Okay, here's an interesting one. One of my visits indicated this search:
Search Engine : search.yahoo.com Search Words : putting up a panciteria in the philippines So I guess someone needed help putting up a panciteria (in the Philipines specifically). I've never been in the pancit business. If someone came up to me and asked what would one need to put up a panciteria, I would probably say 'pancit?'. I guess the two most important things is a good location and good pancit. I can't help with the location, but let's talk about all things pancit. Oh yeah, in case you're wondering, I'm into this because mom just called and asked me to bring pancit for our New Year's Eve dinner. Have a Happy New Year everyone!
Pancit (pansit) actually has a Wikipedia entry. Listed there are the following kinds of pancit:
You can click on each pancit style to get a recipe. So many, I don't think this is a complete list. Benetton should launch a new marketing campaign locally, "United Pancit Noodles of Benetton"(baduy!). Benetton, call me, we'll talk.
Did you know that Pancit Malabon has its own festival? You can go here for some information on the event and its activities.
Here is an excerpt from a PCIJ article, Pancit Republic:
Pancit, borrowed from the Chinese, then innovated and adopted into our cuisine, connects us to our Asian roots. But more importantly, it is a veritable Pinoy comfort food — easier to cook than rice, and more versatile and food combination-friendly. It is the faster fast food. In fact, “pancit” is derived from the Hokkien “pian i sit,” which means “something conveniently cooked fast.” (link to full article)
Here's a link to a Pancit Chart also from PCIJ. It has a list of Pancit noodles by: - how they are cooked - thickness - make - region Let's top everything off with a cute blog post from rockersworld.com:
pancit, in terms of a romantic relationship, means that a certain party is under. It’s either the other party is the law while the other party is under the law. A statement from someone like, “Hindi ako pancit, ako ang batas!” would definitely mean that the person is indeed a pancit in denial especially if the person consumes enough alcohol to give him/her hallucinations that he/she is indeed the law. (link to full post)
Pancit is a regular part of my diet. Particularly pancit palabok from Jollibee, instant pancit canton (spicy) from Lucky Me, instant pancit palabok from Quickchow. But of course, my favorite of them all, which I rarely ever get, is my sister-in-law's pancit palabok cause she makes a lot of sauce and I can drown the noodles in them. (Update: Pictured right, me with the sister-in-law's pancit palabok, yum!!)
You know what, there's so many things pancit out there that I just gave up. If you guys have anything pancit to add, leave a comment.
Update (1/2/2008) more things pancit:
Following is a Sine Totoo Documentary on the different pancit in the Philippines. The first one deals with places in the south:
- Pancit Masyang ng San Pedro, Laguna - Pancit Lukban ng Quezon - Pancit ng Bato ng Camarines Sur
The second part of the documentary deals with areas north of the Philippines:
- Pancit Batil-Patong ng Tuguegarao - Pancit Cabagan ng Isabela - Pancit Luglog ng Orani, Bataan
Here's a video on how to make pancit canton. This one is by a group of Fil-Ams which seem to be a school project for their Filipino class. It must be, their Tagalog is so terrible I can't think of another reason why else they would be speaking in Filipino. It's both intentionally and unintentionally funny:
Here's a short film from Jim Libiran entitled "Pancit Canton". This short film was a predecessor to his full length feature entitled "Tribu", winner of the 2007 Cinemalaya Best Film and composed of a cast of real life Tondo gang members. Here's a link to an interview he did for that feature.
I never really thought about which finger my wedding ring should be. When I got married and we had our exchange of vows almost three years ago (Sept 18!), my wife slipped my wedding ring into my left ring finger. That's where it has stayed since. I have only ever taken it out a handful of times since then. Usually when I wash the car myself, which is less often than I should.
Since then though, other people have come up to me and asked me why my wedding ring was on my left hand. Some have asked that shouldn't it be on my right. I usually respond by telling them that that's where my wife placed it when we got married and I didn't see any reason to move it. Some have told me that traditionally, it was placed on the right ring finger. When I ask why that is, I really haven't gotten a good response on that other than "it's tradition".
So, being the inquisitive and lazy researcher that I am, I turned to the Internet for answers. Here are a few things I found. An excerpt from the Wikipedia article for Wedding Ring:
In some Western cultures (USA, UK, France, Sweden), the wedding ring is worn on the left hand. This choice of finger relates to traditions purportedly dating to classical times, from an early usage reportedly referring to the fourth finger of the left hand as containing the vena amoris or "vein of love" or veia d'amore. At least in part due to this tradition, it became acceptable to wear the wedding ring on this finger. By wearing rings on the fourth finger of their left hands, a married couple symbolically declares their eternal love for each other. This has now become a matter of tradition and etiquette in these countries.
In other countries such as Germany, Greece, Russia, Spain, India, Colombia, Venezuela and Chile, however, it is worn on the right hand. Orthodox Christians and Eastern Europeans also traditionally wear the wedding band on the right hand. Jewish couples wear the wedding ring on the left hand, even though it is placed on the right hand during the marriage ceremony. In The Netherlands, Catholic people wear it on the left, all others on the right; in Austria, Catholic people wear it on the right. In Belgium, the choice of hand depends on the region of the country.
Greek people, many being Orthodox Christians, also wear the wedding rings on the right hand in keeping with Greek tradition. A traditional reason to wear the wedding ring on the right hand stems from Roman custom. The Latin word for left is "sinister", which in addition to this sense also has the same senses as the English word. The Latin word for right is "dexter", a word that evolved into "dexterity". Hence, the left hand had a negative connotation and the right a good one.
So really, there is no universally accepted standard where to wear your wedding ring. It really depends where you are or what tradition you're following. One reason some cultures wear it on their right hand is that they consider the right hand auspicious than the left "sinister".
Here's a more academic approach to the subject and another reason why a wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger:
Aulus Gellius tells us that Appianus asserts in his Egyptian books that a very delicate nerve runs from the fourth finger of the left hand to the heart, on which account this finger is used for the marriage ring. (Noctes, x. 10.)
The fact has nothing to do with the question; that the ancients believed it is all we require to know. In the Roman Catholic Church, the thumb and first two fingers represent the Trinity: thus the bridegroom says, “In the name of the Father,” and touches the thumb; “in the name of the Son,” and touches the first finger; and “in the name of the Holy Ghost” he touches the long or second finger. The next finger is the husband's, to whom the woman owes allegiance next to God. The left hand is chosen to show that the woman is to be subject to the man. In the Hereford, York, and Salisbury missals, the ring is directed to be put first on the thumb, then on the first finger, then on the long finger, and lastly on the ring-finger, quia in illo digito est quadam vena procedens usque ad cor.
The ring finger. Mr. Henry Swinburne, in his Treatise of Spousals, printed 1680 (p. 208), says: “The finger on which this ring [the wedding-ring] is to be worn is the fourth finger of the left hand, next unto the little finger; because by the received opinion of the learned ... in ripping up and anatomising men's bodies, there is a vein of blood, called vena amoris, which passeth from that finger to the heart.” (link to article)
A little history on the use of wedding bands. Uhm, feminist beware:
There are no instances of wedding bands in the Old or New Testament. However, this is to be expected because wedding bands were a Roman invention. Traditionally, wedding bands were not wedding bands at all, but betrothal rings. In Roman times, wives were little more than a husband's property. Generally the groom's family would cut a financial deal for the bride during the betrothal ceremony (i.e., provide a dowry to the bride's family). When the deal had been made, the bride-to-be would be given a plain iron betrothal ring to wear. It is no coincidence that this is exactly the kind of ring slaves were required to wear; both were considered property of their masters!
The exchange of rings at weddings (instead of betrothal ceremonies) did not occur until the fourth century. The so-called "double-ring ceremony" is a 20th century innovation; such a ceremony would have made no sense in earlier times when the ring was a symbol of being owned by someone else. By the 20th century the true historical significance of the marital ring had been lost. (link to full article)
A few more historical tidbits:
According to some historians, the first recorded marriage rings date back to the days when early man tied plaited circlets around the Bride's wrists and ankles to keep her spirit from running away. Approximately 3,000 BC, Egyptians originated the phrase "without beginning, without end" in describing the significance of the wedding ring. These rings were made of woven hemp which constantly wore out and needed replacement. Although Romans originally used iron, gold is now used as a symbol of all that is pure. Diamonds were first used by Italians who believed that it was created from the flames of love. In some European cultures, the wedding ring is worn on the right hand. In other cultures, an engagement ring is worn on the left hand, and the wedding ring is worn on the right hand. (link to full article)
So there you go. Next person to tell me I should be wearing my wedding ring on my right is going to get an earful.
But for the hopeless romantics out there, here's a better story to tell why the wedding rings are worn where they are:
Why should the wedding ring be worn on the fourth finger?
There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Chinese Legend:
- Thumb represents your Parents - Second (Index) finger represents your Siblings - Middle finger represents your-Self - Fourth (Ring) finger represents your Life Partner - The Last (Little) finger represents your children
Firstly, open your palms (face to face), bend the middle fingers and hold them together - back to back. Secondly, open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb - tip to tip (As shown in the figure).
Now, try to separate your thumbs (representing the parents), they will open, because your parents are not destined to live with you lifelong, and have to leave you sooner or later.
Please join your thumbs as before and separate your Index fingers (representing siblings), they will also open, because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and will have to lead their own separate lives.
Now join the Index fingers and separate your Little fingers (representing your children), they will open too, because the children also will get married and settle down on their own some day.
Finally, join your Little fingers, and try to separate your Ring fingers (representing your spouse). You will be surprised to see that you just cannot! This is because husband and wife have to remain together all their lives - through thick and thin! (link to source)
Here is a clip I came across on boingboing.net which is currently in the process of going viral on the interweb. I've seen it posted in several places already. It's a video of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) inmates recreating the Thriller MTV. It's surreal to say the least and I watched it with my jaw dropped most of the time. I really don't know how I feel about this one. But I have to say, there are worst things they can be doing in prison if they weren't doing this:
I guess in this place when the inmates get into a gang fight, it's gonna look like the Beat It video. The guy playing Michael Jackson (lead) looks old but he still has the moves. The 'girlfriend' is really giving it 100%. If you want to see the original MJ Thriller video, here's a link. Vice Magazine has an article on-line on CPDRC. It's a three part series and has photos taken inside the prison. Just be careful on the Vice links, it's not exactly a family oriented magazine. The article briefly mentions the inmates dancing, here's the excerpt:
When not sitting around waiting, the prisoners do mass exercises in the yard. All 900 of them. Garcia had them do the “YMCA” for my amusement. It was incredibly depressing. He posted the video on YouTube under his real name. (link to full article)
After a quick search, I found Byron Garcia's YouTube account. There are several other videos there that showcase the inmate's dance routine repertoire. Here's a link to the YouTube account. You'll see, among others, the following performances:
Byron Garcia is the Consultant on Security of the Cebu Provincial Government. He wrote an article for the Cebu Sun Star a year ago and there's a portion there that discusses the philosophy behind this practice of making the inmates dance:
Inmates at the CPDRC are required to go through a workout regimen. While the goal is to keep the body fit in order to keep the mind fit, such may not actually happen if it is not done in a manner deemed pleasurable. Music, being the language of the soul, is added to that regimen.(link to full article
The article gives a lot of interesting insight into Penology in the country, give it a read. Also found Mr. Garcia's UP College Cebu High School Batch 77 profile, seems like he was a cheeky young fellow. Here's an excerpt:
So when I reported for work, they made me do errand stuff, so I quit. Then there was this Italian restaurant who hired me as a F&B supervisor in Manila, When asked for my opinion on how the Chef's ( who happens to be the owner) cooking tasted, I told him , "Honestly, taste like Shit" He fired me...(link to full profile
As of July 26, 2007, the video has had 1,152,025 views on YouTube. This count is just for the original video upload, there are several copies hosted on other sites. Byron Garcia also became the #26 most viewed user on YouTube this month. The story has been featured on Reuters on Jul 25, 2007:
"I want the prison system to learn from this," Garcia told Reuters. "The inmates are after all human beings and the inmates after all, once inside, know that they have committed mistakes, let them enjoy their stay." (link to full story)
Also featured in BBC UK on July 26, 2007:
"The inmates are very happy at the interest, they are always talking about it, and they ask how many people have watched it on YouTube," Mr Garcia.
And fans of his work can look forward to another three routines in the pipeline, including one set to the Vanilla Ice classic, Ice Ice Baby. (link to full story)
Here's one from ABCNews.com on July 26, 2007:
"As a jail officer, I got worried when I saw it," Rubio told ABCNEWS.com. "I know that the Cebu Provincial Jail is undermanned like some of the city jails, and securing those vast numbers of inmates poses a big problem. Inmate dancing is not prohibited in our Operations Manual, but the one performed by Cebu Provincial inmates was a disaster in waiting." ... "I suppose the inmates have some fun," said Latessa, who cited several examples of similar programs that have been attempted, and for the most part abandoned, by American prison officials. "But there's always a concern when you have programs like that and you're offering them as rehabilitation programs. The people that are participating think they're getting something out of it, but they're not." (link to full article)
It seems Mr. Garcia wasn't very happy with the Vice Magazine articleon CPDRC. He gets the guy back big time by posting a video on YouTube:
And the comment from Mr. Garcia himself accompanying the video:
Let me just settle a score with this australian bloke... I just ignored him when he wrote lies about me on viceland.com. I don't know why he posted ugly shots from a different jail on his video. The Warden of that jail Col. Nemenio can attest to the fact that this guy slept with inmates in that jail called BBRC. That was also his request from me which I denied for health reasons. We don't have HIV testing kits at the clinic, I was afraid our inmates might be infected with that virus. NOW, here's a preview on the "thriller Girl's" routine. Please enjoy and lets us not worry to much... be happy! I just want to thank the whole world for interest they have shown in my videos! I am greatly humbled!
A few local companies have found the video performances so inspiring that they want to send employees for special performances. The first is Saturday - for a donation. Garcia suggested a news crew should pay up to see "Thriller," too.
At 7:15 a.m. comes the call for inmates who have court hearings today. The departures take away six key dancers for "Thriller," so it won't be on today's itinerary anyway. Instead, practice focuses on a new song, Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder's "Together in Electric Dreams," a carefully chosen homage to the inmates' fans.
I've seen several demonstrations on the net of different computer interfaces but this is certainly one of the most exciting and impressive demos I've ever seen. A multi-touch/multi-user interface. *drool*
This thing isn't going to work for those cramp office cubicles. Also, although it does look awkward to be sitting down and flailing your arms, I hope you won't have to be standing all the time when using this thing. That would be trading RSI with varicose veins.
***Warning:Gross Alert***
When I did a search for varicose veins so I could link to a resource on the subject, one of the google results caught my eye. I imagine it would catch the attention of any literate human male. I always associated varicose veins with legs. Well, not anymore. Apparently you can get varicose veins of the scrotum (*cue thunder and lightning*). It really doesn't sound like something you would want to have. Don't worry about clicking the links, there are no pictures. In case the ladies feel left out, well do not fret. Ladies get a better deal - you can get varicose veins of the vulva and/or labia. Isn't science fun!
Funny how this post started with cutting edge technology and ended with something you don't want anywhere near a cutting edge.
Internal Critic: Very informative post. Definitely scores high on the variety scale. Subject transition was smooth. The closing statement was tasteless juvenile humor but witty. I think I'll give a 8 put of a 10.
You know how people say you can do everything in a mall nowadays? Well, I never realized how true that statement is until this weekend.
Driving along the Kalentong stretch passing the Marketplace Mall, I was bombarded by several signs declaring the Lowest Rates for a 10-hour motel stay. Then when I actually processed what I was reading, it dawned on me that this motel was actually in the mall.
I took the pictures of the signs with my mobile phone so they’re not so great. Here's what they actually say:
10 hours Promo Pay as low as 490 Php 5th level Marketplace Mall
Garage Parking open 24 hours (4th and 5th levels)
So the motel is in the 5th level of the mall. Guess where the movie theaters are? Well, they're in the 6th level. So, when you go on a date in this mall, it can go like this: see a movie, have dinner and... take a nap. Well, it's really your choice what you do in 10 hours. Cross-stitch? Complete a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle? Use your imagination - or not (you can be very literal too). After a good nap, cross stitch, or puzzle you may be in the mood for a little karaoke. Just a few meters away from the mall is Maligamgam KTV. For our foreign friends, 'maligamgam' means lukewarm. I wonder what message they are trying to convey. Not too hot and not too cold - the GROs wear pants and they're apathetic.
Somebody must have thought that people might think it's inappropriate to have a motel inside a mall. Check out this document I stumbled upon: Mandaluyong City Comprehensive Profile 2004. It has a portion actually giving consent for the motel to operate inside the mall:
5.07 Tourism
• Resolution interposing no objection to Asia Inns, Inc. for the operation of Sogo Hotel branch located at the Market Place, Gen. Kalentong St, this city
I bet they don't discuss it in city government meetings when a restaurant wants to put up shop in a mall :P I just noticed a couple of things about Manila Managed Services group:
1. Women out number Men 2 to 1. Interesting especially after reading this article. Amazing how similar and yet different two cultures can be.
2. Our people are either really shy about taking the last piece or they have a natural aversion to donuts. A lone donut has been sitting in our area for almost a week now.
40. You eat every last grain of rice in your bowl, but don't eat the last piece of food on the table.
It's not right to treat donuts this way. Isn't there a Donut Abuse hot line we can report this to? Homer would be horrified.
The Lone Donut Journal (Day 5): It's been five days since I was abandoned. I think I saw someone peeking through the gap of my box. He must not have seen me as I was in the far corner. Was someone really there or am I seeing things? I think I'm going crazy. No one wants me. I feel like there's a hole in the center of my being. I feel incomplete, like something is missing. A munchkin! I need a munchkin!
This by the way is the 30th post for this blog and to celebrate, I'm changing the blog description once again (we're going brief this time):
A monument to a memory until the tide
For a couple of weeks now I've noticed that some metro aid workers around Manila have swapped their bright yellow and red shirts for a black shirt with bold MMDA pink letters saying "PULIS OYSTER". First of all, I saw the wisdom in bright yellow and red shirts; they're easy to see by motorist when they're working on the road. But I guess that MMDA pink is just as hard to miss. You certainly notice those urinals they installed all over the place. I've been wondering for a while now what police oysters were. A few ideas have popped into my head, primarily circling around the fact that oysters are considered aphrodisiacs. So I finally remembered to google it and apparently I was pretty far off. It is a government project and oyster is an acronym: Out-of-School Youth Serving Towards Economic Recovery. Probably a good government program but really, a little more time spent brain storming and they could have come-up with a better name than that. Here's a document from the PNP website that has something about the OYSTER Program (search for 'oyster'). It's apparently for the youth, so why do some of them look old?
UPDATE: Letter of Instruction OYSTER Program from the PNP website. It’s amazing that after Apple announced the new iPhone, their stocks went up and Palm, BlackBerry, and Motorola's stocks slid. Just shows how much a revolution the thing is. Desktop class Email and web browser, so you don't get that text version of a website. You see it like how you would in your computer browser. It's a fully functioning iPod. Oh yeah, it's also camera phone. That multi-touch technology is great. I completely agree with the guy who saw one of the first demos's of iPhone and said "you had me at scrolling". Watching the full Mac World presentation of the iPhone made me all giddy about what it meant. Other companies will have to follow their lead or come up with something to compete. This must be how those Japanese schoolgirls feel when they see Brad Pitt. Maybe if I blog about it enough they'll send me one? An iPhone I mean, not a Japanese girl. Well, just in case, let’s put in a few phrases in this blog that will make for interesting search results for Apple to see:
- iPhone is cool! - iPhone is kickass! - Zune sucks! - Apple kicks Microsoft ass! - iPhone's the best!
I'll probably be last in the search results, but hey, it doesn't hurt to try. For those hoping to actually purchase an iPod, it isn't available in Asia until 2008. And by that time it might not be named iPhone.
Speaking of phones, everybody put this in their to do list: get listed in public directories. Wait, scratch that. Everybody don't get listed. You'll only hurt my chances of getting the money. I must have read more than a couple of articles from local news websites that have said that local internet is recovering from the slow internet caused by the December earthquake. I wonder what ISP these writers are using. My supposedly broadband PLDT DSL connection is still at dial-up speeds. It just hurts to think that they will be charging the same fee no matter what. But really who expects customer service from our local utilities.
This page contains the English translation of the song Kastilyong Buhangin as performed by Pilita Corales. The text to the original song can be found here. As to why this post exist at all, check out this entry.
Castle of Sand (Translated by echu)
Sometimes a promise can be compared To a castle of sand Most fragile and if not untouchable It crumbles at a blow of the wind
The tide of mistaken love Is its mortal enemy If it kisses the shore The castle falls
Chorus So before we speak the lover's oath In our thoughts and in our deeds Let us ponder if love is everlasting Even after our destinies diverge
Once two hearts pledged An endless love A sand castle’s promise it seems Love that is fleeting
Momentary, bringing only tears That was our kind of love It crumbled like a castle of sand
So I guess someone needed help putting up a panciteria (in the Philipines specifically). I've never been in the pancit business. If someone came up to me and asked what would one need to put up a panciteria, I would probably say 'pancit?'. I guess the two most important things is a good location and good pancit. I can't help with the location, but let's talk about all things pancit. Oh yeah, in case you're wondering, I'm into this because mom just called and asked me to bring pancit for our New Year's Eve dinner. Have a Happy New Year everyone!
- Pancit Bíhon
Did you know that Pancit Malabon has its own festival? You can go here for some information on the event and its activities.
Pancit is a regular part of my diet. Particularly pancit palabok from Jollibee, instant pancit canton (spicy) from Lucky Me, instant pancit palabok from Quickchow. But of course, my favorite of them all, which I rarely ever get, is my sister-in-law's pancit palabok cause she makes a lot of sauce and I can drown the noodles in them. (Update: Pictured right, me with the sister-in-law's pancit palabok, yum!!)
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