Thursday, June 12, 2008

Diamond Day for someone who values friendships

By Maurice Arcache
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:39:00 06/12/2008


MANILA, Philippines—Marilyn Monroe made the song, “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” a byword for women around the globe. But for lustrous beauty Baby Cruz, who recently celebrated her diamond birthday, it was tres apparent that there’s more to life than material things.

“Friendship is what my past 60 years is all been about,” she said.

The setting was a gorgeous palette of black and white in a sea of eye-catching Casablanca lilies, plus the perfect lighting, at Conway’s in Makati Shangri-La Hotel, dahlings.

Over 200 of Manille’s creamiest set were in attendance, such as Dr. Daniel Vazquez and his wife, Ising Madrigal; Isabel Cojuangco Suntay; Ambassador to the Vatican Cristina Ponce Enrile; Diana Santos; Tatler editor in chief Anton San Diego; Bela Vazquez; Vanna Virata; Raul Manzano; Marrot Moreno; Emily and Albertito Lopez and tons of others, palanggas.

Jetting in from abroad were Marjo Chan and Ronen Zion, and loads of Baby’s classmates. They enjoyed the party amid the best delectable smorgasbord that the hotel’s grand chefs could prepare.

And there was excellent champagne to drown the superb food with.

For extras, Baby was presented with a special program performed by Isay Alvarez and talented hunks Jay Cayuca and Robert Seña, no less.

It was followed by a touching video hosted by the Johnny Litton.

Toward the end, there was a message by Grace Glory Go who extolled “the genuine kindness of Baby and her friendships.”

Every detail of the birthday party—from the one-of-a-kind glass invitations to the super giveaways—was true to our queen for a day—always tasteful and forever elegant.

Here’s to 60 exceptional years and 60 years of exceptional friendship.

Cheers, palangga.

‘Sex’ rage

The beautiful crowd flocked to Cinema 2, Glorietta 3, rocking it to intensity 9, to watch the fab “Sex and the City” movie.

It all started at the popular Sala Bistro, where statuesque glam gal and beauty queen Ruffa Gutierrez had invited several of her close pals from the TV, movie and modeling worlds for drinks and cocktail apéritifs.

Seeing how late it was getting, the whole gang made a mad dash to the movie house. Several people having dinner or drinks along the resto strip of G3 saw the rush, and the men were particularly amazed at the sight of so many beautiful faces flashing by, dahlings.

Après the movie, the crowd had drinks at Nuvo. The girls sat in the terrace of Nuvo, catching the attention of promenaders, who were also mesmerized by sultry beauty Rachel Lobangco doing a fantastic pole dance. It turned out that she was celebrating her birthday, palanggas.

The crowd then went to the tres exclusive Members Only chic Club of Embassy, where, at 3:45 a.m., they called it a day but not after drinking champagne.

Now who says, that only boys know how to have fun? “Sex and the City” proves that our gals can even have more fun, n’est ces pas! (di, bala? palanggas).

Clubbing summer

Manille’s night owls had a great time at the Hed Kandi Back to Love party at Makati Avenue’s A-Venue.

The one-of-a-kind Bigfish brought in the fab Hed Kandi, that massive clubbing brand that had made a name for itself for its extensive chill-out music, from deep house to garage to lounge music.

Performing was none other than the favorite of the worldwide clubbing masses, DJ Andy Norman, who just happens to be the longest running member of Team Kandi. He got the rocking on the roll, dahlings.

That wasn’t all. We were there when Bigfish brought in Samantha James, the sultry voice behind the soothing club anthem, “Rise.” She provided an air of sexy romance to the party.

Johnboy Lee, of Team Bigfish, completed the triple bill of clubbing goodness.

As we entered the A-Venue, we were assaulted by the flirtatious Hed Kandi visuals, plus the sight of tons of beautiful party people all dressed to impress, dahlings.

Samantha James then took center stage, and the crowd went completely bananas.

With cries for an encore by the crowd, Samantha had to return and perform to please the ecstatic audience, palanggas.

But that didn’t end there.

Bigfish also performed at Hey Jude in Boracay, natch!

The event made the summer destination’s pristine shores sizzle.

Caring for your pearly whites

Caring for your pearly whites

MANILA, Philippines—There’s nothing more attractive than a great smile. But to have the confidence to show off that smile requires healthy white teeth and fresh breath.

This is where good oral hygiene comes in. Brushing teeth three times a day, flossing every day (sometimes twice a day), and visiting the dentist every six months—they’re all part of the maintenance our teeth requires.

But why is it that some people, no matter how well they seem to take care of their teeth, are still plagued by cavities and gum problems?

“This can be caused by acidic saliva,” says Dr. Rowena Marzo, a dentist who also specializes in orthodontics and tooth implants. “The low pH level in the mouth weakens teeth and makes it more prone to tooth decay. PH levels drop after consuming acidic food or drink, like coffee, tea or juice, and can cause irreversible damage to the teeth’s enamel. To maintain a balanced pH, drink water regularly to neutralize the acidity in your mouth.”

Cutting off certain food or drinks from our diet may be going too far, but choosing some food over others can be beneficial to the teeth.

Marzo explains, “Candy has sugar that quickly makes the saliva acidic. Switching to chocolate, which is milk-based, can be a better alternative. Also, popcorn makes a healthier snack option because the fibers clean your teeth as you eat them.”

Other foods that are good for our teeth are calcium-enriched milk, cheese and yogurt, and non-acidic fresh fruits and vegetables like apple and broccoli. Sugarless gum can be helpful as well as it stimulates the flow of saliva, which decreases the acid in the mouth.

Finally, taking supplements like calcium and vitamin C can strengthen teeth and gums and keep them healthy.

Useful guide to food and beverage acidity

Food pH* Beverage pH*
Lime 1.8-2.0 Ginger ale 2.0-4.0
Pineapple 3.3-5.2 Lemon juice 2.3
Honey 3.9 Soft drinks 2.8-3.3
Mayonnaise 4.2-4.5 Iced tea 3.0
Banana 4.5-5.2 Sports drinks 3.0
Carrots 4.9-5.2 Apple juice 3.4-4.0
Pork 5.3-6.9 Beer and wine 3.5-4.3
Potatoes 6.1 Orange juice 3.6-4.3
Salmon 6.1-6.3 Prune juice 3.7
Chicken 6.5-6.7 Hot tea/coffee 4.0
Shrimp 6.8-7.0 Tomato juice 4.2-4.9
Biscuits 7.1-7.3 Buttermilk 4.5
Sponge cake 7.3-76 Milk 6.3-8.5

Saturday, June 7, 2008

TWO YELLOW DOGS MISSING FROM THE IGORROTE CAMP






TWO YELLOW DOGS MISSING FROM THE IGORROTE CAMP.
From The Missouri Republic, April 13, 1904
Suspicious Transaction Threatens a Scandal in Philippine Reservation at World's Fair.


A scandal is brewing in the ranks of high society in the Igorrote colony at the World's Fair grounds. Two dogs are missing! Last Monday six dogs were imprisoned in the Philippine reservation at the Fair. They were being subjected to a fattening process at the hands of the purchasing agent.

Yesterday only four dogs graced the kennel. The two missing dogs were yellow dogs, too. The Igorrote prefers yellow dog for his diet.

While the Government officials are not inclined to question the honesty of any member of the Igorrote tribe, the nature of the case is such as to make the disappearance of the canines a most suspicious transaction.

It is known that the Igorrote has been yearning for a baked dog. It is also known that the members of the World's Fair colony have not tasted toothsome dog meat for over two months. It is admitted by the officials that the barking of the dogs would, in all probability, drive the Igorrotes into fits of desperation.

Figuring per a Sherlock Holmes deduction, it would have been the most natural thing for the Igorrote to arise in the stillness of the night and divest the kennel of its yellow dogs.

Without drawing conclusions, the bare fact remains that two yellow dogs are gone.

Putting two and two together, the men engaged in unraveling this deep mystery of the Igorrote division can make their own conclusions.

It is said that at breakfast in the Cuartel yesterday morning three or four Igorrotes appeared supremely contented and begged to be excused when the waiter passed the beef.

Friday, June 6, 2008

How to prepare PINIKPIKAN

http://www.gobaguio.com/pinikpikan.html



The Ritual Preparation
of Pinikpikan
According to Nico Cawed, a member of the Bontoc tribe, he used to prepare Pinikpikan thrice a week for years.

I have included his detailed and graphic description of this process in lieu of photos because of the extreme manner of preparing this native Cordillera dish.

"Many Baguio visitors and residents think that the Pinikpikan is merely a flavorful chicken dish

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Wok-Inn Restaurant-Healthy Food for All Lifestyles!



(www.richelda.com)
Healthy Food for All Lifestyles!



Established in 1989 in Wilsonville, Wok Inn is a fresh food Buffet restaurant that offers a wide selection of healthy meats and vegetables for you to choose from. All of our ingredients are cut fresh daily to preserve all of the nutrients in it.

With your choice of fresh ingredients, you can have our Chef Stir Fry them in a Wok with our special Wok Inn House Sauce (soy sauce, garlic, sugar, etc.). At this time, the Chef can customize it to your individual taste with extra garlic, onions, salt, spice, and starch.

All of the cooking by the Chefs are done in front of you to view in an open kitchen! Best of all, you can go back and pick new ingredients at any time! Next time, be a little adventurous or have more spice in it. The sky's the limit!

Be your own Chef TODAY and create your own meal just as you like it!



Wok Inn Restaurant
29970 SW Town Center Loop W
Wilsonville, OR. 97070
Tel: (503) 682-0998
Fax: (503) 570-8895
Email: wokinn@wokinnbuffet.com

CA says Pasig resto can't retain 'Wok-Inn' tag

CA says Pasig resto can't retain 'Wok-Inn' tag

By Leila Salaverria
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:32:00 06/01/2008

Most Read

MANILA, Philippines--The Court of Appeals has rejected a petition filed by the owners of a Pasig restaurant asking the court to let them retain their establishment's name.

In a May 13 decision penned by Justice Monina Arevalo-Zenarosa, the court said the owners of the Original Wok-Inn Inc. should not use the name "Wok-Inn," saying it would only confuse the public.

The ruling upheld a lower court decision favoring Rosita Villarosa who opened the first Wok-Inn restaurant in 1980 and registered the trade name "Godmother Wok-Inn" with the Department of Trade and Industry in 1985.

She has since opened several Wok-Inn restaurants in Metro Manila.

According to the appellate court, the use of the word "Wok-Inn" in the restaurant name, though preceded by the word "Original," would only confuse the public and make them believe that the establishment is part of the Wok-Inn chain of restaurants.

It noted that officers of the Original Wok-Inn seemed to be riding on Wok-Inn's popularity.

"Record discloses no reasonable explanation for defendants-appellants' use of the word 'Wok-Inn' in its trade name. Such unexplained use by defendants-appellants of the dominant word of the plaintiff-appellee's [Villarosa's] corporate name lends itself open to the suspicion of fraudulent motive to use plaintiff-appellee's reputation," the court said.

In 1997, Villarosa's former restaurant manager, Delilah Bartolome, and assistant cook Baltazar Banzon resigned and became the Original Wok-Inn's business manager and kitchen supervisor.

The firm opened a restaurant with the same name in Pasig City the following year.

This prompted Villarosa to file a case against the firm's officers, accusing them of unfair competition and violating the Intellectual Property Code.

The corporation's officers, for their part, said that their establishment was named after a popular California restaurant.

They explained that they added the term "original" because theirs was the first restaurant to open on the Rosario Ortigas Avenue Extension in Pasig City.