Good tasting Itlog na Maalat

Photo from foodrecap.net

Want good tasting itlog na maalat (salted eggs)? I discover that Victoria, Laguna can give Pateros a run for the money.

Very delicious!

And they only cost P9.00 each.

Recycling Is Saving Stray Dogs In Turkey

The Turkish company "Pugedon" aims to increase recycling while providing food and water to stray dogs.

Hope someone do the same here in Manila.

‘Rurouni Kenshin’ stars to attend ‘Kyoto Inferno’ premiere in Manila

Here's to all of you Samurai X fans in Manila.

According to Rappler, the three main cast members and the director of Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno will be flying in for the grand premiere.

CHECK IT OUT!

Organic Fertilizer and a Lemon in a Bag

I got a hands on training on making organic fertilizer when I was in Laguna. Here's a mixture of compost, molasses and soy beans. Then I try doing some vermicompost.

And how good is this organic fertilizer? Check out this lemon plant which already has 3 fruits. Notice that it is just growing in a plastic bag.

I'm gonna sell organic vegetables.

I heard that here in Manila, the price of organic vegetable is really sky high as they say. Now, then I saw in Cavinti, Laguna that farmers sell them quite cheap. So, you'll get at least 30 to 60 turnovers of profit.

The problem... Where will I sell these vegetables?
Oh, and by the way, in Cavinti people seems to be fond of home industries. Check some of their products...

A sample of their "atcharang talong" (pickled eggplant) and the "leputi" jam.

Leputi jam. Leputi or wild black berries which simply grows everywhere in Cavinti, Laguna

A wine made from "leputi" (wild blaackberry)

Home made chocolate tables. They sell it for P 50.00 per pack.

My Lady BS!

Movies in buses are such a bore…

I never even planned to watch that stupid movie when it was being shown, but then...

I was riding this bus from Manila to Sta. Cruz, Laguna when they start showing this movie called “My Lady Boss.” What the fuck! My Lady Boss? 

Oh shit! No choice, since I can't tell the driver to turn off the goddamn TV. 

So the movie is about what? It’s about a girl who needs a dick. That’s what you always get in Philippine movies. 

It’s not even worth any review or remarks. Instead of showing how a “lady boss” can become successful in a world surrounded by pigs and wolves, it depicts successful women must need to have a sausage stuffed in her mouth. 

TANGINA NAMAN NYAN? SINO BA ANG WRITER NG SHOW NA ITO? 

Common Fish Disease

Bacteriosis Pinnerum (Fin Rot)

Symptoms:

Fin rot begins with a slight discoloration of the edges of the fins, making an early detection difficult. As the disease progresses, the fins begin to fray. The deterioration continues, resulting in the only remains of the fins, once the disease is in its terminal stage.

Cause:

Several bacteria cause Fin Rot, namely "Pseudomonas Flourescens", "Aeromonas Sp". and "Haemophilus Piscium".

Treatment:

Fin Rot is considered difficult to treat. It is recommended to consult with your local fish store about the correct diagnosis as well as a possible treatment.

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Ich AKA White Spot

Ick is a protozoan parasite (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis), and is extremely contagious. The name translates to "fish louse with many children", a title that fits well, as each parasite may produce over a thousand offspring. Although the disease is the equivalent of a skin infection, it can easily be fatal to a fish stressed by poor diet or habitat.

Symptoms:
1. Small white spots resembling sand
2. Fish scratch against rocks and gravel
3. In advanced stages fish become lethargic
4. Redness or bloody streaks in advanced stages

Infected fish are covered to various degrees with small white spots. Severe infestations are easy to spot, but small occurrences often go unnoticed. However, ich won't remain unnoticed for long. After approximately one week of parasitism, mature trophozoites leave their host, settle to a substrate and secrete a cyst. The encysted cell, called a tomont, undergoes rapid division over approximately twenty-four hours to produce 600-1000 daughter cells called tomites. Once these reach maturity, they exit the cyst and develop into a theront stage, which is highly mobile. Theronts then infect new fish, digging their way into exposed parts, under the scales, or more commonly into its gill plate. The entire life-cycle takes about seven to ten days to complete.

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Dropsy

Dropsy is actually a "symptom" and not a disease in itself. This disease is characterized by a swollen or hollow abdomen (Ascites). A concentration of fluid in the body tissues and cavities causes the fish's abdomen to become swollen and appear bloated. Swollen areas may exhibit a 'pine-cone' appearance caused by the fish scales sticking out. When a fish has an advanced case of dropsy, its scales will appear to stick off of their body like an opened up pine cones, as shown above.

CAUSES:
It is actually undetermined as to what brings on this illness. Once thought to strictly be the result of an internal bacterial infection, this is not necessarily the case. It could be the result of a number of things ranging from an internal bacterial, viral, or fungal infection, internal parasites, or even cancerous tumors.

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Hole in the head disease (HITH) also known as Freshwater Head and Lateral Line Erosion (FHLLE).

Oscars, as well as other large cichlids, are commonly afflicted by hole in the head disease.

Symptoms: The symptoms are easily recognizable. First, the fish will develop small, gray, pinhole abrasions around the eyes and head. These lesions will grow and if not treated, will eventually kill the fish.

It is believed that Hexamita, a protozoa, causes this disease. However, individual studies have shown that improvement in nutrition will help symptoms most effectively. Malnutrition seems to be the leading cause and the Hexamita, a secondary infection. Some aquarists blame poor water conditions as the cause of most fish problems. This fact emphasizes the importance of a good filter system, regular water changes and tank maintenance.

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Velvet disease (AKA Rust, Gold Dust Disease, Oödinium)

This is caused by Oödinium pilularis, a parasitic skin flagellate.

In freshwater fish Velvet is caused by either Oödinium pilularis or Oödinium limneticum. In marine fish Oödinium ocellatum causes the dreaded Coral Fish disease. All three species have symptoms and life cycles similar to the well known parasite, Ich.

The parasite is single-celled and enters the slime coating of a host fish in its motile juvenile stage where it matures. The mature parasites break through the slime layer and drop to the bottom of the aquarium and attach themselves to solid surfaces. Here they form a cyst, which develops into numerous new juvenile individuals known as tomites.

Velvet is highly contagious and can prove fatal to fish. It is therefore important to treat as early as possible. The infected fish usually swims around scratching at things in the tank very rapidly and usually has its fins very close to its body.

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Anchor Worm (Lernea Elegans)

A very visible parasite, they can be seen as a 20mm long, 1-2mm wide clinging to the fish's body. They can be brought in on a newly arriving fish, that hasn't been quarantined, or even as an egg on the plant. An anchor worm will attach to the body of the fish. Flashing and scratching when the anchor worm is still in the larvae stage, since the larvae will attach to the fish's body with the same menace then the adult.

The Anchor worm's life-cycle begins with larvae hatching from eggs in the water. The larvae are free swimming until it finds a suitable host where upon it attaches itself to the gills. Here, the larvae mature and breed after which the males stop becoming parasitic and leave the fish. It is the females that reattach themselves to the host and develop into the worm-like parasites which can be seen clinging to the fish's body.

It is in the spring when the females lay their eggs after which they either die or produce subsequent broods. As the females die, they leave openings on the host's skin, which often allows a secondary fatal infection to enter.

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Well, always remember:

SALT BATHS are effective old remedies for many fish diseases, including Ich. Add one tablespoon of common salt (sodium chloride) to a gallon of water at the same temperature as the aquarium, place the affected fish in this for five minutes; remove if the fish shows stress. Use only common salt and NOT iodised salt.

Stronger salt solutions at four tablespoons of common salt per gallon of water may be used as a swab or dip-bath. Do not place the fish entirely in this solution strength, but rather wrap the fish in a clean, moist cloth and dab the affected areas with the solution.

Adding one teaspoon of salt to a gallon of aquarium water makes a bath in which the fish can be kept for longer periods- watch for stress and remove to fresh water of the same temperature, if stress occurs. The addition of salt to the aquarium water at the rate of one teaspoon per gallon of water is also a useful preventative measure against Ich and Oodinium. Even concentrations of salt as low as 500 mg/L (0.05% solution) are effective controls for Ich in circulating systems. There is no harm to bacteria in biological filters at that low concentration of salt .

EPSOM SALTS can be used to treat constipation in fish. From the tank, remove half the water in a clean container to which is added epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) at the rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon (this keeps water temperature constant for the initial part of the bath. Swim the fish in this solution for 1/4 to 1/2 hour or until stress shows or feces are released. Top the water up in the fish's usual container with dechloraminated water and return the fish to it. Change the water in about an hour to remove any feces and residual salts. Dispose of the epsom salt solution by pouring it around your citrus trees or onto the garden beds, as it is a good for treating magnesium deficiencies in soils.

MALACHITE GREEN is commonly used to treat Ich and other protozoan infections in ornamental fishes (not in food fishes and scale less fish) and is very effective at the application rate of 0.05 to 0.10 mg/L in an indefinite bath. Malachite green combined with Formalin is also effective (0.2 mg/L malachite green + 15 mg/L Formalin) and is present as such in some remedies on the market. HOWEVER, malachite green is a dangerous carcinogen and causes mutations. Pregnant women ought not be exposed to it or handle it. Methylene Blue is safer to use and just as effective in controlling Ich.

METHYLENE BLUE is a heterocyclic aromatic chemical compound that has many uses in a range of different fields, such as biology or chemistry. At room temperature it appears as a solid, odorless, dark green powder, that yields a blue solution when dissolved in water. Methylene blue is used in aquaculture and by tropical fish hobbyists as a treatment for fungal infections. It can also be effective in treating fish infected with ich, the parasitic protozoa Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. It is sold as "White Spot Cure" or "Fungus Cure". It stains plastic and fingers blue, but is safe to use if the directions on the label are followed.

The best treatment is making sure that you have a clean and healthy aquarium for your fish. Insure good water quality and temperature parameters to prevent animals from getting stressed. Ask a veteran aquartist or your vet when using chemicals to treat your fish.

Remember, a ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Until next time.

Native Waters of Freshwater Aquarium Fish

Fresh waters are aquatic habitats of great diversity and may be divided into the following groups: standing or still waters (lakes, pools, swamps, wetlands) and flowing waters (springs, streams, rivers). Flowing waters are divided into the white waters (rapids) and calm waters.

Through freshwater habitats are found in all climatic zones of the earth the overwhelming majority of fish kept in aquariums are from the tropics and subtropics.

Rizal Park sarado? Anyare?

Surprised!

I asked some of the regular denizens of the park and they say that the public park was closed for 4 days now since Typhoon Glenda (really lang ha?). So I asked the guards and  according to Park Securities, the park sustained damages because of the typhoon (Glenda), therefore they are just fixing and cleaning the whole park. 

What?

Ok... Frankly, this is the first time I saw the whole Rizal Park being closed to the public. Yep, the whole park. Now, it has been ravaged by storms and flood stronger compare to the recent "Glenda" yet they never closed it.

Strange, huh?

Oysters!!

Delicious oysters, steamed in a bucket to open shells, served with sinamak (native vinegar) and lime. Yummy!!!

Oyster Boy

Metrowalk

Metrowalk, 88 Meralco Ave

Ugong, Pasig

(02) 706-2489

Bye Aleksi

July 23, 1975 - July 17. 2014 

I have known this guy in Luneta. Yeah... He's one of us. A very good guy, a dreamer, a mover.

Farewell Aleksi, you may be lost, but your memory will live on. 

Lugaw in Ling Nam

Delicious, quality and authentic Chinese noodles, congee, siopao and siomai – these are the stuffs that made LING NAM famous for more than half a century.

That's what their ads say, so I took the liberty of trying them out. It was with one of Rence Chan's food tours and he said that we should go to Ling Nam earlier to avail their congee (lugaw) since it's a best seller and they always ran out of it if you come in late.

So, since it was quite early I have the chance to see them still making their famous wanton and shomai. That's a lot of shomai. 

Ok, so here are the congee, plus some siopao. Here are some mixed congee (with some pork innards, tripe and liver) , a bola-bola lugao (with pork meat balls) and a fish congee. There are also some black bean siopao and pork asado siopao.

Ling Nam Wanton Parlor

616 T. Alonzo St., Sta Cruz, Manila

Tel No: (632) 733.5231 / 733.5234

Want to help a rescued cat or dog prepare for a new home?

PAWS can extend free medical assistance, but without a vacancy in the shelter, the animal will need a temporary home where he can recover from his injuries and be cared for until such time that the shelter has a vacancy and he can be taken in.

There is no commitment to permanently adopt. If you have the time, the resources and the space in your home, and more importantly, the compassion in your heart to care for a homeless animal but cannot commit permanently, please consider being a foster parent.

For you, it's just a few weeks. For them, it means the difference between life and death. To learn more about the PAWS Fostering Program, please click on this link -- http://www.paws.org.ph/foster-home-program.html

Around Intramuros

I was very fortunate to join Mr. Rence Chan's Pilipinas Stamp Collectors' Club Postal Heritage Tour and I would like to share the site and experience to all of you. 

We start at the National Press Club Building. 

The four-storey main building was built in June 1954 and inaugurated on December 30, 1955 by President Ramon Magsaysay. It was designed by the late Angel E. Nakpil as one of the modern and first earthquake-proof buildings in the Philippines, and constructed by Engr. Alberto T. Abaya.

Just outside the National Press Club building is a statue of Garciano Lopez Jaena.

Graciano López Jaena (December 18, 1856-January 20, 1896) was a Filipino journalist, orator, and revolutionary from Iloilo, well known for his written work, La Solidaridad.

Philippine historians regard López Jaena, along with Marcelo H. del Pilar and José Rizal, as the triumvirate of Filipino propagandists. Of these three ilustrados, López Jaena was the first to arrive and may have founded the genesis of the Propaganda Movement.

Trivial things. I always love taking pictures of trivial stuffs in the street. Now here is a mother cat with 4 offspring. According to the owner, the four dark-haired kittens are all adopted.

Now here's the monument in honor of Reyna Dona Isabel II (Queen of Spain). That's in Intramuros near Peursta De Isabel. This bronze statue of Queen Isabela II was erected on July 14, 1860 in Plaza Arroceros (now called Liwasang Bonifacio). Most Manila historians say that this is the only statue of Queen Isabella II that depicts her at a younger age. It is also the only one here in Asia. Ok, so blame it to  Ponciano Ponzano who created this statue.

Anyway, reading an article in Wikipedia, I learned that Queen Isabel II was exiled, after her Moderado generals had made a slight show of resistance that was crushed at the Battle of Alcolea by Generals Serrano and Prim. This revolt, which deposed Isabella, is known as the Glorious Revolution, and ushered the First Spanish Republic into power. 

And the story of the statue is as colorful as that of the Queen. 

Carlos María de la Torre, the appointed governor-general of the Philippines,  wants to remove all the remnants of the old regime in Manila and set in to destroy the monument of the Queen. The task of destroying the monument was given to Bartolome Barretto, a government official. A sympathizer of the Spanish crown, he refused to carry out the task. Chinese workers were hired to remove the statue and Barretto hid it in his house before the Ayuntamiento reclaimed it. The Sociedad Economica de Amigos del Pais (Economic Association of Friends of the Country) requested that the statue be made part of their museum collection, but de la Torre consigned it to a storeroom in the Casas Consistoriales.

The statue was brought out and erected in front of the Malate Church in 1896. It remained there for over half a century until in 1970 when it was blown down by Typhoon Yoling. The monument was transferred to its present site during the visit of Prince Carlos of Spain in 1975.

This is one of the gates of Intramuros (Most wiki says that there are 8 gates) Built in 1861, this was the last gate to be opened in Intramuros' walls under Spanish rule. Puerta Isabel II became part of the route of the tranvía (streetcar) that started in 19th century Manila. It was damaged during the Battle of Manila in 1945 and restored in 1966.

Next is the Cruceido.

This Cruceiro is the first in Asia, a donation to the proud capital of the Philippines, the city of Manila, during the administration of Mayor Jose L. Atienza Jr., by the president of Centro Gallego de Filipinas, on the occasion of the 431st araw ng Maynila Celebration, this 23rd of June 2002.

This is the remains of the Aduada or the Custom House, where goods and mails were declared for custom purposes. It was destroyed in World War 2 during the Battle of Manila.

Below is the marker that commemorates the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade. For your information, the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade (Spanish: Galeones de Manila-Acapulco) or in (Tagalog: Kalakalang Galyon ng Maynila at Acapulco) were Spanish trading ships that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila in Spanish East Indies (present day-Philippines), and Acapulco, New Spain (present-day Mexico). The name changed to reflect the city that the ship was sailing from.

The trade route was inaugurated in 1565 with the discovery of the ocean passage by Andrés de Urdaneta, and continued until 1815 when the Mexican War of Independence put a permanent stop to the galleon trade route.

A statue of Adolfo Lopez Mateo -President of Mexico,  known to some residence here as "TATANG."

The statue of King Philip II of Spain, where the name Philippines came from. 

Now here's the Manila Cathedral, one of the oldest basilica in the Philippines and the seat of the Archbishop of Manila during the Spanish period. According to Wiki, this cathedral was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Principal Patroness of the Philippines. The cathedral serves as the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila. It  was officially established in 1571 by Padre Juan de Vivero.

It suffered a lot of damage due to earthquakes and was reduced to rubble by the bombing in 1945 during the Battle of Manila. Fortunately, it was always being restored.

The Bahay Tsinoy
A museum located in the Intramuros (Old Walled City) section of Manila. Housed within the Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center building, the museum documents the history, lives and contributions of the Chinese in the Philippine life and history.

It was designed by Eva Penamora in collaboration with the late architect Honrado Fernandez in 1996, and completed and inaugurated in 1999.

A Foo Dog and  replica of a Terra Cotta warrior greets visitors in its lobby,  a gift from the Embassy of People's Republic of China.

It is said that you have to touch that round ball inside a Foo Dog's mouth and make a wish. 

Colegio de San Juan de Letran on 151 Muralla St. Intramuros. Sadly, this wall is just a memory since it was already demolished.