Going Bananas

According to Taste Atlas, our very own fried bananas known as turon (deep-fried banana rolls) and maruya (fried banana fritters) are included in the 50 best deep-fried desserts in the world.

They may not be the healthiest of choices but are very popular as desserts or for afternoon snacks. Turon which is sugar-dusted and rolled in lumpia wrapper with slivers of ripe jackfruit ranked in 21st place. The lumpia wrapper makes it so crispy especially when it is newly cooked. Maruya, mashed banana mixed with batter and deep-fried was in 36th place, ranking nine places above the popular US dessert funnel cake.

Photo culled from Rappler. This a Turon.

Sometimes, when we need dessert or merienda,we buy turon at the nearby store at P12 each. In malls, they sell it at P25.

Bananas like sweet plaintain used in these two recipes are rich in fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients.

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Monday Blues

It’s Monday morning and the sun is shining brightly. I don’t want to  vent my ire on a start of the week but I can’t help it.

Early this morning, I went out to sweep the streets fronting our house and at the side road too. Been doing this for a long time, at least thrice a week even if the village has its own maintenance crew who visits once a week. And I blogged about this before. The usual cigarette butts, candy wrappers, some dried leaves from our neighbor’s bamboo tree but what I noticed was a bag full of plastic cups, plastic spoons and forks, burger wrappings, styrofoam boxes with left over food. My gosh, some people don’t even know the meaning of the word “discipline”. As long as it is not in their backyard, so be it. I bet, this plastic bag came from a moving car and they just threw it haphazardly in the street.

The Metro Manila Dev. Authority has anti-littering law but I guess it is only implemented in public conveyances like jeepneys and buses. They’re required to provide a garbage receptacle for their riders.

I slept for eight hours with at least three CR breaks in between. I drink a lot before going to bed, that is why and sometimes I wake wanting a glass more. Research say it is not good to drink at night to avoid comfort room breaks and disrupt sleep. When you feel dehydrated, I guess, a half glass would be okay.

How was your weekend?  Happy June month everyone 🙂

 

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Winds Of Change (Day 36 of Corona’s Impeachment Trial)

Trite as it may sound, I actually missed the Impeachment trial. For almost a month, our senator-judges were on recess so the impeachment resumed only yesterday (day 35).  Sen. Sotto gave a recap on the previous days of the impeachment trial.  Last March 22, Justice Secretary de Lima sent a letter saying that she cannot testify and on May 4, the Prosecution filed a motion to quash on the appearance of de Lima. Senate Pres. Enrile ruled that the motion was denied, and allowed the Defense to summon DOJ  Sec. de Lima to testify again.  But things have changed, this afternoon, one of the Defense lawyers  Jose Roy III said that they might not need to present de Lima after all.

It’s  quite interesting to note that whereas before, the Prosecution team earned the ire of Senate Pres. Enrile for being unprepared, this time, it’s the Defense’ turn to receive admonition  and frequent banging of gavel from Sen. Enrile. He said that all witnesses presented yesterday during the resumption of the trial were irrelevant to the Article 2 of the impeachment.  “If you think there is no case presented before this Court, that’s your problem. I guarantee that we’ll give you a fair trial”, Enrile said to the Defense. Nothing much has been discussed yesterday because the Defense  was  not ready to present more witnesses so the trial was adjourned early.

There was quite a big difference though on what happened today. The trial started with Sen. Angara making a manifestation as regard to the Defense motion that he inhibits from the proceedings since his son, Rep. Sonny Angara is a spokesperson of the Prosecution team.  He said and I quote: “I consider it as a constitutional duty on my part to act as a judge & no argument can convince me I should inhibit.”  He reiterated that  he had no hand in his son Rep. Sonny Angara being chosen as one of spokespersons for the Prosecution.

It was Defense lawyer Roy who conducted the direct examination of the  first witness of the day, Atty. Lucita Cristi, RTC Clerk of Court to prove ownership of Basa Guidote Enterprises. Cristi testified that there were two libel cases against the Basa family but before the final  court order, the principal against the case  Jose Ma. Basa  died  and the Prosecution questioned why there was still a motion for execution when law says that the death of the accused frees him from any  civil and criminal liability.  It seemed that the wife of the chief justice had again a hand in this because these two cases  prompted the shares of stock of the Basa group to be auctioned publicly.  Next witness was Sheriff Joseph Bisnar  and he was there to prove that the Basa shares of stocks consisting of about  4, 839 were auctioned as a result of Mrs. Corona’s kin, the Basas  losing in the libel case. And this is the most interesting part. The public auction was only attended by CJ Corona’s daughter Carla Castillo,  her mom and her lawyer. Castillo bought the shares at only P28,000.00  but the par value of the shares  and actual worth was almost half a million making her the majority shareholder  by having more than 90% of the total ownership of the Basa group (Basa Guidote Enterprises).  Money changed hands between daughter and mother with the latter acting as the executor. Any right-thinking individual would ask, if it was a public auction, why was it that there was only one bidder?  And the bid price was so undervalued.

It seemed that getting Bisnar as a witness backfired on the Defense. He didn’t even know that Jose Ma. Basa died prior to issuing the writ of execution. He belongs to the judicial branch of the government and yet he was not so sure about Corona being the Associate Justice around the time the sale was done.  Prosecution pointed out that writ of execution should not have been implemented because the accused is dead.  The Prosecution took more time questioning the witness than the direct examination by the Defense. They did their homework coming out and eliciting more facts about the sale of such stocks which seemed to be questionable.  And here’s the bombshell, a positive one if you ask me, Roy said that Corona told him that he is willing to testify. Yahoo, when will that be, the people are waiting. Senator Lacson suggested that Corona make a waiver on his dollar accounts because they fear that when the time comes that the latter presents himself to the court, he might invoke his right to self-incrimination and the bank secrecy law. Roy said that if the  Impeachment Court is inclined that they  should address the  issue of $10M,  which is now pending  in  the Ombudsman, then they will willingly confront the issue.  Sen. Enrile said to the Defense that “any asset, regardless of whether legally or illegally obtained, is a function of the SALN. ”

I’ll wait for the day when the Chief Justice will have his day in court, defending himself  and proving to each  and every Filipino that he deserves an acquittal, not a conviction.

In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same. 
-Albert Einstein 

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Men On Two Wheels

I don’t know why I am even blogging about them because they don’t really deserve a big applause from me. I am not generalizing but the few times I encountered some of them, it was all a fiasco.

Men on two wheels – either on motorbike or on bicycles, take your pick. Not long ago,I blogged about  someone whom my family and I saw right after we went out of the church for a Sunday mass. Our car was sandwiched between two motorbikes. I cringed at the thought of a whole family riding on a motorbike, obviously the father , without a helmet was behind what looked like a three-year old kid, and behind him was obviously the wife with a baby between them. Even my daughter was shaking her head when she saw them. Our minds were full of “what ifs”. What an irresponsible way to have your family exposed to dangers on the road, I really can’t imagine.

Four years ago when my dad was in the hospital my brother and my niece were hit by over speeding motorcycles in a span of a week.  My brother and his family were just vacationing from the US because dad was so ill by then. One morning, he and my oldest brother went out to buy hot pan de sal for our breakfast at the hospital. The little bakery was just across the hospital but it took them so long so I called up my oldest brother on the phone. Imagine my surprise when they said that they were at the emergency room because my youngest brother was hit by a motorcycle.  As usual, the driver was trying to beat the red light and he hit my brother’s left leg in the process. The police told us to file a case but my brother just shook his head because that time, they were leaving in a week and he didn’t want hassles on their trip.  So the driver got excused but the damage was done. My brother was in a binder when his family took their flight back to the US a few days after.  A week after that, my niece was just crossing the street to buy mineral water and again, she was hit by a motorcycle.  I was shouting at the hospital emergency room when I saw her on bended knee, with the bones kind of twisted.  Thank God there was no fracture. I talked to one of the directors of the hospital to suggest that they coordinate with the Pasig City government to  put an overpass for the safety of their patients and pedestrians crossing Ortigas Extension.

When hubby and I are out on the streets, I also cringe every time I see people on motorbikes getting in and out of traffic with total disregard to the other cars and vehicles who are sometimes just a hair’s breath near them. One can’t deny that most traffic accidents nowadays compose of people on motorcycles, slightly drunk sometimes or are on a race with other bikers on the road.  Such  total irresponsibility, if you ask me.

Now, here’s what made me hate them all the more the last few days compounding my first thought and idea that they are the kings of the road. Our street is presently under construction, being cemented and all. The workers have put a sign at both ends that says, ROAD UNDER REPAIR  with a further instruction to pass through another street, a little longer than ours.  Just imagine, the cement was still wet and they insist on passing through the very same area. My neighbors and I are like disgruntled police force just telling them to avoid the wet area that was just cemented. I am beginning to think that bike riders are the worst on the road, uncouth and most of the times, undisciplined.

I wonder  why some of us Filipinos are so fond of short-cuts. They keep complaining that the government is doing nothing to ease their plight and yet, they are these same people who completely disregard simple rules.  I tell you guys, you have no right to complain when you are the first to break the rules.  It’s the reason why we are not advancing like other third world countries which we have left behind many years ago. Some of us don’t know the meaning of the word discipline. Some of us just act for our mere convenience.  When you want something that other people would emulate, then be an example. Case in point, throwing candy wrappers and cigarette butts on the road, haphazardly, some people do this every time without even thinking that those trash would go back to them in case of flood.

I remember this old adage back in Pres. Marcos time, “sa ikauunlad ng bayan, disciplina ang kailangan”.  Most of us are sorely lacking in this, that is why we never prosper. We deserve a better Philippines, don’t you think?

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Misery And Other Stories

Yes, I’ve started reading Stephen King’s book Misery last night.  On Writing was the last book I read by Stephen King. In fact, I even wrote a review of the book  sometime last April.  While reading the first few chapters of Misery, I was conscious  on how he used and strung words  while remembering those pointers he wrote on “how to write a good story.”  How could one hold the attention of the reader even just at the start of the narrative? How could one vividly describe a scene to the point of having the reader gripped by fear and awe while reading the story? Stephen King is a truly good writer.

I passed by National Bookstore today after hubby and I finished buying some items we need for the wedding.  It was a pointless search for one good book that is on sale for at least half the price. Most new books are only discounted at 20% so I went to Booksale, my favorite hangout every time I have the chance to go to Ever Ortigas. There were so many bestseller books on display at more than a hundred pesos each but I was able to buy two more books at the price of P67.00. Hmm…. more than enough books to last till the end of the year.

I  was  able to catch the resignation  speech of Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri on ANC TV. He resigned from his post today ahead of the full-blown investigation by a joint panel of DOJ (Department of Justice) and COMELEC (Commission on Election)  into the alleged poll fraud during the 2004 and 2007 elections. He however denied his involvement in the alleged massive  cheating during the 2007 election in which he was at the 12th slot.  He said that he was resigning due to “unfounded accusations”. But isn’t that tantamount to admitting defeat or guilt?  I admire Zubiri for doing the noble thing, and that is to resign. How many politicians nowadays are willing to give up their positions for the sake of  “delicadeza”?  I don’t agree with Senate Pres. Enrile though when he said that they still have to look into it. You mean his resignation needs Senate approval? Isn’t Zubiri accountable to the people and not to the Senate? He was not appointed by the Senate but was elected by the Filipino people. So there is now a vacancy in the Senate seat but does that not mean that Atty. Coco Pimentel III could automatically claim the slot vacated by Zubiri? He still has to be declared by the Senate Electoral Tribunal.

Only in the Philippines, right?

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Random Thoughts

I love those moments between dawn and daybreak  –

the sounds of a new day, the smile of the morning sun, the feel of the gentle wind on my face. And slowly, the nocturnal music of the night becomes the  noise of the morning, the honk of school buses ready to pick up their student riders, the noise of motor vehicles always in a hurry to get to their destination and the bark of our four dogs, waiting to get out of the gate for a morning walk with the hubby.  I love the smell of  hot Pan de Sal  freshly bought from the bakery, the taste and aroma of a hot cup of coffee and the sizzle of  eggs in the frying pan to go with it.

I love those moments  that a typical day brings –

the silver hues of raindrops on the grass, the earthy smell,  the discovery of  new blooms in the garden which I  am always so excited to snap with my camera.  Simple things that may seem too mundane to others but these are the same things that make one’s day special.   There’s no use crying over spilled milk, is there? There’s no use  showing to the world that you carry its weight on your shoulders. Time is gold so they say , and  we hurry and forget to appreciate everyday blessings that come our way. We chase the day like there is no tomorrow and before we know it, it is gone and all we remember is the stress we experienced and so much work  left undone. When you begin to see, really see what the day has in store, there are outstanding moments that you get to appreciate more.

I love reflecting on life and love.

Yesterday, I had the chance to catch Kris Aquino on her new morning show called Kris TV. I read somewhere that she will be starting a new lifestyle talk show  but I  forgot all about it until yesterday. She may not be the darling of all but she surely is a welcome change, an articulate and intelligent show host, she makes sense, that is.  I loved her interview on the siblings (half-sisters) KC Concepcion and Garie Concepcion (Gabby’s daughter with Grace Ibuna).  The show was so alive with the three of them exchanging jokes and sharing about how the sisters found each other. KC, being the eldest spoke lovingly of her sisters.  If KC can sing, Garie can do better. They have beautiful voices.  Extended families could be fun too as long as there is no jealousy involved and they were well brought up by their respective mothers.

More on TV.

Hubby and I watched the Senate hearing on the former PCSO staff and officers this morning. I was  simply exasperated by the obvious and blatant evasion of answers, by a former manager. Is she hiding something or protecting a former boss?  Dodging the truth would not make you credible ma’am. You have an obligation to the Filipino people to tell the truth because being  a government employee,  you were paid by the people’s tax money. Misuse of PCSO intel funds?

I am glad ‘though to see a former colleague and a friend, Atty. Aleta Tolentino, a Board member and legal counsel of the present set-up of officers of PCSO.  I hope they would really get into the heart of the matter.  More poor people deserves the help that PCSO extends to them and should not be enjoyed by a chosen few who only use the funds for their own selfish ambition.

Tayo ba ay patungo sa matuwid na daan?

– yes, I think so, because slowly, everything is coming into the open, the corrupt practices of the previous administration and the gargantuan task of showing the people that this present government means business, corruption needs to be curved if not fully eradicated  because it is only in being transparent that you can bring back the Filipino people’s trust.

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Trains And Boats And Planes

Trains and boats and planes are passing by.
They mean a trip to Paris or Rome
To someone else but not for me.
The trains and boats and planes
Took you away, away from me.

I was trying to remember how this song goes while watching former Senator Mar Roxas formally accepts the position of Secretary of the Department of transportation and Communication (DOTC) which will be vacated by Sec. Ping de Jesus at the end of the month.  De Jesus’s sudden resignation probably caught PNoy  by surprise.  And I thought he was eyeing the post of Chief of Staff to the president.

One couldn’t question the integrity and capability of Sec. Mar Roxas.  He is probably the best person for the post. I voted for him last year but sadly he lost to VP Binay. He is a personal friend of Pres. Aquino.  Roxas served as trade secretary during the Arroyo administration. “He understands the problem and he will be part of the solution,”  Pres. Aquino told reporters. “He was measured many times and found not wanting.” He is facing a gargantuan task being the secretary of DOTC including anomalous deals which Pres. Aquino wants investigated.

I watched him being interviewed by Pinky Webb and Ted Failon in the radio program at DZMM.  He said that his foremost consideration in accepting the job is the delivery of service to the Filipino people. For the first time, here is a man who is widely accepted even by the lawmakers of the land to handle the sensitive post at DOTC.

Previously, he was known  with the monicker, Mr. Palengke. I wonder what people will call him now. Let’s wait and see. Congratulations po.  Mabuhay po kayo Sec. Mar Roxas!

(photo courtesy of marroxas photostream)

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