It’s a Hello Kitty world…

… we just live in it!

I love Japan and their whole appreciation for anything and everything “kawaii” (cuute).  It all started in the late ’70s when I was around 5 years old, and someone gave me some stationery (this was before e-mail) featuring a cat with her name spelled in fat letters – Hello Kitty.  Clean lines, no facial expressions or cartoon bubble talk, Kitty was just a cute little cat in overalls sporting a red ribbon.  Then along the way, something happened and Kitty exploded and became a multi-million dollar global phenomenon.  People like Paris Hilton took the humble cat from Japan and went insane with her.  Here are just a few of many great examples of where Kitty’s at today (many are from kittyhell.com) :

 

Ok, so I do think Hello Kitty fruit is super cute —

I would so buy these! Kawaii bananas at a Japanese supermarket

 

And I would totally buy this yogurt maker if I could find it —

Healthy, calcium-rich and Kitty-cute: what more could a girl ask for?

 

But I don’t think I’d want to be friends with the girl who decides to get married in this get-up–

Scarlett O'Hara meets Cinderella in Hello Kitty Hell

 

Nor would I like to see this in my bathroom…

I think my husband would leave me if I ever installed this

 

Though I may consider delivering  a baby here at the kawaii-cute Hello Kitty hospital in Taiwan–

How could you not love working here? Unless you were a man... who hated Hello Kitty

awwww

 

Then there are the more interesting Kitty items such as —

The Hello Kitty Rosary (for cute Catholics)

 

Conversely, there is the Hello Kitty burqa (for cute Muslims)

 

The Hello Kitty AK-47 …

This model proved unpopular with communist rebels...

 

The Hello Kitty-Louis Vuitton bong for cute, brand-conscious potheads…

 

We get to see Kitty’s super-cute internal organs through the Kitty meets Dr. Romanelli doll…

If only my heart and spleen were that adorable

 

And from the “I didn’t know there was a market for that” department…

Beck’s Hello Kitty Beer

Not a good thing to bring to a tailgate party

 

The equivalent of a huge “Kick Me” sign for any man…

It's the kitted-out Hello Kitty Ferrari

 

You know the universe is coming to an end when Darth Vader becomes a Kitty fan–

Scary Schoolgirl and Hello Darth make for a great disturbance in the Force

It’s World Population Day

June 11th is World Population Day. 

Whenever I hear the words ‘population explosion’, I always think of the Philippines.  When I used to live in Canada, this would always come up about the Philippines in my Southeast Asian Government classes.  Now, I don’t need to study facts or statistics, I simply need to leave my home to see children everywhere — playing on dusty sidewalks by busy intersections, clutching their young mother’s hand while she begs for money, sleeping in wooden carts in empty lots. 

I always wondered how one can live in this country and not even consider the idea of a reproductive health plan.  I am against abortion, but am pro-birth control.   Underprivileged women need the information and free birth control to help them gain control of their lives.  As a nation, we seriously need to keep our population in check if we are to begin the long process of eradicating poverty.

The Philippine Star details the story of the UNFPA (United Naitons Population Fund)’s 20th World Population Day:

[The UNFPA released a statment that] calls on governments to promote women’s reproductive health and prevent maternal and child deaths through family planning programs and the use of contraceptives. Even the person in charge of direct aid for the poor in the Philippines, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral, is pushing for the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill as resources shrink in the recession and the population continues to boom.

The UNFPA points out that an investment in contraceptive services could be recouped four times over in terms of savings in public education, health care and other social services. The UN agency also says that family planning alone can reduce maternal deaths by up to 40 percent.

So “Happy World Population Day” and may everyone in government seriously think about giving the Reproductive Health Bill a shot.  Just look out your windows, people!  Look.

 

Political Cartoon from 1937 shows this is not an new issue

Fabella Hospital, Manila's "baby factory" as 20% of Manila's babies are born here to indigent moms.

 Read more about Fabella Hospital HERE.

Pre-war Manila was so beautiful

I love looking at old photos.  Black and white photographs always evoke a sense of nostalgia in me, even if they’re of a history I wasn’t a part of.  Looking at old photos of Manila is especially interesting because the images capture a world that really seems forever lost to time.  As our grandparents’ and their friends’ stories go, these were the days when people shopped on Escolta wearing smart hats and white suits, when weekends were spent swimming and picnicking on the banks of the Pasig River, and when you got dressed to enjoy a night out at the Jai Alai Building’s Sky Room. 

To give a better sense of what pre-war Manila was like, I’m posting old photos of the Philippines that I found in the LIFE Magazine Photo Archives.   This amazing set of photographs was taken in November 1941 Manila, the week before the outbreak of war with Japan.  The days of calm before the storm…

 

The beautiful Jai Alai building, designed by Welton Becket, who also did the iconic Capitol Records Tower in LA:

The Welton Becket-designed art deco Jai Alai Building

 

 Watching a game of Jai-Alai:

 

The main commercial district, Escolta:

When men wore white suits...

 

Inside a Manila Department Store:

Taken in late November a week before Pearl Harbor, stores were ready to celebrate Christmas.

 

View of the busy Sta. Cruz Plaza, Manila:

 

Japanese businesses still open:

 

The Manila City Hall and its manicured courtyard:

 

Shopping at stalls near the Quiapo Church:

We loved tiangges even back then...

 

Lovely interiors of the Quiapo Church:

 

Having lunch at the Manila Polo Club:

 

Getting ready to watch a baseball game, Manila Polo Club:

 

View of the clean, art-deco Quezon Bridge:

Note that we used to drive on the left side of the street

 

When men used to wear hats… a second-hand hat stall off Carriedo St.:

 

Manila Hotel swimming pool:

 

Ready for what’s coming- the popularity contest winner of the Manila College of Pharmacy smiles and shows her support for the boys:

Lip Augmentation is not good

I don’t know why wax lips are still in joke shops when there are now women who actually pay to achieve this bizarre ultra-plump-pouty look.  Maybe part of the fluid injected into your lips makes you instantly believe you look like Angelina Jolie.  Aside from Megan Fox (who can kind of pull it off), the rest of these women remind me of the freaky melting women from Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun video.  Creepy!

I'm meltiiingg....

 

Why Brittany, Why?

 

There was NOTHING wrong with her to begin with

 

Olivia Newton-John’s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, felt she needed duck lips at 23

 

Dearest Donatella… no no nooo

 

The Philippines hasn’t been spared…

 

 

The one who can probably pull it off: Megan Fox Before & After

 

Great parting shot…  Donatella is now Janice the Muppet!

Philippines: 13th in Asia yet 14th Happiest in the World

Wealthy Singapore - but are they happy?

Below is the CIA’s list of the Top 10 Wealthiest Nations in Asia.  No surprise that Las Islas isn’t on the list but it was depressing to see that Malaysia, our former ‘not so successful’ neighbor (when I was a kid), is now at number 8.  It also says something that when I google’d photos of Malaysia, not one had a shanty, a mountain of garbage, or a half-dressed child.  But all is not lost, the Philippines stands at number 13, just behind China and ahead of  Kazakhstan(Borat’s home).  Not bad, at least we’re still ahead of Indonesia!

Top 10 List of the Wealthiest Countries in Asia  (c/o CIA World Factbook, rank based on GDP per capita)

1. Singapore – 27,800
2. Japan – 23,400
3. Hong Kong – 23,100
4. Macau – 17,500
5. Brunei – 17,400
6. Taiwan – 16,100
7. South Korea – 13,300
8. Malaysia – 10,700
9. Thailand – 6,400
10. Turkey – 6,200

Despite not making the Top 10 of Asia’s Wealthiest, the Philippines apparently ranks 14th out of 143 nations the in the New Economic Foundation’s Ranking of the World’s Happiest Places.  The basis for ranking being:

• life expectancy (ours is 71 years)
• people’s happiness with their lives (55% of Filipinos are apparently thrilled with theirs)
• and environmental impact (hmm…) 

Costa Rica was crowned the happiest and greenest place on earth (take that, Disneyland).  The highest ranked Western nation is the Netherlands at 43, with the US at 114.   So yay to South America and to us:  Viva and Mabuhay!  Let’s dance!

Happy Filipinos - sayaw nalang tayo!

Mmmm… Tiffin lunches are wonderful

Tiffin lunch = MMmmm!

 

Last night, I watched as Padma Lakshmi (star of Top Chef and Carl’s Jr.’s recent ad) explained the virtues of the tiffin trade in India on Discovery Travel & Living.  Mumbai is apparently the only city in the word where home-cooked food is delivered by the dabbawala or Tiffin Man to working people all over the city.  Basically, your mom or wife cooks your food, the Tiffin Man picks it up around 9-10am, then through a complicated series of train/cart transfers, your tiffin gets to you, filled with hot steaming rotis, curries, meats and a sweet treat at lunchtime.  Amazing!

 

Dabbawallas deliver non-labeled tiffins directly to you

 

It just makes no sense to bring your lunch with you in the mornings as this system of over 5,000 Tiffin Men delivering to over 200,000 working people has been in place forever!  Plus, the dabbawallas, lowly educated Indians from the Pune region, have built their lives around this trade. It’s such an amazing system that you can easily find diagrams and flowcharts online explaining its intricacies.  Click HERE for more on the tiffin trade.

Here’s a popular tiffin recipe for Coconut Chicken.  Mmmm….

 

 

1. Cut 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.  Fry them in oil. 
2. Add 1 thinly sliced carrot, 1/2 cup sweet peas, 1 chopped green onion, 1 tablespoon curry powder, salt and pepper to the chicken.  Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Combine 1 can of coconut milk to the mixture and mix well.  Cook for 10 to 15 minutes more. 
4. Pack into your son’s/boyfriend’s/husband’s waiting tiffin and if you don’t live in Mumbai, just look at it until he comes home…

Get some Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding in you!

Just looking at this makes my teeth hurt

If you don’t give a snit about your waistline or your blood sugar levels, then I suggest trying out this very popular recipe for “Bill Nicholson’s Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding” from Paula Deen’s cookbook.  It’s highly recommended by all the Southern folk who love Paula, especially because they love anything deep-fried and caked in sugar down there.  I may make this for the holidays for my 7 year old, who is sad to be on an enforced break from Krispy Kreme and DQ.   Sorry D, mommy will shower you with sugar soon…

1. Cube 2 dozen (!) regular glazed Krispy Kreme donuts into a large bowl.  Pour in a mixture of 2 beaten eggs, 2 4.5-ounce cans of fruit cocktail (undrained), 1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 9-ounce box of raisins, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 pinch of salt.  Mix all ingredients until donuts have soaked up as much liquid as possible.
2. Bake at 350 degrees in a pan for about an hour or until center has jelled.  Top with butter rum sauce (Melt 1 stick butter, stir in 1 pound box of confectioner’s sugar (!), add rum to taste and heat until bubbly).  Pour over each serving of bread pudding.   Makes 20-24 servings (!!)… but I suggest halving the recipe… or running a marathon the same night.

Choose Sunflower Mayonnaise

I was so happy to see sunflower mayo finally available at the supermarket!  It’s under the Belle France brand and is very affordable – I think it was only P70 for the small bottle.   Just look for the word “Tournesol” (sunflower) on the label.  I’m not really a mayonnaise fan, but if I did have to use mayo for tuna salad, I’m glad I can finally buy a good one here.

Sunflower oil: 

• Has no cholesterol
• Is high in Vitamin E (which has antioxidant properties) 
• Is low in saturated fat
• Is known for its clean taste

Belle France seems to be a high-quality generic brand from France, kind of like President’s Choice products from Canada.  Belle France products are available at Rustan’s and Shopwise.  It’s great seeing affordable packs of gauffrettes, bottles of cornichons, tubs of sorbet and many other yummy items available to choose from.  My kids love bringing packets of the mini chocolate biscuits to school and having the frozen cordon bleus for snack time.  High carbon footprint concerns aside, I still think Manila needs more products like these : )

3 great Filipino children’s books

I think I’ve given one or all of these books to all the Filipino (and sometimes non-Filipino) families I know who live abroad.   I’ve seriously bought at least 5 copies of each one.  They’re the best pasalubong since they’re very representative of the Philippines and yet they’re easy to travel with – skinny and light!

 

Bahay Kubo with artwork by Hermes Alegre

I love the folk-art quality of the pictures in this book.  Each page features a line from the classic song, Bahay Kubo.  The book is about a family that lives in a nipa hut situated next to their little vegetable farm.

Hermes Alegre no longer paints in this folk-art style so I think having this book as a part of your kids’ collection is a definite must.

 

 

 

 

Haluhalo Espesyal by Yvette Fernandez-Ferreol

Celebrating family, food and being Filipino, Haluhalo Espesyal’s simple story touches on the special relationship kids have with their grandparents, and on the enduring qualities of love.  I’m gushing, but please buy 1,2, 3 copies!  There’s also a nice recipe on the last page for… HaluHalo! : )

 

 

 

 

 

The Mats by Francisco Arcellana, artwork by Hermes Alegre

A very Filipino story about familial love.  The mats here are used to symbolize a father’s love for his children.  The story isn’t exactly for young kids, but children (and I’m told even my baby niece) love the colorful pictures, wonderfully done by Hermes Alegre.

The Kiwi is a wondrous wonder fruit

The Kiwi has recently made it back on Philippine supermarket shelves but since they look a bit alien to people here, haven’t been selling too well.  I bought some on sale at Shopwise the other day  – 6 kiwis for P75!  I’m worried they’ll be yanked soon if no one buys them.  They’re so good that my kids have gotten over the fuzzy brown skin and spotty green pulp to actually eat and enjoy them.

Plus, I read in the paper today that 1 Kiwi:

• Contains as much potassium as a banana
• Has the same amount of Vitamin E found in 3 apples
• Contains twice the amount of Vitamin C found in an orange
• Is high in Folate
• Is naturally high in anti-oxidants
• Is a good source of dietary fiber

It also has a low glycemic index.  So go, go buy some Kiwis now!  Then celebrate by making this Kiwi Bellini…

Kiwifruit Bellini c/o ZESPRI GOLD

1. Puree 2 peeled Kiwis, 1 teaspoon caster sugar, 2 teaspoons Cointreau in a blender on gentle speed (you don’t want to crush the seeds).  Pass through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Then spoon the puree into 4 champagne flutes.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons chilled prosecco (or similar sparkling wine) and gently stir to combine, then gently pour on more prosecco to fill each glass.  Serve. Mmmmm….

Mango Lassi is goood

Mmm... Mango Lassi !

I love mango shakes and juice, but the Indians added yogurt to the mix to come up with this delicious shake.  I love mango lassi – it’s creamy-fruity-yummy, it’s healthy,  and it’s very refreshing on a hot summer day. Make with our own Philippine mangoes for the best tasting lassi ever : )

1. Mix in a blender 1 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 cup milk, 4 teaspoons sugar (to taste), and 1 cup chopped mango. 
2. Blend for 2 minutes, sprinkle with some cardamom and cinnamon, and serve!

For Dad…

Men are notoriously difficult to shop for.  It’s usually perfume, gadgets or a leather wallet or satchel.  I find that our Tabaqueria de Filipinas personalized narra wood boxes or humidors are very unique and yet affordable presents.  Thing is, you can’t give one every year!  But if you don’t have one yet, check www.tabaqueria.com.

I found this candle on Jamie Oliver’s site and wish I could purchase it for Tirso.  He’d love it so  : )

Tobacco & Thyme scented candle

The Best Children’s Shows Today

Despite shows like “My gym partner’s a monkey” (strange and lots of monkey butt shots) and “Courage the Cowardly Dog” (disturbing), there’s still hope for children’s television. I really miss old-school Sesame Street, which just doesn’t seem to cut it with kids these days.  I love the following shows because they’re smart, impart great lessons and are just super-cool to watch:

Pocoyo and friends

1. POCOYO

Pocoyo is a smartly-written, funny and visually adorable show about a cute and often naughty little boy called Pocoyo (‘a little me’ in Spanish).  The English version is especially wonderful as it’s narrated by the brilliant British comedian, Stephen Fry.

 

 

 

Little Einsteins

 2.   Little Einsteins

 Annie, Quincy, June, Leo and their ship, Rocket, go on adventures to places like ancient Egypt and Antarctica.  Each show features a piece of classical music along with its composer.  As a result, my 3-year old often hums Mozart’s ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusic’ and pieces like ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’.  She also was able to identify the Sphinx and the great pyramids.  I was impressed!  This show is fun to watch and really educational.

 

Charlie & Lola

3.  Charlie and Lola

An ever so adorable British show featuring the best brother and sister relationship I’ve ever seen.  I love watching this show with my kids and hope that it inspires them to be nicer to each other.  I actually say, “Would Charlie & Lola do that?” when the kids are ‘not very nice’ to each other (which is often) : /  Lovely stories, clever art direction and the best lines.  5 stars!

Meatless Mondays are a good thing

 

Mary, Paul and Stella McCartney

I read in the paper today that Paul McCartney and his daughters, Stella and Mary, have joined the “Meat Free Monday” movement.  I love this idea that each household can reduce water consumption and cut carbon/methane emissions just by cutting out meat once a week.  Plus, reducing your meat intake is really good for your health (though the Spanish may not agree ; ) .  Let’s go veggie every Monday!