"What do you eat?"

You can imagine how often I am asked that question by people. Sometimes, followed by ".....salad?.....boiled vegetables?......do you eat rice?......I bet you don't drink Coke!.......so, you don't eat sweets?.....But fish is okay, right?"

I have been known to sheepishly joke about "not being a rabbit", or playfully correcting them by saying I am actually "veginese". Then of course, next comes the subtle accusation that I am a closet meat-eater. "I mean, you're 200 lbs., and you eat just vegetables?" Hello.... duh!.....cows? elephants? carabaos? They're vegetarian too! (Okay, okay, I need to lessen my food intake)

Just to satisfy the curiosity of those people, I would like to share what I ate this past week:

Sunday (Today) - as of posting time

Breakfast - Burger Steak ("Arrow" brand, made by the Seventh Day Adventists. They're all-veg) with gravy made by my wife;

Saturday (Yesterday)

Dinner - Bittermelon Rasam (a south indian soup dish) which I topped off with fresh organic coriander from our farm; Pakbet made with vegetarian bagoong we bought from "Nature's Original" in Tagaytay; Fried Tofu sprinkled with Amchoor (dry mango) Powder and topped with fresh tomatoes. Now, the vegetarian bagoong is not a necessity. We had some, so we used it. Carp Patis, which is made from soya and can be found in most grocery stores, or loads of tomatoes would have done just as well.

Lunch - Curried chickpeas and potatoes (not so spicy, so the kids enjoyed it too!); Pancit bijon guisado; Home-made Chapatis brushed with a little ghee, Mango Chutney;

Breakfast - Grilled barbeque (vegetarian, of course), marinated in our secret sauce ;-)

Friday

Dinner - Fried squash flowers stuffed with our mashed potatoes; Lime chutney; Eggplant, spinach and tofu hot pot

Snack - Gonuts Donuts (sugar glazed & pastillas de leche flavors)

Lunch - Cucumber, bittermelon & tomato salad with rice (That was all I could eat at the affair I went to, although it doesn't happen that often)

Breakfast - Vege-hotdog (From Country Vege-Foods) and Vege-burger (From Hapilife, Olongapo) with rice

Thursday

Dinner - Hearty curried vegetable soup

Lunch - Packed vegetarian lunch from Rho-Del vegetarian stall located at the Olongapo Market c/o our client

Breakfast - Banana Loaf (which we bought from Country Vege-foods)

Wednesday

Dinner - Vegetable Pasta and leftover pizza

Lunch - One extremely large pizza (half all-cheese and half mushroom and spinach in white sauce) from Extremely Expresso

Breakfast - Assorted Fruits in Season

Tuesday

Dinner - Indian Lentil Soup w/ Okra (Sambar)

Snack - Krispy Kreme Donuts (which we bought the day before from Bonifacio High Street)

Lunch - Potato Bhajee and fried Vadais (Thick lentil fritters)

Breakfast - Banana w/ home-made Yoghurt and Vegetable Samosas (From Taj Grocery)

Monday

Dinner - Vegetable Sinigang & "Lumpiang Hubad"

Lunch - Take-out food from Country Vege-foods in San Juan, enough for the entire family.

Breakfast - Hash Browns

So there, life as a "veginese" ain't so bland at all, right?

I Love the Weather!

I keep a wall clock with a built-in thermometer on my living room wall, which tells me how cool or warm it is inside my home.

For the past two days, I have woken up to a comfortable temperature of 23 Deg. Celsius and I really feel good about it. Its actually wonderful compared to the 29 Deg. I usually get during summer time.

This cooler weather means that I do not need to switch my airconditioner on, and in fact do not even have to run my ventilators/fans at all. My refrigerator's temperature settings have also been adjusted, the contents are much too cold to be just "chilled". We have started using our thick comforters again, and can snuggle up beside my partner without feeling too warm. For some reason, I enjoy my warm meals more and top them off with a cup of hot tea. We have started heating our bathing water as well.

I notice my neighbors don't switch their A/Cs on too, making my nights really quiet. Nothing to hear but the nocturnal creatures' wild calls to each other.

The scents of all the plants and flowers seem to travel better in this cooler temperature, and I can hear the crickets in the evening and birds in the day agree with me. I woke up yesterday to a scent similar to honey-lemon. I imagined some citrus smelling tree dripping its sap on a bee hive and mixing its juices together. Now I wonder if my daughter slyly wiped some Halls candy somewhere near me while I was asleep.

Outdoors, I estimate the temperature to be at least a good degree or two less, but the sun still shines warm, so I can hang my clothes out to dry.

I also had a nap this afternoon, something I don't usually have the luxury for. It was a pleasant one because of the cool weather.

Manila was said to have clocked in a cool (literally) 19 Deg. Celsius sometime early today. I wonder how it must be in Baguio or Tagaytay. It must be really cold there.

I am ecstatic, PAGASA just announced that we should yet prepare for colder weather in the days ahead. Yipee!

The Real Spirit of the Katipunan

I should be celebrating Gat Andres Bonifacio's birthday tomorrow, but aptly enough...

With what Senator Antonio Trillanes pulled off today, I am compelled to react, not to support or condone his actions, but merely to remind everyone that love of country is not about creating discord or chaos, enticing revolutions or sowing hatred.

Our National Hero Jose Rizal knew all too well that any profound change must start from ourselves, and naturally, all change that is meaningful to us is one that results in harmony, cooperation, understanding and ultimately Love --- love for fellowman, love for country.

Ultimately, history will be the judge of today's theatrics.

Every 7th of each month, a small group of people quietly meet in a small house somewhere in the heart of Manila, Quiapo to be exact, to meditate on, study and share positive thoughts on the Kartilya ng Katipunan written by Emilio Jacinto. The Kartilya is a collection of 14 tenets which once upon a time, formed the heart of the Katipunan's values. The lessons of more than a hundred years ago still ring true and are as relevant as they were then, today. Read more about the movement here.

Did the Katipunan, long held as the unifying symbol of revolutionary nationalism or which serves as the basis for the advocacies of many so-called nationalist movements we see commonplace these days, espouse the use of force as a means to an end? Read here and be the judge. (Note: click on the blue links for an english translation)

If you want positive change, including that of the world around you, start with yourself.

"We must be the change we want to see" - Mahatma Gandhi

Hapilife: A Real Find

I guess I just couldn't help it. I said I wouldn't blog about restaurants, but this one is just too good to be true --- at least for us vegetarians!

I came across this vegetarian restaurant while I was exploring the streets of Olongapo a few months ago, purely by chance. I wanted to find Olongapo's best pancit, and I was told by a friend that I would find it at a place called Rico's. It was practically next to Rico's that I found Hapilife Healthy Food Corner. I would have simply zipped past it if not for its huge tarpauline sign laid across its front entrance. It helped that it bore a huge green leaf as part of its logo. I was compelled to stop and see what the place was all about.

Amidst the chaos of Olongapo's side streets, I surprisingly found the surroundings refreshingly peaceful, well-venilated (windy, in fact), lovingly decorated and comfortably clean.

To my delight, they offered snacks and meals at a price range well within the means of its primary market, students from a nearby elementary and high school. A cheese "burger" costs P20.00 and their Combo meals are at P45.00, Most other entrees cost around P35.00.



I suggest visitors try their Lian Me cold noodles (P25.00), Veg Kare-Kare (P35.00), Fried Rice (P25.00), some nuggets (P25.00) and lemon shake (P15.00). That loadful amounts to just P125.00, and believe me, two can fill up with that much food. The servings are generous.

In fact, to my palate, I would consider their preparations as gourmet vegetarian. I find myself quite fortunate that I can get such quality vegetarian meals not too far away from where I work and live.

Another pleasant surprise was when I found out that the owner, Teddy, was like me a student of the Tao. Those that follow Taoist philosophy do not eat meat. Teddy's labor of love will literally show in his work and in the manner he maintains his place. He actually does most, if not all, the cooking.

I was happy that the students nearby have a place to partake of healthy and affordable food. Seeing that the place has been operating for several months now makes me happy that they seem to be doing well. I have frequently taken food home for my family and had some delivered to work on several ocassions, and I must say their food is consistent.

I came by for lunch the other day and decided to finally blog about Hapilife, in the hope that more people patronize such a worthy endeavor.

Oh, and while waiting for your meal to be served, do go through the reading materials Teddy has made available to his guests. I found the collection, mostly of health-related articles, a good and informative read.

Hapilife Healthy Food Corner is located at 18 Corpuz St., West Tapinac, Olongapo City, Philippines. Tel. Nos. +63919-807-0968 and +63906-512-5148

My 'Personal' National Attire

Recently, I decided to find out what our national attire as Filipinos really was, mainly for the purpose of embarking on an advocacy to promote nationalistic pride through the use of attire as a medium.

Frustratingly, all roads led to the 'bahag' (loin cloth) or some other form of vestment inappropriate to be worn in contemporary times, especially in the big city.

I then posted a plea for help on one of my e-groups, LightShare. My good friend, Ed Aurelio "Ding" Reyes responded that the barong would instead be a better candidate. In spite of the fact that its roots can be traced no so far back, to the Spanish era, where our colonial masters insisted that it be worn by the Indios for the simple purpose that one could easily see through its thin material whether the wearer was armed. Their paranoia led to our acceptance and use of the barong to this very day. Ding added that the symbolism can be seen positively as well, as a sort of show of transparency not only of dress, but of inner strength or inherent character.

Many others responded that whatever attire one wears, as long as they are comfortable, should be sufficient. I beg to disagree. They completely missed the point. I wanted to define what it is we should wear to identify us as Filipinos, so that we become deliberate in our actions, for any good we do will be attributed to us being Filipinos and any ill actions are avoided at all costs lest we allow ourselves to bring shame to our country. An idealistic concept, I must admit, but one I subscribe to nonetheless.

After having a hearty dinner tonight at Evergreen, one of the few vegetarian places to dine in Makati and located at the Food Choices of Glorietta 4, my friend and I stumbled upon a magazine booth that sold a unique wrist trinket. It was made of abaca and manufactured by a group promoting nationalistic pride by wearing this abaca band. (More info can be found at http://www.yabangpinoy.com/)

Hey, I thought, this would be a great way to achieve the goals I set forth to do a few weeks ago while I was sorting my concept out. In fact, I am now considering supporting this movement in lieu of my own advocacy. I find their ideals genuine enough to merit my time and effort. Oh well, let us see what comes of it. I will start digging up more info on the movement.

In the meantime, I am adding this to the array of boodles already on my wrist. In addition to a copper band bearing the words "Hare Krishna" in sanskrit and another ornament made of native black wooden 'Kamagong' beads, which I thought would constantly remind me of my noble roots, the abaca band seems to fit nicely on my collection of increasingly confusing wrist "what-have-you's".