French Toast with a twist 27 July 2007
Posted by bornonacusp in Domesticity, Food trip.comments closed
The times I’ve had French Toast, it was usually with fruit jam. And even with its nice-sounding name, it always seemed to taste bland. That I’d rather have my eggs separately, in an omelette perhaps stuffed with mushrooms and cheese, and my milk in a cold glass.
Now I know how infinitely more exciting it is to treat French Toast not as the dish itself, but just like plain sliced bread with which to make a sandwich.
Make your toast. FrenchBeard’s tip is to soak the bread slices for a longer time in the egg-and-milk batter before frying them in a butter-lined skillet, making sure they’re brown and crunchy on the outside.
You can then experiment with your filling. If you’re into meat, you can maybe use salami or ham. But one truly delectable filling definitely has no meat: a mix of finely chopped tomatoes, onions, fresh coriander leaves, and green chillies (in which you go slow if you’re not used to it). It requires more than a bit of work. But definitely makes a fine start for your morning.
Onli in da Pilipins 27 July 2007
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“Only in the Philippines,” FrenchBeard kept saying in awe. Indeed, probably nowhere else in the world will you ever get to see this scene.
These men — 1,500 of them, dancing earnestly to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ — are inmates at the Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Cebu, in the heart of central Philippines.
The clip was posted in YouTube by byronfgarcia, consultant on security to the Cebu Governor. For good measure. So far, the video has earned nothing but delighted reviews among those who have seen it. I failed to catch it but, apparently, US and UK news programs have also recently featured this video. On YouTube, it has been viewed by over 1,700,000 people, generating almost 3,000 comments and voted as a favourite more than 10,000 times. It isn’t difficult to understand why.
The dance clip is entertaining; naturally, it will stand out even in an enormous file-sharing site which boasts having 100 million videos viewed every single day. But it is not only that the dance amuses. Somehow, I think, seeing prisoners mimicking MJ’s gyrating — down pat to the crotch-grabbing — evokes a sense in the viewer that underneath the orange “P” overalls is a fellow human being. Something that can be quite easily forgotten when criminal equals scum, and crime, only punishment.
The Cebu prison system, for its part, prides itself not for exacting punishment on its wards but on providing them with enough opportunities for rehabilitation. After watching this clip, and looking up the YouTube user who posted it, I found a piece by Garcia extolling the virtues of the Cebu Rehabilitation Center. There, he writes, the jail is viewed as a microcosm of “a sick society” that must be healed, its “decadent” culture only a reflection of that outside. Thus, Garcia says, the prison takes pains to give inmates another crack at a better life.
Very laudable, given how most jails in the Philippines can be hell on earth, offering hardly any hope of its residents being reformed.
Order in chaos 22 July 2007
Posted by bornonacusp in Dateline: Delhi, Muni-Muni.2 comments
higgums, the YouTube user who has uploaded this video to her/his account, simply calls it “India Driving.” But I’m told by FrenchBeard that the video is most likely set in Madras (now Chennai), the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu in south India.
The clip shows a typical flow of traffic in an intersection in Chennai. Watching it, you might think that any time soon, two cars will end up crashing or a motorbike is going to get hit or a pedestrian will be run over. (Or maybe sacred cattle, but this tape failed to catch any of them striding along.) But nothing like that happens. Everything flows and everything is well.
This clip is a favourite among Indians themselves, in fact among the top five most watched in YouTube here, according to a countdown by the Sunday Express. That, to me, is quite a clear indication that the sense of humour of people in this country is honestly self-deprecating. They are quick to laughter, even at their own foibles.
To newcomers or tourists — especially those used to living in cities where, on the roads, cars and people each have their own space — this traffic scene will most likely be harrowing.
Even I, who have previously lived in Manila where the streets are often also chaotic, am perpetually amazed at India’s vehicular/pedestrian traffic. Perhaps because of the sheer size of this sub-continent, the sheer volume of vehicles and people negotiating the streets every second, Indian traffic dwarfs that of the Philippines. The two will compare only in patterns, but never in magnitude. And things are not always as smooth as is shown in this clip. Sometimes, things go wrong too, and cars do crash.
I’m used to it but still not used to it.
I’ve actually seen similar stuff before settling here. In Cambodia, for example, I remember witnessing for the first time whole families on a motorbike, wearing no crash helmets, tiny infants cradled nonchalantly in their mother’s arms. I saw it a first time and couldn’t help but be alarmed. Unthinkable!, I kept telling fellow aliens in Phnom Pehn on my first day. But a week in the city and another couple of days in Siem Reap, home of the Angkor Wat temples, and it was all just a given, part of the landscape of a laid-back place where a motorbike and a good hammock are the staple with which one lives in peace.
That’s why when I first came in to live in Delhi and again began seeing entire families on motorbikes, zipping through every inch of space on the city streets, those scenes no longer gave me a shock.
And if anything, this video clip is proof that India thrives on its own system for most anything. It can be the traffic on the road, or the queue at the Foreign Registration Office at the Bureau of Immigration (which I have recently had to negotiate myself), or perhaps all the casualness of otherwise complex business transactions I blogged about not long ago.
To me, a stranger, there may not appear to be any system at all. I might exclaim exasperatedly, ‘This is so chaotic. Why isn’t there any system in place?’ And in turn I will be told patiently, ‘But this is the system.’ And then I will realise that, indeed, it is. If it works, then it just does, and there’s no need to ask how.
To be sure, there is always room for improving traffic management, and even Indians are asking for it. After a particularly horrifying incident of road rage in Delhi the other day, the papers here are replete with suggestions from citizens on how best to ease tensions on the road, better infrastructure and stricter enforcement of traffic rules among them. There is certainly use for those.
Mind that speed breaker! 16 July 2007
Posted by bornonacusp in Delhi life.add a comment
It will take me a while to get used to the English language here. Quite interesting, really, to be coming from a country where English means American English and then move to another place and have to use the Queen’s English. Many times, I have had to ask the other person to repeat what he had said, confused if he mispronounced or I misheard or, simply, did not understand. Have actually experienced similar D-uh moments in UK where I lived for a year. Happening again.
Here are some of my favourites.
Speed breaker – Hump. As in street humps meant to minimise accidents by breaking your car’s speed. Oh, right, speed breaker.
Photostat – Xerox. Or photocopy, though Filipinos most likely will use the brand name which has become generic.
Cellotape – Scotch tape. Again, Pinoys use the brand that has morphed into a generic name.
Bus shelter – Waiting shed. What else but that pet installation piece for the typical Filipino politician, somewhere to put his name on — big bold letters, naturally, occupying ninety-percent of the entire waiting shed. Er, bus shelter, I should say.
Where is my walis tambo when I need it? 16 July 2007
Posted by bornonacusp in Delhi life.add a comment
Two things I wish I had in Delhi:
1. Baguio’s walis tambo. Yes, the soft broom of tiger grass and woven handle, a trusty fixture for perhaps all Pinoy homes and with which Baguio city up north in the Philippines has claimed fame. The soft brooms here in Delhi are not really soft, its sweeper part not flowing like an A-line skirt, and instead is bunched up like thick hair in a ponytail. You have to stoop quite low to wield it properly and get to those tiny cookie crumbs littering your floor. Very bad for O.C.’s.
2. CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) and Shakey’s. I have another theory. This country’s cuisine is so rich, so diverse, that Indians hardly have the time or interest for other cuisines. If they do decide to sink their teeth into some foodie adventure, then they will most likely make the dishes themselves, and not dine out in some restaurant. And that’s why, here in Delhi for instance, you see only a sprinkling of non-Indian/foreign restaurants around.
Among them is this one Italian restaurant called ‘Flavours’ which is such a hit among Delhiites that it refuses to take reservations. One night recently, I eagerly awaited my dish — after we had waited in queue for over half an hour to get seats — pleased and quite sure I will have fun. But one bite, and it made me long for CPK and its delightful ravioli, filled inside with mushrooms, cheese, and herbs, topped with tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic. And also Shakey’s’ garlic-&-cheese pizza, its crust so thin and crispy in itself is a meal.
And two things I had in Manila and I wish I didn’t have in Delhi but I do:
1. Dirty politics. The news here is filled on most days with stories about politicians and their crooked ways. Constant bickering, selfish motives, corruption. Just like Manila.
(But at least Pinoys can say their members of Parliament do not make it a habit to engage in fisticuffs. Here, they can get very physical, the police have had to station themselves outside the Parliament building.)
2. Chaotic traffic. My grandmother will probably recite the rosary over and over if she’s on Delhi roads. No one here gives way. One needs to be a really tough driver to navigate these roads. Just like Manila.
But funny thing, there’s hardly any traffic police around, and traffic lights do their job. In Manila, traffic police swarm every corner, trying like crazy to untangle the knots of cars, buses, and pedestrians as they “manually override” the traffic lights. (That’s actually a term used by Manila’s traffic authorities.) But traffic lights or traffic police or whatever, Delhi or Manila, the roads in both cities are wild you will not know if you’re in one or the other.
Fight that exhaustion 13 July 2007
Posted by bornonacusp in Dateline: Delhi.comments closed
I like Delhi’s newspapers’ wellness features. Not that I’ve now become a complete health-freak whose body is squeaky clean with all things good and life-giving, but I like it that these health and wellness texts are so within my reach. At least I have a choice whether or not to heed those tips. Somehow, the sound of ‘Mind-Body-Spirit-&-You’ never fails to give me a serene feeling, like I can actually do more than be your average carnivorous coffee-guzzling fella.
Sharing with you something about feeling exhausted. Apparently, some habits that we think are good for us can actually make us more exhausted!
1. You sleep in on the weekends. This often backfires. You get up feeling groggy, which can last for hours — a phenomenon called sleep inertia. So how do you catch up on much-needed rest? Spread it out over the weekend. To avoid grogginess, sleep in 30 to 60 minutes later than you do on workdays, and take no more than a 45-minute nap. Not only will you feel sharp, you’ll also be much more likely to drift off at your normal time at night.
2. You eat a big breakfast. Why does the most important meal of the day cause a midmorning lull? You may be eating too much — or choosing the wrong foods. When you eat a meal with a lot of calories and fat, some of the blood that normally provides energy to the brain and muscles is diverted to the stomach to help with digestion. So go easy on that cream cheese.
3. You never snack between meals. It may seem like a smart weight-control technique, but if you go more than four hours without food, your blood sugar may drop, which drains your energy and leaves you cranky. Munching on a portion-controlled snack that’s a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fat can help stabilize your blood sugar, mood, and energy levels.
4. You rehydrate during and after workout. You’re forgetting one crucial step: drinking water before you exercise. To stay energized, drink 16 ounces of water or a noncaffeinated beverage spaced out over one to two hours before you exercise and another 6 to 8 ounces within 15 minutes of working out.
5. You extend your cardio, you skip the stretch. You’re missing an important chance to help your muscles recover. Stretching expedites recovery and improves circulation, making you feel more energetic and possibly reducing muscle soreness after your workout.
Waiting for Harry amidst killjoys 13 July 2007
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I’m an unabashed Harry Potter maniac. What’s there not to like? Tales of Good vs. Evil, adventure, friendship, responsibility, destiny. Impeccable, elegant English prose.
That’s why I truly, utterly, completely detest killjoys. Those who spoil the fun by squealing on what’s coming next.
Take this seventh and final book. All media are inundated by hype for the July 21 release of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.’ Right. Surely it can’t be avoided. It is, after all, a huge merchandise. But why do people choose to preempt everyone else’s reading experience by dropping hints here and there about how the series will end? I never read them; one look at the title and I get a clue that this will be just another spoiler. I hear that on the Web, hackers are desperately taking time to seek details of Harry’s latest adventure and then writing about them. In turn, what those hackers ‘discover’ and write about are passed on over and over.
As July 21 gets closer, more hype heats up, and even more spoilers come. Today’s Times of India carries a supplement (on movie #5 mostly) with a piece that says, “What to expect in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
But why on earth will I want to know what to expect from something I am just about to taste? It’s like postponing taking a bite of that chicken curry and asking, ‘Wait, but will this masala be too spicy?’ No one can describe it accurately for you.
I do not understand it at all. Why this uncontrollable urge to deliberately ruin a book (or movie, or play) for others, including your friends? Does it give a feeling of ‘I know something that you don’t'? There’s a kick there for many, I guess.
The only solution, then, will have to be to insulate yourself. When I get my copy on July 21, I may have to not read sms’s and email until I finish the book.
Taj Mahal makes it to new list of world’s wonders 8 July 2007
Posted by bornonacusp in Dateline: Delhi.add a comment
India’s campaign has paid off.
In a much-awaited ceremony held yesterday in Lisbon, the Taj Mahal was named among the new list of the world’s seven wonders, after what had appeared until recently to be a losing bid. The list is a result of a poll that organisers now say was participated in by around 100 million people worldwide who voted through the internet and by phone.
Until about a month ago, the Taj Mahal was not getting enough votes to push it up the final list, prompting a barrage of high-profile campaigns across India from media and other organisations.
The Taj Mahal — often called the ‘monument of love’ and perhaps one of the world’s most photographed monuments — joins the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu in Peru, Brazil’s Statue of Christ Redeemer, the Colosseum in Rome, Jordan’s Petra, and the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza in Mexico, in the new seven wonders list.
The original list of seven wonders that the world used to know was established more than 2,000 years ago by Greek scholars. That list included the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus of Rhodes, the ancient lighthouse outside Alexandria, and the great pyramid at Giza, now the only remaining survivor of the structures. Three other wonders had long vanished.
This new campaign, meanwhile, was initiated by the non-profit organisation, New7Wonders.
What does the recognition mean? While, for these countries, it is something to be happy about, I think the list is very limited, for one. The United Nations cultural arm Unesco has an entire list of hundreds of cultural and natural sites that are recognised as being part of humanity’s heritage. Is it really these seven that are the world’s greatest and most inspiring?
The implication for preservation worries me too. More and more tourists will come to these places, bringing in the bucks, surely, but what will it mean for the conservation of these sites? I cringe at the mere thought of even more tourists coming in droves to the Taj Mahal.
This reminds me of the famed rice terraces, up north in Banaue in the Philippines, built by the native Ifugao over 2,000 years ago. Those terraces are awesome, striking you with mental images of the technological advancement of the Ifugao people.
Speaking to locals there, I was repeatedly told that to them, any news about road improvements leading to the terraces is ominous. The more “backward” and “crude” they can be, the better. Because if they can have their way, the Ifugao will keep a limit to the number of tourists who can access the rice paddies. As things are, experts have been warning that the terraces will not last for very long, given the wear and tear they’ve had to endure through two millennia.
The same is true for some of those in the list of the world’s wonders. I remember reading somewhere that the Mayan ruins is so battered that authorities may have to put a cap to tourism there. So how do we keep the tourists out, now that we’re harping about their wonders? But why will we keep people from seeing them, if they provoke pride in the human race? Even I am writing about it now.
For chocoholics 4 July 2007
Posted by bornonacusp in Food trip.comments closed
Who among us isn’t aware of those medical studies that say chocolate is good for one’s health? We all know that.
Research in previous years have suggested that the chemical substances, flavanols, contained in cocoa result in health benefits including lowering one’s blood pressure. But those earlier studies theorised that large amounts of chocolate were needed to achieve the desired positive health effects. And in turn, whatever gains would only be negated by consuming the high levels of fat and sugar contained in those cocoa products.
Now medical researchers in Germany are saying you don’t have to eat a lot of chocolate to benefit from it. Hurrah!
This team at the University Hospital of Cologne found that benefits can be achieved with a small amount — 30 calories worth of chocolate. The researchers monitored 44 people with hypertension, and found that those who ate dark chocolate did not gain weight, nor see an increase in their blood sugar. At the same time, their blood pressure fell. Noting that the reduction in blood pressure was “small,” the doctors say that still, it is “clinically noteworthy” as it potentially will reduce the relative risk of death by stroke and heart disease.
Asked about the new research, the British Heart Association warned against getting too excited. The group says fruits and vegetables have the polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals our body needs and eating five or more portions a day is still the best way to protect one’s heart. “And you don’t need to worry about over-indulging.”
Ouch.
‘I literally dreamt of being free’ 4 July 2007
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Many times he dreamt of being free, only to wake up exactly where he was, a shuttered room from where he could not even see the sun.
But now Alan Johnston is truly free.
It should be a happy day for journalists everywhere as Johnston, British Broadcasting Corporation News correspondent, had been freed by his kidnappers after almost four months of captivity. Johnston was taken on March 12 by a militant group in the Gaza strip.
The kidnappers released three videos during Johnston’s captivity, two of which featured footage of the reporter. In one video, the group said they would kill Johnston if their demands for the release of Muslim prisoners in British custody are not met.
Describing those 114 days in captivity, Johnston said the experience was “appalling.” “It became quite hard to imagine normal life again,” he told BBC.
