Try Some Tasty Filipinos!

FILIPINOS
October 11, 2011 by Rhemassance

     I just heard some were actually shouting across the world wide web, "DO NOT EAT FILIPINOS!" My attention was instantly caught by this alarming petition. Questions immediately bugged my mind. Like, "Were there Filipino-eating people from somewhere in the world?" or "Who eats Filipinos?!" So, I searched the net for  it and found out that this so-called "Filipinos" is a biscuit brand. Yes. Biscuit. Snack. FOOD! Knowing about this, I just laughed my alveoli out of my lungs! Well, not merely because of this particular scenario, but about the article I've read.

Mini-Filipinos in two different flavors.

     This "FILIPINOS" is actually a ring-shaped biscuit coated with different chocolate flavors made by Nabisco Iberia at that time (now under Kraft Foods). Anyway, one of the articles I have read said that the idea came from an inspiration by the Philippine's, particularly Iloilo and Negros, Rosquillos. The manufacturers added some excitement to it and covered the biscuit with all-time favorite chocolate coatings. Those who have tasted these wanted more. Packets were sold alongside famous biscuit brands. 

     It could be something to smile about. But not for some like Philippine Congressman of Isabela Heherson Alvarez (term ran from 1988-2001), Ex.President Joseph Estrada (13th president of the country), and the other people against the name of the biscuit. Mr. Alvarez actually filed a diplomatic protest against Spain, European Commission (United Biscuits) and Nabisco because he thought the use of the name "Filipinos" was offensive to the native race, specifically the skin color. The phrase, "dark outside and white inside" was the actual controversy, I think, because that was the congressman's complaint. And his resolution stated, "These food items could be appropriately called by another label, but the manufacturers have chosen our racial identity, and they are now making money out of this food items." Then in August 1999, the Ex. Pres. Estrada called the product "an insult". Yeah, maybe to them. I'm a Filipino and I was not insulted because I'm proud of Filipinos being Kayumanggi. Even the white-fleshed creatures of the west burn their skins to get our color. If X-Men's Mistique can say, "Mutant and Proud!", why can't we say then, "Brown and Proud!"?

     Well, in my part, it's just like these:

• SPANISH bread
• Pan de AMERIKANO
• VIENNA sausage
• TURKEY
• FRENCH fries

     Right?

     But, who can blame the "NATIONALISTS" 

and "the GOOD PEOPLE" who only wanted to protect the Philippine Natives' name. The government just didn't want us to be compared to biscuits and be proclaimed to the world we're brown. Poor us. Yes, poor us!  The world had been calling our nation A POOR, CORRUPT REPUBLIC!!

     I'd rather be a biscuit who can at least fill some hungry stomachs, than someone who'd promise empty hopes. Peace to you guys. I hope you sleep sound and well every night with clear consciences.

     So, it's up to you if you would want or you would not want to try some of that Filipinos. Really. It's not like the Human Filipinos would die if we eat the Filipinos biscuits right? If yes, then why are there still Viennese all around the world even though we've been eating Vienna sausage for years? Sentido común mi amigo!

Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5166366.stm
http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Filipinos_(snack_food)#_note-0
http://www.ivanhenares.com/2008/05/have-you-tasted-filipinos.html
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-eat-filipinos.html

Frustrating Last 15 Minutes and Wasted Non-lazy Chances

There is something with me and the time nowadays. I've never been so busy in my eighteen years of existence. Studying is very tedious and demanding. That is why I decided to work harder. This semester, I've been staying longer in the University, more specifically in our College Library, to force myself to study. I'm exerting so much effort! Unpleasantly, more often than not, I feel like the entire earth goes against me.

Scenario #1:

6 am, I woke up earlier than usual. To be exact, I prepared for school two hours earlier than my normal daily routine. I just wanted to get really ready for my 8 am class. At 7:20, I was done with the personal things I do, like taking a bath, picking a good combination of shirt, shoes and pants, and praying of course. Right then and there, I decided to eat my breakfast. I don't usually do this because in my normal routine, I'll be late if I try to omit even just a minute to my travel time, seriously. And so, I walked down the road, looked for a place that's already open at that time and I ate a good meal. Then, it was 7:30 am and I'm done. I finished quickly because I wanted to arrive in our building 15 minutes before my class starts. And so I walked while reading my notes, just to be prepared. I was actually expecting that we'd have a quiz that morning. I was getting closer and I'm seeing some of my classmates behind me walking the same path I am taking. Exactly 15 minutes before 8 am, I was there. And I guess you might already know; there were no classes. Yes. No classes. I just told myself, "What a waste..." and sighed my lungs off!

Scenario #2:

The night before the coming of another busy Tuesday morning, just last week, I tried to be a good student again, trying to practice honor and excellence as what the university is proclaiming to the world yada yada yada yada.... So, I slept early right after I reviewed my notes. 7 am was my schedule for the following day and Statistics was my subject. They were quite strict with time you know. Punctuality is a big issue in this class because every meeting we have quizzes for the first five or so minutes. The papers we pass serve as the basis for the recording of our class attendance. Another policy is, if you are late and was not able to pass a paper with things required written on them, that means it's an absence for you, even if you still attended the class. So anyway, enough of the class rules and back to my story. As I said, I slept early; and guess what. In my sleep, I was already prepared to go to class. I was dreaming about me actually picking clothes and wearing them. I really really really thought that my dream was real. When I woke up, it was already 15 minutes before 7 am! Exactly fifteen minutes of panicking moments. What I did was, I rushed into the bathroom and took a quick bath. When I was wearing my clothes, The university alarm signaled that it is already 7 am. Meaning, I was late... and frustrated... again. Travel time would cost me 7 to 10 minutes. Even if I go to class I would still be absent in my teacher's records anyway ,so I bothered myself no more. I didn't attend the class. I just sat on my bed and stare at the open window. I did that for actually 25 minutes without even noticing time.

Scenario #3:

I was being studious again for crying out loud! Doing this hurt my head more than watching Barney or the Annoying Orange. Right after my class, that was 9 am, I went straight to our College Library (we call it the Reading Room)  to spend my one hour vacant. I was reading my notes for my next class. It was quite boring though but I got right through it. When I checked my clock, it was already 9:40 am. I still have some more time left. Since my head hurts that time, I didn't resume to reading anymore. I just let my eyes stroll around the room, and I saw my classmate. She was packing her things up when my sight was on her. So I looked again in the clock to check the time. But it was not time reading that was being processed in my brain when I was looking at the time. It was (again) exactly, as in exactly 15 minutes before 10am when I remembered that I forgot to finish my assignment! I had to pass it hand written. What I got that time was a soft copy. Again (sighs...deep, deep sighs), I was caught in a state of panicking and rush. I immediately rushed outside the university to have my file printed so that I could write it myself in a paper. I completed that certain goal in about ten minutes. With five more minutes left, I ran to our institute where my class will be held, holding the printed file. There, I saw my group mates. I asked them about our assignment (It was a group paper actually), and they said that everything was fine. One of them had already written all the files we sent to her, including my report... including my report. In short, my effort again was wasted. There was no need for running in and out the school to rush a forgotten assignment after all.  

Those last 15 minutes of my life were really frustrating. There are more things that happened to me that are similar to these. I just won't tell them anymore. I don't want to put down myself remembering all those times when I fought my laziness, exerted a lot of my precious efforts and in the end, finding out that there were actually no need for all that I did. 

Life is like this. I guess I just have to live this. Right?

CHOCOLATE PENCILS!!!

When I was a kid, I used to play with my pencil shavings. I would sharpen all my pencils, especially the colored ones, and then, my hands and brain would just start to create some fun art works! 

But, never have I ever become so interested with pencil shavings than this time, when they are made with edible chocolate! YES! CHOCOLATE!

"Chocolate-pencils" is a yummy genius idea of the two praiseworthy men, Iron Chef champion pâtissier Tsujiguchi Hironobu, a master of desserts and man behind the famous dessert shops in Tokyo, Mont St. Claire and Le Chocolate De H. and Oki Sato, also known as Nendo, an architect who has lots of crazy awesome ideas and designs, always giving people a small "!" moment. These two crazy artists turn dessert plates into painting canvases with their "chocolate pencils" which come in a variety of cocoa blends that vary in intensity, just like real pencils. The tempting pallette, if I may say, comes with a special sharpener to grate chocolate onto desserts.

For me, pencil filings are categorized under art materials. But when we'd talk about chocolate pencil filings, it's a different delectable story! Indeed, every dessert plate would become art masterpieces when touched by an artist who, in addition, would use Chocolate-pencils to give every piece the finishing touch. It is as they say, "Save the best for last!"