Foot and Fire

After reading Jason Lusk's Unnaturally Delicious, I had a mixed feelings about GMOs because as far as possible I want the "native" variety or those which I saw my parents were serving us when we were little, about insisting on cage-free organic eggs and chicken because I hate feeds, about food preservation to cut down food waste because there is also som sense in using "all" animal parts so that they won't go to waste even if it means using allowed chemicals to prolong it. 

This is a Young Reader's Edition of I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia Mcormick. There is a regular version of the memoir which was presented unabridged.  Anyhow, I still read this book when I decided to do so because I was always in doubt starting it because basically, her story is already known to me, and it's linerar. But while progressing, I am happy that I started it and what I knew is only the tip of an iceberg. There's a warm feeling for her. I appreciated this book more as Malala's personality sketch. One can learn a bit about how the seed of her fervor started.  Also, I love the idea that there is a young reader's version of her book because young readers can grab the book and read the same and can come to a conclusion that 1} they should appreciate going to school; 2} they can make a difference at any given age; 3} help others even one is in distress herself (access Malala.org for her initiative to give education to all children aroun...

I was planning to read this heavy book before the year ends but because we were on forced homestay, I got the chance to start and finish it. I am happy that I chose this book over my stack of titles because it is a timely book to read given the pandemic that we are experiencing right now.   The author warmed up by explaining how we as Sapiens remained as the only homo in the story of our evolution. It is not physical strength but or language that made us through. I mentioned that this is a heavy book but of course, I judged it by its title but as I went through the chapters, actually this book is very readable and tinged with wit, or maybe it just cannot be helped that our lives since time immemorial is filled with irony. For example, we survived because we tend to gossip and believe in myths. hahahaha!   

What else are we bound to do these days of lockdown asid from eating? Watchng movies of course. Thank you iFLIX (became a VIP while I was in house arrest due to COVID19 lockdown). I am inspired to blog about the Cinemalaya's Edward becuase I liked it. Not that it is perfect, but I liked it because it was entertaining despite the hard reality backdrop. The film tells of the coming-of-age of Edward set in the public hospital. Not appealing, right? But it takes a good director, a good script, right casting to pull it off.

A Walk in the Clouds starring Keanu Reeves is a classic film you can always watch while passing the 14-day home quarantine. Unlike the times when the SARS and MERSCOV outbreak happened, the global connectivity through flights, trains, buses and ships are now massive and faster. Afterall, it is 2020. Just this morning, I posted in my facebook status message that "It is our civic duty to stay at home inorder to help stop the spread of NCOV-19. In this time of global and space travel, staying home is hard but let us do this for our own sake. 3.18.20" #staysafe

The International Mask Arts Culture Organization held an exhibition late last year (2019) and yes, this is a very late upload. I wished to make separate blogs on different masks from differentcontinents but I believe, I am too ambitious about that. I was not even able to post a general information about the exhibit alone.  Anyway, since, I got the energy to tell you something about this endeavor, I am posting the photos I got and I am granting you the priviliege to admire the pieces. I got hooked by the variety of the pieces myself. I hope to see them again, especially that Bacolod celebrated Maskara Festival which literally translates to mask.  Of course, I got you a photo of the Maskara Festival Mask, headress and costume here. The festival s  celebrated in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. To be honest, I could not remember the masks in relation to which continet they belong and I have no time to read the story that I photographed along ith the photos. So bear with me a...

Mountain View Cafe is located at Sitio Old Fabrica, La Castellana, Negros Occidental and nested at about 30 minutes away from the town proper  by using the new national road leading to Canlaon City. There is nothing fancy about the place except that from the cafe, one can see the panoramic view of the mountains and the wide skies.  To go with the native ambiance, the cafe serves up native coffee and a variety of "kakanin" or native merienda foods, like "baye-baye," "linupak," and "suman." These kakanin are small amount of sweetened food made from rice flour or cassava rootcrop.  I was happy to try the "tupig" which is a variation of the sticky rice flour with coconut wrapped in bnana leaves and cooked in charcoal fire.    The cafe is perched on top of a hill. The skies along th way. The bahay kubo or small huts are lining the yard of the cafe. n.b. This blogger is yet to be updated because...