Mio's Story

A sad, yet courageous story of a little boy finding his army to battle cancer. Worth a read, follow and donation to help this brave boy.

Hurry up and stroll

Since moving to the Philippines, especially here in Makati, I've found it extremely hard to pin down the pace things move at. Case in point: While walking down the street, it's not uncommon to be behind a group of several Filipinos moving at a very casual pace, usually three abreast on the sidewalk, thus making it difficult to pass without looking like an impatient American ass. Cool. I moved here to slow it down a bit, so this is something I'm working on rolling with.

Here's where it gets interesting. This same group, when they reach the intersection, lose their casual demeanor, suddenly making it a game of Frogger, seeing if they can cross against the light without getting mowed down by one of the city's crazed taxi driver or a McDonald's delivery motorcycle.

What's the hurry? Making up of time lost on the rest of the block? Surprisingly, I've never seen anyone taken out, but I sense it's only a matter of time. Crossing at the proper time and location is dangerous enough. Anthony Bourdain described it best when he said "I'm already learning the method of crossing the street. It's all about momentum and commitment, right? It's better if you just closed your eyes." Good advice, the only problem being is then I'll never figure out where everyone is rushing to. Safe crossing, kids...

How much is that turkey in the freezer?

Okay, so I just returned from my first Thanksgiving shopping trip to Rustan's (which happens to be my favorite grocery store in the Philippines). I have to say that, all in all, I was able to find just about everything to put on the proper spread- potatoes, all of the ingredients for stuffing (including celery from AU that wasn't the sad, wilting stuff you normally get here), cranberries, corn, and, of course, the bird.

While it's a Butterball, all I can say is that Ben Franklin WOULD have been successful in making turkey the U.S. national bird had it commanded these prices. 1691 pesos? For a turkey?!!! But, I have to say I was impressed with the fact that I could find everything else. And, though I complain about the eagle-priced turkey, I think it will still be a great holiday. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!