Foot and Fire

Slowfood Italy member Dr. Jo is the owner of Rapha Valley nestled in one of the pineapple-growing plateaus of the municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto. We went there to hear his lecture and taste the food served there. As I can gather, Dr. Jo advocates traditional way cooking/preparing food, organic and non-gmo vegetables and etc, and healing through natural food. Take every 9am and 3pm Coco water plus 7leaves oregano malungay Or Coco water 7 leaves oregano turmeric Or 3 stalks of lemon grass per glass - hulum overnight then pukpukon then drain sa katsa Or Coco plus cocomeat malunggay leaves Turmeric with cocomeat - soak overnight turmeric overnight and pound to get 30cc one shot. Turmeric to be absorbed by body, should be taken with oil. Choose variety of turmeric, not bitter taste when bitten. Recommends to Use mortar and pestle to follow the natural rhythm but can use blender for those not seeking cure. Guayabano 25leaves of guayabano into liters Guayaba...

I first came to see Calabash or Miracle Fruit at the Bat Sanctuary in Samal Island of Davao Del Norte. I got amazed at its shiny skind and the roundness of its shape. Before my father passed away in 2016, he brought home a tall seedling of this plant known to cure cancer. Now, in March 2019, we had our first harvests. So far, we harvested seven (7) fruits. The first three (3) was given to a research team from UP while I processed into juice what fell down from the tree and the last three were what I formally made into juice. (Still awaiting for the promise of this wonder fruit -- 6.21.19) The juice is colored black with sweet and pleasing sourness. It has this particular smell which wards you off if you're sensitive but it can be ignored. For its claim for some medicinal cure, its not bad.

Press 100 love letters Edited by Laurel Fantauzzo And Francesca Rendle-Short UP Press, 143 pages When I first opened a page randomly, I liked the poem I read but as I tried to pick some more pages, I was disappointed that the collection is not what I can call the finest since they just appeared to just comply to reach the number 100. The editors should have solicited more entries to select from from many women writers and poets. The letters were penned by women writers from the asia-pacific region, mostly by Australians. While most of the entries touch on women loving women, I found two which touch on love as universal and I loved them because they are written without pressing that wlw really exists. The more it is being canned as something not acknowledged, the more it gets to be unappreciated. There is a pained effort on that aspect which I don't like. It's disappointing for me as a reader who has already read some collections of love letters in the past.

 One hundred love poems  Philippine love poetry since 1905 Edited by Gemino H. Abad And Alfred Yuson UP Press, 128 pages This collection of love poems penned by various Filipino writers in English spanning from 1905 to 2005 and edited by two notable poets Abad and Yuson is a delicious treat which I belatedly enjoyed by chance when I ordered it online together with my main books, the sugidanon or epics of Panay Bukudnon (up to book 7 is available). It is a UP Jubilee Student Edition and first printed in 2004 and went on fourth printing in 2014. I wish there is another collection of this kind in the next few years.  So far, I liked all the entries I randomly read. Let me pick what I liked best so far:  

The Amazing Stories of Philippine Psychic Surgeons By Jaime T. Licauco ANVIL, 2013 edition Softbound, 182 pages This book is one of the acquisitions by my sister and cousin for me during the ANVIL moving out sale two years ago.  It's just so entertaining to know some names of psychic surgeons  in the country. The book was first published in 1991 then updated and republished in 2013. This book can at least be a starting point for later research on the subject... By reading this book, I just see that Its interesting to note that the world moves in mysterious ways while I am so immersed with mine. The world is large and my concerns are so little, trivial. I rather go out and see the world, even if it is beyond my understanding. So by reading, I gave this book (and another dimension of this world) a chance.

Perfect TIme (Inspired by our 3 to 4 PM visit at Stone Peak, DSB, Negros Occidental) By Gerlie M. Uy 2.27.19 From here, you are all gorgeous: I can see the tip of your nose, And the fine line of your foot. In between, your body curves with vividness, your dotting greenish moles fading. I can't look at you with this clarity When I came to see you at first The sun could blind then and it did well. Then someone wanted me to like you By prettifying your face with terracotta hues but clearly it's not the essence of you, And I couldn't even get inside you. You were saying something to me Through the  hovering eagle or hawk or through the humming breeze but I miserably couldn't hear you; Our world was full of people then And I opted to run away fast to escape. It's not you, it's me. With that break-up line, we parted. I thought that explains how we ended, But I was all wrong. Now I am back to you when the sun is gently up And the dottin...

My Guintubdan Spring By Gerlie Uy 2.22.19 How can I who love sunshine suddenly want to jump towards you, a you who is rocky and icy? I was hesitant to approach you at first: In my head, you are the coldest, and touching you like a curious child sent me screaming that you are as cold as ice. Shall I touch you more [will you allow me], or shall I leave at once? I know. I don't want your coldness. Yet before I appeared here in front of you, almost naked and ready to plunge, I already played out many ways to get into you. Somehow, I wanted you. And somewhat, I am ready to give you all of my warmth. And it came to pass that I decided: I wanted to really immerse in you, feel you more, dip myself deeper into you. We embraced like yin and yang, and as I emerged from your coldness, I smiled. Your cold kiss all over me blushes my whole body, opens me cleanses my soul, clarifies my senses arrests all of my defenses. No wonder why love, especially loving you, give...