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Tag Archives: Manila
Pinoy style toponymy
A young local politician told me that the origin of Alabang is the word abang (tagalog for "to wait"). Bandits during the Spanish era use to ambush unsuspecting people he said.
Legends are more appealing than real history. The small Rio Alban (the one in Festival Mall) gave her name to Alabang. Boring story, I know, the legend's more catchy.
Three years ago, I blogged about the origin of Muntinlupa's barrio names. Many were surprised that all had botanical word origins.
Most stories about how places got its name are fabulated. They're mostly "alamat" (legends) but Filipinos takes them as facts.
Pre-colonial Singapore were populated by Malays that had the same practice. They had a profound admiration towards nature and named places to honor it.
The names of the two towns I call home here, Punngol and Tampines, had natural and botanic origins.
Two years ago, we moved to Tampines township. Its name came from the tree "tempinis". An ironwood variety, like the rare hard Philippine mangkono.
Punggol town got its name from an old Malay word. It was a method of gathering fruits from trees by hurling clubs. Our ancestors adapted the word in tagalog, "pukol", which generally means "to throw".
You see, the intangible historical links are there, we only need to pay attention.
Some other places Malays named after plants here are: the heritage district of Kampong Glam, after the tree Gelam. Kranji (I wrote about its WWII site here) from the keranji tree. Sembawang, Katong and many others.
The popular Filipino hangout place, Orchard Road, got its name from trees that used to lined it. What kind of tree? according to local historians, nutmeg. Not far from Orchard there's a street called Nutmeg.
In the Philippines we call nutmeg as tanghas or duguan (from the red flesh the covers the seeds). The seed is dried up and grounded. It is used as spice and skin medicine.
I grew up in a street called Bagtican (white lauan). I knew even as a child that it's a tree but never saw one until 9 years ago in Los Baños. It's a threatened tree because of market demand.
Why knowing the real story behind places names is important?
Well, for one it dispels ludicrous myths that people ends up believing—and studying toponymy (ah, the scientific and fancy name of the study of places names) is a gateway to history.
Try researching where your place got its name and you'll go into a history rabbit hole!
Leave a comment	| tags: bagtican, etymology, malay, mangkono, Manila, Punggol, singapore, tampines, tempinis, toponymy	| posted in Muntinglupa, Singapura
Withonespast on Chinoy TV
I was watching ANC yesterday when I saw a Chinoy TV ad. They now have a time slot in ABS-CBN's cable news.
I was tapped as resource person for two episodes of the "Kwentong Chinoy" segment in 2014. I never saw it until this week.
The producer (Vans) I worked with apparently left before I could get copies. When I saw them on ANC I again requested. They sent me the episodes the next day.
I edited and compiled the video. Cropped out the ads and all the other segments for upload. I just want to see myself talking (I'm kidding). It's easier to upload smaller files.
The other resource person with me is Fil-Chinese photographer and travel blogger (Tara Let's Asia) Jeff Lui.
I'm glad that they included some of my inputs.
Like stating that the mix of culture in Chinatown (Binondo) is not only Chinese and Filipino (or native)—Spanish influence was as important–it fused everything together.
Before I left, I gave them all my notes and all important historical material I brought with me about Binondo.
I was under the impression ("hoping" is the right word I think) that the feature on Don Roman Ongpin and Binondo would run longer.
We're talking about the oldest Chinatown in the planet here.
But in television, time is currency.
Leave a comment	| tags: binondo, binondo church, chinatown mania, chinoy, chinoy tv, Manila, ongpin, roman ongpin, stanley chi	| posted in Historia, Manila
ChinoyTV and Myself
chinoytv, stan chi, vance alfonso, binondo, chinatown, manila
It was pass noon time when I reached Calle Condesa. In an eatery right beside Binondo church I was greeted at the door by ChinoyTV researcher and producer Vance Alfonso. Inside I was introduced to the camera men, Richard Gregorio and Mon Santiago, Jeffrey Lui of Tara Let's Go blog and the host, Stan Chi, contributor writer for FHM.
The format is interesting. Because the segment is less than 10 minutes, everything had to be compressed. It was a challenge because history is a wordy subject—I had trouble curbing my points. But that's how TV shows are Stan said, there's not a lot of time.
And, to catch the audience's curiosity, it has to be natural and entertaining. The whole thing was a great learning experience. But I doubt it if I would repeat. My performance was, arrgh, awful—I wasn't the duck on a pond, more like, a white guy dancing. I had to be reminded, many times, to shorten my sentences—difficult for someone who's used to blabbering historical data like a mad man!
But the shoot was fun. The guys made it fun. Especially Stan, a natural comedian, his wit and humor carried us through that humid afternoon heat! I had a great time.
I don't know when the episodes would air, what I do know is that the shoot was for two episodes. ChinoyTV is shown over Living Asia channel and other cable channels. Vance said that he'll just send me a link. They upload their episodes in Youtube so people could watch it on line. Not excited to see it but I'll share it here.
I was glad to see another blogger there yesterday. Jeff Lui, of the travel website called Tara Let's Go. He's a photographer and a traveler. I'm impressed with his knowledge in history. The thing about bloggers is their passion, you see, most are writing and recording their experiences on line for free—they're not instructed nor paid to do so. Blog sites these days is where I source news, entertainment and information.
It was another blogger, my friend Glen of Travelers on Foot, that introduced me to Vance. We started blogging around the same time and both of us consider ourselves old timers in the local blogging scene. TOF is a popular culture, history and arts blog and the man behind it, a great supporter and aficionado of Filipino arts!
During the shoot I handed over to Vance some print outs of my research on Binondo. I hope these guys continue to promote and feature Filipino history on their show.
Izquierda a derecho: Vance, Arnaldo, Jeff Lui of Tara Let's Go, Stan Chi and Mon. My gosh, everyone's chinito here except me!
1 Comment	| tags: binondo, chinatown, chinoytv, Manila, stan chi, vance alfonso	| posted in Manila
Life & History Lessons from a Septuagenarian Cabbie!
It's not every day that you get to ride a cab with a septuagenarian behind the wheel!
I was on my way to meet the ChinoyTV crew in Binondo for an interview. I was running really late—I had to take a cab. And I'm glad I did. The cab ride turns out to be a nostalgic tour of sorts!
That's him!
Mr. "Tatay" Mazo, of Mauban, Quezon, has been driving since the 1960's. I knew that I could extract interesting historical bits from the man. So I was ready with my little notebook to write down notes.
When we reached San Marcelino there were these massive wheeler trucks stucked in the middle of Quirino Ave. No problem—Tatay knows. He made a quick right turn before Calle San Marcelino and we came out in Calle Nakpil.
I told him that I was about to meet a group of Filipino Chinese in Binondo. He smiled and relates, "You know, one of the first man who ever showed me around Manila is a Chinese. He speak Tagalog but have difficulty pronouncing some words." Calle Jose Abad Santos was aba-la-lo and Misericordia, mi-se-co-la. The Chinese was a regular customer.
"Back in the day, we would go around to find passengers in Binondo, that's where the action was for us taxi drivers" Tatay said, noting that it was the shopping center back then and people swarmed the borough especially during weekends and holidays.
"If you want to treat your wife, you take her to Escolta and your friends would tell you, wow pare pang-Escolta pala si misis." But those days are long-gone. "Manila just have too many problem, traffic, name it, they rather go to Quezon City and Makati." The best thing about the city then according to the ol' man was there's hardly any traffic—now it's everywhere.
I asked if he miss the ol' Manila days. "Yes, of course, coming from Mauban (Quezon province), seeing it for the first time was like being abroad." I reminded him that he's lucky, to this he just laughed and told me, "no you are, you can afford a taxi, I can't!"
I asked him if the changes in the street names confuses him and he said no but he finds it stupid and irksome. "They don't have better things to do, so they change the streets." I dare test his knowledge, while passing Nakpil, I asked if he remembers what was its old name, "Calle Tenesse, oh, no, Vermon(t)." Now that's impressive! Of all the changes, there's one that's unforgivable to him. "When they change Calle Tayabas in Tondo to Yuseco, who's that!" Of course, he likes the old name better—he's a Tayabas boy.
And he's got something to say about the Binay fiasco. "Some politician used to poke fun at him. That he (Binay) could not even afford a cup of coffee at the Manila hotel," and that the poor guy was "an abogadong walang asunto." I've never heard of these being reported anywhere, or perhaps, I was still not around when these happened but Tatay believes that such insults drives some people's dogged craving to get rich.
And about the Bangsa Moro deal, "We will regret it, thank Heavens, I'm too old to fight them in the future!"
What about life, what does he feel about the quality of life today compared to his younger days? "I would buy fish for .50 cents, that's a planganita, so many that you could not possibly consume it in a day." He continues, "Your question about the past, well, we can't bring it back. So many of us doesn't have discipline, we're lazy—just look at those idiots, without shirts drinking, they're young, I'm old but those men does not want to work! The people see their government is a joke, so, why take their life serious?"
His final advice was to be always productive and enjoy life. "A little good food here, some beer there, family and friends are good—remain productive, and everything should be alright."
How I wish I had my recorder with me — what a pleasure getting stuck in traffic with a 70-ish wise old gentleman!
Life, indeed, is full of surprises!
2 Comments	| tags: binondo, calle marcelino, chinatown, Manila, parian	| posted in Manila
Manila Cathedral 2014
tag: manila cathedral, intramuros, manila
Just before I left Manila last Wednesday I decided to drop by the Manila Cathedral to check on recent repairs and renovations, and, I heard, some interesting additions. This picked my curiosity, for what else could be added to the cathedral — at the back of my mind I was thinking of those foolish parish priests who take liberties decorating and modifying their century old-churches as if it were their own house! So I was hoping nothing really stupid was done to desecrate what was once the center of Catholic Asia.
To my relief, nothing really changed but the entire church has been somewhat refurbished. I read that there was a need to make some structural works on its foundation, so this was something that was necessary in order to keep it safe. The church spent 70 million (huge sum from donations) to make structural retrofits, fix plumbing and electrical installations. They also chemically treated certain areas susceptible to molds. Most of the interiors are now in marble which makes it more like a palace.
We have to remember that this is a mid 1900's church (and not the original), which makes it relatively young compared to its Spanish missionary built churches, which, ironically are far sturdier and resistant to tropical conditions and the occasional tremors.
I have never seen so many tourist in my life visiting the cathedral. This was the first time that I saw a tourist in every corner of the church. There were even Koreans taking selfies making funny faces a few meters from the altar, which, I suppose they have very little regard to as they're not Catholics. The pedicab drivers and the calesas are making a killing with these renaissance of Intramuros. Seeing all these makes me feel good about the future.
The Cathedral has this new feel to it. Everything's spanking new, clean, polished to the utmost brightness! This is all too strange because I'm used to seeing antiqueish Spanish era churches. Minus the cathedral's design, which was wonderfully preserved, It has been fully pimped, and now better than ever! (ok, I should not have used that word!)
Leave a comment	| tags: intramuros, Manila, Manila Cathedral	| posted in Manila
steely church of San Sebastian
tag: san sebastian church, quiapo, manila, san sebastian college, augustinian recollect
I walked around the wet streets of Manila yesterday. I wondered about what it felt like to be a Manileño during its golden age. When it was the center, the most modern, the most beautiful city in Asia. Well, it is a shell of what it once was, reality is that it's in a sad state of bleakness, poverty. Even the once massive but graceful houses of Quiapo are now boarded by some of our most unfortunate kababayans.
Surprising is how the government of Manila allowed the construction of a building (old location of the UP fine arts school) right smack in the middle of Quiapo town! As if things couldn't get worst in this area. There's not a lot of planning involved in city planning around Manila after Mayor Lacson. I wonder if they even have a vision for the future around here.
I started in Manila's city hall, crossed the Ayala Bridge to Calle Casal, then straight to Legarda, turning left to Bilibid Viejo. That's a short 2 kilometer walk in a showery Manila day. My reward was seeing the magnificent marvel of engineering the Recoletos built in 1891. Alleged to have been been designed by Gustave Eiffel, it is the only all-steel church in Asia and is said to have been the only prefabricated church in the continent.
Just imagine what it was like when colossal chunks of the church started to roll on the streets of Manila. That must have been a sight to see! It was, according to Jaime Laya, an international project, with English, Filipino, Belgians and other foreign nationals taking part in its planning and construction.
The Augustian Recollect missionaries in the Philippines were known for their intrepid and valiant expeditions. Nick Joaquin refers to them as "jungle" experts, so fearless that they took on wilderness that even locals would dare not go. So it is not unexpected that they envisioned something so out-of-the-box with their basilica. A prefabricated iron neo-gothic church in a tropical territory. But they must have forgot that salty winds from the nearby bay are known to slowly deteriorate even the densest of steel!
My first memory of San Sebastian was when I was a boy. These visits are rare because Quiapo church was easier get to (and my nanay was a Nazarene devotee) but the image of the steel church, with its noticeable dim interiors and captivating glass window art, made an deep impression on me that when I see a gothic church, wherever I go, I'm instantly reminded of it.
The challenge today is preserving the church. Since it would cost more to restore it than build a new one, some, even among the Recollect community are brooding over the idea of tearing it down and just building a new church. Not the best news a heritage advocate would like to hear but there's not a lot of options left out there. Time will come when the entire steel church would be unsafe to use and by then we would all be confronted by the truth.
They don't make 'em like they used to they say, and this storied church, that has survived catastrophes, both man-made and natural, might finally succumb to deterioration caused by nature. Let's all pray that God allows it to stand for another hundred years.
1 Comment	| tags: augustinian recollect, Manila, quiapo, san sebastian church, San Sebastian college	| posted in Historia, Manila
Remember the Liberation!
Leave a comment	| tags: battle of manila, liberation, Manila	| posted in Historia
Save the Old Paco Train Station!
Sometimes getting diverted is a good thing. While I was initially irked that the bus I took to get to Philippine Normal University ended up in Plaza de Dilao, my mood changed when I saw the Takayama monument and the old Paco train station.
I dream one day our old train stations gets restored back to its former glory. Yes, there was once a time when efficient train service moved Filipinos to their destinations. Old city train stations in Europe, most of which were either destroyed or damaged in the WWII, are now tourism centerpieces in their localities. We should follow this as it not only promotes history but elevates the status of our railway system in the eyes of our people. We now have a generation who has never experienced train travel.
That's not the Old Paco Railway Station's parking lot. That's Manila's killer traffic.
The train stations we have now are unsightly and unsafe platforms. Even the modest Spanish colonial stations (most are now ruins) are better than these eye sores. Philippine National Railway's trains and coaches are mostly hand me downs from Japan. It's high time this enterprise gets privatized. The government had the time to fix it but struggled to put everything in order. The people deserves a train system that works!
Built during the early years of the American era, the Paco railway station was partially damaged when some businessmen, with the backing of powerful Manila politicians, started preparing the site to build a shopping arcade. They abandoned construction but damaged had already been done to the historic railway station. The last time it suffered this degree of damage was during WWII.
The building of malls in our old towns and cities has been the greatest threat to our hopes to conserve our heritage. Businessmen look for historical sites as most of these sits on expensive prime properties. Politicians loves to profit from these projects too. It makes them look good as it not only generates jobs, to them it glamorizes their city. A feather in their cap that increases their chances of getting themselves re-elected.
Some of the fiercest battle during the 'liberation of Manila' took place here. The Americans had to cross the Pasig river to get to Paco and Pandacan. The Japanese, realizing this, made sure that Paco would be heavily defended. The battle for Paco produced two Medal of Honor awardee. Both American minorities, one American Indian and one Hispanic[1].
I'm curious as to why it has taken this long before our heritage agencies considered declaring the building a heritage structure. The Paco station deserves not only a plaque of recognition but protection from destruction!
[1] Sergeant Cleto Rogriguez and Private 1st class John Reese Jr. from Co. B, 148th battalion infantry.
Support the on line movement to save this wonderful building by liking the FB fan page below:
https://www.facebook.com/savepaco
Another advocacy group I admire is the Railway and Industrial Society of the Philippines. They're currently heading research and other conservation projects for some of our most important heritage structures.
Support and learn more about them here:
http://www.rihspi.org/projects/
3 Comments	| tags: Manila, paco, paco train station, plaza dilao	| posted in Manila
Developments in Intramuros
The ayuntamiento is back!
Yesterday I decided to check out what's going on in Intramuros. I've heard of recent developments happening inside the ancient walled city but never really took more of an interest.
And oh boy was I in for a pleasant surprise—the ayuntamiento, like a phoenix, rose out of the ashes!
The external appearance was faithful with the original. The architecture and the finish was superb—who ever made this possible deserves the Filipinos praise and gratitude. A modern building would have been easier and cheaper to construct but that they went through all the detail to ensure the new building appears as close to the old ayuntamiento as possible was admirable.
The new ayuntamiento is new home for the nation's Treasury department.
The ruins of San Ignacio, will it rise too?
Jesuit Church, soon to rise?
I also visited the ruins of San Ignacio church. I heard that there were some kind of construction going on. What I saw was an area cordoned off by these huge tarpaulin with images of the old church on the side and some tin sheets and wood boards on the facade. Scaffolding was being assembled around the ruins. I take this as preparation for what could be the reconstruction of the historic Jesuit church.
This church was built in the 16th century. It is said that this church was modeled after the Gesu. The Jesuit's main church in Rome. What about the Ateneo? Would they reconstruct this once boarding school too?
I must say the prospect of seeing San Ignacio church reconstructed fills me with excitement!
If there are plans to rebuild the church, then the facade must be retained. Among the churches that was destroyed during the WWII bombings, San Ignacio's facade was the only one spared from demolition after the Japs were rooted out. All the rest were brought down for clearing!
Constructions and Repairs Everywhere
The POEA building is presently being repaired. I was told that the entire building needed it badly. Letran also joined in the construction activities. They've demolished the old art deco building of St. Vincent. They've retained the portions of the facade which suggests that they plan to build a new building behind it.
According to the schools website, portions and salvaged materials from the demolished St. Vincent Ferrer bldg. was used in other renovations in the campus.
I briefly attended Letran's MBA program in 2005 so I'm an interested observer of what would happen next after this demolition.
I heard also that the school filed for a university status. Here's hoping that they don't butcher the historic name of the school and anglicize everything.
San Agustin Church also has some on going minor repairs. Workers are stripping the pink paint coat. I'm not privy to what's the next development here but I've always trusted the people that runs this church. The paint they used was designed to let the original material breath beneath and also to be taken off if they decided to change the color. Let's just hope they pick a good color this time.
The new ayuntamiento
The old ayuntamiento… amazing…
Now, what's being done with the squatters in the walled city?
I read that the illegal settlers will finally get transferred. In exchange, they'll be provided with a livelihood and a house down south.
I spoke with one of Intramuros Administration's security guards. He has some sense of humor about these illegal settlers. "Why would they leave? they have so many security guards guarding them here for free. Exclusive subdivisions have 2 or 3 security guards, here they have dozens, round the clock security!"
But these folks really have to get transferred out of Intramuros. In the past they've been protected by mayors and local politicians because they number by the thousands. These squatter colonies has been the 'baluarte' of politicians for votes in the past.
Two security guards I spoke with said that the squatter area has been a haven for snatchers and drug dealers. Every chase ends up in the illegal settlers area where the snatchers and addicts would disappear like smoke.
Time to resettle these illegal settlers—and please don't say we have no funds. In the news recently, an insanely irresponsible senator who moonlights for TV shows just spent close to a billion pesos to pay for fake projects! With that kind of money not only would we be able to build houses for these squatters, we could also send them on a nice leisurely cruise and gift all of them with iPads for Christmas!
The 60 plus hectare land of Intramuros is around 70% privately owned. The remaining building spaces and vacant lots are split in half by the Church and government. How the squatters remained in this historic area for so long reflects the lack of political will among our politicians.
A French colleague was shocked to see that there are shanties with "so many little children playing" right in the middle of streets in Intramuros. He was under the impression that the entire place was some kind of a museum. At least, that's how it was presented in international TV ads. I then told him to read the fine print next time.
We've cleared the rail roads of illegal settlers. That's a bigger number compared to these folks in Intramuros. What's stopping us from accomplishing the same?
Have we not waited long enough?
2 Comments	| tags: ayuntamiento, ayuntamiento intramuros, bureau of treasury intramuros, intramuros, Manila, san ignacio church intramuros	| posted in Manila
Filipino Entertainers in old Singapore
On my way to Mustafa (a mall popular for its low prices and 24/7 business hours) I passed by the white old gates of the 'New World' located just outside Farrer MRT. I've seen it before but it's only now that I decided to take a closer look. The gate appears prettier during night time when spotlights highlight its distinctive colonial art design.
I find the restoration effort impressive because not only did they retained the gate but made sure that it's in a place where it would be seen. But more impressive is that the restoration of the gate was an entirely private venture. The gate once stood at Jalan Besar, it is now in front of the modern City Square mall as a reminder of the old entertainment business in the island.
In the 60's, the decade when entertainment shifted to television and radio the business operations inside these amusement parks (there were three of them) was shut down. The land where 'New World' once stood has long been developed. The arch and gate moved to its present location along the Kirchener Road–an acknowledgement of the amusement park's historical significance.
Filipino entertainers pass through this gate in the 1900's
The history of this 'New World Amusement' park is interesting for us Filipinos. It is the only Singaporean heritage site I know that has a marker that mentions us. Turns out that some of our countrymen in the early 1900's managed to take part in the local show business:
"First opened in 1923 by the two Straits Chinese merchants brothers, Ong Boon Tat and Ong Peng Hock, who were sons of prominent businessman, Ong Sam Leong, the New World attracted visitors from all walks of life – from Europeans, affluent local merchants to labourers, families and local residents. New World was a destination of fund and entertainment until the 1950's. It featured many exciting programmes and attractions from boxing and wrestling matches to variety shows, operas from various ethnic groups and a small cabaret with Filipino arstistes."
While 'cabaret' is a workplace of dubious reputation in our vocabulary, working in such places in other countries meant making a living out of "performing music, dance, recitation and comedy." A master of ceremonies introduces performers, boxers, wrestlers and just about everything people would pay to see. The Filipinos were mostly artists, as the marker states in the 'New World' gate.
This Filipino presence is an important reminder that we've always had good artists–a reputation that to this day continues–and that we've been coming to work in this wonderful country for centuries. Filipino migration to this island is not new. Let's not forget about the Filipinos in Singapore in the late 19th century that attempted to save Rizal while he was detained in a ship (anchored in Singapore's harbor) bound for Manila. The British denied the request to give the Filipino a refuge in the English colony but just imagine if they granted Rizal a safe pass!
There's around half a million Filipino tourist that visits Singapore yearly. Last year, Filipinos ranked six among international visitors. This is attributed to increased number of flights going to the island, as well as the improving economy back home. It is a fact that a significant percentage of Filipinos who visits Singapore gives job hunt a stab but due to recent restrictions this is slowly becoming a fruitless pursuit for most Pinoys.
With this I hope Filipinos who come to see the islands explore it for its historical ties with us. But with all the other major attractions the island state offers, encouraging Filipinos to spend some time visiting historical landmarks (i.e., River Valley Rd., Good Shepherd Church) connected us is a tall order, if not impossible.
Leave a comment	| tags: Manila, new world singapore, singapore, sta ana cabaret	| posted in Singapura
Manila – Chicago – Baguio
What does these three cities have in common?
All hired an American urban planner by the name of Daniel Burnham. In Manila and Baguio, he was appointed by his government after they annexed the country. The Chicago local also worked on urban blueprints for cities like Washington D.C., San Francisco and Cleveland.
That area, just outside Intramuros, where those neo classical building stands (creations of pioneering Filipino architects, most notable was Juan Arellano) was built following Burnham's urban plan.
Burnham envisioned an improved city representing his America. Wide roads, scenic boulevard, spacious parks, gardens and imposing government offices.
Among the topics he tackled in his 1905 plan was keeping Intramuros vibrant and attractive. Believing it would provide a wonderful historical contrast to his new Manila.
The only alteration that he proposed was for Intramuros' moat to be covered with earth (now a golf course).
Burnham also recommended to develop the esteros to be used as pathways for commerce and transport. Unfortunately, these were never carried out. Many expert believes the plan would have eased the recurring floods in the city. Some of those esteros he saw are now gone.
A better example of Burnham's city planning was executed to a detail in Baguio. The summer home of American military and civil employees. At the center of his plan is a gracious park and garden with a wide pond. Today, aptly called Burnham park.
Here in Chi town, Burnham not only proposed improvements in the city's layout, he also dabbled in designing skycrapers. Now preserved and promoted by the city as Chicagoan heritage.
The scenic lakefront is a great Burnham legacy. In it lies the iconic Navy Pier (which once served as a Navy training facility and local convention center). Burnham had proposed 3 more piers for Chicago but just like what happened to his other recommendations, they were never carried out.
The famed architect was known for big, grand designs that startled his clients. Clearly, his visions was ahead of his time. Indeed, a man who had preference for making no small plans.
A clear day in Chi town. Seen from Willis Tower (formerly Sears).
Here's not so clear a-day.
Not by Burnham but by the Burnhams. A building designed by D.H. Burnham's sons.
The city as seen from Chicago's Navy Pier.
Walking along on a cold breezy night at Navy Pier.
For further reading on Burnham, I stumbled upon this awesome resource on line click here . The guy (or gal) certainly knows the subject. Cheers!
3 Comments	| tags: Chi town, chicago, Cleveland, Daniel Burnham, Juan Arellano, Manila, Navy Pier, San Francisco, Washington D.C.	| posted in America
Old Islamic Enclave in Singapore
An old Islamic school. Singapore's heritage architecture shows a variety of styles and influences.
Lined up in a row. These shop houses, most probably, pre World War II, reflects Chinese and European architecture.
Colorful old buildings characterized by wide, adjustable windows and arched entrance ways.
Narrow streets that reminds me of old Binan. The narrow streets is a sign of expensive realty, as people had to make use and utilize available space as much as they can
This area have shops that specializes in selling traditional fabrics. This area is near the gate of the Masjid. Not far from here is what people call the central business district.
Solidly built heritage structures, now all shops.
White painted commercial houses preserved for the future generation
I saw a poster of the Sultan Mosque (locally known as Masjid Mosque) in the mall and found it wonderfully enchanting. A heritage Mosque in a middle of a bustling city. National day is just around the corner here in Singapore and the government has been heavily promoting heritage structures that represents the different groups and faith in the islands. I got curious and thought it a good idea to see the mosque because like Manila, Singapore was once predominantly Mohamedan (for old Tagalogs Mohammed is "Mahoma" hence the saying "Panahon pa ni Mahoma").
Early this year I attended the National Library's exhibit "Stories Behind Singapore Streets" (I think the exhibit is still on going) and found what local historian's refers to as the "Raffle's Town Plan". The British governor mapped and zoned the entire island during his time in the former colony. Such zoning (sectores) also took place during the Spanish era in Manila and all other progressive towns. To get a picture of how this worked back in the day one can visit Malolos which still have the names of the "sectores" as it was implemented in the old days.
Raffles is regarded as the pioneer of modern Singapore and I've seen books about his life on sale here. Singaporeans have a mature perspective about their historical evolution and its influence in their modern lives. Around the country, you could still find street names after British royals, British war heroes and even English countrysides. They're not bothered by these colonial things. What matters to them is what they've accomplished when they became independent from the British and Malaysia. Filipinos on the other hand are easily persuaded to give up their historical heritage and replace it with something else. We habitually, for example, change streets names as though they represent nothing more but alphabets. We don't seem to understand the importance of preserving historical names.
I discovered that the mosque is surrounded by old shops and residential streets that I've never seen before. The mosque is located in the Streets of Muscat and Northbridge. This is not the original, as it had to be expanded because of the growing Muslim population. This present structure was built in the 1920's, interestingly it was designed by a westerner named Denis Santry.
I was impressed by how they managed to preserve the area around the mosque. The district, known as Glam Kampong, is surrounded by towering buildings of is known as central business district. The coexistence of old and new here is something that has long fascinated me. How I wish this is the case in Manila! And I believe that this is possible back home only if we have the the vision to find use for our old buildings.
The pressure to develop space for urban use is real everywhere. Much more in Singapore because they have very limited space but what they do well is manage urban development in a way that it doesn't harm their historical relics. We've seen how urban expansion devastated the heritage structures of Manila, which have bigger space and more options when it comes to urban planning. How Singapore has zoned out certain districts away from development is something we all can learn from.
I would not know that there was an old Muslim settlement in the center of Singapore if I have not seen this district. Although, aside from the mosque, the structures around the district does not appear to be heavily influenced by Islamic art. Its historical significance is that here, their royal and merchant ancestors showed the world the beauty of their culture and religion. This is the beauty of conserving what's left of the past – it reminds people. The old houses and shops are now mostly commercial spaces but this is good because as long as these structures are utilized – they'll continue to exist. Architectural reuse is something that our local government in the Philippines needs to catch on. Fast. Before we lose everything.
An old shop converted to a Mexican bar with Aztec inspired murals
An old building sandwiched between modern buildings. Some space eventually must be conceded to land development but historical houses must not be removed totally as they represent the different historical strata of each state.
Taken from Beach Road. At night, the place comes alive with some fine dining restos and pubs.
Motel here enjoys a better reputation than hours. This one, obviously an old building, now reused to accommodate transient visitors and lovers of course.
An old housing building converted to shops
An MMA shop housed in what used to be a small house! Brock manning the door!
6 Comments	| tags: Glam Kampong, Manila, Mohamedan, NLB, Philippines, raffles, singapore	| posted in Singapura
San Miguel Beer Bar @ Changi
The brand is a genuine Filipino original. It enjoys bigger following even in countries like Hong Kong and Singapore. I found this booth in Changi Budget Terminal serving passengers waiting for their flights back home.
The San Mig Booth
We don't have a lot of big international brands that are well-known all over the world. So I get excited, like most Filipinos, when I see one abroad. The branding in South East Asia is that San Miguel is the "Great Asian Beer" – and I believe that it is. No good Filipino disputes this fact!
The biggest names in Asia are Kirin (owns 15% of San Miguel), Singha, Sapporo, Tiger, Chang, Lao, Tsingtao and Taiwan beer. The biggest are the ones from Japan that I heard are brewed in North America.
San Miguel has been brewing beers for over a hundred years. Making it the oldest among the other Asian brands. Tiger, who enjoys a huge chunk of SE Asian market , only started brewing around the 1940's. SMB has a brewing tradition that's unmatched by any other beer maker – more than 100 years of perfecting their beer formula – almost as old as Heineken and Coors.
Legends has it that the Soriano's made a secret deal with the Americans during the liberation days to spare the brewery in San Miguel. The building were among the only few standing structure after the city was almost leveled to the ground by the vicious American assault. Did they intentionally avoided hitting the brewery to ensure Manila's beer kept flowing for the thirsty GI long after the Japs are gone?
Like the famous champagne named after the French monk cum master wine maker, Dom Pérignon, the San Miguel recipe is said to had been first concocted by the religious Recoletos for medicinal purposes. Well, possibly for a good time as well, who knows. A German guy (brought in by the first Soriano that got involved in SMB during the early 1900's) is credited for perfecting the beer into what it is now. Interesting is that the first bottled products rolled out of the Manila factory in an October day – the month when the German's celebrates their beer festival – "oktuberfest".
There are countless men who made invaluable contribution, not only to the beer's taste, but to its survival as a profitable venture. The most important of which is that of the founder, Sr. Enrique Maria Barretto y Ycaza. He sought the approval of the Spanish Queen for his beer during a time when the monarch was dealing with so many issues and problem plaguing her empire. Barretto had his eyes in supplying beer to South East Asia. With his Royal grant, he begun the first ever beer brewery in the region – "La Fabrica de Cerveza de San Miguel".
"When you have to ask the Spanish Monarch for a permission to brew a beer you had better brew a GREAT BEER!".
8 Comments	| tags: changi, changi budget terminal, Enrique Baretto, Enrique Maria Barretto Ycaza, Manila, san miguel, san miguel beer	| posted in Singapura


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Formulators Kitchen
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Meet the Team at Formulators Kitchen
A Unique Team of Formulators
The team at Formulators Kitchen spans a broad range of expertise and can accommodate almost every cosmetic formulating need. Together, we offer over 100 years of combined experience. Our focus areas complement each other perfectly, and we are equally passionate about our work.
We look forward to working with you!
Colin Sanders
Colin is a cosmetic and pharmaceutical scientist with over 30 years of experience. He works as an independent consultant developing new beauty products and assists both cosmetic and pharma companies with projects, trouble shooting, and regulations.
Colin is a chemist, but also has experience in several disciplines as his work has included numerous kinds of product development over the years – from licensed pharmaceuticals for dermatological applications to brand toiletries for multiple large brand retailers, branded products, and treatments for skin conditions.
Colin's first-hand, long-time experience with everything from marketing strategies to factory production makes him a true beauty industry insider.
"I look at the data behind the claims and am particularly interested in the skin. This is often described as the largest organ in the body – and it is certainly one of my favourites".
Colin likes to formulate products that are elegant but simple. He is passionate about staying up to date with the latest literature in the field and always aims to work with an optimal understanding of the science of how formulations work and how the body works.
Visit Colin's blog: Colin's Beauty Pages
lise andersen
Lise is a self-professed 'green formulator' who works predominately with plant-based ingredients – preferably as raw and unprocessed as possible.
Her goal with every formula is to employ the barest of basics without sacrificing function or the all-important luxury factor.
"It's an interesting and challenging balance to strike that requires in-depth understanding of every ingredient you include in a formula."
Entirely self-taught, Lise has spent years researching, testing, and developing cosmetics for both skin and haircare. Lise journals some of her work at her blog and has authored books on how to make herbal extracts, DIY skincare, and more.
Although her cosmetics-making journey began when she was in her teens, she is still as smitten with the process of creating and producing cosmetics as the day she began.
In addition to formulation services, Lise creates custom, 100% tailored cosmetics and offers consultation services.
rebecca wright
Rebecca is the cosmetic formulator behind Botanical Formulation's and founder of the award winning natural skincare range: [M] BOTANICALS.
Rebecca's passion lies with natural skincare, body care, and haircare products.
Running her own business has given her a solid knowledge of the market, legislation and practicalities of launching a skincare range in the UK/EU.
Her approach to cosmetic formulation includes an understanding of chemistry, biology, microbiology, psychology, as well as cultural perceptions of beauty.
"Formulating for myself is a form of art and about being creative and having fun in this ever changing world of cosmetic science. When I formulate for others, it includes getting to the heart of what my customer is looking for so I can help them bring the best possible product to market."
DUNCAN ABBOTT
Duncan has over 25 years of formulating experience and has worked in the personal care and household products industry for a wide range of companies – some are household names and some are responsible for supplying household names with their products.
While working in the cleaning chemicals sector, his focus was to 'keep businesses and people from all walks of life safe and healthy'.
Duncan is trained as a synthetic chemist in the pharmaceutical industry, but soon found that there was much more art and humanity to be expressed in cosmetics and toiletries.
"I have made my way in formulating by knowing when to follow the rules, and when to bend them. My formulation style is to use commonplace materials in an unusual way to get the best results."
Duncan has formulated across all sectors including SPF, skincare, haircare, and household products.
He sums up the sentiments of the entire team beautifully:
"It's a proud feeling when a product I have worked on hits the market. It doesn't matter whether it is a small crafts fair or an international retailer - I get a kick out of it every time."
Dr. Cindy Jones, Ph.D.
Dr. Cindy Jones is a Ph.D. biochemist who worked in cancer research for several years. After studying herbalism and doing medical writing she found her passion in cosmetic formulating. She has over 15 years experience in the field and her niche is natural products formulating.
As a farmer she also grows herbs and distills to create hydrosols and loves using herb extracts in products.
"Many people do not realize that herbs can also be active ingredients and have powerful effects on skin".
Through her business Sagescript Institute, she does microbiology testing and also creates her own skin care line, Colorado Aromatics using herbs from her farm paired with active ingredients.
Natural formulating is a creative outlet for Cindy and she loves formulating new and unique formulas for clients. Her business also does small scale manufacturing.
Anubhuti Ghosh
Anubhuti Ghosh is a cosmetic scientist with over 14 years of experience in the cosmetic and beauty industry. Her expertise encompasses formulation development as well as complete technical and regulatory knowledge. She also offers branding and marketing support.
Throughout her career, she has developed skin and hair care, hair coloring, color cosmetics, professional-range massage-and-spa products and more for various Indian and International clients.
Anubhutis approach to formulation is to combine tradition with innovation. Her constant goal is to deliver top quality, result-oriented products.
"It is possible to treat your skin to a new level of health with nature. For me skin health is the most important element and I love creating formulations with natural and ayurvedic ingredients supported with scientific data for their healing capacity and safety aspects."
Anubhuti focuses on current trends, clinical tests, and white space opportunities within the beauty market when working on conceptualising a new product.
Her detailed knowledge of international regulatory requirements as well as global certifications such as ECOCERT, NaTrue certification, Whole Food Standards, Vegan, Against Animal Testing, PETA, and Cruelty Free International makes her an invaluable asset to any project.
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This week's lesson really hit home for me. When we moved to our current home I realized just how much stuff I actually had. The attic was filled with raw fleece that "one day I will get to this" syndrome, my small studio had wool with the same thought. I realized that it would take a forty yard container just to move my "stuff". I started to purge, fabric went to the seniors for their craft room; yarn and paints to the schools for their arts program and the fleece, well it was too far gone to have anything done with it and this taught me a lesson, sometimes the "one day I will use this" actually becomes landfill as the materials become brittle and useless.
Once a year I do a major purge of my home as well as my studios. I go through everything and do this between Christmas and New Year so I will have a clean slate to start new work. This year I waited until I had my exhibition work completed then went through everything in the dye studio. I had run out of certain materials that I was using for this project but decided because our dollar was so low and the cost of shipping such a small amount of product so high, I decided to use up what was on the shelf. Instead of having so many different dyes why not mix the colours myself, after all, had I not just completed Jane's colour course where we did just that?
This year I have another major project with an installation artist who does environmental art. We decided to use only materials that I have in my stash and dyes that are presently on my shelf to create this piece. This should wipe out most of my existing materials and provide space for whatever is next on the agenda.
I did not have anything to cut up as I give all my scraps to a quilter and she creates the most wonderful items and this is how I am able to maintain my one in one out rule.


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'Europe is in danger': top diplomat to propose EU military doctrine
'Europe is in danger': top diplomat to propose EU military doctrine - Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021
By Robin Emmott
BRUSSELS – The European Union's top diplomat is set to warn the bloc on Wednesday that it must agree an ambitious doctrine as the basis for joint military action abroad, including with a deployable crisis force, according to excerpts of a draft seen by Reuters.
Josep Borrell will present his fellow European Commissioners with the first draft of the "Strategic Compass", the closest thing the EU could have to a military doctrine and akin to NATO's "Strategic Concept" that sets out alliance goals.
"Europe is in danger," the EU's foreign policy chief will say, according to a draft foreword.
He will stress that the U.S.-led NATO alliance remains primarily responsible for Europe's collective defence.
While European countries have highly-trained soldiers and cyber, naval and air power, resources are duplicated across 27 militaries and EU train-and-assist missions are modest in size.
Member states also lack the logistics and command and control capabilities of the United States and cannot match its intelligence-gathering.
A separate threat assessment is confidential, but diplomats cite the failing states on Europe's frontiers as areas where the EU might need to send peacekeepers or evacuate citizens.
EU foreign and defence ministers will take up the issue on Monday, aiming to agree a final political document in March.
With the blessing of U.S. President Joe Biden in a communique with French President Emmanuel Macron last month, the EU argues it can be a more useful ally to the United States if it develops standalone military capacities.
Britain's exit from the EU, while depriving the bloc of a military power, has given Paris an opportunity to push ambitions for a bigger EU role in defence, with Berlin.
Diplomats say the warning signs have been many, including former U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" policy that undermined EU priorities.
But despite progress on building a common defence fund to develop weapons together since late 2017, the EU has yet to deploy its battalion-sized battlegroups in a crisis.
Borrell is set to say that the Strategic Compass is not just another EU document, noting past failures in defence.
"The difference this time lies in the speed at which the geo-political context is changing. This makes the case for action more urgent," Borrell said in the foreword to the draft.
"All the threats we face are intensifying and the capacity of individual member states to cope is insufficient and declining."


Hi my name is Abishai.
Today I am going to talk about and tell you how to make a good pot of oatmeal. Normally, I make a pot of oatmeal for our family of six, and it usually feeds us for one week. We all really, really love oatmeal, even my little sister Astrid. She gobbles that stuff up. Well, that is enough stuff about me.
Fill a big pot with all your water. Remember, this is for six people.
Put it on to boil and add the salt.
Pour the oats into the boiling water.
Add cinnamon and allow to cook. Then add milk and let it finish cooking.
Add brown sugar and stir. Then take it off the heat.
Add vanilla and stir. After that, your DONE!
Serve the oatmeal and let the rest cool a little bit before you put the pot into the fridge.
So there is your recipe for perfect oatmeal and ways to make it even better by adding some pizzazz to it.
Today I am going to talk about me being able to cross something off my bucket list. At Taco Bell they have a "Taco Twelve Pack", and usually I share one with my dad and brother. We each get four tacos.
Today, I crossed eating a "Taco Twelve Pack" off my bucket list. I, Abishai Powers, ate an entire one of them solo.
My family nickname is Pig, but, wow, to be completely honest, by the time that was over, I felt pretty sick. I had never eaten so much food at one time before. It was invigorating. My colon was very energized by it, though, because I had to go three times that day.
So, that is the story of me eating a "Taco Twelve Pack". Hasta la vista, bro-migos!
Note from Dad- As soon as I saw this title pop up in an e-mail newsletter, I sent a note to Sharon Gibson and told her that we wanted to try it for the boys. We're big on making cooking a big part of our homeschool. It's a great way to learn practical math and science skills and also teaches the boys a useful craft. I keep telling them that when they get older, a great home-cooked meal from a guy will really impress any prospective wives. Even better, we've worked through several of Homeschool Legacy's Unit Studies in the past and love them. I highly recommend them for your homeschool. In addition to the fun the kids have with them, my wife and I enjoy teaching through them. This one was no different, except for the bonus that we had some really great meals from it.
If you want to try out this or any of the Homeschool Legacy studies, you can find them at their main website HERE or at many of the homeschool conferences. I've bought books from them at both.
Alright, enough from me. I'll turn it over to my son.
This unit study tells the history about the first four presidents, their wives, and their favorite desserts. It also shows you the recipe to make those desserts.
Though I do not like cherries, it was pretty fun to make. I got to roll the dough and everything. I also poured in the pie filling. We also learned about Mr. Washington's wife. They had a fairly confusing relationship because they were seldom together. It was pretty cool to hear that Martha helped the injured at Gen. Washington's military camp.
The second president we learned about was John Adams. He and his wife were the first presidential family to move into the White House. The funny thing is that they moved into the White House while it was still being built. They stayed in one of the only rooms that was finished, and Mrs. Adams did not have a clothesline so she hung them in one of the unfinished rooms. The most absolute coolest thing is that John Adams had a pet alligator. My dad and I think that he got it because they did not have a Secret Service yet. We do not know for sure yet though.
We are not done with the book yet, but we are looking forward to finishing it, and I can't wait to make more desserts. I highly recommend this to other homeschoolers. It is very fun and tasty at the same time.
I Love My Marriott Waffles!
About a month ago I stayed at a hotel, and I love continental breakfasts, but Marriott has the coolest waffle maker. When you make the waffle it imprints the Marriot logo on to the waffle. I personally think that is just awesome and I really want one that imprints my name in the waffle.
You've just read your way into Abishai's Food Lab. I am Abishai Powers and this is a brand new recipe I created for Mexican Meatloaf Sliders. I was inspired to create this to fulfill a bucket list goal for me and my dad. He talks to us a lot about what he learns from Tim Ferriss, and we want to meet him. I find that some of it goes over my head, but dad helps us understand how to take what we need to learn out of all the jumble of what everyone wants to make you learn.
Tim's contest is the first time we had heard about ChefSteps, and we have really enjoyed their classes. Mom has made part of our homeschooling program and I couldn't be happier. I watch shows like Masterchef Jr., and I want to be able to cook like that. ChefSteps helped me change the way we cook. We discovered that we like weighing ingredients instead of measuring them, because I too, hate doing all those dishes!
Mom and I worked together on this recipe and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. My grandparents came over and helped us with the tasting. They gave it a big thumbs up!
Mix the ground meat and egg whites together until well blended. Add Worcestershire Sauce, Bread cumbs, Garlic, Chili, and Onion powders, Pepper and sea salt. Mix with ground meat well and set aside.
Mix together Onions, tomatoes, Jalapeño, and bell pepper. Add seasoning salt and mix well.
Fold veggies into meat carefully but thoroughly.
Make your patties to the size you want.
Bake the patties on 350° for 15 – 20 min.
Then drop them onto a preheated grill or pan and cook for 2 min on each side.
You can always top your burger with the things you love. The choices I made were to use crispy turkey bacon and grated cheddar cheese as my bun protector. Keeping the patty juices from making the bun soggy. Top the patty with a slice of American cheese, because it's my favorite, but my dad preferred the pepper-jack. Then we gave ourselves a nice helping of homemade salsa to give added southwestern Pizzazz.
In a recent blog, Seth Godin said that "Just about everything tastes better toasted". He's not just talking about food. Seth says you can also toast ideas, services, products, and relationships. To toast means that you are putting in the effort to do something nice or special for someone or something. You are customizing what you do to fit a particular persons needs.
Let's talk science. Seth said, "The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned foods their desirable flavor." The reason toast turns brown is because the heat is melting the sugar, and when sugar is heated it turns brown. The hotter the heat the faster it turns brown. It is because of the Maillard reaction that things like hamburger buns and your everyday loaf of bread are brown. In the factory they bake them so that they taste better. The same concept is also applied on things like pork, french-fries, biscuits, popcorn, and tortillas. It's just that you never think about it that way.
I enjoy making toast the old fashion way, in a pan, because I find it more fun than just popping something in a toaster and leaving it to the machine overlords. My brother, Benaiah, would rather do it with a toaster. He thinks that if you toast the bread in a toaster you can walk away and do other stuff. My brother also prefers toast over bread because he likes that it crunches in his mouth. I like toast because it brings a specialness to my plate that a plain piece of bread lacks.


Hogrefe, C., U. Nopcmongcol, J. Bieser, U. Im, J. Christensen, G. Pouliot, R. Mathur, AND S. Roselle. Influence of Boundary Conditions on Regional Air Quality Simulations-Analysis of AQMEII Phase 3 Results. 35th International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modelling and its Application, Crete, GREECE, October 03 - 07, 2016.
This presentation focuses on the dynamic evaluation of the CMAQ model over the continental United States using multi-decadal simulations for the period from 1990 to 2010 to examine how well the changes in observed ozone air quality induced by variations in meteorology and/or emissions are simulated by the model. We applied spectral decomposition of the ozone time-series using the KZ filter to assess the variations in the strengths of synoptic (weather-induced variations) and baseline (long-term variation) forcings, embedded in the simulated and observed concentrations. The results reveal that CMAQ captured the year-to-year variability (more so in the later years than the earlier years) and the synoptic forcing in accordance with what the observations are showing.


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Paper Princess by Erin Watt
3 stars - Young Adult June 28, 2017
The Royals, #1
From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.
These Royals will ruin you…
Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She's spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she'll climb out of the gutter. After her mother's death, Ella is truly alone.
Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.
Reed doesn't want her. He says she doesn't belong with the Royals.
He might be right.
Wealth. Excess. Deception. It's like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she's going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she'll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.
"Reed Royal has broken me. I've fallen from the sky and I'm not sure I can get up. Not this time."
This isn't one of those books I'm usually drawn to - I can't remember why I started it in the first place, think it was a deal on Kindle or something and I was in the mood for something different. All the way YA and all the way angst, but still it was a soap opera I couldn't put down. The writing style is far from perfect, and the characters aren't all fully convincing, but there's something about them....kind of like watching Mean Girls or Jawbreaker, feeling repulsed by callous actions of youth while you can't quit watching.
Ella Harper has been making ends meet in somewhat demeaning names since her mother died and she has no one to offer support. In between jobs she's determined to maintain a high grade average and work her way into college. Suddenly a man appears out of the blue wanting guardianship of her, claiming her father has died and that he is the wealthy best friend who wants to provide the long-lost daughter a stable home. Unfortunately when Ella meets the mansion and the five boys inside, they all hate her and set out to make her life miserable at school and beyond.
There's some seriously cruel elements going on with the five Royal boys and some of the girls at school. Some of it is typical prankster and pick-on stuff, while other parts of bone-deep cruel. I felt bad for Ella, who stayed strong throughout it all with vulnerable lapses which help her stay a convincing character. The weird angle with the father and brothers was also intriguing, as was the weird young woman who the father was boning on the side to get over his dead wife's grief.
"Ella does irritate me at times - personally I could never be attracted to anyone who was such a jerk, and I certainly wouldn't feel unrealistic lightning sparks of attraction when they're being cruel to me. How can you be stunned with lost in the midst of being insulted and threatened? Not realistic, no matter the age, unless the girl is abused and thinks she doesn't deserve better. I didn't get some of the appeal, so it was a refreshing change when some of the roles swapped and a sense of camaraderie developed instead of downright rivalry.
While the relationship was intriguing on a basic level, it was unrealistic because it was too desperate. It may be worth only three stars at most, but I stayed glued to the train wreck and can't resist the rest of the series to see what happens next.
"My skill, if I have one, isn't dancing. It's my ability to believe that tomorrow can be a better day."


Overseas investors are eyeing off Bangkok for further development according to Chris Hobden of Savills Thailand.
Savills' latest report shows record luxury residential prices continued to draw investment over Q3 2017, with developers showing sustained interest in prime Bangkok land sites and condominium projects.
Despite an overall subdued economy, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in real estate increased by 29% year-on-year over 1H/2017, reaching a total of US$1.1 billion.
Listed property developer Supalai PLC acquired the former Australian Embassy for THB4.6 billion (USD138.76 million), with plans to develop a scheme comprising luxury residences and Grade A office space. The sale follows a trend of western embassies selling off prime Bangkok CBD sites, with the UK and France having sold parcels to developers in 2007 and 2011 respectively.
Cautious domestic bank lending, coupled with growing overseas interest in Thai real estate, led to further joint ventures between prominent Thai developers and foreign partners.
SET-listed All Inspire Development PLC announced a Joint Venture with Japan's Hoosiers Holdings to develop a 772-unit condominium scheme, with Sansiri PLC disclosing details of a second venture with Tokyu Corporation, following their first joint condominium project due to launch later this year.
Origin Property PLC forged a joint venture with Japanese developer Nomura Real Estate Development Co, releasing details of four new condominium projects reportedly worth a combined THB8.6 billion (US$259 million).
Property Perfect sold its entire 65% stake in Dara Harbour to commercial developer Central Pattana for THB291.75 million (US$8.6 million), as Property Perfect repositions to focus on residential development moving forward.
Outside of Bangkok, CP Land PLC, the property arm of Charoen Pokphand Group, acquired a 400 key, non-performing hotel in Chiang Rai, with plans to relaunch in Q1/2018.
wider S&P Emerging REIT index by 4.6ppt.
Ticon Industrial Connection PLC released plans to convert three of its property funds into the country's single largest REIT, due to comprise total assets of THB32 billion (US$964 million).


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Commentary :: Globalization
Greek Tragedy Goes Global
Email: lendmanstephen (nospam) sbcglobal.net	 08 Jul 2011
financial terrorism
Greek Tragedy Goes Global - by Stephen Lendman
After Greece's government surrendered to banker occupation, trends analyst Gerald Celente told Russia Today that:
America's "economy continues to decline. There's no recovery in sight." Across Europe in Greece, Britain and elsewhere, people are reacting against forced austerity to assure bankers get paid.
In fact, Trends Journal months ago called it "off with their heads 2.0....The global ponzi scheme is under collapse....whether it's in Egypt, Tunisia, whether it's in the UK, Greece. Watch out for Spain. Here comes Italy. Ireland's coming up the backstretch. It's only going to get much worse."
"The people know the score....What killed capitalism (is explained) in four simple words: too big to fail...The banks are failing, and they want the people to bail them out....I want to make this clear. The IMF is nothing more than the International Mafia Federation, the loan sharks of last resort, and the people know it. They call it privatization. Adults call it stealing valuable public assets, and selling them to your friends really cheaply."
In all these countries, "the politicians only represent the people who give them the most amount of money....And what do these austerity measures bring - a lot more poverty and unemployment." People know it. They're mad, and they're reacting globally.
Expect it eventually in America, the heart of predatory capitalism, stealing from the many for the privileged few, bankers and war profiteers always first in line for handouts, as much as they want whenever they want it.
On July 2, long-time former insider, market analyst/observer Bob Chapman said world markets, especially America's, "are in a state of uneasiness, and it's only a matter of time before they degenerate further. The real question is will everything break loose between now and the end of the year?" In part, it will, and it's currently happening.
In fact, problems Chapman explained months ago "are coming together like a bad dream. This could be a replay of 2008, but for a different set of reasons." Wall Street is a reliable leading indicator.
On June 16, New York Times writer Susanne Craig headlined, "Wall Street Braces for New Layoffs as Profits Wane," saying:
"Wall Street plans to get smaller this summer." Faced with economic weakness, "many of the biggest firms are preparing for deep cuts in jobs and other costs." According to Normura analyst Glenn Schorr, "It's a tense environment right now," suggesting hard times perhaps returning soon.
According to Chapman, Greece's problems weren't solved. They're festering greater than ever. More on that below. Moreover, sovereign nation debt ratings "are falling like ten-pins. (We believe that) euro, (Eurozone) and European Union problems....are unsolvable."
"Little has been done to repair" the 2008 debt crisis. Conditions across Europe, Britain and America are no better. Sooner or later Greece will default, perhaps causing "a collapse of the world financial system, as we know it....The entire financial sectors" in Western countries "are more vulnerable now than ever" and getting worse.
Watch out. Failure somewhere could trigger panic globally. Moreover, China's economy is slowing. Major inflation and real estate bubble problems exacerbate it, and Japan's now back in recession. Overall, talk of recovery is illusion, not fact, in the face of growing global deterioration.
Financial expert and investor safety advocate Martin Weiss has been warning regularly about deepening debt crises and likely defaults. On July 4, his latest report is headlined, "Why the Great Greek Tragedy Has Barely Begun," saying:
The likelihood of Greek debt default is much higher than ever, what Western governments and media won't explain until its debt bubble implosion no longer can be hidden.
Have bailouts helped? Absolutely not! In fact, global institutional investors believe "the probability of a Greek default is FOUR times greater today than (when) European officials announced" their bailout.
Moreover, when Lehman Bros. failed in September 2008, "the most investors were willing to pay for $10 million in Greek debt default coverage was $52,000. Today, they're paying 45 times more!"
In fact, they know that force fed austerity, including tax hikes, layoffs, spending cuts, lower government revenues, and public asset fire sales won't avoid default. It's not if, just when and how badly contagion spreads globally.
What Greece and other troubled economies, entrapped by IMF mandates, have done is sign their "own death warrant." Greece's loans will keep it going another few months at most, "through the summer, but not a single second longer," so it's back for more help, more cuts, higher unemployment, less revenue, greater poverty on the road to financial oblivion like other countries on the same path.
As a result, Weiss sees three major financial crises ahead:
(1) Already reeling from America's greatest housing depression, US banks face more crushing burdens ahead because of their exposure to European banks that have loaned billions to Greece. When they're hit, US banks go with them, those most exposed hammered hardest.
(2) Vulnerable US money funds have "half of their $1.6 trillion in assets in European banks." Moreover, "50 million Americans have money in those funds!" When Greece defaults, they'll be hard-pressed to repay what they borrowed. As a result, "breaking the buck" may follow, meaning their share price value will fall below $1, what most investors once thought impossible, but it happened after Lehman collapsed.
In late June, even Bernanke admitted that European bank exposure "pose(s) some concern to money market mutual funds," a rare divergence from past rosy scenario predictions.
However, danger signs extend well beyond money funds. Virtually all global debt markets are vulnerable, including corporate commercial paper and US Treasuries. When crisis conditions deepen globally, no financial assets are safe. As a result, catastrophic consequences are possible.
(3) "Washington is suffering from the same debt disease as Athens," multiplied many times over. As a result, every hardship Greece now faces offers "a sneak preview of what could be in store (for America), barring" an unlikely major political miracle as lawmakers debate exacerbating measures, not healing ones. No wonder Weiss advises, "Above all, stay safe!"
In Part 2 of his May Quarterly Letter to investors, GMO asset management firm co-founder and chief strategist Jeremy Grantham headlined, "Time to be Serious" by lightening up on risk exposure at a time stocks are 40% overvalued and fixed income "badly overpriced."
With red flags emerging everywhere, now's "not the time to float along with the Fed, but to fight it," meaning safety is essential over risk as beating odds gets longer in a global economy getting sicker, not better, but don't expect Western governments or media to explain.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.


EJ performed with the cast of Stuck at the star-studded NYMF Gala where it was announced that the show will receive a production in Korea next summer at the Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) followed by an Off-Broadway run in New York. Thrilled for the future of this special play and hope you get Stuck with us next year!
08.10.12 and the awards go to... Stuck!
2012 NYMF Awards for excellence Writer/composer/lyricist Riley Thomas has been awarded the Theatre for the American Musical Prize for Stuck at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. He writing was also recognized with honorable mention prizes in both the Music and Book categories. Check out the GALLERY for production photos of our run at NYMF. So proud to be a part of such a special piece.
There's only one show left of Stuck at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, this Sunday, July 22nd at 8:00pm, so get your tickets! Very proud to be working with such a talented team on such a special show.
Rehearsals are underway for Stuck, a new musical at the New York Musical Theatre Festival! Thrilled to be working on exciting, new material with such a talented cast and creative team. Click here for tickets and more info!
EJ just shot a promo for AXE body spray that will air during the MTV Movie Awards in June!
04.21.12 Butterflies of Bill Baker - feature film!
EJ booked a supporting role in the feature film Butterflies of Bill Baker! Stay up to date with the BBB IMDB page.
04.16.12 Happy Opening Avenue Q!
Opening weekend of Avenue Q at Smithtown Performing Arts Center was a success! Thank you to the hard-working and talented members of the cast, crew, and creative team. Shows run Thursdays-Sundays through June 24th. Click here for tickets and more information.
EJ is excited to announce that she will be Christmas Eve in the upcoming production of Avenue Q at Smithtown Performing Arts Center! Stay tuned for more details.
03.03.12 New sketch for Sillyocity!
EJ appears in Sillyocity's latest sketch, "Girls Don't Fart," by the hilarious Howie Michael Smith. Find it on the VIDEO page and at www.youtube.com/sillyocity.
Check out I Got Fired (DIMF edition) production photos in the GALLERY and listen to a new recording of "Green-Painted Girl" (live performance from the Daegu Opera House) on the AUDIO page! And stay updated with all things IGF here.
07.11.11 Congratulations to I Got Fired at DIMF!
Congratulations to the whole I Got Fired team! After a successful run at the Daegu International Musical Festival, we took home the prize for Best Foreign Musical. Special congratulations to our star, Keith Varney, for winning the Best Leading Actor Award. Looking forward to seeing what's next!
EJ has been busy working with up-and-coming musical theatre composer Timothy Huang on a new project called Costs of Living. Stay up to date with this talented new composer here.
EJ will be reprising the role of Chen in I Got Fired (which she originated last year in the New York Musical Theatre Festival), this time in Daegu, South Korea at the Daegu International Musical Festival this July! To keep up on the latest I Got Fired news, click here.
EJ will be performing at the 35th annual Carbonell Awards ceremony on April 4th! The Carbonells celebrate excellence in live theatre in the South Florida community. EJ is both a performer and a nominee (best actress in a musical for her performance as Kim in Miss Saigon at Actors' Playhouse)! For a complete list of nominees and more information about the Carbonell Awards, click here. Ticket information will be available shortly.
EJ will be performing in a cabaret featuring songs by the talented upcoming composer/performer Keith Varney. Original I Got Fired cast members will be reuniting and taking the stage together once again! Join us at the Laurie Beechman Theatre on Monday, March 7th at 7pm. Call 212.695.6909 to reserve your tickets.
02.15.11 EJ has been nominated for a Carbonell Award!
EJ has been honored with a nomination for a Carbonell Award for her performance as Kim in Miss Saigon at Actors' Playhouse. The cast, crew, and creative team was recognized with 11 nominations, the most of any production this year! For a complete list of nominees, click here.
EJ is one of the original company members of the Yerrow Yellow Acting Co., a new group of diverse Asian-American musical theatre artists devoted to developing their craft though contemporary musical theatre. Excited to see where the new year will take this group of talented individuals! Keep up with Yerrow Yellow and learn about its mission here.
The GALLERY has (finally) been updated with production stills from Miss Saigon at Actors' Playhouse, featuring EJ Zimmerman as Kim! Also featured are my good friends Christopher deProphetis as Chris and Herman Sebek as the Engineer. Enjoy!
I Got Fired by Keith Varney was the recipient of both the Theatre for the American Musical Prize AND the DIMF (Daegu International Musical Festival) Award this year. Listen "Green-Painted Girl" on the AUDIO page, performed by original cast members EJ Zimmerman and Collin Leydon as Chen and Rick, to see why!
EJ will be singing with the rest of the cast of I Got Fired at the NYMF Gala on Sunday, November 14th. I Got Fired will be honored with the Theatre for the American Musical Prize. Congrats again Fired team! For tickets to the gala, which will also honor Barry and Fran Weissler, Chita Rivera, and this year's other award-winning NYMF shows, click here.
EJ is now represented by Judy Boals, Inc. Excited to move forward with this new partnership!
10.14.10 Congratulations to the I Got Fired team on a great NYMF run!
Working on a developing musical was arduous, but also exciting and gratifying! A huge thanks to the entire team. We were were fortunate to have great audiences and great press! The NY Post even singled out I Got Fired as one of this year's NYMF shows that "might one day make it off-Broadway or on." If you saw the show, click here to vote for it as Audience Choice!
09.04.10 Rave reviews for Avenue Q at Gateway Playhouse!
EJ is thrilled that she will be performing this October in the new musical I Got Fired at the New York Musical Theatre Festival! For information about this exciting new project, visit the show's website. For tickets and information about NYMF, click here!
08.29.10 Come see Avenue Q at Gateway!
We are finishing up our first week of performances of Avenue Q at the Gateway Playhouse. Click here for tickets, information, production photos, and video. Also, the GALLERY has been updated to include some shots of EJ as Christmas Eve!
EJ is proud to announce that she will be playing the role of Christmas Eve in Gateway Playhouse's upcoming production of Avenue Q! The show runs from August 25th - September 19th. Click here for tickets and more information!
EJ has been honored with a Henry Award for her performance as Kim in Miss Saigon at the Arvada Center! In addition, the Miss Saigon cast, crew, and creative team won 5 other Henrys, including Outstanding Musical. For a complete list of winners, click here.
06.18.10 EJ has been nominated for a Henry Award!
The Colorado Theatre Guild announced the nominations for the Henry Awards today, and EJ is a finalist for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical for her performance as Kim in Miss Saigon at the Arvada Center. This production was also honored with 11 other nominations! For a complete list of nominees and more information about the Henry Awards, click here. So proud to have been a part of the Arvada Saigon family!
The GALLERY has been updated with new headshots by photographer Billy Bustamante. Thank you Billy!
03.27.10 Only a week and a half left to see Miss Saigon at Actors' Playhouse!
You only have until April 4th to see EJ play Kim in this production that the Palm Beach Artspaper calls "impressive." John Lariviere of Talkin' Broadway says that EJ "demonstrates her strength through her vocal stamina, and the simple purity of her sound is well matched to the nature of her character." To read more about what the critics have to say about EJ and Miss Saigon at Actors' Playhouse, check out the REVIEWS page!
03.05.10 Miss Saigon at the Actors' Playhouse opens to rave reviews!
REVIEWS page to read more!
12.19.09 EJ wins a Camera's Eye Theater Award!
EJ is once again recognized for her performance as Kim in the Arvada Center's production of Miss Saigon, this time winning a Camera's Eye Theater Award for best actress in a leading role/musical. These awards were chosen by The Daily Camera's theatre critic, Mark Collins, from 75 productions this year in the Boulder/Denver area. Miss Saigon was also honored with a win for best musical production. Read all about the other winners (and runners-up) here.
EJ will be playing the lead role of Kim in Miss Saigon, this time at the Actors' Playhouse in Coral Gables, FL, from March 3 to April 4, 2010. For more info and to buy tickets click here.
EJ has been nominated for an Ovation award, the Denver Post's awards recognizing the best of this year's theatre in Colorado, for her performance as Kim in the Arvada Center's Miss Saigon. In addition to EJ's best actress in a musical role nomination, Miss Saigon was also nominated for best musical, best director (Rod Lansberry), and best supporting actor in a musical role (Daniel Herron). Read all about the Ovation Awards and other nominees here, and cast your vote for EJ as reader's choice here.
New audio and video clips have been added!
Thanks for visiting EJ's new website! Keep checking back for new updates on her latest projects!


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text:
Local ladies hope to dazzle at Miss Ireland
Aine Fitzgerald
A BEAUTIFUL, blonde, Limerick student is hoping her positive mental attitude will earn her top honours at the Miss Ireland competition this weekend.
Jemma Burke, 20, who lives in Corbally will join the most attractive ladies in the land on stage at the D4 Berkeley Hotel in Dublin for the annual beauty pageant.
"I am just going to be positive because it is a great experience," said Jemma who is originally from Ballybunion but has been living in Limerick for the past three years.
Jemma will take to the catwalk wearing a full length, Rachel Gilbert white dress with embellishment from the Ivory Closet.
"I have to wear a cocktail dress as well which is a strapless, body-con, gold dress – Emma Waldron (Miss Ireland 2010) was wearing it on Miriam. And we have to wear a bikini as well, a black bikini, we will just go with it – it will be grand," she said.
Jemma, who is studying Marketing at LIT - she is going into her third year - works part time at Brown Thomas and the Icon nightclub.
Cheering her on, on Saturday night, will be her parents, Bernadette and Gerard, as well as other family members.
"I'm nervous but excited at the same time. We have to go up on Thursday for rehearsals and there is a barbecue and we will be doing Ireland AM on Friday. Saturday then is the final," she explained.
"I have so much confidence since I went for the Miss Limerick, my confidence has really grown," she smiled.
Joining Jemma on the stage in Dublin will be Esmé Mansergh Wallace from Tipperary Town.
Esmé was spotted by local model agent, Celia Holman Lee, during the Miss Ireland heats and was chosen to represent Tipperary in the pageant.
Esmé works in the leisure club of the Dundrum House Hotel and Country Club as a beauty therapist.
Sporty Esmé is also a great horse woman and has represented Ireland in the sport as well as being the current Irish champion in side saddle.
"If I won Miss Ireland I would use the opportunity to do some meaningful charity work as well as furthering my career and, or course, having some fun! It would be a great honour for me to represent my country at Miss World and I would do my absolute best to do both county and country proud," she said.
Celebrity hosts Sinead Desmond from TV3s Ireland AM and Q102's Ray Shah will introduce each of the contestants on stage during the show on Saturday night.
The show, which is one of the most anticipated events on the social calendar, will feature aerial acrobatics, stunning fashion showcases and an eclectic mix of music and entertainment.
The winner of Miss Ireland 2011 will receive a lucrative modelling contract and a host of prizes. Miss Ireland 2011 will also get the use of a brand new SEAT Car for the year of her reign.
Heats have been running all over the country to find contestants from each county with beauty, poise and personality to take part in the forthcoming Miss Ireland 2011 competition.
This year's judges includes international supermodel and Karora Tan brand ambassador Sophie Anderton, former Miss Ireland Sarah Morrissey, trainer to the stars Paul Byrne, Ireland's first top model and beauty expert, Laura Bermingham, TV3 newscaster and Midday presenter, Elaine Crowley, TV3 XPOSE producer Debbie O Donnell, Celebrity Salon's Elaine Butler Doolan, Aspire Drinks MD Neil Blewitt and Krishna Naidoo.
Miss Ireland 2011 will then go on to represent Ireland in the Miss World pageant which takes place in London on November 8.


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Q: Coffeescript - Finding substring with "in" In Coffeescript the following gives true
"s" in "asd" # true

but this gives false
"as" in "asd" # false

*

*Why is this?

*It happens with strings with more than 1 character?

*Is in not suited for this task?

A: x in y syntax from coffeescript expects y to be an array, or array like object. Given a string, it will convert it into an array of characters (not directly, but it will iterate over the string's indexes as if it were an array).
So your use of in:
"as" in "asd"
# => false

is equivalent to
"as" in ["a","s","d"]
# => false

This way it is much easier to see why it returns false.
The little book of coffeescript has this to say on in:

Includes
Checking to see if a value is inside an array is typically done with indexOf(), which rather mind-bogglingly still requires a shim, as Internet Explorer hasn't implemented it.
var included = (array.indexOf("test") != -1)

CoffeeScript has a neat alternative to this which Pythonists may recognize, namely in.
included = "test" in array

Behind the scenes, CoffeeScript is using Array.prototype.indexOf(), and shimming if necessary, to detect if the value is inside the array. Unfortunately this means the same in syntax won't work for strings. We need to revert back to using indexOf() and testing if the result is negative:
included = "a long test string".indexOf("test") isnt -1

Or even better, hijack the bitwise operator so we don't have to do a -1 comparison.
 string   = "a long test string"
 included = !!~ string.indexOf "test"

Personally, I would say that the bitwise hack isn't very legible, and should be avoided.
I would write your check with either indexOf:
"asd".indexOf("as") != -1
# => true

or with a regex match:
/as/.test "asd"
# => true

or if you are using ES6, use String#includes()

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