Archive for July 2014

Every Child is Special: A Review

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Movie Publicity Poster

 I love watching foreign movies, especially those movies that are inspiring and really impart life lessons to its viewers. One movie that I really loved is the Hindi movie, Every Child is Special. Actually, it was recommended by a good friend of mine. And I must say that this movie is worth watching.

 Every Child is Special, with an original Hindi title, Taare Zameen Par, and reissued as Like Stars on Earth for Walt Disney, is a 2007 Indian drama movie. This movie was directed by Aamir Khan as his debut film.

 After its international release, Every Child is Special has received numerous critical acclaims for its one of a kind story offering.  

 Movie Cast and their Characters:

 Darsheel Safary - He played the role of Ishaan Awasthi.
Aamir Khan - Ram Shankar Nikumbh, Ishaan's Art Teacher.
Tisca Chopra - Maya Awasthi, Ishaan's mother.
Vipin Sharma - Nandkishore Awasthi, Ishaan's strict father.
Sachet Engineer - Yohaan Awasthi, Ishaan's elder brother.
Bugs Bhargava and Shankar Sachdev - Sen Sir and Tiwari Sir, respectively. Teachers at New Era High School whose attitudes changed towards Ishaan when he is already accumulating high grades.

ON TRACK: Royals

6:30 PM 0 Comments A+ a-

ON-TRACK
This blog segment will be featuring songs every week. It will tell about everything about the song like its release date, singer, music video and cover video. What will make this blog series unique is that, I will post my own version of the song. :D

 So, let's start with our very first featured song..


 "And we'll never be royals...."

 Familiar with the lyrics, right? Well, it came from the famous song, Royals by Lorde. This will be the week's featured song for ON-TRACK.

 Song Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
I've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I'm not proud of my address,
In the torn-up town, no post code envy
But every song is like gold teeth, grey goose, tripping in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashing the hotel room
We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
But everybody's like crystal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece.
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash.
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair.

Filipino Classic: Sinigang sa Miso (Tamarind Soup in Miso)

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Aside from Adobo being a very popular Filipino dish, Sinigang (Tamarind Soup) shares the spotlight. This dish is originally tamarind-based, but other versions may include using guava, calamansi or unripe mangoes to derive its sourness. Tamarind-based seasoning powders are also used as alternatives for natural fruits.

 Meats used for Sinigang are usually pork, beef, fish, and shrimp. Vegetables commonly used for this dish are okra, taro, radish, water spinach, eggplants, and string beans. Sometimes, green finger peppers are added to enhance its flavor, while adding a touch of spice. Sinigang is best served when hot, and during cold weather.

 With this version of Sinigang, I'll be featuring fish as the main ingredient. I'll be using Tilapia for this. A twist with this version is that it is incorporated with miso.

 Here's my own recipe of this Sinigang version.

 Ingredients:

  • 1 pc Tilapia, scaled and cleaned
  • 1 pc Onion, sliced
  • 1 stalk Mustard Greens
  • 2 pcs Tomatoes
  • 1 pack Tamarind Soup Mix (you can use fresh tamarinds, just boil them to release its oils then incorporate it with the dish)
  • Water
  • Miso Paste
  • Cooking Oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Green Chili Finger
Procedures:
  1. Saute together in oil onion and tomatoes. Add in the miso.
  2. Add water and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the tamarind mix, after which, put in the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Before turning off the stove fire, add the chili and the mustard greens to avoid wilting it.
  4. Serve with rice.
Here is the finish product of my recipe. :)




Feel free to try this, too. :)
Happy cooking! :)

BE PREPARED: Emergency Survival Kit

7:04 PM 5 Comments A+ a-



Being prepared every time is one way of surviving a natural calamity such as earthquake, typhoon, and a lot more. These disasters strike with no notice, they come from out of the blue. To avoid serious effects, it is better to START PREPARING NOW, for we might never know when these unexpected event will happen.

 An Emergency Survival Kit is like your "Go Bag," where all your family's necessities are included. This kit is designed to sustain your needs for three days. I listed down 10 things that is SHOULD BE IN YOUR KIT.
1. DRINKING WATER

I would say that this is the most important thing in your emergency kit. In your kit, each person should be kept with 3 Liters of water. This would be enough for three days. It is important to never forget this for an average person would not survive if not able to drink water after 3 days.

 2. READY-TO-EAT or NON-PERISHABLE GOODS

Of course, aside from water, you need to feed your body with food. Canned goods and instant noodles are your best options as emergency food supply for they are easy to prepare and readily available.

 3. EXTRA CLOTHES

Extra clothes are essential especially if you are needed to be evacuated to safe place. Place your clothes in a bag or plastic bags so that it will not get wet.

 4. TOILETRIES

Even if there's a calamity, one should not neglect to still maintain their personal hygiene. Toiletries should include body soap (I would recommend to use antibacterial soaps to avoid bacterial growth), shampoo, anti-bacterial deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, hair comb, powder, and cologne/perfume. For girls, do not forget to include sanitary pads and feminine wash. For those who have babies with them, don't forget baby diapers.

 5. BLANKETS

Blankets are important to keep your body warm. You can also use sweater jackets as an alternate.

 6. FLASHLIGHTS/CANDLES


These are essential especially when the power is out. These will be your light source. Just make sure to include extra batteries for flashlights and match sticks for the candles. Be careful with using candles to avoid fire accidents.

 7. EXTRA CELLPHONE

Aside from your personal phone, if possible, include an extra phone in your emergency kit. Make sure to keep it in a zip bag so that no water can penetrate it. It should be fully charged and should be loaded with credits so that you can contact anybody who can help you.

 8. EXTRA MONEY

This will serve as your emergency fund. This is important so you can purchase products if ever you run out of supplies. Just like with the extra phone, make sure to keep it in a zip lock to protect it from getting wet.

 9. IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

These are considered as your precious belongings so you better include them in your kit. These include birth and marriage (if any) certificates, property titles, passports, school records, employment documents, government ID's, and medical records. Keep them in a plastic organizer.

 10. FIRST AID KIT

During calamity, sometimes, injuries may be inevitable. That is when a first aid kit comes in handy. This will provide you with supplies that are needed in treating minor emergencies.

 Your first aid kit should have the following components:

 Dressings and Bandages:

  • Adhesive bandages (e.g. Band Aid)
  • Gauze Roll
  • Sterile cottons and cotton-tipped swabs

Medicines:

  • Paracetamols
  • Antihistamines
  • Pain Reliever
  • Antacids
  • Antibiotics

Equipments and other supplies:

  • Thermometer
  • Antiseptic solutions (e.g. Betadine, Hydrogen Peroxide)
  • Antibiotic ointments


Remember the saying, "Prevention is better than cure." The same applies with being ready all the time. BE prepared. BE READY.

Typhoon Recovery

6:31 AM 0 Comments A+ a-

JULY 16, 2014. The day I really won't forget. A scary day for my family and even to the thousands of Filipinos from Luzon and the Bicol region. Typhoon Glenda, with an international name of Typhoon Rammasun, hit Luzon, with its strong winds, causing a massive destruction on agriculture, business enterprises, and residential areas.
Satellite image of the typhoon over Luzon

 It shut down Metro manila and nearby provinces. In my place, in Laguna, we have no electricity for almost four days. Adding to the agony was our water supply was also cut off. It was really hard coping with the situation.

 Now that everything's going back to normal, I will be able to share you (finally! :D) our activities during those days that there is no electricity. Well, we can't just wait until the power's back. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING to make each day productive, as if everything is normal.

 Another storm is coming, which is Typhoon Henry. According to the news, it will bring strong rains, but the good part is, it will not hit the lands. Thank God. :)

 So, I'm back to blogging again. :) I hope everybody's safe. God bless the Philippines!

Where Are We Going? BAGUIO!

12:16 PM 0 Comments A+ a-




I am really not a travel person. maybe, I can only count with my fingers my out-of-town adventures. Maybe, lack of time and money. Mehehehe. :P But when I go out, I make sure that I make the most out of it. J

 APRIL 2012. Adamson Leaders Congress. It was like a leadership training for student leaders by the university I am attending to. Since I was an elected officer then, I got the privilege to join the congress, which was held then in Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines.

 I was excited for it because it was my first trip to Baguio. It was like I hit a jackpot since I don't have to pay anything (the school covered all the expenses. :P). It was a 3-day training. Well, actually the third day was allotted for sight-seeing.

 We left Manila at around 10:00 PM. It will be a six-hour trip. If I remembered it correctly, we have to make three stop overs. We arrived in Baguio at roughly 4:00 AM. We really don't have time to take a sleep since we have a call time at 6:00 AM.
Baguio City Overview

Oh Na Na, What's My Name?

10:24 AM 0 Comments A+ a-

We all have unique talents and traits that we can brag about. But aside from that, there's another thing that we have that we can say that we really own. It is our NAME.

 We are identified with our names. Our names may came from different origins. It may be inspired by a celebrity (which I think is very popular), a cartoon character, name fusion (I will talk about this later), and many more.

 So, what's mine that others cannot steal? Definitely, my unique name. How do I say so? Then, hear out the story of my name. J
MARIDOLP PB RUBIO DE JESUS

Too long, isn't it? I told you, I am the only one who has that kind that name. I even tried searching it with Google, but haven't found someone who also have that kind of name. At first, i wasn't really happy with my name since it was spelled literally with Filipino language, I mean if you look at my name, two P's are adjacent with each other, causing my first and second names to have same sounds. But changing names is not cost-wise, so I learned to appreciate my name as I grew older.

MARIDOLP - Well, this is a combination of my parents' first names. My parents are so addicted of maxing and matching their names with ours. The "Mari" part is from my Mom's and the "Dolp" is from my Dad's. Actually, my name is supposedly spelled as Maridolf or Maridolph. But according to my mom, my dad wad was in a hurry (maybe he was too excited for i as his first born. :P) in registering my name so he misspelled it. I am not using this often, except for important matters, since my name is always misspelled as Marigold. 


PB - My second name. This is how I was addressed by the people in the neighborhood, and by my family. This is also how I was addressed during my pre-school years. This was a combination of the nicknames of my parents (I told you, they were fond of mixing their names. And I was the one who benefited them the most. :D). It is just spelled as letters P and B to make it more unique, rather than spelling it with the traditional Phoebe.

 MARI - My nickname. This is how most people address me. It much simpler and shorter. No confusion. :P
Mari, as what others address me more often.

 Yes, I am very proud of my name. It is very unique and really sets me apart from others.
You? What's your name? J

I Saw The Sign!

11:31 PM 0 Comments A+ a-

Disclaimer: This post does not intend to offend. We are all human, we make mistakes. For entertainment use only.

 "I saw the sign.
And I open up my eyes,
I saw the sign!"

 Familiar with the lines? Well, no wonder because I got them from the song, "I Saw The Sign," one of the featured song in the hit movie, Pitch Perfect. But, I am not to here to write stuffs about music or movie, I just thought that the song was perfect for this entry.

 SIGNS. We see them everywhere we go. Whether it may be a sign for caution, advertisement, or anything goes. Signs are typically used to inform people. Once we see them, we will be aware of what the establishment is about or what is it for.

 But, signs can be also entertain us. Yes, you heard it right. They can make us smile, or even laugh. If you go around the metro, you will be able to see fail signs. Either they have wrong spellings, wrong grammar use, sarcastic statements, and many more.

 I have seen a few of them but I'll be listing here my 10 best fail signs I have seen. So, brace your seats (meehhh. :P), and let's see if some of them have also made you laugh.

 10. THE "MENU"
Photo from tenminutes.ph
Really? Haha. All the foods being offered were spelled according to how it was pronounced in our native language. Very witty!

MARY HIGGINS CLARK: A Book Review (Pt. 2)

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While My Pretty One Sleeps
Book Cover
While My Pretty One Sleeps was one of Mary Higgins Clark wonderful creations. This novel was published in 1989. It was also made into a television adaptation in 1997.

 Main Characters:

 Neeve Kearny - A famous fashion designer at New York City. One of the characters that is eager to solve the murder case of Ethel Lambston.
Ethel Lambston - A bestselling author known for her juicy exposes. A regular customer of Neeve's Place, Neeve's own fashion boutique.
Myles Kearny - Father of Neeve. A retired police officer.
Douglas Brown - The hateful nephew of Ethel.
Seamus Lambston - Ethel's ex-husband.
Gordon Steuber - A fashion designer who got in trouble because of his cases on tax evasion and drug trafficking.
"Uncle Sal" - The killer.

 Story Plot:

 Neeve Kearny was maybe the only person that is worried by the sudden disappearance of Ethel Lambston. When Ethel's body was found with her throat cut, Neeve suddenly remembered all her memories about the death of her mother, Renata, twenty years ago. As she and her father, Myles, tried to solve the case, she later found out that her life is in danger, too. With the help of Myles' new-found friend, Kitty Conway, they were able to solve the mystery puzzle of Ethel's death and discovered that the one who killed her wife, Renata, is the same killer of Ethel.

 At first, there were three primary suspects for Ethel's death. Douglas Brown was found to be living in Ethel's place after when Neeve went to her place to deliver her latest purchase of clothing. When Douglas said that he has no idea where Ethel can be found, he was immediately become a suspect. Another suspect is Seamus Lambston, who happens to be Ethel's ex-husband. He was paying Ethel in alimony since their divorce. The night before Ethel's disappearance, they fought over their issue about the alimony, which triggered Seamus to punch Ethel. Lastly, Gordon Steuber was alleged in killing Ethel because of his personal hate to Ethel when she found out that Gordon was selling drugs.

 Until, Neeve found out that the man he treated with respect and love was the same person who killed her mother and Ethel. He is no other than the "Uncle Sal" she used to know. Uncle Sal's motive in killing Renata Kearny is about the ownership of the fashion boutique. He had killed Ethel because he found she was able to found out that he stole the Pacific Reef design from Renata. Then, he planned to kill Neeve to keep her from solving the case, and finding out the truth.

 Myles was just in time to save the life of his daughter from a man he thought was his companion.

 Point of View:

 The story was written in the third person point of view with an omniscient narrator, wherein the narrator was only telling the actions of the characters in the novel.

 What's My Say?

 The story is a thriller-romance combination. At first, I wasn't able to visualize the story since it was in a 1988 fashion trend setting (which I don't have an idea for I was a 90's baby. :P) But with the use of its chosen point of view, I easily understand where the story will lead, and that for me is very effective. The anticipation it gave me really get me hooked-up with the story.

Shortest Personality Test Ever!

7:17 AM 0 Comments A+ a-

Are you bored answering those long personality tests? Then, not anymore. I just saw this randomly on the net, and I just tried it. It really is short! Hahahaha.

 Try this out. :) The result said that I am a quirky person. The weirdo type, as what it said. Hahahaha.

 Click this link in order for you to try this test. :) -----> The Shortest Personality Test Ever

 Have fun! :)
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