A Lesson in Privilege

Last Monday, October 25th, was the barangay elections and if you know anything about Pinoy culture, you'll know that we're a clannish bunch. So in essence, whether you get along with each other or not, around election time you best be sure to get on your relatives' good side. But even of you don't, they will surely vote for you anyway so you'd owe them something in return. What? It's true.

Although my family has lived in our part of town for three generations, we've kept our quantity to the bare minimum. I say this because houses on our street sharing last names are spread end to end--you'll miss our section if you so much as blink. It's one of the major reasons why my cousin didn't win a seat in the barangay council. But God, in His great wisdom, showed me that there's always something more remarkable to behold in these turns of events.

A Great Ube Snack is Never Pricey

Bread Room's ube bars are a rich heavenly surprise!

Every sweet tooth needs just a little hit according to one U2 song and we all know they speak the truth.

Someone told me before that Singapore is a "bread-eating country". I like breads, too, so when I was living there I was always stopping by the bakeries--more commonly referred to by the locals as "confectionery shop"--just to get a brownie, custard puff, muffin, crepe, or whatever soft and sweet treat. I was always a willing victim to the next worthy breadiction. It's no wonder then that on a recent visit to my best friend's house, I found a new favorite and haven't stopped bugging her about it since.

We weren't really paying attention to them that afternoon but I guess we were hungry so we thought we'd take a bite of these ube-colored mini-cakes. They were wrapped in plain blue plastic bags, the kind they use at the palengke, so not much was expected either. However, one bite quickly turned into a few pieces consumed. In a few minutes, the ube bread has landed on our palates and redeemed the neighborhood bakery. How can something so delightful not come from a fancy mall?

This really was a pleasant discovery for me because: 1) it was very rich and you could really taste the ube sweetness; 2) it was soft and moist, just like those Red Ribbon ube cakes; 3) they were from a small humble bakery in an obscure corner of the city; and 4) they were very cheap at PHP4 apiece!

I later found out that the mini-cake is called an ube bar and that many panaderias make them. But I bet none of them can match the ube bar sold at Bread Room bakery on Gatchalian Avenue, Parañaque City. Get yourselves some comfort food that doesn't cause discomfort to your budget. 

The 5 Good Things About Manila (Before Lim Resurfaced and Destroyed It All)

I was really hoping the old geezer would be shut out of the mayoralty race last month but it seems Manileños are blind to progress. They want someone with no real plan other than to run an urban zone--the nation's capital for Pete's sake--like a post-civilization tribe. Now, we have a once-thriving city with more shabby reeking corners than ever. Forget commercial areas, that underpass is supposed to have crumbling floors, and promenade ain't but a cold drink sold in the middle of now jammed streets that used to be for pedestrians only. Any and all kinds of aesthetic reminders of the previous administration are to be dismantled and replaced with...nothing. Wait, strike that, he's replaced them with statues of just about everybody from his kindergarten class right on Roxas Boulevard. And then he gets them inaugurated on Monday morning rush hour! Don't you see? The man is the city's number one vandal! What commerce? What order? Manila is his playground and he'll mess it up where and when he wants to.

Sorry I get all emotional. It's because I really have fond memories from college of walking down TM Kalaw, UN Avenue or even Mabini and discovering pleasant surprises. I'm glad I did that when it was safer to do so. Here are is my list of five things Manila is missing now. Please feel free to share yours if you have 'em, too.

Mercury

Last Sunday evening, I walked into the 7-Eleven near my house to get myself a cold drink...because it's been insufferably hot in hurr. I was immediately reminded how this particular outlet is unapologetically substandard: both the juice and soft drink dispensers weren't running--in April! I was a lost sale until on my way out I caught sight of the ice cream display freezer to so I thought, "Oh, what the heck." Then I saw this:

So it's a tub of ice cream, so what? That's no tub. Just look at how small it is:

BLACKLIGHTING ::: Decorous Lines

Wha? I'm posting chords now? Sup widdat?
Oh make no mistake about it, I CAN play...two or three guitar chords. And when a song's progression is easy enough (read: three fingers max) then I try to learn to play it. Here's one I've loved since hearing it on a San Diego radio station via iTunes awhile back. Great song about truth and beauty in surrendering to Christ's incomparable love and His power over everything in our lives. It's Good Friday but I sing a song of joy "for I know my Saviour lives"!

How Can I Keep From Singing
by Chris Tomlin 
(Capo on 3rd)

Verse:
                  G
There is an endless song,
           D/F#
echoes in my soul
   Em7               C
I hear the music ring
                         G
And though the storms may come,
        D/F#
I am holding on,
Em7 D/F# G Em7 C
and to the rock I cling.

Chorus:
G                                                 D
How can I keep from singing Your praise?
C                              G/B
How can I ever say enough?
C                            D
how amazing is Your love?
G                                                   D
How can I keep from shouting Your name?
                    C                G/B
I know I am loved by the King
            C             D                 G
and it makes my heart want to sing
     
Verse 2:
             G
I will lift my eyes
       D/F#
in the darkest night
  Em7              C
for I know my Savior lives
                     G
and I will walk with You
         D/F#
knowing You see me through
   Em7 D/F# G Em7 C
and sing the songs You give

Bridge:
         Am7         G/B
I can sing in the troubled times,
 C               D
sing when I win.
         Am7         G/B
I can sing when I lose my step,
      C                D
and I fall down again.
     Am7                     G/B
I can sing ’cause You pick me up,
 C                            D
sing ’cause You’re there
     Am7                     G/B
I can sing ’cause You hear me Lord,
           C                      D
when I call to You in prayer
    Am7                 G/B
I can sing with my last breath
C            D
sing for I know
         Am7                G/B
that I’ll sing with the angels,
             C                       D
and the saints around the throne

BACK BITES ::: Cold Treatment

When we were kids, our mother would bring the three of us to the palengke and buy us halo-halo. You couldn't really call it that at all though since we'd request to have just ube in there. Whenever we came around Javier's Canteen they made us that. I can only imagine the kind of balancing act they this did to their inventory.

Why am I even writing about this? Well, the heat's driving me insane and strips me skin of any drop of moisture.

REEL TALK ::: A Postmortem on Sherlock Holmes

Few actors can successfully straddle two well-loved action hero franchise movies within a relatively short period of each film’s release. Even fewer come up with performances that leave both critics and general public raving. Robert Downey, Jr. might as well be the guy to take such chances given a career that has lived through asymmetrical haircuts, goatees and flannel. (We’ll leave the more nefarious details for other writers to pick on.) In fact, any concerns about the dangers of typecasting should be thwarted by the prolific actor’s Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical just last month for his portrayal of the manic depressant yet brilliant Sherlock Holmes in, well, Sherlock Holmes. But if a statuette from a bunch of stuffy journalists won’t convince you, an examination of the movie from an average movie buff’s perspective may help.

U2 ::: Product Red, Get It? Ha!

Yes, I've been slacking but you can't fault me, I've been denied the chance to see them live yet again. *grumble* But, hey, what can you do? Keep praying it happens one day before I die. Anyhow, here's another one of those incidentals, something I don't quite know what to think of yet. I guess it could work!

RedOne attributed his success to his upbringing in Morocco, where he had access to a broad range of musical styles particularly because he was one of nine children.

He also said he enjoyed the success and recognition that producing brought, particularly because it came without the trappings of fame. And his biggest wish? To work with U2.

BLACKLIGHTING ::: Misled and Abandoned

You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

- 2 Co. 11:4

BLACKLIGHTING ::: Go Crawl Into A Hole

I'm excited about next week's corporate fast. It really is appropriate to begin the year with a period set apart for prayer and fasting to let go of things that weigh down my spiritual walk. The Bible says "seek first His kingdom" before everything else because that's the only way we'll ever gain any kind of success in this life.

It doesn't take a genius to decide that my spiritual life is cluttered and since my entire being is rooted on that, I have to get rid of the mess. All my worries, confusion, loss of direction, insecurities, longing, etc. should and can be replaced with faith and commitment. I can only see this happening if my body is freed from it's usual routines and focused on communication with God.

I look forward to cleansing myself physically, too. Heaven knows I need it! By God's grace, I'll have lost a few serious Christmas binge pounds by the end of it. (Time to get a new scale! ) So for this week, I'll start eating less and cut my system a break to get used to lighter workload. Thing is fruits and vegetables aren't really staples for me because I prefer bread over them but I'll have to try at least.

Of course, the main reason behind this activity is to seek God's leading by quieting myself from all this internal and external noise. That's the only way I can get a clear signal from above. If I could do this up in Prayer Mountain, I would! The confines of our house should suffice for now and, besides, it's the condition of the heart that will make or break this. And so I must prepare and be humbled. I look forward to coming out of it feeling a whole lot lighter yet unswervingly driven.