Good Eats: Sustainably Farmed Fish List

Before I begin, I have to warn you all that this is a little nerdy but not really that much fun. What with the reports on the illegal collection of reef fish and coral, I felt it behooved me to remind everyone that pelagic fish are just as important to the ecosystem as the pretty fish that make it to Disney/Pixar films.

It's always important to know where your food comes from. Just because an item is on your favorite restaurant's menu or in your local grocery's freezer doesn't mean it's sustainably farmed or environmentally safe.

Here's a list and a few links to help you get started.

Archives: Chocolate Mmmmmassages

*Found this in my archives on TravelKage. Published in Metro Magazine October 2006 issue. And yes, I super want a massage right now.

Corporate Bohemian Kage Gozun spent an afternoon being pampered with a chocolate body scrub for this month's issue. When she isn't researching spa treatments she enjoys traveling and photography. She dreams of owning an island one day.

Chocolate Treat Good Enough to Eat

Women love chocolate, there's no two ways about it. A chemical compound in chocolate simulates the same sensation humans feel when we fall in love. Small wonder then that women love their bars of chocolate-y goodness. Call it cliché or an age-old stereotype but many will say that it is true. As a gender, we are in love with the rich creamy by-product of the lowly cacao bean. We can't help it.

And recent studies have shown that chocolate isn't just a yummy treat. It can actually be good for you! Chocolate contains beneficial antioxidants such as polyphenols which have been revealed to defend against heart disease. In a 2004 Journal of the American Medical Association, it was said that aside from lowering blood pressure, the intake of chocolate compounds also make blood vessels less rigid. There are other claims that the built-in antioxidants in chocolate also guard against pollution and sun damage.

Too bad they haven't found a way to make the consumption of chocolate a truly healthy activity. Chow down on the sweet stuff too often and we're faced with weight gain. And you don’t ever want to be on the receiving end of a woman’s “Do you think I look fat?” if you know what’s good for you.

There is however, a way to get the benefits of chocolate without battling its disadvantages. A simple solution that not only invigorates your senses, but also makes you feel like a pampered princess.

Sound good to you? Head over to the Sanctuario Spa, Salon and Organic Café along Jorge Bocobo St.in Malate, Manila and order yourself the Tsokolate Ahhhh!. This two-hour body scrub and massage features our favorite food in the entire world and is a service guaranteed to make women everywhere swoon.

Having a trained masseuse slather chocolate on your body while easing the knotted muscles in your back already sounds like a treat in itself. So can you believe that there are even more benefits to experiencing this massage treatment? Chocolate contains vitamin E, cocoa with butter and almond oil, all of which are excellent moisturizers. This moisturizing property seeps into the skin to combat cellulite, ironic since eating so much of it can lead to weight issues. Plus, the scent of chocolates stimulates endorphins in our bodies that make us feel happier.

How can any woman feel anything but happy after spending over an hour covered in chocolate?

Stripped down and wearing the bathing garments provided by the spa, the treatment begins with a soak in a private hot tub. Your attendant allows you some quiet time, to just relax in the steamy water and inhale the aroma of the flowers floating around you. When you are ready, you move to the massage bed. This is the portion that puts treat in the word treatment.

Slowly, generous amounts of native dark chocolate are layered on your body. Ground beans are blended into the chocolate mixture to gently exfoliate dead skin. Using a soft kneading method, your body is massaged to a point of total relaxation. Your entire body is covered in this healing and nourishing combination. Pressure points are targeted, tension is eased, and every time you inhale, you smell that rich dark chocolate scent.

After that is a quick hop into the shower to wash off the body scrub. The steam coming up from the shower envelopes you in a chocolate-scented mist that only further heighten this delectable experience.

Then it’s back on the massage table for another hour’s worth of massage therapy. During this final phase, Sancturio uses Cocoa Butter, which is actually the edible and natural fat of the cacao bean. It is purported to help fade the appearance of scars and stretch marks. More than that, it smells fantastic and feels even better. If there were any knotted muscles left over from the body scrub, this portion of the treatment is sure to take care of them. Smooth strokes and gentle pressure aid in blood circulation while the targeting of key areas in the body gives you a feeling of total and utter relaxation. Every woman deserves to feel this calm!

The bonus of finishing the treatment with cocoa butter is that it eliminates the need to shower afterwards. All you need to do is put on your clothes over that newly-buffed, baby-soft skin and walk out the door to whatever fabulous plan is on your agenda.

Whatever you decide to do, having the Tsokolate Ahhhh!. definitely starts you off on the right foot.

So never fear ladies, chocolate is always just a phone-call away. And without the calories!

How to do a Girls' Night Out at Lu

Granted, I am not one to do chi-chi when I absolutely don't have. I prefer steady bars with good food and cheap booze where I can show up in flip-flops and wearing no make-up. But there are times when the mood strikes - moments when I am up for a bit of a splurge. Usually these nights involve three major elements: my chicas, long catch-up sessions and Lu.

Lu is located on the ground floor of La Joya Building in Rockwell, right beside The Ice Cream Bar. The Moroccan/Mediterranean restaurant also serves as a bar when the clock strikes 10pm and has been my favored spot for a "lets-spend-s0me-cash" Girls' Night Out ever since my friend Jenina took me there.

The menu is quite extensive and the bar list adequate. I won't go into detail because I honestly haven't sampled a wide enough array of the goods to give you a good review. BUT this is how we do Lu:

Crispy prawn and shiitake spring rolls and Vietnamese rice rolls with curried chicken. (Php275)















Mexican Frites: steak, onion rings, mushrooms, pickled onions, a salad. (Php795)














And of course: our drink of choice the Frozen DiabLu... (Php285-ish if memory serves)



















To reserve, call (+632) 403-3991

Patintero

Matagal na akong naglalaro ng patintero. Hindi ko ipagkakailang magaling akong maglaro nito. Siguro dahil mas matanda na ako ngayon, at hindi na ako ganoon ka-bilis tumakbo o ka-galing sumingit. Pero noong mas madalas pa akong maglaro, isa ako sa magagaling sa grupo ko.

Dahil tuwang-tuwa ako sa patintero, marami na rin akong naturuang mag-laro, marami na rin akong natutunan sa kakalaro. Siguro masasabi kong naging parte na rin ng buhay ko ang patintero.

Minsan, nag-aya akong magpatintero. Madami akong niyaya dahil alam kong masisiyahan sila sa laro, at dahil alam ko rin na yung mga kalaro ko dati ay matutuwa kapag mas madami kaming naglalaro, lalo pa’t mga bagong mukha ang makakalaro namin. Noong una, may mga ayaw sumali, may mga ayaw magpasali. Pero dahil sa kagustuhan kong makapaglaro at magsaya – di lang ako pero pati ang mga kaibigan ko – talagang sinikap ko at ginawa ko ang makakaya ko upang makapaglaro sila. Pagakatapos ng sandaling panahon; ayun, naglalaro na kami ng patintero.

Pero napansin ko na medyo nagbago ang laro. Una, napansin ko na hindi na ako nakakapaglaro masyado. Hindi dahil ayaw ko, kindi dahil nagpapatintero pala sila nang hindi ko nalalaman. Siguro dahil magkakapareho sila ng estilo ng paglaro, siguro dahil hindi na ako ganoon ka-galing, o dahil siguro ayaw lang nila akong kalaro.

May mga pagkakataong nakakapaglaro ako. Pero napansin ko na tuwing kasali ako sa laro, panay antenna o patotot ang binibigay na papel sa akin. Kumpleto na daw sila.

Yun yung masakit. Ikaw na nga yung nagyaya, ikaw pa yung nagging saling pusa.

In Celebration of Mother's Day...

I bring you a new segment of this blog...

The MOMMY FILES.

File #001

At the store in Los Angeles...

Mom: Hi, excuse me. Do you have the sneakers... The black ones? The... Chuck Norris?

File #002

Me: Mom, Ang luma na ng air con ko. Parang gusto kong bumili ng bago. Magkano kaya magagastos ko?

Mom: Depende kung ilang Megapixels yung bibilin mo.

Me: Diba Horsepower?

Mom: Oo nga pala!

File #003

In the living room, after dinner...

Mom: Shet, parang may tinga ako. May dental gloss ka?

That's it for now. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! :)

A Switchfoot Story

This is not a concert review. This is a story of my favorite moment during the Switchfoot concert as well as an explanation of why this band rocks so hard.

I am a fan of Switchfoot for more than just their music. The brothers Foreman and their friends Drew, Chad and Jerome not only create exceptional songs, they are also good people. Every year they are at forefront of an event called the Bro-Am.

Held in San Diego, where the band hails from, the Bro-Am is a beach concert aimed at giving back to their community. This year they raising both funds and awareness once again for "Stand Up for Kids", a charity organization aimed at helping disadvantaged kids in the Oceanside and San Diego areas. So yes, Switchfoot sings with heart because they have heart. Their music sounds grounded because they are, in fact, grounded. I should also point out that the band uses solar powered energy during the event to cut down on their carbon footprint. And for that I will always be a fan... and would do almost anything to meet them.

So of course I had to watch their concert here. It was all I could talk about in the weeks leading up to the concert date. As luck would have it, I was hit with a severe case of food poisoning the morning of the show. I didn't care. I tried to flush the toxins out - and failing that - braced myself for a night of stomach spasms and cold sweats. My friends Nina and Tara came prepared to help me with painkillers, Gatorade and Coke (given the rumor that Coke helps with these delicate matters).

It was worth it.

Even if I sometimes had to sit down and breathe through the pain, I was STOKED to be at the show, listening to Switchfoot perform some of my favorite tracks ("Stars", "Your Love Is A Song", "A Mess of Me") and drinking in the good vibes that washed over the crowd.

At one point Jon Foreman brought out his camera and asked for all the lights to be turned off. "Even my spotlight please" he asked as we waited to find out what was going on. Then he said "Okay, this is my idea. Let's ALL take a photo at the same time" and went on to explain that we would all share this one moment, one shot in the dark, together... at which point I turned to Tara and Nina and said "Just when I think I can't love this band any more than I already do. Wala na, mahal ko na siyang tunay."

So, on the count of three, hundreds of cameras flashed in the dark and my iPod, not known for taking the best photos under the best of circumstances, managed to snap this photo:

This is me and Tara... sharing one moment in time with everyone else who was there.

Thank you Switchfoot for one of the best shows I've ever been to. Thank you Nina and Tara for taking such good care of me during the show. Thank you Jon Foreman for being one of the sincerest front men ever. Good luck guys on this year's Bro-Am... which I am sure will be a success.

Just Another Manic Monday.

I open my eyes. It's 5:30 in the morning. YUCK. I hate Mondays. I struggle to keep my eyes open as I crawl out of bed and drag myself into the bathroom. I have an hour to get ready for work, which starts at 7:00 AM. I take a quick shower, brush my teeth, throw my clothes on, and slip my feet into my trusty flip-flops (my heels are waiting for me in my locker, so I won't bother killing my feet just yet).

As I brave the traffic on EDSA (as a passenger—which doesn't really make me "brave" at all—haha), I map the day out in my head. Class at 7 to 3; no meetings and no special projects lined up, so I should be done by 4, right after I finish my reports. I check the clock on the dashboard and I see that it's 6:40. Oh, no. I can't be late. I begin thinking about asking another trainer to cover for me during the first few minutes of class. What activity should I ask that trainer to give them? How many minutes 'till I get to work? I snap out of my trance when I see that the car is approaching the building. I check the clock and see that I have 12 minutes before my class starts.

I ride the elevator (which takes forever because I work in what is one of the oldest buildings in Makati) to get to the fourth floor, and I finally clock in at 6:53. I don't have enough time to check my E-mail, so I gather my training supplies and head on to the training room to officially start my day.

The class is in a jovial mood (am I seriously the only one who doesn't like Mondays?!), so it's easy for me to start the day with a grammar module. Call me weird, geeky, or anything you like, but I will never be ashamed to admit that running a grammar module always puts me in high spirits and geared up to teach the entire day. My happiness is cut short when I see the confused looks on their faces. I need to think of something else for them to get this. I rack my brains out while they work on an exercise online. Finally, I come up with a game in an attempt to get them to comprehend the lesson. The trainees half-heartedly take their places for the game, possibly because they were doubtful of their understanding of the lesson. But in the middle of the game, the mood begins to change. Both teams have their game faces on, analyzing each and every word of each and every sentence of each and every round. Team one wins, but only by five points. The game is processed and the trainees respond positively. The class is tired, but I'm satisfied because I'm able to get my point across.

During the first break I get my daily fix of caffeine. Because I didn't get enough sleep last night, I decide to order what I like to call "a slap on the face." I say goodbye to the friendly baristas after claiming my drink. I happily sip my iced double tall caramel breve latte while I go for a quick smoke. Before heading back to class, I stop by the photocopier to print copies of the quiz on the previous module.

After giving them a bit of time to review on their own, I hand out the questionnaires. While the trainees answer their assessments, I check my E-mail, reply to a couple, and clean up my inbox. By the time I got through all of the important messages, the class was done. They exchange papers (yes, high school style) and we go through each item. My satisfaction before the break was transformed into glee when I saw that all but one trainee (who missed it by one point) got passing marks. This gets me pumped for the next module, which I decide I will start discussing after lunch.

Agh! My feet are killing me! I take off my shoes and slip into my flip-flops while I grab a quick bite to eat. After chatting with some of my co-workers, I slip my feet back into the hell which are my heels. I head back to class, all geared up for the next module.

Thirty minutes pass and I'm still on the second part of my module, all thanks to a trainee who refuses to produce the long E sound. I walk toward her and stand behind her as I read the sentence of the board.

"The Philippines has a lot of beautiful beaches," I say.

"The Philippines has a lat of beautifool bitches," she replies.

I ask her to repeat the sentence. "The Philippines... has a lot... of beautifool..."

I repeat what she said. "Beautifool?"

She struggles to get the word correct. "Beauty... fool. Beauty... full. Beautiful."

"Good job," I say, and I ask her to repeat the sentence.

She inhales deeply as if she were going underwater. "The Philippines has a lot of... BEAUTIFUL... bitches."

It is now my turn to take a deep breath and force a smile. The little me in my head is starting to throw a tantrum. I calmly walk to the board and, using my "artistic skills," draw a picture of a beach beside a picture of a female dog. After 10 minutes of asking her (and the class, from time to time) to repeat after me, and having them point out that the two pictures were entirely different things, she finally gets the point. It's now time to move on to the next part of the lesson.

Finally. It's time for the last break. The final stretch. Two more hours and I'm done. After the last break, I instruct the class to do some activities to help them practice their pronunciation. I walk around, listening to them practice. I give feedback to a number of trainees. I stop by the trainee who was having trouble with her long E sounds and sit beside her. I'm happy to hear that she finally realizes the difference between the long E and the short I sounds. Although her pronunciation isn't perfect, she's started to become aware. After an hour of practice and coaching, I check the clock and see that it is 2:55 PM. Time to go home, for them at least. I give my final reminders for the day and send them off.

I rush to the trainers' room to work on my reports. I swear I could hear my feet saying a speech of appreciation when I changed into my slippers. I start writing my report and finish it in 20 minutes. After proofreading it, I send the report to my managers. Right after clicking the send button I hear laughter from the other side of the room. I follow the laughter, and 10 minutes later, I find myself engaged in a game of Taboo. No one complains about the noise so we keep on playing the game, screaming at the top of our lungs if we know what the answer is. Half an hour later, the noise dies down and we find ourselves debating the pronunciation of "mango." We laugh at ourselves because of the absurdity of the discussion, and settle on consulting trusty old www.m-w.com for the conclusion to our debate. Before leaving the office, I join some of my co-workers for merienda/early dinner. After filling our stomachs with good food and air (because of laughing too much), we decide to call it a day.

I finally leave the office at 6 PM. After an hour and a half of bearing the grueling traffic on EDSA, I finally reach the sanctity of my own house. Dinner's ready, but since I'm still full, I sit with my family and tell them about my day.

I check my mail, harvest my rent in Cityville, check FaceBook, and address pressing issues on Nationstates.net. At 11:30, I'm finally in my pajamas, getting ready for bed. As I drift off to sleep, I can't help but think about how tired I am, and how tired I will be during the week (Monday is the only day I get to sleep before midnight since there's no quiz). Nobody said that working in a call center was this physically and mentally exhausting. But everyday, you see people develop before your eyes, you get to meet people from different walks of life with different personalities, you build relationships with your peers and form wonderful friendships. And that makes the stress worth it.

Tuesday, here I come.