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Bicycle Race

People will forget what you said People will forget  what you did But people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou We were talking modern and post modern stuff in communication technology. Somewhere in the discussion was a mention of old bicycles. Professor R drew an example of what bicycles were like around the early years of its invention. I thought her drawing was enough to make me recall the same figure I saw on encyclopedias as a kid. Classmates chuckled their amused curiosity. My own association with this ancient bike model has since been psychological bashing around a paper I presented at a national research conference. It turned out Professor R was chair of the steering committee that decided the fate of my thesis, one of many under Humanities. She launched an eloquent critique looking like she was going to eat me alive in front of those co-presenters. Academically vicious. She is beauty and brains personified. Mentally comatose from the scholarly beating, my

Cabbages and condoms

Cabbages and Condoms is a restaurant "conceptualized in part to promote better understanding and acceptance of family planning and to generate income to support various development activities of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA)" in Thailand. ( C&C Restaurant Bangkok ) Mechai Vira v aidya , the restaurant founder who is nicknamed Mr Condom, is a former politician and activist who pop ularised con dom use, encouraged family planning and raised AIDS awareness in Thailand.  He believes that “birth control should be as accessible and as easy to buy as vegetables in the market.” Set in a beautiful garden courtyard aglow with fairy lights at night, the restaurant is conveniently located on 10 Sukhumvit Soi 12 and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m . Everywhere almost everything you see has something to do with birth control. Its unique theme has attracted international attention. A sign around Tiger Woods' condom golf club says, "did you

My Snow White brunch

What could be more delightful than a day off work with Snow White and her merry Seven the witch's apple now nut-laden  secrets on the pages waltzing with chocolate kisses? Rednesday * Blues * Mellow Yellows

Pineapples through a moving window

Dole Food Company, the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, is headquartered in Westlake Village, California. The company has operations in 90 countries, my home country, the Philippines included. A drive from General Santos City to Tupi, a town known as the fruit basket of Mindanao, (international word association: Osama bin Ladin's al Qaeda) would give you pineapples as your major sight during the travel. Dole Philippines, with offices in Polomolok, is the 3rd largest producer of pineapples globally. These are private fruit growers putting up shop along the highway. They are also selling some Dole pineapples. Right behind these shops is Dole's vast pineapple plantation. This was one of those yearly trips home when we made a stop (from the GSC airport) at these shops to buy supersweet MG3 pineapples, bananas, jackfruit, guyabano, lanzones, mangoes, avocados, and other tropical fruits. Find more stories on Sepia Saturday This post is also linked with Time

Scallops and mango strips

A meal that involves something deep fried and a salad is usually an automatic win for me. This was one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions to explore the menu of a restaurant that does not require a reservation. I then naturally chose my favorite combination of tastes in these fried scallops with mango strips in sweet and sour sauce. I fancy those fresh sea scallops that are 'seared in thyme-infused butter and drenched in white wine.' But while the link for that fancy is broken, here's an alternative recipe from Southern Food , which I think is just as yummy.  Ingredients: 1 cup flour                                                                         1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon paprika                                                             2 eggs 2 tablespoons water                                                           fine dry bread crumbs 2 cups scallops, cut to about 3/4-inch cubes if large Preparation: If scallops are large, cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Dry

Little blue church

  "No spot is so dear to my childhood as the little brown church in the vale." My first grade class used to sing that song and it kept playing in my head as I approached this church. It's blue though and not in the vale, but along a highway in the South Cotabato countryside. The family who owns the plot of land where it stands built it. It is surrounded by coconuts and fruit trees. Inside a few of us gathered for dear Miss Arcon's funeral. She was the head of a group of schools run by the SDA church. A good Christian, well-loved by her students, friendly yet professional to us teachers under her leadership, I was grateful for the coincidence of being in the country when she passed away, and for the opportunity to pay my last respects.  Our World - Blue Monday

Escape bickering in a Ford Escape

Early 2000s. They (the then in-laws) were talking about selling their commercial building. The man renting it was having payment issues. They took me along to the place when they sorted paperwork and lawyer stuff. Next thing I remember the BIL had this brand new silver Ford Escape SUV in his parking space at Bangkok's State Tower. As we have language barrier, I would not say the vehicle purchase was related with the building sale. I fancy this old photo though as it shows origin of the vehicle and sends me googling its history. Ford Model A "was the second huge success for the Ford Motor Company.... First produced on October 20, 1927, but not sold until December 2, it replaced the venerable Model T."  It was well-represented in film and media since it "was one of the most common cars." I find this historical bit interesting: "between October 1992 to December 1994, Hector Quevedo, with his son Hugo, drove a 1928 Model A 22,000 miles from his home in Punta