Go Buyot!

"Buyot" is the Bisaya or Cebuano word for the Pinoy "bayong". Those are the bags you can find hanging at the right portion of this photo. The one in the middle is made of native materials while the colored ones are made of plastic.

As concern for the use of plastic bags increases, people are on the lookout for alternative replacements. Some are turning towards bags made of cloth.

But me, I would prefer to use the buyot anytime! I remember way back when I was a little girl, my mother (and according to her my lola too), used the native version when they make compra sa tiangge or mercado (wet market). When the supermarkets went in vogue, women stopped using the buyot and native baskets maybe because the supermarkets prefer to use plastic grocery bags to pack their purchases. However, I believe there are still a few who remained loyal and use these bags when buying in wet markets until now.

Between the native and the plastic buyot, I would rather choose the plastic one because it is sturdier and washable. It also lasts much longer, which translates in big savings since we do not need to buy replacements regularly.

So before those killer plastics will overrule our world, it is high time to think green and Go Buyot once more!

My Friend Kate...

Kate P. was a pretty girl in her early twenties when I met her. We used to work together in the same floor (3rd floor) at the bank we were both working for. We had a closely knit group composed of quirky and funny personalities, and we shared unforgettable lunches and even gimiks. (Sigh!) I realized now it was one of the most enjoyable episodes in my working life....

We were not aware of the changes that were to happen in the bank. And then all of us have to part ways...

I knew most of our group went overseas in the hope of better opportunities. And our lives evolved... Suddenly to my surprise - lo and behold! I found Kate via the internet. The little teacher turned banker has now turned into a pastry chef! And she is now the proud owner of an online business. Wow!

And she is producing not only delectable confections but little works of arts... I'm proud of you friend.



Photo Credits: Bewitched Kate

Flowers In Almost Everybody's Backyard

We call this fuschia colored flower - Bangkok. It is hardy, loves the sun, and does not demand too much attention. Blooms all year round too.

There was a time when everybody went gaga over this rose cactus. There are actually several colors for this variety but the most common or popular is red. It is thorny and needs cool shade. I wondered why I have no success in growing them. Eventually I lost interest in it.

Oh I love this one. I even made my own name for it - grass flowers! They only bloom in the morning and wilts around 11:00 in the morning. But on the the following day new batches will open their flowers once again. They can grow anywhere. However mine demanded to be watered everyday.

These yellow flowers are actually of the vine family which can be draped around trellises or posts. One of my cousins had them and they look pretty on her porch. They just need to be trimmed constantly to avoid over crowding. Hers almost covered her door.

Nanay used to have a shrub of these peach colored double gumamela. Both of us used to love it dearly. Unfortunately we never saw the ants that were building their homes around it's roots. When the aphids attacked the shrub, it gave up and died. My mother and I both mourned its loss.

These gumamela here and the one below are actually not the local variety. One of my auntie has shrubs of these varieties and they can grow as high as the roof tops. But they are really very pretty.

I remember back when I was still in elementary school, we were always asked to bring a gumamela whenever we study the parts of a flower. I wonder if the students today are still asked the same...

Photo Credits: My Best Homes Realty

Last Dance...

The year 2008 has been a roller coaster ride for me. It's opening salvo at exactly January 1 is the second hospitalization of my mother due to stroke. And for the next 4 to 5 months, we weave in and out of the hospital for various treatments.

I had to give up some of my projects to attend to the caring of my Nanay, and this really put a great pressure on our already strained financial resources.

Even my blogging activities which afforded me enjoyment and relaxation, have to take back seat too. Just recently I found I lost my page rank! Oh well! misfortunes do come in torrential deluge...

I will be finishing 2 more write-up for product reviews, and I am contemplating of taking off indefinitely... I need time to nurse my pain and disappointment.

Inasal, Puso, Ug Coke!

My brother and his former buddies from ERUF banded together again, this time for the love of a sport! Each one pursuing different lives from each other but together took the time to unite for biking activities...

We were happy to know at first that - at last! my brother has finally decided to really start on some physical sport. Until we saw these pictures of ughh! Inasal...and coke (coca-cola)!

All the while we thought that biking would have paved for a health program. Palami man lang di-ay ug kaon! By the way, inasal ni sa Talisay. No matter how many inasal makers have sprouted all over the city, the orig is still the most remembered...

Maria Luisa Estate Park