Kata-kata: Blab 05

Ang Manamit Kag Mainit Nga Kape

By Pepin

Naanadan na sang kadam-an ang pagpangape kada kaagahon, labi na gid ang mga tigulang. Sin-o bala ang indi manami-an sang sabor sang kape? Siguro madamu man ang indi hilig sini, pero mas madamu pa gid ya ang indi makabatas nga indi maka-inom bisan isa lang ka tasa sang kape sa isa kaadlaw.

Ang matuod, madamu ka gid may madumduman kung ikaw gapangape. Tilawi bala sa bwas sa aga, mga alas singko y media, mag pungko sa balkonahe ninyo kag mangape (kung wala kamu balkonahe, mag lumpiga sa lupa sagwa balay niyo), kay damu dayon masulod sa inyo panumduman, pareho sang mga manami ninyo nga plano sa bilog nga adlaw, mga pag huna-huna nga indi mapatihan, kag labi na gid ang mga masadya nga nagkalatabo sa kabuhi mu sang una. Amu ini siguro ang rason nga-a mahilig ang mga tigulang mangape kay madamu lang sila may mapaminsar nga makapasadya sa ila (drama si lola! Hibi-hibi to the max dayon?).

Manami man mag inum kape tapos kaon kay daw kainit sa sulok-sulok, labi na gid kung busog-busog ka (tungod sa ka sungak-sungak mu man kis-a), ga talab gid dayon ang epekto sang kape sa tiyan mo. Daw mabatyagan mu nga daw kadasig ka matunawan sang kina-on mo (pati lugay mo nalumos sa kape).

Pero ako ya, hilig ako mangapi kung naga ubra ako, pareho subong nga ga-type ako sini. Dasig ako tuyhon kung wala kape sa tupad ko. Para sa akon, ang hamot pa lang  sang kape nagapamukaw na.

Te, mangape-ngape na ta mga coffeemates?

Health Update:

Be A Stress-fighter

There are easy ways to get out from work pressure

By Pepin

Everyday, millions of people go home from work. They do not only take home their accomplishment (or failure) of the day, but also the intense pressure of stress. It is inevitable that after the long hours spent at the workplace, you will really get exhausted after the end of the shift. But what most people do not know is that the stress they are enduring is killing them at a steady pace.

Whether you are working as a businessman, a nurse, a doctor, an engineer, a street sweeper, a market vendor, or even being a full time student, you will surely feel that mind-numbing and waning experience at the end of the day. Some exasperating symptoms you may be suffering are migraine, muscle pain, sweaty palms, diarrhea, shortness of breath, pounding heart, confusion, lack of concentration, lack of sense of humor, emotional outburst, and negative self-talk. All of these happen when you are strained from work.

Stress is a factor in many diseases. For instance, you can easily get infections because your immune system also deteriorates if your mind and body are tattered. There are also some studies that linked stress and the development of certain fatal disease-conditions, such as cancer, stroke, and myocardial infarction or heart attack. Moreover, if you are hypertensive or suffering from diabetes mellitus, it is more likely that these conditions will worsen if you are always frazzled after work.

To save yourself, it is best that you do something to combat a stressful lifestyle. You should relax your mind and body and find a moment to unwind. One of the best things you can do is to go out of your house and spend a vacation to some of tranquil destinations in the country. You can go to the beach or do some island hopping (Agho Island in Concepcion Iloilo and Baybay Beach in Roxas, Capiz are good spots), or dine at restaurants that serve delicious dishes (Café del Mar and Fridays Boracay, both in Boracay Island, Aklan, serve tasty treats). Another effective way to get out from being totally stressed out is to visit a spa and treat yourself with a massage or facial care. Some of the noteworthy spas in Panay region are Tirta Spa and Mandala Spa in Boracay, Body and Sole and Spa Riviera in Iloilo City, and Tibiao Fish Spa in Antique. Aside from these, you can also go shopping and pay a visit to your relatives and friends.

If you opt to stay home, you can just read a book, eat dinner with the family, and watch movie or your favorite show (telenovelas or game shows, maybe?). You can also do or learn some hobbies, like gardening or playing with pets. Another best way to relieve yourself from pressure is to take a bath and pamper your self with your most wanted beauty products. You can also listen to your favorite music or sing your heart out in a videoke.

Above all, find time to be with yourself. You can reflect on something or simply just pray. You can do this before you go to sleep. And also never forget to always eat right and stay away from vices that can further harm your health.

You can fight stress, and there are many ways to do it. But it would be a lot better if you don’t get into too much labor in your workplace. Find time to loosen up in between your work schedules. If heavy tasks are inescapable, it best to organize things before you start doing them. Remember, learning to manage your stress will keep you hale and hearty at all times.

Stanza No. 006:

You will realize that life is less complicated if you allow yourself to experience the simplest things on earth.

Feature

Lola Ems and Lola Monat:

Shaping and reshaping the family
with their stories

By Pepin

Their hands may have been injured several times and their backs have drooped for several degrees, but their love for their children and grandchildren is never ceasing. Until now, they are giving more of their strength and their wisdom has always been our day-to-day reminders.

Lola Monat and Lola Ems are my two beloved grandmothers from the maternal side of my family. At age 74 and 71 respectively, they would rather prefer to spend more of their time at rice paddies or tending the farm animals than sit indolently at one corner. They would wake up as early as four in the morning, start the day in prayer and boil water for breakfast at five. They would then pick up the walis tingting and gather the dried leaves that fell overnight. At six in the morning, the backyard would already be completely clean and the plants have already been watered.

Their struggles in life are unrivalled and I can label them as inimitable experiences. These all began when they were given the responsibility to raise my mom and her siblings after their mother died from a certain disease. I did not get a chance to see my real grandmother, but Lola Monat and Lola Ems have done well to let me experience her “would-be” kind of care and love.

Life is as hard as I can imagine every time they share the tales of their past. I couldn’t utter any “buts and what if’s” whenever they tell me how difficult it is to provide food for the family and hike for miles to look for an income. They endured a lot of physical scourges and verbal curses from people whom they worked with for several years. They sacrificed decisions of their own satisfaction to accommodate the daily needs of the entire family. All of these are because of their unselfish and selfless love for my mother, her two brothers, and her younger sister.

I, my sisters and my cousins are added characters to their life story. We were not spared from their autocratic system at home. They would penalize us for our wrongdoings and restrain us from doing the things that we want. They would always tell us the same pieces of advice over and over again even if we are too exhausted of listening. But we never despised any of these, because everything they did moulded us of who we are today and what we will become in the future. We believe that we won’t be better persons without them

If there is one gift that I am very much thankful about, it’s my grandparents. I appreciate life more because they taught me how to live each day in simplicity, and that there is no need to complicate. They influenced me to appreciate every gift that I receive no matter how small and simple it is. They taught me how to find contentment and joy in serving the family and not over material wealth. And most of all, they helped me to value God and to build a strong faith in him. I will never exchange any of the wisdom that they have imparted to me ever since I was a kid.

Lola Ems and Lola Monat continue to age with their aspiration to live an undemanding life, and the heavens have never failed them, because for such a simple desire, God is giving them more than what they have asked of him – good health, a loving family, and a life well lived.

Feature

Especially JD

Dine in Iloilo’s finest bakery-café

By Pepin

A human being will always continue on his quest to search for edible stuffs to eat. There is a demanding quest for survival even until these times. The only difference now is that humans do not engage in spiteful brawl over food, especially if at the middle of the city, there is a perfect place to sit and enjoy appetizing dishes, as well as mouth-watering desserts.

A place just like JD bakery café – an all-time favorite eating place in Iloilo City, not only because of their luscious offerings, but more so of the price tags that goes well with a thrifty pocket.

One of the budget-friendly meals to save you for lunch is the friend-chicken and ensaladang langka combo meal. This perfect combination of delectable entrées will satisfy your growling stomach.

You can also try the breakfast meals early in the morning, and you can choose from a good selection of beef tapa, hotdog, longganisa, pancakes, and many more. To complete your meal, a cup of original coffee blend or hot chocolate is a soothing relief to start your day.

If you’re not at the mood to eat rice, you can go for pastas, such as their special palabok, baked macaroni, and Italian spaghetti. If you wish to have more, then try the unique flavors of pizza.

For dessert, you will be treated with different pastries. The Black Forest Cake is one of the top-sellers. You can also try the Cappuccino cake, Sans rival, Brazos de Mercedes, or Ube Cake. If you want to save more for dessert, there are slices of sweets you can try, like the Buko Royal, Butter Chewies, Macapuno Bar, Carrot cake, Truffle bar, and Revel Bar.

There’s always an option for you to bring home as your pasalubong from Iloilo City. JD Bakeshop is full of delectable products, such as the ensaymada, toasted mamon, broas, choco twirl, cream tile bread, cake bread, ciabatta bread, and hopia baboy – All in prices that you can afford.

JD Roadhouse bakery-café located at General Luna Street, Iloilo City

Opinion

Is it the Heart or Mind?

By Pepin

I joined the frenzied chat world one day to seek answers to one question that will definitely make anybody think for quite some time. The question goes this way, “What is more important to you, a beautiful mind or a beautiful heart, and why?” This surely sounds like a pageant-patty query, but this can be asked to anyone, including me and you. I needed to be a little serious and polite to raise this to exaggerated chatters, so that I won't get hysterical replies and end up lying over a gag on me.

You may be expecting a lot of cliché answers, but let’s try to probe on some of the statements of our Ilonggo chat mates concerning this matter. Well, it is up to you to disagree or not!

“I’ll go for a Beautiful Heart. You can nourish your mind and make it beautiful through proper education, but you cannot change a horrible heart. That is why you need a beautiful one from the very start.” (radiant_skin, 29, female)

“I think I choose to have a beautiful heart because it is pure and unlearned. We can learn new lessons and the mind can carry on with new learning experiences, therefore it can improve. But you can never force the heart to be kind.” (queer_eye, 23, male)

“A beautiful heart is what I opt. No matter how smart you are if you do not have a good heart, your wisdom is still useless.” (heyzlara, 20, female)

“ The Mind. If you will have a beautiful mind, you can train your heart to become beautiful as well.” (Juicydude, 25, male)

“I would choose to have both, because they could not be independently exclusive of each other. Your thoughts spring forth from the desires and motives of the heart.” (ysabelle, 24, female)