HOW TO GIVE ALMS AND GIFTS

Well… well… well… am back on my feet literally my dear expectators and audiences, after that harrowing “gout” episode of mine last 10 days ago. Because I was away for a while emails, invitations and comments piles-up and a lot of you my expectators beg me to write about gift giving. I cannot do that because my laptop is not yet delivered to me. I don’t know what happened…

To begin with we should know first how was gift-giving first developed. Gift-giving comes from the greek tradition called Xenia. Xenia is the concept of hospitality, or generosity courtesy shown to those who are far from home. It is often translated as "guest-friendship" (or "ritualized friendship") because the rituals of hospitality created and expressed a reciprocal relationship between guest and host. So these include giving the host a preserve meat or anything that might be useful for both parties. The custom of gift then went on to the Roman festival of the Kalends and took place on the first of January during the Winter Solstice. The Roman Emperor received gifts from his administration, as required. Then In the modern times the gift giving tradition was started by St. Nicholas giving gifts to orphan and poor children which was carried on now every Christmas as tradition.

Well… so much about history…. As I ponder over some unopened gifts given to me since last year and over the years, It makes me wonder why people give gifts and alms to each other for no reason at all. Maybe its just Christmas; or maybe it’s a form of atonement to oneself, Or a form of empowering oneself to overpower the lesser creature in front of you, Or it might be a form of insecurity where one pleases people with things and gifts, Or it might be you giving gifts to gain “utang na loob”, or again it might be a form of control --- like “I’ve got you because I give you shelter, alms and gifts…I remember a very remote, lonely x-friend of mine who would shower one’s friends with everything, alms and gifts but when disagreement and crisis came he would lash everything back to you and ask to return all the gifts he gives to you…

And as for alms I remember one time that changes my outlook in giving gifts and alms; I was on a taxi way back seven years ago in EDSA near the GMA station corner the now closed Chicos bar. The taxi is immobile as the red light is on, with burger in hand, I look up at the big billboards but as I was about to bite my first munch, a very dirty and poor little street boy is tapping on the glass window signaling me to give him something and out of kindness I open the window and give him the burger that am going to eat but to my surprise he throw it back to me… he wants money!!! And I was so pissed off that since then I never give alms to street children anymore.

Heniway… for whatever reason sincere and true “Gift Giving” in any form is an act of pure kindness and generosity, an act of pure abandon and unconditional expression of oneself to others but that depends on your status in life. If you’re rich you’re the one giving alms and gifts but if you’re poor you beg or by service hehehehe… well that’s the reality of it all. It’s always up to you if you want to beg and service everyone forever or stand up and become the gift giver instead.

So here we go…

How to give alms and gifts

List… In doing your list during a Christmas gift giving, Think of things that people need not about fancy things on your list. Gone are the days when you give anything for souvenirs, people now wants what they need. The idea behind this is that your friends and family are less likely to give you gifts that lie idle and unused through the year. Instead they offer you gifts that you really need and that you know you will use. This saves you money because you do not have to buy those things yourself and it makes the giver feel good because they know their gift has been worthwhile. Akalain mo nagkaroon ka nang perculator kahit di mo alam gamitin.

Ask… the best thing to make you save time and effort is to ask the person what they really want, I know it lessens the surprise element of gift giving… but it gives you time to think and save if ever you really give into what they want and can choose something similar to what they want if ever its expensive. Tsaka wala namang masama pag magtanong.

Recycle… it’s a nice thought recycling gifts for practicality’s sake but choose the one that can really be a gift and give it to someone who really needs it. Hey not that plastic bottles you’re holding… hmmmp…

Wrap… as oppose to the saying that it’s the inside of the gift box that is important more than the wrappings…. No… no… no… that’s a big wrong notion. There’s more to wrapper than just a wrapper. With creativity and proper choice of colors and theme it will give you as the giver an impression of who you really are. Makabalot lang kayo nang wrapper na merong xmas design check na… no sa akin yan di ko tatanggapin. And to the extreme try using designers paper bag and stuff your gift in there even if its preserve meat.

Give… a little luxury item, it need not be expensive, in your gift giving. This should be aimed at those ’special’ people in your life … you know who they are. Give these people a little luxury item that serves to express your thoughts or feelings about them and how much you value their being in your life.; even if it means a week of noodles and eggs in your stomach.

As for alms giving don’t ever give it to them directly or if you give, refrain from giving money to them as much as possible, food and drinks are good and clothing too. That’s it for gift giving… honestly I don’t really fond of giving gifts but I love receiving gifts. I love giving to donations to the charities and orphanage.


That’s all expectators… I still need to drink my drugs…. Mwahhh!!!

HOW TO AVOID A SOCIAL DISEASE LIKE GOUT!!!

Sorry my dear beautiful expectators of mine… Your highness was sick for a week… I’m sick with these social disease called “GOUT” and its very daut!!! I mean can you imagine me wearing my manolo high heel shoe, because its only on my left foot and its aching so badly that I was absent with all the functions and events that’s been line up for me for the month of December which includes a very important interior design pitch for our new office. Its good thing that the landlord and my humble manang was there for me all the time.

Gout is a very painful experience, one can call all the saints and devels when it attacks you. Its very strange for as young and as beautiful as I am is afflicted with terrible, horrible and not so sosyal illness. I called it social disease because it involves more on your lifestyle. One can get Gout by too much eating legumes and innards like liver and anything which is high in uric acid. Drinking alcohol, red wine ( which I just fall in love lately, so no more wine tasting muna pero pwede ang Gin, kaya naman pala nung gin pa lang ang tinutunga ko ala akong ganitong sakit… iba talaga pag hindi sanay ang stomach sa mga sosyal na food and drink na mga iyan)… and partying too much without exercise can cause gaut, which by the way is often inherited.

Gout attacks are caused by deposits of crystallized uric acid in the joint. Uric acid is present in the blood and eliminated in the urine, but in people who have gout, uric acid accumulates and crystallizes in the joints. Uric acid is the result of the breakdown of purines, ( hindi sya cat food ha!!! ) chemicals that are found naturally in our bodies and in food. At cooler temperatures, uric acid turns into crystals at eto yung makirot para bang may mga needles and iyong mga joint but for some reason I like it siguro masokista ako. Since the toe is the part of the body that is furthest from the heart, ( of course it is ) it’s also the coolest part of the body—and, thus, the most likely target of gout. However, gout can affect any joint in the body. “huh’ ako ba eto at diretso ang English ko.

Gout is derived from the latin word “gutta”, meaning “a drop” (of liquid)… in short rayuma if you are poor, but because I’m sosyal I called gouty arthritis of the big toe. Bwahahahaha… gouty arthritis daw… ang hirap nga e-spelling pero madaling bigkasin.

Well… well… well… heniway… our topic for today is

How to avoid social disease like GOUT!!!

Try… ( try lang naman )… try to limit your intakes of food that are high in purines like meat, poultry, fish, tufo, legumes, kidneys, liver, brain, sardines, anchovies, clams, shrimps, crabs, lobster, scallop, oyster, asparagus, spinach, ampalaya, string beans, cauliflower, mushroom, fruit preserves, jam, jellies, syrup, candies, cookies, ice cream, cakes, vitamin c, tea, and aspirin… pati kanin… in short wag ka nang kumain… punyeta di ba!!! Ako pa… ako pa… god buti na lang sa list nang mga alcohol hindi bawal ang gin.. pero beer at red wine di pwede mataas ang purine nyang mga yan.

Eat… eat these social stomach fillers… tart cherries ( its expensive you know so I like it ), berries, celery, cheese yeah cheese, banana, carbonated beverages and gin, they don’t mention coffee so coffee I guess?

Take… take vitamin B5 instead of vitamin C as it increases the production of uric acid.

Drink… drink a lot of liquids specially water para di ka matoyuan… nang ulo or whatever… but that’s really to dilute the acid and will keep you pee all the time.

Put… put on socks or any warm protection to your feet during cold season.

Exercise… of course what else, that’s true when you get older… I love sychronise swimming as an exercise… I used to be synchronised you know.

Well that’s it, however there is really no cure for Gout but it has remedies when having an attack. Take this pills I like it, makes me bangag and high… prednisone, cortisone and ponstan… they are all steriodal… but what else I can do… masakit sya…

Well… well… well that’s it for today… mwah…

Again reminder don’t correct my grammar and spelling!!!

HOW TO TASTE WINE

Well… well… well… there you are my shy and lovely expectators and audiences. Today is a lovely day for me; I don’t know I just felt happy today. Maybe because its December, and a lot of parties are coming maybe that’s it; and small things and problems have been resolve lately and it feels nice.

Lately I been hanging around with Mr. Gush who’s been a resident here in Cambodia for eight years now, He’s an Austrian and a chef, he already wrote two popular cookbooks. He loves wine so much and I love him for that, I don’t really know much about wine not until I met him.

Wine for me during my transformative years as a social climber are for classy people only, besides being costly it don’t make me drunk easily. My alcohol dosage when I’m just a poor little provincial girl is consist of cheap gin ( gin bulag ) concocted with different kinds of nectar and juices and named it with the most fabulous name ever there on earth like “Green eyed monsters or “gin pomelo”. “Tuba” in the visayas of course is my favorite mixed with coca-cola and San Miguel beer that’s all I know.

However, listening to professional wine tasters, it is easy to get an impression that wine is all about feeling, intuition and literally spirit. Wine tasting or wine drinking is not at all about getting drunk, it’s about refinement and appreciation of your life and culture in general. Wines are always present in every formal or informal ritual to the western culture, like tea to the Asians and “Sake” for the Japanese. Bouquet, clarity, earthy, crisp, open, and nostalgic could be difficult for many to understand even to me who is very understanding. By the way oenology is the science of winemaking, para sa vocabulary nyo yan… okay…

Serving wine requires some education and experience. Some wines are best served at room temperature (red generally), while some should be served chilled (white generally). But that’s the general rule in western culture, but in tropical, or asia and hot country people tend to chill everything be it red or white. So don’t be surprise when people in asia ask for ice with they’re red wine.

There are several main varieties of wine, which are named after the type of grape they are made from. Some of the most popular are: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah (Shiraz in Australia),Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio,Gewürztraminer. ( punyeta hanggang ngayon di ko pa rin ma-pronounce nang tama yang german word na yaan ) Bordeaux is actually a combination of Merlot and Sauvingnon Blanc. But don’t ask me how to pair it with foods… all I know is how to drink it.

So here we go our topic for today is…

How to taste wine

Pour the wine into an ordinary wine glass no more than half full and swirl it a bit to generate additional 'winey' vapor. As much as possible don’t ever use metal glasses not unless its glazed like the cup that the priest uses. Avoid heavy glasses so the wine can easily be seen.

Then examine to determine if it is clear, hazy or opaque. Clear is when you don’t see any sediment ( sediment di mo alam eto yung parang latak na namomoo sa tasa nang kape mo pag ubos na in wine meron nyan ) So its hazy if it looks like thick but a little bit clear. Opaque kung para na syang kape ka dark.

Smell the wine briefly and pay close attention by closing the eyes. This may seem pretentious but will help you to focus on one or two sense taste and smell over sight. I love it when I do that, it makes me feel like very social… you know and very pretentious.

Attempt to identify the odor. Determine if the odor is fruity like grapes or apples or oranges… attempt lang wala namang masama… basta try to identify what you feel and smell what’s it like, intuition is very important here.

Now take a small sip and run it around the tongue to get many different taste buds involved. Yeah literally imomog mo!!! Different areas of the tongue are more attuned to sweet detection, other more salty or bitter. These is what I love about tasting wine it makes you more aware that there are other taste bud in our tongue more than the sweet bud we know. That is why marami ayaw nang ampalaya kasi hindi nasanay ang mga bitter taste bud mo sa pait.

Set the wine aside or finish it and let it linger with your taste bud… drink another kind of wine after the next day and try to differentiate what you feel from the previous one and the one you’re drinking now. If you paid attention with the first things above you can differentiate it. Its like memory but through the senses.

In all cases, subtlety is the key. Good wines don't have a strong scent.

Swirl the wine gently, sniff and taste”

That’s it… that’s the general rule to be a wine taster. Before long anyone can be swirling around a glass of wine and tossing around 'delicate', 'floral', and 'woody' like an expert…. For me I always call them SUPEE!!! For super!!!

Thanks to Mr. Gush for giving some insights about wine tasting, Am not a pro but I enjoyed the fun of tasting wine it makes me drunk and I love the way red wine stain my already red lips…
MWAHHH!!!

AND THE SECOND WINNER TAKES IT ALL...

Well… well… well… there you are my beautiful but lonely expectators… Today I will spare you with my teachings and words of wisdom to make way for a very special announcement…


I AM A WINNER!!! YES I AM!!!!

And the losers standing small!!!

And the winner always takes it all!!!

I don’t care what you think!!! Good things come to those who wait.

I forgot to tell all of you my lovely expectators that Our Advertising agency “Bassac Orchid” ( now RiverOrchids group ) won an award last month at the INTERNATIONAL DAVEY CREATIVE AWARDS which presented each year to the best advertising design, writing, and production in both print and electronic media. The award is not based on the budget of the commercial work, but on the idea and its execution. Over 2,000 entries from the United States and the world were judged by the International Academy of Visual Arts, a literal "Who's Who" of advertising, branding and marketing professionals.

We’ve done it the 5th time; last 3 years ago we won a gold for print ad for equal sweeteners, Then the next year we won gold again for unilever’s pond’s radio commercial and 2 silver for print ads…

And this year our creative group won Silver for our production of “Inspiration Cambodia” a TV Commercial we made for our client ANZ Royal bank. Everyone in our company is very proud of it, and I am so much more prouder because I made the storyboard and visuals for it; I made almost 25 storyboards before we finally agreed for “Inspiration Cambodia” to do the production.

That was a long journey for me coming up second place to one of most prestigious international award giving body for advertising… I started as an Art director for Bassac orchid, now I’m a Visualizer holding most of the account for TVC. Im the queen in that department and am still am.

and what’s makes me more prouder is that it’s the first award for TVC for the whole of Cambodia’s advertising world and my first award too, I never win an award before and that is why it feels strange but beautiful. I shiver with the idea that we made it amongst the 2,000 participants in the whole wide world… sigh… A lot of sweat and sweat are involve in the making of “Inspiration Cambodia”.

Nothing more I can say… I’m so proud… and thank you… huhuhuhu… thank you… My big thanks to Miss Anne Marie Andrada for the beautiful script, To Marie Anne Abrera our producer and Mr. Paul Regan as the free spirit mentor of mine… I love you all…

MWAHHHH!!!!


Here’s the link by the way

Davey’s website : http://www.daveyawards.com/winners/list/entries/?l=B&event=&category=&award=3&form=2

TVC Inspiration Cambodia link : https://rcpt.yousendit.com/628731209/204b1dc885f10bc46784957f8e851164

as for the TVC inspiration cambodia link you have to download it if you want to see the TVC.

AGAIN thank you my great expectators!!! MWAHHHH!!!