As I said, I love pizza and I love pasta. I just made pizza from stale bread yesterday (it’s not that stale, don’t worry, no need for life insurance).

Today, for lunch, I decided to make four meats pink pasta. It’s basically an oil based pasta with a hint of tomato sauce with no less than four different kinds of sausages- frankfurters, smoked ham sausages, Chinese sausages, and salty chorizo. It’s served with lotsa olive oil and generous helpings of cheddar and my fave Italian seasoning.

Unfortch, I don’t have any pics as I was soo hungry that I forgot to take pics! It was delish, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would if she were here. Bet she would have loved it!

My CDP (that's short for Constant Dining Partner)

I love pizza and I love pasta.

They’re two of my most fave foods (aside from lechon, of course, which I have long since elevated to the level of deity in my personal pantheon of fave foods). If I could (read: zero-calorie pizza), I’d be having pizza and pasta everyday (dunno how true but they say that pizza could treat acne). As it is, they’re both currently classified under bumming around food. That’s food for, you know, bumming around.

I felt like doing just that yesterday after work. However, being cash strapped and not wanting to spend a lot on food only I could enjoy, I decided to save up and make my very own pizza using left-over bread, sausages, ham, and cheese.

Yummy pizza made from leftover bread

For those interested, here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

1.) left-over bread

2.) tomato sauce

3.) hungarian sausage or frankfurters

4.) a slice of ham

5.) bell peppers

6.) cheddar cheese

7.) olive oil

8.) Italian seasoning

Procedure: Smear tomato sauce on one side of the leftover bread. Top with sliced hungarian sausage or frankfurters, diced up ham and minced bellpeppers. Lay a slice of cheese on each bread. Drizzle two spoonfulls of olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake in oven for approximately 10minutes or until cheese melts.

Enjoy!

See that green and orange Random Detoxification banner above?

That was taken approximately 6 years ago during one of our regular forays in the east coast (I miss those joyrides. It was one of those best weight loss supplements). It’s a picture of a valley surrounded by emerald hills made of neat green grass and which opens out into the azure sea beyond. The sea itself is dotted with eleven tiny islands of white sand beaches and shrubbery.

The valley of Buenavista

That valley is located in a barangay with one of the most beautiful sights in Zamboanga City. In fact, the barangay’s name is an aliteration to the view that greets its residents and visitors- Buenavista (which literally means ‘good view’ or ‘perfect view’).

Earth, sea, and sky

We’ve been to passed by Buenavista countless times. However we only get to catch a glimpse (or in the aforementioned banner’s case, an occasional photo) of that beautiful vista as tales of rebels, kidnappers and brigands abound. Case in point:

Roughly 7 years ago, when me and my partner were working with caves, we heard reports of underwater coral caves in the eleven islands (which are part of Buenavista). Being speleologists, we wanted to explore the caves there. But locals warned us that if we go, we might as well bring vinegar with us. Why? Simply because the pirates will eat us alive the moment we set foot on one of those islands. The vinegar was for their sawsawan or dipping. Of course, we didn’t go. Who in his right mind would?

Eaten alive by pirates and buried alone on an uninhabited isle? No, thank you.

As the years went by, and news of the occasional gunfight and rebel threats filtered out onto the news, we could only look in longing at the glimpses of rolling valleys, green hills, sparkling sea, and blue sky as we drove by on the bus to Dipolog and again as we went back home to Zamboanga. Never did I think that I would have the priveledge of actually setting foot on that valley. But I did. Yesterday. And the views just floored me. They were awesome. Nay, they were spectacular.

Still pretty but still wishing I had a better camera

It literally took my breath away. I even climbed to the very top of the hill in the very center of the valley floor. All around me was grass gently waving in the noon breeze and nothing but blue sky overhead and a white sand beach not that was not too far away.

In the middle of the valley

The owner of the land built his house on top of the hill. It was not a grandiose house. It was small, made of nipa, and shabby even. It did not have furnishings, or any appliances, save for a dilapidated TV. But talking to him, and imagining how he gets to wake up to the sun slowly rising over the horizon, its warm, golden light washing away the tendrils of fog that accumulates in the night (yes, he says that the valley floor fogs up at night), and sleeping with the clearest view of the moon and stars at night, I think that he is one of the luckiest men on earth. I say this out loud and in response he just looks at me, smiles and says that he cannot ask for more.

Ride it forever. :)

PS in case you were wondering, there is no road leading down this valley. Only a trail littered with granite rocks. I went down this valley and up that hill on my trusty Bastian. It took a lot of manuevering and almost slipping to get up there.

Every time I open my Facebook account, I never fail to see status updates like this:

What happens when you've got too much time on your hands

To put it simply, I just don’t get it. Why people are so engrossed over farms or fishes or cafes that don’t actually exist in the first place (unlike acne, which is an all too real fact. Better put some tretinoin cream on that) I really don’t know. Some people even go so far as to wake other people up in the middle of the night- in the freaking middle of the night,  just to get them to ‘feed’ their imaginary fishes or ‘water’ their make-believe farms. I mean, come on, they wouldn’t actually die. They’re NOT real to begin with!

I guess sometimes, somehow, that thin, thin line between fantasy and reality blurs in ridiculous ways.

Shocking news. Deaths have occured on Disney World. Nine deaths to be precise. From Snopes.com:

“Claim: Several guests have lost their lives on various Disney World attractions.

Status: True”

Ok, fine. So the most recent incident was in 2003 when a locomotive train ride separated from its rails killing a man when he was thrown off and crushed by the train (guess this post once again qualifies as an appetite depressant which in turn qualifies as a natural fat burner).

OK, so I’m 7 years late in my report. But still, it’s quite shocking to find out that people have actually died while enjoying the rides in a theme park. Like that four year old girl who died while enjoying an interactive movie.Or that boy who drowned while trying to swim across a man-made lake. The first incident ever recorded happened in May 1964 when a 15-year old boy unbuckled a seatbelt on one of the rides and fell to ground below, fracturing ribs and breaking skull.

I guess it’s just sobering to know that one moment finds you screaming for joy at the thrill and pleasure of a ride, and the next finds you silent and brooding ’cause your dead. Makes those fantastic scenarios in Final Destination all the more plausible- not to mention scarier.

Pictured: Not a ride you'd like to be in

I was going through the Sunday secrets at Postsecret when I chanced upon this secret:

someone's dirty little secret

This secret made me smile (diet supplements make me smile too).

Why? Because it used to be my secret too. But instead of the Metro, I used to do this on jeepneys. It all started back when I was in elementary school (grade three, I think) which was around the time I started commuting home on my own. At first being the good lil’ boy that I was, I dutifully and honestly paid my fare as soon as I got on.

Then one blustery afternoon, I was daydreaming (as most boys are wont to do) as I rode the commute home. I was soo caught up in my fantasies that I didn’t notice the jeep pass by my stop. I soon realized I wasn’t where I was supposed to be and frantically asked to be let off. Fortunately, I soon found my way home after what seemed like hours of walking. Relief flooded through me as I saw the familiar landmarks of home.

It was then that I realized that I still clutched my fare tightly in my hands. I looked down at those two one peso coins (the ones with the Carabao on them) and an evil evil plan formed in my head. The very next day I took the jeep and instead of dutifully paying the fare like I used to, I just asked to be let off. That’s when I realized that the driver didn’t even check whether his passengers paid the fare or not! So began a nasty career of shortchanging those poor jeepney drivers. And believe it or not, I wasn’t caught at all.

Of course, once “maturity” set in, I soon realized that I was depriving these hardworking, honest men of their day’s living so I eventually started paying them again.

As a doctor, I’ve been approached and asked by friends countless times how to cure a hangover.

Pictured: A bad case of a hangover

I always give the same advice (short of offering them promotional products):

1.) drink lots of water before, during, and after drinking.

Hangovers are mainly thought to be a result of dehydration. I say thought because a lot of scientists are still in contention as to what really causes them. Some say it is a combination of the effects alcohol has on your digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems while others say that vascular spasm and “shrinkage” of neurons from dehydration is the main reason why that invisible guy still keeps hammering away on your head the morning after drinking. That said, drinking lots of water and preventing dehydration could help keep away that nasty hangover.

2.) Eat or snack on something while drinking.

Food in the stomach helps dilute the alcohol and prevents it from being absorbed too rapidly into your bloodstream. Snacking after a night out with friends (the so-called night-capper), aside from diluting the alcohol from that last toast, gives your body the nutrients that it needs to rest and rebuild.

3.) Get lots of sleep.

According to scientists, the neuronal effects of alcohol prevent you from getting that REM sleep that your body needs every night. That’s why you wake up feeling tired and run-down the following day even after that dreamless 8-12 hours you got after you’ve crawled into bed the night before. So get lots of sleep the following day when your body has detoxified and gotten rid of some of the alcohol still in your system. This would give your body time to catch up on the REM sleep that it missed.

So there you have it. Three solid ways to prevent a hangover.

Unfortunately, based on that pesky guy still pounding away at my temples as I write this, I think I’ve violated the first two rules last night (hadn’t had much water, didn’t go for that night cap, now I’m paying the price). Fortunately, I’ve got the time for rule number 3. Exactly the reason why social drinking should be done on a weekend, where work wouldn’t interfere with sleep at all. :)

I should have drank more water!

I normally consider myself a pacifist. I don’t believe in fighting and violence (Violence in video games don’t count). But there always comes a time in a guy’s life that requires him to don helmet and shield and fight. For some, that moment comes early in life when circumstances force them to literally take up arms. For others, it comes waay later in life when they fight their own selves in a virtual mirror match- an internal struggle that leaves them tired, haggard, but ultimately at peace.

You wanna mess with me, punk?

For me, the call to arms came when I was in my freshman year in high school. That was the year I transferred from a preppy, “upper class” school (read: swimming lessons, dance and ballet) to a more rough and rowdy technical school where we learned to fix engines, wired circuits, create metal tools.

As you would expect, my former school background ensured that I would be scorned and laughed at by my new classmates who considered me somewhat of a sissy. The taunts came often and became more cruel by the day. Then came the pranks. My water jug would suddenly go missing only to show up hanging from the gym’s ceiling later in the afternoon. My basketball inexplicably grew a hole during gym class and I ended up failing that gym class test ’cause I didn’t have a ball to bring to class. There were thumbtacks on my seat, notes pasted on my back. Though they were annoying me, I tried my best not to pay them any attention. However, that patience was bound to break.

It happened one sweltering afternoon during shop class. We were tasked to make a device designed to adjust levers on machinery from a block of metal. I’ve been working on my project for the better half of a year. I patiently sawed it (by hand), filed it, drilled it and made sure it matched the specifications of the draft. I was hoping to submit it as an entry to a contest sponsored by Bosch. I finally finished it and had just chrome-plated it when my teach called me up to the faculty room for a consultation. I left my precious project sitting on my work bench. When I returned, lo and behold, I found three symmetrical holes drilled into my project. For a full minute, I just stared at it in disbelief. Who would have the gall to destroy something I’ve worked on for so long? The faces of my tormentors flashed before me. I knew they’d done it.

Without a doubt I knew.

So I stormed out of the shop and into the school grounds. I was in a rage. I’ve never felt this angry before. It wasn’t long before I found them. They were lounging by the soccer goal guffawing and grinning- all happy at my obvious distress. As I approached, the ringleader (the biggest and rowdiest of the bunch) called out to me, What’s the matter? Holes in your gear puller? That did it.

I charged headlong into the group, grabbed the leader by his shirt and pulled him to te ground. He got up and started punching and kicking. I responded by lashing out with a series of punches scoring a few to his midsection and face. The rest of the gang was stunned at what was happening that they just stood aside and let us punch it out. However, the bully got the better of me as he was considerably waaay bigger. He kicked me to the ground and for a moment, I just lay there, the wind knocked out of me. I could hear laughter and I knew it was directed at me. I decided enough was enough. So I got up and charged for a second time. I managed to grab his neck into a chokehold and succeeded in pulling him to the ground. I then straddled him and proceeded to punch him repeatedly in the face until he bled. I suddenly was aware of a complete silence. I didn’t stop punching him until one of his teeth flew out and I felt hands pulling me and away from my adversary. It was his mates. They were begging me to stop. So I stood up, looked them all in the eye with all the hatred I could muster and walked away.

Not us, but how we probably looked like

They never bothered me again.

Oh, as for my adversary, we became fast and close friends.

Imagine a team of American football players looking all badass in helmet, pads and spikes suddenly start swaying their hips, tapping their feet and pointing to the ring fingers of their left hand to the tune of All the single ladies.

Auditioning for an alternative career in case football doesn't work out

Just click on the picture for the full video. :)

Now ain’t that a sight! I literally couldn’t stop laughing! It was just pure, unadulterated FUN. Welcome to Glee.

If there’s one word to describe Glee it would be WHOLESOME FUN (elliptical would be another word to describe it). Er, make that two words. When she first introduced Glee to me, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it that much thinking that it would be just another re-make of High school musical. Since it was the middle of the Christmas break, where bumming was the IN thing to do, I decided to go ahead and watch it. And- surprise! Not only did I like it, I was hooked! I couldn’t stop watching episode after episode. And I couldn’t stop laughing! The series is definitely refreshing and the song selection delightful. I found myself humming / singing the songs while doing other stuff. I just love their repertoire. The characters are also easy to like (believe it or not, my fave character is the show’s antagonist Sue Sylvester!).

Scary. But likable.

So for those of you looking for a fun, lighthearted, refreshing break, this show’s for you.

I was having a conversation with her sister the other day and we got to talking about pets. She was talking about the rabbits they had when they were kids. I told her that I didn’t really have that good a history with pets. I went through a monkey, 3 dogs, 2 cats, 4 fishes, 2 birds and all of them died. And NO, I didn’t kill them. The dogs got parvo, one of the cats got run over (I should’ve placed blinds on their cages), while the other was found dead one morning. The fishes were a gift from a friend. They were janitor fishes which I assumed leeched off of dirt and algae from the fish tank’s walls. I didn’t feed them so they starved to death. The birds? The aforementioned cats ate them. And the monkey? I was around 4 when I “accidentally” fed it clay back when clay was still toxic. And yeah, it developed diarrhea and died.

Yeah I fed it clay. But it wasn't my fault it was greedy!

I was starting to feel bad about all those failures when I suddenly remembered that I successfully raised one pet!

Her name was Bianca and she was the whitest, fluffiest, cutest white mouse I ever saw. As with most of my pets, a friend gave her to me. She was tiny at first, not bigger than the palm of my hand. I remember I used to take her out of her cage and let her run across my hands and shoulders. I even brought her to school at times- tucked safely in the breast pocket of my school uniform. Her favorite perch was on top of my head. She loved tugging at my hair while I studied.

I kept her in my room and fed her cheese and meat I surreptiously spirited away from the family ref. What I ate, Bianca ate too. She even developed a taste for chocolates! As expected, all that food made her big. But she wasn’t enormous yet. Just chubby. Then I started feeding her multivitamin tablets. And boy, did she grow! She suddenly grew twice her size! She was now the biggest white mouse I ever saw!

Not Bianca, just a random white mouse

One day, she became agitated. She starting gnawing on the floorboards of her cage and turned this way and that. That night, I went to her cage to play with her and was astonished at what I sa.! Six baby mice lay wriggling around her! Six! I didn’t own another mouse. Bianca was all alone. And I was old enough to be dubious about immaculate conceptions. I knew were babies came from! They didn’t just sprout out of thin air! It was then that I noticed that three of the babies were gray, one was gray and white, while two were all white. So what happened? You probably already guessed it- a common house rat got her pregnant.

But since they were Bianca’s offspring, I still fed them and took care of them until those pesky cats decided to snack on them while we were all out of the house one afternoon. And Bianca? She survived the cat attack and lived to a ripe old age. She never got pregnant again.