Sad day

"MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Former President Corazon Aquino, who swept away a dictator with a ''people power'' revolt and then sustained democracy by fighting off seven coup attempts in six years, died on Saturday, her son said. She was 76."

- New York Times

I've never had a formal education in History of the Philippines.
As of lately, I've been reading about it and trying to inform myself.
Partly, I think one of the reasons why I'm struggling with my identity is because I don't know much of the Filipino history.
But now that is all changing. I am coming into terms that part of myself.
Knowing ones history/roots is vital to an individuals self-identity.

And Corazon Aquino is an integral part of my own cultural identity.

Pavlova Dessert

This I remember vividly...

When my brother and I were visiting AUS, our cousin took me to this pub. From what I can recall, it was situated in a gorgeous setting, somewhere outside of Eltham [Melbourne].

While browsing through the menu, I came upon this so-called Pavlova dessert.
On the menu it was topped off with different kind of berries and passion fruit sauce.

OMG!
When it came, I devoured it!
It was oh-so-heavenly.
You know how much I love passion fruit... And "the crunchy yet marshmallowy meringue" and its sublime texture, was all too vivid in my taste memory.

Fast forward: when we got back in the City, I missed it so much that I attempted to make it.
Much to my dismay it didn't came out the way I remembered it =/.
Even the one and only AUS restaurant in the City didn't make Pavlova dessert the I liked it.

Because of those two disappointing experiences, I sort of gave up hope.
Then I saw the photo above on the Epicurious homepage!
I think I'm going to give it another try...

So, until then...

This is wayyy too cute!

Could not stop myself from replaying this over and over again...
Oh LOVE...

"Sebastian's Voodoo"

This is wicked cool.

A short film by Joaquin Baldwin.

"A voodoo doll must find the courage to save his friends from being pinned to death. Created at the UCLA Animation Workshop, with music by Nick Fevola."

Oh, What fun!

Cute.
Lol!

Crush.

Sometimes I discover new things and sometimes I
just return to things I knew in the past,
but regardless of how I end up where I end up,
my heart always feels like it is going to catapult
out of my chest when I hear music like this.
And I feel like I have a crush, just like in high school,
on these beautiful and genius people.
Oh Regina, Oh Dolly.






-E

"The World's Most Astonishing Landscapes"

Lookie here - remember the email that I sent you a couple of weeks ago about my "pilgrimage" to the Philippines?
One of my must-see on that list was this:

Chocolate Hills, Philippines
"The name of these unique mounds comes from the fact that the green grass covering them turns deep brown during the annual dry season, but is does not hurt that they bear a striking resemblance to Hershey Kisses. The stunner is how perfectly uniform each of the conical hills are, and inevitably, first-time visitors simply cannot believe they are not man-made. However, the scale of this construction project was best left to Mother Nature: There are too many of the hills to count — estimates range from over 1,200 to 1,700." By Larry Olmsted


Now I'm really excited to see it =)
That is if things go accordingly... *crossing fingers*

There is this thing I need to talk to you about...

I mean you know I am reasonably bright and sensible in real life,
right? (Please say right.) But something has happened to me.
And I'll tell you what it is.
Twilight.
Yeah that's what has happened to me.
A bloody teenage movie!
And I can't stop.
I. Just. Have. To. Keep. On. Watching. Again. And. Again.





Have you seen it?
Am I alone in this?

Ok.
I just have to return to my
source of intelligence whatever that
was and just close the computer.
Delete the movie file and move on.

Until New Moon in November at least!

- E

Food, INC.

Finally saw this last night.
I'm sure you know about this already... Here's a short synopsis:

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults. --- Foodincmovie.com

Nothing new to us, really.
But I thought the way this documentary was produced interesting and engaging.
It was worth it for us (Mikey-Ike, Bret and I).

I'm glad that we are part of those minute people who are active in bettering our planet.

"Sutro Path"

One of my Favorite Spots in the City - Sutro Path.

One of the many reasons why I heart this path is because...
when coming here you'd think you're not in the City.

The terrain is gorgeous.

Above photo is a typical weather in SF during summertime. Foggy, but not cold.
Also that is the mouth of the SF Bay (you can barely see the Golden Gate b/c of the fog).
The water that you see is still the Pacific Ocean.

Every bend is a different sight.

This path is by the cliff.

Rugged coast line.

Good for when you're working out your derriere.
There are three long sets of stairs on this trail.

This is located on one of the look-out point.
Kind scary because if the wind is blowing hard one (like myself) could get blown away.

The weather.

Perth today
9°C
Showers
W at 37 km/h
Humidity 76%

Um...yeah I would say the weather here is pretty average.

Love, E

Good morning!

I hope you will have the best of days.

- E

4 ways (foods) to soothe your aching Belly, By Healthy Bites, SELF Magazine

Tummy ache I loathe.
Whether from that monthly-woman-thing (although for this, midol usually helps but I try not to rely on OTC meds)
or for whatever reason(s).

Here are some remedies I thought would be useful.
I'll try these before reaching for those OTC meds.

Rooibos Tea
Rooibos or redbush comes from a bush that grows in Southern Africa. When it’s steeped it’s golden red and it is caffeine free - since coffee and other caffeinated beverages can imbalance digestion and irritate the intestinal tract. People believe that red bush has the ability to calm stomach cramps because it works as an anti-spasmodic, it has a round and even flavor, and also happens to be high in antioxidants like flavanols. You can find red bush in many flavors in your local grocery store. Its rich yet mellow flavor can be enjoyed hot or chilled as a superb iced tea for summer.

Ginger
Ginger has been found effective in multiple studies for treating nausea caused by seasickness, decreasing the pain of arthritis or even helping ease the pain of chemotherapy. Some uses this as a home remedy against heartburn. Ginger has natural compounds that work as a light analgesic and sedative, and its antibacterial properties make it the right choice to calm stomach pain. Many Asian recipes contain ginger, but if you want a fast way to try it just boil 2 tablespoons of sliced fresh ginger, then add your favorite tea bag.

Cardamom
Cardamom is valued by herbalists for its amazing carminative, stimulant, laxative, calming yet vitalizing properties. It has been prized in ancient Indian medicine and cooking for its ability to improve digestion and has even been used to combat that embarrassing side effect of tummy aches, flatulence! Cooking with cardamom is easy, just use it sparingly since it can be overwhelming. Make yourself a traditional Indian chai tea as a great place to start.

Kefir
Traditional Kefir is a fermented milk product which contains a blended mixture of several live probiotics, instead of just one that you'll find in most commercials yogurts. Some kefirs contain up to 10 different live cultures that can help stimulate digestion. These bacteria can also stop the growth of pathogenic microbes that can be the cause of stomach trouble. Most grocery chains carry kefir and it tastes very similar to your favorite yogurt. Some people use it as a base for their daily morning breakfast smoothie and just add in whatever fresh fruit is available.

This Saturday I am busy having fun.

Surfing
Eating barbeque goods
Shopping at delies
Dreaming of high heeled shoes
and
Loving life





-E

Time is Precious

Anti-War Movement (Vietnam).

Equal Rights Movement.

Alice Waters, pioneered organic foods movement in California cuisine.

Rich history, cultural diversity... that is what makes Berkeley.

This is University of California, Berkeley,

where the Free Speech Movement started in the 60s.

The photo in the middle is the famous entrance into the campus. The image on both ends is the Campanilli - awesome view on the top, you'll see San Francisco.

Far right image: Old meets New

Centuries old buildings. The one in the middle was erected around 1870s.

My 25th.

The party began outside in our garden..


..when it became dark we retreated inside..

..cupcakes followed..

..and we were surrounded by balloons in pastel colours..

..the brothers were happy as..

..and so were all the pretty girls..


.I wore my headpiece and a velvet dress..

..and we danced like crazy for hours and hours!


.Mitch did a split but my camera missed it..


..and the girls hair went completely nineties between songs..


..everybody was so happy and we danced 'til the early hours..

..before it was time to head to the pub.

When I woke up on Sunday my head was hurting and
my feet felt like somebody had driven a tank over them
but it was still one great party!

- E

My Fourth of July

Today is 4th of July.

Two Hundred and Thirty-three years ago, the United States declared Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

To celebrate the United States independence.
And show my appreciation...
I made this:


I like designing my own 4th of July tee (i made better one before).
Don't like those mass produced ones.

Twentyfive years made me appreciate food.

He took me to dinner yesterday to
celebrate my existence for 25 years.
We wined and dined at Amphoras.


I love cava. LOVE. IT.

Patatas bravas con alioli y aceitunas variadas.

Beef carpaccio with rocket, parmesan cheese and crostini.

Rocket salad with walnuts, fresh pears and feta cheese.

We also had fresh bread with olive oil, Croquetas with chicken
and plantain banana, glazed Spanish chorizo and seared scallops
with grilled artichoke and sweet potato cream.

Oh gosh SO good.
I adore tapas. ADORE IT.
And finally I found something that even
remotely reminds me of the Spanish tapas!
It was all so delicious.
We ordered a bit too much though
so for next time (there will be one) we might
just leave out the patatas as they were in fact
a tad too oily. The alioli was delish though!

And I might have to order two portions of
the seared scallops as it was exactly THAT good.
Complete bliss on a plate.

- E