The Cyberflâneur

Metro Manila by Rail

2011-12-29T20:17:00.000-08:00

Metropolitan Manila (Metro Manila) encompasses 17 townships, so it is a challenge to get around, especially for one who lives in the south (Parañaque) and works in the north (Quezon City). It can take more than a couple of hours to navigate the 15.5-mile (25-km) route due to traffic congestion.

Metro Manila

The most efficient way, I found, was to do most of the trip by rail, starting with the PNR (Philippine National Railways, Orange Line) train from Bicutan to EDSA/Magallanes, an MRT-3 (Metro Rail Transit, Blue Line) train to Araneta Center-Cubao, then finally an MRT/LRT-2 (Light Rail Transit, Purple Line) train to Katipunan.

The trip takes just about an hour, including walk/wait times between stations. The only hitch is the congestion inside the rail cars * during peak hours. Be prepared to be intimate with your fellow man and mindful of pickpockets. It also helps to have a stored-value ticket on hand to breeze through the turnstiles.

This, however, does not include getting out of Better Living Subdivision, where we live, to go to the Bicutan PNR station. That can take from 20-40 min, depending on the traffic along Doña Soledad Ave. I would either hitch a ride with my brother-in-law when he goes to work, or have Tatay drive me there. Otherwise, it would have to be the dreaded tricycle. Ugh!

Tricyle

From SM Bicutan, where I get dropped off, there are elevated pedestrian walkways across South Luzon Expressway that takes you directly to the PNR train station--a legacy of former MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) chairman Bayani Fernando, who obsessed about traffic efficiency.

On the other hand, the short walk from the Katipunan MRT-2 station is the nightmare leg of the trip. The pollution from jeepney congestion along Aurora Boulevard is horrendous, and the buildings on that corner (St. Bridget School) all but encroached on the sidewalk that pedestrians sometimes need to occupy the street.

Jeepney mess
(Source: runningpinoy.wordpress.com)

It is not advisable to take the tricycle to Ateneo. They force you to go solo, which costs PHP25--an exorbitant fee considering the distance serviced. Furthermore, the drivers are also reckless, zig-zagging between cars and going over the sidewalks. You are also seated so low in a tricycle that you're practically inhaling exhaust directly from tailpipes. Disgusting.

Under the base of the Katpunan fly-over, among street hawkers, is the station of jeepneys that finally takes me to Ateneo's Gate 3. Thus begins another work day at the university.

Acheche!

2011-12-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

Found this hilarious t-shirt at Shoppesville in Greenhills:

Warm and fuzzy as Hello Kitty

The Argentine Marxist revolutionary must be turning in his grave. His iconic visage has attained the currency of a brand in consumer capitalist West. Every latte-sipping, tofu-noshing college kid has one in his/her closet to rubber-stamp their callow activism.

I love the way this t-shirt fully embraces what Che's image has really become--a trendy, hipster brand. It is a testament of how capitalism neutralizes the ideologies of its opponents by simply turning them into commodities. Haha!

Greenhills as Punk Bazaar

2011-12-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

I vote this the most improved shopping center in Metro Manila. I was surprised at all the changes since I left. The stalls are less overcrowded, there is more parking space, and the shopping areas now brightly lit. I used to attend nearby La Salle high school, and witnessed how over the years this once plush shopping center fell into disrepair up until I left for the US. Virra Mall became a shabby place where one went to procure pirated DVDs in shady, nondescript shops. Now, the vibe is back!

Electronics bazaar: we had the motherboard of my Mom's iPod Touch changed for $116

What I'm delighted the most is what has not changed about Greenhills--they have managed to maintain the feeling of bazaar in the Middle-Eastern sense. Unlike Bonifacio Highstreet and Ayala Greenbelt, which features only restrictive high-end shops, here, there is still space for tiangges (informal stalls) where sellers of native goods, Chinese knock-offs, and bootlegs thrive, and where one can still haggle with the proprietors for the best deal.

Shop specializing only in action figures

Knock-offs: Angry Birds craze takes over Manila

Shop that repairs all types of printers, including 80s dot matrix models

The flea market form and labyrinthine organization embraced by Greenhills has always reminded me of LA Chinatown in the cyberpunk movie Bladerunner. Though now less dingy and more respectable, it still maintains the informality and anti-establishment ethos Ridley Scott's punk bazaar.

Mall Numerology

2011-12-27T21:22:00.000-08:00

These malls in the Binondo area (Chinatown) all have numerical names, a Chinese penchant for lucky numbers.

168 Mall, i.e., 24 x 7

11/88 Mall and 999 Mall

The Devil Made Me Do It

2011-12-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

I was amused to find this political t-shirt that is typically American and conservative in the piles of knock-offs at the Divi Mall.

It is a mockery of how liberals condescendingly portray heartland conservatives as mindless drones controlled by Fox News Corp. I wonder who among the bargain hunters here get it.

These Third World capitalists (and trademark pirates) going about their own business most likely don't know and don't care.

Device Savvy

2011-12-27T19:43:00.000-08:00

At the Divi Mall food court, you can also find these cellphone repair shops...

where device savvy street urchins download Pixar cartoons on their mobile phones!

Food Trip: Hopia

2011-12-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

Philippine version of the Chinese moon cake, filled with mung beans and sometimes pork, purple yam, and salted duck eggs. Freshly prepared at the Divi Mall food court.

Divisoria Mall

2011-12-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

Went Christmas shopping at Divisoria Mall. Divisoria is known as the place to get rock-bottom prices, but navigating its streets is not for the faint of heart.

Street-side stalls, polluted Manila estero

Nanay checking out noise-makers for New Year's Eve

Fruit stand

Kiwi, Dragon Fruit, Pomelo, Durian

Angry Birds craze, "Bawal Pisilin" (please don't squeeze)

"Divi" Mall is a step up from street-side stalls. It's pasilios (lanes) are clean and air-conditioned, even if still too narrow and overcrowded. It's not exactly a mall, more like 5 stories of bazaars selling knock-offs from China.

Pasilio

children's toys, mobile phones

DVDs and music CDs (organized simply into "male" and "female" singers)

Food Trip: Callos

2011-12-27T04:15:00.000-08:00

Nanay prepared this Spanish dish of ox tripes, chorizo de bilbao, garbanzos, and olives in tomato sauce. The tripe has to be boiled twice: the first time to remove the debris that forms from cleaning the tripes by scraping with a knife, and the second time to cook until tender.

Food Trip: Balut

2011-12-26T23:47:00.000-08:00

The ultimate Filipino street food. Foreigners dread being egged on to eat this boiled duck fetus by cheering Filipinos. Giving in is sure to win instant acceptance with the amused locals.

Street hawkers sell balut around the city from the town of Pateros (lit. "duck farmers")

To eat balut, first crack the egg from one end...

and drink the broth of the amniotic fluid

then peel off the rest of the shell (revealing the curled up duck fetus sitting on the albumin)

and savor the meaty goodness

Burp!

Here's a video of my dad enjoying balut:

Food Trip: Puto

2011-12-26T23:28:00.000-08:00

What a difference the banana leaves make. I hardly paid attention to the fragrance it adds to this kakanin, until I tried to make puto and bibingka without it. No banana trees in Illinois. Darn.

Berso sa Metro: Hindi mapapagod sa paghihintay

2011-12-25T01:26:00.000-08:00

Si alguna vez la vida te maltrata,
acuérdate de mi,
que no puede cansarse de esperar
aquel que nose cansa de mirarte.

Kung sakaling malupit sa iyo ang kapalaran,
alalahanin mo ako,
dahil hindi mapapagod sa paghihintay
itong walang sawang tumitingin sa iyo.

Luis Garcia Montero (Granada 1961- )

Food Trip: Lutong Bahay

2011-12-25T01:05:00.000-08:00

Went to dinner with the family of my uncle Tito Rico in Maybunga, Pasig. We spent time together with his wife's (Tita Josie's) family in Chicago when they went for a visit last year. It was the first time Tito Rico travelled to the US and he wanted to see winter in particular. Boy, he got what he wished for! We had a long, drawn-out winter last year.

Tito Rico's family, circa cousin Kathy's (seated in front) wedding

Tita Josie is a great Kapampangan cook. She taught me how to prepare Korean Chapchae noodles over Skype.

The Korean-style ribs have been stewing in the backyard over charcoal for hours

Patio in their backyard

California Rolls

Pomelo, mango, and kiwi toppings for the salad greens

The pièce de résistance: Korean-style ribs

Niece and nephews: Nico, P-nat, and Naya

Food Trip: Café Juanita

2011-12-25T00:23:00.000-08:00

I'm glad to know that my favorite Filipino restaurant is still serving the best Filipino cuisine in Metro Manila. While it is no longer the best kept secret in Barrio Kapitolyo, Pasig, by moving to a bigger, more spacious location, they managed to keep the charm of the old place. Aside from the excellent food, the old café is known for its rich decor/display of antiques--sometimes bordering on kitch--evoking the decadent affluence of Manila's old rich.

We ordered simple, traditional Filipino dishes (those that were not too pricey in the already pricey menu), but were still impressed by the quality and unusual twists in the presentations.

Left: Laguna Fish; Right: Fresh Guava Shake

The Laguna fish went with an "exotic dipping sauce" which turns out to be bagoong balayan (i.e., from Balayan, Batangas) which is made from fermented/salted anchovies.

Left: Ginataang Gulay; Right: Bagnet

Ginataang gulay consists of eggplant and kangkong (water cabbage) cooked in coconut milk, ginger, and chili. Bagnet is an Ilocano dish of crispy fried pork belly topped with a salad of fresh tomatoes and bagoong balayan.

Food Trip: Turrón

2011-12-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

Sliced plantains, coated with sugar, wrapped in spring-roll wrapper, and deep-fried. Healthy street-food for just 15 cents.

Kikay Loves Ian

2011-12-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

My brother Ian typically does not like kids. They are loud and messy, always toppling down his stacks of DVDs he fastidiously organizes. He however has a soft spot for his niece, Francesca:

Kitty Litter

2011-12-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

Cats are disgusting critters. When I slept over my friend's place for the Pasig River 5k marathon, I found this trio making themselves comfy on my sofa-bed when I came back from the shower. Ugh!

These alley cats are eating who-knows-what they found from the gutters. Ugh!

I found this one napping where my cousins cook dinner in their backyard. Ugh!

"You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me?... Who the fuck do you think you're talking to? Oh yeah?"

What to do with the kitty infestation on the streets of Manila? Here are a few suggestions:

Come to the Dark Side

2011-12-22T05:48:00.000-08:00

Found these interesting, dark-humored tee's on sale for under $5 at The Bachelor's Pad in 168 Mall, Divisoria.

Aswangs are mythical Philippine demons (L-R/T-B): kapre, manananggal, tiyanak, and tikbalang.

Berso sa Metro: Nang mawala ka sa akin

2011-12-22T05:37:00.000-08:00

Al perderte yo a ti, tú y yo hemos perdido:
yo, porque tú eras lo que yo más amaba;
y tú, porque yo era el que te amaba más.
Pero de nosotros dos tú pierdes más que yo:
porque yo podré amar a otras como te amaba a ti,
pero a ti no te amarán como te amaba yo.

Nang mawala ka sa akin, ikaw at ako’y nawalan:
Ako dahil ikaw ang minahal ko nang lubusan
At ikaw dahil ako ang sa iyo’y lubusang nagmahal.
Ngunit sa dalawa ay ikaw ang higit na nawalan:
Dahil pwede kong mahalin ang iba tulad nang pagmamahal ko
sa iyo
Ngunit ika’y ‘di mamahalin tulad nang kung paano kita
minahal.

Ernesto Cardenal (Granada, Nicaragua, 1925- )

Berso sa Metro: Durugin sa Kanilang Gulugod

2011-12-21T23:05:00.000-08:00

yugos os quieren poner
gentes de la hierba mala,
yugos que habéis de dejar
rotos sobre sus espaldas.

gusto kong lagyan ng singkaw
ng mga masasamang damo,
singkaw na kayo ang dapat maglagay
durugin sa kanilang gulugod.

Miguel Hernández (1910-1942)

Doctors at the St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City have discovered that the condition of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's spine has worsened, according to one of her lawyers.

"Ito ang nakita nila, ang paglala ng kanyang spine. Hindi na ang dating gulugod kundi sa mas mababang bahagi ng spine..."

(from GMA News Online)

Food Trip: Benny's Café at Rustan's Makati

2011-12-20T20:39:00.000-08:00

Benny's Café is located right beside Rustan's grocery store in Makati. This little nook, hidden in plain sight in one of the busiest parts of Makati, is an awesome place to grab a bite while in the frenzy of Christmas shopping instead of the food court upstairs. We ordered crispy pata (fried pork knuckles), sinigang na bangus sa bayabas (milkfish in sour guava soup), lumpiang sariwa (coconut hearts in fresh egg rolls), dinuguan (pork blood stew), among others.

Rice served in banana leaves

Lumpiang sariwa

Our party of six spent only about $27 all in all. Not bad!

Great Filipino food at a great value!

Berso sa Metro: Pericoloso

2011-12-20T20:08:00.000-08:00

Qué rápida la calle vista del golpe, los espejos de los autos
multiplicados por el sol, qué sucio,
el aire:
¿y esto
era el Mundo?

Sa isang sulyap, kay tulin ng lasangan, ang mga salamin ng
mga sasakya’y
pinararami ng araw, kayrumi
ng hangin
at ito
na ba ang mundo?

Gonzalo Rojas (Lebu, Chile, 1917- )

Berso sa Metro: A Manila

2011-12-20T19:51:00.000-08:00

¡Oh, Manila, en la corola
de un casto lirio nacida!
¡gentil princesa dormida
sobre la espuma del mar!

O, Maynila, sa talulot
ng mahinhing liryo isinilang!
mabunying prinsesang nahihimlay
sa bula ng karagatan.

(Pacifico Victoriano, 1886-1953)

Berso sa Metro: Nanatili ako at nagpaubaya

2011-12-20T19:39:00.000-08:00

          Quedéme y olvidéme
el rostro recliné sobre el Amado;
     cesó todo, y dejéme,
          dejando mi cuidado
entre las azucenas olvidado.

          Nanatili ako at nagpaubaya,
isinandig ang mukha sa aking Minamahal,
     lahat ay tumigil, at nagpaubaya ako,
          ibinaon sa limot ang lahat ng aking takot,
sa gitna ng mga asusena.

(San Juan de la Cruz, Fontiveros, 1542 - Úbeda, 1591)

Filosofo Roque

2011-12-12T21:08:00.000-08:00

With Fr. Roque, Babi, and Vince

I went to Fr. Roque Ferriols with writer friends at his residence in Ateneo. Fr. Roque was my teacher in Ethics, where he taught Kant through Florante at Laura. I first encountered the poetry of Rilke through his Tagalog translations. I have not seen Fr. Roque since I left for the US in 2004. He probably doesn't remember this unremarkable student, who was also intimidated in being in the class of this venerable professor. He did recall me having taken him (with Babi) to see the Lord of the Rings trilogy when it came out. I had been delighted to discover that he was as big a Tolkien fan as myself. His favorite LOTR characters were (not surprisingly) the Ents, ancient and slow-moving as himself.

His mind is still quick though, despite his current infirmities, and quoted to us extensively the Jesuit poet Gerald Manly Hopkins from memory:

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –
      When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;
      Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
      The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush
      The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.

What is all this juice and all this joy?
      A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning
In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,
      Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,
      Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning.

He told us how he used to annoy his fellow doctorate students in the US when he described "the hysteria of wisteria" in spring. Apparently, he's a frustrated poet. He went on to recite from Shakespeare, Homer, and Sappho (in Greek!) and discussed the fine points of Sappho's Doric dialect in contrast to the Homeric vulgate. He mentioned having published some Filipino translations of Sappho's Ode to Aphrodite in Heights, but lamented having lost his copies. He now listens to Brahms, whom he didn't used to care for, and said it like someone confessing about a guilty pleasure discovered in old age.

He seemed to have enjoyed our brief visit and scholarly shop-talk. I offered to read him Tolkien sometime, when his nurses arrived to take him out to evening Mass. I wasn't sure what he thought about this. He did say his poor eyesight prevents him from re-reading Tolkien. But it seems like it was I who was really needing to do it.

Food Trip: Via Mare

2011-12-12T19:49:00.000-08:00

Went to lunch with Ateneo friends Achoot, Rofel, and Doris at Café Via Mare near UP Diliman. Next to Café Juanita, Via Mare is my go to for great Filipino food in the city. I had to take pictures of the dishes (I live to blog!) when they arrived at our table. The problem with living abroad, I told my friends, is now I tend to exoticize my own culture.

Pako salad: made with fiddlehead ferns (pako), tomatoes, shrimp, and salted duck eggs

Pako

Fried rice with shrimp paste, topped with tomatoes and salted duck eggs

Filipino dessert shooters: halo-halo, mais con hielo, and guinomis

Berso sa Metro: Confesión

2011-12-11T05:01:00.001-08:00

Confesión

Señor, yo llevo cansado
el corazón de soñar,
y tan lejos me han llevado
los ensueños y mi andar,
que el polvo de mis caminos
me impide ya caminar

Panginoon, pagal na
ang puso ko sa pangangarap
taglay itong mithiin
sa aking paglalakad malayo na ang narating
at ang alikabok nitong dinaanan
Ay naging balakid sa landas na tinahak

Adelina Gurrea Monasterio
(La Carlota, Negros Occidental 1896--Madrid, 1891)

Aside from the moving poetry, the graphic design are also very evocative. I love the bridge that turn into matchsticks, and the everyman bureaucrat in bowler hat made into a wind-up toy.

Rizal sa Metro

2011-12-11T04:19:00.001-08:00

Found this Rizal quote on the metro:

Ang paglisan sa tahanang sinilangan at nilakihan ay higit pa kaysa kung mawala ang kalahati ng sariling pagkatao.

To abandon the home where one was born and raised is worse than losing half of one's being.

(from Noli me tangere, translation mine)

This year we commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal (1861-1896), hero of the Philippine Revolution.

I wonder what he would think of the present Filipino diaspora, overseas workers who abandon the Philippines for greener pastures abroad?

Ayala Triangle

2011-12-11T03:26:00.001-08:00

Nice park near the Makati Stock Exchange:

Nice affordable restaurants, like Banapple

Light show with Christmas music at dusk:

Berso sa Metro: Todo pasa y todo queda

2011-12-10T21:23:00.001-08:00

Todo pasa y todo queda,
pero lo nuestro es pasar,
pasar haciendo caminos,
caminos sobre la mar.

Lahat ay dadaan at lahat ay maiiwan
Pero tayo ay dadaan
Dadaang gumagawa ng mga daanan
Dadaan sa ibabaw ng karagatan

Antonio Machado (1875-1939)

Berso sa Metro: La vida es sueño

2011-12-10T07:37:00.001-08:00

It takes me 2 hours to commute to work in the morning: PNR train from Bicutan to EDSA/Magallanes, MRT-3 rail to Araneta-Cubao, MRT-2 rail to Katipunan, jeepney to Ateneo Gate 3.

One of the few pleasures of taking the Metrorail are the little poems they put up inside the rail car. When every inch of public wall space in the city is covered with adverts, a bit of poetry seems such egregious indulgence.

Close to our culture
(Source: www.symbianize.com)

I was surprised a lot of the poems were in Spanish. (The project on MRT-2 is sponsored by Instituto Cervantes.) The selections have such an elevated, lyrical voice--both in Tagalog and in the original--they can transport you from the weariness of your journey to a beatific state before you even reach the next stop.

Take for example the dreamy six-liner by Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600-1681):

La vida es sueño

¿Qué es la vida? Un frenesí.
¿Qué es la vida? Una ilusión,
una sombra, una ficción,
y el mayor bien es pequeño;
que toda la vida es sueño,
y los sueños, sueños son.

Ano nga ba ang buhay? Isang kahibangan;
Ano nga ba ang buhay? Isang ilusyon;
Isang anino, isang kasinungalingan,
At ang malalaking biyaya’y maliliit pa rin,
Dahil ang buhay ay isa lamang pangarap
At ang mga pangarap ay pangarap lamang.

Too bad I have to get off at my second stop on this line. Haaay! Kung mangarap ka't magising!

Crash Killed

2011-12-10T06:55:00.001-08:00

13 people killed in plane crash in Parañaque (ABS-CBN News)

A four-seater aircraft crashed in Parañaque City on Saturday afternoon, killing 13 people, including children... the plane crashed in a depressed area in Better Living Subdivision, Taiwan St., Barangay Don Bosco at around 2 p.m.... the crash damaged at least 50 homes of informal settlers along the subdivision's easement. Around 70 families have been evacuated and are temporarily taking shelter at the Annex 35 covered court... the plane crash also set fire to the F. Serrano Elementary School... about 90% of the school was burned down. Around 2,000 students will be affected by the incident.

Charred dead

The hazards of living near the airport. My sister has always wondered why our home insurance includes a clause for plane crashes. The school that got gutted is where we go to vote during elections. One of our church member's daughter goes to school there, and was barely back home from school when the plane nosedived in the neighborhood at 2 pm.

Nakalulungkot ang mga pangyayari sapagkat magpapasko pa naman!

A witness caught the incident on camera just minutes after the crash:

I saw this plane after it took off the runway, there was a loud bang in its propeller every 3-5 secs. and the plane was not climbing so I looked for my camera phone to take a video but I didn't expect it to crash so I calmly looked for my phone then once I returned I saw the plane hardly turning right, it seems to me that the pilot wanted to return immediately in the airport, then suddenly the plane nose dived... I was shocked to see that it was really happening that's why I just turned the video on 3 secs after the crash. (Source: jcsison22 on YouTube)

I'm amazed at the instantaneity and multiplicity of news sources on the Internet. You not only get the "official" version from the mainstream news media, but also personal accounts from multiple eye-witnesses deploying their mobile devices. The plurality of perspectives allows one to instantly grasp the entire field of view.

UPDATE:

Someone caught the actual crash on video and uploaded it on YouTube.

Food Trip: Robinsons Galleria

2011-12-10T05:15:00.001-08:00

Food kiosks at the mall grocery like this one at the Robinsons Galleria offer healthy and affordable snacks. For a little over $3 you get a generous cup of fresh fruits and sugar cane juice!

Large chunks of tropical fruits: papaya, mangoes, oranges, watermelons, pineapples, and dragon fruit (see below).

Strange but exquisite fruit

Fresh sugar cane juice, pre-packaged or prepared right before you

Smart Park

2011-12-10T04:35:00.001-08:00

What a simple but clever solution to the congestion problem in mall parking buildings: an LED light that indicates when a spot is occupied or free. You can see at a glance when an entire level is already full. It saves you the hassle and gas from going around in circles looking to park.

Robinsons Mall Galleria:

One River. One Run.

2011-11-26T02:18:00.001-08:00

Joined the 5k marathon last weekend for the clean up of the Manila esteros that drain into the Pasig river.

Last year's marathon set a new Guinness World Record with 160,000 participants. We are hoping to break that record this year.

Roxas Boulevard at 6 in the morning

At the 5k starting line (T.M. Kalaw Ave. and Roxas Blvd.)

At the Mall of Asia finish line

The esteros (or estuaries) of Manila have succumbed over the years to urban decay. ABS-CBN's Gina Lopez has led the clean-up efforts with amazing results:

Food Trip: Lutong Bahay 2

2011-11-26T01:22:00.001-08:00

Boiled saba bananas.

The Philippine saba bananas are used in various snack-desserts, like turon, bananacue, or simply boiled. Unlike the South American plantain, the saba does not fall apart when boiled. It just softens like sweet potato, but has more bounce to it. It is therefore also used in a lot of stew dishes like pochero and nilaga.

Daing na pusit (fried dried squid)

Bistek: sirloin beef marinated in soy sauce and calamansi (Philippine lemon)

Food Trip: PBCo.

2011-11-25T22:24:00.001-08:00

The Peanut Butter Company is just across Ateneo de Manila University where I currently teach.

Curry Chicken Sandwich

An exotic fusion of grilled, marinated boneless chicken thighs and refreshing pineapple set-off with PBCo Curry Peanut Butter.

Everything on the menu has (OMG!) peanut butter!

Brilliant!

2011-11-20T05:13:00.001-08:00

Left: with Brillante Mendoza; Right: autographed program

Again with Mendoza, and "long-poem" poet Vince Serrano

Finally saw Brillante Mendoza's Kinatay at Greenbelt as part of the week-long film festival sponsored by the Italian government.

Kinatay ("butchered"), the gruesome story of the kidnap/murder of a junkie prostitute in the hands of corrupt cops, won Mendoza the best direction award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

I took a UV Express on the way home, in the same type of van (Mitsubishi L-300) used in the movie in the kidnap. And it just so happened that I was sitting in the same spot as Coco Martin in the movie! Creepy.

Watch out for my review at Orbis soon!

Instant Coffee

2011-11-20T04:56:00.001-08:00

My favorite home appliance: the De'Longhi Magnifica EAM3500. The no-sweat espresso and cappuccino maker.

Advent

2011-11-16T19:49:00.001-08:00

Kikay can't wait for Christmas

Christmas season starts early in the Philippines. You would hear carols being played in the malls as early as September.

Advent is the expectant waiting for the Nativity of Christ. Filipinos must be the most eager people in the world.

Food Trip: Lutong Bahay

2011-11-16T18:27:00.001-08:00

Gained some weight, and only've been home just two weeks. Manang Lina, our cusinera, prepares such delightful dishes! It's hard not to stuff myself every time.

Tilapia in coconut milk with mustasa (mustard greens)

Stir fried blue crabs with garlic and oyster sauce

Adobong pusit: squid stewed in its ink with vinegar

Grilled tilapia stuffed with tomatoes, onions, and ginger

Food Trip: Kakanin

2011-11-16T17:43:00.001-08:00

Kakanin are Philippine delicacies made from rice (kanin), more specifically the sticky or glutinous type (malagkit) (from WikiPilipinas).

Nanay came home one morning from daily marketing with these much missed kakanin:

Suman: sticky rice wrapped in nipa or banana leaves.

Kutsinta: sticky brown rice cake

Puto: rice muffins

Pichi-pichi: not made with rice, but with grated cassava (kamoteng kahoy) and smothered in grated coconut

Biko: sticky rice cake with brown sugar and latik coconut milk curds.

Siopao Asado

2011-11-15T06:58:00.001-08:00

Great t-shirt from Artwork label "Ikot".

Siopao Asado

It is urban legend in Manila that these tasty Chinese steamed buns are sometimes made with kitty meat.

Meow. Pass the soy sauce please.

Food Trip: Mga Prutas sa SM Hypermart

2011-11-15T06:45:00.001-08:00

Went bananas with Philippine fruits at SM Hypermart.

Saba! Lacatan! Chico! Guyabano! Mangga! Santol!

Sliced guyabano or soursop

Its flavor has been described as a combination of strawberry and pineapple with sour citrus flavor notes contrasting with an underlying creamy flavor reminiscent of coconut or banana. (from Wikipedia)

Food Trip: Freedom Fries

2011-11-15T05:54:00.001-08:00

Francesca loves the spicy fries from ArmyNavy burgers and burritos, the same group who developed Yellow Cab pizza.

Love the highly developed concept behind the restaurant, the well-defined look, and sharp advertising. The whole package is well put together!

Even the name of the fries is aptly taken from the patriotic turn in the Iraq War when the French expressed strong opposition against it.

Food Trip: SM Makati

2011-11-14T19:58:00.001-08:00

Tahô, a street food sold by hawkers, finds its way to the respectable food kiosks of SM malls. It consists of silken tofu, arnibal (cane sugar syrup) and sago (pearl tapioca). It is best when still warm, and the tofu has the delicate consistency of custard.

Food Trip: Gateway Food Court

2011-11-14T19:40:00.001-08:00

A pile of banana blossom salad (puso ng saging).

Grilled whole tilapia on banana leaves.

Battered and fried shrimp (camaron rebosado).

For PHP99 ($2.30) at Cebu Fiesta, you get small portions of rice, two meat dishes, a salad, and a small cup of soda.

Got Milk?

2011-11-14T19:33:00.001-08:00

My niece, Francesca, playing with the iPad app, Milk It. Recent updates now include goat and elephant teats.

Beegan

2011-11-14T07:05:00.001-08:00

My Ilonggo uncle drops by the house for breakfast and hands me tupperware with sausage links.

Chorizo, o, ...beegan yan.

Ha?!? gulay 'to?

Hindi. Galing Beegan yan...

Ah, Vigan!

I Love Andy

2011-11-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

Love, love, love this t-shirt store I found at SM Bicutan.

I Love Andy

Love the Warholian pop cheekiness! Finally some whimsy in t-shirt graphic design. None of that ornate, overused gothic style from Ed Hardy.

Rock Vintage

There is also a cool, 60s rock-and-roll vibe. Among the usual suspects, like The Beatles and glam-rock era David Bowie, are lesser known icons like the 80s New Wave band Echo & the Bunnymen. Only for those of us in the know. How über snooty!

Echo & the Bunnymen
Ikot

And no pop culture is more cheeky than Pinoy pop culture. "Ikot" is taken from the jeepney route that goes around the Diliman campus of the University of the Philippines.

Kaldereta, a hearty peasant dish out of goat meat, is a wicked smack back at the rigid abstentions of PETA and other radical vegans. Yum!

Rampaging MILFs

2011-11-06T14:46:00.000-08:00

This was the newspaper headline that greeted me when I arrived home in the Philippines.

No, it's not some hot, desperate housewife with a shotgun. These are our muslim separatists in the south, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which goes by the unfortunate acronym, MILF.

If only they came in Victoria's Secret undergarments...

He was strange...

2011-10-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Still wearing the blood-spattered purple checked shirt he wore last Thursday when Gaddafi was killed, [Huneish] Nasr, a man in his mid-60s, said his former boss could not seem to grasp what was unfolding around him.

"He was strange," said Nasr. "He was always standing still and looking to the west. I didn't see fear in him.

(from Gaddafi's driver on the endgame: 'He didn't seem to know what to do', The Guardian)

Sewer Rat

2011-10-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

Muammar Gaddafi dead: Former Libyan dictator found hiding in a sewer waving a golden gun (National Post)

Smells like a rat in here...

Muammar Gaddafi called the rebels who rose up against his 42-years of one-man rule “rats”, but in the end it was he who was captured cowering in a drainage pipe full of rubbish and filth.

In bizarre scenes, reports said the Former Libyan dictator was found hiding in a drainage culvert waving a golden gun as he tried to flee...

A cartoon of the former dictator from the Crimes of Gaddafi exhibition in Benghazi (from The Telegraph)

Tribal justice. Poetic justice.

Let them eat cake!

2011-10-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

A day in the life of the 99%...

Protest mob is enjoying rich diet (NY Post)

"The other day, we made some wonderful salmon cakes with dill sauce and some quinoa salad and a wonderful tomato salad with fennel and red onion," [Eric Smith, 38, the ex-le Chef de Tournant at the Sheraton in Midtown] said.

"We use organic, grass-fed meats, and the other day, we made a wonderful fried rice and root vegetables and all kinds of soup."

Thieves preying on fellow protesters (NY Post)

"Stealing is our biggest problem at the moment," said Nan Terrie, 18, a kitchen and legal-team volunteer from Fort Lauderdale.

"I had my Mac stolen -- that was like $5,500. Every night, something else is gone..."

[I support the use of force] if it maximizes social justice. (5:06)

Really? This bloke and his ascot won't survive a day in a Philippine jungle with the communist insurgents.

I'm appalled at how inarticulate these college kids are. They ramble on and on incoherently on issues they know nothing about, like "social justice". (I bet you these fat cats have never experienced a day of hunger in their lives.) No wonder they're complaining about their student loans. I would also feel ripped-off if I came out of college as stupid and callow as when I entered.

These radicals are actually caught on tape promoting the use of violence, but you never hear a peep from the mainstream media, who unfairly portrays the Tea Party as a radical movement, e.g., prematurely linking them to the Times Square bombing and the shooting of Rep. Gabriel Gifford.

Let them eat cake!

Cato the Younger

2011-10-13T21:20:00.001-07:00

Ron Paul, the other Texan--the one who thinks fast on his feet.

Cato was a politician, a follower of the Stoic philosophy, and a man renowned for his legendary unyielding nature. He was reputed to be immune to bribes, a paragon of virtue, and possessed of a character that could not abide corruption or graft. (from Antiquitatis)

A noted orator, he is remembered for his stubbornness and tenacity... as well as his immunity to bribes, his moral integrity, and his famous distaste for the ubiquitous corruption of the period. (from Wikipedia)

One more thing...

2011-10-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs, 1955 – 2011 (Wired)

I think death is the most wonderful invention of life. It purges the system of these old models that are obsolete. I think that’s one of Apple’s challenges, really. (Playboy interview, 1985)

Apple junkie

When I have a little money, I buy Apple; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes. (adapted from Erasmus)

I've always been skeptical of Apple, but I keep buying their products. They're just gorgeous. I'm not a devotee of the religion of Apple (I won't camp out to get the new iWhatever)--it's just if I buy a PC I know I'm settling for something less because of the price point.

Update (10/6):

New MacBook Air just arrived in the mail!

Tweak, Freeze, Wiggle, and Shake

2011-09-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Crystal structure of a monomeric retroviral protease solved by protein folding game players

(red=Rosetta distributed computing; yellow=Foldit gamers; blue=true crystal structure)

Following the failure of a wide range of attempts to solve the crystal structure of M-PMV retroviral protease by molecular replacement, we challenged players of the protein folding game Foldit to produce accurate models of the protein. Remarkably, Foldit players were able to generate models of sufficient quality for successful molecular replacement and subsequent structure determination. The refined structure provides new insights for the design of antiretroviral drugs.

(from the abstract of the Nature paper)

M-PMV, a protein causing AIDS in rhesus monkeys that hadn't been solved for 15 years, was resolved by Foldit players and confirmed by x-ray crystallography. (from the foldit website)

[Knowing] the structure of a protein is key to understanding how it works and to targeting it with drugs. A small proteins can consist of 100 amino acids, while some human proteins can be huge (1000 amino acids). The number of different ways even a small protein can fold is astronomical because there are so many degrees of freedom. Figuring out which of the many, many possible structures is the best one is regarded as one of the hardest problems in biology today and current methods take a lot of money and time, even for computers. Foldit attempts to predict the structure of a protein by taking advantage of humans' puzzle-solving intuitions and having people play competitively to fold the best proteins.

(from The Science Behind Foldit)

When is the iPhone app coming out!

Lysistrata

2011-09-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

'Sex strike' success in Philippine village: UNHCR

The idea was conceived by a group of women who had set up a sewing business but found that they could not deliver their products because the village road was closed by the threat of violence...

The sewing group's leader, Hasna Kandatu, said they warned their husbands they would be cut off from sex if they continued causing trouble.

LYSISTRATA
Then I will out with it at last, my mighty secret! Oh! sister women, if we would compel our husbands to make peace, we must refrain...

CLEONICE
Refrain from what? tell us, tell us!

LYSISTRATA
But will you do it?

MYRRHINE
We will, we will, though we should die of it.

LYSISTRATA
We must refrain from the male altogether....

(from The EServer Drama Collection)

Polymorphous Perversities

2011-09-18T13:42:00.001-07:00

Green Porno, the book!

In bookstores near you!

It's based on Isabella Rossellini's series of short films on the nuts-and-bolts of animal sex that appeared in the Sundance Channel. What I enjoyed most about it was the clinical, matter-of-fact treatment of the "pornographic" subject matter, and Rossellini's straight-faced narration while in ridiculous foam costumes. (What a morbid sense of humor!) There is nothing lewd in these shorts. We only cringe because we've swept the seamier side of our biology underneath a veneer of social decorum.

The Breast Milk Baby (Berjuan Toys)

It may be too early for a toddler to learn the birds and the bees, but what about breast-feeding? Americans were shocked with the breast-feeding doll for its overt "sexualization" of children. When has breast-feeding become a venereal act? This anxiety seems to me a baggage left over from the Puritanical fear of the body. It is driven more by WASP prudery than true moral virtues. If anything, it is the taboo that problematizes the sexuality of children.

Why am I not surprised this toy came from Spain, the land of Pedro Almodovar.

Go the F**k to Sleep

Read by Noni Hazlehurst of the Australian children show, Play School

Read by a Filipino grandma

Ha! I love how gradma kept protesting that it was not a good book, but continued to read anyway.

A Liter of Light

2011-09-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

This simple but clever innovation probably improves more lives than most PhD dissertations (including mine!).

CNN reports that this was inspired by engineer Amy Smith, from the D-Lab in MIT, but I also saw this earlier video from a guy in Brazil:

In any case, the idea was picked up by Illac Diaz, a local celebrity, and now entrepreneur, in the Philippines, for his non-profit Isang Litrong Liwanag (a liter of light).

Let's move it from problem into solution, and let's use all of this enthusiasm. Instead of just [promoting] awareness, instead of riling people up without solutions, and then just giving two percent to charity, let's start looking for those long term solutions...

I don't know if this is a long-term solution (assuming poverty is not long term), but it certainly makes a big difference to urban poor dwellings here and now.

What an inspiring story!

The Traditional in the Modern

2011-09-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

Klintang

This modern piano piece was composed by Prof. Ramon Santos, and played with passionate abandon by this young prodigy. It was inspired by the Kulintang--the series of gong-chimes from the Muslim tribes of southern Philippines. Here, the piano is used almost like the percussive instrument.

The recurrence of the traditional in the modern is so Bartokian!

I met Prof. Santos through Monica (he's her dad), who is a graduate student in anthropology at UIUC. I took them to watch the restored version of Fritz Lang's Metropolis at Ebertfest last April. It was scored by Alloy Orchestra, who creates modern music for films from the silent era. I thought he would enjoy the immersive soundscape of Alloy Orchestra, whom I've seen the previous year perform Dziga Vertov's Man with a Movie Camera, as the three-man ensemble uses a lot of found percussions.

Consensus and Dissent

2011-09-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

"The evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring. If no mitigating actions are taken, significant disruptions in the Earth’s physical and ecological systems, social systems, security and human health are likely to occur. We must reduce emissions of greenhouse gases beginning now." (from the American Physical Society)

Nobel Laureate Ivar Giaever Quits Physics Group over Stand on Global Warming (International Business Times)

In his resignation note, Giaever wrote: "In the APS, it is ok to discuss whether the mass of the proton changes over time and how a multi-universe behaves, but the evidence of global warming is incontrovertible?"

...

"[Global warming] has become a new religion. We frequently hear about the number of scientists who support it. But the number is not important: only whether they are correct is important. We don't really know what the actual effect on the global temperature is. There are better ways to spend the money..."

Giaever nailed it on the head. The problem with the "consensus" argument is that science does not really work by consensus--it only takes one person to be correct. You need consensus, however, for political action--especially, as in the case of climate change mitigation, when you are betting on something that ultimately can never be proven to be effective either way because the results only manifest themselves over geological time. It is only by appealing to the moral vanity of the left can these charlatans of climate change continue to milk their cash cow.

You can find other dissenters here.

Madrigal

2011-09-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

Watched the Philippine Madrigal Singers last Saturday at the Copernicus Theater in Chicago.

Here are clips of my favorite pieces:

Mga Katutubong Awitin (Philippine Traditional Songs)

From the program notes: Polka sa Nayon (arr. Fabian Obispo); Bahay Kubo (Nipa Hut, arr. Christopher Borela); Chitchiritchit (arr. Anne Nepomuceno).

Koyu No Tebulul (T'boli)

From the program notes: Koyu No Tebulul (Eudenice Palaruan, b. 1968) is a choral arrangement of a traditional folksong originating from the T'boli tribe living in the southern part of the Philippines. It translates as: "There is a beautiful tree on top of the mountain. It has soft leaves and needle-like thorns. It has soft leaves and needle-like thorns. I wish to climb that tree on the mountain. A bird rests on its branches. How I wish I can catch the bird but I know I cannot."

Kaisa-isa Niyan (Maguindanao)

From the program notes: Kaisa-isa Niyan (Nilo Alcala, b. 1978) is a children's game tune from Maguindanao, southern Philippines. This setting recreates the layers of intricate rhythms of Maguindanao Kulintangan composed of the Agung, Dabakan, Babandir, and the melodic graduated bossed gongs known as Kulintang. It also employs foot stomping, clapping, and shouting as part of the music's playful character, yet within the bounds of the regal disposition of the Maguindanao people. The play chant translates as: "Only one, only two, only three; Four work alternately; Five, too heavy, it disturbs; Six, a sound so loud; Seven, a dragon; Eight pounds heavily; Nine, a box; Ten, a drawer."

Cancion Filipino

From the program notes: (arr. Arnold Zamorra) This medley of classic Filipino love songs spans several decades. These are just some of the most poetic songs ever written for Philippine movies: Pakiusap (Plea); Maala-ala Mo Kaya (Do You Remember); Minamahal, Sinasamba (I Love You, I Adore You); Kapantay ay Langit (As High as the Heavens), Sana'y Wala ng Wakas (Wishing for Endless Love).

Love and Hate

2011-09-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

If you love me, you gotta help me pass this bill

President Obama won't turn America into a theocracy, unlike Sarah Palin, who has a retard baby (at 2:25 min)

Note at the end of the video that this ad was paid for by the Obama 2012 campaign.

Go Gators!

2011-09-05T19:51:00.001-07:00

Giant crocodile captured alive in Philippines (AP)

Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde [pictured with the croc] said dozens of villagers and experts ensnared the 21-foot (6.4-meter) male crocodile along a creek in Bunawan township in Agusan del Sur province after a three-week hunt... About 100 people had to pull the crocodile, which weighs about 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms), from the creek to a clearing where a crane lifted it into a truck, he said.

Dowdy Mo

2011-09-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

One and Done? (NY Times, Maureen Dowd)

After pushing and shoving and caving to get on TV [for his jobs plan announcement], the president’s advisers immediately began warning that the long-yearned-for jobs speech wasn’t going to be that awe-inspiring.

“The issue isn’t the size or the newness of the ideas,” one said. “It’s less the substance than how he says it, whether he seizes the moment.”

The US economy is sinking with no real leadership at the helm, and NY Times Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd worries about Obama's form and style? Dowd is writing herself into irrelevance. Avid readers praise her wit and sharp language. All I hear is catty beauty-shop talk. Glib and hallow.

Dowd fawning over Obama's "curious, and inquisitive, and complicated mind" during his inaugural.

Is Maureen Dowd necessary?

For a more muscular mind and brisk rhetoric...

Now that, Ms. Dowd, is what turns men on, not whinging books about how you can't get a date.

Apple: Legacy

2011-09-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

Police assisted Apple in search of man's home (CNN)

Here we go again...

Four San Francisco Police officers escorted Apple investigators to a home in the city's Bernal Heights neighborhood, the statement said. The two Apple employees searched the home while the officers waited outside, police said. They did not find the item [lost iPhone 5 prototype] there and declined to file a police report, according to the statement...

The man, who reportedly said he's a U.S. citizen who lives with relatives, told SF Weekly that the people searching his home questioned his family's immigration status.

What douchebags Apple have become!

Love the products. Hate the company.

Satire Daw?

2011-09-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

Update on the James Soriano Linggo ng Wika article: This article precipitated a vigorous discussion in our e-group. Nothing gets Filipinos into a frenzy than a debate about language and identity. It's not surprising from a highly verbal culture of 171 languages.

I naturally jumped right into the fray, being a sucker for verbal sparring. Here, I was reacting to the claim that the article was actually a satirical take on Filipino attitudes about language. Op kors, tumaas ang kilay ko:

Ang kinaiinisan ko sa isinulat ni Soriano ay ang pangmamaliit niya sa wikang Filipino, at lalo na sa mga nagsasalita sa wikang ito. Ipinalalabas niya na ang wikang Filipino ay hindi maaring magsaad ng mataas na antas ng kaalaman. Mag-pilosopiya kaya siya sa ilalim ni Padre Ferriols sa Ateneo, at baka mangamote siya.

Although the ostensible subject of his essay is language, it's subtext is class. In the Philippines, the proficiency in English is not only a signal of education, but of class. But this is more a product of our colonial history than a "superiority" inherent in the English language. That Soriano clings to this emblem of elitism makes him as pitiful as Capitán Tiago. Magugulat siya kapag lumabas siya ng Pilipinas sapagkat ang Ingles na alam niya ay isang dialect lang ng Ingles. Maraming uri ng Ingles--merong ginagamit sa mataas na diskurso at meron ding ginagamit sa lansangan. Siya ang nagmumukhang probinsiyano.

My position on language is ambivalent. I have previously written on the rigid nationalism of Freddie Aguilar, as well as defended the jejemons. The more multilingual we become the better! It intensifies the pleasure of communication. I think this is a more global, cosmopolitan outlook. Let's move on from our postcolonial anxieties about language and identity.

Finally, satire is all about tone. There is only a very thin line that separates a stand-up comic from being funny and being crass. The ability to manipulate tone involves an exquisite fluency in language, which Soriano obviously lacks, as otherwise, his article would not have blown up in his face. Marami pa siyang bigas na kakainin bago pa siya makapag-sa-satire sa Ingles.

James Soriano's "English as the language of (coño) privilege", properly belongs to Joey Gosiengfiao's 1980 camp classic, Temptation Island:

Update: James Soriano published a more "earnest" follow-up article, get this, in Filipino. (Warning: his Filipino is painfully clumsy.) Sounds like the whimpering of a dog with its tail between its legs.

Green Joke

2011-08-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

Solyndra Shutting Its Doors
President Obama touted the facility only a year ago. (NBC, Bay Area)

Solyndra, a major manufacturer of solar technology in Fremont, has shut its doors... Solyndra was touted by the Obama administration as a prime example of how green technology could deliver jobs... The federal government offered $535 million in low cost loan guarantees from the Department of Energy.

Well, here's where we can start slashing the deficit: stop big government from propping up unprofitable "green" companies. Environmental and economic sustainability should go hand-in-hand. Let these so-called green enterprises thrive or perish in the free market on their own, without tax-payer funded dole-outs. Let these green ideologues put their money where their mouth is.

Green jobs are about government subsidies, cronyism, and job cannibalism. They aren’t self-sustaining because they rely on giveaways of taxpayer money and they cannibalize existing jobs…

The green agenda soaks taxpayers. But it also packs a double wallop because taxpayers are first hit to pay for the subsidies, then everyone is hit by higher energy prices caused by energy taxes and regulations.

(from Obama’s “Green Jobs” Pipe Dream, The Heritage Foundation)

UPDATE:

Whether Solyndra is just an expensive embarrassment, or a full-fledged scandal, remains to be seen. Shortly after the bankruptcy filing, the FBI raided Solyndra's headquarters and the homes of its executives in connection with the loan. And today, a House oversight panel holds a hearing to probe how the company--whose board and investors included some major campaign donors to Democrats and Obama--got the money, and whether the administration properly vetted the application.

(from USA Today)

The only thing this President is trying to stimulate is his flagging 2012 campaign.

UPDATE:

The results of the Congressional probe shared Tuesday with ABC News show that less than two weeks before President Bush left office, on January 9, 2009, the Energy Department's credit committee had voted against offering a loan commitment to Solyndra.

Even after Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009, analysts in the Energy Department and in the Office of Management and Budget were repeatedly questioning the wisdom of the loan. In one exchange, an Energy official wrote of "a major outstanding issue" -- namely, that Solyndra's numbers showed it would run out of cash in September 2011.

(from FOX Nation)

Leche Flan

2011-08-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

A favorite Filipino desert that is a hit-or-miss to make, but not if you follow these directions (thanks to my friend Monica). I made it for the first time last weekend, and it turned out just right.

Put 3 tbsp of sugar into a llanera--an oval aluminum pan, specifically for the Filipino leche flan. Heat the bottom of the llanera with a low stove fire, continuously swirling the sugar until it melts, and turns deep brown. (Caution! Use tongs!) Once the sugar is dark and syrupy, set the llanera aside to let it cool and re-solidify. The term llanera is actually the feminine of llanero, a South American herder or cowboy. Why the leche flan pan is called this escapes me.

In a mixing bowl, put 1 can of condensed milk, 1½ can of evaporated milk, ½ cup sugar, and yolks from a dozen eggs. Separate the yolk from the white albumin by hand. Crack an egg and pour the contents in one hand. Proceed to roll the yolk back and forth between your two hands, letting the white drip between your fingers into a waste bowl, until only the yolk is left. Homogenize everything gently with a whisker, taking care not to vigorously mix the batter to keep it from being fluffy. This recipe is good for two llaneras.

Pour the batter mix into a llanera until it is almost full (e.g., a quarter inch from the top). Cover with aluminum foil and place in a steam cooker for about 40 minutes or until the batter is cured. Check after 30 min or so. You can tell when it is cooked by inserting a small knife and observing that it comes out clean, or by shaking it and seeing that it is no longer runny.

Remove the flan and let it sit on the countertop until it cools down to room temperature. Place in the fridge (overnight if possible) until it turns cold and becomes more fixed. Take a knife and loosen the edges from the llanera and carefully invert onto a plate. Reheat the llanera on the stove until the remaining caramel melts and pour on top of the flan.

Notes: The perfect flan should have a smooth, custard-like texture. The first batch we made had some bubble issues and was on the firm/brittle side; the second batch was perfect. I thought it was because I did not fill the llanera nearly to the top (see pic) in the first one and so it became over-cured. The second batch also had to sit while the first was in the steamer. I thought this allowed the air bubbles from the mixing to escape, which produced a smoother batter. Just sayin'.

The Face of Gaddafi's Regime

2011-08-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

Shweyga Mullah

Shweyga Mullah's head and body remain covered in large weeping scabs after the cruel punishment was inflicted by Hannibal Gaddafi's wife, Aline Skaf.

...

"She took me to a bathroom. She tied my hands behind my back and tied my feet. She taped my mouth and she started pouring the boiling water on my head," Ms Mullah told CNN of the incident, which happened three months ago.

"For three days, she wouldn't let me sleep," Ms Mullah said.

"I stood outside in the cold with no food. She would say to staff, 'If anyone gives her food, I'll do the same to you.' I had no water, nothing."

(from Nanny to Gaddafi's son recounts abuse)

Aline Skaf

Public hanging for this dictator.

Artichoke (and Spinach) Dip

2011-08-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

This dish is easy enough to make and is always a hit at parties.

Let a block of Philadelphia cream cheese soften by letting it sit for a while on the kitchen countertop.

Meanwhile, open a can of artichoke hearts in water (not oil!) and drain the liquid. Chop the artichoke, but not too fine as you would want it to still be chunky. Squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.

Heat some water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Dump a bunch of spinach leaves in the pot and blanche for about 20 sec. Take out the spinach with a strainer and rinse with cold water. Chop similarly to the artichoke and squeeze the water out. (Note: This dish will also work without the spinach.)

Put the cream cheese, artichoke, spinach into a mixing bowl and add mayonnaise (1 cup), parmesan cheese (½ cup, grated), garlic salt (½ tsp), and lemon juice (½ fruit). If garlic salt is not on hand, substitute with fresh garlic (1 clove, minced) and iodized salt (¼-½ tsp). Also, roll the lemon on the countertop with your palm, whilst applying pressure, before slicing it to make squeezing its juice easier.

Homogenize the mix with a baking spatula, spread out evenly on a small Pyrex dish, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese on top. Bake in the oven pre-heated to 350F for 15-20 min (or until the top becomes just slightly brown).

Enjoyed best with corn chips. Store any leftover in the fridge and just reheat in the microwave.

James Soriano's SPAM

2011-08-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

Image by freezelight

We used to think learning Filipino was important because it was practical: Filipino was the language of the world outside the classroom. It was the language of the streets: it was how you spoke to the tindera when you went to the tindahan, what you used to tell your katulong that you had an utos, and how you texted manong when you needed “sundo na.”

...

But perhaps this is not so bad in a society of rotten beef and stinking fish. For while Filipino may be the language of identity, it is the language of the streets. It might have the capacity to be the language of learning, but it is not the language of the learned.

(from Language, learning, identity, privilege, by James Soriano, Manila Bulletin, 24 Aug 2011)

I do not know what incestuous circles of affluence James Soriano orbits--I have lost track of the anemic stock of Philippine aristocracy--but there is certainly no indication of what he calls "learning" in his English prose. What is clear, however, in James Soriano's writing is his monumental ignorance and the quaint provincialism of his ilk. I have met OFWs in various stations in life who have a much more cosmopolitan worldview than James Soriano. He will be surprised, when he travels around the world, that his proficiency in the speech of his former colonial masters does not really hold such high currency. His brand of snobbery would be considered crass, like the vulgar antics of Paris Hilton who is just white trash with money.

He touts his access to higher learning through English but does not indicate what he means by this except for examples from his basic education. I hate to break it to James Soriano, but that is hardly a mark of scholarship. If he is anything like the bores in the Philippine upper crust, what he considers high culture is really nothing but the dregs of imperialist culture. It would be ironic that he thumbs his nose at our street culture, if he himself bottom-feeds on the crumbs of middle-America. In this regard, he reminds me of the character played by Fides Cuyugan Asensio in Oro, Plata, Mata who, at the end of the film, proudly announced to her haciendero and American expat guests that she is serving SPAM for dinner.

Puchero

2011-08-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

A popular Filipino meat stew of Andalusian origins. Essential ingredients in the Philippine version include: garbanzos (or chickpeas), saba (Philippine plantains), and chorizo de bilbao. The sweetness of the saba banana and the chorizo sausage complements the tartness of the tomato base of the soup.

In a large pot, stir-fry onions (2 pcs, cut in wedges), garlic (4-5 cloves, minced), and celery stalk (2 pcs, sliced) in olive oil. Add beef, cut in stewing portions, and continue stir-frying until it is evenly brown, and the juices seep out. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add water until the meat is just covered, and then some. Put the lid on and let it simmer until the beef is tender (~1 hr).

In the meantime, pan fry half-inch slices of chorizo de bilbao, a sweet pork sausage from the Philippines (not Bilbao, Spain!) that is red from paprika, until its sugars caramelize. In the absence of the real thing, I would substitute either smoked ham or turkey sausage, and add sugar when frying to get the caramel glaze.

When the beef is almost done, add the tomato sauce and the cut vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and saba, and let it simmer until these are tender. Saba (or cardaba banana) is a stubby plantain from the Philippines especially used for cooking. The long plantains available in most American grocery stores will not do. Although both cook well when fried, e.g., in Cuban cuisine, long plantains are not amenable to boiling. They turn grey and crumble, unlike the saba which becomes more gelatinous in texture. The only place to get this is in the frozen section of a Filipino store, or simply use sweet potatoes in its place.

A wonderful, time-saving trick is to cook the vegetables separately in a microwave oven using a plastic steamer. The bottom part contains the water, while the middle, porous section holds the vegetables. In this way, each vegetable can be cooked quickly and be done exactly right every time. Just be cautious in opening the lid as hot steam is trapped inside. Use mittens!

Finally add the garbanzos (canned in water), the chorizo, and cabbage and cook for another 5-10 minutes. I like simply cutting the cabbage head into wedges so that these don't fall apart when the stew is stirred.

Serve over jasmine rice, or on the side, with a refreshing glass of viognier.

Taxed Enough Already

2011-08-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

Illinois Loses Most Jobs in the Nation (from Illinois Policy Institute)

Illinois started to create jobs as the national economy began to recover. But just when Illinois’s economy seemed to be turning around, lawmakers passed record tax increases in January of this year. Since then, Illinois’s employment numbers have done nothing but decline.

This is what Obama wants to do to the whole country. He should step back and take a sober look at his home turf.

Hindi Ka Nag-iisa

2011-08-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

Today in 1983, Ninoy Aquino was assassinated by the henchmen of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and wife Imelda Marcos:

You have to be very ready with your hand camera...

Assassination is part of public service...

Today, I have returned as the President of a free people...

Pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa
Performed by: Inang Laya
Lyrics: Andres Bonifacio

Ninoy, hindi ka nag-iisa.

Disparities

2011-08-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

My friend, and contemporary in the Dumaguete Writer's Workshop, Jean Claire Dy, just told me the sad news that Edith L. Tiempo has passed on. Claire is currently based in Davao, but we have kept in touch, especially while she was doing her masters in media studies in New York.

This now iconic photograph was taken by Ian Casocot from the 39th workshop in 2000

Being a fellow in the grandmother of all workshops is one of those watersheds of my life. Though I have not written any poetry in awhile, it has given me the confidence and persistence to write, even in other forms.

THE 39th edition of the National Writers Workshop in Dumaguete City ended over the weekend, after three weeks of an experience that is always said to change a young writer's life.

Why so? Poet Ramil Digal Gulle, himself a fellow some years back, asked about this recently. He still couldn't put a finger on it. Why indeed, despite the proliferation of other writing workshops all over the country, is the Dumaguete version still regarded, by past as well as aspiring fellows, as being a cut above the rest? Is it by virtue of age, having started it all way back in 1962?

That helps. Plus of course the fact that it was the venerable Tiempos Ed and Edith who initiated and have since conducted it. Now that Dad Ed is gone, Mom Edith has taken over solo, as a National Artist for Literature at that. And she's as sharp and beguiling as ever. As essential are the venue and schedule. The Dumaguete workshop lasts for all of three slow-paced weeks, whereas others take only an intensive week or two at most.

Three weeks in the quaintly placid City of Gentle People, spent at the height of summer when one is in his early-to-mid-twenties, are sure to turn into a storehouse of memories. That the ritual exercise is held at a university town with a young population makes the writing fellows feel right at home.

(from Philippine Headline News, Alfred Yuson, 29 May 2000)

At the end of that workshop, as I was returning to my life in academia, I asked her to write a dedication on my copy of her Tracks of Babylon. She looked at me mischievously, and scrawled:

Your strength lies in your ability to resolve, not just juxtapose, disparities.

I was returning to a life of science, not poetry, which is perhaps the biggest disparity in my life.

More Human Than Human

2011-08-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

Ridley Scott To Direct New 'Blade Runner' Installment

My favorite sci-fi movie of all time is getting a reboot by Ridley Scott, no less!

I hope they include White Zombie's "More Human Than Human" in the OST!

Marlboro Man

2011-08-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

That's... literally the Man-on-the-Horse coming into Austin... A lot of people made fun of George W. Bush as a rancher. He had a "ranchette", you know, some type of place out of Waco... Rick Perry does come from a farming family. He did ranch. He's comfortable on a horse... [It] is a fairly consistent image... It's pretty powerful. It's sort of like the cowboy, old-style, classic Texas image, as opposed to somebody who looks like they were dress-up cowboy at a rodeo with a big buckle... Rick looks like the real thing.

All hat and no cattle: Look at me, I'm a cowboy! Howdy! Howdy! Howdy!

For 2012, he finds himself almost ideally positioned as the photo negative opposite of Mr Obama, a cerebral liberal with an exotic upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia who had no executive experience before the White House and had spent his adult life in academia and Democratic-controlled cities.

(from "Rick Perry: the Paint Creek boy who would be king", The Telegraph)

The "ju" of Judo

2011-08-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

Be strong. Be gentle. Be beautiful. In judo you need strength of body, mind, and soul. I don't mean beauty on the external sense. A compassionate soul is inner beauty. I believe this is true beauty. The gentleness is derived from the Japanese character "ju" which means flexibility, softness. In Kano's Kodokan book there is an illustration where a very large man is standing, and a small woman wearing a kimono is pushing his chest with her index finger, and the man collapses. This is the essence of gentleness, the "ju" of judo.

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

2011-08-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

At one point, Mr. Perry asked those in the audience to pray for President Obama. “Father, we pray for our president, that you impart your wisdom upon him, that you would guard his family,” he said.

(NY Times, Perry Leads Prayer Rally for ‘Nation in Crisis’)

In these very secular times, the liberal invocation of the separation of Church and State seems, well, quaint. This is not the age of the Holy Roman Empire, the Spanish Inquisition, or the Salem witch hunts. The liberal fear of an Evangelical Christian from Texas as POTUS is, quite frankly, hysterical. A lot of Evangelical Christians I know--regardless of their position on abortion or gay marriage--are genuinely good people who desire the uplifting of society. They are no more or less moralizing than politically correct liberals. Perry's good wishes to Obama and his family are--to my knowledge and experience of Evangelical Christian prayer--in all likelihood, heartfelt. The country can do worse. How about a radical progressive espousing an empirically failed ideology that resulted in the slaughter of millions?

Autotune of a NASCAR opening prayer:

How is this Evangelical Christian zeal any different (or less irrational) than the devotion to climate change, organic food, and yoga?

But I suspect these things will not matter in 2012, especially if the economy continues to tank under this administration. Texas has not only continued to dodge the general economic downturn, but produced a boom. In the end, what counts is not the candidates' religious background, nor even positions on social issues, but real executive credentials.

Cassava Cake

2011-08-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

Exotic tropical crop? Check.

Third-World dessert? Check.

Strange gooey texture? Check.

No high fructose corn syrup? Check.

Fair Trade? Maybe.

Organic? Maybe.

This simple Filipino dessert is easy to make and is guaranteed to impress the hippie circles in Urbana. Americans are not familiar, though, with the more general term "cassava" so I introduce it as yuca pudding.

You would need two bags of frozen grated cassava from the Filipino (or Asian) store. Let them sit and thaw for an hour. Dump into a mixing bowl. Add one can of coconut milk, a jar of macapuno, and half a can of condensed milk. Macapuno is a gelatinous variety of coconut, cut into strings, and preserved in sugar. It has an awesome English moniker of "gelatinous mutant coconut" and can be purchased in any Filipino (or Asian) store.

Homogenize the "batter" mix with a baking spatula and spread on a baking dish wetted with cooking oil. Place in the oven pre-heated to 350 F for 45 minutes. Take the dish out and glaze the remaining condensed milk on top of the now semi-crusty cake. Bake for another 15 minutes until the glaze turns golden brown. If it does not, turn the oven to broil. You have to watch every minute until the golden brown color appears, otherwise broiling can quickly burn the glaze.

Enjoy the gooey goodness.

Ginataang Monggo

2011-08-06T13:38:00.001-07:00

This is Filipino comfort food that is very easy to make. Boil a pack of monggo (mung beans) until they turn soft (about 15-20 min). In a separate pot, stir fry minced garlic (4 cloves), onion wedges (1-2 bulbs), and sliced ginger (thumb-length). Add one can of coconut milk, let it boil, and add the shrimps. (Here, I prefer using those large, unpeeled, and uncooked ones for flavor.) Let it simmer until the they turn orange (about 5-10 min).

Drain the monggo, and add immediately to the shrimp in coconut milk. Stir the pot until everything is thoroughly mixed. Add tomato slices and leafy greens. For the latter you can use fresh spinach, or get one of a variety of cooked, frozen greens from the Filipino store, such as dahon ng sili (hot pepper leaves), dahon ng malunggay (horseradish leaves), or dahon ng ampalaya (bitter melon leaves), for a more authentic dish. Salt to taste.

When stored in the fridge, the mung beans take up the water and turn pasty. Just add more water and salt (season) before microwaving to recover the soup-like consistency.

Chapchae/Japchae

2011-08-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

A celebratory Korean dish. My aunt prepared some for my despedida party when I left for the US in 2006. I wanted to prepare this to celebrate with my friends, so I skyped my aunt for the exact recipe.

Chapchae are greenish cellophane noodles made from sweet potatoes. They are thicker than the Philippine pancit sotanghon, so it takes longer for them to cook. The green color makes them look like seaweeds when rehydrated.

Boil a big pot of water and blanche a bunch of spinach in a strainer for about 20 seconds. Run cold water on the spinach, drain, and set aside.

Now add the noodles to the pot and let it boil for 5-10 minuntes or until they are bouncy (rubbery) and easy to the bite. Drain into a strainer, and run cold water to stop the noodles from further cooking. This should fix their viscoelastic properties, as they become mushy when overcooked. Put the noodles back into the empty pot, add sesame oil and dashida powder (beef flavor), and mix thoroughly by hand. Dashida is the soup stock powder in Korean and Japanese cooking. I would put about 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and 2 teaspoons of dashida for two bundles of noodles. Sesame oil is very viscous and powerful, and dashida is salty, so check as you add them until the noodles are just seasoned to your taste. I find that kneading by hand is the best way to mix the noodles thoroughly. (It's also easier to check the oiliness.) Also sprinkle roasted sesame seeds. Set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, marinate bulgogi beef in soy sauce, sugar (3 tbsp), minced garlic (3-5 cloves), black pepper powder, and bay leaves (a Filipino touch!). Let it sit for 10 min. For veggies, I use carrots, green beans, and red bell pepper, all sliced lengthwise. Sprinkle lots of salt crystals and let them sit for 5 min, then wash and drain with water, and stir fry quickly with minced garlic. This treatment makes the veggies both flavorful and crunchy. To make sure each veggie is cooked just right, stir fry them separately. Dump the vegetables (including the spinach) on top of the noodles.

Now throw in the bulgogi beef into the skillet with the marinade. Let it simmer, turning the beef occasionally to evenly cook. Finally, let it reduce and allow the sugars to caramelize until the meat looks brown and glazed. Put this on top of the vegetables. With the remaining hot, oily glaze, stir fry sliced shiitake mushrooms. (This is where I find the dehydrated stuff works better than the fresh ones. Just reconstitute the mushrooms in some of the boiling water used for the noodles.) Add soy sauce to season, and place/mix with the meat. Garnish with roasted sesame seeds.

Eat the noodles warm or cold.

Nature's Table

2011-07-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

Nature's Table was a bistro in Urbana that operated from 1979 to 1991. It served whole food with live jazz music. According to Shelley, who managed the place with her husband, Nature's Table nurtured a lot of young jazz musicians at the time, many of whom look back to that time as a defining moment in their musical vocation. This fondness and nostalgia was evident in the enthusiastic participation and attendance at the Nature's Table reunion last July 29 at the Iron Post--twenty years after its doors finally closed. It is a testament of its profound influence. Not many can say as much about their life-work.

Remembering Nature's Table (1991)

Cool Tool

2011-07-31T19:11:00.000-07:00

I don't facebook or twitter, but I live to blog. And I love my new blogging tool: a 64 GB 4th generation iPod touch. It has front and rear camera to record every bloggable moment--in still photo or video.

The photos can be downloaded over WiFi to my laptop with the WiFi Photo app. You can easily access your cameral roll through the browser.

WiFi Photo

Meanwhile, the videos can be directly uploaded to your YouTube account. It's sooo cool!

But one of my favorite new features is Apple's FaceTime, with which I can call another iPod (through a registered email) or an iPhone (through its phone number) over WiFi. I can watch, for example, my 2-year-old niece eat ice cream in the Philippines!

FaceTime

It is not the ability to take photos/videos per se that makes this a cool blogging tool--my laptop can do the same. I can also just lug a small digital camera that also takes videos. No, it is its miniature size (its all-in-one portability) and the ease and speed by which information can be uploaded and referenced on the Internet. As Marshall McLuhan said in the pre-Internet 1960's: the medium is the message.

Thai Curry

2011-07-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Thai curry dishes are easy to make thanks to Maesri curry pastes. This is ideal for whipping up something flavorful fast. They have 15 varieties of curry paste. If you are daunted by this number of options, start with the green or red curry. You cannot go wrong with these. (Panang is also good.) They have suggestions written on the can on what meat or vegetables to add, but I actually just throw in whatever I have in the fridge.

For this dish, I sauteed half a can of Panang curry with onion wedges. (I use only half to attenuate the heat, and keep the rest in the freezer.) I then add in a can of cocounut milk and let it boil. I throw in the vegetables next (e.g., carrots, green beans, broccoli, potatoes) and let them simmer until nearly cooked. Finally, the shrimps and the tofu are added last. (If I'm using chicken or pork as meat, I would cook these first before the veggies.) Season with salt to taste.

Serve on top of jasmine rice.

Euro Soul

2011-07-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

Cee Lo, on the sound of Gnarls Barkley:

That is that electric industrial Euro soul, that's what I call it... if I can call it anything.

I love how Cee Lo always puts on a fabulous show. You can see how he enjoys putting on drag. There's none of that personal-is-political crap/baggage of a Lady Gaga borefest. Just pure fun.

Punk Kids

2011-07-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

Love is a ring, the telephone

God in a Particle

2011-07-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

Existence of God particle to be decided by next year (www.telegraph.co.uk)

[We] know everything about it, except if it exists.

God in a particle? Particle colliders provide such narrow, tunnel vision of the universe. Native Americans on peyote have more cosmic vision than these myopic particle physicists.

Simulation of a Higgs boson decaying into four muons, CERN, 1990.

Piedra del Sol

If it is tracked down, it will explain how particles come to have mass and provide the final piece in the Standard Model of physics that was first set out in the 1970s, while if it turns out not to exist then the textbooks could be ripped up.

The Standard Model

Wouldn't it be awesome if the whole house of cards collapses on these quaint, silly folks?

Diēs Caniculārēs

2011-07-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Dog days are over!!!

Leave all your love and your longing behind you
Can't carry it with you if you want to survive

Exciting things to come...

Blue-Eyed Soul

2011-07-23T23:27:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse was found dead in her apartment this morning in an apparent drug overdose. She joins Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison--legendary musicians who all died at age 27. Winehouse is part of a recent crop of soulful female British singers that includes Duffy and Adele.

Too bad she threw all her gifts away on heroin. What a waste of life and talent.

Adele - Rolling in the Deep (2010)

Duffy - Mercy (2008)

Amy Winehouse - Rehab (2006)

Who is Camille Paglia?

2011-07-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

Sontag on whether she's read Paglia:

You'd be surprised at all the things I don't know, because I know about a lot of other things, and read all the time, and I don't think I'm wasting my time in what I do read. One can't read everything.

Paglia on the relevance of Sontag:

Miss Mandarin did me such a favor by coming out with this novel... Everyone remembers the old Sontag. They remember her as being beautiful, as being interesting, and suddenly they really saw her for the first time. And they realized she's dull, she's boring, she's solipsistic. She know's nothing about contemporary life. She's not a very good writer any longer... Even this new novel... She's become the toast of the bourgeoisie. She's no longer even avant garde. So she did me a tremendous favor. 1992 was a wonderful year for me, because she came out of hiding, and Germaine Greer came out of hiding, and suddenly people realized just how interesting I am.

Haha! Classic Paglia. Brash and truculently to the point.

Windy City

2011-07-16T10:43:00.001-07:00

Huge sculpture of Marilyn unveiled in Chicago

The actual white dress worn by Monroe in the scene from director Billy Wilder's 1955 film that helped make her a screen legend sold for $4.6 million at an auction last month of Hollywood costumes and props collected by film star Debbie Reynolds.

There's actually not a lot of skin exposed in the movie footage. A lot of the iconic pictures were mostly press photographs. It is more racy in our heads than what was actually shown--a testament to Marilyn's potent libidinal appeal.

Oooh! Here comes another one... This one's even cooler. Must be an express... Don't you wish you had a skirt. I feel so sorry for you in those hot pants.

Only Marilyn's squeaky, girlish voice can pull off a line like that.

The Cyberflâneur

2011-07-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

(Fernando Pessoa, Bob Dylan, James Joyce, Jose Garcia Villa)

Highly self-aware, and to a certain degree flamboyant and theatrical, dandies of the mid-nineteenth century created scenes through outrageous acts like walking turtles on leashes down the streets of Paris. Such acts exemplify a flâneur's active participation in and fascination with street life while displaying a critical attitude towards the uniformity, speed, and anonymity of modern life in the city. (Wikipedia)

Since I moved the Fresh page of my main Wordpress blog into Blogger it has taken a life of its own. ORBIS: Fresh was intended for short, quick postings of anything interesting I stumbled upon while trawling the Web, while the main site, ORBIS, remained the place for extended, more worked-out efforts that take time to write. "Fresh" suggested something immediate and current, if not the topic itself, then my encounter with it. Soon afterwards, I noticed that I put as much thought in writing even these pithy commentaries. This is why I am re-christening this blog The Cyberflâneur to signal its own autonomy. The flâneur is a Baudelairean “gentleman stroller of city streets,” a notion at odds with the efficient bourgeoisie of the urbanized and industrialized 19th century. The flâneur is a saunterer, idly meandering the labyrinthine city streets, observing everything with a detached, aesthetic gaze. He is removed from the action, but intellectually engaged. Like Pessoa's Álvaro de Campos regarding the tobacco shop across the street from his apartment window. Here, I adopt this same stance, this mode of perceiving, in my rambling excursions to our cyberspaces.

Impossible Dream

2011-06-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant
(by Jose Antonio Vargas, NY Times)

The debates over “illegal aliens” intensified my anxieties. In 1994, only a year after my flight from the Philippines, Gov. Pete Wilson was re-elected in part because of his support for Proposition 187, which prohibited undocumented immigrants from attending public school and accessing other services. (A federal court later found the law unconstitutional.) After my encounter at the D.M.V. in 1997, I grew more aware of anti-immigrant sentiments and stereotypes: they don’t want to assimilate, they are a drain on society. They’re not talking about me, I would tell myself. I have something to contribute.

Why did The Post deport Jose Antonio Vargas’s story?
(by Patrick B. Pexton, Washington Post)

[Executive Editor Marcus] Brauchli said in an interview with me and in other public statements that he prefers not to discuss internal Post deliberations about news judgment. “We made a judgment not to run the piece,” he said. Fair enough. Few editors go on the record about internal deliberations over a published news story, unless the story later results in accolades and awards.

And, I, too, see cautionary notes about Vargas that might have led to Brauchli’s decision. He left behind a reputation in The Post’s newsroom for being tenacious and talented but also for being a relentless self-promoter whom many colleagues didn’t trust. Editors said that he needed direction, coaching and constant watching.

It’s also disturbing that Vargas has formed a nonprofit group to advocate for immigration reform. He has crossed the line from journalist to advocate.

I'm uneasy with immigration advocates who conflate anti-immigration with anti-illegal immigration. There is a world of difference between the two, foremost of which is the law. Americans who disdain illegal immigration are not necessarily anti-immigrant (I found most, even in the South, very welcoming), and it is devious of Vargas to represent them that way. He is in fact also perpetuating certain stereotypes. Vargas deflects the legal issue by also putting "illegal" under quotes or by replacing it by the softer, less problematic term "undocumented". It only serves to evade the sticky issue of what to do with people like himself who has in fact immigrated illegally, but has integrated successfully in American society. Can a path to legal status be opened up without short circuiting current laws and thus incentivizing further illegal immigration? Without being unfair and, yes, unjust to those who did proceed through the legal routes? There are compelling reasons people oppose the DREAM Act, not just because they have an irrational fear of immigrants.

There is nothing unusual about sovereign nations protecting their borders against encroachment. The Philippine coast guard deport illegal Chinese fishing boats at the contested Spratly Islands all the time. Unfortunately, these immigration barriers also often oppose the entropic diffusion of populations that even out economic gradients. That is why visas are required of Third World citizens for travel to the First World, not vice versa. This then becomes a more profound question of justice that only something like an eschatological inversion can set right.

What do you eat?... Nothing.

2011-06-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

You Shall Rise Above

2011-06-29T03:16:00.000-07:00

Those elements [Julie Taymor's signature pageantry, puppetry and culture high and low] were certainly in abundance in the “Spider-Man” I saw several months ago. That production, which featured a script by Ms. Taymor and Glen Berger, placed its young superhero in a broader meta-context of Greek mythology and American Pop art, with a “geek chorus” of commentators and a classical goddess named Arachne as the morally ambiguous mentor of Spidey and his awkward alter ego, Peter Parker.

...Ms. Carpio’s Arachne (now a beneficent fairy godmother rather than an erotically troubling dream spider) provides the most arresting vocal moments with her ululating nasality.

(from NY Times)

It's a pity the new version scaled down the bold, mythic elements of Julie Taymor's original vision of the show. It would have been interesting to see Arachne as a more sexually charged (and potentially devouring) mother-goddess to Peter Parker's callow epicene. It was perhaps a prudent choice in the end. More than the psychopathic Green Goblin (in the same camp as the trickster, Joker), Arachne would have been a true horror to the show's core audience of pre-teen boys.

Balanced, Harmonius, Relaxed

2011-06-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Taylor (Butterfield 8); Monica Vitti (La Notte)

Contrapposto is an Italian term that means counterpose. It is used in the visual arts to describe a human figure standing with most of its weight on one foot so that its shoulders and arms twist off-axis from the hips and legs. This gives the figure a more dynamic, or alternatively relaxed appearance.

Contrapposto has been used since the dawn of classical western sculpture... Classical contrapposto was revived in the Renaissance by the Italian artists... One of the major achievements of the Italian Renaissance was the re-discovery of contrapposto...

Contrapposto was an extremely important sculptural development for it is the first time in Western art that the human body is used to express a psychological disposition.

(from Wikipedia)

Venus de Milo; Boticelli's Birth of Venus (detail)

Le nuvole e la luna

2011-06-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

Ecclise Twist by Mina

Modern alienation could not be sexier. Ultra-stylish couple Alain Delon and Monica Vitti in L'ecclise.

Commentary by Martin Scorsese

I'm looking for the traces of feeling in men.
~Michelangelo Antonioni