chuvaness

The best of MMDA art, if you ask me.










You've got to hand it to MMDA, they have a sense of humor we can all relate to. Now all we need are honest traffic enforcers, who will actually give tickets instead of collecting bribes.
Here's a nifty scam used by a friend of mine in dealing with corrupt traffic enforcers. She keeps a stash of play money in her car. When she gets stopped for some kind of "traffic violation" and the cop asks for money, she slips him a fake 500-peso bill, which the cop doesn't check until she drives off into the night.



Here's an email that landed in my Inbox yesterday.

Dear Ms. Cecile,

Would like to let you know that our agency has released official FAQs that motorists could print out and use as guidance for traffic incidents and in dealing with erring enforcers.
You may find our FAQs on our website at:
http://www.mmda.gov.ph/faq.html

Of particular interest to you might be our FAQs entitled
10 Things That Drivers Should Know http://www.mmda.gov.ph/faq.html#page-1
Revised Number Coding (UVVRP) Rules http://www.mmda.gov.ph/faq.html#page-2
Traffic Fines and Penalties (Updated: Sept 2010) http://www.mmda.gov.ph/penalties.html

We hope you could help us get the official word out to your readers so that they may be better equipped to handle encounters with our enforcers.

Thank you.

- Atty. Yves P. Gonzalez
Spokesperson / I.T. Head
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority

If you had tuned into my birthday wish list for 2010, you'll know that hiring a cook that can cook was one of the things on my list.
In hindsight, I already got 15 our of 25 wishes, so not bad!

Our cook has been with us for about two months. She came with her own recipes, but Jeroen wanted her to know more stuff.
We enrolled her at 25 Mushrooms cooking school, designed for household cooks, at Valle Verde 5.
Lydia has already had one lesson (Thai) and taken home samples which Jeroen loved.
Jeroen is so excited, he has recommended 25 Mushrooms to his Dutch and Belgian friends who live nearby.
We're looking forward to her other lessons, and so is she!
Here's the 411 on upcoming classes by 25 Mushrooms:

September 7, 2010, Tuesday
Persian cuisine restaurant recipes
Hummus with pita bread, moutabal (grilled eggplant dip), homemade beef or chicken shawarma with garlic cream sauce & chili sauce (no need for shawarma griller), chicken kabob with basmati rice and grilled tomatoes, beef kabob with buttered basmati rice, chicken tandoori




September 9, 2010, Thursday
Thai 2 restaurant recipes
Crispy cat fish salad with green mangoes, shrimp cake with sweet chili dip, stir-fry chicken with crispy basil, grilled pork belly with crispy lemon grass, clams with chili garlic sauce, curry noodles with prawns and vegetables, chicken wrapped in pandan with Thai chili soy sauce



September 14, 2010, Tuesday
Healthy dishes for your kids
Kiddie spaghetti with meatballs, chicken cordon bleu with gravy, crunchy fish fingers with dip and fries, tenderloin tips with Mushroom gravy served with mashed potatoes, roasted chicken with gravy served with buttered carrots and corn, homemade corn dogs, freshly baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies



Sept 16, 2010, Thursday
Filipino 2
Fresh vegetable lumpia with homemade wrapper, chicken inasal, crispy Pork or chicken adobo flakes with garlic rice, sisig, sizzling pusit, Bicol Express




Sept 21, 2010, Tuesday
Authentic Chinese recipes
Shrimp and pork siomai, chicken and sweet corn soup, Peking noodles with meat and vegetables, sweet and sour pork, stir-fry shrimp with green peas, Yang Chow fried rice, homemade buchi

September 23, 2010, Thursday
Vegetarian menu
Vegetarian phad thai, grilled vegetable panini, hummus served with whole wheat pita, moussaka, vegetarian gyoza, spinach and artichoke dip, porcini Pasta, vegetarian green curry, pineapple fried rice

September 28, 2010, Thursday
Vietnamese Cuisine
Vietnamese pomelo and crab salad, fresh spring rolls with spicy peanut dip, Kung Pao chicken, breaded tofu with mushroom sauce, Mekong River fish with yellow bean sauce, Vietnamese grilled pork and chicken with fried rice and spring rolls served with sweet Nuoc Cham di



October 1, 2010, Friday
Japanese 2
Ebi sushi, salmon sushi, uni sushi, tuna sushi, soba noodle soup, katsudon, gyudon (beef rice topping), chicken yakitori, gyoza, coffee jelly

October 5, 2010, Tuesday
American food
New England clam chowder, fall off the bone BBQ baby back ribs with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, beer-battered fish and chips, quarter-pounder Angus beef burger with Parmesan fries and crispy onion rings, crispy chicken tenders with gravy, baked macaroni and cheese




FEES:
PHP 1,100/day — Basic or Advanced Cooking Course (daily rate)
PHP 4,000 — Basic Course with Training (once a week for 4 weeks)
PHP 4,000 — Advanced Cooking course (any four classes of your choice, additional classes at PHP 1,000/class only)
PHP 95 — Cookbook/Manual (optional for those taking full courses only)
PHP 35 — Lunch (optional)

Fees are inclusive of all ingredients.
Guaranteed tasting portions for take home are allocated for all students who have booked or called in advanced.
For reservations call Marlene or Thelma at 631-4822 or text (0917) 811-9797.

To know more, visit their Facebook.

Print this evite to enter the end-of-season sale at the Adidas Head Office, 38th floor, Robinson's Equitable Tower, ADB Avenue corner Poveda Street, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
No evite, no entry!

Regarding traffic laws and scams, it is suggested that you print and keep a copy of this in your cars.

1. No window hours: Makati, Malabon and Las Piñas. Number coding is in effect from 7 AM to 7 PM.
2. No number coding: Taguig, Marikina and Parañaque. So feel free to roam around these cities anytime.
3. Pasig City has window hours of 9 AM to 4 PM (note the one hour addition to the regular 10-3 PM window).
4. San Juan has window hours now according to MMDA website.
5. Pasay City has implemented number coding except on the following roads: Ninoy Aquino Avenue, MIA Road, Domestic Road, Portions of Airport Road, Sales Road, Tramo.
6. EDSA, C5, Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, Roxas Boulevard (Pasay) have window hours regardless of the city, meaning one can drive via EDSA, Makati any day.
7. For the rest of Metro Manila (Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Manila, Muntinlupa, Navotas, parts of Pasay, Pateros, Quezon City, Taguig, and Valenzuela) number coding is in effect (window hours of 10 AM-3 PM are also observed.

JUST ADDED: If you're on McKinley Road and your car has a Dasma or Forbes sticker, the MMDA can't catch you for being coded. Just tell them you're a resident.

Tools against abusive MMDA officers
Source: MMDA Personnel Officer Antonio Pagulayan

If any of these abuses seem familiar to you, Mr. Antonio Pagulayan (Personnel Officer) has asked that you call either the MMDA hotline (136) or call the METRO BASE at (0920) 938-9861 or (0920) 938-9875 and ask for an Inspectorate.
They should send inspectors to the place where these MMDA officers are extorting, even while you are arguing out of your apprehension.

1. MMDA officers are not allowed to group together in order to apprehend. They are not even allowed to stand together in groups of two or more. The only time they are allowed to work together is for special operations (probably when they apprehend groups of buses for smoke belching)

2. Swerving IS NOT a traffic violation. Moving from one lane to the left or right is not swerving, no matter where or what road. And it is even less of a violation when you do it with a signal. Swerving is defined as shifting two or more lanes very quickly. You can argue your way out of this or call the Metro Base for help.

3. Sadly, using the yellow lane is a traffic violation and will get you a ticket. However, buses are really not allowed to get out of the yellow lane, so if you see selective apprehension of private cars only, you may complain.

4. MMDA has confirmed that your license MAY NOT BE CONFISCATED at a traffic apprehension. The only time they can do so is if you are part of an accident, or it is your third violation and you have not settled your fines yet. They are only allowed to give you a ticket, which you can contest. Pagulayan recommends actually receiving the ticket in some instances, so that you can report the officer who did it.

5. Also, you are free to ask any of these officers for their "mission order" which is written by their supervisor. If they apprehend you for a violation that is not in their mission order for the day, you can report them and they will receive disciplinary action.

Staying at home with Ben, watching "Bedtime Stories" while fever is currently at 38.4°
He has been sniffling and coughing all day and has finished four packs of tissues.
Here are our bedside staples:



1 Suncoast Lightwater—a no-taste hydrating drink and better alternative to flavored sports drinks
2 Children's Panadol—cause my son vomits syrup medicines. I buy these chewable tablets in Singapore.
3 Cooling headache gel pads—more convenient than traditional ice packs
4 Digital thermometer—every home should have one, seriously
5 Box of Tisyu—not the softest tissues for your nose, but purchased because of the cute box. Puffs tissues are the best tissues for me. Available at S&R.

On Sunday morning Markus walked in the room asking if he could already burst the water bubble that formed in our wall.



I said not yet. We wanted to wait for Tuesday as a friend wanted to witness the popping.
But you know how kids are, he couldn't wait. He ran outside but came back right after to report that the bubble had already burst, apparently while we were sleeping.
Aargh!! I missed it and I so wanted to film it.
Here's how it looks today.



So sad. It's no longer Anish Kapoor.



So the architect, Ed Calma came over today to have a look and he suspects the source to be holes made onto the wall when we installed Nikki Luna's "it is what it is" neon sign last year.



So amazing but impossible to photograph. It created a boutique hotel glow on our deck, but Ondoy killed it and it needs to be fixed. Nikki please help me!



Saw it at a Silverlens exhibit and fell in love with it.
We found a place to relocate it that would be safe from water seeping into the concrete and I hope it works out.

But my son is sick at home.
When it comes to Filipino ready-to-wear, I consider Melissa Dizon Ramsay on top of the list.
Take advantage of her super sale at 101 Bormaheco Building, Metrolitan Avenue corner Zapote Street, Makati.





http://eairth.ph/

Here's a Clean & Clear update.
Overnight we succeeded in overtaking Vietnam.

This was last August 31


and today


Rumor has it Indonesia has a well-oiled campaign and are favored to win.
While all we Filiipinos have are really the numbers to vote for Isa and Mariel until September 13, 2010.
If you have a Facebook account, vote once a day and tell your friends. I know it's a long shot, but we can TRY!
If all the call center people can just vote for Team Philippines once a day for the next week, we can take Indonesia by surprise and good luck na lang sa kanila!

Mariel Bitanga and Isa Palabyab photographed by Patty Mendoza: Don't you think they deserve to win?



Vote now. Believe. Click here!
http://apps.facebook.com/cleanclear/blog/philippines/

In 1989 I visited Medjugorje with my four lolas and two cousins. I haven't been back, but I'm glad I can follow the messages via email.
Got this in my Inbox yesterday.
Normally Our Lady gives very general messages, but the most recent one hit me really hard.

Latest Special Medjugorje Message, September 2, 2010 - Our Lady's apparitions to Mirjana
“Dear children, I am beside you because I desire to help you to overcome trials, which this time of purification puts before you. My children, one of those is not to forgive and not to ask for forgiveness. Every sin offends Love and distances you from it – and Love is my Son. Therefore, my children, if you desire to walk with me towards the peace of God’s love, you must learn to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Thank you. ” (end quote)

I can't tell you all the stuff I've been going through this past month, only that I am taking this message to heart and will try my best to follow.

"Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die."
—Carrie Fischer in Esquire, January 2002

Had the best party at home. No special occasion, only that my friends and I (Candy, Jenny, Pia, Cedric) always talk about having dinner and never do it. So finally we did.
Everyone brought food, drinks, or friends.



New friendships began



So much happening, not enough pictures



That's how I know I really had fun.



I felt so blessed today to be among friends. I have this really warm feeling right now and I feel no hate for anyone. Thank you for sharing this evening with me.

Overnight it grew into an F-cup.
Compare yesterday's photo with today's.



Somebody said, if it grows a nipple, matakot ka na (be very afraid).
Or another boob right next to it. LOL.
Then that would be a scientific phenomenon and I would have to open my house to media.
I took some photos of it from other angles, para Art.

View from the top (very Anish Kapoor)



View from the bottom



Et cetera



Jeroen wants to burst it na, but we have a dinner party tonight. I'm sure the guests would like to see. So I said tomorrow na lang.