophets
Are written on subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence”

DAY 3: ALL TIME FILIPINO FOOD

June is Independence Day Month for the Philippines so my All Time Filipino Food challenge continues.

I got the chance of having friends in different ethnic group here in the Philippines and I had the chance of knowing the food they love.

In Bicol Region they are known with thier powerful Bicol Express. However my friend had made a little twist and replacing the meat to eggplant (talong).

Man the taste is fantastic. Its hot because of the chili but the talong or eggplant gives a different kick...

My search for the next food continues.

Charlton Wins Third Place in Short Story Writing Contest

When I was given access to corporate email during the time when I was having a product training in the new company I recently joined, I saw that the LGBTP is running a short story contest about financial litteracy. The problem here is that the audience are children from elementary to highschool. As they are going to use the winning articles to promote financial literacy to kids in general.

My struggle is I have to put across the message about financial literacy to a very young age. An age where all they knew is to play.

I agree in the idea of teaching financial literacy to a very young age. That is where education on financial litteracy should start. To let the children understand how to manage their money. To coin words and ideas to bring forth the idea and for them to learn from reading.

I would need to write something interesting as well something that they can relate. Writing such story for children need to be an idea they can relate to, something they can understand.

And so, when I started coining those ideas believe me its difficult but it is all worth the try.

I also urge you to start creating scenarios and start working with your kids the importance of saving and the importance of money in their life. Money is not the root of all evil, it is a medium for you to live a comfortable life and to do this we need to educate our children the importance of it and how it is used as early as their toddler days.

Share me your story and lets publish it here. Of course you will be acknowledge as the author of your own masterpiece.

OKOY for you and for me: My Filipino Food for the Day

I am sure majority of the Filipinos would know what Okoy (I am unsure of the spelling) is. These are little fishes that is covered with flour, egg, spices and seasoning.

These are usually served in streetfoods or being served on lunch and or dinner time. Filipinos love frying and dipping it to something usually made up of vinegar and loads of spices in it.

This is not a familiar food for people in the uplands though like the Cordillera region. I had a tasteful experience when I started working here in Metro Manila.

The best Okoy actually comes with the best dip in it. The better the dip(sawsawan) the more you'd appreciate these special delicacy.

Aling Marias Garden Resort

Looking for a place you could rent to have some fun? Well I guess there's one good place I could recommend.

My teammates at work had some great time at Aling Marias Garden Resort with so many various reason.

1. The Place - though the place is quite small it is perfect for a swimming party and videoke party as they offer videoke and a swimming pool and a jacussi where you could gather up and chat while you sip that wine or brandy. Since the place is small for a resort it is easier for them to maintain cleanliness and neatness of the place. So I can gaurantee they passed the criteria for cleanliness...

2. The Pool - well I had a good time swimming on their pool. I just cant resist it put I spent the best time swimming. Not too shallow but not so deep.

3. The Rooms - they only have 2 little cute corner rooms. Its just good for 2 person per room. The rooms are definitely clean. Airconditioning unit is OK, and definitely privacy is superb.

4. The Staff - I must say theu are very accomodating to our needs

My Filipino Food Choice for today

As a Filipino, I have in me the love for indulging in sumptous food. Anywhere you go you'd definitely see food. From the streets to the wet markets there will always be food that is being sold in a considerably cheap price.

One of my favorite is the sprouted monggo wrapped and fried.

The secret for this is actually the sauce or the vinegar dip that is used. The vinegar dip makes this food exciting and delicious. The dip is the life of this food. That makes the store owner that I regularly visit a winner because they know how to make the dip trully special making this food trully special.

Its Fayentastic Day

Team building activity is allowed by companies to spend a few hundreds per employee per team to engage its employees in a team for them to rediscover their true essence and existence in a team and definitely to understand each other in the context of each beliefs and existence. Each individuals attitude and preference so that they can find their niche together to function better as one.

Team building is not built for fun. Its is built to bring forth harmony and rediscovering each others potential to be as one in achieving the companies goal and to bring time to its employees to bond while in the process of having fun and doing things together.

Team building is a serries of activity to let its employees realize that only by working as a team that the goal and service are delivered and rendered above and beyond. It is the time to bring the smiles back to its employees to have that one thing called "me time". Team building is working outside each others cubicles, emails, phones and excel sheet to not only have fun but to rediscover each others delightful side of personality, accepting and complementing each others weaknesses.

Over the weekend, that team where I belong only did I achieve my much awaited time to simply just sit down and let those anxiety and worry be carried away by the water and understanding the culture within the team where I belong. It is totally a FAYENTASTIC Day for me.

The team who inspires me to perform and be at par to the achievements that they have. The team that despite its diversified attitude, they all can worl together and be a rockstar.

As I dont have a camera thanks Team for these pictures that I will treasure in my journey and my road to my forever career wise.

My first Dress Up Your Doll

Last month I was definitely intrigue with the ongoing contest at work which you would actually need to create your own design and dress up your doll in a Filipiniana gown (the Official National Dress of the Philippines)

I really wanted to join for various reason. On top of which is to test my design skills if I got what it takes to be a designer. (Hahaha another wishful dream of mine) since I am so hesitant I did not pursue but of course with the kind of attitude I have I of course need to try it at least at home.

And so I did. I saw some dolls being sold at the streets while I am on my home, I bought two cheap dolls, Barbie and Queen Elsa of Frozen.

When I started creating my own Filipiniana inspired dress for Barbie and Elsa, I must admit I am blown away! I just can't make my thoughts into reality.

The dress that I will be making will always have a touch of the handwoven cloth of Igorot costumes.

After few weeks of trying and sewing and cutting. Here's my first attempt of my own Dress up my doll challenge!

I am sure there will be more of these in the coming days... And the theme will always be Filipiniana...

By the way, the materials I used are all junk from a dress shop nearby my house. This is my way of at least helping the environment by recycling the waste from the dress shop and create a dress for the dolls. I am planning to give away this dolls to street children in December.