Philippines Disaster Mapping - Pepeng

Cool Interactive Mapping of the Philippines current typhoon called Pepeng. It's powered by Google, modified by the GMA Philippines News Network with the help of volunteers from the UK. This is cool. Not too long ago, before the Typhoon Ketsana hits Philippines, I was just checking out the Philippines Google Map specially the region where I was born and grew up till the age of 12. I wish they had navigators that mapped out the roads on the ground, like the ones they have for US regions, except for Hawaii. The US Google Map navigator has a little man icon where you place him on the road, and it will show 360 degree angle of the road's surroundings, showing actual photo images. I was trippen the first time I checked it, because it can actually show my front house. Philippines doesn't have that yet, but it was cool enough to see the roof top of my house from there. I was so fucking stoked man, I can actually see the elementary schools I went too, the trees where I used to take fruits from, my childhood friend's houses, the paoay church where my ancestors built, bakeries, the creek I never knew that trails all the way to the ocean, the place where I flight kites at, and so on.

I'm sure there are lots of stabbings going on too. In the other hand, I really admire their spirits man...

Anyway, check out this map or click on it for some interactive updates:

Flatland BMX

I didn't know flatland BMX are still big in the Philippines, or they could be the same dudes that used to do this back in the 80's, and still looks like a bunch of 15 year olds. I was around 11 years old when BMX was big in the Philippines and it was still big before I left back in 1986. I didn't own a BMX till later, but I did own a bicycle with a side rack (my bro and my sister were the monkeys). So I wasn't the only filipino fob who was aware of it back in high school here in the states. In high school, most filipino fobs got together because they identify themselves of owning at least one or two BMX. It was a way to socialize. I wasn't as good as these guys though, they were freakin' awesome on them flatland tricks. Most of them pinoys even made crews. Sometimes these filipino BMX crews were mistakenly identified as gangs by the real street gangs and usually got bullied.



Later that BMX hobbies evolved unto import car racing. They took that same knowledge they had from tricycle and jeepney chop-shops back in the philippines, and incorporate that to modifying japanese import cars, unto an urban race cars, as well as urban drift cars. Not just filipinos but pacific islanders and south east asians in general. There used to be a lot of them around in the streets. Now most of them urban race cars are impounded by the law, because the parts added to modify them import cars were illegal. Making the urban racing lifestyles slowly dying out. It's pretty awesome though how it became hollywood 17 or 18 years later ever since the fobs were doing all these modifications. The impounded urban race cars, now became collectable items as part of an american culture of what James Dean left back in the 50's.


1992 Modified Honda Civic. Downloaded this cool image from the internet...

Butchery - Goat Meat

I bet you wanted to say shut the hell up! geeeeez... But I just wanna document how I'm gonna process the meat. Plus this is how food are processed behind the tasty stuff. Recently, I was also had been writing notes on how to butcher your own meat, as well as hunting wild game goes. I have this idea what if I be stranded in the wilderness, maan at-least I know some basic hunting strategies, not only that but how to cut them up. So I put my self on a little test, and it was perfect timing that my little bro's coworker happened to have relatives or owned a ranch back at Stockton. Not bad for a medium size goat for 150 bucks. The goat meat were dropped off from the ranch to his coworker's mother's house, and we just picked it up from there. Always a good bargain at the ranch, specially if you cut your own meat. This one in particular were already had been cut unto 5 pieces. I ain't tryin' to dis any butchering companies, in fact I would probably even wanna work to a supermarket as a butcher (I heard they get payed pretty good) but since I do music, and other crafty stuff, I'm a little too cautious with my hands.


Here is what my bro and I picked up at the house.


So far it looks like a crime scene. Gross right?


Now I gotta re-cut them up for storing and for cooking. Here are my cutting tools. A meat saw is also important. Make sure they are sanitized before using. As well as the sink. The backyard sink is pretty handy when it comes of doing something like this instead of the garage or in the indoor kitchen. Since it's in the backyard, you gotta use a cooler with some ice to keep it fresh and to keep them flies away.


The chopping board, also had been sanitized.


A chain mail glove for my left hand. I cut with my right hand.


There are two of this. The upper area: arms and rib cages.


There are two of this also. The hind area: legs and stomach area.


And then only one of this. The head. Which makes it the total of 5 parts.


The washing and cutting is done, and they all fit in the cooler with ice.


Now the cooler is in the kitchen. Waiting for the old man and my bro for what they want to do next.


Here is my Bro and Elsie cutting them up unto pieces. They were preparing it for Papaetan (bile stew).


And me cutting the roasted goat meat called Kilawen. It's meat, skin, and liver. You can even add in the tongue. First it was marinaded with ground pepper and soy sauce. Roast it in the oven. When it's cooked, chop it up into small pieces like Carne Asada. Mixed in some minced ginger, onions, garlic, and chili peppers or jalepenos. The last thing to mixed in are vinegar. The real Kilawen is raw, pickled with vinegar. But I prefer the texture more like Carne Asada.

After all this, working from a food plant you learn that it's important to sanitized the tools and sink before and after - even after using some soap. I don't know if this is strong enough, but I use lysol disinfectant spray.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arrested

Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., one of the nation's most prominent African American scholars, was arrested last week at his home near Harvard University after trying to force open the locked front door of his own home. He later argued that the two cops arrested him who happened to be white were racist. It really became controversial.



I thought it was funny at first. But then I realized how wrong it was. A neighbor were the once who called the cops. Maan don't they know who he was? He even showed some ID to the cops. Other than that, I would be glad if someone calls the cops if someone is breaking into my own home. But if it was me, I would be really disappointed if my own neighboor calls the cops.

FULL ARTICLE

Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., hosted a show on PBS titled African American Lives. It's about African Americans like Quincy Jones, Chris Tucker, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Mae C. Jemison (female astronaut), and etc., retracing their Genealogy and African Roots through DNA testing. Most African Americans believed to be from Ghana. But actually Cape Coast Castle of Ghana is the place where different tribes of Africa were set sailed from by Portuguese Sailors.


In the show, Dr. Mae C. Jemison has higher DNA percentage of East Asian. She either got her DNA from the Chinese Railroad Men or from the Filipinos that lives in Manila Village of Louisiana. In a way she does looks Filipina. She even mentioned in the show that while her visit in Cambodia, she was thought to be Cambodian. That was pretty interesting.

Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., has higher DNA percentage of Northern European Ancestry. I couldn't believe it. But that was the DNA test calculated.

I heard Michelle Obama were searching for her African Roots. Maybe they should contact Professor Herny Louis Gates Jr.





At the end of a primetime news conference, mostly revolving around President Obama's health care reform bill, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Lynn Sweet asks him about race relations in America...

Front Yard Fireworks - 4th of July

It ain't the real deal but this was takin' from my front yard. You can actually hear them AK 47 and Mac 10 somewhere too. I'll try to get closer next time for better footage...

What's With The Number 5

What is up with the number 5, 50, 150 - any number with 5 lately. What I mean is, Michael Jackson from the Jackson 5 died at the age 50, Farrah Fawcett died the same day, which is the 25th. Few days later Billy Mays died at the age of 50. And then the news says Bernard Madoff are spending 150 years in prison for scamming off people. I predict the dude might get shanked in prison 50 times, payed by a not so happy investors. All these people plays a significant role in the United States. A symbol from pop icon, poster swimsuit icon, an informercial icon (someone that the french would typically used to stereotype americans), and to a super con-man, and there are lots of super con-man in the US alone.

All has the number 5. Now, what so special about the number 5. Well there's a place called Lima in Peru. Peru is the place of the Incas. The same people who calculated 2012. Now, Lima means 5 in Austronisian language. I know because I speak Austronesian.


This is a map of Lima in Peru. It's a capital and the largest city of Peru. Also a gateway to Machu Picchu, where the shamans lives. The prediction were also calculated by the Mayans, Aztecs, and the Egyptians. Authors who wrote books about 2012 made lots of money from it, which is cool. If you can get a good topic, then make some money out of it. But what is up with the 5 man.



Maybe it's not gonna be an apocalypse until later. 2012 would probably the starting point of awakenig, some sort of a realizations from all humanity that a civilization or a culture is about to be changed, by seeing facts through natural disasters and sociological catastrophes in progress. Since most people only believes what they see, 2012 would probably the year. Like people in the old days would only laugh or burn you alive if you say people will one day stand at the moon.

North Korea already spilled the beans, by proudly admitting that the project they are working on, are to wipe The United States off the face of our planet earth. Other than cow farts, the ozone would be so messed up by nuclear toxins that the ice from North Pole will melt even more. And create more flood. Tuvalu Islands is already sinking because of climate change.



Aight, enough of this 5 numbers nonsense, I just felt like writing about it. I'll probably write more about this later on. Maybe sell it. Other than that, my musical gears needed few upgrades...

RIP - Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson. The dude is a legend man. Subhuman. But he is human who's passionate of entertaining the planet. The dude is like Peter Pan. A real life Willy Wonka.

I don't really care what the tabloids says. Although it does raise some questions on how he was portrayed by the media. But in my own opinion, the dude just loves the company of kids. Too bad he was an easy target for that reason. And had to waste what he saves up defending himself in court. I'm sure he bought some useless things as well, just to show the world his doing cool. Consequently, it also added his debt.

I thought he was gonna recover afterwards and kick some ass, after all the hating and bad criticism...

Michael Jackson died this afternoon at age 50 as a result of cardiac arrest, at UCLA Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 2:26pm Pacific Time.

At the time of his death, Jackson was rehearsing hard for what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July 13.

FULL ARTICLE

Psychologically speaking, and I could be wrong, but watching some of his videos from his late teens, I can understand why he made some physical transformations. The dude had been entertaining since he was like 5 years old.

Here's a Playlist of my favorite Michael Jackson moments, videos, and shows.



Now it makes me wonder about Bob Marley, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, and the rest of the other musical legend, of being older than the age when they also passed. That right there is something unusually magical... Like a mystery...

In reality, most common death of celebrities are either from Illegal Drugs to Prescription Drugs, or from Automotive to Plane Crashes.

Ask A Filipino

Found this in Youtube the other day. Pretty interesting.



I know these are just simple questions with simple answers, some might even find them dumb questions. But it's one of them simple questions that has a much deeper answers. So I am gonna give it a try and answer these questions based from experiences as a Filipino. These are of my opinions and facts through quick research and living within the Filipino Community. Mind as well blog about it. I was gonna make a videoblog but I have a fat tongue and talks like a... goober.

Why Filipinos are short:
Statistics says short people tend to have longer lifespan than tall people. But not all Filipinos are short. There are tall Filipinos too. Some you can't even tell they are Filipinos until you hear them speaking in Filipinos. Another explanation is that Filipinos has Aeta or Negrito DNA. These people are the first descendant of the Philippines Archipelago. They were considered as Pygmies due to a Genetic Mutation called Insular Drarfism. Filipinos today are actually taller compared to their predecessors. Wealthy Filipinos in the Philippines are also tall because they can afford vitamins to complete their nutrients in their diet. The Spaniards were also tall (spaniards who were born in the philippines) or Mestizos. Majority of these Mestizos were massacred during the Spanish American War by serving as Spanish Soldiers. The Spaniards fled back to Spain or perhaps even to Mexico after Spain sold the Philippines to the Americans for 20 million dollars. Most ethnic Mestizos that survived took the Filipino Entertainment Industries as their safe havens. Some Mestizos work their ways from the Entertainment Industry to Politics. One sample is Tito Sotto from the Eat Bulaga Show. Another is Fernando Poe Jr. Few of my favorite Fernando Poe Jr. flicks are of his series "Isang Bala Ka Lang" meaning "You Worth Only One Bullet". More like the Filipino version of Dirty Harry except Fernando Poe Jr, plays a Rebel. These two actors turned politicians are good people.

Why Filipinos are loud:
I work with lots of Filipinos from the past, from different regions, and it don't matter if they were either Tagalogs, Ilocanos, or Visayans, but most of time, the loud once are the Filipinos that grew up in the Big Cities like Metro Manila. Even Jeepney Drivers, and Tricycle Drivers can be loud too. People that lives in the mountain sides are also loud. Like the Igorot Tribes. I know this is dumb but I have a distant relative from my town with a Japanese sounding last name, he even looked Japanese. Anyway I made the conclusion that his rowdy behavior could be Japanese DNA. Or maybe it's just a common personality just like any other people with high blood pressures. I also been told that Filipinos with Kinky or Curly hair are quick tempered because of common high blood pressures, which makes them loud people. That loudness personality could also trace back from the Papua New Guinean DNA. Papuans are loud in general.

Why Filipinos are quiet:
It's normal for anyone to be shy. Most Asians are shy in general. Could also be their long lost descendants from Quanzhou of Fujian Province in China. I believe the province they were from were peaceful people, quiet, maybe loud in Chinese New Years. Plus in the Philippines, most people who lives in low land provinces didn't have to be loud, people come and go, so it's also genetic that they are simply quiet. Not that it's not normal to be quiet, some people are just not loud. Another reason, is when people in the low land provinces gets loud, they are usually made fun of or ridiculed as uncivilized Mountain People. It's a Spanish influence to make fun of Mountain Tribesman as Salvajes' (savages). Others say some Filipinos are quiet because of political oppressions for many many years from the Spaniards, Americans, Japanese, and then later the corrupt side of The Philippines Government after the first and then the second Indipendence. There were lots of domestic killings ever since from conflicts through Martial Laws, Regional Territory, Religious Diplomacy, Anti-Government Agendas, Clans vs Clans. Until there's nothing more to say and better off to just be quiet and let the guns do all the talking.

Why Filipinos are not Vegetarians:
What? Filipinos loves vegetables. And because Filipinos can eat both Vegetarian and Meat. Filipino Americans and Immigrants survived the Great Depression from eating mustard seeds, taros, sweet potato leaves, okras, sometimes stuff Americans would not even considered eatable like pig feet, pig tails, pig ears, fish heads, and fish tails. Plus Filipinos can Adobo mostly anything, all you need is soy-sauce, garlic, onions, pepper, and vinegar to season what ever you wanna Adobo like pork, chicken, beef, fish, shrimps, clams, crabs, squids, octopus, tofu, bamboo shoots, the list goes on and rather not write what the rest are. The most popular vegetarian dish with meat or without is Pinakbet from the Ilocos. Sinigang is also a favorite vegetable soup but with meat. Some Filipinos back in the day (not too sure about today) in the Philippines were actually embarrassed of eating all vegetarian diets, and considered as a sign of poverty by Spanish influence. Most Spaniards favor adding pork to their recipes.

Why are there so many Filipino DJs:
Filipinos were social groups since they settled in the Islands, always into music and dancing. Back in the day, like In 1930's The Lost Generation and The Greatest Generation were into Big Band Music. Maybe the first South East Asians to have Vinyl Record Players in their homes. And then for The Baby Boomers back in the 60's and 70's were Filipinos who embraced Western Pop Culture, and they DJ for Barrio Fiestas, Cha-Cha Contests, and Disco Clubs. Karaoke is also big, anything American and Latin Tangos. Some of these Baby Boomers also made Bands doing Cover Rock Music and had gigs in Japan. As well as collectors of Vinyl Records and Eight Tracks. Then came The Generation X as well as the birth of The Hip-Hop Culture. It was the Break-Dancing that caught the Filipino Youth's attention first, and then the music. The parents already had the turntables, and vinyl collections a basic starting points for them kids becoming DJs. Filipino parents that were nurses or wealthy enough spoiled their kids in any way they can just so their kids can socialized with American Kids. As long as they promised to get good grades and become doctors, lawyers, or nurses, they can be DJs. Turned out these kids didn't just become DJs but evolved unto cultural pioneers. Don't get me wrong now, if I have kids of my own I definitely want them to become doctors, lawyers, or nurses too. But open minded enough to let them choose a passion of their own. Like in the Arts and Music. There are lots of talented Filipinos but they had to be either masters of socializing or has good professions to back up their dreams. In some ways, skills are made rather than being born to it. Musical Savants usually comes 1 out of 1000 or less. Or more. Philippines isn't a big country. But if you go to the Philippines most of them knows more American Pop Music from the 70's and 80's than some Americans. They could sing all these music like taking a Tabo Shower in that one Filipino Show called Wooowee, my folks watches Wowowee religiously. They even went to their shows.

Why Filipinos are organized:
True, maybe because of hundreds of years of oppressions and disciplines by Catholic Ideologies. Perhaps it has to do with creativity. Even in a messy unorganized places like in the poor communities, the Filipinos living there has organize ways of thinking. Survival purposes. They know what are worth organizing and not really worth organizing. Sadly some don't really care or lost all their hopes and turned unto something else. The main motive is to get out of the country and make money outside the Philippines. You can tell by the way Filipinos write on a piece of paper. The way they write are clean and organized - when they take notes. Education for a success are worth organizing than organizing the bad environment they lived on. But when these same people succeed and earned enough or have made it, they evolved by organizing their environment, and proud to socialize to other Filipinos and shows off their homes. A sense of pride and self respect.

Hindu Psychic Readings

I'm not much of a believer in Taro Readings and Crystal Balls, but I do somewhat believe that there are authentic readers of the stars, that can foretold the future. One good example is the famous Notradamus. Astronomers had been reading the stars for thousands of years man. Ever since the stars and the moon were the only source of lights at nights before men discovered fire. So there's gotta be some guidance from the stars that had been evolved till today after thousands of years.

One time, around 7 years ago, I was walking to an asian plaza's parking lot going to an asian super market. An indian dude approached me and says "You my friend are in a terrible situation about a girl..." And I said "Wtf... How so?" And he says "You love this girl but you know she's not the right one." And then he goes on to say "I can read it all over you." I was actually more pissed than surprised how he knew that. Plus I ain't that much of a good looking guy and then to say something like that didn't really help my day.

And then the dude came closer and showed me some magic. I forgot what it was. There were three questions that he guessed right, I just forgot the other two. But I think it had to do with colors I was thinkin' that day, and the type of flowers I was also thinking at that moment. There was this magic guess that stood out from the rest of his guesses that I remember to this day, is when he asked "Think of an animal, somewhere in the jungle..." And I said, "A frog!" He was about to hand me a piece of paper where he recently wrote something on it but didn't, and then he goes on again and asked "No no in a jungle somewhere. A beast like animal... quickly quickly." So I said a "A tiger?" And then he gave me the crumpled piece of paper and told me to open it, so I did and sure enough, the paper says "Tiger." It was a little funny because these type of guesses are mostly common. Actually, I did think of a tiger but I had to play smart with his guesses.


He had a book with him. He opened it, and had a picture of Krishna as a divider for his book. I think it was a Hindu Bible. He had a small chart or something in the book. He asked the date of my birth, and so I did. Made some quick calculations and says that there's something about a girl in the future. A perfect match. But there's gonna be communication problems (also very common to a lot of dudes searching for relations - but it was interesting enough). He said "I can help you fix this by giving you these little amulets." The dude showed me few tiny crystals and stones. He says he had to do fasting and some prayers first. But in order to help me out, is to give him some money I can afford to give. Right when he mentioned money, I thought the dude was a scam. He could tell I was skeptical. So he said "Why would I be a scam if a doctor gets payed for being a doctor, why can't I also get payed." It's true, but to me a doctor is a profession. Crystal Balls are in a magic category, and magic is a part of illusions, and illusions is a part of trickery. So trickery is a scam. That's why I didn't have to pay the dude. The only things I gave that day was bottles of water because it was hella hot that day.

Speaking of star readings, The Three Kings that found where Baby Jesus was by looking at them stars, were actually Astrologist sent by King Herod to find the new born king. Others says it was a fire in the sky that lead them, meaning possibly a UFO. But knowing that The Three Kings were also called The Three Wisemen and Magi, was enough clue for me to know that they were looking at the stars. Not one star, but the stars. Magi also means Magic or Magicians. Just to correct my criticism what magic means.

I was searching for some Hindu Psychics in Youtube and found this video. A Hindu Pyschic named O-Star-O from The Letterman Show. Circa 1986. I then google searched Hindu Psychics and learned that it's something that anyone can master. It's not one of them typical gift that certain people are born with. I could be wrong though, but so far I think It's more like a profession. And it's called Nakshatra.



Here are the basics of Hinduism. I found this from Himalaya Academy. Now, I am a Christian. Not a perfect one, but I gathered enough evidence and reasons why I sticked to my belief. I am also opened to learn other Religions and Philosophies.

Hinduism determine the thoughts and attitudes about life, which in turn direct actions. By actions, creates destiny. Beliefs about sacred matters--God, soul and cosmos--are essential to one's approach to life. Hindus believe many diverse things, but there are a few bedrock concepts on which most Hindus concur. The following nine beliefs, though not exhaustive, offer a simple summary of Hindu spirituality.

Hinduism, the world is oldest religion, has no beginning--it precedes recorded history. It has no human founder. It is a mystical religion, leading the devotee to personally experience the Truth within, finally reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where man and God are one. Hinduism has four main denominations: Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism.

One:
Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.

Two:
Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the world's most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion.

Three:
Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.

Four:
Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

Five:
Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny.

Six:
Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments and personal devotionals create a communion with these devas and Gods.

Seven:
Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God.

Eight:
Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in thought, word and deed.

Nine:
Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

Polynesian Diet

The first time I heard of Samoans was back in the Philippines, when I was around 7 years old. A relative had this postcard and he says the people in it were Samoans. When I was in the States, the first time I've seen about Samoans were on TV in the WWF. A notorious wrestlers called The Wild Samoans: Afa & Sika. The Wild Samoans didn't even have to say a word, they just growl and Captain Lou Albano would speak for them, and then The Wild Samoans would finished off by wildly eating a raw lobster. It was pretty crazy. Later in my life I've met few Samoans but most of them are really soft spoken people. If you haven't seen The Wrestler yet, make sure to check it (r-rated). I think it's a really cool film, the script, acting, and even the soundtrack was cool. Afa one of The Wild Samoan trained Mickey Rourke for the film.

After learning that Samoans and other Pacific Islanders share the same Cultural Ladder as Filipinos, I wonder how they got so huge. Majority of Eastern Pacific Islanders are big in stature than the typical Southeast Asian. I always thought, it could be from their diet of hunting down The Giant Moas. But Giant Moas are only in one area, which is in New Zealand. The Giant Moas were hunted down for food until they were all extinct. But that wasn't the reason why they got so big because the Maoris were already big folks when they arrived in New Zealand.


On mother's day, my family and I went to this Buffet Restaurant which serves Asian Cuisines. As well as Shell Fish and Sushi. When we were there, the restaurant were also packed with Tongans. There were also Indo-Fijians. At first my Family and I thought they were Samoans. Big folks. It sucks though because the restaurant didn't have any dividers. I am used of eating alone. Everythin' was in the open and we didn't know a single one of them. It was sunday so I figured the Tongans must be from a Mormon Church. Perfect day to celebrate mother's day. Tongans are of Fijian people (melanesians) mixed with the Samoans (polynesians). But they do have their own Islands just bellow Samoa, and just across side of Fiji. The youth consider themselves the Vikings of the South Pacific.

About the restaurant, the restaurant is literarily called Crazy Buffet, there are a lot of Asian Buffet around Silicon Valley with funny names, there's another one called Yummy Buffet, next thing you know another one is called Eat Food Buffet or Very Fishy Food Buffet. These owners must be laughing on their way to the bank for having them catchy names. Good food though. Maybe even better than some Authentic Restaurants.

Noticing how they like shell fish, also brought back some memories of The Wild Samoans. Which gave me enough clue to know how they got so huge. These people lives in small islands. Which gave them lots of advantages over the large ocean that surrounds their homelands. Like one big table filled with lobsters and other types of fish. I like them too and I think they are tasty, but I can't eat shell food like: Lobsters, Crabs, and Shrimps. Not even Squid or Octopus. If I do, my skin starts to itch, my throat starts to itch, and then my lungs gets tighter. I can though eat regular fish. Oysters are okay. Just not that day, I had enough Tilapia and Tuna at home, and wanted to try other food than fIsh.

Common Polynesian Diets and Fishing Tool:
Lobsters, Taros, and a Fishing Hook an evidence of hunting big fish.


Typical Wooden Clubs for Paddling, Hunting, Playing, and Fighting:
You gotta knocked a huge fish somehow. And knocked territorial rivalries at the sea. To me the Wooden Club also gave birth to Cricket and then to Baseball. Boomerang is also a cool hunting tool and weapon from the Aboriginal People of Australia. Philippines has the Yo-Yo. But I ain't sure how Yo-Yo works as a Hunting Tool.



The Moai Statues of Rapa Nui: Just a sample of carving canoes evolved unto ritualistic carving of logs and stones as an artifacts. I mean if you live in an Island, there's gotta be lots of time to kill. Plenty of time waiting for the GODs in which they were from. Plenty of time for art. Plus art also keeps the mind occupied and strong.



Here is a sample of a Maori Tiki Jade. A Moko Facial Tattoo is also a form of carving but with ink. A Fish Hook Pendant made of Bone.


The images bellow illustrates the Austronesian People of Oceania:

MALAYAN

Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Borneo, Taiwan, and etc.
These groups migrated from Taiwan to Southeast Asia. Also known as the East Indies. The Westerners that discovered East Indies of Malay were Spanish, French, Dutch, and Americans. The Malaysians kept the name as their official country name. Malayans are the forefathers of the Austronesian Language and Culture.

MELANESIAN

Solomon, Papua New Guinea, Australia (aboriginal), Timor (alfredo reinado), Fiji, and etc.
The black people of Oceania. The Westerners that discovered the Melanesians were Portuguese, Dutch and British Missionaries. To me MICRONESIA is also part of the MELANESIAN, basically just smaller islands just above the MELANESIAN islands. It's cool how some people of the Solomon and Australia have natural blond hair. I think it has to do with the sun and the ocean. There are people in the Philippines who also has blond hair, mostly young kids that lives on the oceans.

POLYNESIAN

Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand (maori), Hawaii, Tahiti, and etc.
Polynesians has Portuguese and British blood lines, as well as American. They are more known as the standard Pacific Islanders. Since the rise of Colonialism, places like Guam (micronesia) and Hawaii, or even Tahiti has mixed blood with people from the Orient. Like Japan, Korea, and China. Specially Ilocanos of the Philippines. And made a unique language of it's own called Pidgin Language. Like a boomerang that flew from the east to west. Or something like that.

A well known Polynesian Actor other than Dwayne Johnson (the rock), is Cliff Curtis. Who appeared as supporting actor in Once Were Warriors, and an extra in some award winning film The Piano. Me and my Bro sometimes laugh about it because the dude can play any type of roles. He plays characters as an Arab and even a Cholo Mexican from the movie Training Day. And I don't think a lot of people seems to notice that. The dude came up though man.



I could be wrong though, but according to my research, Filipinos is a new nationality. Christianity is the official faith. Every Nations has a beginning. The first known Filipinos were Spaniards that was born in the Philippines. Eventually, most of these Filipinos blend in with the indigenous. Some Indigenous still practice Shamanism and into Mother Nature. Before the Spaniards, were the Malay People (austronesians) and then the Arabs, Indians, Japanese, Chinese (mostly merchants). Before that were the Aetas, the very first settlers of the islands, believed to be from Madagascar. An island just below Africa.



Aight, I just finished a track, just needed a little mastering and then I'll post it here. I sampled a little bit of Asha Puthli. I had to do this Blog about Polynesian Culture or else it will keep on knocking the sides of my head to come out.

Sungka

Also known as Mancala for International name. I ain't sure if Sungka are still popular in the Philippines but it sure does brings back some memories as a kid growing up there. Sungka is an ancient game from all over asia. South East Asia for the most part. They even play this game in Africa.





Sungka is a Philippine mancala game which is today also played wherever Philippine migrants are living; e.g. in Taiwan, Germany, and the USA. Like the closely related congkak it is traditionally a women's game. Sungka was first described outside of Asia in 1894 by the American ethnologist Stewart Culin.

Sungka is similar to many other Southern Asian mancala games such as naranj (Maldives), dakon (Java), congkak (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia) and tchonka (Marianas). The game differs from kalah which is known in North America and Europe in being a multi-lap game. Another important difference is that the first move is executed simultaneously in sungka which is meant to balance the game. Sungka is distinguished from congkak by being played counterclockwise and also by some other minor rule differences.

It's hard to explain how to play the game but you'll get the idea while you play it here. On this game you start with 4 pebbles on each of the 6 holes, instead of 7 pebbles on each 6 holes: PLAY MANCALA

Filipino Food

Since Cuisines is one of my interest subjects I am going to write more on Filipino Cuisines. In addition to what I wrote about Anthony Bourdain - Philippines. As a Filipino myself, most common food for a daily routine is not always the "traditional" dish but also Canned Food, like: Sardines, Spams, and Corned Beef. Dried or Smoked Fish is also common. A more upscale routine dish can also be cured meat called Tocino and different kinds of Sausages called Longanisa. These type of food are also International and not just for Filipinos. Canned Food were introduced in the Philippines by the American Soldiers in WWII.


International Canned Food. Also typical for most Pinoy Diet. Instant Noodles are also a big part of the list.


These are Longanisa. There are two types of Longanisa that I know of. The Ilocano Longanisa and the Tagalog Longanisa. Ilocano Versions are more tangy and more smoked or dried. And It's basically pork meat and lard mixed together with salt, pepper, vinegar, and garlic. Lots of garlic. Pork intestines are used for the sausage skins. The Tagalog Longanisa or Southern Version are more sweeter, same method except it's added with some Sweet Curing Powder to have that sweet flavor to it just like Tocino. Due to the high value currency in the Philippines, Southern Longanisas are evolving to a size of a quail egg. Some tourists are even trippen' what they are, and simply being introduced by tour guides as Finger Food or Pulutan (beer snack). Like how hamburgers in America today are becoming more like muffins. Obviously it's an alternative against economic crises.


This here is Tocino. Little portion on this can get you eating a whole lot of rice if you are Pinoy or Asian in general (cultured by it's origin). I used to have this girlfriend who wasn't asian and could eat a whole lot of it without the help of rice. It was a bit insulting to me when she says that "gneee... rice are for side dish only." So wrooong man. Rice is the center of the plate in some countries.






Toyo (dried or smoked fish). Big fish to small fish. From squids to eels. The Vikings also do the same method but with shark meat, I've seen it one time in Bizzare Food. Toyo is or was considered a poor man's diet but today Filipino Chefs are experimenting more and more on evolving Toyo as an upscale cuisine.


As I write about Dried to Smoked Meat Products, it sorta gives me the resemblance of how the Buccaneer Pirates used to eat back in the 1700 or earlier than that. I even found an old illustration of an old pirate making Lechon which is the image you see on the left.




I got the image from this page: The Pirates and Buccaneers.




This is a Lechon. It's traditional like how the Hawaiians cook their pork except not underground being cooked by hot stones but by bamboo poles and over a fire. Different Regions of the Philippines have their own stuffing for their Lechon.


Exactly who were the Buccaneers. Surely and most likely you hear about them in Novel Books, History Books, and even in the Fantasy Movies where they venture navigating through out the Caribbean Shores back in the 1700 or 1600. Buccaneers are also known as Pirates. Buccaneers came from the word buccan, a wooden frame for smoking meat. I hope who ever reads this won't get the idea that I am pushing an issue to claim some historical events for another culture. I am just writing about the resemblance on how the Buccaneers prepares their food the same way how Filipinos do theirs. Besides, during the times of the Caribbean Pirates were also the times when the European Fleets were navigating in the Malay Archipelagos (The Philippines).

Wikipedia: The buccaneers were pirates who attacked Spanish and French shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.

The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate. Originally, buccaneer crews were larger, more apt to attack coastal cities, and more localized to the Caribbean than later pirate crews who sailed to the Indian Ocean on the Pirate Round in the late 17th century.

The term buccaneer derives from the Arawak word buccan, a wooden frame for smoking meat, hence the French word boucane and the name boucanier for French hunters who used such frames to smoke meat from feral cattle and pigs on Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic). English colonists anglicised the word boucanier to buccaneer.

Anthony Bourdain - Philippines

The show was about the Philippines which was never been shown ever before as part of Asian/Pacific cuisine since the show started. Other Asian countries was documented but the Philippines. And finally this one Filipino New Yorker named Augusto got Anthony Bourdain's attention from one of the many audition tapes. I say Augusto was a bit naive for he only been in the Philippines for about a week. Few things I notice about Augusto that he lacked about the Philippines. Which is, theres a difference between visiting and settling among the natives. Depends on how stable you view yourself coming from abroad. And how long that would last to their knowledge. Unless if you speak their languages real well, play their games, dance their music, then you get the pinoy pass. Don't just take my words for it because it all depends where you are with the natives.

The show was actually cool. There was no tourist attraction joints, it was basically the every day life of where people usually get their cooking ingredients and where most people eat at. Lots of Mamas Papas Restaurants, Street Vendors, and big to small Markets. The show journeyed from Manila to Pangpanga to Cebu. Most of the ingredients that was shown are most likely from Up North. The Ilocos regions. The south have more spices and coconuts than the Northern Area of the Philippines. I think Pangpangan cooking are better or targeted the real essence of Filipino Cuisines than any other regions. Perhaps Pangpangan Folks are just more vocal about their cuisines.

The show ended with a Lechon (roast pig) at Cebu where Augusto's and his family visited. Lechon is typical for Filipino Feast. Most of the cuisines showed in the program were traditional home food for Filipinos like Adobo, Tinola (chicken stew), Bulalo (bone marrow stew), Papaitan (bile and guts stew), Penakbet (vegetable stew), and Sinigang (like gumbo = crabs, mussels, shrimps, fish, pork, veggies, and etc.).



About Gumbo - maybe the Filipino settlers of Louisiana in the 1600 brought Sinigang in the US and then later became known as Gumbo. After blending in with the African Americans and the French came the Cajun Culture. Based from watching the Food Network, Sinigang in the Philippines was probably a Filipino version of Paella which is from Spain. The ingredients is pretty much similar except Paella has some rice added to it.

Here is Anthony Bourdain's blog about the show.

Barry McGee & Margaret Kilagallen

One of my favorite Graffiti Artist. I've seen Barry McGee's work in Juxtopoz Magazine and it was in the front cover. Very unique style, specially when he makes his characters lookin' like 1920-30's mobsters with tired lookin' eyes. I don't know man, I just like his work - that big red background and big white character paintings and then the little clusters of characters. It may look like a mess but it actually looked clean. His works looks clean. And for Margaret, today is the first time I found out about her works. Her flat paintings are cool. These two are meant for each other.

Dubai

The back pain is gone. It was probably some bad air other than the way I sit.

My Mother was talking to a relative from the Philippines one time and I asked how they are doing. Sometimes there are other things I am concerned about, but that day, I wanted to know. Two relatives are living in Dubai. One from my father side and one from my mother side.

The one from my father side, is a youngster who took care of the house we left in the Philippines, he's a Landscaper specialty in Saint Merry Shrines. The house is not the best but we sent money from time to time to get it remodeled. My folks plan was to visit there often when they retire but my father never reached his retirement from his previous job. The caretaker later became a seaman and when he reached Dubai he work as a carpenter. His wife (my second cousin) moved to the country side and constructed their own house. The house we left behind isn't abandoned, I have another cousin living there.

The one on my mother side, I don't know much about. From what I was told, he is also in Dubai and his wife (my first causin) is in Hong-Kong. I still have to find out what she does in Hong-Kong. I know them creepy shit they do in asia sometimes but for sure she is in good hands.

Now, what is Dubai. And where is it at:




Due to the economic crises, some projects are on hold. Other than that, It sorta reminds me of what you read, heard, and seen illustrated about Atlantis. Lot's of Sky Scrapers and Hotels that are being built simultanously, lots of Amusements Parks, Man Made Islands that are shaped like Palm Trees, and Man Made Islands formed togethere like the world. Maybe they will be the first to have them flying cars around. These are different projects from different countries more of a United Countries or Nations rather than like the United States. Or the United Kingdom. Just to issue the location since Dubai is an Arab Country, Dubai is the world's project. In my opinion, when it comes down to comparison between the US and Dubai, there's no competition as far as Natural Landscapes goes, places like: Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, Yosemite, San Andreas, or New York. Well maybe not New York.


Skyline


Palm Island - Jebel Ali


Palm Island - Jumairah


Palm Island - Deira


These are the three different Palms Islands:
Jebel Ali, Jumairah, and Deira


The World Islands


Being built by sands. The Arab world are rich with sand, so this is a smart way to take advantage of that. I wonder if they used sands to built them buildings and scrapers too. That would be like real life Sand Castles. It reminds you a bit of the game War Craft and Sim City on how they construct the Dubai City.