Author: ajay

Kinunan ko ang larawang ito habang lumalakbay ang aming binibyaheng jeep galing Mt. Pinatubo. Kahit kuha sa moving vehicle without any setting, natuwa naman ako at maganda ang kinalabasan nya. Ewan ko ba kung bakit tinuturing kong dramatic ang litratong ito at masasabi mong isang larawan to na paborito ko mula sa aming byahe. Sa tingin ko lang, akma ito sa tema ng Litratong Pinoy ngayong linggong ito.

Sa simula pa lamang ay nilikha ng Panginoon ang mundo. At sa mundong ito, inatasan tayong palaguin ito. Pano na lang tayo kakain kung wala ang mga magsasaka? Kahit sabihin mo pang hamak ang gawaing ito, di tulad nating ‘white collar worker.’ San pa nagsisimula ang ating kabusugan at kaginhawaan sa buhay kundi sa pagod ng kalabaw at matinding pag-araro ng mga nagsasaka at nag-aani sa mga lupain?

(This is one picture I took from a moving vehicle during our Mt. Pinatubo trip.) I consider this shot dramatic and is in fact, one of my favorites from the trip, even if it was taken without any camera settings. I consider this photo apt for Litratong Pinoy’s theme for the week: in the beginning

In the beginning, God created the world. And man was tasked to let this world grow. What would the world be without those hardy farmers who till our land? Their work may not be as glamorous as us, the white-collar workers, but their work is equally important. We eat and we enjoy the fruits of the land because of the hard work of the farmers and animals like the carabao.)

A daytime trek to Mount Pinatubo -with a starting point in Capas, Tarlac - is highly recommended if you’re looking for an activity you can do in one day. An overnight stay is also good if you’re one who likes camping out. Overall, this was one trip I totally enjoyed this summer. It had the right combination of sightseeing, physical exercise and adventure, such as our rough ride in the those make-shift four wheeler jeeps - only in the Philippines!

Viewing Pinatubo’s magnificent crater lake for the first time was a breathtaking experience. It was like being transported to paradise after the trouble of waking up at the crack of dawn, riding the four-wheelers on rough roads for one hour and trekking just to reach the foot of the mountain. The ultimate reward is the sight of this beautiful sulphur lake…..

The lake’s color particularly stood out. It wasn’t blue, it wasn’t blue-green, it shone like emerald. I believe somebody said turquoise? Whatever…. it was an object of awe-inspiring beauty. Don’t forget the mountain itself with its unique volcanic surface.

And to think Pinatubo was the object of headlines close to two decades ago. I remember when it erupted and its fumes reached as far as Manila. Wikipedia tells us that the eruption had a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 6 and its effects were felt worldwide, infiltrating even this planet’s stratosphere.

Luckily, the weather cooperated perfectly with us on the day of the climb. It would have been different if the roads were slippery and especially because there were lots of rocks to negotiate on the trek.So one advice I’ll share is to check if the sky is clear on the day of your trip.

It is simply good that the volcano has now become a tourist attraction and is providing an invaluable source of livelihood for people in the neighboring areas.Wow Philippines!

My Facebook status says it all: why would Manny Pacquiao for congressman…. why?

It is something that continues to confound me, two days after Pacman, the greatest Pinoy boxer who ever lived, smashed to smithereens the British pug Ricky Hatton.

The obviousness of Pacquiao’s political intentions is signified by the formation of his political party People’s Champ Movement and his introduction in the Las Vegas boxing ring as being from Sarangani province where he’s touted to run next, after being beaten in the last elections in his hometown of General Santos City.

On the issue of his entry to politics, my Facebook friends are divided on the matter.There are some like me who wonder why he has to enter the tarnished world of politics.It sorts of breaks the illusion. Some of us would rather preserve the image of El Pacquiao being the resolute boxer that he is, instead of the traditional politician whose ilk are blamed for bleeding the country’s coffers dry.

I am sure there are fans of his who’d prefer him enjoying the fruits of his labor, instead of braving political rigors.It escapes me why Pacquiao would want greater fame and fortune, when he has it already. If he really wants to help the poor, he can establish a foundation for the purpose, or cooperate with the church and charitable organizations. Better yet, he may choose to support his favorite candidate, as he sees fit.

Besides, isn’t it just predictable? Our boxing hero is merely following in the footsteps of actors, singers and other celebrities who entered the political arena. One said “we’ve had enough of intellectuals in power.” God knows it also didn’t work out the last time we had a man from the movies, known for his funny English, lead the country.

I say we’ve toyed enough with our destiny. The leadership of the country is not a crazy science experiment where if Specimen A doesn’t work, you shall presume Specimen B to be the correct mix.I am just afraid that Pacman is being egged on by several people to run for public office, and these same people will help themselves to the spoils later on, as what always happens.

I wouldn’t fault Manny if his heart really is into politics.If he is,I hope he’ll be a paragon of real service to the country. This is something am trying hard to figure out with only his stellar boxing record to guide me. So help us God.

Just a few hours and the whole Philippines will be glued to the historic May 2 big fight between Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Arena. The grand confrontation is scheduled at 8 a.m. Manila time, with Martin Nievera singing the Philippine National Anthem.

I will be out of town and will not be around to know how traffic in Manila stops during this time. Although I’ve pinned my hopes on Pacman before, this time am betting on Hatton to humble down the greatest Filipino boxer of all time. But then again, I could be wrong and that makes their match really exciting

The City of Manila under Mayor Alfredo Lim has been notable in offering free screenings for the match to their residents in chosen venues, like the sports complexes. Likewise , the AFP and PNP are doing free screenings for military and police personnel. (just a note: won’t this compromise the security situation?)

On the other hand, malls, hotels, restaurants and bars take advantage of the public anticipation to sell tickets, ranging from P500 to P1000 so viewers can enjoy the show, complete with food and drinks. People are cashing in on the match, in more ways than we can imagine.

As a mother of three kids, am no stranger to the culinary staple that is the Kiddie Meal. In fact, one of my criteria in eating out with the young ‘uns is that it should be a kid-friendly restaurant. Good ol’ McDonald’s and Jollibee come to mind. Fine dining slash family restos have their offerings as well, complete with crayons, drawing paper, toys and the like. Let us list a few of them that offer tempting treats. Credits to those who makethe effort to present the food well:

Do you agree with me when I say McDonald’s beats Jollibee in the kiddie meal game? I remember when my children were toddlers and I felt numb already bringing home the McDo toys as pasalubong. Even an adult like me was specially fond of their old Hello Kitty & Daniel giveaways. They were real dolls mind you. Photo shows their present promotion featuring Tamagotchi toyz. Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal at P109.

Singaporean chain Sakae Sushi , known for their sushi conveyor belts, has the most fab presentation for their food, at least from what I’ve seen. Their kids’ meals, at P159, come in reusable ship and airplane designs. This is a good way to introduce your angels to the pleasures of Japanese food. Photo shows Japanese fried rice with beni shoga on top, chicken teriyaki BBQ and kani tempura. This mom tasted it and it was yummy!

The kiddie meal in Clawdaddy’s Bonifacio High Street is attractive too. It’s in the form of a paper toy car that can be folded too.They do have munchies for the little ones even if they specialize in cooking crabs and seafood. But the taste is not much to crow about.

The chicken fingers and fries at Bubba Gump, Greenbelt 3 are wrapped in newspaper. My kids had fun drawing in paper placemats here.

Vanilla ice cream at TGI Fridays, another kid-friendly establishment.

Know of any more places? You’d know if a resto caters to little ones if they have a separate kids’ menu written down.

Bon appetit!