crumb trails

One of crumb trails earliest entries was about a place in Marikina. Among the cities in Metro Manila, Marikina has become one of the most progressive. But what sets it aside from other cities is its cleanliness. The discipline of its citizens is also exceptional. But apart from these, there’s a lot more to discover in Marikina. And one of them is Pan de Amerika (PDA).

Pan de Amerikana embodies quality dining experience. The concept of the restaurant is meant to make every diner feel at ease. The ambiance is a fusion of European, Asian and Filipiniana that blended well together, creating a homey environment and a perfect garden set up. Unlike other concept dining places, Pan de Amerikana is not restrictive. Guests are free to wander around while waiting for their food to be served and linger some more after they have finished eating. And speaking of food, the restaurant serves authentic Marikina dishes and other Filipino foods. Marikina boasts of its Everlasting and Waknatoy. Everlasting is similar to embotido but it is placed and cooked in a “llanera.” It is named as such because it in the olden days, this dish is ever present in festivities and gatherings. Waknatoy on the other hand is like menudo. And like everlasting, it is also always on the table of almost every family gathering. The Chinese settlers in Marikina during that time would always complain and say, “Ito na naman? Wak na `toy!” (This dish again? No, not this dish again!). Other notable dishes in Pan de Amerikana are the Ilocano sarabasab, Bicolano express-laing, Cebuano sinugba and sisig rice. But the taste of these foods is not the only reason to dine at Pan de Amerikana. With a very nice ambiance, you’ll be surprised at how affordable their meals are.

Some of the things to look forward to at Pan de Amerikana

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I received this an e-mail from a friend regarding a petition to convince our legislators to pass the Reproductive Health Bill (RH). I hope that you will take part in this campaign.

The struggle for the passage of the Reproductive Bill (RH) in Congress rages on. The Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) through our org, the Democratic Socialist Women of the Phils. (DSWP) initiated an online petition that we request you to support by attaching your signature. Please go to http://www.PetitionOnline.com/rhan2008/petition.html to do this.

We hope to gather ONE MILLION SIGNATURES to show our legislators that there is a wide support base for the bill’s passage despite what the opposition says. We will present the signatures both to the House of Representatives (HOR) and Senate within September as we are waiting for the schedule of plenary deliberations in the HOR and the release of the Senate Committee on Health’s report.

Please support the petition. It will not take more than 5 minutes of your time. More than 10 women die daily due to pregnancy and childbirth-related causes. The big bulk of those who die are poor women at the prime of their lives. This is simply unacceptable and must be stopped. Congress has the power to do this.

Kindly share this information to all your friends.

I’m deviating from my usual wholesome posts to give way to this very demanding tag from Sonnet’s.

Rules:

Create a short erotica of not more than 200 words, with the following words that can only be used once in the story:

1. sleepover - nakitulog
2. whip - latigo
3. handcuffs - posas
4. leather - katad
5. sexy - seksi
6. threesome - tatluhan
7. hairy - mabuhok
8. shotgun - shotgun
9. squeeze - pisil
10. explosion - pagsabog

I couldn’t think of a title. Suggestions would be most welcome. If it’s erotic or not, you be the judge!

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In this period of economic instability, we must all learn to be frugal. As adults, we can devise ways to economize, make the most of what we have and spend our hard-earned money on necessary and very important things only. But how about children? How can we make them understand a complicated situation like the economy? If you’re a parent, how would you teach your kids the value of being thrifty?

I came across a book for children during Adarna House’s Lecture Series in July, entitled “Tight Times.” This book, in my opinion is an effective tool to let children know our economic situation and make them value money. It is a 30-page illustrated storybook told in first person (from the point of view of one of the children in the family). The story opens with the phrase “Mamang says these are tight times, so we’ve got to be tough (Sabi ni Mamang, ito’y panahon ng taggipit kaya’t kailangan nating maging matatag). From this line, you know already it is touching a serious subject that is also complicated for a child. But the tale is very well-written: simple, direct, sensitive and hopeful. Aside from being thrifty, “Tight Times” also teaches its readers how to save and economize, appreciate the things you have, and be thankful for every little blessing you receive. It also explains why certain activities you do regularly before you only do once in a while now.

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Let’s face it. In our country, visiting museums is not part of our culture. We don’t bother to go, unless you’re a student and your teacher or professor required you to visit a certain museum in a certain place.

I may be wrong, but most people think that museums are meant solely for the well-off members of the society, an activity only the rich people can afford and enjoy. That is a HUGE misconception. If you can afford buying tokens for a videoke machine (don’t shoot me, I have nothing against karaoke singing. I’m Pinoy, so I like it, too), you definitely can afford museum entrance fees. Some of them do not even charge a dime!

You see, museums are there for you — for you to learn more about your community, your country, a religion, a new technology, history, etc. Spending time in a museum somehow changes, in a positive way, your view yourself as part the society. Sometimes you can find the missing aspects of your life. It can be fun, only when you start appreciating what you see there. You can even say, museums rock!

It had been a little while since I’ve been to one. This year I plan to visit as many as I can (that’s the GRAND plan!). And since I’m based in Metro Manila, I’ll start here. I’ve made a list of the museums here and grouped them by locality. There are a lot! You might want to visit them also. Or join me!

Here goes my list with a few basic details:

City of Manila
Museo Pambata (Ermita)
Museum Hours:
Sunday 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Tuesday-Saturday 8:00 am-5:00 pm (Aug - March), 9:00 am-5:00 pm (April-July)
Admission: Php 100 (children & adults), Free/discounted for Manila residents (bring ID); Free for museum workers and teachers (bring ID); Free for street children, infants

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Who doesn’t love chocolate? Me, I so love, love chocolate! I prefer dark over milk, white and other chocolate varieties. The darker and bitter a chocolate is, the more I love munching it.

A regular intake of dark chocolate is healthy and it has been proven in many studies. When eating chocolate remember that its main ingredient, cocoa, is made from plants, therefore it contains health properties found in many vegetables. Opposed to other varieties, dark chocolate has flavonoid, an antioxidant chemical that protects the body from harmful elements that cause early aging and heart diseases. In addition, flavonoids also balance certain hormones in the body.

Generally, dark chocolate is good for the heart. The right amount of intake (a small bar or around 1.6 ounces) everyday can keep the heart and cardio system functioning properly. Heart health benefits include lowering blood pressure and lowering cholesterol level in the body. A small bar of dark chocolate everyday has been proven to lower the blood pressure in people with hypertension. It can also reduce bad cholesterol (LDL or low density lipoprotein) in the body by almost 10 percent. Sweet news, right?

Apart from taking care of the heart, dark chocolate has other advantages. One, it gives one a feeling of happiness because it stimulates the production of endorphin. Two, it lifts ones spirits since it has serotonin, a neurotransmitter that act as anti-depressant. Lastly, chocolate tastes good, who can resist it?

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