we all want our country to change, but who amongst us are willing to change it ourselves?

every day while driving to work i ask myself: what can make our gravity-defying jeepney drivers not stop in the middle of the road? i mean, don't they realize that doing so stalls traffic for a million other motorists who have equal rights to the road?

of course they don't: they didn't go to college like us. and so the problem is the philippine education system. on other days, they don't because they secured their driver's licenses without undergoing a legit driving exam. so the problem is the LTO, and for that matter the microeconomy of facilitation payments in every level of the government bureaucracy. still, on other days they don't because loading more passengers--ergo, more income--takes precedence over the common good. so the problem is poverty, and our government's lack of poverty-alleviation programs.

and why the lack of poverty-alleviation programs? because roughly 50% of public funds are kicked back to corrupt officials. and why the microeconomy of facilitation payments? because someone's child is dying of cancer and receiving lagay is the easiest way of making money to pay for the cancer treatment. and why the insufficient education system? i dunno--maybe because our government sacrifices teachers' salaries in favor of servicing the national debt. so on other days the problem is debt dependence? my goodness, my imagination is running wild.

by the time i park my car i forget about my internal monologue because the very sight of my office building reminds me of customers to call and emails to write. and there lies the rub: i stop at thinking.

over lunch one afternoon i was ranting to a friend about this daily fault-finding exercise, soliciting from him a plausible all-encompassing solution. and to this challenge he replied, "what if we break it down? what if one day--just one day--everyone decides to follow traffic rules? won't everyone feel the benefit of such a pleasant drive that we'd all be motivated to follow traffic rules every day?"

i pondered on his proposal. i wondered: what would convince jeepney drivers to set aside their personal reasons to, for just a single day, NOT stop in the middle of the road?

maybe if each jeepney driver knew that every other jeepney driver was just as law-abiding as he is--that no one was unrightfully getting ahead--maybe it wouldn't be that difficult to drive up 30 more meters to the designated loading bay. maybe if people were doing those right actions together, it would be easier.

i guess that's the key--doing it together. besides, one small action isn't enough to ease up the morning rush on C5, right?

a group of friends has started to realize this power of doing small right actions together. and they've banded--together, no less--to spread the word. all they want is to ease up morning traffic on every road. and minimize our use of plastic bags and paper cups. and have every filipino register for this year's elections. they dream big. and they start small, but together.

log on to http://www.onetama.com if you wish to partake in the dream. the only catch is you have to start doing something right--even if it would be just one small action every day.

Sunday lunch in Davao

We had lunch in this unassuming place called Marina Tuna in the heart of Davao City. My officemate had been raving about their fish eye soup for the longest time. Now that we had an excuse to return to Davao, we made sure to stop by and taste what the fuss was all about.

First up was the soup my officemate had been raving about. Flavored with tomato, finger chilis and radish, it tasted a lot like sinigang, only the bony animal parts were of a huge fish. The cartilage and fatty eye muscles gave the broth a sweet yet savory flavor--manamis-namis. How satisfying to carve out the sinewy flesh from the jagged facial bones!

Up next came the grilled swordfish belly, meaty and succulent. My boss likened it to shark, only the flesh had more give to it. Indeed, I felt like eating an exotic meat like whale or dolphin because of the texture. And I love how it sopped up its soy-flavored sauce--its juiciness making up for the denser than average cut of fish.

A serving of bihud or deep-fried tuna eggs followed. It was alright. My boss was quick to point out that this is the peasant's equivalent to the ikura I had for lunch the other day. I guess this dish--salty, greasy, and lending itself well to munching--is better off as pulutan or bar snacks.

Why my officemate ordered fried quail in a seafood restaurant escapes me. The dainty fowl quarters seemed like scorpions, especially because of its being served heaped up in a mound. Good thing it was well seasoned, with a bit of a kick. The skin's crimson gleam made it even more appetizing.

We finished off with steamed live pompano (pomfrey)--one of the creatures innocently swimming in an aquarium behind the cashier's booth. Here our culinary experience finds its culmination: the delicate, silken flesh was immaculate. It was not unlike the steamed lapu-lapu (grouper) flavored with ginger and green onion commonly served in upscale Chinese restaurants. But at P250 ($5), this dish was not only perfect; it was a steal.

take off your shoes

"Uy, si Manny!"

Yes, cut the line, why don't you. Too much in a hurry to take your shoes off and fall in line just like us plebeians you pledge to serve? Where to, dear senator? I mean, your bags are still with your security detail, on the xray machine's conveyor belt, right next to mine!

First, a business meeting was too important that you missed a public debate. Now, your personal reasons exempt you from complying with airport security?

Shame. You're so not getting my vote.

giving the smokeless grill its telos

While doing the grocery on new year's day my boyfriend and I thought of putting to use that Imarflex smokeless grill which I won in our office Christmas party raffle.  And so we snatched up 3 tilapias and some veggies to fix up a filipino-inspired meal.

2 Jan 2010: Grilled (but in effect, en papillote) tilapia

stuffed with tomatoes, onions & parsley

served with rice and a side of puki-puki

(grilled eggplant mashed up with tomatoes, onions, fish sauce and egg)

We should have put ginger in the fish to get rid of some of its lansa or fishiness.  But the tilapia was very moist and seasoned just right.  The puki-puki was also quite successful.  Nothing beats the smoky taste of grilled eggplants enhanced by the saltiness of fish sauce then enveloped by the velvet texture of egg.

Then in the middle of the workweek, we again thought of playing co-housewives.  This time my boyfriend downloaded a Japanese recipe and did the grocery himself!  Of course I still had to actually cook the meal.  (At least I didn't have to wash the dishes.)  And this time no other cooking equipment was used save the grill.  And a pair of tongs, of course.

5 Jan 2010: Chicken-tofu burgers 
(with spring onion, egg, ginger and panko breadcrumbs) 
and grilled-in-husk Japanese corn

Corn was meant to be grilled.  Period.  Grilling not only brings out the sweetness of the kernels but also locks in all of the corn's nutrition, not to mention pre-empting the use of salt and butter.  The burgers, though meaty and satisfying, were rock hard!  I guess I should have put more moisture (egg or water?).  And the tofu made it taste kind of sour.  We had them burgers with grated daikon raddish and a soy-mirin vinaigrette.  Oh, and to pump up the fiber we tossed some greens with a Japanese sesame dressing.

Breakfast the next day tasted better for me.  I drizzled some 4-week-old leftover yogurt sauce on the bland burgers.  Lesson learned: Persia Grill's yogurt sauces (garlic and spicy variants) keep very well in the fridge!

across the colorado river

too many of us

too little to spread around

Buy a clutch

Clearly she's not as wealthy as she purports herself to be.

I was at a friend's birthday party.  My friend elected to throw the bash at her backyard, and perhaps compensated for the modest setting by hiring a caterer.  But since her house is in a gated subdivision, guests still dressed 2 stud earrings short of The Palms Casino.

I was lucky to have chosen to wear shoes--I mean, I did walk out of the house in slippers.  I thought to myself it was gonna be just like another impromptu drinking session our group was wont to having. Besides, the celebrant and I are neighbors.

Just when I was debating on whether I was going to keep to my diet or have another slice of chocolate cake, this Birkin 40 flashed before me. Who brings a Birkin to a house party?

Ok, so she wanted to boast of whatever.  Hey, woman with the big purse, can you spell noveau riche? Classy people don't bring Birkins to casual house parties.  And if they do, they'd bring a size 30 at the most.

Day bags are called such because they are.  Birkin 40s don't have a respectable place in an evening party.  If you were really as wealthy as your taste in bags pretends to be, you would have already afforded a size 28 Kelly.  What's in your bag anyway?  A birthday cake?  A change of outfit?

Prada has pretty clutches, bitch.